Christian ethics -- Fiction; Christian fiction; Conduct of life -- Fiction
Wise. By this his doing, he shewed how little he feared God, {73b} and
what little dread he had of his Judgments. For all this carriage, and
all these words were by him premeditated evil, he knew he lyed, he knew
he dissembled; yea, he knew that he made use of the name of God, of
Religion, good Men, and good Books, but as a stalking-Horse, thereby
the better to catch his game. In all this his glorious pretense of
Religion, he was but a glorious painted Hypocrite, and hypocrisie is
the highest sin that a poor carnal wretch can attain unto; it is also a
sin that most dareth God, and that also bringeth the greater damnation.
Now was he a whited Wall, now was he a painted Sepulchre; {73c} now
was he a grave that appeared not; for this poor honest, godly Damosel,
little thought that both her peace, and comfort, and estate, and
liberty, and person, and all, were going to her burial, {73d} when she
was going to be married to Mr. Badman; And yet so it was, she enjoyed
her self but little afterwards; she was as if she was dead and buried,
to what she enjoyed before.
Atten. Certainly some wonderfull Judgment of God must attend and
overtake such wicked men as these.
Wise. You may be sure that they shall have Judgment to the full, for
all these things, when the day of Judgment is come. But as for Judgment
upon them in this life, it doth not alwayes come, no not upon those
that are worthy thereof. They that tempt God are delivered, and they
that work wickedness are set up: {73e} But they are reserved to the day
of wrath, and then for their wickedness, God will repay them to their
faces. {73f} The wicked is reserved to the day of destruction, they
shall be brought forth to the day of wrath; who shall declare his way
to his face? and who shall repay him what he hath done? yet shall he be
brought to the grave, and remain in the tomb. {73g} That is, ordinarily
they escape God’s hand in this life, save only a few Examples are made,
that others may be cautioned, and take warning thereby: But at the day
of Judgment they must be rebuked for their evil with the lashes of
devouring fire.
Atten. Can you give me no examples of Gods wrath upon men that have
acted this tragical wicked deed Mr. Badman.
Wise. Yes; {74a} Hamor and Shechem, and all the men of their City, for
attempting to make God and Religion the stalking-Horse to get Jacobs
daughters to wife, were together slain with the edge of the sword. A
Judgment of God upon them, no doubt, for their dissembling in that
matter. All manner of lying and dissembling is dreadfull, but to make
God and Religion a Disguise, therewith to blind thy Dissimulation from
others eyes, is highly provoking to the Divine Majesty.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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