The Folly of Sinners in deed this is the difference between a wife Repro\•er ~ and a bitter Meeker. that th~ Words.:ofc~e one are like Balm, bot11 fof~ and fanarive; but rhe W~rds of fife other j!re hjre jl>arp s,vord<, ~hich CUt d~ep into the Minds of Men and cothmoni.y' make them rankle into Hatred and Malice. And doubrlcfs 'rhere a~e very many Spirits can. fooner put up an Injury done them, than a currin b~tter fcoff; becaufe norhmgexpreffeth fo much Contempt, nor fhews how deC ptcable we aecount them, as a fleering Gibe. II. Seco11dl], MocJdng may be taken for Oighting, and making no account of looking upon Things or Perfons as trivial and inconliderable. And rhus it i~ Job HI'·:. ufed in Job, where the Hor[t is faid to mock at Feflr, when he rnlherh into the Barrel, and is not terrified, but f~t.her~nraged by all the Horrors of War,When the~i'Verrsttleth againft him, the glittering Spear and the Shield. And fo it is (1id job4r.:~.g. of Jbe Le'Vi,a;han, life {augheth at the Jhaking of the Spear, for be ejlupmh Iron a; Stra,v, tW/4 Brafs f!J rotten Wood. Now in either of thefe Two Senfes may the Words of the Te~:t be taken; when they tell us, they are Fools that make a Mock at Sin. A TrDofold For Sin may be confidered, eich~r as committed by others, .or as committed c.onfuJer~. by our felyes ; and it is egregious Foil] to make a Muck of either, fo as to fpon tun of Sm. at the·qne, or to flighJ: Jhe other.· • 1 Fi'J!; They areFoo/; that make a Mock at other Mens Sins, fo as tocurnthem · ilue a Matter of:..Jeft and Raillery. Ir. Secondly, They ~re Fool; that 1)13ke a Mock at pheir own Sins, fo as to think the Commiffion of them a flight· and inconfiderable thing. -LJhall-Very bt,;efiy fpeak of the Firfl, and fo pafs on unto the Seumd Particular. , 1. Firft therefore, They a:e Fool; that ~ake a Mo.c~ at oth:r Mens Sins, fo as ro Thzn;e make them a matter of Much and Paihme. ThlStndeed ts Spore for Devil;, all =:tet / 1 whofe Recreation, and Hellilh Solace, is the Siri and WickedneiS of Men. The Mock •t o- Da!Jlnation of Souls is the Sport of Hell: And thou who canft rejoice in their tk" Mem Joy} ~rdefepveft likew~fe tohowl~ndertheirWoes and Torments.. We juftly con· Smt. deml); it~, as·a riloft barbarous and inhumane Cuft0m amongfi the ancientRomant, whonbrought ·many feleded · I?~irs of miferable' Men intp , theit publick Ti>l•m>, ·' OhlJI ' to delight '' the Spedato" with their Bloo.d and Death. Dut -'-1this: ·was1 an 'ianoeent Recreation - in comparifon of ·~hine, whc> .,, . t~keft ; pleafuie to fee thy poor Brother wounding and ftabbing, .yea, d~mning his precious Soul. Go laugh ·ar a wretched Man upon cheR!ZP.~3Qr upon the Wheel; laugh at the odd diftoned Pofiures of .Epiltpticks,or the Cq,pvulfive Motion·li of DJing and Expiring Men-; Sport thy felf with their writh'd Looks;and amick Shapes of Mifery: T~is is far more civil, more humane, more pio~s, than to make tHofe Sins thy Mirth, which will be rhy Brother's J;cernal Woe and Anguilh. What thinkeft thou?. Could' ft thou look into Hell, that Place p[ "forment? Could'ft thou fee there all the Engines of God's ju!lice, and the De\'il'sGruelty, fet on work in the eternal TorlQre of chofe, who perhap& ones Ipa~e ~ ligh~ of their own Sins, as thou doft of other Mens; would'ft thou rhink ,: ,, this a pleafam Spectacle? Wculd'ft thou fport and divctt thy felf r.o, fe~ ho\lf .-: [lhey wallow in Fire and Brimftone, or how they circle and cwi!t themfelves in ., wunq!-lenchable Flames ? Certainly fuch a Sight as this would affecl: thee with a ~old1 J::IoFror, and afhivering Dread: And how then canft rliou fpor-t thy felf to fee thy Brother damning himfelf,fincejt would fright thee to fee him damned? \' .( ; 1Dejiev-eit, Sirs; The Sins that now abound in the World challenge our Tears and ,Pirx: J.Ve ought to mourn and repent for thofe who do not, who ·will noc,repen~ fur d1einfelves. It is a fad, and a doleful Sight to fee fo many every where dt/ho- .1 nGur O:od, difgrace theirNatures, and deftroy their Souls; to fee fome come reeling home,difguis'd in all the brutifh Shapes that Drunkenncfs can puc upon them, ready to difcharge their Vomit in the Face of every one theymeet: Others fran~ tick with \Vr:uh and Rage, and, like a Company of Mad Men, flinging about Prov. t6. Firtbrand;, .Arro1vr, and Death: To fee fuch woful Transformations, and thB· rs. dire Effed:sthar Sin and Wickednefs have caufed in the World, certainly he that ·can entenain himfelf with Mirth at thefethings,hath not only forfworn hisRtligi1 on,~ut his Humanity; and may, with much more Reafo_n, .make the Miferi<;s of ~o~r diftracted People, chain'd up in Brdlam, to become hiS Sport and Paft,mei
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