order [ordination], who use the suffering of Christ with false hypocrisy to please men, for their favour, and for your idol the belly's sake, to cover over the hypocrite and false deceiver, who is but a showChristian: How will you be able to answer it, when Christ will require his sheep at your hands, and you have wittingly and willingly, under his purple mantle, covered wolves, in whom the devil dwelleth? Why do you not crack the nut-shell, wherein the kernel and heart lieth, and tell the superior as well as the inferior of his abominations? Are you Christ's shepherds? Why do you not then as Christ did, who set the truth before the eyes of every one ? He reproved and healed, not for man's favour and respect, but according to the will of his Father; and so ought Christ's shepherds to do also.
23. O dear reason, thou walkest wisely in the paths of this world, in what concerneth the outward body: But where lieth the poor soul? The soul is not at home in this body, that is not its eternal native country. What will it avail thee to enjoy pleasure for a little while, with eternal shame and torment? Or, why dost thou suffer thy children to have their wills to follow fashions and finery, for a little while in this world, and takest delight therein when they scorn the miserable and the needy, and shalt lose them hereafter eternally? Thou thinkest thou lovest them, and dost well for them: When the world commends their cunning and bravery, falsehood and wickedness, that commendation delighteth thee, but the devil accepteth and receiveth it as belonging to him, and thou art the murderer of thy children: Thou art their greatest enemy; for children look upon their parents, and when their untoward tricks please their parents, then they follow them the more, and grow the more audacious in them. At the Last Judgment-day they will cry out of their parents, that they have not rebuked their wantonness and ungodly life, and brought them up in modesty and in the fear of God.
24. If you love your life, and your children, then lose them as to the wickedness of this world, that they may not be nor converse therein; and then you shall find them, together with your life, in heaven again; as Christ teacheth us, saying, He that loveth his life shall lose it; but he that loseth his life, goods and honour, for my sake, shall find it in the kingdom of heaven: Also, When the world despiseth, persecuteth, and hateth you for my sake, then rejoice, for your recompense is great in the kingdom of heaven. Also, What will it profit a man to have all temporal honour and pleasure, and lose his own soul? Whereas this life continueth but for a moment, in comparison of the eternity.
25. Dear children in Christ, let every one have a care in what soil he groweth: You must not expect any better time of life to repent in;
but to-day, while the voice of God soundeth, let every one enter into himself, and search himself, let none regard the broad way of this world, for it leadeth into the abyss to all devils; but the way to the kingdom of heaven is very narrow and strait: He that will set into it, must not defer nor linger out the time till the devil barreth up the door: He must not regard the course of the world, he must go directly into himself, and seek himself: The time will come that he will think that he is alone in this way, but God hath always his seven thousand with Elijah, whom he knoweth not of.
order [ordination], who use the suffering of Christ with false hypocrisy to please men, for their favour, and for your idol the belly's sake, to cover over the hypocrite and false deceiver, who is but a showChristian: How will you be able to answer it, when Christ will require his sheep at your hands, and you have wittingly and willingly, under his purple mantle, covered wolves, in whom the devil dwells? Why do you not crack the nut-shell, wherein the kernel and heart lies, and tell the superior as well as the inferior of his abominations? Are you Christ's shepherds? Why do you not then as Christ did, who set the truth before the eyes of every one ? He reproved and healed, not for man's favour and respect, but according to the will of his Father; and so ought Christ's shepherds to do also.
23. O dear reason, you walkest wisely in the paths of this world, in what concerns the outward body: But where lies the poor soul? The soul is not at home in this body, that is not its eternal native country. What will it avail you to enjoy pleasure for a little while, with eternal shame and torment? Or, why do you suffer your children to have their wills to follow fashions and finery, for a little while in this world, and takest delight therein when they scorn the miserable and the needy, and shall lose them hereafter eternally? You think you lovest them, and do well for them: When the world commends their cunning and bravery, falsehood and wickedness, that commendation delights you, but the devil accepts and receives it as belonging to him, and you are the murderer of your children: You art their greatest enemy; for children look upon their parents, and when their untoward tricks please their parents, then they follow them the more, and grow the more audacious in them. At the Last Judgment-day they will cry out of their parents, that they have not rebuked their wantonness and ungodly life, and brought them up in modesty and in the fear of God.
24. If you love your life, and your children, then lose them as to the wickedness of this world, that they may not be nor converse therein; and then you shall find them, together with your life, in heaven again; as Christ teaches us, saying, He that loves his life shall lose it; but he that loses his life, goods and honour, for my sake, shall find it in the kingdom of heaven: Also, When the world despises, persecuts, and hates you for my sake, then rejoice, for your recompense is great in the kingdom of heaven. Also, What will it profit a man to have all temporal honour and pleasure, and lose his own soul? Whereas this life continues but for a moment, in comparison of the eternity.
25. Dear children in Christ, let every one have a care in what soil he grows: You must not expect any better time of life to repent in;
but to-day, while the voice of God sounds, let every one enter into himself, and search himself, let none regard the broad way of this world, for it leads into the abyss to all devils; but the way to the kingdom of heaven is very narrow and strait: He that will set into it, must not defer nor linger out the time till the devil barrs up the door: He must not regard the course of the world, he must go directly into himself, and seek himself: The time will come that he will think that he is alone in this way, but God has always his seven thousand with Elijah, whom he knows not of.
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