For thy old love to thy Friend, his wayes, doings, &c. will stir up in thee enmity rather, in thy very heart, against me. I shall therefore incline to think of thee, that thou wilt rent, burn, or throw it away in contempt: yea and wish also, that for writing so notorious a truth, some mischief may befall me. I look also to be loaded by thee with disdain, scorn and contempt; yea that thou shouldest railingly and vilifyingly say, I lye, and am a bespatterer of honest mens lives and deaths. For Mr. Badman, when himself was alive, could not abide to be counted a Knave (though his actions told all that went by, that indeed he was such an one:) How then should his brethren, that survive him, and that tread in his very steps, approve of the sentence that by this Book is pronounced against him? Will they not rather imitate Corah, Dathan, and Abiram’s friends, even rail at me for condemning him, as they did at Moses for doing execution?
I know ’tis ill pudling in the Cockatrices den, and that they run hazards that hunt the Wild-Boar. The man also that writeth Mr. Badmans life, had need to be fenced with a Coat of Mail, and with the Staffe of a Spear, for that his surviving friends will know what he doth: but I have adventured to do it, and to play, at this time, at the hole of these Asps; if they bite, they bite; if they sting, they sting. Christ sends his Lambs in the midst of Wolves, not to do like them, but to suffer by them for bearing plain testimony against their bad deeds: But had one not need to walk with a Guard, and to have a Sentinel stand at ones door for this? Verily, the flesh would be glad of such help; yea, a spiritual man, could he tell how to get it. Acts 23. But I am stript naked of these, and yet am commanded to be faithful in my servi[c]e for Christ. Well then, I have spoken what I have spoken, and now come on me what will, Job 13. 13. True, the Text sayes, Rebuke a scorner, and he will hate thee; and that, He that reproveth a wicked man, getteth himself a Blot and Shame; but what then? Open rebuke is better than secret love; and he that receives it, shall find it so afterwards.
So then, whether Mr. Badmans friends shall rage or laugh at what I have writ, I know that the better end of the staffe is mine. My endeavour is to stop an hellish Course of Life, and to save a soul from death, (Jam. 5.) and if for so doing, I meet with envy from them, from whom in reason I should have thanks, I must remember the man in the dream, that cut his way through his armed enemies, and so got into the beauteous Palace; I must, I say, remember him, and do my self likewise.
Yet four things I will propound to the consideration of Mr. Badmans friends, before I turn my back upon them.
1. Suppose that there be an Hell in very deed, not that I do question it, any more than I do whether there be a Sun to shine; but I suppose it for argument sake, with Mr. Badmans friends; I say, suppose there be an Hell, and that too, such an one as the Scripture speaks of, one at the remotest distance from God and Life eternall, one where the Worm of a guilty Conscience never dyes, and where the fire of the Wrath of God is not quenched.
Suppose, I say, that there is such an Hell, prepared of God (as there is indeed) for the body and soul of the ungodly World after this life, to be tormented in: I say, do but with thy self suppose it, and then tell me, Is it not prepared for thee, thou being a wicked man? Let thy conscience speak, I say, is it not prepared for thee, thou being an ungodly man? And dost thou think, wast thou there now, that thou art able to wrestle with the Judgment of God? Why then do the fallen Angers tremble there? thy hands cannot be strong, nor can thy heart endure, in that day when God shall deal with thee: Ezek. 22. 14.
2. Suppose that some one that is now a soul in Hell for sin, was permitted to come hither again to dwell; and that they had a grant also, that upon amendment of life, next time the dye, to change that place for Heaven ant Glory; what sayest thou, O wicked man? would such an one (thinkest thou) run again into the same course of life as before, and venture the damnation that for sin he had already been in? Would he choose again to lead that cursed life that afresh would kindle the flames of Hell upon him, and that would bind him up under the heavy wrath of God? O! he would not, he would not; the sixteenth of Luke insinuates it: yea Reason it self, awake, would abhorr it, and tremble at such a thought.