Book IV. W I C K E D MEN F 0 0 L S. 7/I . SI M T LE. with him, hid his Hat: But it fo fell out, as the Matter is related, the Carpenter fome Time after chanced to fAll aOeep with his Head upon a Block, which the,Fool ob– ferv.ing, he rook an Ax, and chop– pedoffhisHead, and hid itamongtl: the Chips, and tl1en went laughmg away; but being afked, wherefore he laughed? 0, faith he, 1 have cut ofF the Carpemer's Head, and have hid it amongll: the Chips·; and 1 wonder how he will do to find it when he awakes. But for this he was committed to Pr-ifon, and when he was brought to his Trial, the Judge was informed that he was a natural Fool; but that he might be convinced it was true, he ordered aKnife to be given eo him, anrl accordingly it was; then faid the J udge to the poor Idiot, Cut vourfelf with that Knife; and he, poor Soul! did fo immediately: By which the Judge knew he wa5 indeed a Fool, and fo acquitted him. PAR ALL EL. very Heart, and yet fay, Are not we in Sport~ Can there be any greater Folly, or a more palpa– ble Sign of a Fool, than for a Man to whip, lafh , fcourge, and do thus unto himfelf? 'When Satan tempts Men to fin, he cloth, as it were, put a Knife into their Hands, and then bids them cut and Oa01 themfelves with it; and yet no fooner doth Satan thus tempt and entice them, but they prefently con!ent to him, until they have wound– ed them!i::lves from the Crown of their H eads, to the Soles of their Feet. What Man but a Fool would run into the Hornets Ne!h? or after this la– mt"ntable Manner wound himfclf? Sinners are fuch Fool>, that they play with the Afp, and delight to be at the Mouth of the Cockatrice Den. Sin in the holy Scriptmes is compared to both tbefe cruel Serpents ; and hence the Poifon of Afp's is faid to be under their Tongues, Pfal. ex!. :;. Ram. iii. 13. \Vbo but Fools or mad Men, wi!l fport and play with !uch venemous Serpents, or drink down deadly Poi!On, when told again and again what it is, and what the EffeCts of it will be, and yet they will do it. L o•k 11ot upon the Wine when it is red,, when it gtveth its Colour in the Cup, wherz it movub itfeif arigbt, Ptov. xxiii. 3'>3'· That is, what– ever Allurcments there are to Sin, mke h(ed of ir; /it /aft it biteth like a Serpmt, and jlingeth lzke an Adder. III. Wicked Men harbor Sin, and deceitful Lufts in their Souls, which is the bloodiell: Thief ;:md Murc{erer that ev.er was; that fpares none, nor ever did, who entertained it, or took delight therein. It hath Oaih and utterly undone Thou– fand ,, ahd ten ThoLJfantis, yea, many Millions; yet· they hug this curfed Traitor, and let him lodge in their Hearts, and lie in their Bofoms, and !hew him all the l'avor and Kiridnefs irfla– ginable; and do they not from hence 2ppear to be the gr~atell: Fools in Nature! IlL Is not that Man a Fool. who will harbor a Thief in his Houfe? and though he be told of it, and that he is in danger of.lof– ing all his Goods, and having his Throat cut by him, he being a bloody Murderer, yet laughs at it, and loves his Enemy, and hugs him in his Bofom, and re!i.Jives to ""t and drink with him, and lodge him in his chiefefl Room-; and·yet is informed this Thief never fpared any Man that !hewed him Favor. IV. Is not that Man a Fool, IV. Wicked Men !hive with' tl1e great God, that flriveth with one that is inand do they not in this fhew themf<:Jves to be finitely ll:ronger than himfelf? or Fools? Have they an Arm like God! Can they thinks a Thorn H edge can ftand thunder with a Voice l•ke him! Yet they continu– before a confuming Fire? or fupally tefifl him, and fight again£1: him, Job xL 9· pofes a Potfheard can prevail They that go on m thetr evtl Ways, make War againll: t~1e Potter? wtth the Almighty, and Dread-Sovereign of Heaven and Earth. fVoe unto bim tEat jlriveth witb his Maker: Let the Potjbeard jlrive with the Pot-jbards of the Earth, !fa. xlv. 9· Do you not.fee this Day, how• Man, forry Man, fets himfdf againft God l They are re· folvecl to fee what they can do, they will not yet lay down the Cudgels; the_r, fet their W·ifdom againll: God's vVifdom, and try if they can counter-work him in the Ways of his flrovidenocs. Now, what a Folly is this! God is as a confuming Fire, and Man is as•.Stubble fully dry. See what Jehovah himfelf faith upon this account: Who would Jet the Briars and Thorns againjl him in Battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together, !fa. xxvii. 4· Now is not he that takes up Arms again£1: ft1ch an E ne– my, that commands Heaven and Earth, a Fool? He whom all the Forces of Earth and Hell arc nor able to withll:and'; who at a ·Word of his Mouth makes Frogs in3 vade
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