Part 28

Atten. Certainly, malice and envy flow {138c} from pride and arrogancy, and they again from ignorance, and ignorance from the Devil; And I thought, that since you spake of the pride of Mr. Badman before, we should have something of these before we had done.

Wise. Envy flows from Ignorance indeed. And this Mr. Badman was so envious an one, where he set against, that he would swell with it, as a Toad, as we say, swells with poyson. He whom he maligned, might at any time even read envy in his face wherever he met with him, or in whatever he had to do with him.

His envy was so rank and strong, that if it at any time turned its head against a man, it would hardly ever be pulled in again: He would watch over that man to do him mischief, as the Cat watches over the Mouse to destroy it; yea, he would wait seven years, but he would have an opportunity to hurt him, and when he had it, he would make him feel the weight of his Envy.

Envy is a devilish thing, the Scripture intimates that none can stand before it. A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty, but a fools wrath is heavier than them both. Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous, but who can stand before envy? {138d} {138e}

This Envy, for the foulness of it, is reckoned {138f} among the foulest Villanies that are, as adultery, murder, drunkenness, revellings, witchcrafts, heresies, seditions, &c. Yea, it is so malignant a corruption, that it rots the very bones of him in whom it dwells. A sound heart is life to the flesh, but envy the rottenness of the bones. {139a}

Atten. This Envy is the very Father and Mother of a great many hideous and prodigious wickednesses: I say, it is the very {139b} Father and Mother of them; it both besets them, and also nourishes them up, till they come to their cursed maturity in the bosom of him that entertains them.

Wise. You have given it a very right description, in calling of it the Father and Mother of a great many other prodigious wickednesses: for it is so venomous and vile a thing, that it puts the whole course of Nature out of order, and makes it fit for nothing but confusion, and a hold for every evil thing. For where envy and strife is, there is confusion, and every evil work. {139c} Wherefore, I say, you have rightly called it, The very Father and Mother of a great many other sins. And now for our further edification, I will reckon up some of the births of Envy.

1. Envy, as I told you before, it rotteth the very bones of him that entertains it. And, {139d}

2. As you have also hinted, it is heavier than a Stone, than Sand; yea, and I will add, It falls like a Mill-stone upon the head. Therefore,

3. It kills him that throws it, and him at whom it is thrown. Envy slayeth the silly one. {139e} That is, him in whom it resides, and him who is its object.

4. ’Twas that also that slew Jesus Christ himself; for his adversaries persecuted him through their envy. {139f} {139g}

5. Envy was that by vertue of which Joseph was sold by his Brethren into Egypt: {139h}

6. ’Tis envy that hath the hand in making of variance among Gods Saints. {139i}

7. ’Tis envy in the hearts of Sinners, that stirres them up to thrust Gods Ministers out of their coasts.

8. What shall I say? ’Tis envy that is the very Nursery of whisperings, debates, backbitings, slanders, reproaches, murders, &c.

’Tis not possible to repeat all the particular fruits of this sinfull root. Therefore, it is no marvel that Mr. Badman was such an ill natured man, for the great roots of all manner of wickedness were in him, unmortified, unmaimed, untouched.

Atten. But it is {140a} a rare case, even this of Mr. Badman, that he should never in all his life be touched with remorse for his ill-spent life.

Wise. Remorse, I cannot say he ever had, if by remorse you mean repentance for his evils. Yet twice I remember he was under some trouble of mind about his condition: {140b} Once when he broke his legg as he came home drunk from the Ale-house; and another time when he fell sick, and thought he should die: Besides these two times, I do not remember any more.

Atten. Did he break his legg then?

Wise. Yes: Once, as he came home drunk from the Ale-house.

Atten. Pray how did he break it?

Wise. Why upon a time he was at an Ale-house, that wicked house, about two or three miles from home, and having there drank hard the greatest part of the day, when night was come, he would stay no longer, but calls for his horse, gets up, and like a Madman (as drunken persons usually ride) away he goes, as hard as horse could lay legs to the ground. Thus he rid, till coming to a dirty place, where his horse flouncing in, fell, threw his master, and with his fall broke his legg: so there he lay. {140c} But you would not think how he {140d} swore at first. But after a while, he comeing to himself, and feeling by his pain, and the uselesness of his legg, what case he was in, and also fearing that this bout might be his death; he began to crie out after the manner of such; {140e} Lord help me, Lord have mercy upon me, good God deliver me, and the like. So there he lay, till some came by, who took him up, carried him home, where he lay for some time, before he could go abroad again.

Atten. And then, you say, he called upon God.

Wise. He cryed out in his pain, and would say, O God, and O Lord, help me: but whether it was that his sin might be pardoned, and his soul saved, or whether to be rid of his pain, I will not positively determine; though I fear it was but for the last; {141a} because, when his pain was gone, and he had got hopes of mending, even before he could go abroad, he cast off prayer, and began his old game; to wit, to be as bad as he was before. He then would send for his old companions; his Sluts also would come to his house to see him, and with them he would be, as well as he could for his lame leg, as vicious as they could be for their hearts.

Atten. ’Twas a wonder he did not break his neck.

Wise. His neck had gone instead of his leg, but that God was long-suffering towards him; he had deserved it ten thousand times over. There have been many, as I have heard, and as I have hinted to you before, that have taken their Horses when drunk, as he; but they have gone from the pot to the grave; for they have broken their necks ’twixt the Ale-house and home. [Picture: Take note symbol] One hard by us also drunk himself dead; he drank, and dyed in his drink.

Atten. ’Tis a sad thing to dye drunk.

Wise. So it is: But yet I wonder that no more do so. For considering the heinousness of that sin, and with how many other sins it is accompanied, {141c} as with oaths, blasphemies, lyes, revellings, whoreings, brawlings, &c. it is a wonder to me, that any that live in that sin should escape such a blow from heaven that should tumble them into their graves. Besides, when I consider also how, when they are as drunk as beasts, they, without all fear of danger, will ride like Bedlams and mad men, even as if they did dare God to meddle with them if he durst, for their being drunk: I say, I wonder that he doth not withdraw his protecting providences from them, and leave them to those Dangers and Destructions that by their sin they have deserved, and that by their Bedlam madness they would rush themselves into: only I consider again, that he has appointed a day wherein he will reckon with them, {141d} and doth also commonly make Examples of some, to shew that he takes notice of their sin, abhorrs their way, and will count with them for it at the set time.