Wise. It is one of the saddest tokens of Gods anger that happens to1 such kind of persons: And that for several reasons.
1. Such an one, by this Judgment, is put out out of the way, and from under the means which ordinarily are made use of to do good to the soul.2 For a Family where Godliness is professed, and practised, is ⟨p. 99⟩Gods Ordinance, the place which he has appointed to teach young ones the way and fear of God. Now to be put out of such a Family into a bad, a wicked one, as Mr. Badman was, must needs be in Judgment, and a sign of the anger of God. For in ungodly Families men learn to forget God, to hate goodness, and to estrange themselves from the ways of those that are good.
2. In Bad Families, they have continually fresh Examples, and also incitements to evil, and fresh encouragements to it too. Yea moreover, in such places evil is commended, praised, well-spoken of, and they that do it, are applauded; and this, to be sure, is a drowning Judgement.
3. Such places are the very haunts and Walks of the infernal Spirits, who are continually poisoning the Cogitations and Minds of one or other in such Families, that they may be able to poison others. Therefore observe it, usually in wicked Families, some one, or two, are more arch for wickedness then are any other that are there. Now such ⟨p. 100⟩are Satan's Conduit-pipes; for by them he conveys of the spawn of Hell, through their being crafty in wickedness, into the Ears and Souls of their Companions. Yea, and when they have once conceived wickedness, they travel with it, as doth a woman with Child, till they have brought it forth; Behold, he travelleth with iniquity, 3and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood. Some men, as here is intimated in the Text, and as was hinted also before, have a kind of mystical, but hellish copulation with the Devil, who is the Father, and their Soul the Mother of sin and wickedness; and they, so soon as they have conceived by him,4 finish, by bringing forth sin, both it, and their own damnation.
Wise. It is one of the saddest tokens of Gods anger that happens to1 such kind of persons: And that for several reasons.
1. Such an one, by this Judgment, is put out out of the way, and from under the means which ordinarily are made use of to do good to the soul.2 For a Family where Godliness is professed, and practised, is ⟨p. 99⟩Gods Ordinance, the place which he has appointed to teach young ones the way and fear of God. Now to be put out of such a Family into a bad, a wicked one, as Mr. Badman was, must needs be in Judgment, and a sign of the anger of God. For in ungodly Families men learn to forget God, to hate goodness, and to estrange themselves from the wayes of those that are good.
2. In Bad Families, they have continually fresh Examples, and also incitements to evil, and fresh encouragements to it too. Yea moreover, in such places evil is commended, praised, well-spoken of, and they that do it, are applauded; and this, to be sure, is a drowning Judgement.
3. Such places are the very haunts and Walks of the infernal Spirits, who are continually poysoning the Cogitations and Minds of one or other in such Families, that they may be able to poyson others. Therefore observe it, usually in wicked Families, some one, or two, are more arch for wickedness then are any other that are there. Now such ⟨p. 100⟩are Satans Conduit-pipes; for by them he conveighs of the spawn of Hell, through their being crafty in wickedness, into the Ears and Souls of their Companions. Yea, and when they have once conceived wickedness, they travel with it, as doth a woman with Child, till they have brought it forth; Behold, he travelleth with iniquity, 3and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falshood. Some men, as here is intimated in the Text, and as was hinted also before, have a kind of mystical, but hellish copulation with the Devil, who is the Father, and their Soul the Mother of sin and wickedness; and they, so soon as they have conceived by him,4 finish, by bringing forth sin, both it, and their own damnation.
- 1Demonstration of Gods anger towards him.
- 2Gen. 18. 18, 19.
- 3Psal. 7. 14.
- 4Jam. 1. 15.
