A pastors love expressed to a loving people in a farewell sermon preached at…A pastors love expressed to a loving people in a farwel sermon preached at…

Direction 16. Think not the worse of Godliness because it is reproached and persecuted. Wicked men being stirred up by the Devil, do maliciously reproach the ways of God: Such were Julian and Lucian. And I observe, though men would be godly on their Death-beds, yet in the time of their living they revile and hate Godliness. But think not the worse of Religion because it is reproached by the wicked. Suppose a Virgin should be reproached for her Chastity, is Chastity ever the worse? If a blind man should jeer the Sun, the Sun is never the less bright. Godliness is the Angels glory; and shall we be ashamed of that which makes us like Angels? There is a time coming when the wicked would be glad to have some of that Holiness which they now despise, but they shall then be as far from obtaining it, as they are now from desiring it.

Direction 16. Think not the worse of Godliness because it is reproached and persecuted. Wicked men being stirred up by the Devil, do maliciously reproach the ways of God: Such were Iulian and Lucian. And I observe, though men would be godly on their Death-beds, yet in the time of their living they revile and hate Godliness. But think not the worse of Religion because it is reproached by the wicked. Suppose a Virgin should be reproached for her Chastity, is Chastity ever the worse? If a blinde man should jear the Sun, the Sun is never the less bright. Godliness is the Angels glory; and shall we be ashamed of that which makes us like Angels? There is a time coming when the wicked would be glad to have some of that Holiness which they now despise, but they shall then be as far from obtaining it, as they are now from desiring it.

Direct. 17. Do not think the better of sin because you see it in fashion: Think not the better of impiety because most walk in this crooked way. The ⟨p. 16⟩multitude is a foolish argument; I say it again, the multitude doth not argue the goodness of a thing. The Devils name is Legion, which signifies multitude. Hells road is at this day full of Travellers: Esteem not better of sin because most go this way. The multitude is erroneous saith Jerome: The pleading of the multitude will not hold at Gods Bar, when God shall ask you, Why did you profane my Sabbaths? why were you drunk? why did you break your oaths? Lord, other men did so? God will say, seeing you have sinned with the multitude, you shall go to Hell with the multitude. I beseech you be tender of your souls, and walk Antipodes with the times; if you be living fish swim against the stream,