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

Whether it be likely or possible, that any man, or at least all the best people in the world, should be losers by God, and their Love and obedience to him? And whether it be Credible, that Goodness and Obedience to the Lord, should be the constant certain way to mens undoing, loss or misery? I think you will say, if you believe that there a God, that this cannot be. For certainly, he that sets us a work, will own us in it, and save us harmless. An honest man will take it for a disgrace to him, that his service should be the shame and misery of his servants, and he should make them no satisfaction. If God be not Able to bear us out, he is not God. And his Wisdom and Goodness assure us that he Will do it. So that there is no Possibility that Goodness should be mans loss, and any should finally be losers by God. On this assurance I am encouraged to lay out all my time and labour, and dare boldly venture all that I have, in the work of God: For I am sure I cannot lose by him.

But be thou judge thy self whether his service would not make us losers, if there were no life but this (though I confess the loss would be small and short:) Who are so hated, and persecuted as they that serve God best? How many thousands of them have been fain to give up their bodies to Tormentors, and their lives to the devouring flames? The very work of God consisteth in flesh displeasing things: To deny our selves and contemn this world, and live soberly, and righteously and godly in the world, and to be for this the scorn of men, is the lot of the obedient.

If you say, This is not the Lot of any but those that are over-righteous, ⟨p. 148⟩I answer 1. We cannot be over obedient to God. 2. You contradict the experience of all ages. Even the form of Godliness is hated by the Profane; and temperance by the drunkard; and he shall be their scorn that runs not with them to excesses of riot: Seneca tells us that it was so even at Rome among the Heathens, that he was their derision that would not be as bad as the rest. If therefore in this life only we had hope, we were of all men most miserable,