A saint or a brute the certain necessity and excellency of holiness, &c. ...…

Yea that is not the worst, but they that are so blind, and wicked as to choose the worser part themselves, would have all about them do so too; And as Martha grudged at Mary's practice, and complaineth to Christ against her, so these repine at the choice of the Godly, and think them but melancholy crack-brained people that make more ado for their salvation then they need: And th•• are not content to keep such ungodly thoughts in their brea• ⟨p. 103⟩to their Own damnation, but they must be the Devils mouth to spit reproach in the face of Holiness, and consequently in the face of Christ, as if they bid defiance to the Lord, and would make it their employment to jeer and scorn mens souls from Heaven. If one in a family do with Mary choose the better part (though without any neglect of their calling in the world,) the rest make a wonder of them, and some deride them: and some hate and vilify and threaten them, and few will imitate them: and who more forward to distaste and despise them then the Masters of the Families that are bound to teach and lead them in that way! so that a poor soul (even in a Land and Age that countenanceth Holiness more then almost any other in the world) can scarcely sit at the feet of Christ, and Learn his word, and seek his Kingdom and Righteousness first, but they are gazed at, and censured and derided, as if they did some very foolish, needless, yea or wicked thing! As if it were the only folly for a man to follow Jesus Christ, and obey his God, and save his soul, and do that work with greatest diligence, for which he is a man, for which he hath his Life, and Time, and Mercies, and which if he neglect, he is lost for ever! The Lord have Mercy upon the poor deluded world! whence comes this general damp and dotage upon the understandings and the hearts of men! of Great men, of Learned men, of men that are accounted wise in the world!

Yea that is not the worst, but they that are so blind, and wicked as to choose the worser part themselves, would have all about them do so too; And as Martha grudged at Mary's practice, and conplaineth to Christ against her, so these repine at the choice of the Godly, and think them but melancholy crack-br•ind people that make more ado for their salvation then they need: And th•• are not content to keep such ungodly thoughts in their brea