1Instead of honouring of God, and of giving glory to him for any of his Mercies, or under any of his good Providences towards him (for God is good to all, and lets his Sun shine, and his Rain fall ⟨p. 254⟩upon the unthankful and unholy,) he would ascribe the glory to other causes. If they were Mercies, he would ascribe them (if the open face of the providence did not give him the lye) to his own wit, labour, care, industry, cunning, or the like: if they were Crosses, he would ascribe them, or count them the offspring of Fortune, ill Luck, Chance, the ill management of matters, the ill will of neighbours, or to his wives being Religious, and spending, as he called it, too much time in Reading, Praying, or, the like. I was not in his way to acknowledge God, (that is, graciously) or his hand in things. But,2 as the Prophet saith; Let favour be showed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness. And again, They returned not to him that smote them, 3nor did they seek the Lord of hosts. This was Mr. Badmans temper,4 neither Mercies nor Judgment would make him seek the Lord. Nay, as another Scripture says,5 he would not see the works of God, nor regard the operations of his hands either in mercies or in Judgments. But further, when ⟨p. 255⟩by Providence he has been cast under the best Means for his soul, (for, as was showed before, he having had a good master, and before him a good father, and after all a good wife, and being sometimes upon a Journey, and cast under the hearing of a good Sermon, as he would sometimes for novelties sake go to hear a good Preacher;6) he was always without heart to make use thereof:7 In this land of righteousness he would deal unjustly, and would not behold the majesty of the Lord.
Instead of reverencing the Word,8 when he heard it preached, read, or discoursed of, he would sleep, talk of other Business, or else object against the authority, harmony, and wisdom of the Scriptures. Saying, How do you know them to be the Word of God? how do you know that these sayings are true? The Scriptures, he would say, were as a Nose of Wax, and a man may turn them whithersoever he lists: one Scripture says one thing, and another says the quite contrary; Besides, they make mention of a thousand ⟨p. 256⟩impossibilities; they are the cause of all dissensions and discords that are in the Land:
1Instead of honouring of God, and of giving glory to him for any of his Mercies, or under any of his good Providences towards him (for God is good to all, and lets his Sun shine, and his Rain fall ⟨p. 254⟩upon the unthankful and unholy,) he would ascribe the glory to other causes. If they were Mercies, he would ascribe them (if the open face of the providence did not give him the lye) to his own wit, labour, care, industry, cunning, or the like: if they were Crosses, he would ascribe them, or count them the offspring of Fortune, ill Luck, Chance, the ill mannagement of matters, the ill will of neighbours, or to his wifes being Religious, and spending, as he called it, too much time in Reading, Praying, or, the like. I was not in his way to acknowledge God, (that is, graciously) or his hand in things. But,2 as the Prophet saith; Let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness. And again, They returned not to him that smote them, 3nor did they seek the Lord of hosts. This was Mr. Badmans temper,4 neither Mercies nor Judgment would make him seek the Lord. Nay, as another Scripture sayes,5 he would not see the works of God, nor regard the operations of his hands either in mercies or in Judgments. But further, when ⟨p. 255⟩by Providence he has been cast under the best Means for his soul, (for, as was shewed before, he having had a good master, and before him a good father, and after all a good wife, and being sometimes upon a Journey, and cast under the hearing of a good Sermon, as he would sometimes for novelties sake go to hear a good Preacher;6) he was always without heart to make use thereof:7 In this land of righteousness he would deal unjustly, and would not behold the majesty of the Lord.
Instead of reverencing the Word,8 when he heard it preached, read, or discoursed of, he would sleep, talk of other Business, or else object against the authority, harmony, and wisdom of the Scriptures. Saying, How do you know them to be the Word of God? how do you know that these sayings are true? The Scriptures, he would say, were as a Nose of Wax, and a man may turn them whithersoever he lists: one Scripture says one thing, and another sayes the quite contrary; Besides, they make mention of a thousand
- 1A brief relation of Mr. Badmans ways.
- 2Isa. 26. 10.
- 3Isa. 9. 13.
- 4Isa. 26. 11.
- 5Psal. 29. 5.
- 6Pro. 17. 6.
- 7Isa. 26. 10.
- 8Mr. Badmans judgment of the Scriptures.
