The saints dignity and duty· Together with the danger of ignorance and hardness. /…The saints dignitie and dutie· Together with the danger of ignorance and hardnesse. /…

First, it is as it were a bill of Indictment, falling marvellously heavy upon the practise of many that live in the bosom of the Church: those I mean, that will hear any thing, attend to any thing, but to the voice of Christ. Whom they should hear, they neglect; and those they ought to neglect, they will hear, whether the Lord will or no: The Drunkard hearkeneth to his companions; they no sooner say, as those, Prov. 1.14. Cast in thy lot among us, let us all have one ⟨p. 138⟩purse; or (as the speech of our good fellows is) Comes let us go and club it; but presently he gives his consent. The Adulterer stoopeth to the glance of the Adulteress, and that prevaileth with him, he goeth after her straightways as an Ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a Fool to the correction of the stocks, Prov. 7.22. The truth is, if you mark the ordinary and common course of the wicked and ungodly men of the world, you may easily see how every thing is embraced, only the voice of Christ is refused. Nay, though Satan whisper not, though occasions move not, yet mark how the soul of such men yieldeth to the inclinations of every sinful lust. If a lustful thought arise in the heart, see how the soul sucks the sweetness of it by meditation, how it is delighted in the contemplation of filthiness: If a covetous thought, oh how the man pursueth it, he will never be at quiet till he have hatched some sinful resolution within, and brought forth some ungodly practise abroad. It is admirable to see in that one place. Acts 19. how the voice of gain sounded so loud in the ears of those covetous Silversmiths, that the voice of Paul could not be heard. Do but observe how Demetrius reasoneth the case with his follow-craftsmen, Verse 25. Sirs (saith he) you know that by this craft we have our wealth, we get our living; Moreover, you see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, from entertaining and following this superstitious course, saying, that they be no gods which are made with hands: So that this our craft is in danger to be set at nought. When they heard these sayings, the Text saith, all men with one voice cried out about the space of two hours, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. Truly so it is now in the world;