is not an artificial Atheist and Transgressor, yet if he desires to
be so, if he endeavoureth to be so, he shall be Judged and
condemned to Hell for such an one. For the Law Judgeth men, as I
said, according to what they would be. He that looketh upon a
woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already
in his heart. {91c} By the same rule, he that would steal, doth
steal; he that would cheat, doth cheat; he that would swear, doth
swear; and he that would commit adultery, doth do so. For God
Judgeth men according to the working of their minds, and saith; As
he thinketh, so is he. That is, so is he in his heart, in his
intentions, in his desires, in his endeavours; and Gods Law, I say,
lays hold of the desires, intentions and endeavours, even as it
lays hold of the act of wickedness it self. {91d} A man then that
desires to be as bad as Mr. Badman, (and desires to be so wicked
have many in their hearts) though he never attains to that
proficiency in wickedness as he, shall yet be Judged for as bad a
man as he, because 'twas in his desires to be such a wicked one.

Atten. But this height of wickedness in Mr. Badman, will not yet
out of my mind. This hard, desperate, or what shall I call it,
diabolicall frame of heart, was in him a foundation, a ground-work,
to all acts and deeds that were evil.

Wise. The heart, and the desperate wickedness of it, is the
foundation and groundwork of all. Atheism, professed and
practicall, spring both out of the heart, yea and all manner of
evils besides. {92a} For they be not bad deeds that make a bad
man, but he is already a bad man that doth bad deeds. A man must
be wicked before he can do wickedness. {92b} Wickedness proceedeth
from the wicked. 'Tis an evil tree that bears evil fruit, men