Several discourses tending to promote peace & holiness among Christians to which are added,…

MAT. 11. 18, 19. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a Devil. The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold, a Man gluttonous, a Friend of Publicans and Sinners: but Wisdom is justified of her Children.

IN this Context, Christ had likened the People of the Generation in which he lived, to Boys playing in the Streets, and personating (as Children are given to imitate what they have seen in Elder Persons) sometimes Festivities, ⟨p. 256⟩acting the part of a Musician, but their Fellows danced not; Sometimes Funerals, acting the part of the Mourning Women who were to weep for the dead, cry, Ah, my Brother! but they upbraided their Fellows, that they would do nothing as they should, neither follow them in their Mirth, nor sadness. So the people of that Generation, whatsoever Messages God sent unto them, they accepted them not and obeyed them not. Some great Exceptions they had still to the Messengers employed: one kind of Exception they have to John, and the quite contrary to Jesus; and so they are not pleased, neither full nor fasting, as we say. Their censure of John was, That he was an Hypochondriac, or a frantic Fellow; the Devil was in him, that he was so austere. But Christ, that was gentle and affable, they censure him as a loose Person, or favourer of such. For John came neither eating and drinking, and they say, He hath a Devil: The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, a Man gluttonous, and a Friend of Publicans and Sinners: But Wisdom is justified of her Children.

IN this Context, Christ had likened the People of the Generation in which he lived, to Boys playing in the Streets, and personating (as Children are given to imitate what they have seen in Elder Persons) sometimes Festivities, ⟨p. 256⟩acting the part of a Musician, but their Fellows danced not; Sometimes Funerals, acting the part of the Mourning Women who were to weep for the dead, cry, Ah, my Brother! but they upbraided their Fellows, that they would do nothing as they should, neither follow them in their Mirth, nor sadness. So the people of that Generation, whatsoever Messages God sent unto them, they accepted them not and obeyed them not. Some great Exceptions they had still to the Messengers employed: one kind of Exception they have to Iohn, and the quite contrary to Iesus; and so they are not pleased, neither full nor fasting, as we say. Their censure of Iohn was, That he was an Hypocondriack, or a frantick Fellow; the Devil was in him, that he was so austere. But Christ, that was gentle and affable, they censure him as a loose Person, or favorer of such. For Iohn came neither eating and drinking, and they say, He hath a Devil: The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, a Man gluttonous, and a Friend of Publicans and Sinners: But Wisdom is justified of her Children.