Christian ethics -- Fiction; Christian fiction; Conduct of life -- Fiction
Wise. It is worth our remark indeed. It was an open stroak, it fell
upon him while he was in the height of his sin: And it looks much like
to that in Job; Therefore he knoweth their works, and overturneth them
in the night, so that they are destroyed. He striketh them as wicked
men in the open sight of others: {142a} Or as the Margent reads it,
in the place of beholders. He layes them with his stroak in the place
of beholders. There was {142b} Mr. Badman laid, his stroak was taken
notice of by every one: his broken legg was at this time the Town-talk.
Mr. Badman has broken his legg, sayes one: How did he break it? sayes
another: As he came home drunk from such an Ale-house, said a third; A
Judgment of God upon him, said a fourth. This his sin, his shame, and
punishment, are all made conspicuous to all that are about him. I will
here tell you another story or two.
I have read in Mr. Clark’s Looking-glass for Sinners; {142c} That upon
a time, a certain drunken fellow boasted in his Cups, that there was
neither Heaven nor Hell; also he said, He believed, that man had no
Soul, and that for his own part, he would sell his soul to any that
would buy it. Then did one of his companions buy it of him for a cup of
Wine; and presently the Devil in mans shape bought it of that man again
at the same price; and so in the presence of them all laid hold on this
Soul-seller, and carried him away through the Air, so that he was never
more heard of.
In pag. 148, he tells us also: That there was one at Salisbury, in the
midst of his health drinking and carousing in a Tavern; and he drank
a health to the Devil, saying, That if the Devil would not come and
pledge him, he would not believe that there was either God or Devil.
Whereupon his companions stricken with fear, hastened out of the room:
and presently after, hearing a hideous noise, and smelling a stinking
savour, the Vintner ran up into the chamber; and coming in, he missed
his Guest, and found the window broken, the Iron barr in it bowed, and
all bloody: But the man was never heard of afterwards.
Again, in pag. 149. he tells us of a Bailiff of Hedly: Who upon a
Lords Day being drunk at Melford, got upon his horse, to ride through
the streets, saying, That his horse would carry him to the Devil: and
presently his horse threw him, and broke his neck. These things are
worse than the breaking of Mr. Badmans Leg, and should be a caution to
all of his friends that are living, lest they also fall by their sin
into these sad Judgements of God.
But, as I said, Mr. Badman quickly forgot all, his conscience was
choaked, before his legg was healed. And therefore, before he was well
of the fruit of one sin, he tempts God to send another Judgment to
seize upon him: And so he did quickly after. For not many months after
his legg was well, he had a very dangerous fit of sickness, insomuch
that now he began to think he must dye in very deed. {143a}
Atten. Well, and what did he think and do then?
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