If they be asked about them, they shall say, We have not seen them. Peter in his temptation denied Christ, Mat. 27. when they asked him, saying, Art not thou one of his Disciples? No, saith he, I know not the man. As the Saints under temptation, and as hypocrites in their daily conversation deny Christ: so the time will come ⟨p. 114⟩when hypocrites and wicked men shall be denied themselves, their places shall say, We know them no more. They shall be remembered only as Pilate is remembered in that, which is called the Apostles Creed, who stands there upon record for his wickedness, cowardice and injustice in condemning Christ, whom he knew to be innocent. Wicked men are either forgotten, or else remembered with a brand of disgrace. They who have been adored and flattered, and crept to like little gods, shall not be owned by the meanest men. Even their parasites who have hung about them, will fall off from them, and say, Who, we know them? we know no such men. It is prophesied (Zech. 8.23.) of the Jews, who are now a despised and scattered people (yet still a people in the heart of Christ) that God will bring them forth at last, and they shall be a people so much honoured, that ten men out of every Nation shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you. The despised Saints, such as the world hath cast out, and said, We will not see or take notice of them, shall be honoured or envied of all. Men will be glad to take hold of their skirts, and say, Come, let us go with you; O that we might have a part and a portion with you, for we know that God is with you! O that we had lived the lives, and might die the deaths of the righteous! O that our beginnings had been, and that our later ends might be like theirs! Likewise a time will come, when hypocrites and wicked men shall be despised by their admirers, and cast out, as not worth the looking on by their grossest flatterers. It was a great honour which the Orator gives Homer, 1a Heathen Poet, who was a man of such reputation, that many great Cities strove for him. One said, he was born here; another said, he was born there; a third, among us was the place of his birth. All desired to own him, because he was a man highly honoured for his learning in those times: So on the other side, every place shall be ashamed of some men;
If they be asked about them, they shall say, We have not seen them. Peter in his temptation denied Christ, Mat. 27. when they asked him, saying, Art not thou one of his Disciples? No, saith he, I know not the man. As the Saints under temptation, and as hypocrites in their daily conversation deny Christ: so the time will come ⟨p. 114⟩when hypocrites and wicked men shall be denied themselves, their places shall say, We know them no more. They shall be remembred only as Pilate is remembred in that, which is called the Apostles Creed, who stands there upon record for his wickednesse, cowardize and injustice in condemning Christ, whom he knew to be innocent. Wicked men are either forgotten, or else remembred with a brand of disgrace. They who have been adored and flattered, and crept to like little gods, shall not be owned by the meanest men. Even their parasites who have hung about them, will fall off from them, and say, Who, we know them? we know no such men. It is prophesied (Zech. 8.23.) of the Jews, who are now a despised and scattered people (yet still a people in the heart of Christ) that God will bring them forth at last, and they shall be a people so much honoured, that ten men out of every Nation shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you. The despised Saints, such as the world hath cast out, and said, We will not see or take notice of them, shall be honoured or envied of all. Men will be glad to take hold of their skirts, and say, Come, let us go with you; O that we might have a part and a portion with you, for we know that God is with you! O that we had lived the lives, and might die the deaths of the righteous! O that our beginnings had been, and that our later ends might be like theirs! Likewise a time will come, when hypocrites and wicked men shall be despised by their admirers, and cast out, as not worth the looking on by their grossest flatterers. It was a great honour which the Oratour gives Homer, 1a Heathen Poet, who was a man of such reputation, that many great Cities strove for him. One said, he was born here; another said, he was born there; a third, among us was the place of his birth. All desired to own him, because he was a man highly honoured for his learning in those times: So on the other side, every place shall be ashamed of some men;
