it but see the different natures of the godly and the wicked God forbeareth the wicked for the godlies sake As when Augustus had conquered Anthony and taken Alexandria the Citizens expecting nothing but present massacre the Emperor proclaimed a generall pardon for Arrius his sake a Philosopher of that City and his familiar friend Whereas the wicked in requitall persecute the godly for whose sake they are forborne and contemne those to whom they owe their very lives like as Brutus Cassius Domitius Trebonius Cimber Tullius and many others slew Iulius Caesar with 23. wounds in the Senate house albeit hee had lately pardoned them for fighting against him on Pompie's side or as they whom William the conqueror most advanced had the speciall hand in his destruction or as Pompilius Laena whom Marcus Tullius Cicero saved from the Gallowes by pleading his cause before the judges when he was accused for murthering his Father was the prime man that puld his head out of the Litter and cut it off But O foolish and unwise is this any other peece of policy then if the Sodomites should make hast to turne out Lot and his familie that fire and brimstone may make hast to destroy them for as when the Prophets went from Hierusalem then Sword and Famine and Pestilence and all plagues rained upon them even as fire came downe upon Sodome so soone as Lot was gone out Or as when Noah and his family were once entred the Arke the Flood came and destroyed the first world Gen. 7.11.13 so the number of Christs Church being accomplished fire shall come down to destroy the second world yea the raine should not fall nor the earth stand but for the elects sake the earth should burne the elements melt the heavens flame the divels and all reprobates bee laid up in hell the elect men and Angels imparadised in heaven all but for this Gods number is not yet full till this be done Sathan may range abroad the wicked domineere the righteous suffer misery and sinne walke their round the heavens move the Seas ebb and flowe the world stand and the Lord suffers all Wherefore cease yee malicious sinners to vex the religious you are beholding to them for your very breath if they were taken away you should be tormented before your time yea make you friends of such as feare God for it is no smal happinesse to be interrested in them who are favourites in the Court of Heaven one faithfull man on these occasions is more worth then millions of the wavering and uncertaine Indeed you may so long provoke the Lord that he will not suffer his people to pray nor intreat for you as is well set forth Ier. 7.13 to 17. and then can you expect nothing but death and hell Yea the time will come when all Christs enemies shall be dragged out of the prison of their graves to behold him whom they have pierced Revelation 1.7 at what time there shall be no Moses to stand in the gap for them no Aaron to stand betweene the living and the dead no Noah Daniel or Iob to pity or pray for them yea when there shall bee no more mercy no more patience no more repentings in God towards them but judgement without mercy or mitigation but God laughing at their destruction and the Saints which shall judge the world 1 Cor. 6.2 3. rejoycing to see the vengeance that they may at length wash their feet in the blood of the wicked Prov. 1.26 Psal 58.10 when there shall be no Rocks nor Mountaines to fall upon them when the earth shall melt with heate when the day of the Lord shall burn as an oven and eat their flesh as it were fire Revel 6.16 2 Pet. 3.10 Mal. 4.1.2 3. Iam. 5.3 § 140. TEnthly 10 Their sin is not against the life of body or estate but against the soules of men thy sinne is incomparably greater and consequently thy punishment shall be in that the hurt which thou doest to thy neighbour is against his soule For as the hurting and endamaging of the person and life of another is a more hainous offence then is the diminishing of his goods and outward estate so the hurt which redowndeth by our meanes unto the soule of any is much more abominable every way both in it selfe and in the sight of God then is that wrong which is offered unto his body Now thou art a soule murtherer yea many are the soules which thou hast intentionally and as much as in thee lyeth slaine with death eternall and what canst thou expect without repentance and an answerable endeavour to win soules as fast to God as formerly thou hast to Sathan but to bee many fathoms deeper in Hell then other men will God powre out his curse and vengeance on them which make the blind stumble to the hurt of his body Deut. 27.18 and will he not much more do this to soule-destroyers An objection answered Objection But thou like those Disciples Iohn 6.60 wilt think this a hard saying neither canst thou believe that thou art a soule murtherer though I have made it undeniable in Section the 100.101.113.134.115.116.117 Answer But it will one day be a harder saying if you take not heed when Christ shall answer all your apologies with depart from me into everlasting fire prepared for the Divel and his Angels Mat. 25.41 Luk. 13.25 to 29. As for further proofe of what I lay to thy charge I could easily shew thee how The daily scoffes reproaches c. of thee and thy fellovves 1. Detaines 2. Staggers 3. Keepes 4. Beates 5. Hardens many From entering into a religious course Which have made some progresse in the vvay From doing the good vvhich they vvould or appearing the same which they are Clean off from their profession And makes them resolve against goodnesse For there is no such rub in the way to Heaven as this Sathan hath not such a tryed shaft in all his quiver which makes our Saviour pronounce that man blessed that is not offended in him Matth. 11.6 But of these severalls elsewhere least I should overmuch seeme to digresse only I grieve to see how they wrong themselves in thus wronging others for in that wicked men doe so mock and deride such as are in love with heavenly things it is hard to say whether they doe most offend in hindering the honour of God thereby or their neighbours wellfare or their own salvation What are the waters of thine own sinns so low that thou must have streames from every place to run into thine Ocean thy owne burthen is unsupportable yet thou wilt adde to the weight other mens that thy rising may be irrecoverable Content thy selfe for assuredly thou shalt once pay deare for it either by teares or torment Yea let such take heed for the fire of Hell will be hot enough for a mans owne iniquities he needs not the iniquities of others like fuell and Bellowes to blow and increase the flame which if they
think it a disgrace though the great exchange the World should judge it so Even modesty in some is a vice when out of a weake flexibility of nature Even modesty in some is a vlce a man hath not courage enough to deny the request of a seeming friend If a man never abandoneth evill untill he abandoneth evill company it is high time to take courage yea the longer wee have beene with them the more need have we to hasten out of them If this satisfie not as the Emperor Frederick said to certaine of his Minions that vvere importunate to get into their hands the ancient demeasne of the Empire that hee would rather be accounted of small liberallity then perjured even so had vve in this case rather be accounted inconstant then be unconscionable To the second part of the objection True love and friend ship only among good men I ansvver That true love and friendship is only among good men The vvicked may talke of it and one drunkard may professe to another that hee loves him as well as himselfe and therein speake truth for saith Augustine most elegantly to such an one thou lovest thy selfe so as thou wilt destroy thy selfe and thou wilt destroy him whom thou lovest as thy selfe yea better then themselves for you shall have one Ruffian salute another with God save you Sir but after some strange attestations sweare away himselfe with God damn me Sir now how can any wise man thinke him a friend that is his own enemy he that is evill to himselfe to whom will he be good But see the depth of such a mans love and whether it be not to damn thy body and soule everlastingly S. Ambrose tels us of one who solicited a godly woman to incontinency saying he infinitely loved her she answers if you love me so well as you seeme put one of your fingers into the flame till your flesh be burnt off he replys that was no part of love in her to require it yes said she if yours be love to cause both my body and soule to be burnt in hell fire for ever which by consequence will follow if I yeeld to your request and take your counsell Oh that thou hadst the wit to answer the drunkard when he tempts thee thus Indeed there is a kind of agreement which is strengthened by sinne it selfe as if one fee the keeper of a wench his secrecy is bought for ever But all this while if one call another friend it is but to give him a nick-name whereof hee is not guilty for true friendship is so sacred holy and pure that it will not be used in evill which made Pericles when hee was desired by a friend of his to aide him with false witnesse answere that hee would befriend him as farre as the Altar meaning so farre as stood with piety and religion or his duty to God but no further and Phecion refuse to help his son in law Cariles in judgement being accused for bribery saying withall that hee had made him his friend and allie in just and reasonable matters and in them only and this likewise made Papinian a Pagan being commanded by the Emperor Caracalla whose Steward and familiar he was refuse to defend an unjust cause as Marcellinus records and thus it fares with all that are truly religious There is not any one quoth the sincere Christian either in blood or otherwise so neare unto me but if he fall from God I will fall from him why our Saviour Christ hath taught me both by precept and example that I should acknowledge none so as to be led by them for my brother sister or mother but such as do the will of my Father which is in heaven Matth. 12.46 to 51. Whereas on the contrary Nothing rivils hearts so close as religion in things lawfull nothing rivits hearts so close as religion it unites them together as glew doth boards together it makes a knot even betweene such as never saw one anothers face that Alexander can not cut yea Tyrants will sooner want invention for torments then they with tortures bee made treacherous How many have chosen rather to embrace the flames then to reveale their companions and brethren in Christ There is no friendship like the friendship of faith There is Amor among Beasts Dilectio among Men Charitas among Christians that is their peculiar nature makes husband and wife but one flesh grace makes them even one spirit and it is a question whether naturall Parents are to be loved above spirituall we know that Christ preferred his spirituall kindred to that of the flesh and major est connexio cordium quà m sanguinum saith Beza Why should wee love them more that brought us into this sinfull and miserable world then those that bring us into a better world where is neither sinne nor misery why them that live with us on earth but a while equall to them that shal live with us in heaven for ever But to goe on Surely as grace in her selfe is farre above nature so is she likewise in her effects and consequently unites in a farre more durable bond Christians hearts are joyned one to another with so fast a glew that no by respects can sever them as you may see in that paire of friends Ionathan and David none had so much cause to disaffect David as Ionathan none in all Israel should be such a looser by David's successe as he Saul was sure enough setled for his time only his successor should forgoe all that which David should gaine so as none but David stands in Ionathan's way to the Crowne and yet all this cannot abate one dramme of his love As also in Ruth and Naomy whom nothing but death could part Ruth 1. If you will see other examples looke Rom. 1.10 11. 1 Thes 2.17 19.20 Galathians 4.18 19. Act. 20.37 38. and 16.15 Luke 4.42 2 Kings 2.4.9 and 4.9 10. As grace is the greatest attractive of love so is it the surest bond it is like varnish that makes seelings not onle shine but last Where God uniteth hearts carnall respects are too weake to dissever them since that which breakes off affection must needs be stronger then that which conjoyneth it and why doth S. Iohn use these words once to the elect Lady 2 Iohn 1.2 and againe to Gajus 3 Iohn 1. whom I love in the truth but to shew that to love in the truth is the only true love Indeed religion is the surest cement of all societies the loser joynts of all naturall and civill relations are compacted and confirmed by the sinewes of grace and religion and such a lose joynted friendship cannot hold long which wants the nerves of religion Wherefore give mee any foe rather then a resolved Christian no friend unlesse a man truly honest § 205. BUt here it will be objected Object That wee hate and contemne all Another objection answered who are not like our selves that wee remember them so much to
this way makes a Devill and admit man hath some advantage above beasts it is a miserable advantage that onely makes us apt to evill yea the worst of evills and capable of an hell small cause have we to brag of those powers which so distinguish us from beasts that they make us worse then the worst of beasts But of their acting the Devills part and their severall slights in seducing and enforcing others to sinne in drawing others to perdition expect more Section the 75. c. Onely this for the present let the Drunkard know that except he doe repent and amend there is not the most lothsome and despicable creature that crawles upon the earth which he shall not once enuy and wish to have beene rather then what he is which should have been my next theame but of this when I come to the punishment of Drunkards Swearers and Seducers Section 30. to 34. and 44. and 119. to 143. And so much of the person in generall and a part now take a generall view of the sinne before I come to particulars and see how the Learned in all ages both Christians and Heathens have censured this vice and judged of this sinne though indeed the odiousnesse of it is beyond all expression neither have I dehortation answerable to my detestation of it onely what cannot be spoken your meditation supplying the defect of my speech may be implyed as under a curtaine which was the Painters shift in deliniating the picture of Venus and the wont of Timanthes who in each picture hee drew occasioned more to be understood then was painted § 11. THe Learned of all ages have concluded What the learned say of this sin yea drunkennesse it selfe if it could speake as it can take away speech would confesse that it is a flattering Devill a sweet poyson a voluntary madnesse an invited enemy the author of outrages quarrells debates murthers the nurse of fury the mistris of pride the fountaine of all vice the originall of all diseases and bane of the soule that it is a fire whose flame is lust whose sparkes are oathes and evill words whose smoake is pride and infamy whose ashes are diseases and poverty and whose end is hell That it is a sinne which cracks mens credits consumes their estates distempers their constitutions dulls their spirits infatuates their senses intoxicateth their braines stupefies and besots their understandings perverteth their wills troubleth reason overthroweth the judgment infeebleth the memory corrupteth all the affections excludeth counsell and without Gods infinite mercy and their sound repentance damnes the soule That it is a bewitching sweete in the mouth which turnes to deadly poyson in the heart the revealer of secrets the shipwrack of chastity the shame of honesty the ruine of good manners the thiefe of time the disgrace of mankind a sinne which makes man an abomination to the Lord odious to the Angells scorned of men abandoned of all good society and above all makes men subjects and vassalls to Sathan a sinne of all others the most spreading most infectious most incurable most inexcusable a sinne which makes no difference of times places persons c. A sinne which is against the lawes of God of grace of nature and of all nations against sense and reason a sinne which brings wrath and judgment upon the whole land a sinne which is a griefe to friends a ruine to families which separates from the society and company of Gods Saints on earth excludes and shuts them out of the Kingdome of Heaven as Plutarch Solon Pittacus Boetius St. Austin St. Ierom St. Chrysostome and others stile and define it That it is of sinnes the queene as the goute is of diseases even the most prodigall wastfull unthrifty unprofitable unnaturall unseemely insatiable unreasonable sinne the most base brutish beastly foule filthy odious execrable detestable horrible abominable state disturbing heathenish infernall prodigious damnable gracelesse and shamefull sinne of all others as some of our Moderne writers render it In fine it is a sinne odious and lothsome in any but in us who have so much light so many lawes of God and man against it most unsufferable but as it was once observed that Philosophy was taught in Athens but practised in Sparta so now temperance and sobriety is taught in England but practised in Spaine and Turky § 12. ANd as it is a most grievous and matchlesse sinne in it selfe Drunkennesse both a matchlesse sin in it selfe and the cause of all other sine so it is the cause of all other sinnes a monster with many heads the roote of all evill the incendiary of all vice the Magazine of all misery the mother and metropolis of all mischiefe As tell mee was there ever any sinne committed which wine hath not beene an occasion of for notwithstanding wine doth first serve and obey the drinker yet by little and little mixing it selfe with the blood in the veynes it doth rule over him and like Saules evill and controlling spirit makes him it 's vassall whereby like the Centurions servant he no sooner heares the word from Sathan doe this but instantly hee doth it whether it be to the committing of adultery with Holofernes incest with Lot murther with Alexander Cambyses and Philopater one of which in his drinke slew his deare and faithfull friend Clytus who was his chiefe Captaine in all his exployts though it so troubled him being sober that he would have made away himselfe the second his onely Sonne the third his deare father and mother or treason with him that confest to King Pyrrhus upon his arraignment all this wee did and spake against thee and much more should have done had not the wine failed us or blasphemy with Belshazzar and his Princes Dan. 5.23 and what not for even to rehearse the severall examples which history affords and experience hath made knowne were endlesse Some examples I have given you and he is a very young man and unobservant that cannot adde forty out of his owne experience And doe not our reverend Judges in their severall circuits finde by experience that few brawles murthers manslaughters rapes c. are committed which arise not from this roote of drunkennesse And indeed as in Justice all vertues are couched together summarily as Aristottle affirmes so in drunkennesse all vices are lapt up together as it were in a bundle for it is a confluence or collection of all the rest and as he said of old prove a man to be ingratefull and you prove him naught all over so prove one to bee a Drunkard and you prove him guilty of every thing that is evill reprobate to all that is good for what sinne is it which a drunken man will sticke to commit when wee reade that Cyrillus his Sonne being drunke slew his Father and his Mother great with child hurt his two Sisters and defloured one of them as St. Austin affirmes when another being tempted by the Devill as Philip Lonicer witnesseth to commit
16.22.23 In a word as he tempted the high Priests those arch-Hypocrites by love of glory and as the high Priests with money tempted Iudas to betray his Master and destroy himself so he tempts every man by that way and meanes vvhich he knovveth most prevalent vvith the party tempted § 71. INdeed Sathan is not so lavish How Sathan guls the rude multitude in giving every vice a title and each vertue a disgracefull name as to hurle away either cost or labour when it may be spared wherefore seeing the rude multitude so brutish and ignorant that they will be cheated and guld with any thing he takes advantage from their darkned soules and to deceive them knowing he needs doe no more onely foules and smeares the beautifull face of vertue with the blacke soote of those vices which seeme to have some affinity with them as by traducing each Grace thus conscience of sinne in the Devills language is called precise nicenesse and puritanisme zeale madnesse faith and confidence presumption syncerity hypocrisie patience pusillanimity humility basenesse of minde wisdome craft c. And on the other side painting vices ugly face with the faire colours of vertue and so present her not in her owne proper colours but guilded over with some shewes of holinesse that it may the more easily wind and insinuate it selfe into mens affections calling lust love enuy emulation pride magnanimity sloth warinesse covetousnesse good husbandry drunkennesse good fellowship ignorance innocencie pestilent heresie profound knowledge and deepe learning Revel 2.24 worldlinesse wisdome and policy rashnesse fortitude c. as for every severall Jemme that vertue hath vice hath a counterfeit stone wherewith she gulls the ignorant and there is no precept nor command of God but the Devill commands the contrary he is ever gaine-saying what God saith Gen. 2.17 and 3.4.5 And this is enough for hereby their poore blind hearts are so deceived with that shadow of resemblance which vice carrieth of vertue that they embrace and receive grosse vices insteed of glorious vertues and yet thinke themselves as well and that they shall speede as well as the best And least one should mistrust another he hath his cleargy to speake for him and is never without false Prophets which are ready to daube over sinne with untempered Morter such as for handfulls of barley and peeces of bread will sowe pillowes under each arme-hole prophesie out of their owne hearts and pretend a lying divination such as shall preach unto them Peace Peace and tell them that despise the Lord though they walke after the stubbornnesse of their own hearts no evill shall come upon them yea such as shall even slay the soules of them that should not dye and give life to the soules that should not live with lyes make the hearts of the righteous sad whom the Lord hath not made sad and strengthen the hands of the wicked that he should not turne from his wicked way by promising him life Eze. 13. Ier. 23.13 to 22. so shutting Heaven when they should open it and opening it when they should shut it And thus are millions deceived for nothing sooner wins flesh and blood then a Doctrine which tends to licentiousnesse Indeed most men are so greedy Many so greedy of temptation that Satan needs but cast out his angle either of profit or pleasure that Sathan needs no helpe from others for he can no sooner cast out his Angle amongst them but immediatly like the soules in Lucian about Charons boate or Coleminers about a line when the candles burning blew tells the dampe commeth they will fasten upon the bayte As let Ieraboam onely set up Calves in Dan and Bethel the people are downe on their knees yea all like beasts in heards will goe a lowing after them Yea were there no harlot no drunken associate to solicite no Devill to doe his office wicked men would beget destruction on themselves If Sathan should not feede them with temptations they would tempt him for them and snatch their owne bane in which case Sathan onely suggests the thought or sayes the word and it is done As if he appoint them to lye Or suggest the thought they willy if h◠command them to deceive they will deceive if he bid them slander they will slander and that as falsely as he if he perswades them to revenge to persecute c. they will doe it as spitefully and as fully as he could doe them himselfe and so of every sinne if he but say to any of his servants let there be an oath straight there is an oath let there be a bribe instantly there is a bribe let there be a quarrell immediatly there is a quarrel c. just as when God said in the beginning of the Creation let there bee light and there was light § 72. THus Sathan comes to us The many wayes which Sathan hath to set upon us and sets upon us both wayes visible and invisible mediately and immediatly by himselfe and by others Yea this is not all for that we may the lesse suspect him he makes us become our owne tempters as how many temptations come in by those Cinque-ports the Senses how many more by Sathans injections presenting to the affections things absent from the Senses as we have an army of uncleane desires that perpetually fight against our soules but most of all by lust it selfe a thing not created yet as quicke as thought tumbling over a thousand desires in an houre for you must know that the Devill and our Flesh meets together every day and houre to ingender new sinnes which is the reason our sins are counted amongst those things which are infinite as the haires of our head the sands of the Sea the Starres of Heaven yea the Devills trade and occupation all the day and all the yeare long is onely to make nets and gins and snares to catch thee and mee and each man single the wisdome of Heaven deliver us As there is a Sacred Trinity Sathan the great seducer wieked men are Apprentises or factors under him provoking to good the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost so there is a cursed Cerbe rus intiseing to sinne the World the Flesh and the Devill but the chiefe of these tempters is the Devill whence he is stiled as by a kind of excellency the Tempter as Virgil is called the Poet Aristotle the Philosopher and David the King It 's true he could not worke his owne ends upon us if he should professe himselfe and appeare to us the very same that he is and not in the persons of men yea in our selves and supposed best friends yet this hinders not but Sathan may be the chiefe for though there be many little seducers besides which doe us the greatest mischiefe yet the Serpent is worse then all his feede I 'le make it plaine As there are sundry other crafts so there is a craft of tempting whereof Sathan is the crafts master and the rest are but his
why they slander us why drunkards and vicious followers of their owne lusts like Miners are ever working to blow up our untainted names as doing it either with the Lapwing to divert by their false cryes the traveling stranger from finding the nest of their filthinesse or with the curtayled Fox in the Fable to endeavour to have all Foxes cut tayld or with the Fish Sepia to darken with the pitchy inke of aspersions all the water that so themselves may escape the net of censure justly cast to catch them or they speake evill of us because they cannot doe evill unto us or they doe it to incite and stir up others to doe the like or because God hath put an enmity betweene the men of the world and his children or they doe it because Sathan will have them doe it or else to have themselves thought as good as any other they will not have any thought good that dwells neere them c. But the chiefe reason and end why they doe the same is that they may discourage us in the way to Heaven floute us out of our faith and draw us backe to the world that so they may have our company here in sinne and hereafter in torment as I shall prove anon But first see the former reasons explained Ever such as scoffeat and traduce others have greater faults themselves onely let me premise this and it may serve as an hand in the Margent that as Cham was worse then Noah whom he derided and Ishmael worse then Isaac whom he mocked and Saul worse then David whom he persecuted and Iezabel worse then Naboth whom she defamed and murthered so you shall ever see that they which are wont to scoffe and jeere at traduce and persecute others have greater faults themselves and cause to be jeered and flouted at traduced and evill intreated which they cannot tell how to cover but by disgraceing of others First reason of their raising slanders to divert mens thoughts from minding their villany Whereas by this meanes while the people laugh at us by reason of their odious aspersions they never mind them as when a great man objected to the Player his saucinesse in that he durst personally tax men on the Stage his answer was be content for while the people laugh at our foolery they never mind your villany As is it not usuall for them being conscious of their owne defects to be ever defaming good men that by this meanes they may draw away the thoughts and consideration of the beholders from climing up into their faults while they are fixed and busied upon a new object One colour we know being laid upon another doth away the former and remaines it selfe A cut-purse in a throng when he hath committed the fact will cry out My masters take heede of your purses and he that is pursued will cry Stop Theife that by this meanes he may escape unattached and so in every like case there is none apter to cry Treason Treason then Ahaliah who hath slaine all the Kings seede Yea so it is that the smallest spot in a sober mans face shall excuse all the sores and ulcers of their bodies § 95. SEcondly 2. By depraving the godly themselves passe for indifferent honest men seeing the drunkards wicked and sinfull life is reproved by the others Godly conversation as how is a vicious person discredited and made contemptible by the vertuous life of a holy man seeing straight lines helpe to shew the crooked as doubtlesse Pharaoh's fat kine could not choose but make the leane ones more ill favoured for the whiter the Swanne is the more blacke is the Crow that 's by her hence a swarthy and hard featured visage loves not the company of cleare beauties Whereas on the otherside were all the world ugly deformity would be no monster among the Myconians baldnesse is no unseemely thing because they are all so borne yea a base person may come to preferment if none be thought better then himselfe he which hath but one eye may be King amongst the blinde even Heliogabalus that beastly monster thought to make himselfe the sole god and be onely worshipped by banishing all other Religions out of the world At least as the splendor of the others vertues doth obscure the meanesse of his credit as the Sunnes brightnesse obscures the light of a candle so by depraving him and all his fellowes himselfe shall be judged vertuous very cheape accounted a man of honesty and honour though a drunkard or an Homicide And indeed how should Naboth be cleanly put to death or Ioseph fairely clapt in Irons if first the one be not accused of blasphemy and the other of treacherous incontinency Whereas by using these meanes those ends were easily atchieved you know if a man would have his Dog kild 3 Drunkards censure and slander the godly to incite and stirre up others to doe the like he needs but give it out that he is mad which leades me to a third reason for § 96. 3 THirdly drunkards censure and slander such as are sober and conscionable to incite and stirre up others to doe the like as those ancient enemies of the Gospell clad the Martyrs in the skinnes of wild beasts to animate the Dogs to teare them which is an old and cunning practice of theirs We reade that Maximinus set certaine vile persons on worke to accuse the Christians of heinous crimes that so he might persecute them with more shew of Reason and what any one of them does is a law to the rest For as one Dog sets many Dogs on barking or as one Beacon set on fire occasions many to be kindled so one tongue set on fire from Hell as St. Iames speakes sets many others on fire The ignorant multitude as if And the multitude like a flack of sheepe if they see but one take a wrong way all the rest will follow which the Zigantes they fed onely upon Apes flesh are just like so many Apes which will imitate any thing they see others doe though it be to the cutting off a lim they are like a Kennell of hounds for if they but heare a good man censured slandered or but nicke-named Puritane they runne away with the Crye and barke out the terme against every honest man they meete to the disgraceing even of vertue and true Religion The force of Example prevaileth strongly to produce the likenesse of manners in any much more with that ignorant fry the multitude who can scarcely discerne betweene their right hand and their left as it fared with those six score thousand Ninivites Iona 4.11 And whose judgments are so light that like Philetas Chous Of which many examples who was faine to tye lead to his heeles or the bird Cepphus every least wind that blowes is enough to carry them away for like a flocke of sheepe which if they see but one take a wrong way all the rest will follow and it 's easier to drive a
many mouths Or admit the best that can come I am sure a man once wounded in his good name is seldome cured without skarres of suspicion as fine linnen being once stained with black Inke though it be wash'd never so will retaine an Iron-mould ever after O the malice and mischiefe of aslanderer The sinue and punish ment of a sâ—anderer for he not only woundeth the party of whom he speaks but the party likewise to whom hee speakes if hee either rashly believes it or is delighted in hearing it or further divulgeth it or doth not defend the absent wronged party so slaying three at once with the one Arrow of his viperous and venimous tongue himselfe being one of the number as Luther well observes wherein hee puts downe Menelaus that Romane Archer in the warres betweene Constantius and Magnantius for although hee could shoote three Arrowes at once at one loofe and therewith wound three at the least yet he could kill but one with one Arrow Yea in case this slander spreades it selfe the first relater may have to answer for the sinnes of a thousand wherefore no marvaile if after those words Deut. 27 24. Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbour secretly it bee added and let all the people say Amen no marvaile if Psalm 101.5 it be written him that privily slandereth his neighbour will I destroy § 99. SIxthly 6 They must doe what Sathan will â—nvethem drunkards traduce and slander us because they must doe what Sathan will have them yea it is hee that speaketh by them as once he did by the Serpent neither could hee speake for want of a tongue if it were not for wicked men A calumny saith one of the Fathers is the Divel's mind in the mouth of a man his Arrow shot by mans Bow he lendeth him his lyes and malice and borroweth his tongue to utter them because the Divell wants a tongue heare this all yee whose tongues runnes so fast on the Divells errand it is but his heart in your lippes The accuser of the bretheren makes use of wicked men to traduce those whom hee cannot seduce as hee desireth he makes them drunke with malice as well as with Wine and they spew out cursing and slander against such as are better or would have them better then ver they meanes to be Mat. 5.44 whence it is that the Divell is not more blacke-mouthed then a slanderer nor a slanderer lesse malicious than the Divell Ioh. 8.44 where they are proved his children and hee their father Yea they shew themselves to be of the same house The receiver as bad â— as the tale-bearer who easily and willingly believe their slanders neither doth Sathan lesse profit or advantage himselfe by them For first while he fils their eares he kills their soules as one of the Fathers hath it Secondly as he which reports a slander hath the Divell in his tongue so hee that receives it hath the Divell in his eare as Bernard excellently the one is the Foot-post and messenger of Sathan the other is the Recorder or Register of Hel and were their no receivers in this kinde there would bee no theeves if some had not itching eares to heare false rumours others would not have scratching tongues like the pens of Libellers to make and move them for see we not that the least check or frowne of a stander by will silence the barking tongue and indeed had they both their due tale-bearers should be hanged by their tongues and tale hearers by their eares as Plautus speaks And so I have given you the subordinate reasons the principall follow § 100. SEventhly They will flout us out of our faith have our company here in sin herafter in tâ—rment the maine reason and end wherefore they do all this and a great deale more is that they may discourage us in the way to heaven flout us out of our faith and draw us back to the world that so they may have our company here in sin and hereafter in torment The which that themselves may acknowledge and a faire print it must bee that a drunkard can wel read seeing hee weares his eyes in his tongue much more must proofes be plaine if they acknowledge this for a truth I will take leave to expatiate and whereas I have hitherto but spoken of them strictly as drunkards now I will speake of them more largely as they are wicked men seed of the Serpent and children of the Divell First 1 They would have our company in finne they do it that they may discourage us in the way to heaven flout us out of our faith and draw us backe to the World that so they may have our company here in sinne As why doth the World cast such a number of blockes in our way to hinder us but because in every one that repenteth shee looseth a limme or member all these things will drunkards do to the man whom the King of heaven and earth will honour with adoption conversion and regeneration but so long as we remaine in our naturall condition and vvill pledg them in their sinnes they have no quarrell against us As Holofernes said to Indeth feare not in thine heart for I never hurt any that are willing to serve Nebuchadnezzar the King of all the earth Iudeth 11 1. so these drunkards never molest any that are content to serve Sathan the Prince of this world As let any experienced Christian tell me vvhether he was ever scoft at or molested by drunkards so long as hee marched under sathans colours whether they ever hated him untill Christ had chosen him Iohn 15.19 Againe let him tell me whether hee was not made a by-word of the people Iob 17.6 A song of the drunkards Psal 69.12 and generally hated of all Matth. 10.22 so soone as he became religious and conscionable For all wicked men are like the women of Lemnos VVhat a strait the godly are in who when they had every one slain their husbands and kinsmen exiled Hypsiphyle the Kings daughter for that shee alone saved her Father alive So that a Christian in respect of his hard straits betweene Gods Law on the one side and the malignant world on the other may fitly be compared to the Gibbeonites who if they made not their peace with Ioshua must dye by strangers and if they did make their peace with him they must dye by neighbours or to Susanna who if shee did yeeld unto the two Elders must lose her chastity and hazzard her soule and if shee did not yeeld shee must loose her life for we have a Wolfe by the eares which wee can neither stay nor let go with safety if we seek to please God by a holy life wee displease the world and that will hate and vex us if we seek to please the world we displease God and he will hate and condemne us for their commands are diametrically contrary Acts 4.18.19 When our affections like wild and mad
there is perfect envie neither the good would be saved nor the wicked would be damned alone wherefore they seeke to winne all they can § 114. WHen once a man is got out of the snare of the Divell he will doe what he can Good men draw all they can io heaven wicked all they can to bell to pluck others after him As by his sinnes and bad example hee hath drawn others from God so now he will all hee can draw others with himselfe to God Saul converted will build up as fast as ever he plucked downe and preach as zealously as ever he persecuted But take a view of each case in severall persons and first of the godly We read that Noah and Lot hazarded their own peace and safety such was their charity to preserve theirs that afflicted them they did admonish others like Prophets and advise them like Fathers but both in vaine these holy men seemed to them as one that mocked and they did more then seeme to mocke them againe We read likewise how Andrew was no sooner converted and become Christ's Disciple but instantly hee seeketh out his brother Simon to gaine him also to the same faith Iohn 1.41 And of Philip that he did the like to Nathaniel verse 45. And of the woman of Samaria that she did the like to many of her neighbours Iohn 4.28 to 41. And of the twelve Apostles that so soone as they were endued with the Holy Ghost they spread the Gospell throughout the whole world and with so good successe that wee reade of three thousand soules converted by one of them at one time namely by Peter so well did he obey Christ's command who said unto him when thou art converted strengthen thy brethren Luk. 22.32 Yea Moses so thirsted after the salvation of Israel that rather then hee would bee saved without them hee desired the Lord to blot him out of the Booke of Life Exodus 32.32 and Paul to this purpose saith I could wish my selfe to be separated from Christ for my brethren that are my kinsmen according to the flesh meaning the Iewes Rom. 9.3 Their charity and spirituall thirst after salvation was much like the naturall thirst of Alexander who being with his troopes in the Field and in extremity of thirst when one presentted him an Helmet of water he refused it saying si solus bibero hos maeror occupabit or that of Rodolphus the Emperour who in his warres against Octocarus King of Bohemia being offered drink by a rusticke that attended his harnesse when both he and his whole Army were ready to perish with thirst refused it saying that his thirst was for all his Army and not alone for himselfe There is a greate dearth of reason and charity in that man who would bee happy alone much more doe they desire the blessednesse of others that are of the communion of Saints all heavenly hearts are charitable and it is a great presumption that hee will never finde the way to heaven who desires to go thither single yea a desire to win others is an inseparable adjunct or relative to grace for it is impossible that a man should be converted but having got himselfe out of Sathans clutches he will seeke to draw others after him yea where the heart is thankfull and inflamed with the love of God and our neighbour this shall be the principall aime as that vertuous Lady which Camden speakes of having beene a Leper her selfe bestowed the greatest part of her portion to build an Hospitall for other Lepers Neither can enlightened soules choose but disperse their rayes we are no whit thankfull for our owne illumination if we doe not looke with charity and pity upon the grosse misse-opinions and misprisions of our brethren It is a duty commanded by God Iud. 22.23 2 Tim. 2.25.26 Heb. 3.13 And every good mans meat and drink is to doe the will of him that sent him and though he cannot do what he would yet he will labour to do what he can to win others not to deserve by it but to expresse his thanks § 115. ANd as Gods people would not bee saved alone but winne all they can They shall answer for soule-murther knowing society no small part of the very joyes of heaven no more would wicked men be damned alone but mislead all they can thinking it some ease and comfort in misery to have companions As for example What made the Scribes and Pharisies compasse Sea and Land to make one of their profession but that they might make him twofold more the child of hell then themselves as our Saviour expresly witnesseth Matth. 23.15 Yea they shut up the kingdome of heaven so farre forth as they could and would neither goe in themselves nor suffer others that would have entred to come in v. 13. And what else but this love of community made Baalam being a cursed reprobate himselfe so willing first to curse all Israel and after when that would not fadge to give such divellish counsell against them Numb Reve. 2.14 22. Or what is the reason thinke you of all their practises against the just now of their tempting them and attempting what they can against them but this they would discourage us in the way to heaven beat us off from our holy profession or being religious and draw us backe to the world that so they might have our company here in sinne and hereafter in torment as if this were not to carry brimstone to their own fire and to make their own bed in hell And let such know that how many Novices or Apprentises of Religion soever have beene beaten off by meanes of their scoffs slanders reproaches or other their malicious practises against the godly how many soever they have forestalled with prejudice against the religious by making their savour to stinke before their neighbours and acquaintance through their lies and forgeries so putting a sword into their hand to slay them as the children of Israel unjustly charged Moses and Aaron touching Pharaoh and his servants Ex. 5.21 or how many soever are drawn to do and commit the like sinnes by their example even so many of Christs band they have as much as in them lyeth diminished and shall one day be arraigned and condemned not only for high treason against our Soveraign Lord Christ but also for slaying so many soules with death eternall which sin having a reward of torment answerable as I shall shew anon must of necessity bring upon them more then double damnation Wherefore let them more wisely then Dives looke to it in time take heed of powring water upon the fire of the Spirit which had more need of kendling then of quenching and beating down the weake hands and knees which should rather bee lifted up for God and against Sathan And thus you see that drunkards and all wicked men whose meat and drink it is to doe the will of their Father ayme at our eternall ruine as the divell did at the
service any factors that make him a better returne of soules any Generall that subdues so many souldiers to him any Advocates which pleade so hard for him as the true drunkard I presume he cannot nominate or thinke of one I confesse a beautifull whorish woman another of the Devills lime-twigs who hath a flattering tongue Pro. 6.24 smooth and enticeing words Pro. 7.5 lips which drop like an hony combe and a mouth more soft then oyle Pro. 5.3 as Salomon speaks doth the Devill singular good service in the businesse of tempting for infinite are the soules which these artificiall Paradises have beguiled yea it cannot be denied but Sathan is more beholding to the face then to all the body besides For as through an Hell upon earth God brings many to Heaven so through an Heaven upon earth many bring themselves to Hell And she hath one priviledge above other tempters for Cockatrice-like she killeth with her very sight yea she is able to take a man with her very eye-lids Pro. 6.25 which makes the wise man say that many have perished by the beauty of women Ecclus 9.8 yet neverthelesse let her have as many lovers as Toringa once had who attempting to count them upon her fingers was forc't to call for a bushell of Pease before she could number them all and strength like Rotorus who contracted with a notable Pirate to serve the turne of him and his hundred souldiers and a will as free as Dunkerke which bids welcome to all commers so that any base Fellow may ride her post to the Devill with a golden bit she shal never be able to fil Hel her body wil not hold out nor help to people that infernall Kingdom as some drunkards doe that are gifted thereafter The which considered together with his other sinnes of idlenesse epicurisme adultery murther his vaine babling scurrilous jesting wicked talking impious swearing atheisme c. for he hath treble heads to Cerberus that ugly Porter of Hell proves him the King or chiefe of sinners as the Basiliske is called the King of Serpents and not onely shewes them to be children of the Devill as they were long since but to be really metamorphosed into Devills as Lots wife was really metamorphosed into a pillar of Salt and Vlysses companions into Hogs and Dogs and Cadmus with his wife into Serpents yea certainely if the Devill would change his properties he would put himselfe into the person and appropriate to himselfe the very qualities of some drunkard how ever he chooseth drunkards to be his instruments to tempt rather then other sinners because they are more fit for it then any other as of all the creatures which God made he chose the Serpent an instrument to tempt Eve because it was more subtile then any beast of the field Gen. 3.1 As also for the naturall affection which they bare to him above other men for the drunkard loves Sathan so extreamely that for the most part he either swims to him in blood or sailes to him in a vessell of wine before nature summons him to depart and will needs be tormented before the time All which their zeale industry VVe should be as zealous and industrious to win soules to God and fervent affection to doe the will of their Father should teach and stirre up Gods people to the like zeale industry and fervent affection to doe the will of their Father Their voluntary lewdnesse calls for our dutifull and more zealous obedience that our God may have as faithfull servants as he hath unfaithfull enemies Shall wicked men be at more cost and paines to please an ill master then we can afford to please so good a God so gracious so loving a Father Shall they labour so hard for that which shall confound them and shall we thinke any paines too much for that which shall save us Is it their meate and drinke to doe mischiefe and shall good duties downe as a Potion with us This were to acknowledge more venome in the seede of the Serpent then there is health in the seede of the woman Indeed the world could not stand before us if our truth might be but as hotly followed as their falsehood O that our God whose cause we maintaine would inkendle our hearts with the fire of holy zeale but so much as Sathan hath inflamed theirs with the fire of fury and faction O Saviour it was thy meate and drinke to doe the will of thy Father how doe we follow thee if we suffer either pleasures or profits to take the wall of thy services But of this elsewhere § 119. FOr I consider Their punishment that both by Gods and mans Law next after inditement and conviction followes sentence and after sentence is past comes execution if a reprive or pardon be not sued out in the interim Wherefore as drunkards have seene their sinne laid open so let them now hearken to their punishment If there be any of these Antipodes to God and his Kingdome who like Trees have rooted both head and heart into the earth and set heaven at their heeles that have in this Treatise as in a picture taken a full view of his owne horrid and detestable condition and with Bupalus the Painter read the lively character of his odious and deformed demeanour and after hee hath seene as in a cleare glasse the ugly face of his foule heart with those spots and wrinkles which otherwise hee could not have confest in himselfe and further seene how miserably hee hath been deluded in his judgement touching the religious and shall notwithstanding resolve against yeelding and preferre the humouring of his soule before the saveing of it and shall thinke it a disparagement to repent him of his errors and would rather obstinately continue in them then disclame them so shutting his eyes that hee may not see and stopping his eares that hee may not heare and hardening his heart that he may not consider presumptuously as Pharaoh did maliciously as Caâ—n did desperately as Ahab did and blasphemously as Iulian did let him know this that he shall surely perish The reason of it is taken out of the Proverbs an Arrow drawne out of Salomon's sententious Quiver read the words and tremble A man that hardneth his neck when he is rebuked shall suddenly be destroyed and cannot be cured Prov. 29.1 yea saith the Lord himselfe Prov. 1.24.25.26 because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out mine hand and ye would not regard but despised al my counsell I will also laugh at your destruction and mock when your feare commeth And of this we have sundry instances The Sonnes of Ely would not harken unto nor obey the voyce of their father why because saith the Text the Lord was determined to destroy them 1 Samuel 2.25 Their hearts must be hardened that they may be destroyed I know saith the Prophet to Amaziah that God hath determined to destroy thee because thou hast done this and hast not obeyed my counsell 2
to follow Christ have his religion judged hypocrisie his Christian prudence craft and policy his Godly simplicity fillinesse his zeale madnes his contempt of the world ignorance his godly sorrow dumpishnesse c. for these and the like as unseasonable frosts nip all gracious offers and beginnings in the bud and as much as in them lyeth with Herod labour to kill Christ in young beginners yea the censures and scoffes of these Atheists and worldlings like the blasts of Rammes-hornes before the walles of Ierico lay al the strength of a young beginners vertue levell at one utterance for the first sparkes of grace are in appearance like fire in greene wood which if it be not followed and cherished will suddenly dye and go out whereby each resolution becomes as a false conception which never lives to the birth of any act And certainly the Divell gets more by such discouragements and the reproaches that are cast upon religion then by fire and faggots for Helena's bowle Medea's unction Venu's girdle nor Circes cup can more inchaunt then this afrights Yea tell me if you can what hath ever beene found such an enemy to vertue as this feare or such a spurre to wickednesse O the multitude of soules that wicked men scoffe out of their religion how many thousands in this kingdome are content to bee misled with the multitude rather then be an object of their scorne and derision how many hold it the best and safest way in differences of religion with out farther question to take the stronger part that so doing as the most doe they may have the fewest to finde fault with them Yea how few are there that goe beyond those white livered Rulers Ioh. 12. who because of the Pharisies and loving the praise of men more then the praise of God chose rather to conceale their knowledge of and love to Christ then to bee cast out of the Synagogue for confessing of him verse 42.43 I dare say a world of people in this land are in Zedekiah his case convinced in their consciences that they ought to doe as their faithfull Prophets warne them but they are afraid they shal be mockt have so many frowns and frumps and censures and scoffes that they cannot buckle to such a course look Ie 38.19 As I doubt not but the preaching of the Word hath so prevailed with many that even think religion a disparagement and that feare nothing more then to have a name that they feare God that they have some secret liking to the truth and power of godlinesse yea strong purposes in better times to owne it if they drop not into hell before those times come So these men owe God some good will but they dare not shew it because of this they would please him yet so as they might not displease others nor themselves with the young man in the Gospell they will follow Christ so Christ propound no other conditions then what they like off But all such carnall thoughts ought to strike saile and give place to that Oracle of our Saviour whosoever shall bee ashamed of me and my words or deny me before or among this adulterous and sinfull generation him will I deny and be ashamed of also before my Father and his holy Angels in heaven Matthew 10.33 Marke 8.38 We read that Caesar's young men were loth to fight and so have scarres only least the women should mislike them so our younge Christians for the most part are so afraid to displease the meretricious world that they feare nothing so much as to bee or seeme good hate nothing more then to bee fashioned according to the Word of God and so whereas shame of face was ordained for sinne now shame is turned from sinne to righteousnesse for they which are not ashamed of the greatest evill are ashamed of the least good and this bashfull Divell never leaves a great many so long as they live whereby with the rich man Luke 16. they never thinke of heaven till tormented in the flames of hell § 189. BUt is not this base blood But it is base blood that blushes to doe will that blushes at a vertuous action Is it not a shame to bee ashamed of things either good or not ill Is it not a sottish feare and cowardise that puls us backe from goodnesse much more that constraines us to evill certainly in any good action that must needs be bad that hinders it But to forbeare good is not all for oftentimes to congratulate the company are not many of us fain to force our selves to unworthinesse and evill actions when we runne exceedingly against the graine Yea even while we are doing them our hearts chide our hands and tongues for transgressing agreeable to that of S. Augustine who confesseth that he was much ashamed of his shamefastnesse and tendernesse in this case and further that he often belyed himself with sinnes which he never committed least hee should bee unacceptable to his sinfull companions and no marvaile when even Peter denyed his Lord and cursed himselfe to get credit amongst a cursed crew Thus as if we cared more to be thought good And they are fooles who wil be sensâ—â—ue of their religion then to bee so indeed we force indurance on our selves to omit good actions and commit evil both against conscience meerly out of feare least lewd men should laugh at us O childish cowardly and base Surely for a man to be scoft out of his goodnesse by those which are lewd is all one as if a man that seeth should blindfold himselfe or put out his eyes because some blind wretches revile and scoffe at him for seeing or as if one that is sound of limms should limpe or maime himselfe to please the cripple and avoid his taunts A wise man will not bee scoft out of his money nor a just man bee flouted out of his faith the taunts of Ishmael shall never make an Isaac out of love with his inheritance Indeed they that least can doe best cavill can but vertue scornes muddy censures and unstained honour to be suborned by vulgar breathes yea she is strongest when shee lives in the presse of many temptations for to doe wel where is neither danger nor solicitation to evill is a common thing but to do well where is both perill and opposition is the peculiar office of a man of vertue for vertue as Metellus speakes rejecteth facility to be her companion Yea he that hath truly learned Christ had rather live hated of all men for goodnesse then beloved of all for vice rather please one good man then content a thousand bad ones his single authority being sufficient to countervaile the disdaine of a whole Parish And indeed how little is that man hurt whom malice condemnes on earth and God commends in heaven let the world accuse us so God doth acquit us it matters not for alasse their words are but like a boyes squib that flashes and cracks and stinks but is nothing
they should dare to make that a shooing-horne to draw on drinke by drinking healthes to him I cannot bee in charity with the places that permit this with the persons that pardon it much lesse with such Belialists as practise it But see greater abominations then these for as yet wee bee but in the Haven if wee launch out into the deepe we shall meete with Sea-monsters farre fowler evills § 29. 3 FRom wicked talking hee proceeds to cursed and impious swearing blaspheming c. His cursed and impious swearing blaspheming c. as you seldome see a Drunkard but hee is a great swearer and not of petty oathes but those prodigious and fearefull ones of Wounds and Blood the damned language of ruffians and monsters of the earth together with God damne me which words many of them use superficially if they repent not Yea the Drunkards and desperate ruffians of our dayes sweare and curse as if Heaven were deafe to their noyse yea they have so sworne away all grace that they count it a grace to sweare and that not onely when they are displeased with others will they tare the name of their Maker in peeces which is no better then frenzie but in their very best moodes Prophane Drunkards sweare even as dogs barke not ever for curstnesse but mostly out of custome neither know they that they sweare though they nothing but sweare as you shall heare a man when reproved for swearing presently rap out oathes that he swore not like men desperately diseased their excrements and filth comes from them at unawares And as by much labour the hand is so hardened that it hath no sense of labour so their much swearing causeth such a brawny skin of senselessenesse to overspread the heart memory and conscience that the swearer sweareth unwittingly and having sworne hath no remembrance of his oath much lesse repentance for his sinne O the numberlesse number of oathes and blasphemies that one blacke mouthed Drunkard spits out in defiance as it were of God and all prohibitions to the contrary Yea I dare affirme it had some one of them three thousand pounds per Annum his meanes would hardly pay those small twelve penny multes which our Statute imposes upon swearers were it duly executed And if so to what number wil the oathes amount which are sworne throughout the whole land yea in some one Alehouse or Taverne where they sit all day in troopes doing that in earnest which wee have seene boyes doe in sport stand on their heads and shake their heeles against Heaven where even to heare how the name of the Lord Iesus is pierced would make a dumbe man speake a dead man almost to quake Did you never heare how Caesar was used in the Senate house if not yet you know how a kennell of Hounds will fall upon the poore Hare one catcheth the head another the leg a third the throate and amongst them shee is torne in peeces even so these hellish miscreants these bodily and visible Devills having their tongues fired and edged from Hell fall upon the Lord Iesus one cryes Wounds another Blood a third Heart a fourth Body a fifth Soule and never leave stabbing and tearing him with their stinges till no whole place be left Thus they pierce his side with oathes and teare all his wounds open againe whereas the Iewes did but crucifie him below on the earth when hee came to suffer these crucifie him above in Heaven where hee sits on his throne And which I feare to thinke it may bee a question whether there bee more oathes broken or kept for woe is mee one sells an oath for a bribe another lends an oath for favour another casts it away for malice c. but the Drunkard without any incitement tumbleth out oathes at adventure and is as lavish of them as of ill language O misery O wickednesse What shall I say that ever any who weares Christs badge and beares his name should thus rise up against him that ever those tongues which dare call God Father should suffer themselves thus to be moved and possessed by that uncleane Spirit that ever those mouthes which have received the sacred Body and Blood of the Lord of life should endure to swallow these odious morsells of the Devills carving § 30. BUt as the Church doth not owne such wicked and prophane wretches for her children so Drunkards deserve like dirt in the house of God to be throwne out if they had their due like dirt in the house of God they should be throwne out into the streete or as excrements and bad humors in mans body which is never at ease till it bee thereof disburthened as St. Augustine speakes Neither could they blame any except themselves in case they were marked with the blacke cole of infamy and their company avoided as the Apostle adviseth Rom. 16.17 2 Thes 3.6.14 Eph. 5.5.7 1 Cor. 5.5.11 1 Tim. 1.20 if they were to us as Lepers were among the Iewes or as men full of plague soares are amongst us for as the Holy Pages before quoted warrant this so there are many good reasons for it as First because even the Gospell 1 Because they bring an ill name upon the Gospell cause the enemy to blaspheme God and the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles and an evill scandall raised upon the whole Church through their superlative wickednesse Rom. 2.24 As what else but the unchristianlike behaviour of such Christians hath caused the Turkes even to detest the true Religion And what was it that alienated the Indians from the Christian Religion and made them refuse the Gospell brought by the Spaniards but this they saw their lives more savage then those savages Yea it made the poore Indians resolve that what religion soever the Spaniards were of they would be of the contrary thinking it unpossible that such cruell and bloody deeds could proceed from any true Religion or that hee could be a good God who had such evill Sonnes and the argument is of force for who are Scythians if these be Saints who are Canniballs if these be Catholiques Whereas in the primitive times more of them were wonne to the faith by the holy lives of Christians then by the doctrine which they taught they made the world to reade in their lives that they did believe in their hearts and caused the Heathen to say this is a good God whose servants are so good for thus they reasoned these men are surely of God and without doubt looke for a world to come Neither was the Gospell thus honoured by some few onely but by all that profes't it For Tertullian witnesseth that in his time a Christian was knowne from another man only by the holinesse and uprightnesse of his life and conversation But as for prime Christians viz. the auncient Fathers their labours their learning their sincerity to men and devotion to God was the wonder of the world whereas all the difference betweene these and very
I can witnes that one of no meane parts being invited to a buriall puld out his key in the Church being halfe a sleepe halfe awake and knockt on the pew crying Drawer what is to pay By all which it appeares that drunkennesse deprives men both of wit and memory and yet madly wee persue this vice as the kindler of them but no wonder when the forbidden Tree which promised our first parents knowledge took their knowledge from them the same divell having a hand in both I might proceed to his knowledge in the best things and shew you As drunkards are purblind to worldly wisdome so they are stark blind to heavenly that whereas some are like the Moone at full have all their light towards earth none towards heaven other like the Moone at wane or change have all their light to heaven-wards none to the earth drunkards are like the Moon in Eclips having no light in it selfe nether towards earth nor towards heaven Though they are apt to thinke themselves Giants for wit and Eagles for light and judgement even in Divinity also which makes them so put themselves forward as how often have I seene a case of leather stuft with wind as he in Marcellus Donatus thought himself a very beefe-brain'd fellow that hath had onely impudence enough to shew himselfe a foole thrust into discourses of religion thinking to get esteeme when all that he hath purchased thereby hath beene onely the hisse of the wise and a just derision from the abler judgements not unlike that Germane Clown who undertooke to be very ready in the ten Commandements but being ask'd by the Minister which was the first he answered thou shalt not eat If you doubt of it doe but aske the drunkard a reason of his faith and you shall see hee can no more tell you then the winde can tell which last blew off my hat Or onely heare him relate what the Minister spake for seldome but hee stumbles at and mistakes his words for as when S. Augustine justified free will against the Manichees the ignorant would take him for a Pelagian and when he denied free-will to the Pelagians they would take him for a Manichee when he was neither but disputed against both the extreames the one utterly denying it the other too highly extolling it so when the Minister teacheth that it is impossible for a man to bee justified by his workes bee they never so glorious and exact performaÌ„ces these brutish drunkards wil cry out he condemneth good works if he shew them the necessity of living well they 'll thinke hee excludeth faith from justifying let him prove it a dead faith which is without good workes and those good workes but shining sins which are without faith and shew that both faith and workes are equally necessary to salvation and they will understand hee meanes them both as meritorious causes whereas he acknowledgeth neither but faith as an instrument good workes as a necessary concomitant God alone the efficient and Christ alone the meritorious cause of salvation for know this that good workes cannot justifie us before the severe Tribunall of Almighty God our workes deserve nothing it is onely in Christ that they are accepted and onely for Christ that they are rewarded Neither is it faith which properly saves us but the righteousnesse of Christ whereon it is grounded by grace yee are saved through faith Ephesians 2.8 It is the God of truth that speakes it and woe unto him that shall make God a lyer by grace effectually through faith instrumentally we are not justified for the onely act and quality of believing it is the justice of Jesus that justifies us which faith apprehends it was the brazen Serpent that healed not the eye that looked on it yet without a looking eye there was no helpe to the wounded party by the promised vertue It is true our Adversaries oppose this doctrine both with Pens and Tongues violently in the Schooles invectively in the Pulpets but come they once to their death-beds to argue it betweene God and their owne soules then grace and grace alone mercy and onely mercy Iesus and none but Iesus this their great Belweather is driven to confesse yea saith another give us this faith and then let our enemies doe their worst the Devill tempt the world afflict sinne menace death afright yet faith will vanquish all through the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ Againe let a Minister speak against affectation of learning in Sermons they will say he condemnes learning let him tell such as live and allow themselves in drunkennesse adultery swearing deceiving c. that they are in a damnable condition and in a reprobate sense they will say he calls them reprobates and judgeth them damned in all which they resemble the Saddâ—ces who tooke occasion to deny the Resurrection from that wholsome doctrine taught that we should neither serve God for reward nor feare of punishment but meerely out of obedience and love or the Iewes who when Christ speake of the Temple of his body understood him to meane the materiall Temple and thereupon tooke great exceptions Yea we have a world of such amongst us who seeme Malchus like to have their right eares cut off they heare so sinisterly And rather then not carpe if the Minister but use a similitude for ornament and illustration sake borrowed from nature or history they will say he affirmes the matter thereof possitively to be true like as that simple fellow thought Pontius Pilate must needs be a Saint because his name was put in the Creede And so much to prove that the Drunkard hath neither wit nor memory § 42. HAve we yet done no An unpardonable crime not to drinke as they doe I would we had I would we were well rid of these filthes but let us proceed in speaking as they doe in drinking By that time these gutmongers have gulped downe so many quarts as either of their names hath letters in it they have drawne in some fresh man who perhaps after the third health refuseth to drinke any more being of Diogenes his humor who being urg'd at a banquet to drinke more then he was willing emptied his glasse upon the ground saying if I drinke it I not onely spill it but it spills me so this mans unacustomed rudenesse and monstrous inhumanity begins a quarrell For it is an unexcusable sault or as I may say an unpardonable crime to refuse an health or not to drinke equall with the rest or to depart while they are able to speake sense and this they can almost prove for was not Pentheus son to Echion and Agave by his owne Mother and Sister torne in peeces for contemning of Bacchus his feasts hereupon many have lost their lives because they would not drinke but happily by Gods blessing and the parties patience in bearing their fowle language he hath delivered himselfe of their company at which they are so vexed that they gnaw their owne tongues for spight and
and Abihu when they offered strange fire meant well no question and had some good and holy intention in it yet they were burnt with fire from Heaven for their labour because God had flatly forbidden it Levit. 10.1 2. As for Vzza when the Arke of God was shaken in the Cart there is no question to be made but he had a solid reason to yeeld why he held it from falling and that his intent was good none will question yet because he did it without warrant from the Word the Lords wrath was kindled against him and hee was smitten dead 1 Chro. 13.19.10 Peters intents were very good and I could furnish him with reasons for his perswading of Christ from his passion yet neverthelesse he had this answer get thee behinde mee Sathan Math. 16.22.23 never any man meant better then Gideon in his rich Ephod yet this very act set all Israell on whooring Iudg. 8.24 to 28. When the wit of man will be pleasing God with better devices then his owne it turnes to madnesse and ends in mischiefe as our Papists will one day finde to whom superstition dictates that it is pleasing to God to Deifie the Blessed Mother of our Lord to helpe their devotions with a crucifix Images c. in great humility to make the favourites of Heaven their mediators and those Judges Jurors and Arbitrators who take it for a pious and charitable worke to esteeme a poore man in his cause when God hath charged them expressely Thou shalt not favour the person of the poore nor honour the person of the mighty but thou shalt judge thy neighbour justly Levit 19.15 Exod. 23.3 Yea suppose wee doe that which God commands in substance yet if wee faile in the intention and end namely in ayming at the glory of God and the good of our neighbour if wee doe it for any private respects and not in obedience to the commandement God rejects it and reckons it no better then sin and iniquity for many shall say unto Christ at the day of judgement Lord Lord wee have proâ—hesied in thy name and in thy name cast out Devills then which no worke can be greater and in thy name done many wonderfull workes yet Christ shall answere them I never knew you depart from mee yee that worke iniquitie Math. 7.22.23 Many yeares did Saul raigne over Israel yet God computes him but two yeares a King 1 Sam. 13.1 That is not accounted of God to be done which is not well done both in substance and circumstance And as in committing that which is forbidden so in omitting that which is commanded it is no lesse dangerous how good soever our meanings bee Saul in a good intent shewed mercy in saving Agâ—g the King of Amaleck yet because hee did not therein obey the voice of the Lord it was no better then Witchcraft for which he was rejected of God and his Kingdome taken away 1 Sam. 15.23 And how much better is the pardoning of a murtherer when the Lord hath said who so sheddeth mans blood by man shall his blood bee shed Genesis 9.6 I perswade my selfe hee who refused to smite the Prophet and fetch blood of him upon his owne intreaty though hee did wonderous well if not merit in denying his request but what was the issue because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the Lord saith the Prophet to him behold as soone as thou art departed from mee a Lyon shall slay thee and so it fell out 1 Kings 20.35.36 Not to smite a Prophet when God commands is no lesse sinne then to smite a Prophet when God forbids when hee commands even very cruelty is obedience as Abraham's killing of his onely Son had bene the most heroicall and religious act thâ—t ever wee read of Why was Sacrifice it selfe good but because it was commanded What difference was there betweene slaughter and Sacrifice but obedience The violation of the least charge of a God is mortall no pretences can warrant the transgression of a divine command which made Nehemiah and should have done that man of God also 1 King 13. not onely distrust a Prophet but reject his counsell with scorne that perswaded him to the violation of a law Nehemiah 6.10.11.12 One prohibition is enough for a good man God as he is one so doth he perfectly agree with himselfe if any private spirit crosse a written word let him be accursed Wherefore have a better warrant for thy practise then either Reason or good intentions or thou maist goe to Hell notwithstanding for there is nothing more dangerous then to mint Gods services in our owne braines § 54. BUt thou wilt say That onely Law and precept must be our rule if neither custome of the greatest number nor of the greatest men nor of the greatest Schollers nor of the best men though thou hast Reason for thy doing it and good Intentions in the doing of it is a sufficient warrant for thy actions but that all these be crooked and deceitfull guides then what may bee a safe guide and a sure and infalliblerule in all cases to steere by and square the course of thy life Answ As a rule directeth the Artificer in his worke and keepeth him from erring so doth Gods word direct the Religious in their lives and keepe them from erring The right way is the signified Will of God and whatsoever swarves from or is repugnant to the right is wrong and crooked Law and Precept is a streight line to shew us whether we doe misbeleeve or mislive we have a most sure Word of the Prophets and Apostles sayes Peter 2 Peter 1.19 a sure foundation saith St. Paul 1 Cor. 3.11 Eph. 2.20 and as many as walke according to this rule peace shall bee upon them and the Israell of God Gal. 6.16 search the Scriptures saith our Saviour for in them ye thinke to have eternall life and they are they which testifie of me Iohn 5.39 All Beleevers are tied to the Scriptures as the Iewes are tyed to their Cabala the Turkes to their Alcaron Logicians to the Axioms of their Aristotle Physitians to the Aphorismes of their Hippocrates and Galen Geometricians to the compasses of Euclid Rhetoricians to the Precepts of Tully Lawyers to the Maxims of their Iustinian and Grammarians to the rules of their Priscian and it hath ever beene the care of Christians to sticke close to the written Word having alwayes and in all cases an eye thereunto even as the Load-stone what way soever the wind bloweth turnes alwayes to the North Pole it is as a Load Star to guide the ships of their soules and bodies in the right way to Heaven And without this written Word a man in the world is as a ship on the Sea without a guide The holy Scriptures are a store house of all good instructions it is the Christians Armory wherein are many Sheilds to defend our selves and many Swords to offend our Enemies yea each precept as a Sword will both defend and slay It
is like the Tower of David built for defence a thousand shields hang therein and all the Targets of the strong men Cant. 4.4 it is a cleare glasse wherein wee may see our beauty and deformity yea the least spots of evill and be directed to wipe them out It is a light saith Theophilus which discovereth unto us all the slights and snares of our spirituall adversaries yea nothing can deceive them saith he that reade the Scriptures Thy word saith David is a lanthorne to my feete and a light unto my pathes Psal 119.105 this Ariadnes clew of thred guides the beleever through the worlds maze of temptations unto the glorious liberty of the Sonnes of God It is an Apothecaries shop saith St. Basil full of all soveraigne Medicines wherein every man may have cure for his disease and there is no part or passion of our Soules saith St. Chrysostome but needeth physicke and cure from the holy Scriptures In fine it is their counseller it is their wisdome it is their strength it is their food it is their Physicke it is their wealth it is their joy it is their life it is their all in all if they have this they want nothing if they want this they have nothing But see one of these particulars illustrated for I will not spin out each of these Metaphors into a long continued Allegory Suppose any little David a child of God be set upon by the greatest spirituall Goliah that ever was namely the World or the Flesh or the Devill himselfe let him but chose out of this brook the Scripture a few stones precepts threats promises keepe them in the Scrippe of his memory hurle them with the Arme of a strong faith from the string of his tongue as occasion serveth at the combatant with the level of Christian prudence even the stoutest of them shall be compelled to leave the field and give up his weapons As for example if thou be tempted to pride answer it 's written that God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble Iames 4.6 That all proud persons are under the Devills regiment his subjects and vassalls Iob. 41.25 If to cruelty that they shall have judgment mercilesse which shew not mercy Iames 2.13 If to contemne reproofe or hate thy reprover that hee which hardeneth his necke when he is reproved shall suddenly be destroyed and cannot be cured Pro 29.1 If to sweare that â—athes carse the land to mourne Hosea 4.2.3 And that the curse of God shall never depart from the house of the swearer untill it be consumed Zach. 5.3.4 If to covetousnesse that the love of money causeth many to fall into divers temptations and snares and many foolish and noysome lusts which drowne men in perdition and destruction 1 Tim. 6.9.10 If to Hypocrisie that it is the sin against which our Saviour pronounced seven woes in one Chapter and adjudge to the lowest place in Hell Math. 23. If to despaire through the consideration of thy manifold sinnes and infirmities that Christ came not to call the righteous but weary and heavie laden sinners to repentance Math. 9.13 and 11.28 that he who strives most and not hee who sinnes least shall be best accepted with God If to lust that the Law ordaine death for the Adulterer Levit. 20.10 and the Gospell excludes the fornicator out of Heaven 1 Cor. 6.9.10 If to drunkennesse that Hell enlargeth it selfe for drunkards and openeth her mouth without measure that all they may descend into it Isaiah 5.14 And so in every other case which can be named as well as in this of temptation have but recourse to the written Word this as an Oracle from Heaven shall give thee plenary satisfaction and by this meanes viz. by applying with our Saviour it is written it is written Math. 4. thou shalt so silence and overcome the spirit of untrueth that though he solicite thee by the World or the Flesh or by a Prophet or an Angell from Heaven hee shall not be strong enough to divert thee from the good thou intendest yea let fire and faggot doe their worst as once in Queene Maries time yet nothing shall be able to separate thee from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus Rom. 8.35 to 39. And thus wee see the Word of God to the faithfull is an Armory out of which they may furnish themselves with all kind of munition a Magazine out of which they may be furnished with all manner of needfull provision whereas on the contrary he which lives without making this his rule he who sets not the Diall or Clocke of his life by this Sunne hee who directeth not his course in walking by this North-Pole or load-starre but by the wavering uncertaine moovable stars of custome Example Reason or good intentions sayles without a compasse and may looke every minute to be swallowed up in the Ocean of sin and judgement God hath made a promise to us to keep us in all our wayes Psalm 91.11 but not out of them we are in our wayes so long as we have a command or warrant out of the word for what we doe to be kept by God is so to have him watch over us by his fatherly providence and protection that nothing shall befall us but what is good for us and to have a continuall guard of Angles to protect and keepe us from every approaching evill Psalme 91.10 11 12. How safe then and happy is the man that is resolved to doe nothing without God who commands all creatures both in Heaven Earth and Hell and they obey him the consideration of which made Luther so couragious that being perswaded by his friends to absent himselfe from the Diet at Wormes hee made answer though all the tyles of the houses were so many Divells yet would I goe thether he knew he should have more and mightier with him then against him being in his way that is having a warrant out of the Word for what hee went about Neither could he want examples to encourage him herein wee see David being in his way it was not the Lion nor the Beare nor that great Goliah nor Saul himself though he darts a speare twise at him sends to seek him throughout all the thousands of Iudah and layes so many plots to take away his life could doe him any harme Elisha being in his way rather then the Assyrians mighty Host shall hurt him the mountaine shall bee full of Horses and Chariots of fire to reskew him 2 King 6.17 neither shall Ahab or Iesabel hurt Eliah though they threaten much and do their worst 1 Kin. 19.2 Let Daniel and the three children be in their way do nothing either forthrough feare or flattery but what they have warrant for out of Gods Word and then throw the one into the Lions den and the other into the fiery furnace Gods providence shall so keepe them that not a haire of their heads shall perish Dan. 3.27 and 6.22 Let the same consideration prevaile
with us Have wee a warrant out of the word are wee in the path of Gods protection in the way wherein the Angels guard and watch Let us go on valiantly and not feare what men or divels can doe unto us When Ioseph had a command from God to goe out of Egypt into the Land of Israel after Archelaus succeeded his father Herod he was sore affraid and as it seemeth loath to go yet considering that God had commanded him he disputeth no longer with flesh and blood but goeth his way Mat. 2.22 It is too much tendernesse to respect the scoffes and censures and threats of others when wee have a direct word from God the fearefull sluggard will cry a Lion in the way Pro. 26.13 yea but the Scriptures cry an Angell yea many Angels to stop the Lions mouth the Lion is in those by-wayes in which the Prophet walked 1 Kin. 13.24 On the other side if God take no charge of us but when wee are in our wayes yea in his by having a warrant out of the Word how are they in their wayes who spend their whole time in drinking swearing whoring c. who persecute the godly for keeping close to this Word If that be Gods way where did he chalk it out where or in what part of his Word hast thou a warrant to doe these things or to hate persecute revile slander reproach contemne deride or censure men for being holier and more temperate then thy selfe If thou want his word looke not for his protection and miserable is that man who in dangerous actions is left to his owne keeping it fares with him touching his spirituall adversaries as with the Deere that leapes over the Park pale and straggles abroad which a hundred to one doth cost her her life or as it did vvith Shemei vvhen hee past his bounds set him by the King vvho lost his life for his labour 1 King 2.42.43.46 As for example Pharaoh and his Host were out of their way when they pursued the children of Israel going out of Egypt but how sped they the Sea devided to let the Israelites pass but swallowed them up quicke Exod. 14.28 Baalam was out of his way when hee rode to Balack with an intent to curse Israell when God had forbidden him so to doe but the Angel of the Lord met him with a naked sword and had slaine him if the Asse had not turned away Numb 22.33 Sampson was out of his way when hee went in to the harlot Dalilah or els God had not departed from him neither could the Philistims have bound him Iudg. 16 20.21 Ionas was out of his way when he was sayling to Tarshis God having sent him to Ninive but how sped hee the windes and waves stormes and tempests conspired together to crosse him and would not be pacified untill hee was cast into the Sea Ionas 1.12 15. And thus Caine when he went out into the field to slay his brother Abel Gen. 4.8 to 15. Corah Dathan and Ahiram with those two hundred and fifty Captaines when they gathered themselves together against Moses and Aaron Num. 16.32 Haman when he went out unto the King to procure that bloody decree against the Iewes Ester 3.9 Absalom when hee rose up against his Father to usurpe the Kingdome 2 Sam. 15. The 42. children when they followed the Prophet calling him bald-head 2 Kin. 2.23.24 The seduced Prophet when he went beyond his commission set him by God 1 King 13. The two Captaines and their fifties when they went to apprehend Eliah 2 King 1.10.12 Iudas when he went unto the high Priests to sell his Master and backe with the Officers to betray him with a kisse Marke 14. and lastly Paul before his conversion when hee went with authority from the high Priests to persecute the Christians at Damascus Acts 9.1 2. they were all out of their way but how did they speed I need not tell you vvhat fearefull revenges and sudden destruction they met vvithall in their journeys onely the last vvas crost vvith a blessing and instead of judgement received mercy though thou canst no more presume to fare as hee did then I can presume to live and have the same strength forty yeares hence that I have at this present because it hapned to be so vvith Caleb Ioshua 14.11 § 55. VVHerefore looke to it in time Vse and application of the former doctrine and if thou meanest not to meet vvith destruction by the vvay keepe out of the vvorlds road you see this your reason is saplesse and vvants vveight to bee received yea vvee may say of this common objection as Ierom said of the Pelagian Heresies even a repetition of it is a sufficient refutation of it neither needs it any other confutation but derision and a meer hissing at You see that al vvho follovv example vvhether of the greatest number or the greatest men or the greatest Schollers or the best men or reason or good intentions are miserably deluded and that things ought to bee judged by Law and not by examples that Gods precepts must be our only presidents and that this onely evidences a good conscience vvhen the maine vveight vvhich sets the vvheeles on vvorke is the conscience of Gods Commandement As for thy translating and laying the fault of thy drinking upon others that is but a meere pretence it faring vvith thee as it did vvith Harpaste a blind vvoman in Seneca's family vvho mindles of her ovvn infirmity complained that the house vvas darke vvherein she vvas or as it did vvith another spoken of by the same Seneca vvho having a thorne in his foot imputed the cause of his limping to the roughnesse of the vvay for if thine ovvn heart vvere not vile and vvicked custome and evill example could no more svvay thee then it doth some other men vvho shine as lights in the midst of this crooked generation yea thou vvouldest therfore redeeme the time because the dayes are evill Ephes 5.16 Alasse no man that hath grace in his heart vvill make the badnes of the times a cloak to excuse his conformity in drinking and vvasting of his precious hovvres vvickedly but rather a spur to incite him to be so much the more carefull not to be svvayed with the common streame Happy is that man who makes anothers vices steps to climbe to heaven by and so doth every wise and good man Even the mud of the world by the industrious Hollander is turned to an usefull fuell and the Mariner that hath Sea-roome can make any winde serve to set him forward in his wished voyage And good reason have they to make this use of the corruption of the times for if the aire be generally infectious had wee not need bee so much the more strict in our diet and carefull in the use of wholesome preservatives Generallity of assent is no warrant for any act we that are Christians must not live by prophane examples but by Gods holy precepts Indeed common errors carry away
friend's sake but for the drink 's sake that you drink not out of need but lust not for health but for delight But we will accept of their owne confession take them at their word and see whether they mend not the matter as the Divell mended his damms legg who instead of putting it into joynt brake it quite in peeces for I am much mistaken if they doe not double their shame by so excusing their fault for what more aggravates any sinne then this that men commit it as I have shewed men usually sweare only because it is sinne and God forbid's it having neither profit nor pleasure nor credit nor nothing else to induce them to it Surely the lesse provocation the greater the offence yea greater the malice of the offender and greater his dishonour that is offended this is not only for a rich man to bee a thiefe and a lier an old man to be a fornicator both which are abomination to the Lord but it is all one as if a chast man should force himself to commit a rape upon one whom hee cares not for onely to spite her Husband or Parent which sinne seemes to out-weigh any ransome § 66. AGaine whereas I charge them with covetousnesse 4 Cause covetousnesse and tell them this is another cause they will thinke I am madd What they covetous who so generous free bountifull yea they hate a covetous hoggrubber with a perfect hatred and yet none more covetous for drunkards are not more ryotous in spending then in gathering they are covetous and what is it any one of these melting prodigals will not practise rather then let his port decline yea what lewdnesse or basenesse will hee not put in practise rather then want to satisfie his lusts Yea aske them why they drinke and keepe company so much their most usuall answer is alasse I should have no worke I should neither get nor keep my customers I should never else buy a good bargaine c. for it is admirable to think and incredible to believe how the divell blindes them in this particular but I passe it for an Angel from heaven shal not perswade them to the contrary but that it is very profitable for them though a stander by may plainly see that they spend more in time then in money and more in money ofttimes then they get by their drunken customer as it is usuall with many Dutchmen to spend the best part of three whole dayes and nights in the Taverne to drive a bargain neither wil they make any bargaine untill they have sharpened their wits with the essence of good liquor and then are they as they thinke crafty and politicke that they will deceive any man that shall deale with them I have heard one of them boast he had gotten a thousand pounds this way and his reason was when he dranke most he could bargaine best But when both the Buyer and Seller goe away with this conceit that each have over-reach't the other the Devill must needs delude one of them and I am sure the Vintner will be paid for his wine But alasse the Devill hath so besotted them that they will beleeve him even contrary to their owne knowledge as it fares with Witches who although they know the Devill to be the Father of lyes yet will trust him But for my part I shall as soone beleeve that Adam spake Dutch in Paradise according to Goropius Becanus his idle fancy as beleeve thee the richer for thy drinking § 67. ANd as for pride 5 Cause reputation of good fellowship they know not what it meanes it 's an ill signe they are proud when they goe in rags being able to spend so much as they doe and yet any eyes but their owne may see that they care not what they spend or how much they drinke yea even forcing nature beyond their ability for popular applause and to have others commend them for joviall as one to get him a name built Diana's Temple which was one of the worlds wonders another to get him a name burnt it but failed of his expectation for to prevent his hopes they suffered not his name to be put in the Chronicle But these have their aime are reputed generous and brave blades which commendations is like the praise that Homer gives of Paris that is praising the beauty of his Locks but making him to be the ruine of his country or like that which is spoken of Pope Boniface the eight viz. that he was famous yet for nothing but his wickednesse Since they cannot be notable they would be notorious and with Caine marked though for murtherers Opinion is all they stand upon and that from men more gallant then wise that have more heart then braine yea more lust pride and ignorance then either Yea the fame and reputation of good fellowship with them is more sweete then life then salvation for they had rather be famous men upon earth though it be for infamy then glorified Saints in Heaven yea they had rather goe to Hell then be counted Puritans for shaking hands with their old associats wherin they resemble Saul who stood more upon the praise of men then the favour of God or Vlysses who pretended to love his native country Ithaca so dearely that for it he would refuse to be immortall or the Lord Cordes with whom it was a common by-word that he would be content to be in Hell seven yeares so he might have the honour of winning Cales from the English or some unconscionable Fathers who will goe to the Devill to make their Sonnes Gentlemen live miserably and damne their owne soules that their's may be left rich they so love their children above themselves for as these so drunkards are proud of basenesse I can feele their Pulses beate hither But when all 's done a good name is more to be respected then a great Forsooth they would get a name and indeede they doe get the names of common drunkards which will never be done away Or admit they get the name of good fellowes how ridiculous is that name when it is gotten Achitophel hath a name Iudas hath a name Beelzebub hath a name the powder Traytors have got them a name but it were happy for such names if they might dye for they will stinke while they live and so doth the drunkards when he hath obtained the name of good fellow in my judgment and if I cannot beate the Vulgar from their contrary opinion yet I will be sure the Vulgar shall never beate it into me I could here tell you of another pride Or pride of wit which occasions many to drinke and keepe company Pride of wit not that drunkards are thereof guilty but as Narcissus doted upon his owne shadow so they conceit of their owne Embryan discourse as the Crow of her owne Birds that it is fairer and better then ordinary or else they would not be at such charges to have you heare it If ye doubt
Horses are violently gallopping to Hell if the Spirit of God by repentance as with a bridle suddenly gives a jerck and turnes them yea sets them going as fast the other way in the more narrow path towards heaven presently those our companions in the broad way stand marvelling at us that wee breake off company and envie to see themselves casheered and good reason for the world as you have heard looseth a limme or member in every one that repenteth The men of the world thinke it quarrell enough to the children of God that they will no longer continue miserable with them if the Gibeonites but turn to Ioshua then there is quarrell enough for the Amorites against Gibeon they cannot abide to loose any of their community neither is it otherwise with the head of this hellish complicies there needs no other cause of his utmost fury then to see a poore soule strugling to get out of the reach of his tyranny That great Dragon the Divell and these his subjects drunkards make warre and are wrath with none but the woman and the remnant of her seed which keepe the Commandements of God and have the testimony of Iesus Christ Revel 12.17 The Divell and the World are much like the proscription of the Inquisition or the Athenian Ostracisme which throweth out none but the best and worthiest among men Nothing is more distastfull to the World then for a man to seperate and divorce himselfe from her evill society and wicked customes It seemeth to them strange saith Saint Peter that you runne not with them to the same excesse of ryot therefore speak they evill of you 1 Peter 4.4 He that refuseth an health or wil not sweare hee that cannot conforme to the vices of lewd men is more taken notice of then a great Personage as a blazing Sarre is more gazed upon then the Sunne because the one is strange the other common and he had need bee much more carefull of his actions then another man for they will lie in wait to finde faults in him and let him slip never so little if it bee not a wonder it is strange and all strangers wee observe more strictly then wee doe those that have dwelt among us § 101. IT is betweene the seed of the Serpent and the seed of the Woman Let us turn openly prophane their quarrell is at an end as betweene Turkes and Chrictians the Turkes call and account Christians as Dogs but let the same Christians turne Turkes and they shall bee highly reckoned of so let us turne openly prophane their quarrell is at an end nothing but our goodnesse is the whetstone of their envie so that one notable proofe of saving grace in us is the exercise of their malice against us Iohn 15.19 Alasse had we continued the Divels subjects we should have beene let alone The Israelites were never set upon by Pharaoh and all his forces Sathan disturbs not his owne untill they were gone out of his land the blind man nor his parents were ever troubled of the Iewes untill Christ cured him of his blindnesse nor the diseased man grudged at for eight and thirty yeares together till Christ said unto him take up thy bed and walke but then as hee carries his bed so he carried reproaches so long as S. Paul joyned with the high Priests and Elders to make havock of the Church hee was no whit molested by them but when hee became a Convert and preach'd in the name of Iesus who so hated and persecuted as he If the Church travell and bring forth a male it is in danger of the Dragon's streames but not else that Goliah defies none but the Host of the liveing God Sathan meddles not with his owne they are as sure as temptation can make them they meddle not with repentance and hee meddles not with them to sinne hee would have our paths smooth and calme and pleasant winning us forward but if wee turne our feet towards Sâ—on then he encounters and blocks up our way with temptations yea then this Ahab will wage cruell war with and fight against us untill hee recovers his Ramoth Gilead that is our soule 1 Kings 22.3 otherwise he is more subtile then to spend his malice on them that doe him ready service carnall drunkards need no entreaty much lesse be forced to bee officious for they have a free will to that which is evill it is only a Iob that the divell delights to vex with anguish hee knowes an Absolom will runne laughing to hell it is some Peter whom Sathan desires to winnow Luk. 22.31 some are all chaff he wil not meddle with them Ephraim is joyned with Idols let him alone Hosea 4.17 let him alone saith God let him alone faith Sathan he is as fast as I would wish him so all is in peace Luk. 11.21 But let them take it for a fearefull signe of a dead heart No greater temptation then not to be tempted when they feele not Sathans buffetings for there is not a greater temptation saith Gregrory then not to bee tempted why they shall not feele his hate till they feele his heate even his unquenchable fire in the burning lake Alasse hee ceaseth to tempt them whom hee hath already wonne but the godly are enemies therefore they must looke to be assaulted Neither were he his craftsmaster if he did otherwise Doth any Prince or Generall make warre with his owne subjects or souldiers that march under his colours no but with rebells and enemies What Jayler layes more bolts upon the shackled malefactor that loves his Prison and would not change this is for such as have attempted to breake Prison Besides there is great reason why the godly are tempted more then the wicked because the wicked doe him service in this particular and tempt others Again the crafty thiefe will not break into an empty house but where he may finde some good booty the empty Traveller sings before the thiefe and may passe unmolested it is the ful purse which invites the highway man The Pirat never spends his shott upon Cole-Ships but le ts flie at the rich Merchant so if the Divell and his instruments drunkards set upon us it is a good argument and we may presume there is the Treasure of grace at least the beginnings of it for where there is no light there is no shadow As Christ was no sooner baptised and the Spirit descended on him but presently Sathan had a bout with him yea as Iacob was no sooner conceived in the wombe then Esau strove with him Gen. 25.22 so every true Christian begins his warre with his being both our births are accompanied vvith teares so that vvhen once vvee put our endeavours to godlinesse expect no quiet for a Christians life can no more bee vvithout sorrovves then the Sea can bee vvithout vvaves and flovvings And yet our case vvould be far vvorse Our case would be far worse if we should be at peace with them if vve should yeeld
as ther is a disparity betweene God and Sathan no certainely the corporall sympathy is nothing in comparison of the spirituall antipathy which is between the two natures Divilish and Divine If Athens and Sparta could never agree Vertue and vice can never accord for that the one was addicted to serve Minerva the other Mars being each of them Heathens there must needs bee a greater enmity betweene a regenerate man and him that is wholly carnall for what fellowship as the Apostle speaks can there be betweene righteousnesse and unrighteousnesse what communion betweene light and darknesse and what concord betweene Christ and Beliall and what peace between the Believer and the Infidel 2 Cor. 6.14.15 and wherein doe these godlesse persons drunkards though they live in our Church differ from infidels onely in name An enemy may be reconciled enmity cannot A vicious person may bee made vertuous but vice and vertue can never accord these are so diametrically opposite that the two Poles shall sooner meet then these be reconciled A wicked man saith Salomon is abomination to the just and he that is upright in his way is abomination to the wicked Prov. 29.27 and S. Iames witnesseth that the amity of the world is the enmity of God and that whosoever will bee a friend of the world maketh himselfe the enemy of God Iames 4.4 Michael and the Dragon cannot agree in one heaven nor Nehemiah and Sanballat in one City nor the cleane and the Leprous in one Campe nor the Arke and Dagon in one house nor God and Idols in one Temple nor Iohn and Cerinthus in one Bath nor Isaac and Ishmael in one family nor Iacob and Esau in one wombe In vaine then shall any man attempt to make an agreement betwixt a wicked and a godly man except the one of wicked becomes godly or the other of godly becomes wicked for there is such an enmity or mutuall malevolence between person and person That as the fish Lexus is poyson to man and man to him so these can no way brooke one another Yea that cannot properly bee said to ridd this enmity out of them which rids them out of the world death it selfe for what wee reade of those two Birds Aegithalus and Achanthus namely that they so hate one another living that being dead their bloods will not mix but presently separates and that which is recorded of Florus and Anthus Polynices and Etheocles viz. that the two former being killed their bloods would not bee mixed the two latter being burnt together their ashes instantly parted is truly verified in this enmity and antipathy which is in the seed of the Serpent against the seed of the Woman for it is so deadly and mortall that dureing life it is altogether irreconcileable and after death they part and separate as farre asunder as is hell from heaven Mat. 25.32.41 and 10.16 § 107. A Wicked man can agree with all that are wicked be they Papists or Turks They can brooke all conditions of men save practisers of piety or Athiests prophane and loose persons for all these agree with him in blindnesse and darknesse yea they are all haile fellow well met but with sincere Christians and practisers of piety he cannot agree the Religious shall be sure of opposition because their light is contrary to his darknesse grace in the one is a secret disgrace to the other Yea let wicked men bee at never so much odds one with another But the Religious shall be sure of opposition yet they wil concurre and joyne against the godly As for example Edom and Ishmael Moab and the Hagarins Gebal and Ammon Amaleck and the Philistims the men of Tyre and Ashur each had severall gods yet all conspire against the true God Psalm 83.5 to 9. Manasses against Ephraim and Ephraim against Manasses but both against Iudah Herod and Pilat two enemies will agree so it bee against Christ they will fall in one with another to fall out with God The Sadduces Pharisies and Herodians were Sectaries of diverse and adverse factions all differing one from another and yet all these joyne together against our Saviour Matth. 22. the Libertines Cyrenians Alexandrians Cilicians and Asians differ they never so much will joyne in dispute against Steven Act 6.9 Herod neither loved the Iews nor the Iewes Herod yet both are agreed to vex the Church Thus wicked men like Sampsons Foxes though they be tyed taile to taile yet they joyntly set on fire and burn up the Barley field of Gods Church I cannot think of a fitter Emblem of a naturall man then Lyme which agreeth well with all things that are dry and of it's owne nature but meeting with water a thing directly opposite it breaks burns swels smoaks crackles skips and scatters so nature will give a man leave to be any thing save a sound Christian and agree well with all others bee their conditions never so contrary provided they agree in the maine are all seed of the same Serpent but let the naturall man meet with one that is spirituall they agree like heat and cold if the one stayes the other flies or if both stay they agree like two poysons in one stomack the one being ever sick of the other bee they never so neere allied And no marvaile for though they dwell in the same house yet they belong to two severall Kingdomes and albeit they both remaine on earth yet they are governed by two severall Laws the ones Burgueship being in Heaven Phil. 3.20 and the other being a Denison belonging to Hell as Irishmen are dwellers in Ireland but Denisons of England and governed by the Statutes of this Kingdome Neither is it strange that wicked men should agree one with another Not strange that wicked men should agâ—â—ess well for even savage beasts agree with themselves else the wildernes would soone be unpeopled of her foure footed inhabitants we know the Lion is not cruell to the Lion nor the Leopard to the Leopard nor one Tiger to another nor the Dragon to the Dragon saith Aristotle but every one will fight with and against the Lambe one Crow never puls out another Crows eyes one Wolfe will not make warwith another but every Wolfe will make war with a Sheepe yea the Snakes of Syria the Serpents of Tyrinthia and the Scorpions of Arcadia are gentle and sparing to them of their naturall soyle though cruell to others as Plinie reports Yea even Divels themselves while they so mortally hate and violently oppose God and his Image in all the sonnes of Adam are not at enmity with themselves but accord in wickednesse and Iudas the very worst of men he that would be false to his owne Lord and Master would yet be true to his chapmen the high Priests even evill Spirits and the worst of men keepe touch one with another § 108. THis also is the sole cause They strive to be supar lative in sinne why they strive so after perfection of evill
not some as blasphemous as impudent Pharaoh who being bloodied with his unresisted tyranny could belch out defiance in the face of heaven who is God thinking he might be bold with heaven because he was great on earth or Nicanor who being perswaded from cruelty upon the Sabboth day in that God had appointed it holy answered if God be mighty in heaven I am also mighty on earth though the same tongue that spake it was cut into little peeces and flung to the Fowles and the hand that smote was cut off and hung before the Temple or lastly Pope Hâ—ldebrand who asked the Sacrament of Christ's body before all the Cardinalls how he should destroy Henry the Emperour and having no answer flung it into the fire saying could the Idol gods of the Heathens tell them what should succeed in al their enterprises and canst not thou tell me And many the like for the time would be too short for me to speake of all I might who being past feeling have given themselves to worke all kinds of wickednesse even with greedinesse Eph. 4.19 Besides I cannot without red cheeks name the things that are commonly done by them not in secret but openly and that without blushing yea not without boasting and the report of sinne is oft as bad as the commission I am loth I say to speak of that whereof the very speech is lothsome Wherefore to shut up with a word of application Do we not know or have we not heard of such as these who are indifferent in nothing but conscience I would there were none such to be knowne or heard of or at least I would they were thrown out of Christ's Crosse-row but if there be and ever hath beene such let any reasonable man judge whether they could bee thus desperately wicked if they did not emulate Sathan strive after the perfection of evill to be superlative in sinne to hâ—ve as it were the lowest place in hell and who should come there first as Gods people desire to imitate God strive after perfection of holinesse and to have a greater degree of glory in the Kingdome of Heaven §. 109. QUestion Sathan works men by degrees to this height of impiety and not all at once But how doth Sathan work men to this height of impiety Answer Not all at once but when custome of sinne hath deaded all remorse for sinne A man at first goes into sinne as a young swimmer into the water not plunging himselfe over head and eares at first dash but by degrees till he come in profundum and then contemnit The imbellick Peasant when he comes first to the Field shakes at the report of a Musket but after hee hath ranged through the fury of two or three Battels he then can fearelesse stand a breach and dares undaunted gaze death in the face so the first acts of sinne are for the most part trembling fearefull and full of the blush it is the iteration of evill that gives forehead to the foule offender it 's easie to know a beginning swearer he cannot mouth it like the practised man he oathes it as a cowardly Fencer playes who as soone as he hath offered a blow shrinks backe as if his heart suffered a kind of violence by his tongue yet had rather take a step in vice then be left behind for not being in fashion The first time the Fox saw the Lyon he feared him as death the second he feared him but not so much the third time he grew more bold and passed by him without quakeing There is no man suddenly very good or extreamely evill but growes so as a River is small and foredable at the head but greatens as it runnes on by accession of new waters Salomon first takes two wives then three then hundreds and having once got beyond the stakes of the Law and all modesty he is ready to lose himselfe amongst a thousand bedfellowes As men eate divers things by morsels and digest them with ease which if they should eate whole would choake them so fares it with sinners We deale with our consciences as with our Apparell when we have got on a new sute fresh and faire we are very chary of abusing it we take heede where we sit what we touch or against what we leane but when it is once growne a little old soyled and sullied we have no such regard of it we little passe what we doe with it nor minde where we cast it so the uxorious husband at the first idolizeth his wife no noyse must disturbe her the cold wind must not blow upon her the Sunne must be shaded from her beauty her feete must scarce touch the earth nothing must offend her she commands all her will is a law it may be after a while none of all this but the contrary even such is our dealing with conscience as we see in David who at first was so tender of it that the lap of Saul's garment onely troubled him to the heart but giveing way to his owne corruptions and Sathans temptations to what a height of sinne was he risen at first he onely loosed the raynes to idlenesse from idlenesse he proceedes to lust from lust to drunkennesse from drunkennesse to murther c. Murther shall be imployed to hide adultery the fact which wine cannot conceale the sword shall yea what a brood of sinnes hath the Devill hatched out of this one egge of Adultery Vriah shall beare his owne Mittimus to Ioab and be the messenger of his owne death Ioab must be a traytor to his friend the Host of God must shamefully turne their backes upon their enemies much blood of Israel must be spilt many a good Souldier cast away that murther must be seconded with dissimulation and all this to hide one Adultery O how many by this meanes have declined from avigorous heate of zeale to a temper of lukewarme indifferencie and then from a carelesse mediocrity to all extremity of debauchednesse and of hopefull beginnings have ended in incarnate Devills resembling Domitian who when first chosen Emperour did so abhorre cruelty that he would not suffer any beast to be kill'd for sacrifice yet after by degrees and when custome had brought an habit he thought no cruelty too much to put in execution against men or Dionisyus who so long as he was beloved and well reported of was a good man but when the priuy talke to his defamation came to his eares he fell by degrees to exercise all manner of cruelty or Nero who at first being required to signe as the manner was the sentence of a criminall offendors condemnation earnestly wished of God that he could not write rather then be forced to doome a man to death and yet after became the most lively Image of cruelty that we reade of Vice is a Pere patetike alwayes in progression yea both grace and sinne are of a growing nature for as it is in wealth he that hath much would have more so in vertue
Chr. 25.16.20 O remember that there is a day of account A description of the lost judgement and of hell a day of death a day of judgement comming wherein the Lord Iesus Christ shall bee revealed from heaven with his mighty Angells in flaming fire to render vengeance unto them which obey not unto his Gospell and to punish them with everlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power 2 Thes 1.7 8 9. Iude 15. Wisdome 5.1 to 10. at which time thou shalt heare him pronounce this fearefull doome Depart from me ye cursed Matth. 25.41 which is an everlasting departure not for a day nor for yeares of dayes nor for millions of yeares but for eternity and that from Christ to the damned to the divells to hell without either end or ease or patience to endure it at which time within thee shall bee thine owne guilty conscience more then a thousand witnesses to accuse thee the Divell who now tempts thee to all thy wickednesse shall on the one side testifie with thy conscience against thee and on the other side shall stand the holy Saints and Angels approving Christ's justice and detesting so filthy a creature behinde thee an hidious noyse of innumerable fellow damned reprobates tarrying for thy company before thee all the world burning in a flaming fire aboue thee that irefull â—â—dge of deserved vengeance ready to pronounce the same sentence upon thee beneath thee the fiery and sulphureous mouth of the bottomlesse pit gaping to receive thee into which being cast thou shalt ever bee falling downe and never meet a bottome and in it thou shalt ever lament and none shall pitie thee for thou shalt have no society but the Divell and his Angells who being tormented themselves shall have no other ease but to wreak their fury in tormenting thee thou shalt alwayes weep for paine of the fire and yet gnash thy teeth in indignation for the extremity of cold thou shalt weep to think that thy miseries are past remedy to think that to repent is to no purpose thou shalt weep to thinke how for the shadow of a few short pleasures if they could bee called pleasures thou hast incurred these sorrowes of eternall paines which shall last to all eternity thy conscience shall ever sting thee like an Adder when thou thinkest how often Christ by his Preachers offered thee remission of sinnes and the Kingdome of Heaven freely if thou wouldest but believe and repent and how easily thou mightest have obtained mercy in those dayes how neere thou wast many times to have repented and yet diddest suffer the divell and the world to keep thee still impenitent and how the day of mercy is now past and will never dawne againe for thou shalt one day finde that conscience is more then a thousand witnesses and God more then a thousand consciences § 120. IF you will not believe mee yet at least believe Pharaoh The same further amplified who in the rich mans scalding torments hath a Discite a me learne of me he can testifie out of wofull experience that if wee will not take warning by the word that gentle warner the next shall be harder the third and fourth harder then that yea as al the ten plagues did exceede one another so the eleventh single exceeds them all together innumerable are the curses of God against sinners but the last is the worst comprehending and transcending al the rest the fearefullest plagues God still reserves for the upshot all the former doe but make way for the last When the Dreame and the Miracle and the Prophet had done what they could upon Nebuchadnezzar God calls forth his temporall judgements and bids them see what they can doe if they will not yet serve he hath eternal ones which will make them repent every veine of their hearts and soules that they did not repent sooner Oh that I could give you but a glimpse of it that you did but see it to the end you might never feele it that so you might be won if not out of faith yet out of feare for certainly this were the hopefullest meanes of prevention for though diverse theeves have robd passengers within sight of the Gallowes yet if a sinner could see but one glimpse of hell or bee suffered to looke one moment into that fiery Lake hee would rather choose to dye tenne thousand deaths then commit one sinne and indeed therefore are wee dissolute because we doe not thinke what a judgement there is after our dissolution because wee make it the least and last thing we thinke on yea it is death wee think to thinke upon death and we cannot indure that dolefull bell which summons us to judgement Something you have heard of it here and in Section the 44. But alasse I may as well with a Cole paint out the Sunne in all his splendor as with my pen or tongue expresse the joyes of Heaven which they willingly part withall or those torments of hell which they strive to purchase For as one said that nothing but the eloquence of Tully could sufficiently set forth Tullie's eloquence so none can expresse those everlasting torments but hee that is from everlasting to everlasting and should either man or Angell goe about the worke when with that Philosopher hee had taken a seven-nights time to consider of it hee might aske a fortnight more and at the fortnights end a moneth more and be at his wits end at the worlds end before he could make a satisfiing answer otherthen his was that the longer he thought of it the more difficult he found it alasse the paine of the body is but the body of paine the anguish of the soule is the soule of anguish § 121. BUt to be everlastingly in Hell to lye for ever in a bed of quenchles flames is not all Drunkards shal have a double portion of vengeance to other men for as thy sinnes have exceeded so shall thy sufferings exceed as thou hast had a double portion of sinne to other men here so thou shalt have a double portion of torment to them hereafter the number and measure of torments shall be according to the multitude and magnitude of offences mighty sinners shall be mightily punished for God will reward every man according to his workes Revel 20.12.13 and 22.12 As our workes are better or worse so shall our joyes in heaven our paines in hell bee more or lesse as every one hath beene more wicked he shall bee more wretched Capernaum exceeding Sodome and Gomorrah in sin shall feele also an excesse of punishment and the willfull servant shall receive more stripes then the ignorant Luk. 12.47.48 Mat. 10.15 which being so viz. that every man shall be punished according to merit what will become of thee surely thy sins are so prodigious that they scorne any proportion under a whole volume of plagues But see wherein thy sinnes exceed other mens The drunkards sinns aggravated by
First thou wert created by him a man and not a beast in England not in Aethiopia in this cleare and bright time of the Gospell not in the darkenesse of Paganisme or Popery Secondly thou wert redeemed out of Hell by his precious blood he spared not himselfe that his Father might spare thee Oh thinke what flames the damned endure which thou mayst escape if thou wilt thy selfe me thinkes this should melt a heart of Adamant Thirdly he hath preserved thee here from manyfold dangers of body and soule Fourthly he hath all thy life long plentifully and graciously blessed thee with many and manifold good things And lastly promised thee not onely felicity on earth but in Heaven if thou wilt serve him § 127. BEsides The same further amplified as these mercies are great in themselves so our unworthinesse doth greaten them more being shewed to us who are no lesse rebellious to him then he is beneficiall to us And is all this nothing to move thee dost thou thus requite him art thou so farre from loveing and fearing him that thou hatest others which doe O monstrous ingratitude oh foolish man to looke for other then great then double damnation O that such soveraigne favours as these should not onely not profit thee but turne to thy destruction through thy wilfull blind and perverse nature He is thy Lord by a manifold right his tenure of us is diversly held and thou his servant by all manner of obligations indeed our tenure of him is but single he is ours onely by faith in Christ Gal. 3.26 First he is thy Lord by the right of creation thou being his workmanship made by him Secondly by the right of redemption being his purchase bought by him Thirdly of preservation being kept upheld and maintained by him Fourthly thou art his by vocation even of his family having admitted thee a member of his visible Church Fifthly his also if it be not thine owne fault by sanctification whereby he possesseth thee Sixtly and lastly he would have thee of his court by glorification that he might crowne thee every way his Yea he hath removed so many evills and conferred so many good things upon thee that they are beyond thought or imagination for if the whole Heaven were turned to a booke and all the Angells deputed writers they could not set downe all the good which Christ hath done us Now favours bestowed and deliverances from danger binds to gratitude and the more bonds of duty the more plagues for neglect Hath God contrived so many wayes to save us and shall not we take all occasions to glorifie him Hath he done so much for us and shall we deny him any thing that he requires though it were our lives yea our soules much more our lusts we have hard hearts if the blood of the Lambe cannot soften them stony bowells if so many mercies cannot melt us Was he crucified for our sinnes and shall we by our sinnes crucifie him againe Doe we take his wages and doe his enemy service Is this the fruit of his benificence of our thankfulnesse Is this the recompence of his love to doe that which he hates and hate those whom he loves O for shame thinke upon it and at his instance be perswaded by whose blood you were redeemed from all these evills and interrested in all these good things The Apostle could not finde out a more heart-breaking argument to enforce a sacrificing of our selves to God then to conjure us by the mercies of God in Christ Rom. 12.1 and indeed we could not be unthankefull if we thought upon what the Lord gives and what he forgives but if the thought of these things will not move thee Lord have mercy upon thee For as it is a fearefull marke of a reprobate alwayes to abuse Gods mercy and patience to the hardening of our selves in our evill courses so good turnes aggravate unkindnesses and our offences are increased with our obligations yea there is not one of these favours of those warnings which I have mentioned or which thou hast received that shall not once be a witnesse against thee as appeares by 1 Sam. 2. where God saith unto Ely by the Prophet Did not I doe such and such things for thee and thy fathers house wherefore then hast thou done thus and thus And likewise by Chap. 15. where the Lord reproving Saul for his disobedience exceedingly aggravates his sinne by what he had formerly done for him yea how doth the Lord by the Prophet Nathan aggravate Davids fact by repeating the many and severall favours and deliverances which formerly he had extended to him 2 Sa. 12.7 to 13. § 128 YEa Even this booke will be a witnesse against them when their consciences are awakened even this very Booke shall be a witnesse and rise up in judgement against thee as Plutarch told Trajane the Emperour touching his letter of advise and those very eyes that read it and that understanding and will which hath conceived and consented unto the equity and truth of it shall be cited as witnesses against thee And in the meane time thou shalt never hereafter drinke sweare whore seduce hate persecute or reproach any for well doing but thy conscience as a sergeant shall arrest thee upon it yea this Booke shall gnaw thee at the heart with a Memorandum of Hell that thou shalt wish O that I could abandon my sinnes or else that I had never had such a warning And then perhaps the gate of mercy will be shut But then perhaps the gate of mercy will bee shut and though thou wouldest gladly repent yet it will be too late then shalt thou begin to say O what a warning had I such a time what an opportunity did I then let slip woe is me that ever I was borne and woe is me that ever I had such a warning which cannot choose but double my damnation hereafter as now it doubles my feare and horror Even thus and no otherwise will it fare with thee when once thine eyes are opened and opened they shall be for though Sathan and thy corrupt conscience doe sleep and suffer thee to sleep for a while yet at least upon thy death bed or in hell when there shall bee no more hope or meanes of recovery they will both wake against thee and awaken thee up to everlasting anguish and unquietnesse yea God shall once enliven and make quick the sense of thy benummed conscience and make thee know his power which wouldest never take notice of his goodnesse he will then teach thee with a vengeance as Gideon taught the men of Succoth vvith briers and thorns Those carelesse guests made light of their calling to come unto the marriage of the Kings sonne but they found at last vvhen they vvere shut out that there vvas no jesting and the rich man lift up his eyes in hell Luke 16.23 those scorching flames opened them to purpose they vvere never opened before § 129. THis is the difference
removing of judgements which now have beene and daily hang over our heads through the many and grievous sinnes which wicked men daily commit and which cry in the eares of God for vengeance yes undoubtedly for if there were not some Abrahams and Lots and Ezraes and Ioshuas Isaiahs Ioels and Ieremiahs amongst us powring out there soules before God in cryes and lamentations for our iniquities what should become of us Eze. 9.4.8 Nothing wil do it but prayer and fasting and repenting and the fasting and prayers of faithlesse people God regardeth not Ier. 14 12 yea the sacrifice of the wicked is abomination to the Lord only the prayers of the righteous is acceptable unto him Prov. 15.8 And this they will confesse in their affliction wherefore when Godlesse persons are in any distresse they over pray the people of God to pray for them and commonly those too whom they have most hated and abused for the oppressor is in no mans mercy but his whom he hath trampled upon and injuries done us on earth give us power in heaven Hereupon Ieroboam's hand being dryed up Of which many examples for stretching it out against the Prophet he sueth to the man of God saying I beseech thee pray unto the Lord thy God and make intercession for me that my hand may be restored unto me and the man of God besought the Lord and the Kings hand was restored 1 Kings 13.4.6 Thus the Israelites pray Samuel to pray for them 1 Sam. 12.19 and againe cease not to cry to the Lord our God for us that he may save us out of the hands of the Philistims 1 Sam. 7.8 and he did so and the Lord heard him delivered them and slew their enemies verse 9.10 Thus Mirriam though shee grudges at and contests with Moses was forest to be beholding to Moses for his prayer before shee could bee cured of her Leprosie Numb 12.13 Thus when the Lord's wrath was kindled against Eliphaz and his two friends nothing would appease the same but the prayer of Iob whom they had so contemned as the Lord himselfe witnesseth Iob 42.7.8 Thus Elimas the Sorcerer prayes Peter to pray for him Yea of whom did Dives being tormented in the flames of hell expect and seeke for ease but from Lazarus whom lately before hee despised Luk. 16.24 For though the wicked scorne and despise the godly in their prosperity VVho count it a sin to cease praying for their greatest enemies yet in their distresse they only are set by to pray unto God for them who are more ready to solicit God for their mortallest enemies and persecutors then they to desire it be it at the time when they wrong them most witnesse Steeven who when the Iewes were stoning him to death kneeled down and cryed with a lowd voyce Lord lay not this sin to their charge Acts 7.60 And our Saviour Christ who when hee was scoff'd at scornd scourged beaten with Rodds crowned with Thornes pierced with Nailes nailed to the Crosse fild with reproaches as unmindfull of all his owne griefes prayeth for his persecutors and that earnestly Father forgive them they cry out crucifie him he out cries Father pardon them yea they account it a sinne to cease praying for their worst enemies 1 Sam. 12.23 § 138. NEither in time of calamity do they thinke it enough to bee freed themselves as they are sure Wicked mens thoughts touching the religious not the some in distresse as â—n prosperity a judgement shall be no judgement unto them as we see in Moses who fared well himselfe what ever the rest suffered what needed he to have afflicted himselfe with the affliction of others himselfe was at ease and pleasure in the Court of Pharaoh but a good heart can not abide to bee happy alone and must needs unbidden share with others in their miseries and at severall times after for when God threatens to consume the Israelites with the same breath hee promiseth to make of Moses a greater Nation and mightier then they Exod. 32.10.11 and againe Numbers 14.12.13 All which when their enemies have the wit to discerne forceth them to confesse their owne folly wickednesse unthankfulnesse the godlies superlative goodnesse c. As once Laban to Iacob Gen. 30.27 and Pharaoh to Moses Exodus 9.27.28 and againe Chapter 10.16.17 saying I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you forgive mee my sins only this once and pray unto the Lord your God that hee may take away from mee this death only And Saul to David saying I have sinned I have done foolishly and have erred exceedingly thou art more righteous then I for thou hastrendered me good and I have rendered thee evill c. 1 Sam. 24.18 and 26.21 Though afterward when the rod is off their backes they are apt to harden againe and returne to their old byas as did the same Pharaoh and Saul For no longer then they smart no longer can they see and unlesse affliction opens their eyes there is no perswading them but the righteous man is worse then his neighbour yea none so vile no such enemies to the State as the religious What though it were but Haman's pretence yet it was Ahab's very case who peremptorily thought Eliah the cause of all his misery when it was himselfe his sinne brought the famine Eliah's prayer brought the raine yet Ahab tells Eliah and speakes as he thinkes thou troublest Israel And nothing more usuall then for wicked men to hate persecute and complaine most of those to whom they are most bound and beholding Saul received more benefit from David then from any one man in his Kingdome besides both in frighting away the evill spirit from him killing Goliah and many the like yet none was so hated persecuted and evill spoken of by him as hee was Thus Laban and Potiphar were most angry with Iacob and Ioseph for whose sakes only they prospered § 139. ANd thus you see Their ingratitude and great folly that the righteous man keepeth off judgements and procureth blessings not only to himselfe but others his family friends enemies to the whole City and Nation wherein he lives yea his posterity for many ages fare the better for him as God promiseth to establish David's house for his sake and blesse it for ever 2 Sam. 7.12.13.15.16 And promiseth to Phineas the sonne of Eleazar who turned away the Lords anger from the children of Israel and saved them from being consumed that hee would give unto him his covenant of peace and to his seede after him together with the Priests office for ever Numb 25.11.12.13 Thus Israel from time to time were blest and fared the better for Abraham Isaac and Iacob's sake even many yeares after they were dead De. 4.37 1 Kin. 11.12 as Abraham Isaack and Iacob yea all the posterity of Adam are blessed for Iesus sake for else all even the best should have perished all were apostates Adam did forfeit his Patent and none but a Saviour could renew
enter into life must keepe the Commandements viz. so farre forth as hee can And Titus 2.12 The grace of God which bringeth salvation teacheth us that we should deny ungodlines and worldly lusts and that we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world By all which it is plain that as Christ's blood is a Charter of pardon so withall it is a covenant of direction and hee that refuseth to live as that covenant prescribes may perish as a malefactor that is hanged with his pardon about his necke And yet every drunken dissolute and deboyshed person doubts not to fare well while they feare not to doe ill § 148. BUt secondly One part of the covenant of grace is that weâ—e wil forsake the Divell and all his workes constantly believe c. what else did thy vow in Baptisme which is a seale of the covenant import but that there are Articles and conditions viz. certaine duties on thy part to be performed aswell as promises on Gods part to be fulfilled A Sacrament is the sealing of a League with Covenants betweene party and party saith Pareus Now as God hath covenanted and bound himselfe by his Word and Seale to remit thee thy sinnes adopt thee his child by regeneration and give thee the Kingdome of heaven and everlasting life by and for his Sonnes sake so thou didest for thy part bind thy selfe by covenant promise and vow that thou wouldest forsake the Divel and all his workes constantly believe Gods holy Word Mark 61.16 and obediently keep his Commandements the better thereby to expresse thy thankfulnesse towards him for so great a benefi 1 Pet. 3.21 Ps 116.12.13.14 And we know that in Covenants and Indentures if the conditions be not kept the Obligation is not in force whereby many even Magus-like after the water of Baptisme goe to the fire of Hell Yea except wee repent and believe the Gospell that holy Sacrament together with the offer of grace instead of sealing to us our salvation will bee an obligation under our owne hand and seale against us and so prove a seale of our greater condemnation § 149. BUt for ought thou knowest Object thou art regenerate hast repented What it is to be born againe and doest believe in Christ as well as the best Indeed Answ some will not believe they have the Plague till they see the Tokens but to put this out of question know that to be regenerate is to bee begotten and borne anew Iohn 1.13 by the ministery of the Word Iames 1.18.21 and the Spirits powerfull working with it Ioh. 3.3.5.8 and of the children of wrath and bondslaves of Sathan by nature to be made by grace through faith in Christ the Sonnes of God Titus 3.3 to 9. and that they which are thus borne have Christ formed in them Galathians 4.19 are led by the Spirit of God Rom. 8.14 and live uprightly 1 Iohn 3.9 and exercrse righteousnesse ver 10. Regeneration will alwayes manifest it selfe by a just and holy life by the innocency of our actions and the sobriety of our speeches God's children are known by this marke they walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8.1 they are translated from the raigne of sin to the raigne of grace they confesse him ore with the mouth professe him opere with the life love him corde with the heart for these are the three objects of a Christians care the devotion of his heart the profession of his mouth and the conversation of his life It is the summ of all Religion to imitate him we adore he that follows Christ's example is a true Christian hee that squares his life according to the rule of Gods Word is godly and none else for otherwise if we be drunkards and swearers wel may we boast that wee are the Sonnes of God as the Spanyards did to the West Indians when they came first amongst them but he that knowes any hing will certainly conclude with those poore Salvages that hee cannot bee a good God who hath such evill Sonnes well may he be the god of this world as the Divell is called 2 Cor. 4.4 If Christ be formed in any he destroyeth the Divells power which formerly he had in them Heb. 2.14.15 and his wicked works 1 Ioh. 3.8 he is not subject to the dominion of sin sinne doth not raign in him Psa 19.13 wherefore be resolved against transgression as you would be resolved of your regeneration and salvation True conversion workes a manifest change the old man changeth with the new man worldly wisdome with heavenly wisdome carnall love for spirituall love servile feare for Christian and filiall feare idle thoughts for holy thoughts vaine words for holy and wholsome words fleshly workes for workes of righteousnesse c. as if a man were cast into a new mould Otherwise if godlinesse hath not made us good what power hath it wrought A feeble godlines it is that is ineffectual if it hath not wrought us to bee devout to God just to men sober and temperate in the use of Gods creatures humble in our selves charitable to others where is the godlinesse where is the power When the heart is changed and set towards God all the members will follow after it as the rest of the creatures after the Sunne when it ariseth the tongue will praise him the foot will follow him the eare will attend him the hand will serve him nothing will stay after the heart but every one goes like hand-maides after their Mistresse which makes David presenting himself before God summon his thoughts speeches actions c. saying all that is within me praise his holy name Psal 103.1 Prov. 23.26 so that it is a true rule he that hath not in him all Christian graces in their measure hath none and he that hath any one truly hath all For as in the first birth the whole person is borne and not some peeces so it is in the second the whole person is borne againe though not wholly how much the regenerate man is changed from what hee was wont to be may be seene 1 Corinth 6.9.10.11 Tit. 3.3 to 8. Rom. 6.4 to 23. and here upon Christ is compared to purging fire and Fullers Sope to signifie how hee should fine and purg purifie and cleanse his people Mal 3.2.3 God never adopteth any his children but he bestowes love tokens upon them which are the earnest of his Spirits in their hearts 2 Cor. 1.22 and his saving graces as an earnest and for a signe that they shal overcome their Ghostly enemies and live everlastingly with him in heaven as he gave Hezekiah the going backe of the Sunne tenne degrees for a signe that hee should be delivered out of the hands of the King of Ashur and have added to his dayes fifteene yeares 2 Kings 20.6.8.11 Alasse though there bee scarce a man on earth but he thinks to goe to heaven yet heaven is not for every one but for the Saints would any
gaines God himselfe and so his blessing upon all outward meanes Hagg. 1.6 c. O that thou hadst the wit to know how when all is done to be saved and to have thy children saved is the best plot to know that the Proverbe which saith Happy that child whose father is gone to the Devill is farre from being Canonicall Sixtly and lastly 6. He prefers bables and trifles before things of greatest worth he estemes not of things according to their true value but preferreth bables and trifles before things of greatest worth which is the most remarkable property of a naturall foole that is As Iudas preferred thirty peeces of silver before Him that was the price of the world and ransome of mankinde so the Politician preferres earth yea Hell to Heaven time even a moment of time to eternity his body before his soule which if a man have once lost he hath nothing else to loose yea his outward estate before either soule or body Whereas the godly care for the soule as for the cheife jewell and only treasure and for the body for the soules sake and for this world for the bodies sake and settle their inheritance in no land but the land of promise their end being to possesse a kingdome without end They are not like Shebna who built his Sepulcher in one countrey and was buried in another but like our English Merchants that traffique in Turkie and get wealth in Turkie yet plant not in Turkie but transport for England Gods people are not like the first Indians that hang'd Bugles at their eares while they left their gold on the dunghills It cannot be said of them as it may of the most that they worship the golden Calfe because they consider that pecunia the world 's Queene I meane that world whereof the Devill is King extends her regiments but to the brim of the grave and is not currant one step farther Yea they are so farre from being of these mens minds who are of Alexander's mind who as the Philosopher said yesterday the whole world did not content him â—ow ten cubâ—ts containe him that they thinke him none of the wisest who being askt whether he would rather be Socrates or Croesus the one an industrious and pâ—infull Philosopher the other a man flowing in all abundance was so discreete as to answer that for this life he would be Croesus but for the life to come Socrates But to returne to the worlds wiseman let him be offered his choice as oftimes he is whether he will forgoe himselfe I meane his faith which is the summe of all or such a booty he will forgoe his faith and consequently his soule himselfe and all that is truely his like the foolish Marine that seeing a fish in the Sea leaps into the water to catch that which together with his life he looseth or like Narcassus who to embrace his shadow drowned himselfe yea set life and death before him as Moses did before the Israelites Dâ—ut 30.15.19.20 and withall shew him from Matth. 25.46 that this life offered is eternall felicity that death threatned everlasting woe and misery which words are of such extent that as a worthy Writer hath it though all the men that ever have or shall be created were Briareus-like hundred handed and should at once take pens in their hundred hands and should do nothing else for ten hundred thousand millions of yeares but summe up in figures as many hundred thousand millions as they could yet never could they reduce to a totall or confine within number this trisillable word e-ter-nall or that word of foure sillables e-ver-last-ing and then bid him choose which of the two hee likes best his heart which is harder than an Adamant will make answer take Heaven Paradise that eternal felicity and future happines who will it is good for me to be rich and happy while I live much like Cardinall Burbonius who said hee would not leave his part in Paris for his part is Paradise or Themistocles who was not ashamed of this damnable speech in his mouth If a man should shew me two severall wayes the one leading to Heaven the other to Hell of the twaine I would choose the latter wherin he is more sottish then the Indians and more heathenish then the infidels of Florida Virginia New-England and Kanida who for a Copper Kettle and a few toyes as Beades and Hatchets will depart from the purest Gold and sell you a whole country even the houses and ground which they dwell upon for the whole world is not worth one soule But worldly hearts are penny wise and pound foolish Worldly men are penny wise and pound foolish they know how to set high prises upon the worthlesse trash of this world but for heavenly things or the God that owes them this they shamfully under-value like Iudas who valued Mary's oyntment which she bestowed upon the feet of Christ at three hundred peeces of silver and sold his Master on whom that odor was spent at thirty And this is one reason As the affection which an adulterer beareth to a strumpet doth exceedingly diminish the love which he should beare to his lawfull wife so the love that wicked men beare to these vain and transitory things wondrously diminish that zeale and affection which they should bear towards Christ and heavenly things But it is otherwise with the godly But it is farre otherwise with the godly for as they that are after the flesh saveur the things of the flesh so they that are after the Spirit savour the things of the Spirit and our opinion onely endeareth and increaseth the price of things When one boasted how faire a shee-slave hee had bought for a pound another made reply that she was to deare of a groat Commodities are but as they are commonly valued Now because transitory things in the next life beare no value at all and because there is nothing firme under the firmament they hold it very good coveting what they may have and cannot leave behind them And though others most love what they must leave and think that money will buy any thing like foolish Magus who thought the Holy Ghost himselfe might be had for money or the Divell who presumed that this bait would even catch the Son of God yet the wise and religious can conceive no reason why it should bee so doted upon as it is especially since riches can no more put off the Gout or asswage griefe or thrust out cares or purchase grace or suspend death or prevent hell or bribe the divell then a Satten sleeve can heale a broken Arme. They think it the best purchase that ever was in the world to buy him who bought them in comparison of whom all things are drosse and dung as S. Paul speaks Philip. 3.8 for if we once have him wee have all things If saith Paul God hath given us his own Sonne how shall he not with him give us all things also Rom.
8.32 and againe 1 Corinth 3. All things are yours whether it be Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death whether they be things present or things to come even all are yours and you are Christs and Christ Gods v. 21.22.23 And indeed if God give the substantive Christ we may be sure he wil likewise afford the adjective things necessary for this life Matth. 6.33 so that the godly man is only rich the servant of Christ Jndeed though the divell makes fooles of them yet he makeâ— them wise enough to make fooles of any that will trust them is Lord of all § 161. ANd thus you have the wisdome of humanists and Politicians decyphered together with the wisdome of Gods people you see the difference betweene them and therein as I suppose that the former are none of the wisest and that the later viz. the vvisest politician upon earth the most ample and cunning Machevilian that lives be he a doctor in that deep reaching faculty is a starke foole in six main particulars ergo not so vvise as the godly man nor so vvise as the vvorld reputes him or he himselfe Yea he is vvorse then a foole for saith Saint Augustine If the Holy Ghost tearmes him a foole that only laid up his owne goods Luke 12.18.20 find out a name for him that takes away other mens Yet by the way mistake me not I am farre from advising thee to trust them ever the more for their simplicity I would rather wish thee to beware them for though the Divell makes fooles of them yet withall he makes them wise enough to make fooles of us and though they be but one eyed with Gorgon yet have they also iron talons and though with the Osprey a ravenous bird they have one flat hand to stroake yet have they another with clawes which wil cruelly gripe yea though they have the faces and tongues of men yet they have the talons of Gryffons full of rapine cruelty and oppression But you will tell me that the world is of another Judgement I answer So shall we if we looke upon them sidewayes as most men doe like as Apelles pictured Antigonus making shew only of that halfe of his face which was perfect but hiding the other side wherein he was blind and deformed then we shall take them for wise men and so be mistaken I confesse They are wise men in foolish things and foolish men in wise things the one speak Latine Greek and Hebrew the other Statutes History and Husbandry well enough to make their neighbours think them wise men but the truth is they seeme wiser then they are as we use to say of the Spanyards whereas the godly like the French are wiser then they seeme as thus they are wise men in foolish things and foolish men in wise things sharp eyed as Eagles in the things of the earth but as blind as Beetles in the matters of heaven and may be compared to Bats Night-crowes Owles and Cats which can see better in the darke then in the light their wisdome is like that of Moles which will dig under ground with great dexterity but are blind when they come into the Sunne or Cats especially the later sort that are onely gifted to catch Mice being in every thing else the simpliest creatures that live or the fish Polypus which is a most stupid and foolish fish yet useth great skill in taking of other fishes yea these are directly like witches and that in foure particulars First a witch is rarely pregnant in doing that which is evill 2. a witch neither can nor will doe good 3. a witch will sell her soule to the divel that shee may a little excell others in mischiefe 4. both they and these are indeed blind and in darknesse as having their beginning from Sathan the Prince of darknesse and their end in hell which is the pit of darknes for as they and witches do the same worke so they shall have the same wages because they are wise to evill their wisdome shall have but an evill end Againe if innocency be acknowledged meere simplicity then none are so simple as the religious for as it seemes their ignorance will not suffer them to doe evill Yea as Plistonax the Sonne of Pausanias when an Orator of Athens said the Lacedaemonians were unlearned and ignorant answered thou sayest true for we only of all the Grecians have learned none of thine ill conditions so may I say to these the godly of all others have learnt none of your Atheisticall practises But let the Holy Ghost determine that knowes better how to judge then any and then he is most wise that is most holy for goodnesse in the Scripture is tearmed wisdom and vice folly sinners and fooles Syâ—omina Prov. 1.7 In the dialect of the wise man it is plaine that the greatest sinner is the greatest foole and David thinkes there is no foole to the Atheist Psa 53.1 whose wayes utter his foolishnesse Ps 49.13 And though worldly men call the simple fooles yet God calls the crafty fooles Ieremiah 8.9 Luke 12.18.20 Mat. 6.23 and of all Atheists which seeme wise there bee no such fooles in the world as they which love money better then themselves To conclude the feare of the Lord is wisdome and to depart from evill is understanding Iob 28.28 and hee that is truly wise thinks that to be wisdome and folly which God thinks so § 162. They may be caâ—â—ed subtile persons but not wise men exceâ—t we take â—he greatest solly for the greatest wisdome IF you would know what to judge of them and how to call them they are properly subtile persons as the Holy Ghost stiles Ionadab who gave that wicked and crafty counsell to Amnon 2 Sam. 13.3.5 and the woman of Tekoa 2 Sam. 14.2 and Elimas Acts 13.10 being rarely gifted to deceive and more crafty and wily then is usuall but not wise men or if it may be termed wisdome as sometimes the Scripture terms it wisdom in an holy derision as Ge. 3.22 is to be understood or else calling it wisdom because worldly men deeme it so as in another place it calls preaching the foolishnesse of preaching because wicked men esteeme preaching but foolishnesse and as Christ calls the Pharisies just because they justified themselves Luke 15.7 or thirdly meaning by wisdome the wisdome of the flesh or of the world and that is as much as if it should say in other words foolishnesse for the wisdome of the world is foolishnesse with God saith Paul as the wisdome of God is foolishnesse with the world 1 Cor. 2.14 I am sure to be wise to evill is an evil wisdom or rather wisdome backward for where as God saith if any man will bee wise let him become a foole that hee may bee wise these on the contrary become wise that they may bee fooles they studie the dangerous art of selfe-Sophistry to the end that they may bee wily to beguile
to see and love things above nature heavenly wisdome to see heavenly truth or else that truth which is saving will be to us a mystery yea seeme foolishnesse 1 Cor 2.7 8 14. wheras the spirit reveales all things to the beleiver even the deepe things of God 1 Cor. 2.10 12 15 16. giving him a mouth and wisdome where against all his adversaries shall not be able to speake or resist Luke 21.15 Wherefore get faith and thou hast mounted another step to wisdome entred a third roome of this Palace Fourthly 4 Be constant in prayer for the spirits helpe he must be frequent and fervent in prayer to God for the diriction of his holy Spirit for First humble and faithfull prayer ushered in by meditation is the cure of all obscurity especially being accompanied with fervor and fervency If any lacke wisdome saith St. Iames let him aske of God which giveth to all men liberally and reproacheth no man and it shall be given him Iam. 1.5 marke the words it is said if any wherefore let no man deny his soule this comfort againe aske and have it cannot come upon easier termes yea God seemes to like this sute so well in Solomon as if he were beholding to his Creature for wishing good to it selfe yea more whatsoever we aske in prayer if we beleeve we shall have it Math. 21.22 And in vaine doe we expect that Almes of Grace for which we doe not so much as beg Secondly as Sampsons companions could never have found out his Riddle if they had not plowed with his heyfer so no man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12.3 And as none can behold the light of the Sunne but by the benefit of the Sunne so none can know God who is called the Father of lights in the plurall number because of the degrees and diversities of his gifts nor the things of God but by the revelation of God 1 Cor. 12.8 Math. 16.17 with the Spirits helpe the meanes can never be too weake without never strong enough One excellent and necessary prerogative of the spirituall man is this he hath God for his teacher he learnes the counsells of God of that spirit which only knoweth God's counsells Luke 21.15 For though his outward man receives the elements and rudiments of Religion by breeding and education yet his inward man receiveth them by heavenly inspiration For as spirituall wisdome is not the fruite of time and study as the naturall is so it hath a higher fountaine then nature to feede it even the Spirit of God which is no small priviledge for the Scholler learnes quickly when the Holy Ghost is his teacher the eye sees distinctly when the Holy Ghost doth enlighten it When Christ taught in the Temple they askt how knoweth this man the Scriptures seeing he never learned them so it is a wonder what learning some men have that have no learning like Priscilla and Aquila poore Tent-makers which were able to schole Apollos that great Clarke a man renowned for his learning What can we say to it for no other reason can be given for it but as Christ said Father so it pleaseth thee For as Iacob came so soone with his Venison that his father askt him how he came by it so suddenly and Iacob answered because the Lord thy God brought it suddenly to my hands so holy and righteous men can give no other reason why they understand the words of God so easily and the wicked doe conceive them so hardly but that God brings the meaning suddenly to their hearts as we reade Luk. 24. that Christ standing in the midst of his Apostles after he was risen from the dead opened their understandings that they might understand clearely the Scriptures and what vvas vvritten of him in the lavv of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalmes vers 44.45 Loe hovv suddenly their knovvledge came unto them But see vvhat a generall promise God in the person of vvisdome hath made to all that serve him Pro. 1.23 Wherefore importune God the Father for the direction of his holy Spirit and thou shalt at the least have light enough on earth to bring thee to the light of Heaven But in praying for wisdome observe one caution But pray not for knowledge without putting difference doe not pray for it without putting difference There is a speculative knowledge in the braine common to hypocrites with Gods children Heb. 6.4 and there is an experimentall and saving knowledge in the heart peculiar to the godly alone Eph. 4.8 and 5.8 pray especially for the last of these let thine hearts desire be to know God in Christ Christ in faith faith in good workes to know Gods will that thou mayst doe it and before the knowledge of all other things desire to know thy selfe and in thy selfe not so much thy strength as thy weakenesse pray that thine heart may be insteed of a Commentary to helpe thee understand such points of religion as are most needfull and necessary and that thy life may be an exposition of thy inward man that there may be a sweete harmony betwixt Gods truth thy judgement and whole conversation that what the naturall man knowes by thinking thou mayst double by feeling the same in thine heart and affections as indeed experimentall and saving knowledge is no lesse felt then knowne and I cannot tell how comes rather out of the abundance of the heart then by extreame study or rather is sent by God unto good men like the Ramme that was brought to Abraham when he would have sacrificed his Sonne Isaac For God may grant our petitions in judgment But if thou shalt pray unto God for knowledge without making a difference and shalt stand more upon the quantity then the quality so resembling the curre in the fable which preferred the shadow to the meate or those parents among the Heathen which sacrificed to the gods for childien but not for good children or Nero's Mother who being told that her Sonne should be Emperour but to her griefe and sorrow answered so my Sonne have the Empire let my sorrow and griefe be what it will or Eudoxus whose wish and prayer to the gods was that hee might once view the Sunne neere at hand to comprehend his forme greatnesse and beauty on condition he were immediately burnt and consumed by it God will either crosse thee in thy desire as he did those anticke builders Gen. 11.3 to 10. who purposed a Tower the top whereof should reach unto Heaven for no other cause but to get them a Name And what if the height had answered their desire Or as he doth dayly men and women that had rather be rich or honourable then good or if he doe grant their desires yet he will grant it them in judgement as he did a King to the Israelites and Quailes with which he fed their bodies but withal sending leannesse into their soules or as he granted a
successefull as falshood Whence it was that Theodota and Calisto two beautiful harlots could each of them boast that they excelled Socrates for that they when they pleased could draw away by their allarements his disciples and auditors from him whereas he could not with all his great wisdome and learning draw from them any of their lovers whose answer was No marvaile for I draw with an unpleasing hooke to vertue whose way is difficult and hard whereas you draw with a pleasing With of down to vice which is easie and men are naturally of themselves prone to it § 180. THirdly 3. The world begins with milk ends with a bammer Christ keeps back the good wine until afterwards the world like Iael beginns with milke and ends with an hammer whereas Christ keepes backe the good wine untill afterward and makes his servants break their fast with the rod. Yea he that offered our Saviour all the kingdomes of the world and the glory thereof is ready to yeeld a man more then hee shall require as the same Iael did Sisera for as when he ask'd her water she gave him milk when he only desired shelter shee made him a bed and when he beg'd but the protection of her Tent she covered him with a mantle giving him more then he asked but withall more then he expected so deales Sathan and the world with a poore soule The divill is like a late Emperor of Turkie who married his owne daughter to a Basha on the one day and then after a nights pleasure sent for his head the next morning for here he is a tempter hereafter a tormenter And herein Christs servants and the divels differ this life is our hell and their heaven the next shall be their hell and our heaven Psal 17.14 Matth. 5.4 Luke 6.21 Iohn 16.20 Indeed our outward afflictions here are so sweetned with inward consolation that this world may rather bee called our purgatory for a Christian here in respect of his manifold troubles and sweet consolation in Christ seemes half in hell and halfe in heaven as Petrus Tenorius Archbishop of Toledo caused King Salomon to be painted upon the walles of his Chappell after he had a long time considered the waighty reasons on each side whether he were damned or saved or as the Papists feigned Erasmus to be for that he was halfe a Protestant halfe a Roman Catholike but this inward consolation is hidden to the world 4. Fourthly 4. The divell can delude their fancy and judgement of natural men the divell and his instruments can so delude the fancy and judgement of a naturall man that as he sees nothing desireable in a religious life so hee shall give no credit to nor believe any thing that the godly shall affirme As for example Let us tell one whom they have converst withall how sweet a religious life is and how farre the light of God's countenance the peace of conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost doth surpasse all earthly felicity he will not believe there is any such thing because it transcends his conceite as a poore labouring man in the countrysaid to his neighbour he believed not there was any such sum as a thousand pounds of money though rich men talked so much of it they will believe no more then what comes within the compasse of their five senses for they are all the Articles of their faith But they are ill discoverers that think there is no land when they can see nothing but Sea Yea viewing the godly but with natures eye they thinke both God and nature envies them of all others and that most men are deluded with a poysonous lye in making only the vertuous happy But in case we say with Steven that we see Christ Iesus sitting at the right hand of God these blind wizards are ready to throw stones at us for confessing what wee see or for seeing what is hid from them Againe let them see a man carefull to avoid the ginnes and snares of Sathan which are laid in every place to take his soule they will judge and call him a scrupulous fellow for watching against that which they neither seenor feare as wonder is the daughter of ignorance Indeed as country men will rather believe the reports of travellers then go to see it so they will believe these things rather then be troubled or much trouble themselves about them Againe let God by his Embassadors offer them the Kingdome of heaven upon faire and easie tearmes they will none of it yea they will slight it as the golden Indies was offered to diverse Princes and they vilipended it because they never saw it yet the wealth was worth their labour that undertooke it and so in al other cases worldly hearts especially being thus deluded can see nothing in actions of zeale but folly and madnesse untill we be borne againe we are like Nicodemus who knew not what it was to be borne againe Iohn 3. Untill we become zealous our selves wee are like Festus who thought zeale madnesse Act. 26. untill wee bee humble our selves wee are lie Michal who mocked David for his humility and thought him a foole for dancing before the Arke 2 Samuel 6.16 yea it was true then and it is true now and it will be true alwayes which S. Paul observeth 1 Cor. 1.18 that to such as shal perish or are for the present in a perishing condition religion shall seeme foolishnes piety hath no relish to a brutish mans palate but distastfull and indeed how should they like the food which they never tasted or bee in love with the party of whom they have not the least knowledg For as to speake is only proper to men so to know the secrets of the kingdome of heaven is only proper to believers Sense is a meere beasts reason a meere mans divine knowledge is only the Christians § 181. FIfthly 5 Forestal them see with prejudice that they shall reselve against being religious the World and the Divell can so forestall mens judgements with prejudice against Gods people and goodnes that they shall resolve never to be religious so long as they live as how many by reason of that generall contempt which the divels instruments cast upon religion are both hindred from good and hardened in evill to their owne ruine and destruction 1 Pet. 2.7 8. Yea this makes them become more impudent stupid and insensible then Salomon's drunkard for as touching admonition they are like the deafe Adder tell them what God saith in his word they will stop the eare with the tongue by ingrossing all the talke neither is it the highest eloquence of the best Preacher can make him fit for heaven for they resolve against yeelding and words are vagabonds where the perswaded hath an evill opinion of the perswader Oh this is a difficult devill to bee cast out even like that we reade of Mat. 17.16 for as all the Disciples could not cast out that Divell no more can all the
if they have forsaken all honesty and good conscience it is time for us to forsake them if they depart from us in the foundation of faith and good workes let us as justly wee may depart from them in the building of brotherly fellowship they build on the sand let us build on the rock yea if they forsake the right way wee must forsake them or Christ will forsake us § 196. BUt least this should not suffice Five reasons of breaking off society with our vicious consorts see some reasons to enforce thee thereunto which all Gods people propound to themselves when they bid adue to their old associates in the broad way and purpose to pledge them no more in their wicked customes The reasons are principally 5. and they are weighty 1. That They may come to the sight of their errors 2. That We may not be Jnfected by them nor partake of their sinnes 3. That We may not be Jnfeoffed in their punishments 4. So farre as is possible we may be at peace with all men 5. Because their company would bereave us of comfort which otherwise we should enjoy being alone First First that they may looke into themselves that thereby they may come to the sight of their errors and consequently be reclaimed S. Paul when hee commands the Corinthians to shut the incestuous person out of their society and fellowship gives this reason that his Spirit might bee saved in the day of the Lord 1 Corinth 5.5 Againe when he writ to Timothy that he had done the same touching Hymeneus and Alexander he yeeldeth this to be the reason that they might learn not to blaspheme 1 Timothy 1.20 And in another place If any man obey not our saying note-him by a letter and have no company with him that hee may bee ashamed 2 Thes 3.14 It was the practise of the primitive Church in her first love that shee might shine in beauty and fairenes above alother Synagogues not to admit any scandalous person or open offender into the Communion of Saints untill their foule spots were carefully washt off and taken away by the teares of repentance The bread of the children was not given unto dogs neither by an equall bounty to the godly and the wicked was there an equall encouragement to godlinesse and iniquity but a separation was made betweene the sick and the whole and this separation had no other intent but edification even an edification of the spirit by the destruction of the flesh so that men could find no fault with the dispensers of this power having nothing to complaine of but that their lives thereby were sought to be amended and their soules to be saved I confesse that was a separation of a higher nature the power of the keyes being added they were delivered up to Sathan shut out of heaven herein it is not so but this serves to the same end and is done only in cases of like fact The cause was weighty for which the gates of heaven were to be locked great in the thing done or great in the wilfulnesse of the doer and this not without reason for the doome was heavie and fit for the back of a strong and mighty evil it was a short damnation a temporall hell a shutting out of heaven upon earth yea heaven in heaven even the joyes and comforts of the spirit of consolation Neither could it be but an excellent remedy for besides that it was Gods institution the remedy was fitted to the disease a degree of presumption was encountered with a degree of despaire the Scorpion was made a medicine against the sting of the Scorpion Sathan was set on worke to take him downe by terror unto salvation whom before hee animated and puffed up to destruction he that said at first sin boldly for ye shall not dye at all now hee changeth his voyce and saith thy sinne is greater then can be forgiven thee But the wisdom of dispensation suffered this roring Lion no longer to terrifie but untill his terror did mollifie hee aimed indeed at despaire and destruction but the Church aimed at humiliation and conversion yea at consolation and salvation And indeed humiliation for sinne is the only way to conversion from sinne conversion from sin the only way to the consolations of the Spirit and the comfortable spirit is both the guide and the way to life eternall therefore when the man is humbled Sathan is casheired the horse-leech is taken away when he hath sufficiently abated the vicious and superfluous blood Thus were men healed by wounding exalted by humbling O admirable use and command of Sathan hee is an enemy to God and yet doth him service he is an adversary to man and yet helpes him A strange thing that Sathan should help the incestuous Corinthian to the destruction of his flesh his concupiscence and the edification of his soule A strange thing that Sathan should teach Hymeneus and Alexander not to blaspheme he is the author of blasphemies and yet he teacheth not to blaspheme But is Sathan contrary to himselfe and is his kingdome divided in it selfe no surely dut one that is stronger then hee both in wisdome and power manageth both his craft and malice to ends which himselfe intendeth not The divell is one and the same still even purely malicious but God suffers him to go on in his temptations just so farre as temptation is profitable and no further therefore while Sathan is driving the offender to despaire God stops his course when the sinner is come to due humiliation and then as it was with Christ in the wildernesse so is it with the humbled sinner Sathan is dismissed and the Angels come and minister unto him This was the nature manner and end of publike excommunication private hath relation to it both touching cause and end First publike had respect to the cause that it was to be used only in case of scandalous open and notorious impiety so hath the private wee do not breake off society with any for weaknesses and sinnes of infirmity Secondly that did only aime at their amendment conversion and salvation so doth this we desire only to have them looke into themselves where the fault lyes and seeke to amend their course and certainly nothing will sooner make the adulteresse or drunkard bethink themselves then when they see all that are honest and sober even their neighbours and old associates shun their company and despise them as if they were not worthy of humane society and if they have the least desire to be reputed honest and sober againe and admitted their familiar converse without which they are as it were banished into exile they will do what possibly lyes in them to redeeme their credit and merit their good opinion by a more fober honest and holy demeanour the disparity lyeth only in the power and severity of the agents we cannot we doe not we desire not to deliver them up to Sathan but heartily pray that they may bee delivered
best replyed Bookes for these saith he without feare or flattery or any reward tell me faithfully all that I desire to know Cicero was and I am of his minde and though I bee no Hermit to sit away my daies in a dull Cell yet will I choose rather to have no companion then a bad one When Cato Vtican in vacation times and at his best leasure went to recreate himselfe in the country hee used to cary with him the best Philosophers and choisest bookes Algerius an Italtan Martyre said Hee had rather be in prison with Cato then with Caesar in the Senate house so was it more comfortable to bee with Philpot in his Cole-house then with Bonner in the Palace Boner's conscience made his Palace a Cole-house and a dungeon whiles Philpot's made the Cole-house a Palace The state of grace is heaven upon earth and he that knowes the sweetnesse of Gods presence wil deeme it more tollerable to bee ever alone then never able to be so When I read of Hiero the Tyrant of Syracusa and other such that gave over their Kingdomes to live a solitary life I somewhat wonder I should not to heare of a religious and Christian King that did so It is impossible for the naturall man to be so merry in company as the believer alone yea saith S. Augustine the teares of those that pray are sweeter then the joyes of the Theater Indeed a witty jest may make a man laugh more and lowder but he who hath an inheritance fallen to him feeles a more solid joy within so hee that enjoyes his Saviour and hath the assurance of heaven is truly merry at the heart and keepes Hilary Tearme all his life And indeed nothing in the world is worth envie besides the condition of a true Christian But to what end doe I tell a blind man how glorious and bright a creature the Sunne is or a poore man what summes of money are in the Kings Exchequers To so many as are unrenewed I speake in Parables Revel 2.17 Yea this seemes to them a Paradox that the people of God should be a merry people for contrariwise they dreame of nothing but solitarinesse and melancholly as the common people thought Tully to bee most idle when he studied most or as the Husbandman in Aesope objected idlenesse to the Poet but as he replyed I am never so idle as in thy company so may the religious we are never so solitary never so melancholly as when in society with you that are vicious This was David's case which maketh him cry out Woe is me that I must remaine in Meseck and dwell in the Tents of Kedar he found it a heavie yoke to bee yoked with irreligious companions And a double reason may be given of it though we feare not to suffer either in our persons goods or good names as before you have it For first the soule that lives among thornes shall hardly thrive they are such Backbyasses to a godly life that they will do what they can to hinder our goodnesse to heaven and the goodnesse of heaven to us they will wither all our good parts and qualities which are in us like an evill North-wind they blow upon the buds of our graces and nip them 2. Secondly It would make a mans heart to bleed to heare and consider how swearing blaspheming cursed speaking railing slandering quarrelling contending jesting mocking scoffing flattering lying dissembling vaine corrupt and filthy scolding scurrilous lose and idle talking doth overflow with them in all places so that such as feare God had better bee any where then in the company of most men Now I were madd if I should so affect company as to live voluntarily where vexations shall daily salute me Indeed a man is not rightly said to live untill he hath abandoned wicked society Similis having lived seven yeares apart from the world after a long time spent in a military life he left this Epitaph behind him Here lies old Similis yet one that lived but seaven yeares This made Frederick the third Elector Palatine when some such friends of his desired his company to answer I have lived enough to you let mee now live to my selfe and with my Lord Christ. Yea Saint Augustine tenne dayes before he dyed desired none might come to him that so in that time hee might the better fit himself for God And indeed that soule can never enjoy God that is not sometimes retired O that wee could in any reasonable time give a stop to our madding and straying fancies that we could after so long time spent in the lusts of the flesh and pride of life bring home our cogitations and intentions unto our selves shake off these violent hold-fasts bid our companions farewel which have too long engaged our soules and estranged us from our selves But when we are so wedded combined and glewed to the world it is no easie matter to make a safe retreat it is a fleaing to some to bee sundred thereby you pull away some peece of themselves In this case what we cannot doe all at once let us gaine upon our selves by degrees go back step by step first block up one passage then another Will you know what course Demosthenes tooke in this case He to the end that his acquaintance and nearest friends might not by carying him abroad according to their custome withdraw him from his study and bookes caused the haire of his head to be shaved off and after took an order that they should not peepe out untill hee had shook off his consorts by continually making them loose their labours It were happy for our young studients if they would a little imitate him if they were not overmuch affected and addicted to company keeping if they would but consider that friends are the thieves of time the most precious jewell they can part withall § 201. BUt here it will bee objected Object That we are melancholly persons Objection of joy and good fellow ship answered strayers from the drove of mankind and whereas nature hath made us sociable creatures in making us men religion hath altered to a crazied disposition whereby wee are mispleasing to all as all to us To this is answered Answ Suppose it were true but I shall in place more convenient prove that the religious only enjoy true mirth and that worldly mirth is more talked of then felt spirituall joy more felt then talk'd of though I may appeale to any mans conscience that hath been softned with the unction of grace and truly tasted the powers of the world to come yet they think it is better being a good Christian then a good fellow and hold it farre better in good sadnesse to bee saved with a few as Noah was in the Arke then in good fellowship with the multitude to bee drowned in sinne and damned for company We are content saith one to passe through somewhat more unsociably into happinesse it sufficeth wee shall meet with good company at our journeys end
in the kingdome of heaven even an innumerable company of Saints and Angels The men of the world practise what once a Jester spake who when a great Lord asked him whether he would goe to Heaven or Hell answered to hell for there quoth he I shall bee sure to meet your Lordship and the greatest part of mine acquaintance But it is not so with the true Christian he little loves Christ that will not follow him without company and his zeale is cold to heaven whom the example of numbers can turn another way Wherefore let us say as much as Peter said and do more then Peter did though all men should forsake thee yet will I nt leave thee O Saviour neither magnitude of Princes nor multitude of people shall prevaile with me But the world wrongs religion when they accuse it to bee an enemy to good-fellowship for she hath not a follower which doth not say with David Psa 119.63 I am a companion to all them that feare thee and keep thy precepts for the godly mans chiefe delight is in the Saints and such as excell in vertue Psalme 16.3 Yea and their fellowship is so good profitable and delectable that as Synesius was of opinion that King Hieron got more by Simonides acquaintance then Simonides did by his and as we read that Pharaoh Saul and Nebuchadnezzar were more pleasured by Ioseph David and Daniel then Daniel David and Ioseph were by them so I perswade my selfe great persons would finde themselves more then requited if they would vouchsafe the company of some poore Saints for a wise and holy Christian like his Lord and Master wheresoever he goes makes better cheare then he findes in an happy exchange of spiritual repast for bodily Yea as Plato accounted it one of the foure great privelidges for which he was especially bound to nature that he lived in the time of Socrates so they should thinke it none of the least favours for which they were bound to blesse God that they enjoyed so religious and holy society It is true indeed there is a supposed good fellowship to which religion is an enemy because it is an enemy to this holy fellowship of the Saints and good reason the one are to the other as Wolves are to the Lambes now is it any marvaile if the Lambes care not greatly for the company of the Wolves the Lambe would not willingly be alone yet it is far better when solitary then in a wolvish society Generous mindes will associate with their matches and equalls or none as Davâ—d being a King when he was expulsed his owne Country resorts to none but Kings for first he goeth to Achis King of Gath then to the King of Moab 1 Sam. 21.10 and 1 Sam. 22.3 Neither are our ding-thirsts who lavish out their estates and throw the house out at windowes as we use to say good fellowes though they call themselves so for good fellowes and evill men are incompatible like Simeon and Levi sworne brothers but brethren in evill which is too evill a brotherhood for an honest man to make one in or indeede a wise man for is not hee a foole that will sell Heaven for company as a great many tru drunkards doe For my owne part if I have good company I will cherish them as Lot did his Angels which were sent for guardians if I have any bad I will studie to loose them least by keeping them I loose my selfe in the end § 202. 5 ANother reason why we should separate our selves from their society is 5. That we may he at peace with all which is not possible if wee keep them company that according to the Apostles rule sâ— far as is possible we may have peace with all men which is no way obtainable but by a separation A wicked man saith Salomon is abomination to the just â— and he that is upright in his way is abomination to the wicked Prov. 29.27 if so either no communion or no peace Believers and such as are enemies to the Crosse of Christ can never be reconciled at least in heart What communion can righteousnesse have with unrighteousnesse You may as well tye a sure knot betweene a Cobweb and a Cable as a true and fast love knot between the child of God and a wicked man These two yoked together agree like the Harp and the Harrow they are as suitable as a wooden Legg and a Thigh of flesh which makes the Apostle Rom. 12.18 in enjoyning us to have peace with all men to add if it bee possible and in another place to say be not unequally yoked with infidels for as wee should not be yoked with infidels so wee should not be yoked with common drunkards and swearers nor with Atheists vvhich are no better then infidels for that also is to be unequally yoked unlesse vve be Atheists too As the Iewes might not consort vvith the Canaanites so vvee may not consort vvith them vvhich are like Canaanites Wise Salomon chargeth us from God that vvee should not keepe company vvith gluttons and drunkards Proverbs 23.20 and the Apostle enjoyneth us not to have any fellowship nor so much as eat with a drunkard 1 Cor. 5.11 and that vve should have no fellowship with these unfruitfull workes of darknesse or if unvvittingly and unvvillingly vve bee thrust into any such society vve must not imitate but reprove them Ephesians 5.11 and vvee professe our selves the servants of God novv they are bad servants vvho vvill keep company vvith their masters enemies especially after he hath streightly charged them to the contrary Alasse vvhat should vvee doe in the presence of base persons vvhen even our sober ignorance in ill courses is more then disesteemed of the vvorld Yea vvhen it is not enough for them to be bad themselves except they raile at the good vvhen if there be one in a company that abhorres impious language they vvill blaspheme on purpose to vex him vvhen they vvill thinke themselves slighted if they be not sent away drunk when to depart sober is held incivility and we cannot talk idly enough nor doe lewdly enough to beare them company we can neither say as they say nor be silent when we see and heare their basenes As whom would it not stirre to heare oaths strive for number with words scoffs with oathes vaine speeches with both we love neither to bite nor fawne yet we can not forbeare to speak the naked truth which if we do will breed a quarrel As for instance one jests pleasantly with his Maker another makes himselfe sport with Scripture a third fils his mouth with oathes of sound a fourth scoffs at the religious one speaks villany another laughs at it a third defends it one makes himselfe a swine another a divell Now who that is not all earth can endure it Yea vvho having grace can heare such vvickednesse and feeleth not some sparke of holy indignation arise in him vvhile he thinkes of it or vvho having not lost his spirituall
thou take away the precious from the vile thou shalt bee according to my word Ier. 15.19 And we would have them suffer this exclusion no longer then till they deserve it no more let them returne unto us doe as Themistocles who being in his youth vicious and deboyst afterwards made the world amends by his brave exploits and wee will returne unto them keepe them company account them true friends good men otherwise wee have an absolute prohibition from God himselfe Ier. 15.19 let them returne unto thee but returne not thou unto them And good reason there is for it in a musicall instrument the strings that be out of tune are set up or set down to the rest but the strings that bee in tune are never stirred nor medled with though indeed I might have stopped their mouthes with this very question whether is better to obey God or humour sensual men As our Saviour Christ stopt the high Priests mouthes when they asked him by what authority hee cursed the fruitlesse Figg-tree cast the buyers and sellers out of the Temple c. by demaunding of them whether Iohns baptisme was from heaven or of men Mar. 11.29 But in case they will not returne unto us we had rather offend each of them once then our selves every day It is pity that ever the water of baptisme was spilt upon his face that cares more to discontent the world then to wrong God They are unjust and ouer partiall that will goe about to exact from us that which we owe not with more rigor then they will exact from themselves that which they owe. And so I have given you the reasons why such as are or desire to be conscionable and religious breake off company with them and vindicated the most usuall exceptions against it I will now make some use of the point ond so leave it for them to chew upon § 207. 1. 2 Vse of the former reasons TO summe up all in a word or lay all these grounds and motives together If we endanger our selves our lives our estates loose our credit our peace our time by frequent associating with ungodly men and can no way expect their love and friendship be sure you come not or at least stay not in their company It is not safe venturing among them in confidence of our owne strength no more then it is to consort with cheaters in hope that they will not cozen us Dead fire we know being stird up will burne a fresh and corruption like a candle new put out is soone kindled againe If Sathan but blow upon it the owne heate is enough to enflame it No venture not thy selfe though thou hast once or twise come off cleare from them Sampson could withstand his wives temptation seven dayes but at length by her importunity she prevailed with him Iudg. 14. Over many in this case are like to sicke men who when they have had a good day or two thinke themselves presently well againe so they make bold to put off their Kerchifes to put on thinner garments and to venture into the fresh ayre whereupon follow unrecoverable relapses Wherefore take heede or if thou dost keepe them company it is an argument that thou art sicke of their disease idlenesse And of this Vse so much 2 If wicked company are so infectious 2 Vse that they will worke a consumption in any mans vertues that is daily conversant with them and waste them from an ounce to a dram from a dram to a scruple to a graine to nothing so that he may say with Christ in the croud who hath touched me for I feele vertue gone out of me Let us be as Seneca adviseth more circumspect with whom we eate and drinke then what we eate and drinke He that hath money will beware of theeves if you have any grace venture it not among these riflers for art thou inclined to pray they will tempt thee to play wouldest thou goe to a Sermon by their perswasion the Taverne or Theater stands in the way But alasse if others tempt thee not thou wilt tempt others temptation needs not stand like a Taverne-bush in thy way for thou wilt invite thy selfe hunt after temptation 3 Vse 3 Is every man busie in dispending that quality which is predominant in him And can we converse with none but will worke upon us and by the unperceived stealth of time assimilate us to their owne customes will tvvo friends like tvvo brands set each other on fire vvith good or ill vvhen one alone vvill goe out vvill a streight tvvig if it be tied to a crooked bough become crooked or a crooked tvvig become streight if it be tied to a streight rule as Peter denied his Master amongst the Iewes vvhom he confest amongst the Apostles Then keepe company but let it be vvith such as may make thee better flie evill society least their kind vvords so vvorke upon thy yeelding nature that thou knovvest not hovv to deny they are such as have taken the Devills oath of Allegiance and thou hast small hope to prevaile vvith them to good A certaine King as St. Augustin reports being hard favoured and fearing least his Queene should bring forth children like himselfe got many faire and beautifull pictures vvhich he caused her steadfastly to behold every day goe thou and do likewise be conversant with good men and in good things and thou shalt doe that unbidden which others can scarce doe compelled by the Law as Aristotle speakes of the study of Philosophy O what an happy thing it is to converse with the vertuous their gracious words or holy examples will be sure to stirre up the gifts of God in us they will either adde something to our zeale or something to our knowledge the society of Prophets is able to make even a Saul prophesie The sight of others falling heartily to their meate brings on our stomacks yea if we have no gifts to stirre up their communion cannot but leave some tincture behind it if not of Piety yet at least of a good profession and some inclinablenesse If Saul had not had a good and discreet companion when he went to seeke his Fathers Asses he had returned backe as wise as he came but now he is dravvne into counsell with the Man of God and heares more then he hoped for 1 Sam. 9.6 The messengers of the same Saul vvhen they lived in the Court vvere as is likely caried avvay vvith the svvinge of the times and did apply themselves to their Masters ungodly practises as appeareth in their going to apprehend David that Saul might kill him yet were they no sooner in company with the Prophets in Nayoth but their minds were changed and they likewise prophesied 1 Sam. 19.20 Ob. But say some of Bacchus his fooles I keepe company with brave fellowes that are generous free bountifull c. Answ 2 Excuses taken away Alasse thou dost but slander him with these titles He is a proud ignorant inconsiderate