their own sort! Blasphemous wretches, that pretend to make God a liar, to live without sin!” Above all, because they are peace-makers, because they take all opportunities of doing good to all men. This is the grand reason why they have been persecuted in all ages, and will be ’till the restitution of all things. “If they would but keep their religion to themselves, it would be tolerable. But it is this spreading their errors, this infecting so many others, which is not to be endured. They do so much mischief in the world, that they ought to be tolerated no longer. It is true, the men do some things well enough; they relieve some of the poor. But this too, is only done to gain the more to their party; and so, in effect, to do the more mischief.” Thus the men of the world sincerely think and speak. And the more the kingdom of God prevails, the more the peace-makers are enabled to propagate lowliness, meekness, and all other divine tempers; the more mischief is done, in their account. Consequently, the more are they enraged, against the authors of this, and the more vehemently will they persecute them. 4. Let us, thirdly, enquire, who are they that persecute them? St. _Paul_ answers, _He that is born after the flesh_; every one who is not _born of the Spirit_, or at least, desirous so to be: all that do not, at least, labour to _live godly in Christ Jesus_: all that are not _passed from death unto life_, and consequently cannot _love the brethren: the world_, that is according to our Saviour’s account, _they who know not him that sent me_: they who know not God, even the loving, pardoning God, by the teaching of his own Spirit. The reason is plain. The spirit which is in the world is directly opposite to the Spirit which is of God. It must therefore needs be, that those who are of the world, will be opposite to those who are of God. There is the utmost contrariety between them, in all their opinions, their desires, designs, and tempers. And hitherto _the leopard and the kid_, cannot _lie down_ in peace _together_. The proud, because he is proud, cannot but persecute the lowly; the light and airy, those that mourn: and so in every other kind; the unlikeness of disposition, (were there no other) being a perpetual ground of enmity, therefore (were it only on this account) all the servants of the devil, will persecute the children of God.