of chief regard and the acts of the outward only required as a help to our serving God in the Spirit Phil. 3.3 3. Carelesness in Duties is the high way to Atheism For every formall and sleight Prayer doth harden the heart and make way for contempt of God Men that have made bold with God in duty and it succeeds well with them their awe of God is lessened and the lively sense of his Glory and Majesty abated till it be quite lost by degrees they out-grow all feelings and tenderness of conscience every time you come to God sleightly you lose ground by coming till at length you look upon Worship as a meer Custome or something done for fashions sake Secondly Particularly 1. It is an affront to God and a kind of mockery we wrong his Omnisciency as if he saw not the heart and could not tell man his thought It is Gods Essential glory in Worship to be acknowledged an all-seeing Spirit and accordingly to be worshipped in spirit and in truth Joh. 4.24 Thoughts are as audible with him as words therefore when you prattle words do not make conscience of thoughts you do not worship him as a spirit We wrong his Majesty when we speak to him in Prayer and do not give heed to what we say surely we are not to prattle like Jayes or Parrots words without affection and feeling or to chatter like Cranes or be like Ephraim whom the Prophet calls a silly Dove without an heart A mean man taketh it ill when you have business to talk with him about and your minds are elsewhere you would all judge it to be an affront to the Majesty of God if a man should send his cloaths stuffed with straw or a Puppet dressed up instead of himself into the Assemblies of Gods people and think this should supply his personal presence yet our cloaths stuffed with straw or an Image dressed up instead of us such as * 1 Sam. 19.12 13. Michol put into Davids bed would be less offensive to God than our bodies without our souls the absence of the spirit is the absence of the more noble part We pretend to speak to God and do not hear our selves nor can give any account of what we pray for or rather let me give you Chrysostom's Comparison A man would have been thought to have prophaned the mysteries of the Levitical Worship if instead of * Chrys Hom. 74. in Mat. sweet incense he should put into the Censer Sulpher or Brimstone or mingle the one with the other Surely our Prayers should be set forth as Incense Psal 141.2 And do not we affront God to his face that mingle so many vain sinfull proud filthy blasphemous thoughts What is this but to mingle Sulpher with our incense Again when God speaketh to us and knocks at the heart and there is none within to hear him is it not an affront to his Majesty Put it in a Temporal Case if a great person should talk to us and we should neglect him and entertain our selves with his servants he would take it as a despight and contempt done to him The Great God of heaven and earth doth often call you together to speak to you Now if you think so slightly of his speeches as not to attend but set your minds adrift to be carried hither and thither with every wave where is that reverence you owe to him It is a wrong to his goodness and the comforts of his holy presence for in effect you say that you do not find that sweetness in God which you expect and therefore are weary of hâ—s company before your business be over with him it is said of the Israelites when they were going for Canaan that in their hearts they turned back again into Aegypt Acts 7.39 They had mo e mind to be in Aegypt than under Moses Government and their thoughts ever ran upon the flesh-pots and belly chear they enjoyed there we are offended with their impatience and murmurings and the affronts they put upon their Guides and do not we even the same and worse in our careless manner of worshipping When God hath brought us into his presence we do in effect say give us the world again this is better entertainment for our thoughts than God and holy things if Christians would but interpret their actions they would be ashamed of them is any thing more worthy to be thought of than God The Israelites hearts were upon Aegypt in the Wilderness and our hearts are upon the World nay every toy even when we are at the Throne of grace and conversing with him who is the Center of our rest and the fountain of our blessedness 2. It grieveth the Spirit of God he is grieved with our vain thoughts as well as our scandalous actions other sins may shame us more but these are a grief to the Spirit because they are conceived in the heart which is his Presence Chamber and place of special residence and he is most grieved with these vain thoughts which haunt us in the time of our special addresses to God because his peculiar operations are hindered and the heart is set open to Gods adversary in Gods presence and the World and Satan are suffered to interpose in the very time of the reign of grace then when it should be in solio in its royalty commanding all our faculties to serve it this is to steal away the soul from under Christs own arm as a Captain of a Garrison is troubled when the enemies come to prey under the very walls in the face of all his forces and strength So certainly it is a grief to the spirit when our lusts have power to disturb us in holy duties and the heart is taken up with unclean glances and worldly thoughts then when we present our selves before the Lord God looks upon his peoples sins as aggravated because committed in his own house Jer. 23.11 In my house I have found their wickedness What is this but to dare God to his very face Solomon saith * Pro. 20.8 A King sitting upon his throne scattereth away evil with his eyes They are bold men that dare break the Laws when a Magistrate in upon the Throne and actually exercising judgment against Offenders so it argueth much impudence that when we come to deal with God as sitting upon the Throne and observing and looking upon us that we can yet lend our hearts to our lusts and suffer every vain thought to divert us There is more of modesty though little of sincerity in them that say to their lusts as Abraham to his Servants * Gen. 12.5 Tarry here while I go yonder and Worship or as they say the Serpent layeth aside her poyson when she goeth to drink When a man goeth to God he should leave his lusts behind him not for a while and with an intent to entertain them again but for ever However this argueth some reverence of God and sense of the weight of
that men should do to us that wee should do to others That men should do unto you though the persons be exprest yet wee may take it impersonally by an usual Hebraism as if it had been said what-ever you would should bee done unto you leaving the person to bee supplied in the largest sense thus what ever you would should bee done unto you by God or men This is the Law and the Prophets i. e. This is the sum of the Old Testament so far as concerns our duty to our neighbour The Observation which ariseth from the words is this The great rule of equity in all our dealings with men is this to do as we would bee done unto This Rule hath been otherwise exprest but not more emphatically in any other form of words than this here in the Text Matth. 22.39 Love thy Neighbour as thy self this requires that wee should bear the same affection to our Neighbour which wee would have him bear to us but the Rule in the Text expresly requires that wee should do the same offices to others which wee would have them do to us Severus the Emperour as the Historian tells us Lampridius did learn this rule of Christians and did much reverence Christ and Christianity for it but hee exprest it negatively Quod tibi non vis alteri ne feceris Now this forbids us to do injuries to others but doth not so expresly command us to do kindenesses and courtesies In speaking to this Rule I shall give you 1. The Explication of it 2. The Grounds of it 3. The Instances wherein wee ought principally to practice it 1. For Explication the meaning of it is this Put thy self into the Case and circumstances of every man with whom thou hast to do that is suppose thou wert hee and as hee is and hee were thy self and as thou art that then which thou woâ—ldest desire hee should do to thee that do thou to him and that which thou wouldest bee unwilling hee should do to thee do not thou do to him Now this is an exact rule for wee are very curious in determining our own priviledges and what duty others owe to us just so much as wee take to our selves wee must allow to others what wee expect from others when wee are in such circumstances wee must do the same to them in the like And this is a plain and easie rule many men cannot tell what is Law or Justice or right in such a Case many cannot deduce the Laws of nature one from another but there is no man but can tell what it is that hee would have another man do to him every man can take his own actions and put them into the other scale and suppose if this that I do now to another were to bee done to mee should I like it should I bee pleased and contented with it And thus by changing the scales his own self-love and self-interest and other passions will add nothing to the weight for that self-interest which makes a man covetous and inclines him to wrong another man for his own advantage makes him likewise when the scales are changed unwilling that another man should wrong him that self-conceit which makes a man proud and apt to scorn and despise others makes him unwilling that another should contemn him I question not but by this time you understand the meaning of the rule but wee are not yet past all difficulties about it Three things are to be done before this rule will bee of use to us 1. Wee must make it appear that it is reasonable 2. Make it certain for till it bee certain it cannot bee a rule 3. Make it practicable 1. Wee must make it appear to bee reasonable The difficulty about the reasonableness of it is this according to this rule I shall bee obliged to do that many times which is sinful and to omit that which is a necessary duty I will give two or three instances Saul would have had his Armor-bearer to have kill'd him might hee therefore have kill'd his Armor-bearer if hee had been willing and had desired it I may not bee an instrument or furtherer of another mans sin though I were so wicked as to desire that another would bee so to mee If I were a Childe I would not have my Father correct mee or a malefactor I would not have the Magistrate cut mee off must there therefore bee no correction or punishment Now because of these and the like instances which may bee given the rule is necessarily to bee understood of things that may bee done or omitted i. e. which are not unlawful or unreasonable Saul might not kill his Armor-bearer I may not further another mans sin in the cases propounded because these things may not bee done they are Morally impossible that is unlawful A Parent or a Magistrate may not wholly omit Correction or Punishment because such omission would tend to the ruine of good manners and of humane Society 2. Wee must make the rule Certain The difficulty about the certainty of it is this everlasting disputes will arise about what is lawful and reasonable and unlawful and unreasonable Now we must reduce it to a certainty thus what ever I would that another should do to me that I should do to him unless the thing bee plainly evidently unlawful or unreasonable this cuts off all disputes for though there may be perpetual disputes about what is lawful reasonable or the contrary yet there can be no dispute about the unlawfulness unreasonableness of those things which are plainly and evidently so for that which is plain and evident is out of all dispute To confirm this let us consider another Text. Phil. 4.8 Where the Apostle exhorts Christians to follow whatever things are true and honest and just and pure and as a discovery of what things are such hee adds what ever things are lovely of good report and praise worthy that is what ever things are amiable well spoken of and praised by wise and good men who are the only competent Judges of these things if they bee not plainly contrary to truth or honesty or justice or purity follow these thing and if this bee not the meaning those words lovely of good report praise worthy are superfluous and do not at all direct our conversation which certainly the Apostle intended to do by them 3. Wee must make it practicable There are two things which make the practise of it difficult 1. A seeming contradiction in the rule 2. Partiality in judging of the circumstances of other mens conditions and our own 1. A seeming Contradiction in the rule which you will see in these instances if I desire a thing I would not have another stand in competition with mee for it if another desire a thing I would not have him think much that I stand in competition with him if I bee indebted to another I would not have him arrest mee if another bee indebted to mee
to take upon him to speak unto the Lord. This Example of Abraham I shall endeavour to draw forth for our Practise and Imitation He who is made to us a Pattern of Faith may be to us a Pattern of true Worship and such apprehensions or conceptions Abraham had of God in speaking to him Such conceptions of God we are to have in our Prayers and performances to him For which end I shall lay down this General Proposition Doct. That such as speak to God or speak of God such as draw near to God or have to do with God in any part of Divine Worship must manage all their performances with right apprehensions and due conceptions of God The truth of this General Proposition I shall endeavour to manifest and make clear by laying down Four particular Propositions which must give evidence to it The First Proposition is this That we cannot have any true right apprehensions or conceptions of God except we have a true knowledge of him Such as have not known God have slighted him Who is the Lord saith Pharaoh that I should obey him I know not the Lord Exod. 5.2 Such as know not God nor desire to know him are so far from drawing near to God that they drive him as far from them as they can they say unto the Almighty Depart from us who desire not the knowledge of his wayes Job 21.14 What Counsel Eliphaz gave Job whom he supposed to be a greater stranger to God than indeed he was may be an useful instruction to us Job 22.21 Acquaint thy self with God To know God and to be known of God is our highest priviledge Acquaint thy self with God and be at peace the reason why any are real enemies to God is because they know not God and the reason why many think God is an enemy to them is because they are not acquainted with God so intimately as they should Acquaint thy self with God saith he and thereby Good shall come unto thee But what Good and how shall this Good come It is partly exprest v. 22 23 24 25. but more fully v. 26 27. For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty and shalt lift up thy face to God Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him and he shall hear thee and thou shall pay thy vows So that except we know God aright and have some acquaintance with â—im we cannot delight our selves in God we cannot make our prayer to him nor lift up our face unto him The Second Proposition is That we cannot know any thing savingly of God further than he is pleased to manifest and make known himself to us No man can make known God but God himself Moses who had seen as much of Gods glory as any man when he desired a further manifestation of Gods glory in a higher measure or degree than formerly he had seen he goes to God himself for it Exod. 33.18 I beseech thee shew me thy Glory The great Promise Christ maketh to them that Love him and keep his Commandments is the manifestation of himself to them by Himself Joh. 14.21 I will manifest my self to them for none else can A Disciple puts a Question to him about it vers 22. Lord how is it that thou milt manifest thy self to us and not to the World We have a clear Answer to this Luke 10.21 this very Doctrine which is so much matter of indignation to the wise and prudent of the World is matter of rejoycing and exaltation to the Spirit of Christ and he said I thank thee O Father that thou hast hid and thou hast revealed For so it seemed good in thy sight Hence is that of our Saviour John 17.25 O righteous Father the World hath not known thee but these have known The Third Proposition is That the clearest manifestations of God to us and such as can beget in us right apprehensions and due conceptions of him are made out to us In and By Jesus Christ Joh. 1.18 No man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son which is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him Therefore no man ever did or can apprehend any thing of God truly that is upon a saving account but in and by Jesus Christ The Divine Essence or Godhead no man hath seen or can see in it self 1 Tim. 6.16 Something of this Eternal Godhead is manifested in the works of Creation Rom. 1.20 The invisible things of God viz. his Eternal Power and Godhead are clearly seen in the things that are made But yet this knowledge of God in the Creature could not bear down the vain Imaginâ—tions or Idolatrous conception of God in mens hearts as appears vers 21.23 Much of the Eternal Godhead is manifested in the works of Providence God doth great things past finding out and wonders without number Yet loe he goeth by us and we see him not he passeth on also but we perceive him not Job 9.10 11. God is Invisible in himself and Incomprehensible in his works Job made it his work to trace God in his works Job 23.8 9. Sometimes God was working forward or before him sometimes backward or behind him Sometimes on his right-hand sometimes at his left hand Job follows him up and down if he might apprehend him and the reason and designe of God in all his works but he could not perceive him God hid himself from him Much more of the Eternal Godhead was manifested in his most righteous and holy Law But the manifestations of God here affrighted them that saw it the People cry out Let not the Lord speak any more to us lest we dye and Moses himself said I exceedingly fear so terrible was the sight of God there Heb. 12.21 Hence it will follow that the clearest sweetest most comfortable manifestations of God to us and such as can beget in us right apprehensions and conceptions of God are made out to us only in Jesus Christ who is the Image of the Invisible God Coloss 1.15 In whom God hath made such discoveries of himself as can no where be seen but in Christ He is the expresse Image or Character of his Fathers Person Heb. 1.3 The exact resemblance of all his Fathers excellencies in their utmost perfections therefore when Philip desired him to shew them of the Father to give them a sight to satisfaction John 14.9 10. He that hath seen me saith Christ to him hath seen the Father Believe it Philip I am in the Father and the Father is in me In the works of Crearion God is a God above us In his works of Providence a God without us In the Law a God against us In himself a God Invisible to us Only in Christ he is Emmanuel God manifested in our Flesh God in us God with us God for us Hence follows the Fourth Proposition That the manifestations of God to us in Christ are those which alone can beget those due apprehensions and right Conceptions of God with which we must
may be out of our power It is therefore good to limit it so far as it shall be in your power and so long as it continues in your power to perform your Vowes These two things are requisite to a well composed Vow an occasion or exigency more than ordinary and then a thing lawfull acceptable proportioned to the mercy and within our power Now when these concurre A third must be added that is Thou must vow cheerfully and with a ready mind there must be much of the will in it 3. Vowes must be cheerfully made Some tell us the Latin word noting a Vow comes from the word which signifies the will Indeed all that is in a Vow so farre as it is a Vow is and must be of our will for it consisteth principally if not solely in the manner of our obliging our selves and this is voluntary God hath left it much at our liberty to vow or not to vow only he requires us to do it cheerfully if we vow it is matter of our choice Deut. 23.22 If thou forbear to vow it shall not be sin unto thee Yet if we will vow it is matter of duty to do it cheerfully for so the Lord loveth a cheerfull giver 2 Cor. 9.7 and therefore expects a speedy performance Defer not to pay Eccl. 5.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tempore respirationis festinatio Hence the Rabbinicall Proverb Speed suits the time of deliverance As a Vow suits the time of dangers and straits so hast from a ready mind fits the time of deliverance and mercy But Fourthly He that will compose his Vow well must vow sincerely and uprightly that is to the end he may most honour God by 1. The Commemoration of his mercy 4. Vow sincerely and goodnesse Vowes are mercyes Monuments on which are written the praise of the Lord. 2. The publishing the mercies of God for the engaging others to admire the Lord and to trust him and to seek unto him 3. The setting grace on work in the heart and soul of him that Vowes It sets grace on work both in that part which eyes God to draw nearer and to keep closer to him and in that part which keeps eye on sin to prevent mortifie and destroy it So then when a Christian having received or being in expectation of some extraordinary mercy from God doth deliberately promise what is lawfull in it self acceptable to God proportioned to the mercy and within his power to performe who so doth this chearfully and sincerely that God may be honoured in the continued remembrance of it in the publick declaring it and in the exciting of grace in the person Vowing Then hath a Christian well composed his Vow And such a Vow doth very much further Religion Which will appear by handling the next thing How much or in what things it doth further and promote Religion 4. Generall How well composed Vowes promâ—te Religion The credit of Religion Now there are three grand concerns of Religion than which it hath none greater and all three are carried on and promoted by such Vowes as these First Religion hath its concernment in the credit and reputation which it hath in the world Religion hath a name to look after so well as you or I and it loseth or gaineth as it is either honoured or reproached by the Professors of it Now when times of extraordinary danger drive us to our Prayers and Vowes to the true God and we resolve to have mercy from him or to choose to fall into his hand this fâ—ts the credit and honour of Religion that it can have recourse to God whom we know can deliver us This is somewhat but the making a Vow doth not so much honour Religion as the performing of it doth when it is hereby declared to the world that Religion is the thing makes men the same in their mercies which they were in their distresses that the God they worship is the true God able to require their Vowes if they should neglect to pay them A Heathen who in distresse makes a Vow and in his safety performes it carefully putteth a very high honour upon his false God upon his Idol What Christian soever makes and keeps his Vowes duly doth likewise put an honour on the true God It honours 1. The power and providence of God by acknowleding its Soveraignty over all in the world and its particular disposing and over-ruling of us and our concerns when thou Prayest and Vowest in a strait thou seemest to tell the world thou believest that thy God rules the world by his power and providence But when thou payest thy Vowes thou really testifiest to the world that thou believest and ownest this power in thy particular case so when Jephthah when David paid their Vowes they did give real testimony that their God delivered them by his power and providence and this is Religions honour that it is the Worship of so mighty a God 2. It honours God in his readinesse to hear and in his faithfullnesse to answer the prayers of his suppliants Prayers conceived speake a belief that he is ready Vowes made speak our confidence that he is faithfull but now Vowes performed speak thus much that we have found him so to us when David said I will pay my vowes it is that he may render to the Lord for the Lords readinesse and faithfullnesse to hear and deliver him Now its Religious honour that it is the worship of a God of truth and faithfullnesse 3. It honours God in his Omniscience and all-seeing eye it declares to the world that we worship and serve a God who takes notice of us in particular and who observes whether we keep our word with him or no when thou hast made a Vow and canst performe it yea dost perform it because thou knowest and believest thy God remembers when thou didst make it and observeth how thou wilt performe it what is this but to give him the honour of his all-seeing and all-observing eye 4. It honours Religion in that it is a Demonstration that Religion teacheth men gratitude It is a high charge which is laid on the Romans in their Heathenisme that they were unthankfull Rom. 1.21 It is a very great reproach to Religion to have its professors branded with this It is though but one single miscarriage left on Hezekiah's name like a spot in the Moon to endure while his name shall be in remembrance That he remembred not to return to the Lord according to the benefit done unto him 2 Chron. 32.25 But now thy care to make thy Vowes well that they may be kept and thy thankefullnesse in keeping them when so made do clearly evidence that thy Religion engageth thee to aime and attempt at the highest gratitude Si ingratum dixeris emniâ—dicis Now according to the old Rule if you say a man is unthankefull you say he is all naught so if you say he is thankfull and his Religion teacheth him to be
understand it or 2. For an expression of the prolonging of his sojourning for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to draw forth or to prolong and thus the Septuagint renders this place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whom the Arabick Syriack and vulgar Latine versions follow with some others and the next verse seems to favour this sense ver 6. My soul hath long dwelt c. but either way gives us the same ground of complaint only the first sense doubles the ground of the Psalmists trouble and the other suggests the circumstance of the long continuance of his sojourning By Kedar is understood part of Arabia the inhabitants whereof are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bochart ut sup or dwellers in tents because they had no fixed and setled habitation but were robbers and lived upon the prey Now we are not to suppose that David did really sojourn and dwell among these barbarous people but he speaks this of his wandring about from place to place without any setled habitation and to set forth the cruelty and inhumanity of those among whom he dwelt he doth expresse it thus Woe is me that I dwell c. as if one living among professed Christians who deal with him more like savages than Christians should say Woe is me that I sojourn among Turks and Saracens And thus you see Davids present condition which he bewails is his absence from Jerusalem and the Tabernacle or place of Gods solemn worship and his converse with wicked and ungodly men and then these two truths lye plain before us in the words It is oftentimes the lot and portion of good men to be deprived of the Doct. 1 society of the godly and of opportunities of publick serving God and to dwell among and converse with wicked and ungodly persons It is a real ground of trouble and sorrow to a good man to be thus deprived Doct. 2 c. 'T was that which here made David proclaim himself in a state of woe and misery 'T was that which the Apostle tells us did vexe the righteous soul of Lot 2 Pet. 2.7 and which made the holy Prophet Elijah even weary of his life 1 King 19.4 You may easily imagine what a sad heart a poor lamb might well have if it be driven from the green pastures and still waters and forced to lodge among Wolves and Foxes where it must feed upon Carrion or starve and be continually in danger of being lodged in the bellies of its cruel and bloody companions unless lome secret over-ruling hand do restrain their rage and feed it with wholesome food and truly such is the condition of those that follow the Lamb of God in holy Lamb-like qualities when deprived of green pastures and still waters of Gospel Ordinances and forc'd to converse with wicked and ungodly men In handling of this Point I shall first lay before you the grounds of it and then adjoyn such practical application as may be usefull and profitable The grounds of this Truth do partly refer to God partly to wicked men and partly to the godly themselves if in such a condition a beleeving soul either look upwards or outwards or inwards he will see much cause of grief and trouble 1. With reference unto God and that upon a double account 1. It is a real ground of sorrow to a beleeving soul to be deprived of occasions of solemn blessing and praysing God the soul that is full of the sense of the goodness of God that knows how many thousand wayes the Lord is continually obliging it to love and bless him cannot but be afflicted in spirit to be kept from making its publick acknowledgements of divine goodness The Psalmist tell us Psal 65 1. that Praise waiteth for God in Sion that is in the publick Assemblies of the Church and truly 't is a grief to a believing soul not to wait there with his thank-offerings not to pay his vows unto the Lord in the presence of all his people Psal 116.17 Psal 66.18 in the Courts of the Lords house c. not to declare to all that fear God what he hath done for their souls 2. It is a real ground of sorrow to live among those that are continually reproaching and blaspeming the Name of God to see sinners despise the goodness of God and trample upon his grace and mercy and scorn his love and kindness and kick at his bowels and spit in his face and stab at his heart who is our God our Father our Friend our good and gracious Lord and King This must needs make the beleeving soul cry out Woe is me that I live among such Let us suppose a person that hath been hugely obliged by a Prince to love him and that indeed loves him as his life if this Prince should be driven from his Throne and an usurper get into his place would it not be great affliction and sadning to the spirit of such a person to live among those who every day revile reproach scorn and abuse his gracious Prince Why Sirs if you and I be true beleevers we know that the Lord is our Soveraign King Prince such a one who hath infinitely more obliged us to love him than 't is possible for any Prince to oblige a subject we do love the Lord as our lives nay better than our lives or else we love him not at all must it not then be matter of grief to hear ungodly sinners who have driven God away from their hearts souls where his Throne should be set up and who have let that grand usurper the Devil set up his throne within them and among them and who daily say unto God as those wicked ones Job 21.14 Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes to hear such curse and swear and blaspheme God and in their lives by wicked ungodly courses do him all the despight dishonor that they can bring his Name to the Tavern to the Stews upon the stage and there foot and defile the great and glorious Name of God with the worst of polutions Certainly Sirs he cannot account God his Friend his Father his good and gracious Prince whose eye doth not run down with Rivers of tears to see men so far from keeping Gods Law 2. It is a trouble to good men to sojourn c. with reference to those wicked ungodly persons among whom they live it grieves their souls to see sinners run into all excess of riot eagerly pursuing hell and damnation greedily guzling down full draughts of the venome of Asps and the poyson of Dragons it pities them to see sinners stab themselves to the heart and laughing at their own plague sores jeasting away God and heaven and eternal happiness If any of us should see a company of men so far besotted and distracted as that one should rend and burn the Evidences of a great Inheritance which others labour to deprive him of another should cast inestimable pearls