~02 WICKED MEN COMPARED TO THIEVES. Book IV. nay, and Prince himiclf, has been fometimes robbed and abulcd by Thieves: Did n0t 'Tbo. Blood but few Years lince, 1\eal the King's Crown? So wicked Men,greatly abuie their Neighbors, they do often take away the good Name of fuch who truly fear God, and fometimes attempt their Chanity, &c. This is nor all, they do not only thus en– deavor to rob Men, i'uch who are poor Mortals like themfdves; but they rob God; and that many ways. ( t.) They rob him of his Glory. And (2.) Of their own Strength and Flower of their Age, which belongs to him. (j.) They rob him of their Hearts and Affections, and place it upon rh.£ World and their own bafe Lufrs. (4.) They rob him of their precious Time, and lquander it away in a fooli!h and id..Je Man– ner, upon their LuJl:s; nay, hath not that Man of Blood, I mean the Pope, robbed Jefus Chrip of his Crown and royal Diadem! Doth he not a!fume that Power and Head– !hip to himfdf, that only belongs to the Prince of the King's of the Earth? · VI. Thieves oft-times kill as well as Jl:eal, and kill in !leaiing, fo that they make :hemfelves guilty of Murder as well as of Theft: So wicked and ungodly Men, by their ungodly and linful Lives, make themfdves guilty of the Breach of the whole Law of God, by adding Sin to Sin, and multiplying their Wickednefs, and fo tranf– grefs not only in one, but in every Point, and thereby wilfully murder their own Souls, and many times kill and deJl:roy th•ir innocent Neigbbors· too. VII. Thieves are fometimes taken in the FaC1:, or by Purfllit are apprehended, and 'laid Hands on, that they may anfwer the Law in that Cafe made and provided: Se> wicked Men are fometimes taken in their \Vickednefs, by the Hand of God; or if .rhey efcape an immediate Stroke in the very A er of Sin, yet they are pllrfued by God's jufr J udgment that followeth them, and will overtake them at la!t. Vll l. Thieves, when taken, would fain make an Efcape; nay, if they are not held by Jl:rong Hands, they will get loofe and run away: So wicked Men when God's Hand is upon them how fain ·would they make an Efcape? When Adam fell in with the Tempter to rob God of his Honor, it is fa id, he hid himfelf among the Trees of ·the Garden: Guilt made him fly; and what pitiful Shifts do all old Adam's Children Jnake, to excufe their Sins ? Or if they cannot make Excufe, then they feek out Ways to eicape if poffible: Some f.1y, their Sins are not fo great as others; others fay, they were drawn in and inriced; others, that God is merciful, and they doubt not but he will pardon them ; others fly to the Goodnefs of their Hearts; fome to feeming Re– pentance, faying, God forgive me, &c. but whatever vVay they take, till they are truly converted, they are holden by the Cords of their own Sins, and they !hall not efcape, nor can get am of God's Hand, but mull anfwer for all their Wickednefs at their utmoJl: Peril. IX. Some Thieves are fo impudent, that they will adventure to rob in the Day1:ime, let who will look on, bemg too £\rong for the Standers-by: So fome wicked Men are fo impudent, that they will adventure to rob their innocent Neighbors of ,their Goods in a public Manner in the !Jay-time; as many of the Papi£!s have ferved the poor Proref\ants in former Times, in divers Nations, and pretended they had Law for what thev did. X •. Some are great 'rhieves, and therefore called the Captains of the Thieves, un– .der whofe ConduCt and Direcrion the leli'er Thieves do rob and Jl:eal : So fome wicked Men are to notorious in Wickcdnefs, that they lead the Van as it were, and are not only Examples to others of inventing new coined Oaths, and ft~ful Fa!hions, and Cuf\oms; but do command or lay fome kind of Force .upon fuch, who are under their :L>ower, to be as wicked as themfelves, elfe they turn them off as not fit to do them Service: As it is written; If a Ruler hearkeu to Lies, all his Servants are wicked, that is, he will fo difcountenance and difcourage Truth and honefr Dealing, that none but .L iars .and wicked Perfons can live with him, Prov. xxix. 12. , XI. Some Thieves are fo mercileis, they Jl:eal and carry all away that People have: So fome Perfecutors have b.een fo void of Pity and Humanity, that they have took all .away, which fome godly People had, even their very Beds from under them. XII. There are fome facrilegious Thieves, fuch as rob Churches, and Jl:eal away thofe Things that are fer apart fur divine Wor!hip: So fome wicked !\;en are Robbers .af the Church of God, by taking away his holy Infritutions, and fetting their In– ventions in the Room thereof; fuch are the Romijb Crew, &c. Chrif\ tells us, that fu 1,. who come not in by the Door, bu\ climb up fome other Way, are Thieves and Robbers; Nay, if it Here poffible, the great Thief the Pope, and his Accomplices, would
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