Let none then, I say, over-look, disdain, or brow-beat their brethren, by reason of any extraordinariness of gifts, eminency of parts, singularity of Gods special favour, or indulgence towards him in any good thing, which he denies to others. Especially, thy self being vouchsafed the mercy of conversion; never insolently and imperiously insult over those poor souls, who are beside themselves in matter of salvation, who like miserable drudges, damn themselves in the Devils slavery, and suffer their corrupt nature to carry them to any villainy, lust, or lewd course. Alas! our hearts should bleed within us, to behold so many about us, to imbrue their cruel hands in the blood of their own souls, by their ignorance, worldliness, drunkenness, lust, lying, scoffing at profession, hating to be reformed, &c. What heart, except it be hewed out of the hardest rock, or hath sucked the breasts of merciless Tigers, but would yearn, and weep, to see a man made of the same mould with himself, wilfully, as it were, against the Ministry of the Word, a thousand warnings, and Gods many compassionate invitations, to cast ⟨p. 18⟩himself body and soul into the endless, easeless, and remediless miseries of Hell? And the rather should we pity, and pray for such an one, who follows the swing of his own heart, to his own everlasting perdition, because, as I said before, there went but the shears between the matter whereof we were all made; only the free mercy, goodness and grace of God makes the difference. If he should give us over to the unbridled current of our corrupt nature, we might be as bad, and run riot into a world of wickedness, as well as he: if the same God visit him in mercy, he might become every way as good or better, then we.
Let none then, I say, ouer-looke, disdaine, or brow-beate their brethren, by reason of any extraordinarinesse of gifts, eminency of parts, singularitie of Gods speciall fauour, or indulgence towards him in any good thing, which he denies to others. Especially, thy selfe being vouchsafed the mercy of conuersion; neuer insolently and imperiously insult ouer those poore soules, who are beside themselues in matter of saluation, who like miserable drudges, damne themselues in the Deuils slauery, and suffer their corrupt nature to carrie them to any villanie, lust, or lewd course. Alas! our hearts should bleed within vs, to behold so many about vs, to imbrew their cruell hands in the bloud of their owne soules, by their ignorance, worldlinesse, drunkennesse, lust, lying, scoffing at profession, hating to be reformed, &c. What heart, except it be hewed out of the hardest rocke, or hath suckt the brests of mercilesse Tygers, but would yerne, and weepe, to see a man made of the same mold with himselfe, wilfully, as it were, against the Ministery of the Word, a thousand warnings, and Gods many compassionate inuitations, to cast ⟨p. 18⟩himselfe body and soule into the endlesse, easelesse, and remedilesse miseries of Hell? And the rather should we pittie, and pray for such an one, who followes the swinge of his owne heart, to his owne euerlasting perdition, because, as I said before, there went but the sheares betweene the matter whereof we were all made; onely the free mercy, goodnesse and grace of God makes the difference. If he should giue vs ouer to the vnbridled current of our corrupt nature, wee might be as bad, and run riot into a world of wickednesse, as well as he: if the same God visit him in mercy, he might become euery way as good or better, then we.
