Wise. It is worth our remark indeed. It was an open stroke, it fell upon him while he was in the height of his sin: And it looks much like to that in Job; 1Therefore he knoweth their works, and overturneth them in the night, so that they are destroyed. He striketh them as wicked men in the open sight of others: Or as the Margin reads it, in the place of beholders. He lays them with his stroke in the place of beholders. There was Mr. Badman laid, his stroke was taken notice of by every one: his broken leg was at this time the Town-talk.* Mr. Badman has broken his leg, says one: How did he break it? says ⟨p. 268⟩another: As he came home drunk from such an Ale-house, said a third; A Judgment of God upon him, said a fourth. This his sin, his shame, and punishment, are all made conspicuous to all that are about him. I will here tell you another story or two.
I have read in Mr. Clark's Looking-glass 3for Sinners; That upon a time, a certain drunken fellow boasted in his Cups, that there was neither Heaven nor Hell; also he said, He believed, that man had no Soul, and that for his own part, he would sell his soul to any that would buy it. Then did one of his companions buy it of him for a cup of Wine; and presently the Devil in mans shape bought it of that man again at the the same price; and so in the presence of them all laid hold on this Soul-seller, and carried him away through the Air, so that he was never more heard of.
In pag. 148. he tells us also: That there was one at Salisbury, in the midst of his health drinking and carousing in a Tavern; and he drank a health to the Devil, saying, That ⟨p. 269⟩if the Devil would not come and pledge him, he would not believe that there was either God or Devil. Whereupon his companions stricken with fear, hastened out of the room: and presently after, hearing a hideous noise, and smelling a stinking savour, the Vintner ran up into the chamber; and coming in, he missed his Guest, and found the window broken, the Iron bar in it bowed, and all bloody: But the man was never heard of afterwards.
Again, in pag. 149. he tells us of a Bailiff of Hedly: Who upon a Lords Day being drunk at Melford, got upon his horse, to ride through the streets, saying, That his horse would carry him to the Devil: and presently his hor•e threw him, and broke his neck. These things are worse than the breaking of Mr.
Wise. It is worth our remark indeed. It was an open stroak, it fell upon him while he was in the height of his sin: And it looks much like to that in Job; 1Therefore he knoweth their works, and overturneth them in the night, so that they are destroyed. He striketh them as wicked men in the open sight of others: Or as the Margent reads it, in the place of beholders. He layes them with his stroak in the place of beholders. There was Mr. Badman laid, his stroak was taken notice of by every one: his broken legg was at this time the Town-talk.* Mr. Badman has broken his legg, sayes one: How did he break it? sayes ⟨p. 268⟩another: As he came home drunk from such an Ale-house, said a third; A Judgment of God upon him, said a fourth. This his sin, his shame, and punishment, are all made conspicuous to all that are about him. I will here tell you another story or two.
I have read in Mr. Clark's Looking-glass 3for Sinners; That upon a time, a certain drunken fellow boasted in his Cups, that there was neither Heaven nor Hell; also he said, He believed, that man had no Soul, and that for his own part, he would sell his soul to any that would buy it. Then did one of his companions buy it of him for a cup of Wine; and presently the Devil in mans shape bought it of that man again at the the same price; and so in the presence of them all laid hold on this Soul-seller, and carried him away through the Air, so that he was never more heard of.
In pag. 148. he tells us also: That there was one at Salisbury, in the midst of his health drinking and carousing in a Tavern; and he drank a health to the Devil, saying, That ⟨p. 269⟩if the Devil would not come and pledge him, he would not believe that there was either God or Devil. Whereupon his companions stricken with fear, hastened out of the room: and presently after, hearing a hideous noise, and smelling a stinking savour, the Vintner ran up into the chamber; and coming in, he missed his Guest, and found the window broken, the Iron barr in it bowed, and all bloody: But the man was never heard of afterwards.
Again, in pag. 149. he tells us of a Bailiff of Hedly: Who upon a Lords Day being drunk at Melford, got upon his horse, to ride through the streets, saying, That his horse would carry him to the Devil: and presently his hor•e threw him, and broke his neck. These things are worse than the breaking of Mr.
- 1Job 34. 24, 25, 26.
- *An open […].An open 〈…〉.
- 3pag. 41.
