debitor est qùam Deus homini are rather debtors to God then God to us We cannot so much as give him gratias thanks unless he first give us gratiam the grace of thankfulness God gives not onely grace asked but grace to ask We cannot be patient under his hand except his hand give us patience God must infuse before we can effuse The springs of our hearts must be filled from that ocean before we can derive drink to the thirsty For as the virtue attractive to draw Iron is not in the Iron but in the Adamant so all our ability is of God and nothing as our own can we challenge save our defects and infirmities Whence that of Austin Lord look not upon my Works but upon thy Works which thou hast done in me or by me which indeed he does even to the amazement and astonishment of all that are wise and truly thankful For mark it well first he gives us power to do well and then he recompenceth and crowneth that work which we do well by his grace and bounty Bernard reports of Pope Eugenius that meeting a poor but honest Bishop he secretly gave him certain jewels wherewith he might present him as the custom was for such to do So if God did not first furnish us with his graces and blessings wee should have nothing wherewith to honor him or do good to others Of thine own I give thee said Iustinian the Emperor borrowing it from the Psalmist 1 Chron. 29.14 The use whereof before we leave it would be this First hope we for but challenge not a reward for our well-doing yet not for it self but for what Christ hath done for and by us Let this be the temper of our spirits when we do any duty Do we the work give God the praise To us the use of his gifts to him the thanks and glory for ever Yea having received all we have from him and done all that we do by him what madness and folly is it not to refer the glory and praise of all to him as the Apostle argues Rom. 11.36 to which he adds as an injunction Whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10.31 O God if we do any thing that is good it is thine act and not ours Crown thine own work in us and take thou the glory of thine own mercies God bestoweth upon us many indowments to the end onely that we should imploy them to his honor and best advantage that gave them us For that he may be honored by our wisdom riches graces is the onely end for which he gives us to be wise rich gracious Matth. 25.27 30 1 Cor. 12.7 14.26 Rom. 12.6 Ephes. 4.11 12. Yea it is the onely end for which we were created Isa. 43. v. 7. therefore it hath alwaies been the aim end mark which all the Saints have ever indeavoured to hit though with several shafts as the same beams are many but the light one For whereas the ignorant ascribe the effects and events of things to Fortune the Atheist to Nature the Superstitious to their Idols the Politician to his plots the Proud-man to his own power and parts too many to second causes in all these the Servants of God look higher resolving all such effects to their first principle Digitus Dei the finger of God ascribing to Him the praise as I might abundantly shew from the Word could I stand upon it Yea even Titus the Emperor when he was praised for a victory that he had got made answer That it proceeded from God who made his hands but the instruments to serve him as Iosephus testifies The Godly as they do all by his poxer so they refer all to his glory CHAP. XLV BUt the Worldling hath neither heart nor brain so to do or once to cast an eye or have the least aim at God's glory even in their greatest undertakings or whatever they either receive or do but instead of giving glory to God they take it to themselves as Herod did Acts 12.23 ascribing the increase of their corn wine and oyl their honors successes c. either to the goodness and sharpness of their Wit and skill or to the greatness of their industry or of their power and authority saying with proud Nebuchadnezar Is not this great Babel which I have built by the might of my power c. Dan. 4.30 Have not I got all these goods victories preferments c. my self and by mine own wisdom and providence which the Prophet calls sacrificing to their own net and burning incense unto their drag Hab. 1.16 Even as it fared with the children of Dan Iudges 18. who ascribed the honor of their success to their Idols Or as it fared with Israel God gave them sheep and Oxen and they offered them up to Baal He gave them Ear-rings and Iewels for their own ornament and they turned them to an Idol Yea poor silly souls they are like Swine that feed upon Acorns without ever looking to the Oake from whence they fell Or the Horse that drinks of the Brook and never thinks of the Spring Christ rains down Mannah they gather it and eat it and scarce ever think from whence they had it at least the thought of his blessings is out of their minds as soon as the taste is out of their mouths As but one of those Ten that could lift up their voices for cure of their Leprosie return'd with thanks when they were cleansed so it is ten to one if any give glory to God Luck or wit or friend one thing or other still lies in their way and takes up Christ's glory and the thanks ere it can come at him Customary fruition hath made men scarce think themselves beholding to God But as he that having fed his body and asswaged his hunger and gives no thanks steals his meat so in all other things In visible benefits not to see the invisible giver is great infidelity and blindness and indeed if any thing infallibly proves an hypocrite it is when endsâ—are â—are the first movers of good duties Now what I have spoken of good men in this point I might shew of good Angels and glorified Saints in Heaven yea of Heathens and Idolaters yea I might add that not to be thankful nor to acknowledge what God our bountiful Benefactor bestows upon and does for us is to fall short of the very brute Beasts The Ox knows no Owner but man and him he does acknowledg and love according to his capacity Isa. 1.3 And it 's well known what strange things are recorded of Lyons Dogs Eagles yea how oft shall we see a Dog welcome home his Master with all possible expressions of love and thankfulness when perhaps his Wife entertains him with frumps and frowns And certainly had beasts the like knowledge with us of their Maker they would worship and serve him better then do their Masters but for proof of this enough Though
so doing he shall greatly increase his knowledge and lessen his vites In â— few dayes he may read it and ever after be the better for it But me thinks I am too like a carelesse Porter which keepes the guests without doors till they have lost their stomacks wherefore I will detain you no longer in the Porch but unlock the door and let you in THE BENEFIT OF AFFLICTION and how to husband it so that with blessing from above the weakest Christian may be able to support himself in his most miserable Exigents CHAP. 1. Why the Lord suffers his children to be so traduced and persecuted by his and their enemies and first That it makes for the glory of his power IN the former Treatise I have proved that there is a naturall enmity and a spirituall Antipathy between the Men of the World and the children of GOD between the seed of the Serpent and the seed of the Woman And that these two Regiments being the Subjects of two severall Kings Satan and Câ—rist are governed by Laws opposite and clean contrary each to the other whereby it comes to passe that grievous temptations and persecutions do alwayes accompany the remission of sins That all men as Austine speaks are necessitated to miseries which bend their course towards the Kingdom of Heaven For godlinesse and temptation are such inseparable attendants on the same person that a mans sins be no sooner forgiven and he rescued from Satan but that Lion fomes and roares and bestirs himselfe to recover his losse Neither can Gods love be enjoyed without Satans disturbance Yea the World and the Devil therefore hate us because God hath chosen us If a Convert comes home the Angels welcome him with Songs the Devils follow him with uproar and fury his old acquaintance with scorns and obloquie for they think it quarrel enough that we will no longer run with them to the same excess of riot 1 Pet. 4.4 That we will no longer continue miserable with them they envy to see themselves cashiered as persons infected with the plague will scoff at such of their acquaintance as refuse to consort with them as they have done formerly It is not enough for them to be bad themselves except they rail at and persecute the good He that hath no grace himself is vexed to see it in another godly men are thorns in wicked mens eyes as Iob was in the Devils because they are good or because they are deerly beloved of God If a mans person and wayes please God the world will be displeased with both If God be a mans friend that will be his enemy if they exercise their malice it is where he shews mercy and indeed he refuseth to be an Abel whom the malice of Cain doth not exercise as Gregory speaks for it is an everlasting rule of the Apostles He that is born after the flesh will persecute him that is born after the Spirit Gal. 4.29 not because he is evil but because he is so much better then himself 1 John 3.12 Because his life is not like other mens his wayes are of another fashion Wisdom 2.15 I have also shewed the Original continuance properties causes ends and what will be the issue of this enmity and therein made it plain that as for the present they suit like the Harp and the Harrow agree like two poysons in one stomack the one being ever sick of the other so to reconcile them together were to reconcile Fire and Water the Wolfe and the Lambe the Windes and the Sea together yea that once to expect it were an effect of frenzie not of hope It remains in the last place that I declare the Reasons why God permits his dearest children so to be afflicted The godly are so patient in their sufferings With other grounds of comfort and Vses and first of the first The Reasons why God suffers the same are chiefly sixteen all tending to his glory and their spiritual and everlasting good benefit and advantage for the malignity of envy if it be well answered is made the evil cause of a good effect to us God and our souls are made gainers by anothers sin The Reasons and Ends which tend to Gods glory are three 1 It makes for the glory of his Power 2 It makes for the glory of his Wisdom 3 It makes much for his glory when those graces which he hath bestowed upon his children do the more shine through employment It makes for the glory of his power Moses having declared in what manner the Lord permitted Pharaoh to oppress the children of Israel more and more still hardning his heart shews the reason of it in these words That I may multiply my miracles and wonders in the land of Egypt That I may lay my hand upon Pharaoh and bring out mine Armies even my people by great judgements that my power may be known and that I may declare my Name throughout all the World Exod. 7.3 4. 9.16 When that multitude of Ammonites and Moabites came to war against Iehosaphat and the children of Israel intending to cast them out of the Lords inheritance and utterly destroy them to the dishonour of God the Lord by delivering them from that sore affliction gained to himself such honour and glory That as the Text saith the fear of God was upon all the Kingdoms of the Earth when they heard that the Lord had fought so against the enemies of Israel 2 Chron. 20.19 The judgement was upon some the fear came upon all it was but a few mens loss but it was all mens warning 1 Cor. 10.11 When the Lord brought again the Captivity of Sion saith the Psalmist then said they among the Heathen The Lord hath done great things for them Psal. 126.1 2. God provides on purpose mighty adversaries for his Church that their humiliation may be the greator in susteining and his glory may be greater in deliverance yea though there be legions of Devils and every one stronger then many legions of men and more malicious then strong yet Christs little Flock lives and prospers And makes not this exceedingly for our Makers for our Guardians glory Gods power is best made known in our weakness 2 Cor. 12.9 And our deliverance is so much the more wondred at by how much the less it was expected Impossibilities are the best advancers of Gods glory who not seldom hangs the greatest wâ—ights upon the smallest wiers as he doth those bottles of Heaven being of infinite weight and magnitude in the soft air where no man can make a feather hang and the massie substance of the whole Earth and Sea upon nothing Job 26.7 8. Yea the whole frame of the Heavens have no other Columnes or Supporters to lean upon than his mighty and powerful Word Gen. 1.6 7 8. For what we least believe can be done we most admire being done the lesser the means and the greater the opposition the more is the glory of him who by little means doth
little harm but let it lye it frets deep Wherefore saith one their malice shall sooner cease than my unchanged patience A small injury shall go as it comes a great injury may dine or sup with me but none at all shall lodge with me for why should I vex my self because another hath vexed me That were to imitate the fool that would not come out of the Pound saying They had put him in by Law and he he would come out again by Law or Ahab who because he could not have his will on Naboth would be revenged on himself As the mad-man tears his own hair because he cannot come at his enemies Or Thamar who defiled her self to be revenged of her Father in law Iudah Or little children who one while forbear their meat if you anger them another time if you chance to take away but one of their gugawes amongst many other toyes which they play withall will throw away the rest and then fall a puling and crying out-right Or the Hedg-hog which having laden himself with Nuts and fruits if but the least Filberd chance to fall off as he is going to disburden them in his store-house will fling down all the rest in a peevish humour and beat the ground for anger as Pliny writes Or Dogs which set upon the stone that hath hurt them with such irefull teeth that they hurt themselves more than the thrower hurt them and feel greater smart from themselves than from their enemy which makes Archelaus say it is a great evill not to be able to suffer evill And a worthy Divine of ours I will rather suffer a thousand wrongs than offer one I will suffer an hundred rather than return one I will suffer many ere I will complain of one and indeavour to right it by contending for saith he I have ever found that to strive with my superiour is furious with my equals doubtfull with my inferior sordid and base with any full of unquietnesse Satyrus knowing himself cholerick and in that whirty of minde apt to transgresse when he but suspected ill language from any he would stop his ears with wax lest the sense of it should cause his fierce blood to seeth in his distempered skin And good reason if not for wisdomes sake yet for a mans own bodily healths sake For the Emperour Nerva by passionate anger got a Feaver that kild him And the Emperour Valentinianus died by an eruption of blood through anger And Vinceslaus King of Bohemia in his rage of choler against his Cup-bearer fell into a Palfie that killed him Again Caesar although he could moderate his passions having in that civil garboyl intercepted a Packet of Letters written to Pompey from his Favorites brake them not open but burnt them immediately And Pompey committed those Letters to the fire before he read them wherein he expected to finde the cause of his grief Both upon wise and mature ground that they might not play booty against themselves in furthering an enemies spite And certainly if we well consider it we shall meet with vexations enough that we cannot avoid if we would never so fain We need not like Cercion in Suidas wrestle or with foolish Pannus go to law with every man we meet And yet some as if they did delight to vex their own souls like the Ethiopians who as Diodorus relates lame themselves if their King be lame will be very inquisitive to know what such a one said of them in private but had they as much wit as jealousie they would argue thus with themselves Small injuries I would either not know or not minde or knowing them I would not know the Author for by this I may mend my self and never malice the person I might go on and shew you that Greece and Asia were set on fire for an Apple That not a few have suffered a sword in their bowels because they would not suffer the lye in their throats As how few of these Salamanders who are never well but when they are in the fire of contention are long lived Like Xenophilus who as Pliny reports lived a hundred and five years without sicknesse Whereas the Raven the Elephant the Hart and the Dove which have no gall Patient Christians one of them outlive many of the other And lastly I might shew that if we â—uffer not here with patience we shall suffer hereafter with grief for the wages of anger is judgement even the judgement of hell fire Mat. 5.22 But two and twenty yards is enough for a piece CHAP. XX. That they bear injuries patiently because their sinnes have deserved it and a farre greater affliction 4. HE suffers his enemies reproaches and persecutions patiently because his sinnes have deserved it and a farre greater affliction David felt the spite of his enemies but he acknowledgeth his sinne to be the cause 2 Sam. 16.11 and God the Author Psal. 39 8. From which consideration he drawes this inference I should have been dumb and not have opened my mouth because thou didst it Vers. 9. and so goeth on Remove thy stroak from me for I am consumed by the blow of thine hand Vers. 10. Whatsoever is the weapon it is thy blow Whence it hath alwayes been the manner of Gods people to look up from the stone to the hand which threw it and from the effect to the cause What saith Ioseph to his envious brethren that sold him into Aegypt Ye sent not me hither but God Gen. 45.8 And Iob being robbed by the Sabeans they being set on by Satan doth not say the Devill took away or the Sabeans took away but the Lord hath taken away Job 1.21 And David speaking of his sonne Absoloms treason I was dumb and said nothing why because it was thy doing Psal. 39.9 And what think you was the reason our Saviour Christ held his peace and answered nothing as the Text saith but suffered his enemies the Chief Priests Scribes and Pharisees and Pilate to revile him and crucifie him but to approve the equity and justice of God the Author thereof for although it were blasphemy to say he was a sinner yet taking upon him the sinnes of the whole world he knew those sinnes had deserved as much and therefore he is silent Mat. 26.62 63. It is true other reasons are given as that he answered nothing because it was now his time to suffer not to do his work was now to be crucified and not to be dignified or as another he spake not a word to Herod because Herod had taken away his voice in beheading Iohn Baptist but this without doubt was the main reason Even in like manner it is with the truly gracious they being wronged do not suffer rage to transport them as it doth beasts to set upon the stone or weapon that hath hurt them like little Children who if they fall will have the ground beaten their false grief is satisfied with feigned revenge But they look higher even to God that occasioned it Or
each other and so were both beheaded together In the Duell of Essendon between Canutus and Edmond Ironfide for the prize of the Kingdom of England after long and equall combate finding each others worth and valour they cast away their weapons embraced and concluded a Peace putting on each others apparell and arms as a ceremony to expresse the atonement of their mindes as if they made transaction of their persons one to the other Canutus being Edmond and Edmond Canutus Wherefore in all things saith Paul to Titus shew thy self an example of good works Tit. 2.7 Under the generall of good works is included Patience as one main speciall The servant of the Lord must not strive saith Paul to Timothy but must be gentle towards all men suffering the evill men patiently instructing them with meeknesse that are contrary minded proving if God at any time will give them repentance that they may know the truth 2 Tim. 2.24 25. And it stands to good reason for first every Christian is or ought to be a crucified man Secondly Love is Christs badge the nature whereof is to cover offences with the mantle of peace And thirdly Religion bindes us to do good unto all even our enemies so resembling the Sunne which is not scornfull but looks with the same face upon every plot of earth not only the stately Palaces and pleasant Gardens are visited by his beams but mean Cottages neglected Boggs and Moates And indeed sincerity loves to be universall like a light in the window which not only gives light to them that are in the house but also to passengers in the street well knowing that the whole earth and every condition is equidistant from Heaven if God but vouchsafe to shew mercy in which case who would not do his utmost Aristippus being demanded why he took so patiently Dionysius spitting in his face answered The fishermen to take a little Gudgeon do abide to be imbrued with slime and salt water and should not I a Philosopher suffer my self to be sprinkled with a little spittle for the taking of a great Whale The House of God is not built up with blowes A word seasonably given after we have received an injury like a Ruddâ—r sometimes steers a man quite into another course The nature of many men is forward to accept of peace if it be offered them and negligent to sue for it otherwise They can spend secret wishes upon that which shall cost them no endeavour unlesse their enemy yeelds first they are resolved to stand out but if once their desire and expectation be answered the least reflection of this warmth makes them yeelding and pliable and that endeavour is spent to purpose which either makes a friend or unmakes an enemy We need not a more pregnant example then the Levites father in Law I do not see him make any means for reconciliation but when remission came home to his door no man could entertain it more thankfully seeing such a singular example of patience and good condition in his Sonne Aristippus and Aeschines two famous Philosophers being fallen at variance Aristippus came to Aeschines and saies Shall we be friends again Yes with all my heart saies Aeschines Remember then saith Aristippus that though I be your elder yet I sought for peace true saith Aeschines and for this I will ever acknowledge you the more worthy man for I began the strife and you the peace When Iron meets with Iron there is a harsh and stubborn jarre but let wool meet that rougher mettle this yeelding turns resistance into embracing Yea a man shall be in more estimation with his enemy if ingenuous having vanquisht him this way then if he had never been his enemy at all Thy greatest enemy shall if he have any spark of grace yea if he have either bowels or brains confesse ingenuously to thee as Saul once to David Thou art more righteous then I for thou hast rendred me good and I have rendred thee evil as what heart of stone could have acknowledged lesse Saul would have killed David and could not David could have killed Saul and would not Besides the approbation of an enemy as one saith is more then the testimony of a whole Parish of friends or neuters And such a conquest is like that which Evagrius recordeth of the Romans namely That they got such a victory over Cosroes one of the Persian Kings that this Cosroes made a Law That never after any Kings of Persia should move warre against the Romans Actions salved up with a free forgivenesse are as not done yea as a bone once broken is stronger after well setting so is love after such a reconcilement Whereas by returning a bitter answer he makes his enemies case his own even as a mad dog biting another dog maketh him that is bitten become mad too But this is not all for happily it may and not a little further Gods glory and make Satan a loser as thus let us shake off their slanders as Paul did the Vipâ—r and these Barbarians which now conceive so basely of Gods people will change their mindes and say we are petty gods Yea will they say surely theirs is a good and holy and operative Religion that thus changes and transforms them into new Creatures The hope whereof should make us think no endeavour too much For if Zopyrus the Persian was content and that voluntarily to sustain the cutting off his nose ears and lips to further the enterprise of his Lord Darius against proud Babylon what should a Christian be willing to suffer what the Lord of Heaven and Earths Cause may be furthered against proud Lucifer and all the powers of darknesse But suppose thy patient yeelding produceth no such effect as may answer these or the like hopes yet have patience still and that for three Reasons 1. Seem you to forget him and he will the sooner remember himself 2. It oft fals out that the end of passion is the beginning of repentance Therefore if not for his sake yet at least for thy own sake be silent and then in case thou hearest further of it from another if ill beware of him but condemn him not until thou hearest his own Apology for Who judgement gives and will but one side hear Though he judge right is no good Iusticer Or lastly if not for his sake nor thine own then for Gods sake have patience and bear with him because his maker bears with thee CHAP. XXVIII Because they will not take Gods office out of his hand 5. Reasons in regard of God are three The 1 hath respect to his Office 2 hath respect to his Commandement 3 hath respect to his Glory Reason 1. BEcause he will not take Gods Office out of his hand who saith Avenge not your selves but give place unto wrath for vengeance is mine and I will repay it Rom. 12.19 Peter speaking of our Saviour Christ saith When he was reviled he reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but
Cor. 4.12 4. § But this is not one half of thine offence For whom doest thou curse Alas the Creatures that displease thee are but Instruments thy sin is the cause and God the author 2 Sam. 16.11 Psal. 39.9 10. Gen. 45.8 Ioh 1.21 from whom thou hast deserved it and ten thousand times a greater crosse but in stead of looking up from the stone to the hand which threw it or from the effect to the cause as Gods people doe thou like a mastiff â—og settest upon the stone or weapon that hurts thee But in this case Who are you angry withall Does your horse the dice the rain or any other creature displease you Alas they are but servants and if their Master bid smite they must not forbear they may say truly what Rabshekeh usurped Isa. 36.10 Are we come without the Lord and all that hear thee may say as the Prophet did to Senacherib 2 King 19.22 Whom hast thou blasphemed and against whom hast thou exalted thy self even against the Holy One of Israel 5. § Besides why dost thou curse thine enemie if he be so but because thou canst not be suffered to kill him For in heart and Gods account thou art a murtherer in wishing him the pox plague or that he were hanged or damned Nor will it be any rare thing at the day of judgment for cursers to be indicted of murther For like Shimei and Goliah to David thou wouldst kill him if thou durst thou doest kill him so far as thou canst I would be loath to trust his hands that bans me with his tongue Had David been at the mercie of either Shimei or Goliah and not too strong for them he had then breathed his last Nor is it commonly any sin committed or just offence given thee that thou cursest Who could have lesse deserved those curses and stones from Shimei then David Yea did not that head deserve to be tonguelesse that body to be headlesse that so undeservedly cursed such an Innocent as after it fell out For the curses and stones which Shimei threw at David rebounted upon Shimei and split his heart yea and at last knockâ— out his brains and the like of Goliahs curses which is also thy very case For 〈…〉 Curser meant it Prov. 26.2 yea though thou cursest yet God will blesse Psal. 109.28 â—ut thy curses shall be sure to rebound back into thine own brest Psal. 7.14 15 16 Prov. 14.30 Cursing mouths are like ill made Piâ—â—eâ— which while men discharge at others recoil in splinters on their own faces Their words and wishes be but whirlwinds which being breathen forth return again to the same place As hear how the Holy Ghost delivers it Psal. 109. As he loved cursing so shall it come unto him and as he loved not blessing so shall it be far from him As he cloathed himself with cursing like a garment so shall it come unto his bowels like water and like oil into his bones let it be unto him as a garment to cover him and for a girdle wherewith he shall always be girded v. 17 18 19. Hear this all ye whose tongnes run so fast on the Devils errand you loved cursing you shall have it both upon you about you and in you and that everlastingly if you persevere and go on for Christ himself at the last day even he which came to save the world shall say unto all such Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devill and his Angels Mat. 25.41 Where they shall do nothing but curse for evermore for they no farther apprehending the goodnesse mercie and bounty of God then by the sense of their own torments the effects of his justice shall hate him and hating him they shall curâ—e him Rev. 16.11 They suffer and they blaspheme there is in them a furious malice against him being cursed of him they re-curse him they curse him for making them curse him for condemning them curse him because being adjudged to death they can never find death they curse his punishments because they are so unsufferable curse his mercies because they may never taste them curse the bloud of Christ shed on the Crosse because it hath satisfied for millions and done their unbeleeving souls no good curse the Angels and Saints in heaven because they see them in joy and themselves in torment Cursings shall be their sins and their chief ease Blasphemies their prayers Lacrymae their notes Lamentation all their harmony these shall be their evening songs their morning songs their mourning songs for ever and ever And indeed who shall go to Hell if Cursers should be left out Wherefore let all those learn to blesse that look to be heirs of the blessing 7. § But to be in Hell and there continue everlastingly in a bed of quenchlesse flames is not all For this is the portion even of Negative and vicelesse Christians if they be not vertuous Of such as do not swear exexcept they fear an oath That abound in good duties if they do them not out of faith and because God commands them that he may be glorified and others edified thereby Whereas thou doest supererogate of Satan in damning many souls besides thine own Thou hast had a double portion of sin to other men here and therefore must have a double portion of torment to them hereafter The number and measure of thy torments shall be according to the multitude and magnitude of thine offences Rev. 20.12 13. 22.12 Luk. 12.47 Mat. 10.15 Rom. 2.5 6. And those offences if I could stand to aggravate them by their severall circumstances would appear 〈…〉 With thy swearing and cursing thou doest not only wound thine own soul worse then the Baalites wounded their own bodies for thou wilfully muâ—therest thine own soul and that without any inducement as hath been proved But thou art so pernicious that this is the least part of thy mischief for thou drawest vengeance upon thousands by thy infectious and damnable example as how can it be otherwise Thou doest not only infect thy companions but almost all the heaâ— or come near thee Yea little children in the streets have learnt of thee to rap out oaths and belch out curses and scoffs almost as frequently as thy self and through thy accustomary swearing learned to speak English and Oaths together and so to blaspheme God almost so soon as he hath made them And not only so but thy example infects others and they spread it abroad to more like a malicious man sick of the plague that runs into the throng to disperse his infection whose mischief but-weighs all penalty It is like the setting a mans owne house on fire it burnes many of his neighbours houses and he shall answer for all the spoil So that the infection of sin is much worse then the act 8 § Nor wilt thou cease to sin when thou shalt cease to live but thy wickednesse will continue longer then thy life For as if we sow good workâ—