Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulness of sin. The life…Three treatises of the vanity of the creature. The sinfulnesse of sinne. The life…

Examples of this fierceness of nature the Scripture doth give us abundantly. The Jews are for this property compared to a swift Dromedary, or to a wild Ass full ¹of desires, that snuffeth up the wind, as the use of Horses is in their lust, and cannot be turned. To a Horse rushing into the battle; 'tis a similitude from the inundation and precipitancy of torrents, that carry down all before² them. To a backsliding Heifer, whom no bounds can hold, but he will break forth into a large place, and have room to traverse his ways. To a wild A•se, that goes³ where his own will and lust carries him, alone by himself, no Rider to guide him, no bridle to restrain him, no presence of God to direct him, no Law of God to over-rule him, but alone by himself, as his own Lord. With very fierceness they did even weary themselves in ⁴their way. Notably did this rage show it self in the Sodomites; they reject Lots entreaties, they revile his person, they grow more outrageous, and pressed in even to⁵ tear open the house. Like where unto was the rage of the Pharisees and Jews against Christ, when he had fully convinced them of their sin, and his own innocency, and they could hold dispute to longer with him, they run from arguments to stones and railings, Thou art a ⟨p. 170⟩Samaritan and hast a Devil. And elsewhere it is said,⁶ That they were filled with madness at the sight of the Miracles which Christ wrought. Such was the rage of those which stoned Stephen, they g•ashed their teeth, they stopped their ears, they shouted with their voice, they ran with one accord and stoned him: and Saul, who was one of⁷