better life is the soule spoiled of when sinne hath taken it captiue The Adultresse will hunt for the precious life She is ambitious and would vsurpe Gods due and claime the heart the soule Hee that doth loue her destroyeth his owne soule Which shee loues not for it selfe but for the destruction of it that all the blossomes of grace may dwindle and shrinke away as bloomes in a nipping Frost and all our comforts runne from vs as flatterers from a falling Greatnesse or as Vermine from an house on fire Nay euen both thy liues are endangered The wicked man goâ—â—h after her as a foole to the correction of the stâ—ckes till a 〈◊〉 strike through his liuer as a bird hasteth to the snare and knoweth not that it is for his life It is as ineuitably true of the spirituall Harlots mischiefe For the turning away of the simple shall slay them Saue my life and take my goods saith the prostrate and yeelding Traueller to the theefe But there is no mercy with this enemie the life must pay for it She is worse then that inuincible Nauy that threatned to cut the throates of all Men Women Infants but I would to God shee might goe hence againe without her errand as they did and haue as little cause to bragge of her conquests Thus haue wee discribed the Temptresse The Tempted followes who are here called the Dead There be three kindes of death corporall spirituall eternall Corporall when the body leaues this life Spirituall when the soule forsakes and is forsaken of grace Eternall when both shall be throwne into hell 1. is the seperation of the soule from the body 2. is the seperation of body and soule from grace 3. the seperation of them both from euerlasting happinesse Man hath two parts by which hee liues and two places wherein he might liue if hee obayed God Earth for a time Heauen for euer This Harlot Sin depriues either part of man in either place of true life and subiects him both to the first and second death Let vs therefore examine in these particulars first what this death is and secondly how Sathans guests the wicked may be said liable thereunto 1. Corporall death is the departure of the soule from the body whereby the body is left dead without action motion sense For the life of the body is the vnion of the soule with it For which essentiall dependance the soule is often called and taken for the life Peter said vnto him Lord why cannot I follow thee now I will lay downe my soule for thy sake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his soule meaning as it iâ— translated his life And He that findeth his soule shall loose it but hee that looseth his soule for my sake shall finde it Here the Soule is taken for the Life So that in this death there is the seperation of the soule and body the dissolution of the person the priuation of life the continuance of death for there is no possible regresse from the priuation to the habite except by the supernaturall and miraculous hand of God This is the first but not the worst death which sinnâ— procureth And though the speciall deaâ—nesse of the guests here be spirituall yet this which we call naturall may be implied may be applied for when God threatned death to Adams sinne in illo die mâ—riâ—ris in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die yet Adam liued nine hundred and thirtie yeares after There was notwithstanding no delay no delusion of Gods decree for in ipso die in that very day death tooke hold on him and so is the Hebrew phrase dying thou shalt dye fall into a languishing and incurable consumption that shall neuer leaue thee till it bring thee to thy graue So that hee instantly dyed not by present seperation of soule and body but by mortallitie mutabillitie miserie yea by sorrow and paine as the instruments and agents of Death Thus said that Father After a man beginneth to be in this body by reason of his sinne he is euen in death The wicked then are not onely called Dead because the conscience is dead but also in respect of Gods decree whose inviolable substitution of Death to Sinne cannot be euaded auoyded It is the Satute-law decreed in the great Parliament of Heauen Statutum omnibus seâ—el mori It is appoynted vnto men once to die Tâ—is is one speciall kindnesse that sinne doth vs one kisse of her lippes Shee giues her louers three mortall kisses The first kils the conscience the second the carkase the third body and soule for euer Death passed vpon all men for that all haue sinned So Paul schooles his Corinths For this cause many are weaâ—e and sicke among you and many sleepe And conclusiuely peccati stipendium mors The wages of sinne is Death This Death is to the wicked death indeed euen as it is in it owne full nature the curse of God the suburbes of Hell Neither is this vniust dealing with God that man should incurre the death of his body that had reiected the life of his soule nisi praecessisset in peccato mors animae numquam corporis mors in supplicio sequerâ—tur If sinne had not first wounded the body death could not haue killed the soule Hence saith Augustine Men shunne the death of the flesh rather then the death of the spirit that is the punishment rather then the cause of the punishment Indeed Death considered in Christ and ioyned with a good life is to Gods elect an aduantage nothing else but a bridge ouer this tempestuous sea to Paradice Gods mercy made it so saith S. Augustine Not by making death in it selfe good but an instrument of good to his This hee demonstrates by an instance As the Law is not euill when it increaseth the lust of sinners sâ— death is not good though it augmâ—nt the glory of suâ—ferers The wicked vse the law ill though the law be good The good die well though death be euill Hence saith Solomon The day of death is better then the day of ones birth For our death is not obitus sed abitus not a perishing but a parting Non amittitur anima praemittitur tantum The soule is not lost to the body but onely sent before it to ioy Si duriùs seponitur meliùs reponitur If the soule be painfully laid off it is ioyfully laid vp Though euery man that hath his Genesis must haue his Exodus and they that are borne must dye Yet saith Tertullian of the Saints Profectio est quam putas moâ—tem Our dying on earth is but the taking our iourney to Heauen Simeon departs and that in peace In pace in pacem Death cannot be euentually hurtfull to the good for it no sooner takes away the temporall life but Christ giues eternall in the roome of it Alas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Corpora cadauera Our graues shall as
Glory 1. God himselfe is the feast-maker he is Land-lord of the world and â—illeth euery liuing thing with goodnesse The Eagles and Lions seeke their meate at God But though all the sonnes of Iacob haue good cheare from Ioseph yet Beniamins messe exceeds Esau shall haue the prosperitie of the earth but Iacob goes away with the blessing Ismaell may haue outward fauours but the inheritance belongs to Izhak The King fauoureth all his subiects but they of his Court stand in his presence partake of his Princely graces Gods bountie extends to the wicked also but the Saints shall onely sit at his table in Heauen This is that feaster qui est super omnia et sine quo nulla sunt omnia Of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory for euer 2. The cheare is beyond all sense all science Eye hath not seene nor eare heard nether haue entred into the heart of man the things God hath prepared for them that loue him The eye sees much the eare heares more the heart conceaues most yet all short of apprehension much more of comprehension of these pleasures Therefore enter thou into thy Masters ioy for it is too great to enter into thee 3. The company is excellent the glorious presence of the blessed Trinitie the Father that made vs the Sonne that bought vs the Holy Ghost that brought vs to this place The holy and vnspotted Angels that reioyced at our conuersion on earth much more at our consolation in Heauen All the Patriarchs Prophets Saints before the Law in the Law in the Gospell the full Communion of Saints Here the more the mirrier yea and the better cheare to Oh the sweet melodie of Halleluiahs which so many glorified voyces shall sing to God in Heauen the hoarcenesse of sinne and the harshnesse of punishment being separated from vs with a bill of euerlasting diuorce 4. Admirable is the Banketing place the high Court of Heauen where our apparell shall be such as beseemeth the attendants on the King of Kings euen the fashion of the glorious body of Christ. The purest things are placed highermost The earth as grossest is put in the lowest roome the water aboue the earth the ayre aboue the water the fire aboue the ayre the sphaeres of Heauen aboue any of them and yet thâ— place where this feast is kept is aboue them all the Heauen of Heauens Take here a slight rellish of the cheare in Gods kingdome where your welcome shall be answerable to all the rest Eate oh my friends and make you merry oh well-beloued And then as those that haue tasted some delicate dish finde other plaine meates but vnpleasant so you that haue tasted of heauenly things cannot but contemne the best worldly pleasures As therefore some dainty guest knowing there is so pleasant fare to come let vs reserue our appetites for that and not suffer our selues to be cloyed with the course diet of the world Thus as wee fast on the Eues that we may feast on the Holy-dayes let vs be sure that after our abstinence from the surfets of sinne we shall be euerlastingly fed and fatted with the mercies of God Which resolution the Lord grant vs here which Banket the Lord giue vs hereafter Amen FINIS THE Sinners passing-Bell OR A complaint from Heauen for Mans Sinnes Published by THOMAS ADAMS Preacher of Gods Word at Willington in Bedford-shire 1 CORINTH 11.30 For this cause many are weake and sickly among you and many sleepe AVGVST EPIST. 188. Ipse sibi denegat curam qui Medico non publicat causam Hee hath no care of his owne cure that declares not to the Phisition his griefe LONDON Printed by Thomas Snodham for Iohn Budge and are to be sold at the great South-dore of Paules and at Brittaines-Bursse 1614. TO THE TRVLY-NOBLE KNIGHT Sr. Anthony Sainct-Iohn sauing health Right Worshipfull THe sicknesse of this World is growne so lethargicall that his recouery is almost despaired and therefore his Phisitians finding by infallible symptoms that his consumption is not curable leaue him to the malignancie of his disease For the eye of his faith is blinde the eare of his attention deafe the foote of his obedience lame the hand of his charitie numm'd and shut vp with a griping couetousnesse All his vitall parts whereby he should liue to goodnesse are in a swoune he lies bed-rid in his securitie and hath little lesse then giuen vp the Holy Ghost It cannot be denied but that he lies at the mercie of God It is therefore too late to tolle his Passing-bell that hath no breath of obedience left in him I might rather ring out his knell Yet because there are many in this world that are not of this world many sicke of the generall disease of Sin whose recouerie is not hopelesse though their present state be happelesse and some that if they knew but themselues sicke would resort to the Poole of Bethesda the waters of life to be cured I haue therefore presumed to take them apart and tell them impartially their owne illnesse Oh that to performe the cure were no more difficult then to describe the Maladie or prescribe the remedie I haue endeuoured the latter the other to God who can both kill and giue life who is yet pleased by his word to worke our recouery and to make me one vnworthy instrument to administer his Phisicke Now as the most accurate Phisitians ancient or moderne though they deliuered precepts in their facultie worthy of the worlds acceptance and vse yet they set them forth vnder some Noble Patronage so I haue presumed vnder the countenance of your protection to publish this phisicall or rather metaphysicall Treatise for as the Sicknesse is spirituall so the cure must be supernaturall Assuring my selfe that if you shall vse any obseruation here and giue it your good word of Probatum est many others wil be induced the more redily to embrace it My intent is to doe good and if I had any better Receite I would not like some Phisitians I know not whither more enuious or couetous with an excellent Medicine let it liue and die with my selfe God conserue your either health and giue you with a sound body a sounder faith whereby you may liue the life of Grace heere of Glory hereafter Your VVorships humbly deuoted THOMAS ADAMS THE Sinners Passing-Bell OR A Complaint from Heauen for Mans Sinnes The fift Sermon IEREM 8.22 Is there no Balme in Gilead Is there no Phisitian there why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recouered THis is a world to make Phisitians rich if men loued not their purse better then their health For the world waxeth old and old age is weake and sickly As when death begins to ceaze vpon a man his braine by little and little groweth out of order his minde becomes cloudy and troubled with fantasies the channels of his blood and the radicall moisture the
oyle that feâ—ds the lampe of his life beginne to dry vp all his limbes loose their former agillitie As the litâ—le world thus decaies in the great so the great decaies in it selfe that Nature is faine to leane on the staffe of Art â—nd to be held vp by mans industrie The signes which Christ hath giuen to fore-run the worlds ruine are called by a Father aegritudines Mundi the diseases or sicknesses of the world as sicknesse naturally goes before death Warres dying the earth into a sanguine hew dead carkases infecting the aires and the infected aires breathing about plagues and pestilences and sore contagions Whereof saith the same Father nullâ— magis quam nos testes sumus quos mundi finis inuenit none can be more certaine witnesses then wee vpon whom the ends of the world are come That sometimes the influences of Heauen spoyle the fruits of the earth and the fogs of earth soile the vertues of the Heauenly bodies that neither Plannets aboue nor plants below yeeld vs expected comforts So God for our sinnes brings the heauen the earth the ayre and whatsoeuer was created for mans vse to be his enemie and to warre against him And all because omnia quae ad vsum vitae accipimus ad vsum vitij conuertimus we turne all things to vices corruption which were giuen for natures protection Therefore what we haue â—iuerted to wickednesse God hath reuerted to our reuenge We are sicke of sinne and therefore the world is sicke of vs. Our liues shorten as if the booke of our dayes were by Gods knife of Iudgement cut lesse and brought from Folio as in the Patriarchs before the flood to Quarto in the Fathers after the flood nay to Octauo as with the Prophets of the Law nay euen to Decimosexto as with vs in the dayes of the Gospell The Elements are more mixed drossie and confused the ayres are infected neither wants our intemperance to second all the rest We hasten that we would not haue Death and runne so to riot in the Aprill of our early vanities that our May shall not scape the fall of our lâ—afe Our great Landlord hath let vs a faire house and we suffer it quickly to runne to ruine That whereas the Soule might dwell in the body as a Pallace of delight shee findes it a crazy sickish rotten cabinet in danger euery gust of dropping downe How few shalt thou meete if their tongues would be true to their griefes without some disturbance or affliction There lyes one groning of a sicke heart another shakes his aking head a third roares for the torments of his reines a fourth for the racking of his gowty ioynts a fift grouels with the Falling-sicknesse a last lyes halfe dead of a Palsie Here is worke for the Physitians They ruffle in the roabes of preferment and ride in the Foote-clothes of reuerence Early and deuout suppliants stand at their study dores quaking with ready mony in their hands and glad it will be accepted The body if it be sicke is content sometimes to buy vnguentum areum with vnguentum aureum leaden trash with golden cash But it is sicke and needes Phisicke let it haue it There is another Phisitian that thriues well too if not best and that 's the Lawyer For men goe not to the Phisitian till their bodies be sicke but to the Lawyer when they be well to make them sicke Thus whilâ—s they feare an Ague they fall into a Consumption He that scapes his disease and fals into the hands of his Phisitian or from his trouble of suites lights into the fingers of his Lawyer fulfils the old verse Incidit in Scyllam dum vult vitare Charibdim Or is in the poore Birds case that flying in feare from the Cuckooe lighted into the tallonâ— of the Hawke These are a couple of thriuing Phisitians Alter tuetur aâ—gros alter tuetur agros One lookes to the state of the person the other of the purse so the old verse testifies Dat Galenus opes dat Iustinianus honores Phisicke giues wealth and Law Honour I speake not against due reward for iust deserts in both these faculties These Phisitians are both in request but the third the Phisitian of the soule of whom I am now occasioned to shew there is most neede may stand at the dore with Homer and did hee speake with the voyce of Angels not to be admitted The sicke Rich man lyes patiently vnder his Phisitians hands hee giues him golden words reall thankes nay and often flattering obseruance If the state lye sicke of a Consumption or if some contentious Emperick by new suits would lance the impostum'd swellings of it or if perhaps it lye sullen-sicke of Naboths Vineyard the Lawyer is perchance not sent for but gone to and his help imploâ—ed not without a Royall sacrifice at least But for the Minister of his Parish if hee may not haue his head vnder his girdle and his attendance as seruile as his Liuerie-groomes hee thinkes himselfe indignified and rages like the Pope that any Priest durst eate of his Peacocke How short doth this Phisitians respect fall of both the others Let him feed his Sheepe if hee will with the Milke of the Word his Sheepe will not feede him with the Milke of reward He shall hardly get from his Patron the Milke of the Vicaredge but if he lookes for the fleeces of the Parsonage hee shall haue after the Prouerbe Lanam caprinam Contempt and scorne Haman was not more madde for Mordecais Cap then the great one is that as much obseruance ariseth not to him from the blacke coate as from his owne blew coate The Church is beholden to him that hee will turne one of his cast Seruitours out of his owne into her seruice out of his Chamber into the Chancell from the Buttry-hatch to the Pulpit He that was not worthy enough to waite on his Worship is good enough for God Yeeld this sore almost healed yet the honour of the Ministerie thriues like Trees in Autumne Euen their best estimate is but a shadow and that a preposterous one for it goes backe faster then the shadow in the Dyall of Ahaz If a Rich man haue foure Sonnes the youngest or contemnedst must be the Priest Perhaps the Eldest shall be committed to his Lands for if his Lands should be committed to him his Father feares hee would carie them all vp to London hee dares not venture it without binding it sure For which purpose he makes his second Sonne a Lawyer a good â—ising profession for a man may by that which I neither enuie nor taxe runne vp like Ionas gourd to preferment and for wealth a Clustre of Law is worth a whole Vintage of Gospell If hee studie meanes for his third loe Physicke smels well That as the other may keepe the estate from running so this the body from ruining For his youngest Sonne hee cares not if he puts him into Gods seruice and make him
diuided to our hands by the rule of three A tripartite Metaphore that willingly spreads it selfe into an Allegorie 1. Gods word is the Balme 2. The Prophets are the Physitians 3. The People are the Patients who are very sicke Balme without a Physitian a Physitian without Balme a Patient without both is in fausta separatio an vnhappy disiunction If a man be ill there is neede of Physicke when he hath Physicke he needes a Physitian to apply it So that here is miserie in being sicke mercie in the Physicke Not to disioyne or disioynt the Prophets order let vs obserue that the words are spoken 1. In the person of God 2. In the forme of a question 3. By a conclusiue inference Onely two things I would first generally obserue to you as necessarie inductions to the subsequent Doctrines Both which may naturally be inferred not tyrannously enforced from the words That which first obiects it selfe to our consideration is the Wisedome of God in working on mens affections which leades vs here from naturall wants subiect to sense to supernaturall inuisible and more secret defects from miseries to mysteries That as if any man admired Solomons House they would be rauished in desire to see Gods House which transcended the former so much as the former transcended their expectation So heere wee might be led from mans worke to Gods worke from things materiall to things mysticall and by the happinesse of cure to our sicke bodies be induced to seeke and get recouerie of our dying soules The second is the fit collation and respondent relation of Diuinitie and Physicke the one vndertaking to preserue and restore the health of the body the other performing much more to the soule 1. God leades vs by sensible to the sight of insensible wants by calamities that vexe our liuing bodies to perils that endanger our dying Consciences That wee might inferre vpon his premisses what would be an eternall losse by the sight of a temporall crosse that is so hardly brooked If a famine of bread be so heauie how vnsupportable is the dearth of the Word saith the Prophet Man may liue without bread not without the word If a wearie Traueller be so vnable to beare a burden on his shoulders how ponderous is sinne in the Conscience which Zacharie calls a talent of Lead If blindnesse be such a miserie what is â—gnorance lf the night be so vncomfortable what doth the darknesse of Superstition afford If bodily Disease so afflict our sense how intollerable will a spirituall sicknesse proue Thus all earthly and inferiour Obiects to a Christian soule are like Marginall hands directing his reading to a better and heauenly reference I intend to vrge this poynt the more as it is more necessarie both for the profit of it being well obserued and for the generall neglect of it because they are few in these dayes that reduce Christianitie to Meditation but fewer that produce Meditation to practise and obedience Diseases destined toward Death as their end that can by Nature neither be violently endured nor violently repelled perplexe the flesh with much paine but if Diseases which be Deaths capitall Chirurgions his preceding Heraulds to proclaime his neerenesse his Ledgers that vsurpe his place till himselfe comes be so vexing and full of anguish what is Death it selfe which kils the Diseases that killed vs For the perfection of sicknesse is Death But alas if the sicknesse and Death of the body be such what are Sinne the sicknesse and Impenitencie the death of the soule What is the dimmed eye to the darkned vnderstanding the infected members to the poysoned affections the torment of the reynes to the stitches girds and gripes of an aking Consciencâ— what is the Childes caput dolet my head akes to Ierusalems cor dolet my heart akes The soule to leaue the body with her offices of life is not so grieuous as Gods spirit to relinquish the soule with the comforts of grace In a word it is farre lesse miserable to giue vp the ghost then to giue vp the holy Ghost The soule that enters the body without any sensible pleasure departs not from it without extreame paine Hee that is animans animas the soule of our soules forsakes not our spirits but our paine is more though our sense be lesse As in the Warres the cut of a sword crossing the Fibres carries more smart vvith it though lesse mortallitie then the fatall charge of a Death-thundring Cannon The soule hath two places an Inferiour which it ruleth the body a Superiour wherein it resteth God! Mans greatest sorrow is when hee dyes vpwardly that GOD forsakes his God-forsaking soule His greatest sense when he diâ—s downewards and sicknesse disperseth and dispatcheth his vitall powers Let then the inferiour suffering vvaken vs to see the Superiour that doth vveaken vs. Thus God drawes our eyes from one obiect to another nay by one to another by that which wee loue on earth to that which wee should loue in Heauen by the prouidence for our bodies to the prouision for our soules So our Sauiour hauing discoursed of carefulnesse for terrene wants drawes his speech to the perswasion of celestiall benefits giuing the coherence with a But. But first seeke ye the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and all these inferiour things shall be added vnto you Vt ad excellenâ—iam diuinarum rerum per corporalia homines attollat That at once hee might lesson vs to holy duties and lessen our care for earthly things Thus quios homini sublime dedit cor subliâ—ius eleuare voluit Hee that gaue man a countenance lifted high meant to erect his thoughts to a higher contemplation For many haue such groueling and earth-creeping affections that if their bodies curuitie was answerable to their soules incederent quadrâ—pides they would become foure-footed beasts It is a course preposterous to Gods creation disproportionable to mans fabricke that he should fixe his eyes and thoughts and desires on the base earth made for his feete to stand on and turne his feete against Heauen in contempt lifting vp his heele against God Hee whose ill-ballancing Iudgement thinkes Heauen light and Earth onely weightie and worthie doth as it were walke on his head with his heeles vpward I haue heard Trauellers speake of monstrous and praeternaturall men but neuer any so contranaturall as these Christ knew in the dayes of his flesh what easie apprehension worldly things would finde in vs what hard impression heauenly would finde on vs therefore so often by plaine comparisons taught secret Doctrines by Histories Misteries How to the life doth he explaine the mercie of God to the miserie of man in the lost Sheepe in the lost Groat in the lost Sonne How sweetly doth hee describe the different hearers of Gods Oracles in the Parable of the Seede which howsoeuer it seemed a Riddle to the selfe-blinding Iewes yet was a familiar demonstration to the beleeuing Saints So the Prophets found
if earth be at once neerer to your standing and vnderstanding and like dissembling Louers that to auoyd suspition diuert their eyes from that cheeke whereon they haue fixed their hearts so you loooke one way and loue another Heauen hauing your countenance Earth your confidence then for Earth read this instruction in all things the destruction of all things For if the raâ—ified and azure body of this lower Heauen shall bee folded vp like a Scrole of Parchment then much more this drossie feculent and sedimentall Earth shall be burnt Vret cum terris vret cum gurgite ponti Communis mundo superest rogus c. The Heauens shall passe away with a â—oyse and the Elements shall melt with feruent heate the Earth also and the workes that are therein shall be burnt vp At least quoad â—iguram though not quoad naturam The forme shall be changed though not the nature abollished Euerie creature on earth may teach vs the fallibillitie of it It is an Hieroglyphicke of vanitie and mutabillitie There is nothing on it that is of it that is not rather vitiall then vitall In all the corrupted parts of this decrepit and doting world mens best lesson of morallitie is a lesson of mortalitie As it was once said Foelix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas so now better Foelix qui poterit rerum cognoscere casus It is good to know the casuall beginnings of things it is better to know their casuall ends It is good to be a naturall Philosopher but better to bee a supernaturall a Christian Philosopher That whiles we intentiuely obserue the creature we may attentiuely serue the Creator That which is said of pregnant wits is more true of Christian hearts that they can make vse of any thing As Trauellers in forraine Countries make euery slight obiect a lesson so let vs thriue in grace by euery presented worke of Nature As the eye must see and the foote walke and the hand worke so the heart must consider What Gods doings which are maruellous in our vnderstandings eyes God looked vpon his owne workes saw they were good and delighted in them sure it is his pleasure also that wee should looke vpon them to admire his wisedome power prouidence mercie appearing both in their nature and their disposition The least of Gods works is worthie the obseruation of the greatest Angell Now what Trewants are we that hauing so many Tutours reading to vs learne nothing of them The Heathen were condemned for not learning the inuisible things of God from his visible workes For shall wee still plod on the great volume of Gods works and neuer learne to spell one word of vse of instruction of comfort to our selues Can wee behold nothing through the Spectacles of contemplation Or shall we be euer reading the great Booke of Nature and neuer translate it to the Booke of Grace The Saints did thus So haue I read that worthy Esay sitting among other Diuines and hearing a sweet consort of Musicke as if his soule had beene borne vp to Heauen tooke occasion to thinke and speake thus What Musicke may we thinke there is in Heauen A friend of mine viewing attentiuely the great pompe and state of the Court on a solemne day spake not without some admiration What shall we thinke of the glory in the Court of God Happy obiect and well obserued that betters the soule in grace But I haue beene prolixe in this point let the breuitie of the next succour it 2. Phisicke and Diuinitie are Professions of a neere affinitie both intending the cure and recouerie one of our bodies the other and better of our soules Not that I would haue them conioyned in one person as one spake merrily of him that was both a Phisitian and a Minister that whom he tooke money to kill by his Physicke he had also money againe to burie by his Priesthood Neither if God hath powred both these gifts into one man doe I censure their Vnion or perswade their separation Onely let the Hound that runnes after two Hares at once take heede least hee catch neither Ad duo qui tendit non vnum nec duo prendit And let him that is called into Gods Vineyard hoc agere attend on his office And beware least to keepe his Parish on sound legges he let them walke with sickly consciences Whiles Galâ—â— Auicen take the wall of Paul Peter I doe not here taxe but rather praise the works of mercie in those Ministers that giue all possible comâ—orts to the distressed bodies of their brethren Let the professions be heterogenâ—a different in their kindes onely respondentia semblable in their proceedings The Lord created the Physitian so hath he ordained the Minister The Lord hath put into him the knowledge of Nature into this the knowledge of grace All knowledge is deriued from the Fountaine of Gods wisedome The Lord hath created Medicines out of the earth The Lord hath inspired his holy word from heauen The good Physitian acts the part of the Diuine They shall pray vnto the Lord that he would prosper that which they giue for ease remedy to prolong life The good Minister after a sort is a Physitian Onely it is enough for the Sonne of God to giue both naturall and spirituall Physicke But as Plato spake of Philosophie that it couets the imitation of God within the limits of possibillitie and sobrietie so wee may say of Physicke it is conterminate to Diuinitie so farre as a Handmaid may follow her Mistresse The Institutions of both preserue the constitutions of men The one would preuent the obstructions of our bodies the other the destructions of our soules Both purge our feculent corruptions both would restore vs to our primarie and originall health though by reason of our impotencie and indisposition neither is able Both oppose themselues against our death either our corporall or spirituall perishing When the spirit of God moued on the waters and from that indigested confused mixture did by a kinde of Alchimicall extraction seperation sublimation coniunction put all things into a sweet consort and harmonious beautie hee did act a Phisitians part God is in many places a Phisitian Exod. 15. I am the Lord that healeth thee Deut. 32. I kill I make aliue I wound and I heale Ier. 17. Heale me O Lord and I shall be healed saue me and I shall be saued Sometimes he is as a Surgion to binde vp the sores of the broken-hearted and to stanch the bleeding wounds of the Conscience Nay Dauid intreats him to put his bones in course againe So Christ hath sent his Ministers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad coagmentationem as Beza reades it to put in ioynt the luxate members of the Church that are compacted by ioynts And in the period or full stoppe of time God will minister to the world the phisicke of Fire to purge the sicke body of it as heâ—
literall as spirituall meaning In the former I haue instanced insisted on the latter It should be tedious to giue account for euery circumstance The learned and good man will iudge faucurably To the rest Si quid tu rectiâ—s istis Proâ—ir us imperti si non his vtere mecum I passe by â—he triutall obiections against Sermons in print as the deadnesse of the letter the multitude of Bookes pâ—essing to the Pâ—esse c. As if the eye could giue no help to the soule as if the queasie stomach could not forbeare surfetting as if some mens sullennesse and crying push at Sermons should be preiudiciall to otâ—ers benefit as if the Prophets had not added line to line as well as precept vpon precept I heare of some â—dle Drones humming out their dry derisions that wee will be men in print slighting the matter for the Authors sake But because their inuectiues are as impotent as themselues are impudent I will answere no further then haec culpas sed tu non meliora facis Or to borrow the words of the Epigrammatist Cum tua non edas carpis mea carmina Leli Carpere vel noli nostâ—a vâ—l edâ—tua Sloth sits and censures what th' industrious teach Foxes dispraise the Grapes they cannot reach One caueat good Reader and then God speed thee Let me intrâ—â— tâ—ee not to giue my Booke the chopping censure A word old enough yet would haue a Comment Do not open it at a ventures by reading the broken pieces of two or three lines iudge it But read it through and then I beg no pardon if thou â—islikest it Farewell Thine THO. ADAMS THE DIVELS BANKET The first Sermon PROVERB 9.17.18 Stollen waters are sweet and the bread of Secrecies is pleasant but he knoweth not that the dead are there and that her guests are in the depth of Hell I Haue here chosen two Texts in one intending to Preach of a couple of Preachers one by vsurpation the other by assignation the Worlds Chaplen and the Lords Prophet Where conceaue 1. the Preachers 2. their Texts 3. their Sermons 4. their Pulpits 5. their Commissions 1. The Preachers are two the first hath a double name Literally here the Harlot Metaphorically Sinne the minde's Harlot for between them is all spiritual adultry committed Some vnderstand it more Sinecdochically the Temptation to sinne but omne mauis includit minus their interpretation is like that short bed you cannot lay this Harlot at her ful length in it Others conceaue an Antithesis here and by conferring the 4. verse with the 16. collect an opposition of two sorts of Preachers the sincere Prophets of Wisedome and the corrupted Teachers of Traditions errors leasings I cannot subscribe to this sense as full enough let it goe for a branch call it not the body of the Tree This first Preacher then is the delightfulnesse or if you will the decâ—itfâ—lnesse of sinne The second is Solomon not erring adulterating idolatrising Solomon but conuerted confirmed Solomon A King and a Preacher 2. Their Texts 1. Sinnes Text is from Hels Scriptum est taken out of the Deuils Spell either Lucian his olde Testament or Machiauell his new lawes made in the court of damnation enacted in the vault of darkenesse like those vnder the Parliament-house Gunpowder-lawes fit for the Iustices of Hell 2. Solomons Text is the Word of eternall Truth with a Scriptum est caelitus inspiratum giuen from Heauen this is Desuper the other Desubter this is all Scripture is giuen by inspiratioâ— from God profitable c. the former is the Delusion of thâ— Deuill that lying spirit in the mouth of Ahabs prophâ—â—s the diuinitie of Hell 3. The Sermons differs as well as the Texts 1. The Harlots dixit verse 16. is thus amplified Stollen waters are sweet and the bread of Secrecies is pleasant Tullius nor Tertullus nor Hermes the speaker in the Parliament of the Heathen gods neuer moued so eloquent a tongue shee preaches according to the palate of her audience Placentia nay it is Placenta a sweet Cake whose floure is Sugar and the humour that tempers it Honey sweet pleasant Shee cannot want auditours for such a Sermon for as it is in Faires the Pedler and the Ballat-monger haue more throng then the rich Merchant Vanitie hath as many customers as shee can turne to when Veritie hath but a colde market 2. Solomons Sermon is opposed to it with a But But he knoweth not that the dead are there and that her ghâ—sts are in the depth of Hell A crosse blow that disarmes the Deuils Fencer a flat conuiction or Non-plus giuen to the arguments of sinne a little Colliquintida put into the sweâ—t-pot that as I haue obserued in some beguiling Pictures looke on it one way and it presents to you a beautifull Dâ—mosell goe on the aduerse side and behold it is a Deuill or some mishapen Stigmaticke Sinne shewes you a faire Picture Stollen waters are sweet c. Suaue delicio sum Pleasure and delight Solomon takes you on the other side and shewes you the vgly visages of Death and Hell the dead are there c. If Sinne open her Shop of delicacies Solomon shewes the Trap-dore and the Vault if she boast her Oliues hee points to the Prickles if she discouers the greene and gay flowers of delice he cryes to the Ingredients Latet anguis in herba the Serpent lurkes there Illa mouet iste monet she charmes and he breakes her spels as curious and proud as her House is Solomon is bold to write Lord haue mercy on vs on the dores and to tell vs the plague is there Stollen waters are sweet c. But the dead are there c. 4 Their Pulpits haue locall and ceremoniall difference 1. The Harlot's is described verse 14. She sits at the dore of her house on a seat in the high places of the Citie 1. Sedet she sits she is got into that inchaunted Chaire Psal. 1. 2. at her house shee neede not stray farre for customers in se turba ruunt luxuriosa proci they come in troupes to her 3. at her dore shee presents her selfe to the common eye and would be notable though not able to answere the shew 4. on a Seat nouit suum locum Vice knowes her Seat the Deuill is not without his Randeuous what say you to a Tauerne a Play-house a Feast a May-game that I say not an Ordinary 5. in the Citie Whoredome scornes to liue obscurely in the Suburbs Shee hath friends to admit her within the walles 6. Nay in the high places of the Citie in the largest streetes populous and popular houses in excelsis vrbis one of the most curious and â—taâ—ely edifices of the Citie Thus Sinne reades not a high-way lecture onely as among Theeues nor a Chamber-lecture onely as among Courtezans nor a Masse-lecture onely as among Iesuâ—tes nor a Vault-lecture onely as among Traitours nor a Table-lecture onely as among Humorists
nor a Tap-house-Lecture oâ—â—ly as among Drunkards that fetch authoritie from the pot like Augustus Caesar to taxe all the world but a Citie-lecture such a one as Iesabell read to Iezreell a publike Preaching her Pulpit being excelsa ciuitatis top-gallant filling eminent places with emanant poisons 2. Solomons Pulpit is yet transcendent and aboue it for it is a â—hrone a Throne of Iuorie ouerlaid with gold such a Throne as no Kingdome could follow it The Preacher is a King the Pulpit a Throne nay an Oracle de Solio rex oracula fundit For God gaue him wisedome yea such a wisedome that no man but his Antitype God and man did euer excell him 5 Their Commissions 1. The Deuill gaue Sinne her â—rrand guilded her tongue and poâ—soned her heart put a cup of damnation into her hand and the Sugar of Temptation to sweeten it allowed her for his Citie-Recorder or his Towne-â—laâ—ke and sealed her a commission from Helâ— as Saul had from the High-Priest to binde with snares Filios Tâ—rrae the Sonnes of Men. 2. But God gaue Solomon a celestiall roule to eate as to Ezâ—kiel and touched his lips with a coâ—le from his owne Altar as to Esay putting into his mouth documenta vitae the ordinances of eternall life God hath set this day before you two diuers Pulpits aduerse Preachers dissonant Texts declares who speakes by his warrant who besides it against it Behold as Moses said I haue set life and death before you take your choyse The Dialogue of both the verses present vs with a Banket conuiuium or conuitium rather a Feast but a Fast were better a Banket worse then Iobs childrens or the Dagonals of the Philistins like the Bacchanals of the Moenades when for the shutting vp of their stomachs the house fell downe and broke their neckes You haue offered to your considerations verse 17. supplying but the immediatly precedent word Dixit 1. The Inviter 2. the Cheare Solomon comes after as with Salt and Vinegar and tels you 3. the Guests 4. and the Banketting-house verse 18. But the dead are there c. The Inviter It is a woman She saith to him but that name is too good for she hath recouered her credit a woman as she brought woe to man so she brought forth a weale for maâ— causa dâ—licti solatium relicti an instrumentall cause of transgression and no lesse of Saluation If you say she brought forth Sinne without man so she brought forth a Sauiour without man as the Diuell tempted her to the one so the Holy Ghost ouershadowed her to the other This not a woman then but a Harlot meretricia mulier a degenerate woman vnwomaned â—t pudore pudicitia of both modestie and chastitie The feast is like to be good when an Harlot is the Hostice And sure the Scriptures found some speciall parietie if not identâ—tie betweene these two not making their names conuertible which had beene much but expressing by one word both of them which is more as if it concluded their professions and conditions names and natures all one which is most of all Impleta in nostris haec est Scriptura diebus Experience hath iustified this circumstance A Harlot then bids and feasts and kils what other successe can be looked for If Dalilah inuite Sampson waâ—e his lockes shee will spoile the Nazarite of his hayres there are many Dalilahs in these dayes I haue read of many Inviters in the holy Writ some good many indifferent most euill this worst of all 1. Good Matth. 22. you haue the King of Heauen a Feast-maker Cant. 5. you haue the Kings sonne a Feast-maker Iesus Christ bids Eate oh friends drinke abundantly oh beloued Reuel 22. you haue the Spirit of glorie a Feast-maker and an Inviter too The Spirit and the Bride say Come To this Feast few come but those that doe come are welcome well come in regard of themselues for there is the best cheare Blessed are they that are called to the Mariage-Supper of the Lambe welcome in respect of God who doth not grudge his mercies 2. Many indifferent and inclining to good Abrahams feast at Isaac's weaning Sampsons at his marriage The Wedding-feast in Cana where the King of glory was a Ghest and honoured it with a Miracle with the first Miracle that euer hee wrought 3. Euill Nabals feast at his Sheepe-shearing a drunken feast Belshazzars feast to a thousand of his Lords surfetting with full carouses from the sacred Boles a sacrilegious Feast The Philistins feast to the honour of Dagon an Idolatrous feast Herods birth-day-feast when Iohn Baptists head was the last course of the seruice a bloody feast The rich Churles a quotidian feast a voluptuous surfet all bad 4. This yet worst of all the Harlots feast where the Ghests at once comedunt comeduntur their soules feast on euils and are a feast to Deuils for whiles men deuoure sins sins deuoure them as Actaeon was eaten vp of his owne dogs This is a bloody Banket where no ghest escapes without a wound if with life for if Sinne keepe the Reuels Lusts are the Iunkets Ebrietie drinkes the Wine Blasphemie sayes the Grace and Bloud is the conclusion But allegorically Sinne is heere shadowed by the Harlot Voluptuousnâ—sse meretricum meretrix the Harlot of Harlots whose Bawde is Beâ—lsebub and whose Bridewell is broad Hell Wickednesse foeminei generis dicitur is compared to a Woman and hath all her senses Lust is her eye to see Briberie her hands to feele Sensualitie her palate to taste Malice her eare to heare Petulancy her nose to smell and because shee is of the foeminine sexe we will allow her the sixtsense tittle-tattle is hâ—r tongue to talke This is the common Hostice of the world Satans house-keeper whose dores are neuer shut nocâ—es atque dies patet c. There is no man in the world keepes such hospitalitie for hee searcheth the ayre earth sea nay the Kitchen of Hell to fit euery palate Vitellius searched farre and wide for the rarities of nature Birdes Beasts Fishes of inestimable price which yet brought in the bodies are scorned and onely the eye of this Bird the tongue of that Fish is taken that the spoyles of many might bee sacrifices to one supper The Emperour of the low Countries Hell hath delicates of stranger varitie curiositie Doth Iudas stomach stand to treason there it is hee may feede liberally on that dish Doth Nero thirst for homicides the Deuill drinkes to him in â—oles of bloud is Ieroboam hungry of Idolatrie behold a couple of Calues are set before him hath Absolon the Court-appetite Ambition loe a whole Kingdome is presented him for a messe a shrewd baite Machiauâ—ls position faith-breach for Kingdomes is no sinne The Deuill thought this Dish would please CHRIST himselfe and therefore offered him many kingdomes for
were all condemned to an Ephesian fire that we might say as Alcibiades of that Athenian heape of burning scrowles Nunquam vidi ignem clariorem We neuer saw a clearer fire 4. Theeuerie needes no more then the name to proue it a Water of Stealth This robbes man of his goods those temporall things whereof God hath made him a proprietarie A sinne which Vsurers and Money-mongers doe bitterly raile at They that are of no religion yet plead religion hard against Theeues They can lay the law to them that haue no conscience themselues They rob a Countrey yet thinke themselues honest men and would hang a poore pettie robber for fortie pence Let him answere them in the Satyre O maior tandem parcas in sane minori As no theft can scape condemnation so yet diâ—ferent degrees shall be punished with diâ—ferent torments Extortion vsury fraud iniustice are not lesse thefts because lesse manifest Antiochus could make a black horse which he had stollen seeme white and a white blacke so these Theeues haue trickes to make euill good and good euill especially tacente lege so long as the law holds her peace But as the other escape not the Gallowes so one day Dabit Deus his quâ—que funem God will giue these also condigne punishment They say that the dung of the Blacke-bird falling on the Oake turnes into slime of that slime is made Birdlime of that Birdlime is the Birde her-selfe snared So these graund Theeues twine a cord of three strings Iniurie Vsurie Fraud Couetousnesse twists them into a rope the Deuil makes the noose aâ—d of this cord they are strangled A threefold Cable is not easily broken Whiles they steale from others the interest they rob themselues of the principall their soules They please the world with their baites ready money but there is a hooke vnder the baite Munera magna quidem misit sed misit in hamo Sic piscatorem piscis amare potest I haue reade of an Athenian such another Fisher that he had in an apparition a net giuen him to catch whole Cities in but for all that hee died a beggar These Theeues haue such nets to catch whole Townes Commons Churches Steeples and all but in the end the net breakes and the Fisher topples into the deepe whence he neuer comes out againe for these Swine so roote into the earth till they eate themselues into hell I do not spare with conniuence the Iunior Theeues because I bring their Fathers to the barre first He that shall with a violent or subtill hand Lyon-like or Foxe-like take away that which God hath made mine endangers at once his body to the worlds his soule to heauens sword of Iustice and shall passe from a temporall Barre to the Tribunall Iudgement of Christ. Let not misconstruction heare me there are more of these dye honest men then of Vsuâ—ers for one Vsurers repentance I will produce you tenne executed Theeues Onely here it is the great Theâ—ues agree one with another Claw me and I will claw thee Winke at mine and I will not see thy faults They tune like Bells and want but hanging For these Theeues I might indeede be silent and spare my breath to the conuersion of more hopefull sinners but we must free our consciences from the guiltinesse of not reprouing least they curse vs on their Death-beds as that Vsurer made his will wherein hee bequeathed his soule to the Deuill for extorting his Wife for inducing his Deacon for induring or not reprouing Though euery Vsurer makes account to walke to hell yet since both hell and heauen be equally set to his choyse why should he chuse the worst way let not his Minister for silence beare him company Well the Thiefe knowes his doome a double banishment out of the Territories of earth out of the confines of heauen therefore let him that hath stollen steale no more Repentance shall bee sure of mercie And let not the great Thiefe thinke to scape as hee is a Gallimaufrey of all sinnes so he shall haue a Rendeuous of all punishments His house is the Deuils Tauerne the guests haue sweet wine but a sharpe reckoning The Deuils Fence-schoole as the stabbings woundings hackings rackings which torture the Common-wealth are there experimentally taught The Deuils Brothell-house where the Vsurer is the Bawde and his money 's the Harlots onely they differ from Harlots in their pregnancie and teeming for they lay like Pigeons euery moneth marry because the Deuill is Land-lord his rent eates out all their gaines 5. Slaunder is a water in great request euery guest of the Deuill is continually sipping of this Viall It robs man of his good name which is aboue all riches There be some thinke to scape this censure though they speake euils of others yet true euils but Cham is cursed for declaring his Fathers nakednesse though true These are like vultures ad male olentia feruntur They passe ouer Mâ—â—dowes and flowers to fall vpon carions like Flyes they leape ouer all a mans good parts and vertues to light vpon his sores If Noah had not been once drunke Cham had lost his sport There are many of these Ziphims that to currie fauour with Saul betray Dauid but in my opinion Doegs truth was worse then Rahabs lye A mans good name is deere Plerique famam qui non conscientiam verentur Manie stand vpon their credite that neglect their conscience Vilium est hominum alios viles facere et qui suo merito placere non possunt placere velle aliorum comparatione It is the part of vile men to vilefie others and to climbe vp to immerited praise by the staires of anothers disgrace This is no new dish at some Nouelists table to make a mans discredite as sawce to their meate they will tosse you the maligned's reputation with the rackets of reproach from one to another and neuer bandie it away till they haue supped If they want matter Iealousie is fewell enough it is crime enough for a Formalist so they terme him that hee is but suspected guilty But the Matrone of the Cloyster would neuer haue sought the Nunne in the Vault if shee had not beene there her selfe It was Publius Claudius his best pollicie least Cicero should accuse him iustly of Sacriledge to step in first and tell the Senate that Tullie profaned all religion in his house Thus he that hath most corrupt lungs soonest complaines of the vnsauourie breath of others The Calumniatour is a wretched Thiefe and robs man of the best thing he hath if it be a true Maxime that the efficacie of the Agent is in the apt disposition of the Patient whiles thou depriuest man of his credit thou takest from him all power to doe good The slanderer wounds three at one blow Vno ictu vno nictu 1. The receiuer in poisoning his heart with an vncharitable conceite 2. The reputation of the slandered for a mans name is like
sinne that vvhiles men commit it it commits them either to the high-way or the Hedges and from thence either by a Writ or a Warrant an Arrest or a Mittimus to the prison Solomon saith Hee shall not be rich The Gut is a Gulfe that vvill easily swallow all his commings in Meat should be as wise Agur praied food conuenient for thee or as the Hebrew phrase is the food of thy allowance This dish is to feed on all dishes that may pleasâ— the appetite or rather may delight surfet for appetite dares not lodge in an Epicures house This Sinne is instar omnium like the Feast it selfe saue that the Glutton feedes on Gods good â—reatures corporally but on Sathans mysticall boord is set nothing but what is originally euill and absolutely banefull So that here Gluttony that feeds on all Dishes is but a priuate Dish it selfe and though perhaps for the extent and largenesse it takes vp the greater roome yet for the number it is but one It is most rancke Idolatrie sayes Paul and so neere to Atheisme vvith a no-God that it makes a carnall God In mea paâ—ria Deus venter as profound and profane as the Babilonians sacrifice they to their Bell these to their Belly Perhaps you will say they are more kinde to themselues not a whit for they vvrappe vp death in their full morsels and swallow it as Pilles in the Pappe of delicatie They ouerthrow nature vvith that should preserue it as the Earth that is too rancke marres the Corne. They make short vvorke vvith their estates and not long vvith their liues as if they knew that if they liued long they must bee beggars therefore at once they make haste to spend their liuings and ende their liues Full Suppers midde-night Reuels Morning Iunkets giue them no time to blow but adde new to their indigested surfets They are the Deuils crammed Fowles like Aesops Henne too fat to lay to produce the fruites of any goodnesse They doe not dispensare but dissipare bona Domini wisely dispence but blindely scatter the gifts of GOD. They pray not so much for daily Bread as for daintie Bread and thinke God wrongs them if they may not Diues-like fare diliciously euery day Sense is their Purueyour Appetite their Steward They place Paradise in their throates and Heauen in their guts Meane time the state wastes the soule pines and though the flesh be puffed and blowne vp the spirits languish they loue not to liue in a Fenne but to haue a Fenne in them It is not plague enough that GOD withall sends leannesse into their soules but their estates sincke their liues fall away they spinne a webbe out of their owne bowels vvorse then the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Men-eaters they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 selfe-eaters they put a Pleurisie into their bloods a Tabe and Consumption into their states an Apoplexie into their soules the meat that perisheth not is fastidious to their palates that they may feede on that which feeds on them and so at once deuoure and be deuoured drinke of a cup that drinkes vp them 3. The third Viall is Idlenesse a filching water to for it steales away our meanes both to get goods and to be good It is a rust to the Conscience a theefe to the estate The Idle man is the Deuâ—ls Cushion wherevpon he sits and takes his ease He refuseth all works as either thankelesse or dangerous Thus charactered he had rather freeze then fetch wood hee had rather steale then worke and yet rather begge then take paines to steale and yet in many things rather want then begge Ignaui sunt fures saith Melancthon Sluggards are theeues they robbe insensibly the Common-wealth most sensibly themselues Pouertie comes on him as an armed man The Idlesbie is pouerties prisoner if hee liue without a calling pouertie hath a calling to arrest him When the Cisterne of his patrimonie is emptied and seemes to inuite his labour to replenish it hee flatters himselfe with enough still and lookes for supply without paines Necessitie must driue him to any worke and what hee can not auferre he will differre auoyd hee will delay Euery get-nothing is a theefe and lazinesse is a stollen water if the Deuill can winne thee to plye hard this liquour hee knowes it will whet thy stomach to any vice Faction Theeuerie Lust Drunkennesse blood with many Birds of this blacke wing offer themselues to the Idle minde and striue to preferre their seruice Would you know sayes the Poet how Aegistus became an adulterer In promptu causa est desidiosus erat the cause is easie the answere ready hee was Idle Hee that might make his estate good by labour by Idlenesse robbes it This is a dangerous water and full of vile effects for when the lazie haue robbed themselues they fall aboard and robbe others This is the Idle-mans best end that as hee is a Thiefe and liues a beast so to dye a beggar 4. The fourth Cup is Enuie Water of a strange and vncouth taste There is no pleasure in being drunke with this stollen water for it frets and gnawes both in palates and entralls There is no good rellish with it either in tast or digestion Onely it is like that Acidula aqua that Plinie speakes of which makes a man drunke sooner then wine Enuie keepes a Register of Iniuries and graues that in Marble which Charitie writes in the dust Wrong It cannot endure that any should be conferred with it preferred to it Nec quemquam iam ferre potest Caesarue priorem Pompeiusue parem Caesar can brooke no Greater Pompey no riuall Iohn Baptist was of another spirit when he heard that the people had left him to follow Christ he spake with the voice of content My ioy is fulfilled He must encrease and I must decrease Inuidus non est idoneus auditor The enuious man is an incompetent hearer his eares are not fit to his head If hee heares good of another hee frets that it is good if ill he is discontent that he may not iudge him for it If wronged hee cannot stay Gods leasure to quit him he is straight either a Saul or an Esau by secret ambushes or by open hostillitie he must carue himselfe a satisfaction No plaister will heale his pricked finger but his heart-bloud that did it if he might serue himselfe he would take vnreasonable peny-worthes S. Augustine would coole his heate Vis vindicari Christiane Wilt thou bereuenged of thine aduersarie oh Christian tarry a while Nondum vindicatus est Christus Thy Lord and Sauiour is not yet auenged of his enemies Malice is so madde that it will not spare friend to wreake vengeance on foes So Garnet told the Powder-traitours that some innocent mighâ— be destroyed with many nocent if the publicke good could not otherwise be perfected His instance was that in a Towne besieged though some friends were there yet no wrong nor offence at
of the other Thus if Christ at his Table offer to his Saints his owne body for bread bloud for wine in a misticall sort The Deuill will proffer some such thing to his guests Bread and Waters Waters of Stealth Bread of Secrecie He is loath to giue God the better he would not doe it in heauen and therefore turned out and doe you thinke hee will yet yeeld it no in spight of Gods water of Christall peace and glory he will haue his waters of Acheron guilt and vanitie But by Satans leaue there is a Bread that nourisheth not Wherefore doe ye spend money for that which is not Bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not It seemes but is not bread and if it be yet it satisfies not Say it could yet man liues not by bread onely but by the word and blessing of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the delicates that Sinne can afford vs are but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the bane of the soule Pabula peccati pocula lethi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All meate prepared with fire There is no cheare at this Banket drest without fire either present of Lust or future of torment Now since the Deuill will put the forme of Bread vpon his tempting wickednesse let vs examine what kinde of bread it is 1. The seede is corruption an vncleane seede No other then the tares which the Enemie sew God sew good Corne but whence are the tares The seed whereof this bread is made is not Wheate or good Corne but Cockle Darnell Tares Dissention Rebellion Lies Vanities The Deuill is herein a Seedes-man but he sowes corrupt seede that infects and poysons the heart which receiues it 2. The heate of the Sunne influence of the Ayre sap and moisture of the Ground that ripens this seede are Temptations The seede once sowne in the apt ground of our carnall affections is by the heate of Satans motion soone wrought to ripenesse So that it is matured suggerendo imprimendo tentando suggestion impression tentation hasten the seed to grasse to a blade to spindling to a perfect eare to growth in the heart and all suddenly for an ill weede growes apace Rather then it shall dwindle and be stunted he will crush the cloudes of hell and raine the showres of his malediction vpon it Before he sowes here he waters 3. The seede thus ripend is soone cut downe by the Sickle of his subtilty whose policie to preserue his state Florentine is beyond Machiauels His speede is no lesse else he could not so soone put a Girdle about the loynes of the earth But what policie can there be in shortning the growth of sinne this trick rather eneruates his power weakens his Kingdome The Deuill doth not euer practise this cunning but then alone when he is put to his shifts For some are so vile that the Deuill himselfe would scarce wish them worse Such are Atheists Rob-altars Vsurers Traytours c. But some liuing in the circun ference of the Gospell are by mans awe and law restrained from professed abominations what would you haue him now doe Sure Satan is full of the Politiques Daemonas grammatici dictos volunt quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est peritos ac rerum scios He is a Deuill for his craft I call therefore the reaping his Subtiltie for he might seeme therein to dissolue his Kingdome and spoile the height of sinne by cutting it downe But the sequell and successe proues he doth it rather to corroborate the power thereof by making it fitter for application Thus he transformes himselfe to an Angell of light and is content to top the proud risings of palpable and outward Impieties that hee may more strongly possesse the soule by hypocrisie Thus there may be an expulsion of Satan from the house of the heart quoad veterâ—m eruptionem when his repossession is made stronger quoad nouam corruptionem Common grace throwes him out but he findes the house empty swept and garnished that is trimmed by hypocrisie and therefore enters and fortifies with seauen other spirits more wicked then the first What he cannot doe by notorious rebellion hee â—erformes by dissimulation So that as Sorcerers and Witches conuerse with euill spirits in plausible and familiar formes which in vgly shapes they would abhorre So many would not endure him vt rude cacodaemon as a rough and grosse Deuill in manifest outragious enormities who yet as a smooth sleeke fine and transformed Deuill giue him entertainment This then is his Haruest 4. Being thus reaped and hous'd he soone thresheth it out with the Flaile of his strength Hee is called the strong man where he takes possession he pleads prescription hee will not out His power in the captiued conscience scornes limitation Hee is not content to haue the seed lye idle in the heart hee must thresh it out cause thee to produce some cursed effects Hee doth not to speake for your capacitie in the Countrey hoord vp his Graine but with all his might and the helpe of all his infernall flailes hee thresheth it out and makes it ready for the Market If any Cain or Iudas be so hastie that he will not stay till it be made Bread tarry for tentation but tempt himselfe the Deuill is glad that they saue him a labour howsoeuer he will haue his Graine ready his suggestion shall not be to seeke when he should vse it Hee would be loath that the lustfull eye should want a Harlot the corrupt Officer a bribe the Papist an Image the Vsurer a Morgage the theefe a bootie Hee knowes not vvhat guests will come he will thrash it ready 5. Being thrashed out it must you know bee ground Satan hath a Water-mill of his owne though founded on mare mortuum a dead Sea for all sinnes are dead workes yet the current and streame that driues it runnes with swifter violence then the straites of Giberaltare The flood of concupiscence driues it The Mill consistes of two stones Deliciae diuitiae Pleasure and Profit There is no seede of sinne which these two can not grinde to powder and make fit for Bread when Concupiscence turnes the Mill. Rapine Sacriledge Murder Treason haue bin prepared to a wicked mans vse by these Instruments Quid non mortaliae pectora cogunt Couetousnesse and carnall delight bid any sinne welcome Onely pleasure is the nether stone Idlenesse would lye still but Couetousnesse is content to trudge about and glad when any sackes come to the Mill. These two grinde all the Deuils grist and supply him with tentations for all the World All the vgly births of sinnes that haue euer shewed their monstrous and stigmaticke formes to the light haue bene deriued from these Parents Carnall pleasure and Couetousnesse You see how the Deuill grindes 6. It is ground you heare It wants leauening The Leauen is the colourable and fallacious
The villanâ—es of the Cloistures were not vnseene to his reuenging eye Perhaps they tooke a recluse life that they might practise experimentall wickednes without suspition proâ—â—sing to the world contemplation premising their owne thoughts to contamination They thought themselues secure shadowed from the eye of notice and fenced from the hand of Iustice So they were in doctrine out of the world but in proofe the world was in them they were not more politi strict in profession then polluti loose in conuersation But as darke as their Vaults were the all-seeing GOD descried their whoredomes and destroyed their habitations or at least emptied them of so filthy Tenants The obscuritie of their Cels and Dorters thickenesse of Wals closenesse of Windores with the cloake of a strict profession throwne ouer all the rest could not make their sinnes darke to the eye of Heauen Our impieties are not without witnesse To videt Angelus malus videt te bonus videt et bonis et malis maior Angelis Deus The good Angell and the bad and hee that is better then the Angels farre aboue all principalities and powers sees thee The iust man sets foorth his actions to be iustified Lucem aethera petit teste soâ—e viuit Hee loues the light and walkes with the witnesse of the Sunne It is recorded of Iacob Hee was a plaine man dweâ—ling in Tents Nathaniel by the testimonie of the best witnesse was an Israelite indeed in whom was no guile It was the Rabbins councell to his Scholler Remember there is 1. a seeing Eye 2. a hearing Eare. 3. a Booke written Sic viue cum hominibus quasi Deus videat sic loquâ—re Deo quasâ— homines aâ—diant So conuerse with men as if GOD saw thee so speake to God as if men heard thee For non discessit Deus quando recessit God is not absent though thou dost not feele him present Corporeall substances are in one place locally and circumscriptiuely incorporeall created substances neither locally nor circumscriptiuely but definitiuely GOD the creating substance is euery whit in euery place not circumscriptiuely as bodies nor definitiuely as Angels but repletiuely Ioâ—is omnia plena filling euery place by his essence Hee is hypostatically in CHRIST graciously in his Saints gloriously in Heauen powerfully in Hell You see then the falsehood of the Deuils assertion Sinnes would be secret but they are not The Bread of secrecie being described I should come in the third and last place to the Ascription It is pleasant But because the former adiunct of sweetnesse doth but little diuersifie from this of Pleasure and I shall haue iust occasion to conuince the Deuils fained delicacie from Solomons proued miserie I will therefore silence it And for conclusiue application giue mee the leaue of your patience to examine the truth of the former secrecie It is the Deuils pollicie though he can not blinde his eyes that made the light in Heauen and the sight in man yet hee would darken our sinnes with the vaile of secrecies from the view of the vvorld And are they so no the suffering eye sees them and can point them out nay sensible demonstration speakes them to the eaâ—es and obiects them to the sight of man The iniquities of these dayes are not ashamed to shew their faces but vvalke the streets without feare of a Serâ—eant The sinnes of the Citie are as pert and apert as the sonnes of the Citie I would Iniquitie was not bolder then Honestie or that Innocence might speed no worse then Nocence Absit vt sic sed vtinam vt vel sic saith Saint Augustine in the like case God forbid it should be so bad yet I vvould it were no worse For the times are so wheeled about to their olde byas that vix licet esse bonum it is scarce safe to be an honest man Suspition makes the good euill and flatterie makes the euill good the first in the opinion of others the last in the opinion of themselues Our faith is small and led â—â—th reason our life euill and led without reason Corruptio morum toâ—lit scientiam ethicam Our euill maners shut vp Philosophy and Diuinitie too into the caue of Ignorance This Forrest of Man and Beast the world growes from euill to worse like Nabuchâ—dnezzars dreamed Image whose Head was Golden Siluer armes Brasen thighes but his feet were of Iron and Clay What Ouid did but Poetâ—ze experience doth moralize our manners actually performe This last is as it must bee the worst Our Couetise saith It is terrae aetas an Earthen Age. Our Oppression ferrea aetas an Iron Age. Our Impudence ahâ—nea aetas a Brasen Age. Neither aurea nor argentea saith Necessitie For the poore may say as the Priest Siluer and Gold haue I none Let me say our sinnes haue made it worthy to be called inferna aetas a hellish Age. Sinne is called by Paul The olde man but hee is stronger now then hee was in his Iâ—fancie diebus Adamâ— in the dayes of Adam Most mens repentance is in the knee or tongue but their wickednesse in the heart and hand Money marres all for this and the pleasures this may procure Esau sels his Birth-right Iudas sels his Master Ahab sels himselfe to worke vvickednesse Sinne was wont to loue priuacie as if shee walked in feare The Tippler kept his priuate Ale-bench not the Market place the Adulterer his Chamber not with Absolon the house-top the Theefe was for the night or sequestrate wayes the corrupt Lawyer tooke bribes in his Studie not in the open Hall but now peccata nullas petitura teâ—â—bras our sinnes scorne the darke Men are so farre from being ashamed of their fruitlesse liues that mala comittunt commissa iactant iactata defendunt they commit euill â—oast that they committed and defend that they boasted Pride is worne as a chaine and crueltie as a garment conspectu omnium as proud of the fashion They talke of a Conscience that seekes couers like Adams Figge leaues but these glory in their shame whose end is damnation saith Saint Paul The very Harlot comes short of them shee wipes her lippes and saith shee hâ—th not sinned Bâ—tter fare those that yet would be accounted honest Wee may iustly paralell these times and our complaints to the Prophet Esay's The shew of their countenance doth witnesse against them they declare their sinne at Sodome they hide it not But woe bee to their soules for they haue rewarded euill to themselues So the Iewes answered GOD pleading hard to them There is no hope no for I haue loued strangers and after them I will goe Nay resolutely they discharged GOD of further paines Wee are Lords wee will no more come vnto thee Therefore Ezekiel denounceth their destruction For this cause yee shall bee taken with the hand of Iudgement because your sinnes are discouered and in all your
postea nullus eris once vtterly lost thou art nobody It is hard to recouer the Set when a man is put to the after-game for his credit Though many a maâ—s reputation be but hypemeniâ—m â—vum a rotten Egge whiles he is a great dealer with other mens goods and of himselfe no better then a begger And though the most famous are but Astmatici short-breathed men and their reputation no better then Ephraims righteousnesse but a morning dewe yet actum est de homine cum actum est de nomine when a mans good name is done himselfe is vndone A man indeede may loose his good name without cause and be at once accused abused when slanders against him are maliciously excepted easily accepted But God shal bring forth his righteousnes as the light and his Iudgment as the noone day Contrarily another man hides the vlcers of his sore conscience with the playsters of sound repute But to be puffed vp with the wrongfull estimation of our selues by the flattering breath of others blowne praises is a ridiculous pride Saepe flagellatur in corde proprio qui laudatur in orâ— alieno Many that are commended in other mouthes are secretly and iustly snibbed in their owne conscience Such a one couzens his neighbours they one another and all himselfe And as originally the deceit came from him so euentually the shame will end in him Hence they whose fames haue beene carried furthest on the wings of report haue beene after by the manifestation of their hidden wickednesses more deaded in mens thoughts then in their owne carkasse For the name of the wicked shall rot This is the mischiefe which sinne in generall as whoredome in particular works to the name a rotten reputation an infamous farne a reproach for a report that their silent memories are neuer coniured vp from the graue of obliuion but as the Sonne of Nebaâ—'s for their owne disgrace and for an intimation of terrour to the imitation of their wickednesse It were well for them if Time which vnnaturally deuoures his owne brood could as well still their mention as it hath staid their motion or that their memoriall might not suruiue their funerall Now though it be no euident demonstration yet it is a very ominous and suspitious thing to haue an ill name The Prouerbe saith hee is halfe hanged A thiefe before the Iudge speeds the worse for his notorious name Is this all no but as he whose breath is stifled with a cord is wholly hanged so he that hath strangled his owne reputation which is the breath of his breath with a lewd life is at least halfe suspended His Infamy hangs on the Gybbet of popular contempt till it be recouered He is halfe aliue halfe a corps It was the plaine meaning of the Prouerbe Now that a bad name is a broad shame it appeares because no Stewes-haunter would be called a Whore-monger No Papist an Idolater no Vsurer an Vsurer All sinners are ashamed to be accounted what they haue assumed to be But it is certaine that he that is ashamed of his name his name may be ashamed of him As thou louest thy reputation with men seeke the testimonie of thine owne conscience It is the best fame that carries credit with God Let men say what they list Oh Lord thou knowest mine innocence Yet because it is hard to do good vnlesse a man be reputed good therefore dare not to darken the light of thy name by the grosse cloudes of thy Impieties This is the second destruction that continued Vice brings her Louers A wound and dishonour shall he get and his reproach shall not be wiped away When hee hath done it he is vndone by it Perdit honorem perdendo honestatem The dishonestie in him shall bring dishonour to him he builds Haman-like a gallowes for his owne credite 3. In his health The precepts of Wisedome practised with obedience bring health to the flesh are life to those that find them But sinne is rottonnesse to the bones He that committeth fornication saith Saint Paul sinneth against his owne body Let it be ineuitably true in this sin it is at least accidentally true in all sinnes For though God suffers some reprobates to keepe sâ—râ—e health and to escape common Plagues that they haue fat eyes and cleare lungs merry hearts and nimble loynes and can stroke their gray haires yet often hee either puts them on the racke of some terrible disease or quite puts out their candle Bloudy and deceitfull men shall not liue out halfe their dayes All sicknesse orignally proceeds from sinne all weaknesse from wickednesse As Mephibosheth caught his lamenesse by falling from his Nurâ—e so all men their diseasednes by falling from their Christ. The euill disposition of the soule marres the good composition of the body There is no disaster to the members but for disorder in the manners All diseases are Gods reall sermons from heauen whereby hee accuseth and punisheth man for his sins The Harlot is a plague to the flesh she is worse then a feauer more infectious then the pistilence Euery Nation hath his seuerall disease Irish the Ague Spanyards the Pip Dutch-men the dropsie French their fatall and merited miserie neither doe the English goe scot-free All haue their speciall plagues somewhat proper to themselues except whoredome and sinne communicate them But the Harlot is an vniuersall plague whereof no Nation is free shee makes the strong man glad of poâ—â—on brings health acquainted with the Phisitian and hee that stoutly denied the knowledge of his gate now stands trembling at his study dore with a bare head a bending knee and an humble phrase She is the common sinke of all corruptions both naturall and preternaturall incident to the conscience or corpes and hath more diseases attending on her then the Hospitall The Madianitâ—sh Harlot Sinne leads in a traine of no fewer nor weaker plagues Consumptions Feauers Inflammations Botches Emerods Pestilences are peccati qedisehuae the obseruant hand-maides of iniquitie As it is then wicked to take the members of Christ and make them the members of an Harlot so it is wretched to diuorce the affections of the minde from God and wed them to any impietie Thus doe these paire of Harlots impaire the health 4. They both concurre to spoyle a mans soule whiles the Soule of the soule Gods Spirit quo agitante calescimus is by this bereaued vs. In him wee liue moue and haue our being In illo viuimus viuimus per naturam bene viuimus per gratiam In illo mouemus vel mouemur potius ad humana ad diuina opera suscipienda 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 essentiam habemus quoad esse et quoad bene esse In him all liue naturally some graciously In him wee moue or rather are moued to the performance all of humane workes some of diuine In him wee haue our being both that we are at all and that we are well This
banket haue this death in present the precedent and subsequent are both future the one naturally incurred by sinne the other iustly inflicted for vnrepented sinne For all shall dye the corporall death Hee that feareth an oath as well as hee that sweareth the â—eligious as the profane But this last which is Eternall death shall onely cease on them that haue before hand with a spirituall death slaine themselues This therefore is called the second death Blessed and holy is hee that hath part in the first resurrection which is the spirituall life by grace On such the second death hath no power Hee that is by Christ raised from the first death shall by Christ also scape the second But hee that is dead spiritually after hee hath died corporally shall also dye eternally This is that euerlasting seperation of body and soule from God and consequently from all comfort Feare him saith our Sauiour that is able to destroy both body and soule in Hell And many of them that sleepe in the dust of the earth shall awake some to euerlasting life and some to shame and euerlasting contempt This is that death that God delights not in His goodnesse hath no pleasure in it though his iustice must inflict it Man by sinne hath offended God an infinite Maiestie and therefore deserues an infinite miserie Now because he is a nature finite hee cannot suffer a punishment infinite in greatnesse simul et semel together and at once hee must therefore endure it successiuè sine fine successiuely without end The punishment must be proportioned to the sinne because not in present greatnesse therefore in eternall continuance Christ for his elect suffered in short time sufficient punishment for their sinnes for it is all one for one that is eternall to dye and for one to dye eternally But he for whom Christ suffered not in that short time must suffer for himselfe beyond all times euen for euer This is the last Death a liuing death or a dying life what shall I tearme it If it be life how doth it kill If death how doth it liue There is neither life nor death but hath some good in it In life there is some ease in death an end But in this death neither ease nor end Prima â—ors animam dâ—lentem pellet de câ—rpore secunda mors animam nolentem tenet in corpore The first death driues the soule vnwillingly from the body the second death holdes the soule vnwillingly in the body In those dayes shall men seeke death and shall not finde it and shall desire to dye and death shall flye from them Their worme shall not dye Thus saith the Scripture morientur mortem they shall dye the death Yet their death hath much too much life in it For there is a perfection giuen to the body and soule after this life as in heauen to the stronger participation of comfort so in hel to the more sensible receiuing of torment The eye shall see more perspicuously and the eare heare more quickly and the sense feele more sharply though all the obiects of these be sorrow and anguish Vermis conscientiam corrodet ignis carnem comburet quia et corde et corpore deliquerunt The worme shall gnaw the conscience the fire burne the flesh because both fleâ—h and conscience haue offended This is the fearfull death which these guests incurre this is the Shoâ— at the Diuells Banket God in his Iustice suffers him to reward his guests as hee is rewarded himselfe and since they loued his worke to giue them the stipend due to his seruice These are the tempted guests dead The vlgar Latine translation I know not vpon what ground hath interpreted here for mortui Gigantes thus hee knoweth not that the Gyants are there Monstrous men that would dart thunder at God himselfe and raise vp mountaines of impietie against Heauen As if they were onely great men that feasted at Sathans Banket whose riches were able to minister matter to their pleasures And surely such are in these dayes of whose sinnes when we haue cast an inventory account we might thus with the Poet sum vp themselues Viâ— dicam quid sis magnus es Ardelio Thou hast great lands great power great sinnes and than Dâ—st aske me what thou art th' art a great man The Gyants in the Scripture were men of a huge stature of a fierce nature The Poets fained their Gyants to be begotten and bred of the Sunne and the Earth and to offer violence to the Gods some of them hauing an hundred hands as Briareiu was called centimanus meaning they were of great command as Helen wrot to Paris of her husband Menelaus An nescis longas regibus esse manus This word Gyants if the originall did afford it must be referred either to the guests signifiing that monstrous men resorted to the Harlots table that it was Gigantoum conviuium a tyrannous feast or else and that rather to the tormentors which are laid in ambush to surprise all the commers in and carry them as a pray to Hell But because the best translations giue no such word and it is farre fetched I let it fall as I tooke it vp The third person here inserted is the Attempted the new guest whom she striues to bring in to the rest He is discribed by his ignorance Nescit Hee knoweth not what company is in the house that the dead are there It is the Deuils pollicie when hee would ransacke and robbe the hoâ—se of our conscience like a theefe to put out the candle of our knowledge That wee might neither discerne his purposes nor decline his mischeefes Hee hath had his instruments in all ages to darken the light of knowledge Domitian turnes Philosophie into banishment Iulian shuts vp the Schoole-doores The barbarous souldiours vnder Clement the seauenth burned that excellent Vatican library Their reasons concurred with Iulians prohibition to the Christans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 least they kill vs with our owne weapons For it is said euen of Gentile learning Hic est Goliae gladius quo ipse Goliah ingulandus est Hic Herculis claua qua rabidi inter Ethnicos canes percutiendi sunt This is that Goliahs sword whereby the Philistine himselfe is wounded This is that Hercules clubbe to smite the madde dogs amongst the heathen Habadallus Mahomets scholler that Syrian Tyrant forbad all Christian children in his dominions to goe to schoole that by ignorance hee might draw them to superstition For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To be destitute of learning is to dance in the darke These were all Sathans instruments yet they come short of the Pope whose pollicie to aduance his Hierarchie is to oppresse mens consciences with ignorance teaching that the fulnesse of zeale doth arise from the emptinesse of knowledge euen as fast as fire flasheth out of a fish-pond There are degrees in sin so in ignorance It is a sin to be ignorant of that we
Nothing in grace though somthing in nature knowledge humane is a good stirrop to get vp by to preferment Diuine a a good gale of winde to wast vs to Heauen But charity is better Knowledge often bloweth vp but charitie buildeth vp Aristotle calles knowledge the Soules eye but then saith our Sauiour if the light be darknesse how great is that darknesse True it is that knowledge without honesty doth more hurt The Vnicornes horne that in a wise mans hand is helpfull is in the beasts head hurtfull If a man be a beast in his affections in his maners the more skilful the more illfull Knowledge hath two pillars Learning and Discreation The greatest Scholler without his two eyes of Discreation and Honestie is like blinde Sampson apt to no good able to much mischiefe Prudence is a vertue of the soule nay the very â—oule of vertue The Mistresse to guide the life in goodnes All morall vertues are beholding to wisedome She directs Bounty what to giue when to giue where to giue And Fortitude with whom for what and how to sight Knowledge is excellent to preuent dangers imminent and to keepe vs from the snares of this strange woman But if the Deuill in our dayes should haue no guests but those that are meerely ignorant his roomes would be more emptie then they are and his Ordinarie breake forwant of Customers But now a-dayes alas when was it much better and yet how can it be much worse we know sinne yet affect it act it Time was we were ignorant and blinde now wee haue eyes and abuse them Tyre and Sidon burne in Hell and their smoake ascends for euermore that had no preaching in their Cities but our Country is sowne with mercies and our â—elues fatted with the doctrine of life who shall excuse our lame leane and ill-fauoured liues Let vs beware Bethsaida's woe If the Heathen shall wring their hands for their Ignorance then many Christians shall rend their harts for their disobedience He that despised Moses Law died without mercie vnder two or three witnesses He that despiseth not he that transgresseth for so do all He that reiected and departed from the Law Church of Israel died without mercy eternally for other transgressors died without mercie temporally Of how much sorer punishment shal he be thought worthy c. that treads vnder his foot not Moses but Christ counts not the blood of Goats but of Gods Son vnhely and despiteth which is more then despiseth the spirit not of feare bondage but of grace All the learning of the Philosophers was without an head because they were ignorant of God Seeing they were blinde speaking they were dumbe hearing they were deafe like the Idol-Gods in the Psalme We want not an head but an heart not the sense of knowledge but the loue of obedience wee heare and see and say and know but doe not If you know that Gods cheare is so infinitely better why doe you enter commons at Satans Feast The Schoole calls one kind of knowledge Scientia contristans a sorrowfull knowledge Though they intend it in another sense it may be true in this for it is a wofull knowledge when men with open eyes runne to Hell This is Vriahs letter contayning his owne death These tell Christ wee knew thee Christ tels them I know not you These times are sicke of Adams disease that had rather eate of the tree of knowledge then of the tree of life speculatiue Christians not actiue obedient Saints You cannot plead that you know not the dead are there behold wee haue told you Quit your selues But many mens Ignorance is disobedience they will not know that the dead are there and that her guests are in the depth of Hell Which now presseth vpon vs to be considered Solomon hath described the persons feasting and feasted The place remaines the depth of Hell This is the Banketing house It amplifies the miserie of the guests in three circumstances 1. their weaknesse they are soone in 2. the place Hell 3. the vnrecouerablenesse of it The depth of Hell 1. Per infirmitatem In regard of their weaknesse No sooner come to the Banket but presently in the Pit they are in they are soone in They would not resist the tentation when it was offered they cannot resist the tribulation when it is to be suffered They are in No wrastling no contending can keepe them from falling in Into the pit they runne against their will that ranne so volently so violently to the brinkes of it As a man that hath taken his careere and runnes full fling to a place cannot recoile himselfe or recall his strength on the sodaine Hee might haue refused to enter the race or recollected himselfe in time but at the last step he cannot stop nor reuocare gradum rescue himselfe from falling The guests that hasten themselues all their life to the feast of vanitie and neither in the first step of their youth nor in the middle race of their discreetest age returne to God doe at last without Christs helpe precipitate themselues into the depth of Hell Thinke oh thinke ye grâ—edie Dogges that can neuer fast enough deuoure your sinfull pleasures if in the pride of your strength the May of your blood the marrow and vertue of your life when you are seconded with the gifts of nature nay blest with the helps of heauen you cannot resist the allurements of Satan how vnable will you be to deale with him when custome in sinne hath weakened your spirits and God hath withdrawne his erst afforded comforts They that runne so fiercely to the pit are quickly in the pit The guests are in the depth of Hell 2. Per infernitatem In regard of the place it is Hell The Prophet Esay thus describes it Topheth is ordained of old hee hath made it deepe and large the pile thereof is fire and much wood the breath of the Lord like a streame of Brimstone doth kindle it Topheth was a place which the children of Israell built in the valley of Hinnon to burne their sonnes and daughters in the fire to Moloch Which valley was neere to Iebusi afterwards Ierusalem as appeares Iosuah 18. The Councell of Ierusalem whiles their power lasted vsed to punish certaine offenders in that valley being neere their Citie By this is Hell resembled And that in Peter Martyrs opinion for three reasons 1. Being a bottome a low valley it resembleth Hell that is beleeued to be vnder the earth 2. By reason of the fire wherewith the wicked are tormented in Hell as the children were in that valley burnt with fire 3. Because the place was vncleane and detestable whither all vile and lothsome things were cast out of the Citie Ierusalem So Hell is the place where defiled and wicked soules are cast as vnworthie of the holy and heauenly City This place shall begin to open her cursed iawes when the Iudge of all men and Angels shall
discrediting our liues you raise ciuill or rather vnciuill persecutions against vs. By these you exercise our papatience which yet we can beare whiles the blow giuen vs by a manifest rebound doeth not strike our God But per nostra latera petitur Ecclesia impetitur Christus when as through our sides you wound the Church nay Christ himselfe it is stupiditie in vs to be silent Christ when the glory of his Father was interessed and called into question by their calumniations tooke on him a iust apologie I haue not a Diuell but I honour my Father If I haue spoken euill beare witnesse of the euill but if well why smitest thou me Wee haue comfort enough that wee can suffer this martyrdome for Christ his sake being blessed by the peace of our times from a worse The Courtier cares not so much for the estimation of his fellowes so his Prince approues and loues him Let God bee pleased with our innocencie and your base aspersions of scandalls against vs shall not much mooue our mindes The Ministers of God must approue themselues in much patience in afflictions c. Our warre is ferendo non feriendo The Miter is for Aaron not the smiter Wee must encounter with Beasts in the shape of men with Wolues in the coates of sheepe with Diuels in the habite of Angels with vnreasonable and wicked men therefore we haue need of patience Indignities that touch our priuate persons may bee dissembled or returned with Isaaks apologie of patience of silence As Augustine answered Petilian Possumus esse in his pariter copiosi nolumus esse pariter vani You doe in euent not so much wrong vs as your selues You foame out your owne shame and bewray your wretched I had almost sayd reprobate malice for such are set downe in the seat of the scornfull which the Prophet makes a low steppe to damnation God shall laugh you to scorne for laughing his to scorne and at last despise you that haue despised him in vs. In expuentis recidit faciem quod in coelum puit That which a man spittes against heauen shall fall backe on his owne face Your indignities done to your spirituall Physitions shall not sleepe in the dust with your ashes but stand vp against your soules in iudgement 2. If your Physitian be worthy blame yet sport not with cursed Cham at your Fathers nakednesse Our life our life is the derision that stickes in your iawes till you spette it out against vs. I would to God our liues were no lesse pure then are euen these our enemies being Iudges our doctrines Be it freely acknowledged that in some it is a fault Our life should be the Counterpaine of our doctrine Wee are Vines and should like that in Iothams Parable cheare both God and man The Player that misacts an inferiour and vnnoted part carryes it away without censure but if he shall plaâ— some Emperour or part of obseruation vnworthily the spectators are ready to hisse him off The Minister represents you say no meane person that might giue toleration to his absurdities but the Prince of heauen and therefore should be holy as his heauenly Father is Be it confessed and woe is vs we cannot helpe it But you should put difference betwixt habituall vices nourished by custome prosecuted by violence and infirme or inuoluntary offences The truth is also that you who will not haue eares to heare Gods word will yet haue eyes to obserue our wayes How many of you haue surdas aures oculos emissitios Adders eares but Eagles eyes together with criticall tongues and hypocriticall lookes You should and will not know that our words not our workes bring you to heauen Examples are good furtherances but ex praeceptis viuitur we must liue by precepts If you haue a Christian desire of our reformation cease your obstreperous clamours and divulging slanders the infectious breathings of your corruption and malice and reproue vs with the spirit of meekenesse to our foreheads If wee neither cleare our selues from imputed guiltinesse nor amend the iustly reproued faults nor kindely embrace your louing admonitions proceede with your impartiall censures But still know that we are nothing in our selues though we be called lux mundi the light of the world yet solummodo lex est lux Gods word is the light that must conduct your beleeuing and obeying soules to the land of Promise Did we liue like Angels and yet had our lips sealed vp from teaching you you might still remaine in your sinnes For it is not an ignorant imitation of goodnesse but a sound faith in Christ neuer destitute of knowledge and obedience that must saue you in the day of the Lord Iesus 3. Lastly let this teach you to get your selues familiar acquaintance with the Scriptures that if you be put to it in the absence of your Phisitian you may yet helpe your selues We store our memories and perhaps not trusting them our Bookes with diuers receites for ordinarie diseases Whom almost shall you meete whiles you complaine of an Ague of the Tooth-ach of a Sore but he will tell you a Salue or a Medicine for it Alas are our soules lesse precious or their wounds griefes sicknesses easilier cured that wee keepe the Clossets of our consciences emptie of Medicines for them The Iewes were commaunded to write the Lawes of God on their walls c. God writes them on the Christians hearts So Dauid found it Thy Law is within my heart This is true acquaintance with it It is our Masters charge if at least we are his seruants Search the Scriptures for in them is eternall life We plead that our faith is our euidence for Heauen it is a poore euidence that wants the seale of the Scriptures It was the weapon that the Sonne of God himselfe vsed to beate backe the assaults of the Deuill Many ignorant persons defie the Deuill They will shield themselues from Satan as well as the best that teach them the foule â—iend shall haue no power ouer them yet continue an obstinate course of life As if the Deuill were a Babe to be out-faced with a word of defiance It is a lamentable way to braue a Lyon and yet come within his clutches Hee will beare with thy hote words so hee may get thy colde soule The weapon that must incounter and conquer him is the sword of the spirit the word of God No houre is free from his temptations that wee had neede to lodge with Gods Booke in our bosomes 1. Who knowes where he shall receiue his next wound or of what nature the sicknesse of his soule shall be 2. The Minister cannot be present with euery one and at euery time 3. Satan is neuer idle it is the trade of his delight to spill soules Lay all these together and then in the feare of God iudge whither you can be safe whiles you are ignorant of the Scriptures This is the Garden of