treason? Doe we thinke he will ever digest us, in the temper wee are in?
which (to confesse the truth of the fashionable Christian) what is it
but a state of neutrality, indifferency, or such a mediocrity, as will
just serve the time, satisfie Law, or stand with reputation of
neighbours? beyond which, if any step a little forward, do not the rest
hunt upon the stop? If there hap to breake out a sparkle of zeale in any
one house in a parish; is not the whole towne in an uprore, as when the
bells ring awke every man brings his bucket, to the quenching of this
fire? If hell bee in an Ale-house, who cryes out of it? & as for our
Sundayes Church-service, which is all that God gets at our hands; how
perfunctorily, and fashionably is it slubbered over; how are his Saboths
made the voyder and dung-hill for all refuse businesse, divided betweene
the Church and the Ale-house, the May-pole commonly beguiling the
Pulpit? What man would not spue to see God thus worshipped? This want of
devotion makes the foule mouthed Papists to spet at us: this want of
reformation, makes the queasie-stomacked Brownists cast themselves out
of the Church; and shall God alwayes suffer the land to beare us? But
behold, he stands at the door & knocks, by treasons, by plagues, by the
hammer of dearths, discontents, fires, inundations, especially by the
word; his locks are wet with waiting. Oh before hee shake off the dust
of his feet against us, and turne to some other nation more worthy, let
us open the doore, that hee may come in and sup with us; if hee love us,
hee will purge us, and scoure us, by one chastizement or other: if hee
have no pleasure in us, hee cannot but unburthen his stomacke of us; If
all the land besides should turne the deafe eare, yet let mee entreat
and charge you of my flock to heare his voyce, & be zealous. Since my
comming amongst you, I have handled some bookes of the olde Testament,
the Epistles to the Romanes, to the Hebrewes, of Saint _James_, _Peter_
and _John_, out of them taught the doctrine of the Law, of Faith, Love
and good Workes: now in the choyce of this Epistle of Christ to