The saints everlasting rest

Thus do they slothfully neglect all endeavours for their own welfare, except some public duty in the congregation, which custom or credit doth engage them to. Persuade them to read good books, and they will not be at so much pains. Persuade them to learn ⟨p. 131⟩the grounds of religion in some catechism, and they think it toilsome slavery, fit for school-boys. Persuade them to sanctify the Lord's-day, and to spend it wholly in hearing the word, and repeating it with their families, and prayer and meditation, and to forbear all their worldly thoughts and speeches; and what a tedious life do they take this to be; and how long may you preach to them, before they will be brought to it As if they thought heaven were not worth all this ado.

3. The third sort that fall under this reproof, are those self-cozening, formal, lazy professors of religion, who will be brought to any outward duty, but to the inward work they will never be persuaded. They will preach, or hear, or read, or talk of heaven, or pray customarily or constantly in their families, and take part with the persons and causes that are good, and desire to be esteemed among the godly, but you can never bring them to the more spiritual duties; as to be constant and fervent in secret prayer; to be conscientious in the duty of self-examination, to be constant in meditation, to be heavenly-minded, to watch constantly over their heart, and words and ways, to deny their bodily senses and their delights, to mortify the flesh, and not make provision for it, to fulfil its lusts; to love and heartily forgive an enemy, and to prefer their brethren heartily before themselves. The outside hypocrites will never be persuaded to any of these. Above all other, two sorts there are of these hypocrites.

3. The third sort that fall under this reproof, are those self-cozening, formal, lazy professors of religion, who will be brought to any outward duty, but to the inward work they will never be persuaded. They will preach, or hear, or read, or talk of heaven, or pray customar•ly or constantly in their families, and take part with the persons and causes that are good, and desire to be esteemed among the godly, but you can never bring them to the more spiritual duties; as to be constant and fervent in secret prayer; to be conscientious in the duty of self-examination, to be constant in meditation, to be heavenly-minded, to watch constantly over their heart, and words and ways, to deny their bodily senses and their delights, to mortify the flesh, and not make provision for it, to fulfil its lusts; to love and heartily forgive an enemy, and to prefer their brethren heartily before themselves. The outside hypocrites will never be persuaded to any of these. Above all other, two sorts there are of these hypocrites.