A discourse concerning meekness and quietness of spirit to which is added, A sermon…

• ▪ The Ministers of Christ, the Preachers of this Religion, are with a distinguishing Enmity every where spoken against. Under the Old Testament God's Messengers and his Prophets were generally mocked and misused, and it was Jerusalem's measure-filling Sin. 2 Chron. 36. 16. 'Twas one of the Devices they devised against Jeremiah to smite him with the tongue, because they would not, and they desired tha• others might not give heed to any of his words, Jer. 18. 18. Those to whom the Prophet Ezekiel was a very lovely Song, and with their mouths showed much love to him, yet were still talking against him by the Walls, and in the Doors of their Houses, and God lets him know it. Ezek. 33. 30, 31, 32. And then it is not strange if the Ministers of the New Testament (in which Truth shines with a stronger Light) be with no less Enmity spoken against by those that love Darkness rather than Light. The Apostles, those prime Ministers of State in Christ's Kingdom were so loaded with Reproach, that they were made a spectacle to the World, ¹a spectacle of Pity to those that have either Grace or good Nature, but a spectacle of scorn to those that had neither. They were trampled upon as the Filth of the World; and whereas the off-scouring of any thing is bad enough, they were looked upon as the Off-scouring of all things; even unto this day; after they had in so many instances approved themselves well, and could not but be made manifest in the Consciences of their worst Enemies, 1 Cor. 4. 9, 13. And it hath all along been the Policy of the Churches Enemies by all marks possible to bring the Ministry into contempt, and to represent the Churches Nazarites, even those that were purer than Snow, whiter than ⟨p. 19⟩Milk, and more ruddy than Rubies, with a visage blacker than a Coal, so that they have not been known in the streets. I allude to that complaint,