It sometimes melteth my heart, in pity of many Great ones of the world, to think how hard a matter it is for them to know indeed what Holiness is; when they seldom hear so much as one Heavenly prayer or Discourse, or any serious talk of the matters of Sanctification, and communion with Christ! When profaneness and inhumane wickedness dwell about them, and make such as are but civil and temperate, and good-natured persons to seem Saints: When they see but few that fear the Lord, and Love him unfeignedly, and live by faith: and those few are perhaps of the more cold, and timorous, and temporizing Strain, that show forth but little of the Heavenly nature, and the virtues of their holy faith; that dare scarce open their mouths to speak against the wickedness which they see or hear: that dare not discourse like the Saints of the most High, and the heirs of Heaven, for fear of being made the scorn and by-word of the rest, or of falling under the frowns and dislike of their superiors; so that they live among others almost like common men, save only that they run not with them to their excess of riot; and think it enough that by such forbearance of gross sin, they are in some measure evil ⟨p. 464⟩spoken of: When they that should let their light so shine before men, that they might see their good works, and glorify their heavenly Father, (Matth. 5.15.16.) do hide their Religion, and put their Light as under a bushel, and not in a Candlestick, that it might give light to all that are in the house; and so when Religion never appeareth in its proper splendour and power, and heavenly tendency, to those Great ones that have no better company; what wonder if they never know themselves, nor truly understand the nature, necessity or excellency of Religion? When they know it, for the most part, but by hearsay ▪ yea and when they hear it more reproached then applauded, it must be a miracle of mercy that must make such men to be sincerely and heartily Religious. When they see so many about them worse then themselves, and so sew better, and those few that are better do hide it and live almost as if they were no better; and when the godly whom they see not, are described to them by the Serpents seed, as if they were but a company of whining melancholy brainsick hypocrites;
It sometimes melteth my heart, in pitty of many Great ones of the world, to think how hard a mater it is for them to know indeed what Holiness is; when they seldome hear so much as one Heavenly prayer or Discourse, or any serious talke of the matters of Sanctification, and communion with Christ! When prophaness and inhumane wickedness dwell about them, and make such as are but civil and temperate, and good-natur'd persons to seem Saints: When they see but few that fear the Lord, and Love him unfeignedly, and live by faith: and those few are perhaps of the more cold, and timerous, and temporizing Strain, that shew forth but little of the Heavenly nature, and the vertues of their holy faith; that dare scarce open their mouths to speak against the wickedness which they see or hear: that dare not discourse like the Saints of the most High, and the heirs of Heaven, for fear of being made the scorn and by-word of the rest, or of falling under the frowns and dislike of their superiors; so that they live among others almost like common men, save only that they run not with them to their excess of ryot; and think it enough that by such forbearance of gross sin, they are in some measure evil ⟨p. 464⟩spoken of: When they that should let their light so shine before men, that they might see their good works, and glorifie their heavenly Father, (Matth. 5.15.16.) do hide their Religion, and put their Light as under a bushel, and not in a Candlestick, that it might give light to all that are in the house; and so when Religion never appeareth in its proper splendor and power, and heavenly tendencie, to those Great ones that have no better company; what wonder if they never know themselves, nor truly understand the nature, necessity or excellency of Religion? When they know it, for the most part, but by heresay ▪ yea and when they hear it more reproached then applauded, it must be a miracle of mercy that must make such men to be sincerely and heartily Religious. When they see so many about them worse then themselves, and so sew better, and those few that are better do hide it and live almost as if they were no better; and when the godly whom they see not, are described to them by the Serpents seed, as if they were but a company of whining melancholy brainsick hypocrites;
