1. It falls heavy upon many wicked and ungodly men,1 the vileness of whose hearts ⟨p. 106⟩is such, that in stead of having in them righteousness and love, they have hearts full of rancour within, and tongues full of railing without. The sting of the serpent is in their hearts, and the poison of asps is under their lips; they regard not what they say against those that fear Gods name. If righteousness be the image of God, then envy and malice is an argument of a man whose heart God never wrought upon; it is a black brand of a child of the Devil. In this the children of God are manifest from the children of the Devil. 1 Joh. 3.10. The children of God are the children of love, the children of Satan are the children of hatred. He that hateth his brother, ⟨p. 107⟩is a child of the Devil, it is manifest, thou mayest conclude it undoubtedly. 1 Joh. 4.8. He that loveth not, knoweth not God: as if he should say, Thou that hast no love, hast no interest in God. Hatred is that wherein the kingdom of Satan consists, Joh. 8.41. as for all other sins, they are practised among men, but this is the trade of the Devils in hell. The Pharisees bragged that they were Abraham's children, You seek to kill me, saith Christ, which Abraham did not: if you were of your father Abraham, you would do the works of Abraham: but mark the 44. verse: You are of your father the Devil: for he was a murderer from the beginning. You have never heard, that ⟨p. 108⟩Satan stabbed a man, but his murder was, He maligned Adam in his innocency: this therefore is a devilish sin. Satan doth not steal, neither is he drunk, but he is envious as hell. If this be expressed in your conversation, know, what ever your stock may be, yet you are of your father the Devil. Those that set themselves against the life and honour of their fellow brethren (for we may set our selves against the sins of others) those, I say, whose hearts sink at the good of their brethren, and rejoice if their goods and estates be overthrown, do by that show whence they draw their pedigree. This is the very brand of a wretch. Gal. 4.19. Ishmael was a cast away, as ⟨p. 109⟩the text plainly speaks: what was his guise? He persecuted the son of Promise, he persecuted him with a railing tongue; for this the Scripture often calls persecution: and this is the note of a man born after the flesh, who shall never see Gods face;
1. It falls heavie upon many wicked and ungodly men,1 the vilenesse of whose hearts ⟨p. 106⟩is such, that in stead of having in them righteousnesse and love, they have hearts full of rancour within, and tongues full of railing without. The sting of the serpent is in their hearts, and the poison of asps is under their lips; they regard not what they say against those that feare Gods name. If righteousnesse bee the image of God, then envie and malice is an argument of a man whose heart God never wrought upon; it is a blacke brand of a childe of the Devill. In this the children of God are manifest from the children of the Devill. 1 Joh. 3.10. The children of God are the children of love, the children of Satan are the children of hatred. Hee that hateth his brother, ⟨p. 107⟩is a childe of the Devill, it is manifest, thou maist conclude it undoubtedly. 1 Joh. 4.8. He that loveth not, knoweth not God: as if hee should say, Thou that hast no love, hast no interest in God. Hatred is that wherein the kingdome of Satan consists, Joh. 8.41. as for all other sins, they are practised among men, but this is the trade of the Devils in hell. The Pharisees bragged that they were Abrahams children, You seeke to kill me, saith Christ, which Abraham did not: if you were of your father Abraham, you would doe the workes of Abraham: but marke the 44. verse: You are of your father the Devill: for hee was a murtherer from the beginning. You have never heard, that ⟨p. 108⟩Sathan stabbed a man, but his murther was, Hee maligned Adam in his innocency: this therefore is a devillish sinne. Sathan doth not steale, neither is he drunke, but he is envious as hell. If this bee expressed in your conversation, know, what ever your stocke may be, yet you are of your father the Devill. Those that set themselves against the life and honour of their fellow brethren (for we may set our selves against the sinnes of others) those, I say, whose hearts sinke at the good of their brethren, and rejoice if their goods and estates bee overthrowne, doe by that shew whence they draw their pedegree. This is the very brand of a wretch. Gal. 4.19. Ishmael was a cast away, as
- 1Malicious men have not Gods image on them.
