thou then go on in thy open way of Lying, Swearing, Drinking and
Whoring, as thou with delight doest now? Surely, surely, No: The
fear of the punishment would make thee forbear; yea, would make
thee tremble, even then when thy lusts were powerfull, to think
what a punishment thou wast sure to sustain, so soon as the
pleasure was over. But Oh! the folly, the madness, the desperate
madness that is in the hearts of Mr. Badmans friends, who in
despite of the threatnings of an holy and sin revenging God, and of
the outcries and warnings of all good men; yea, that will in
despite of the groans and torments of those that are now in Hell
for sin, (Luk. 16. 24. 28.) go on in a sinfull course of life; yea,
though every sin is also a step of descent, down to that infernal
Cave. O how true is that saying of Solomon, The heart of the sons
of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they
live, and after that they go to the dead, Eccles. 9. 3. To the
dead! that is, to the dead in Hell, to the damned dead; the place
to which those that have dyed Bad men are gone, and that those that
live Bad men are like to go to, when a little more sin, like
stollen waters, hath been imbibed by their sinful souls.

That which has made me publish this Book is,

1. For that wickedness like a flood is like to drown our English
world: it begins already to be above the tops of mountains; it has
almost swallowed up all; our Youth, our Middle age, Old age, and
all, are almost carried away of this flood. O Debauchery,
Debauchery, what hast thou done in England! Thou hast corrupted
our Young men, and hast made our Old men beasts; thou hast
deflowered our Virgins, and hast made Matrons Bawds. Thou hast
made our earth to reel to and fro like a drunkard; 'tis in danger