It is the living Christians that in all parts of the world are chiefly persecuted: Let them be once dead, and dead-hearted hypocrites ⟨p. 77⟩themselves will honour them, especially at a sufficient distance: They will destroy the living Saints, and keep Holy days for the dead ones. Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites, because ye build the Tombs of the Prophets, and garnish the Sepulchres of the Righteous, and say, if we had been in the days of our Fathers; we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the Prophets: Wherefore be ye witnesses unto your selves, that ye are the children of them which killed the Prophets: Fill ye up the measure of your Fathers; ye serpents; ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of Hell! Matth. 23. 29, 30, 31, 32, 33. The dog that will not meddle with the dead creature, will pursue the living; and when he sees it stir no more, will leave it. Christianity without seriousness is not Christianity; and therefore not liable to the hatred of its enemies as such. Say any thing, and do any thing how strict so ever, if ⟨p. 78⟩you will but act it as a player on the stage, or do it coldly, slightly, & as if you were but in jest, you may have their approbation. But it is this life, and seriousness, and worshipping God in Spirit and Truth, that convinceth them that they themselves are lifeless, and therefore troubleth their deceitful peace, and therefore must not have their friendship. If it were the mere bulk of duty that they are weary of, how comes it to pass that a Papist, at his Psalter, Beads, and Mass-books, can spend more hours without much weariness or opposition, then we can do in serious worship? Turn all but into words, and beads, and canonical hours and days, and shows, and ceremony, and you may be as religious as you will, and be Righteous overmuch, and few will hate, or reproach, or persecute you among them, as too precise or strict. But living Christians and worship, come among them like fire, that burneth them, and makes ⟨p. 79⟩them smart, with a word that is quick, powerful, sharper then any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, Heb. 4. 12.
It is the living Christians that in all parts of the world are chiefly persecuted: Let them be once dead, and dead-hearted hypocrites ⟨p. 77⟩themselves will honour them, especially at a sufficient distance: They will destroy the living Saints, and keep Holy dayes for the dead ones. Wo to you, Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites, because ye build the Tombs of the Prophets, and garnish the Sepulchers of the Righteous, and say, if we had been in the days of our Fathers; we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the Prophets: Wherefore be ye witnesses unto your selves, that ye are the children of them which killed the Prophets: Fill ye up the measure of your Fathers; ye serpents; ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of Hell! Matth. 23. 29, 30, 31, 32, 33. The dog that will not meddle with the dead creature, will pursue the living; and when he sees it stir no more, will leave it. Christianity without seriousness is not Christianity; and therefore not lyable to the hatred of its enemies as such. Say any thing, and do any thing how strict so ever, if ⟨p. 78⟩you will but act it as a player on the stage, or do it coldly, slightly, & as if you were but in jeast, you may have their approbation. But it is this life, and seriousness, and worshipping God in Spirit and Truth, that convinceth them that they themselves are lifeless, and therefore troubleth their deceitful peace, and therefore must not have their friendship. If it were the meer bulk of duty that they are weary of, how comes it to pass that a Papist, at his Psalter, Beads, and Mass-books, can spend more hours without much weariness or opposition, then we can do in serious worship? Turn all but into words, and beads, and canonical hours and dayes, and shews, and ceremony, and you may be as religious as you will, and be Righteous overmuch, and few will hate, or reproach, or persecute you among them, as too precise or strict. But living Christians and worship, come among them like fire, that burneth them, and makes ⟨p. 79⟩them smart, with a word that is quick, powerful, sharper then any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, joynts and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, Heb. 4. 12.
