Reproof of them that care not whose service they come into, nor what work they do, so that they may have nothing to do with God and his services. They think no prison more strait, then the Church: no drudgery more grievous then prayer, and hearing of sermons, singing of Psalms, and sanctifying of the Sabbath: no bondage so burdenous as restraint from sinful delights, and fleshly pleasures: no misery so bitter as sound Christianity. They distaste with great detestation, all persons and actions, and gestures, and words that savour of godliness, or have any stamp and print of piety in them; and as themselves abhor all his worship, so they labour to discourage all others from doing him any service. These are they which are continually censuring of professors and deriding their preciseness, and insulting over their poverty and mean estate. As though the Lord were not able to maintain them that serve him, or else did grudge to bestow good things upon them: as though he were a niggardly hard master unwilling to allow his people sufficiency of food and wages. That were a great disloyalty so to traduce a liberal Lord and free hearted Prince who is ready to promote his servants to living, though it be but for a ⟨p. 65⟩time: but it is an execrable impiety so to blaspheme the most bountiful God, who giveth to every one of his, both living and life, and all blessedness for evermore. But many of them say that they speak by experience, themselves have been professors, and as forward as the best, and they never got any good by it. And such Malachi bringeth in quarrelling against God: Your words, saith he, have been stout against me, yet ye say, what have we spoken against thee? Ye have said it is in vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his commandment, and walked humbly before the Lord of hosts? Mal. 3. 13. 14. Who is so busy to complain for want of wages, as they which never performed any good work? let not the exceptions of murmuring apostates prevail in the ears or harts of any that have understanding. They were never of the family of God, though they crept into his house: they never did one good chare in obedience, and for what then should they have their recompense? They were always proud hypocrites though they boast of humility, and why should they be used as humble persons?
Reproofe of them that care not whose seruice they come into, nor what worke they doe, so that they may haue nothing to doe with God and his seruices. They thinke no prison more streight, then the Church: no drudgery more grieuous then prayer, and hearing of sermons, singing of Psalmes, and sanctifying of the Sabbath: no bondage so burdenous as restraint from sinfull delightes, and fleshly pleasures: no miserie so bitter as sound Christianitie. They distaste with great detestation, all persons and actions, and gestures, and words that sauour of godlinesse, or haue any stampe and print of pietie in them; and as themselues abhorre all his worship, so they labour to discourage all others from doing him any seruice. These are they which are continually censuring of professours and deriding their precisenes, and insulting ouer their pouertie and meane estate. As though the Lord were not able to maintaine them that serue him, or else did grudge to bestow good things vpon them: as though he were a niggardly hard maister vnwilling to allow his people sufficiencie of food and wages. That were a great dissoyaltie so to traduce a liberall Lord and free harted Prince who is readie to promote his seruants to liuing, though it bee but for a ⟨p. 65⟩time: but it is an execrable impietie so to blaspheme the most bountifull God, who giueth to euery one of his, both liuing and life, and all blessednes for euermore. But many of them say that they speake by experience, themselues haue been professors, and as forward as the best, and they neuer got any good by it. And such Malachy bringeth in quarrelling against God: Your words, saith he, haue been stout against mee, yet yee say, what haue wee spoken against thee? Yee haue said it is in vaine to serue God: and what profit is it that wee haue kept his commandement, and walked humblie before the Lord of hosts? Mal. 3. 13. 14. Who is so busie to complaine for want of wages, as they which neuer performed any good worke? let not the exceptions of murmuring apostataes preuaile in the eares or harts of any that haue vnderstanding. They were neuer of the family of God, though they crept into his house: they neuer did one good chare in obedience, and for what then should they haue their recompence? They were alwaies proud hypocrites though they boast of humilitie, and why should they be vsed as humble persons?
