Use 1. Is this the Grand Sign of a godly man,1 to be relatively holy […] •hen the Lord be merciful to us,2 how few godly ones are to be found? Many put on the Coat of Profession, they will pray, and discourse of points of Religion, but what means the bleating of the sheep? They are not good in their Relations: How ill doth it sound when ⟨p. 228⟩Christians are defective in Relative Piety: Can we call him godly who is a bad Magistrate? He perverts equity, Psalm 58. 1. Do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men? You weigh the violence of your hands in the earth. Can we call him godly, who is a bad Parent? He never teacheth his Child the way to heaven: He is like the Ostrich, which is cruel to her young, Job 39. 19. Can we call him godly who is a bad Master? Many Masters leave their Religion at Church, (as the Clerk doth his book) they have nothing of God at home, their houses are not Bethels, but Bethavens; not little Temples, but little Hells. How many Masters at the last day must hold up their hand at the Bar, though they have fed their servants bellies, they have starved their souls: Can we call him godly, who is a bad Child? He stops his ear to his Parents counsel; you may as well call him a good subject who is disloyal: Can we call him godly, who is a bad servant? He is slothful and wilful; he is more ready to spy a fault in another, than to mend it in himself. To call one godly, who is bad in his Relations, is a contradiction, it is to call evil good, Isa. 5. 20.
Use 1. Is this the Grand Sign of a godly man,1 to be relatively holy 〈…〉 •hen the Lord be merciful to us,2 how few godly ones are to be found? Many put on the Coat of Profession, they will pray, and discourse of points of Religion, but what means the bleating of the sheep? They are not good in their Relations: How ill doth it sound when ⟨p. 228⟩Christians are defective in Relative Piety: Can we call him godly who is a bad Magistrate? He perverts equity, Psalm 58. 1. Do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men? You weigh the violence of your hands in the earth. Can we call him godly, who is a bad Parent? He never teacheth his Childe the way to heaven: He is like the Ostrich, which is cruel to her young, Iob 39. 19. Can we call him godly who is a bad Master? Many Masters leave their Religion at Church, (as the Clerk doth his book) they have nothing of God at home, their houses are not Bethels, but Bethavens; not little Temples, but little Hells. How many Masters at the last day must hold up their hand at the Bar, though they have fed their servants bellies, they have starved their souls: Can we call him godly, who is a bad Childe? He stops his ear to his Parents counsel; you may as well call him a good subject who is disloyal: Can we call him godly, who is a bad servant? He is slothful and wilful; he is more ready to spy a fault in another, than to mend it in himself. To call one godly, who is bad in his Relations, is a contradiction, it is to call evil good, Isa. 5. 20.
- 1Use 1.Vse 1.
- 2Inform.
