CXLV expository sermons upon the whole 17th chapter of the Gospel according to St.…

¹Sixthly, A godly mans danger i• in respect of the discouragements and disheartenings the world puts upon godliness, that is, man must be endowed with great might from above, that can despise all the reproaches and shame the Word of God meets with; Therefore a great encouragement is put upon the Confession of Christ before a crooked and wicked generation. Mat. 10.35. To be godly in the world, To own the strict and powerful ways of God in the world is to laugh amongst Lyons, to dance among Serpents, to contemn all dangers; The Scripture tells us often that the world cannot but hate the Disciples of Christ, for they are as Light and Darkness together; Now then where there is continual opposition for thee to be steadfast is a great matter: Oh how many have suffered shipwreck because of the shame and reproach of the world; In mundo nihil nostrâ refert nisi ut quam primum de oe exeamus: ⟨p. 281⟩Now these discouragers in Heavens way are not only the profane and wicked sort of men, but many times their dearest Friends, their Parents, their Husbands, their Wives: What will you be wiser then others? Will not you do as most do? Will you be a by-word where you live? Thus there is no time when Christ is to be born as it were, but there is some Herod or other to kill him: Insomuch that many Children had been saved but that their worldly Parents h•ndred them; Many Wives, but their worldly Husbands like Pharaoh to the Israelites, would not let them go out of Egypt to serve God; This made our Saviour say, He that loveth Father or Mother more then me is not worthy of me, Matt. 10.37. This made him say, That he came to set Father against Son, and Mother against Daughter, and to make those of his own Household a mans Enemies, vers. 36. Because where Christ is obeyed there will be greater opposition to the contrary: Oh then Consider, the Word of God convinceth, the Ministry urgeth, Conscience presseth, but I have this or that worldly Friend, and he dasheth all, But if thy worldly Friends cannot hinder thee in the main for Godliness, yet they hinder thee in the degree and fervency of it; Thou art not so forward, so active as thou shouldst be; This is to endanger thy Salvation, for the lukewarm God will spue out of his mouth,