This Brass is double guilt. _First_, It supposes no Equity in Heaven. And _Secondly_, If there was, _Adultery_ would not be punish'd! The _Poet_ afterwards acquaints us by this Lady, that Blasphemy is no Womans Sin.[166] Why then does she fall into it? Why in the mid'st of Temper and Reasoning? What makes him break in upon his own Rules? Is Blasphemy never unseasonable upon the Stage, And does it always bring its excuse along with it? The _Relapse_ goes on in the same strain. When Young _Fashion_ had a prospect of cheating his Elder Brother, he tells _Lory, Providence thou see'st at last takes care of Men of Merit.[167] Berinthia_ who has engag'd to corrupt _Amanda_ for _Worthy_; attacks her with this Speech, _Mr_. Worthy _used you like A Text, he took you all to peices_,[168] and it seems was particular in her Commendation, Thus she runs on for several Lines, in a Lewd, and Profane Allegory. In the Application she speaks out the Design, and concludes with this pious Exhortation! _Now consider what has been said, and Heaven give you Grace to put it in practise_; that is to play the Whore. There are few of these last Quotations, but what are plain Blasphemy, and within the _Law_. They look reeking as it were from _Pandæmonium_, and almost smell of Fire and Brimstone. This is an Eruption of Hell with a witness! I almost wonder the smoak of it has not darken'd the Sun, and turn'd the Air to Plague and Poyson! These are outrageous Provocations; Enough to arm all Nature in Revenge; To exhaust the Judgments, of Heaven, and sink the _Island_ in the Sea! What a spite have these Men to the God that made them. How do They Rebell upon his Bounty, and attack him with his own Reason? These Giants in Wickedness, how would they ravage with a Stature Proportionable? They that can Swagger in Impotence, and Blaspheme upon a Mole-Hill, what would they do if they had Strength to their Good-Will? And what can be the Ground of this Confidence, and the Reason of such horrid Presumption? Why the _Scripture_ will best satisfie the question. _Because sentence against An Evil work is not excuted speedily, therefore the heart of the Sons of Men, is fully set in them to do Evil._[169]
Clemency is weakness with some People; _And the Goodness of God which should lead them to Repentance, does but harden them the more_. They conclude he wants Power to punish, because he has patience to forbear. Because there is a Space between Blasphemy and Vengeance; and they don't perish in the Act of Defiance; Because they are not blasted with Lightning, transfixt with Thunder, and Guarded off with Devils, they think there's no such matter as a day of Reckoning. _But let no Man be Deceiv'd, God is not mock'd_;[170] not without danger they may be assur'd. Let them retreat in time, before the _Floods run over them_: Before they come to that place, where Madness will have no Musick, nor Blasphemy any Diversion.