Four books on the eleventh of Matthew

Consequence. 8.

And again, If the ways of Christ be so easy, then we ⟨p. 749⟩may see from hence what a cursed thing it is to be an Apostate, for one to begin to put on into the ways of Jesus Christ, and then break off again, O! thou bringest a disgrace and dishonour upon the ways of Jesus Christ, as though they were such hard ways. You shall have many say, well, I was a puritan once, and I was wont to be praying and fasting with them, but it was such a burden to me, that it was impossible for me to bear it, Oh! thou hadst a base carnal heart, and dost thou leave the ways of Christ upon such grounds? know, that a time shall come, that thou shalt be cast off with eternal abhorring, and those that thou seekest to put off from the ways of God, shall rise up in judgment against thee; it is the usual manner of Apostates to put off others from the ways of God, because they leave the ways of Christ themselves, therefore they labour that others may leave them two. As a wicked servant, that hath behaved himself wickedly in a family, and the Master and Mistress put him off, then he rails, and brings up an ill report all he can, upon the Master and Mistress, saying, there is no living with them, and if they hear of any inclining to live in the family, they cry out against them why? because they are put off? so here Apostates behave themselves wickedly, and Christ casts them off as unsavoury Salt and Filth, and when they are once out, then they find their spirits filled with guilt in their consciences, and then they rail against the ways of Christ, what is the reason that the Devil doth so much labour to bring off men from God? because he is cast off himself, he was once an Angel, and he being cast off from God himself, it troubles him that any should be brought on to the ways of God, but if there be any such here, Oh, that this text might convince them that they should return again and say, I will return unto the ways of Christ again, for then it was better with me then it is now.