it selfe and not now and then but continually Whether we seare our own corruptions as well as Sathans temptations Whether we esteem the Word as if God immediately spake to us in particular c. So likewise if our saith be true our obedience is constant like the fire of the Temple which never went out Rev. 21. 7 and universall making conscience of all Gods Commandements one as well as another the first table as well as the second and the second as well as the first Matth. 5. 19. for a regenerate minde cannot consist with a determination to continue in any one sin as when Christ cast out one divell we read that he cast out all even the whole Legion Marke 5. 12. God loves those best that stick closest to his Word in every tittle and as Parents most affect those children that most resemble them so doth God It is true saith Saint Augustine God gives us Commandements impossible to nature that wee may the rather seeke unto him for grace and corruption will mix with our purest devotions imperfection swayes in all the weake dispatches of our palsied soules In all we do we something doe amiss And our perfection imperfection is Neither is it to any man given to be absolute in any thing yea the very best of us have not done one action Legally justifiable all our dayes so that we are as farre from perfection as the center of the earth is from the circumference which semediameter or space is judged by the most expert to bee three thousand five hundred miles What then because we cannot obey in all shall we obey in nothing if we cannot performe our duty as we ought let us do our good will and endeavour what wee can for it is better to hault in the right way then runne in the wrong especially when God expects no more then wee can do and accepts of what we are willing to doe for if we purpose before hand not to sin and in the act doe strive against sinne and after the act be sorry for the sinne sin shall never bee laid to our charge if wee hate our corruptions and strive against them they shall not be counted ours It is not I saith Paul but sin that dwelleth in me for what displeaseth us shal never hurt us and wee shall bee esteemed of God to be what we love and desire and labour to be Now let this point bee argued in the Court of the conscience for although others may give a shrewd guesse yet the mother knowes best whether the child bee like the Father or no Say whether thou art guilty of these graces or not guilty He who makes not conscience of sin hath no true faith and the true method of grace is first cease to do evill then learne to do well Isa. 1. 16. 17 for as we die to nature ere we live to glory so we must dye to sin ere we can live to righteousnesse there can be no fellowship between light and darknesse Christ and Belial the Arke and Dagon cannot lodge under one roof the house must first be cleansed ere it can be garnished in a payre of Tables nothing may well bee written before the blots and blurs be wiped out the good husbandman first stubs up the thorns and puls up the weeds then soweth the good seed if the wax receive a new image the old doth cease at least as the increase of light makes a decrease of darknesse it being impossible that two things of contrary natures should bee together in one subject the one not expelling the other either wholly or in part so it is betweene grace and corruption In a word if thou canst say I deprecate all sin I repent heartily of that is done I abhor to commit it I earnestly pray against it I strive with all my power to avoid it I thirst for more grace I am ready to all good works I rest wholly and onely on my Saviours merits thou mayest goe on and say I therefore rightly believe I believe and therefore am justified I am justified therefore called I am called therfore elected I am elected therefore I shal be glorified Otherwise if thou beest as it were a dead man continuing under the burthen of notorious crimes without forrow or feare or remorse or care of amendment Ephes. 2. 1. If thou art a drunkard if thou art frequent in the language of hell viz. swearing cursing 6 without feare or sorrow or striving to leave it if thou delightest to boast of sinne and mischiefe or seekest to defend it Psalâ—2 â—2 1 if thou art of a reprobate judgement touching actions and persons esteeming good evill and evil good if the divell hath so bewitched thee that thou preferrest hell to heaven and blamest those that do otherwise if thou imitatest a bad stomack in turning every thing to an evil construction so making a temptation of every thing Titus 1. 15. if Ishmael like thou mockest or Cham-like thou scoffest at the religious or usest bitter jests against them Psal. 1. 1. Ephesians 5. 4. if thou raisest slanders of them or furtherest them being raised Psalme 4. 2 and 31. 18. and 35. 20. as the red Dragon Revelation 12. cast a flood of water out of his mouth after the woman when hee could not reach her with his clawes verse 15. or any way opposest them for the opposition of goodnesse gives thee the title of wickednesse which alone is the enemy thereof and shewes thou art a souldier of the great Dragon who goes out to make warre with that blessed seed that keepe the Commandements of God Revel 12. 17. these or any one of these especially the last shew that thou never camest where regeneration repentance and faith grew that thy soule like Venus Altar in the I le Paphos was never yet rained upon by grace from above for if the Image of God by faith were repaired in thee thou couldest not but bee delighted with those that are like thy selfe thou couldest not but love the godly because they are godly for the very first part of conversion is to love them that love God 1 Iohn 3. 10. And in vaine shall a mans heart absolve him that is condemned by his actions for vertue and vice are both Prophets forewarning us of things to come the one of certaine good the other of paine or penitence § 151. BUt behold an other starting hole For if the evill spirit sees thee convinc'd of the necessity of repentance he will perswade thee to deferre it untill hereafter knowing that if he can prevaile therein it is all one as if thou hadst never purposed to repent at all for as experience may informe us not one of a thousand which take this course ever attaine unto it for either they adjourne the time prefixt from next yeare to next yeare c. or else they attaine not to that repentance which is true and sound But see the particulars laid open Thou promisest thine owne soule that thou wilt
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 Spirit 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 man have a lot in Canaan let him bee a sure to bee a true Israelite And so we see there must of necessity bee a manifest change that fruitfulnesse is the best argument he hath begotten us anew that the signes of salvation are to be sought in our selves as the cause in Iesus Christ that wee must become new creatures as S. Paul hath it 2 Cor. 5. 17. talk with new tongues Mar. 16. 17. and walk in new wyaes Matth. 2. 12. hating what we once loved and loving what we formerly hated then shall we have new names Rev. 2. 17. put on new garments and have a portion in the new Ierusalem Revel 21. otherwise not Take notice of this all ye carnall worldlings who are the same that yee were alwayes even from the beginning ' and think the same a speciall commendations too though you have small reason for it for that wee need no more to condemne us then what we brought into the world with us Besides doe you live willingly in your sinnes Let mee tell you ye are dead in your sinnes this life is a death and wee need no better proofe that you are dead then because you feele not your deadnesse § 150. SEcondly that thou hast not repented nor doest yet believe is plaine for as faith is a gift of God whereby the elect soule is sirmly perswaded not only that the whole word of God is true but that Christ and all his benefit doe belong unto her so it is an honourable and an operative grace alwayes accompanied with other graces over bearing fruit and repentance being a fruit of faith is a whole change of the mind and a very sore displeasure against a mans selfe for sinne as it is sin and a breach of God's holy Lawes and for offending so good a God so mercifull a Father with a setled purpose of hateing and for sakeing all sinne and yeilding universall obedience for the time to come wherefore hast thou a true lively and a justifying faith it will manifest it selfe by a holy life For as fire may bee decerned by heat and life by motion so a mans faith may bee decerned by his workes for though faith alone justifieth yet justifying faith is never alone but ever accompanied with good workes and other saving graces as the Queene though in her state and office shee be alone yet shee goeth not without her Maids of honour Tttus 3. 8. spirituall graces the beauties of the soule and good workes the beauty of graces and our justification is to bee proved by the fruits of our sanctification faith and workes are as inseparable as the root and the sap the Sun and its light and wheresoever they are not both present they are both absent I am 2. 17. 24. faith purifies the heart Act. 15. 9. worketh by love Galath 5. 6. and sanctifieth the whole man throughout 1 Thes. 5. 23. Act. 26. 18. for as if our repentance bee sound it will make us grieve for sins of all sorts secret as well as known originall as well as actuall of omission as of commission lesser viz. thoughts as well as greater yea as well for the evill which cleaves to our best workes as for the evill workes Rom. 7. 21. and as heartily and unfainedly desire that we may never commit it as that God should never impute it 2. Tim. 2. 19. Againe it will worke tendernesse of conscience and such a true filiall feare of God that we shall feare to displease him not so much because hee is just to punish us as for his mercy and goodnesse sake and more feare the breach of the Law then the curse which we may know by asking our owne hearts these questions Whether we would refuse a booty if we had as fit an opportunity to take it and no man perceive the same as Achan had Whether wee would refuse a bribe like Elisha though wee should meet with one which were as willing and able to give it as Naaman Whether we would not deceive though we were in such an of fice as the false Steward whose Master referred all unto him and knew not when he kept any thing backe Whether wee would not yeeld in case it should be said unto us as the Divell said to Christ all this will I give thee if thou wilt commit such a sinne Whether we have a Spirit without guile Psa. 32. 2. and be the same in Closet and Market as being no lesse seene in the one then in the other Whether we more love to be then seeme or be thought good as Plato spake of his friend Phocion and seeke more the power of godlinesse then the shew of it Iob 1. 1. For Christians should be like Aples of gold with Pictures of silver whose inside is better then their outside but both good and hee serveth God best who serveth him most out of sight that wheresoever hee is keepes a narrower watch over his very thoughts then any other can doe of his actions and no mans censure troubles him more then his owne Againe whether wee are as carefull to avoide the occasions of sinne as sinne
added the greatest Schollers 177. let Good intentions 206. be added Example of the best men 197. no safe rule to walk by without a precept 162. Excuses of drunkards taken away 154. F FAith 653. Drunkards would flout us out of our faith 381. Feare and cowardise a cause of drunkennesse 282. Fooles the greatest polititian the greatest foole 013. in five particulars made good 621. some wise in foolish things and oolish in wise things 638 bray them in a mortar they will not leave their sinnes 624. though the Divel makes fooles of them yet he makes them wise enough to make fooles of any that will trust them 636 the voluptuous fooles 643. the greatest bousers the greatest buzzards 121. the greatest humanist without grace little better 604. Forsake none but counterfeits will forsake Christ for all they can do 534. Friends wicked men wrong none so much as their best friends to whom they owe their very lives 515. love and friendship only among good men 843 G GOd his gifts numberlesse 481. Godly what is done to them Christ challengeth as done to himselfe 508. Goodnes alone the whetstone of a drunkards envie 386. Good and bad agree together like the Harp and Harrow 821. good men must be imitated only in good things 157. good intentions cannot justifie evill acts 206. good â—ellowes who 820. reputation of goodfellowship 277. Guilty we may be of anothers sin divers wayes 825 H HAnds hatred and malice of drunkards would break out at their hands were they not manacled by the Law 391. Heart to get an humble heart 649. Hatred against the religious the most bitter and exorbitant 343. they hate none but the good 411 but they are sure of opposition 412. how their hatred vents it selfe 345. their hatred is against God and Christ 508. not to tell our neighbour of his faults is to hate him 826. to hate the vices of a wicked man but love his person 849. wee should hate evill in whomsoever 850. Hell a description of it and the last judgement 458. 461. good men draw all they can to Heaven 440. wicked men all they can to Hell ibid. none helpe to people Hell like drunkards 4â—1 they would have our company in Hell 436. and why 446. the covetous man can finde in his heart to go to Hell so his sonne may be left rich 629. Healths a shoing horne to all excesse 309. they drinke others healths their owne deaths 323. of which many examples and of the just judgement of God upon drunkards 314. healths great in measure or many in number 310. if small the liquor is stronger or the number more 311. healths upon their knees 313. not more forward to drinke healths then zealous and carefull that other pledge the same 318. the rise and originall of health drinking 313. Honesty he the soberest and honestest man that resembles the drunkard least 691. good-fellowship the utmost of a drunkards honesty 139. Honour misprision of it and reputation 322 Hope easily blown into a wicked man and as soone blowne out of him 444. Hurt drunkards would hurt and maime us for being sober and conscionable if they durst 392. I IDlenesse a cause of drunkennesse and drunkennesse a cause of idlenesse 72. an idle person good for nothing but to propagate sin 73 Ignorance of drunkards 121. 107. and all naturall men 177. 600. the cause of all sin 593. drunkards insensible of their sinne and danger because ignorant 107. Ingratitude and great folly of wicked men 526. Intention of soule-murther shall bee rewarded as if they did it 539. Ioy if true only enjoyed by good men 817. the joy of worldlings more talked of then felt 817. objections touching joy and good-fellowship answered 817. Iudge wicked men judge of things 757. and persons 759. by contraries 761 their judgement and practise cleane contrary to Gods Word ibid. how the Divel deludes the fancy and judgement of a natur all man 721. Iudgements of God what use drunkards make thereof 111. the religious keep off judgements 516. first by their innocency 516. secondly by their prayers 517. K KIll drunkards and wicked men would kil the godly if they would not yeeld 392. of which their savage disposition five reasons 402. first they must do the workes of their father the Divell 402. secondly that their deeds of darknesse might not come to light 404. thirdly they cannot follow their sinnes so freely so quietly ibid. fourthly what they could not make good with reason they would with iron ibid. fifthly their glory and credit is eclipsed by the godly 405. but they cannot do as they would though their punishment shall bee all one 399. King Sathan their King and they must seek his wealth and honour and inlarge his Kingdome by winning all they can from Christ 431. Knowledge he that hath saving knowledge hath every other grace 597. six helpes to saving knowledge 646. L LAw and precept our only rule 210. Looke Drunkards look to us not to themselves 356. Love wicked men think they love God but they doe hate him 512. Drunkards love their sinnes better then their soules 551. a Drunkard can never love thee being sober and religious 834. a wicked mans love mercenary and inconstant 835. nothing rivits hearts so close as religion 845. Lust provoked by drunkennesse 54. discard all filthy lusts and corrupt affections 646. M MEanes must be used 664. to sinne against mercy the abundance of meanes and many warnings mightily aggravates sinne 475. Melancholly Drunkards drink to drive it away 259. but this increaseth it 260. Memory Drunkards have shallow memories 132 Mercy God in mercy infinitely transcendent 550. but it makes nothing for such as will not part with their sins 551. his mercy is a just mercy 554. mercy rejoyceth against justice but destroyeth not Gods justice 553. if we forsake our sinnes God will forgive them how many and how great soever 152. wicked men apply Christs passion and Gods mercy as a warrant for their licentionsnesse 542. they are altogether in extreames either God is so mercifull that they may live how they lift or so just that he will not pardon them upon their repentance 546. Mocking some will better abide a stake then others a mock 504. Mourne in all ages the godly alone have mourned for the abominations of their time 255. Modesty in some a vice 842. Most objection that most men are of another judgement answered 589. Multitude how Sathan guls the rude multitude 293 the multitude will do what they see others do 371. of which many examples 372. Murther caused by drunkennesse 50. N NAmes we should taint our names by keeping evill company 808. to defend our neighbours good name if we can a duty 828. Naturall men called beasts in Scripture 3. O OBedience God hath equally promised all blessings to the obedient and threatned all manner of judgements to the disobedient 554. Offences Objection against offences answered 742. P PAssions and affections make partiall 352. they must be discarded 646 Peace
sinne scornes reproofe admonition to it were like goads to them that are mad already or like powring Oyle down the chimney which may set the house on fire but never abate the heate Neither can the rest better brooke what he speaks then he what they speak for these Pompeian spirits think it a foule disgrace either to put up the least wrong from another or acknowledge to have overslipt themselves in wronging of another whereby thousands have been murthered in their drink it faring with them as it did with that Pope whom the Divel is said to have slaine in the very instant of his adultery and carry him quick to hell For this is the case of drunkards as of Souldiers and Marriners the more need the lesse devotion I am loth to trouble you with the multitude of examples which are recorded of those that having made up the measure of their wickednes have Ammon like dyed and beene slaine in drink God sometimes practising martiall law and doing present execution upon them least fooles should say in their hearte there is no God though he connives at and deferres the most that men might expect a Judge comming and a solemne day of judgement to follow And what can be more fearefull then when their hearts are merry and their wits drowned with wine to be suddenly strucken with death as if the execution were no lesse intended to the soule then to the body or what can bee more just then that they which in many yeares impunity will find no leisure of repentance should at last receive a punishment without possibility of repentance I know â—peed of death is not alwayes a judgement yet as suddennes is ever justly suspicable so it then certainly argues anger when it findes us in an act of sinne Leisure of repentance is an argument of favour when God gives a man law it implies that hee would not have judgement surprise him § 20. NOW as drunkennesse is the cause of murther so it is no lesse the cause of adultery yea as this sinne is most shamefull in it selfe so it maketh a man shamelesse in committing any other sin whereof luâ—t is none of the last nor none of the least Yea saith Ambrose the first evill of drunkennesse is danger of chastity for Bacchus is but a pander to Venus hereupon Romulus made a law that if any woman were found drunke shee should dye for it taking it for granted that when once drunke it was an easie matter to make her a whore The stomach is a Limbeck wherein the spirit of lust is distilled meates are the ingredients and wine the onely fire that extracts it For as the flame of mount Aetna is fed onely by the vapours of the adjacent sea so this fire of lust is both kindled and maintained by surfeiting and drunkennesse When the belly is filled with drinke then is the heart inflamed with lust and the eyes so filled with adultery that they cannot but gaze upon strange women as Salomon Shewes Prov. 23. 33. whereas love saith Crates is cured with hunger You know when the Iron is hot the Smith can fashion it to his pleasure and wine tempers the heart like wax for the divels impression when a man is drunk Sathan may stamp in his heart the soulesâ— sinne but lust will admit no denyall Yea drunkennesse inflames the soule and fills that with lusts as hot as hell high diet is adulteries nurse They rose up in the morning like fed Horses saith the Prophet and what followes every man neighed after his neighbours wife Ier. 5. 8. which is more then true with us for drunkards like the Horse and Mule which have no â—nderstanding no shame no conscience c. especially your brazen brain'd and flinty foreheaded clownes can no sooner spie a woman or maide chast or unchast even in the open streets but they will fall to imbraceing and tempting her with ribaldry scurrility turning every vvord she speakes to some lascivious obscene sense vvhereof they are not a little proud though it vvould make a vvise and modest man even spue to heare them But to goe on When Lot is drunke hee is easily drawne to commit incest with his owne daughters not once perceiving when they lay downe nor when they rose up Gen. 19. 32. to 36. Rarò vidi continentem quem non vidi â—bstinentem saith St. Austin you shall rarely see a man continent that is not abstinent and it 's a true rule for that heate which is taken at the Taverne must be alaid at the brothel-house the blood which is fired with Bacchus must be cooled with Venus and soe Sathan takes two Pigeons with one beane And the Divell should forget both his office and malice if hee did not play the pander to Coâ—cupiscence this way for idlenesse makes way for loose company loose company makes way for wine wine makes way for lust and lust makes worke for the Devill Venus comes out of the froth of this Sea I will never believe that chastity ever slept in the Drunkards bed for although I cannot say that every whormonger is given to drunkennesse yet I may truely say that there are no Drunkards but are either given over or greatly inclined to whoredome This sinne fills the heart and eye both eyes if not the whole life with horrible filthinesse naturall unnaturall any this is so cleare a truth that darknesse it selfe saw and confest it even a Poet of the Heathens could call eating and drinking the fuell that maintaines the fier of Lust for Lust saith hee is quenched by abstinence kindled by excesse and nothing sooner kills this tetter then that fasting spittle of abstinence for how should the wieke burne without tallow or the lampe without oyle That Wine is an inducement to Lust David well knew or else hee had spared those superfluous cups but when hee would have forced Vriaâ— to lye with his wife that so shee might have a colour for her great belly and the child might appeare legitimate hee first made him drunke 2 Sam. 1 1. 13. Even as Ice is ingendered of water so is Lust of intemperance The Drunkard is like a Salamander stone which fires at the sight of every flame yea if hee but see a whore and shee him like the Weesell and Baâ—iliske they poyson each other with their sight Pro. 7. One Devill is ready to helpe another in mischiefe hee that tarrieth long at the wine saith Salomon his eyes shall looke upon strange women and his heart shall speake lewd things Proverbs 23. 33. and St. Paul witnesseth that the fruits of gluttony and drunkennesse are chambering and wantonnesse Rom. 13. 13. Yea as drunkennesse is the onely businesse of loyterers so lewd love is the onely businesse of Drunkards for while they are awake they thinke and speake of it and when they are asleepe even when other mens thoughts lye at Anchor they nothing but dreame of it and what is it a Drunkard loves halfe so well as a whore
saith S. Iohn know God but they which have not this love know not God though they have never so much knowledge besides 1 Iohn 4. 7. Yea suppose a man be not inferiour to Porcius who never forgat any thing he had once read to Pythagoras who kept all things in memory that ever hee heard or saw to Virgil of whom it is reported that if all Sciences were lost they might bee found in him to Bishop Tunstal whom Erasmus called a world of knowledge to Aristotle who was called wisdome it self in the abstract to that Romane Nasica who was called Corculum for his pregnancy of wit that Grecian Democritus Abderita who was also called wisdome it selfe that Britaine Guildas called Guildas the sage that Iew Aben Ezra of whom it was said that if knowledge had put out her candle at his braine shee might light it againe and that his head was a throne of wisdome or that Israelitish Achitophel whose words were held as Oracles to Iosophus Scaliger who was skil'd in thirty languages yet if he want faith holinesse the love of God and the Spirit of God to be his teacher he shall not be able reallyâ— and by his owne experience to know thâ— chiefe points of Christian religion sucâ— as are Faith Repentance Regenerationâ— the love of God the presence of the Spiâ— rit the Remission of sins the effusion oâ— grace the possession of heavenly comforts not what the peace of conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost is nor what the communion of Saints means when every one of these are easie and familiar to the meanest and simplest believer Now will you know the reason the feare of the Lord saith Salomon is the beginning of wisdome Prov. 1. 7. as if the first lesson to be wise were to be holy For as the water ingendereth yce and the yce ageine ingendereth water so knowledge begets righteousnesse and righteousnesse again begetteth knowledge It is between science and conscience as it is betweene the stomack and the head for as in mans body the raw stomack maketh a rheumatick head and the rheumaticke head maketh a raw stomack so science makes our conscience good and conscience makes our science good It is not so much scientia capitis as conscientia cordis that knowes Christ and our selves whence Salomon saith give thine heart to wisdome Pro. 2. 10 and let wisdome enter into thine heart Proverbs 4. 4. Againe if it be ask'd why the naturall man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God S. Paul answers he cannot know them because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2. 14. and indeed if they be spiritually discerned how should they discerne them that have not the Spirit Now if it be so that men may bee exquisitely wise and incomparably learned in the worlds opinion and yet very fools in the judgement of heaven if not many wise men after the flesh are called but that a great number of them go the wrong way yea if God turnes their wisdome into foolishnesse that abuse their gifts and reveales himselfe savingly to none but such as feare and serve him then is their no safety in following their example or in building our faiths upon their judgements Indeed we are too prone to imitate the learned and to thinke we go safe enough if wee tread in their steps although they tread awry for say wee they know the will of God what hee requires and practise what they thinke will bring them to happinesse especially so much as is absolutely necessary to salvation and they do so and so or else they speake not as they think because they do not as they speake for none live worse then many of them But should this be should we thinke ever the better of error though a thousand of the learned should countenance and maintaine the same no one Micaiah a single Prophet speaking from the Oracles of God is more worthy of credit then 400. Baalites 1 Kin. 22. 6 12 13 14 17 22 23. One Luther a mean man is worthy to bee believed before the Pope and so many legions of his creatures which were throughout Christendom for what hee wanted in abbettors was supplyed in the cause yea did not Paphnuti us a weak scholler shew more wisdome in defending the truth against the whole Councell of Nice then all those great Clarks and learned men to his great renowne and their everlasting shame Did not Pharaoh find more wisdome in Ioseph a poore Hebrew servant and receive more solid advice from him wherby a famine through out the whole world was prevented then hee could in all the Wisemen and Southsayers of Egypt Gen. 41. 8. to 32 Did not Nebuchadnezzar finde more depth in Daniel a poore captive Iew then he could in all the wise men of Babylon Daniel 2. and 4 yes and the reason is one eye having sight is better then a thousand blind eyes and one poore crucified thief being converted had a clearer eye then all the lews Rulers Scribes and Pharisies who being naturall and wicked condemned and crucified JESUS CHRIST In the Councell of Trent there was of 270. Prelates 187. chose out of Italy and of the rest the Pope who was himselfe Moderator and his creatures excluded and tooke in whom themselves would and none else what marvaile then if they concluded what they listed Yea how many Schollers in all ages of the world have resembled Trajan who was endued with great knowledge and other singular vertues but defaced them all by hating Christianity and opposing the power of godlinesse How many are so farre from doing good that they doe great hurt with their gifts and not seldom the more gifts they have the more harme they do For as the best soyle commonly yeelds the worst aire so without grace there is nothing more pestilent then a deepe wit Wit and learning well used are like the golden earerings and bracelets of the Israelites abused like the same gold cast into a molten Idoll then which nothing more abominable No such prey for the Devill as a good wit unsanctified great wits oft times mislead not only the owners but many followers besides as how many shall once wish they had been born dullards when they shall finde their wit and learning to have barred them out of heaven And let them looke to it for as in respect of others their offence is greater for better many Israelites commit adultery or idolatry then one David or Salomon The least moate that flies in the Sun or between our eyes and the light seemes a greater substance then it is and the more learned the person the more notorious the corruption as the freshest sommers day will soonest taint those things which will putrifie so in respect of themselves their sinne is and their punishment shall bee greater for the more glorious the Angels excellency the more damnable their apostacie If the light become darknesse how great is that darknesse If Achitophel prove a villaine how mischievous is his villany Putrified
running Horse which they had more need to redeeme with double care and labour then seeke how to hurle it away yea hyre the divell and others to helpe them For my part I had rather the company would passe away then the time except it bee such company as may helpe me to redeeme the time And while I live here I will study so to use time as that I may come to live where time shall be no more and doubtlesse those that dare loose a day are dangerously prodigall those that dare mispend it desperate § 65. OTher reasons and causes there bee of it though indeed there is no reason in it as first pride is one speciall cause covetousnesse another cowardlinesse a third evill company a fourth c. for they will by no meanes grant that they drinke for the love of drink any more then the hunts man pursues the Hare in cold in heate over mountaines and dales for love of her flesh no will these swilbowles say yea sweare that is the basest thing in the world they are Epicures indeed that will doe so though they love it as they should doe God above all above health wealth cred it child wife life heaven salvation all calling for that as the Pope once for his dish even in despite of heaven for is not their gullet their god do they not sacrifice more to their god Belly then those Babylonians did to their god Bell. Alasse they no more care for Wine then Esau did for his pottage for which hee sold his birth-right no more then Vgaccâ—o of Luca did for good cheare who ventured his Dukedome rather then hee would loose a good supper then Lysimachus did who made away a whole Kingdome for drinke then VVenceslaus who after the same manner consumed his Empire then Philoxenus and Melanthius did who that the drink might yeeld them the more pleasure in going down to their stomacks wish the one a Swans throat the other a Cranes neck then Tiberius who because hee loved wine above measure was in derision called Biberius For let them say or sweare what they will I will believe the Prophet Isaiah who brings in the drunkard saying thus Come wee will bring wine and we will fill our selves with strong drinke and to morrow shall be as this day and much more abundant Isa. 56. 12. and Hanna who calls drunkards the sons of Belial 1 Sam. 1. 16. that is all belly and for the belly Yea let some good fellow or other tell me whether it would not make his teeth water and his guts grumble yea whether in envie hee would not feed upon his owne heart to see his companions drinke their healths round while he sate by only to see and heare them and if so confesse that you drink not to please others but your selves as Canus played upon his Harpe not for your 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 â—inne 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 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 coveâ—ous hoggrubber with a perfect hatred and yet none more coveâ—ous 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 of times 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 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 Dâ—ana'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
lookes through three paire of eyes what we see or heare being passionately transported either by love oranger wee neither see nor heare it as it is The object which we love seemeth much more faire unto us and that much fowler which we loath Yea even Zaleuchus-like will make a man put out one of his owne eyes that so he may see his friends vertues not see his crimes Hath not his affection rob'd him of his judgement whâ—â—hinkes better of a filthy strumpet then of his own chast wife yea surely if hee did not looke through the false spectacles of his flesh it could not be But anger especially robs a man of his judgement and lifts reason out of her seate which makes these beastly sensuall swilbowles so partial in judging between themselves and the godly As for example indeed the Scriptures afford not mamy examples of it in them which were drunkards for drunkennesse was then as rare as now it is common but what is true of all the Serpents seed must needs be true of Sathans peculiar ones How did anger rob Haman of his judgement who thought Mordecae's not bowing the knee to him a more heynous offence then his owne murthering of thousands And Iezabel of hers who thought it a greater sinne in Elâ—ah to kill Baals Prophets then in her selfe to slay all the Prophets of the Lord And the Phariâ—is of theirs who could see more unlawfulnes in the Disciples plucking a few eares of corne and the Palsieâ— mans carrying his bed on the Sabbath then in their own devouring of widowes houses and could better afford themselves to murther Christ then others to believe in him yea they could better afford themselves to be the greatest of sinners then our Saviour to be in company with sinners And lastly Ahab who thought Eliah troubled Israel more in doing the wil of the Lord then himselfe in provoking the Lord above all the Kings of Israel which were before him which is the case of our drunkards they censure more deeply our fearing of God then their owne blaspheming of him and thinke it a more heinous offence for us to be sober then for themselves to be drunke What then are their censures of us when wee do offend Yea if mens passions and affections did not make them strangely partiall how could they suffer their faithfull and painfull Minister who lies ledger for the great King of Heaven and Earth to feed upon Crusts and spinne out twenty or forty Marks a yeare into a thread as long as his life yea murmure at his great meanes and boast of their large contribution and complaine he keeps no hospitality though indeed even books would require ten pounds of the money I speak not of their blockish stupidity who think none live more idly then Schollers when yet themselves being undeserving Attorneys or silly Tradesmen who doe little else but stand in their Shops or ungodly Ale-house-keepers whose whole life is but a vicissitude of filling and emptying will get and spend one hundred two hunderd three hundred pounds per Annum a peece and yet complaine of a hard world surely they think Ministers can preach without study as the Apostles did or live by miracle as Iohn Baptist did who was in his diet habit and carriage indeed a miracle 3. Another reason is as these drunkards can see us but not themselves without a glasse so they looke to us not to themselves it faring with them as it did with the â—airies called Lamiae who made use of their eyes when they went abroad but put them in a box when they came home and they have much the more quiet for so doing a wicked mans conscience being like a bad wife that wil either bee gadding abroad or scoulding at home In surveying their owne evill actions they are beetle eyed or like him Iohn the 9. who had never a seeing eye or at least like Polyphemus who had onely one eye but in spying ours they have the eyes of a Basiliske and are as quick sighted as Argos who had his head compassed with an hundred eyes yea as Lynceus who as Varro speakes could see through a wall or if they have two seeing eyes yet like the purblind they see double or like those women of Scythia called Bithiae they have two sights in each eye for if they looke upon our actions it is with an evill eye judging of us by what wee should bee if upon their owne it is with a tender eye and so judge by what they are in their owne opinion and the judgement of sense And to mend the matter Sathan like our cunning men presents unto them spirituall things in a false glasse stamping his own image on Gods silver and Gods Image on his owne drosse and so comes their often mistake in censuring Neither are their memories lesse partiall for in remembring our faults they are like Clement the sixth who never forgat any thing he had once learned but touching their own they resemble Claudius the Emperor who presently forgat whatsoever he did or spake Now put all together and tel me whether it fares not with drunkards as it did with Pentheus in Euripides his Bacchus who supposed he saw two Sunnes two Thebes every thing double when his braine alone was troubled § 92. SEcondly if wee refuse to participate with them in their sinne it shall goe hard but they will make us partake with them of their shame as if Ioseph will not commit adultery with his Mistris shee will accuse him for an adulterer and make him worse thought of then her selfe Innocency is no shelter against evil tongues malice never regards how true any accusation is but how spitefull The baggage World desireth nothing more then to scarre the face that is fairer then shee and it is Sathans policie because report both makes jealousies where there are none and increaseth those that there are to abuse our eares in hearing our tongues in speaking and our hearts in believing lies to disable us from discerning the truth Yea this of slander like a â—uge and mighty Polypheme hath done such service to the uncircumcised that examples therof in Scripture are like moates in the Sun as whom have wee mentioned therein without mention of some false accusation Naboth was a blasphemer upon record and proved so by affidavit Eliah was a troubler of Israel Ieremiah an enemy to the State Susanna a Whore Iohn Baptist had a Divell Paul was a polluter of the Temple Stephen was a destroyer of the Law all the Disciples sectaries subverters of the State c. Acts 28. 21. Yea Christ himselfe was a Wine-bibber a seducer of the people a Beelzebub and what not And the same divell who spake in Iezabel and those wicked ones of old now speaks in our debauched drunkards and deboyshed swearers who resembling the Divell Rev. 12. 10. Iob 1. 7 9 11. will charge a man if hee bee not for their turne with many things as the Iewes did Paul Acts 24.
whether thou wilt bring forth the fruit of repentance and new obedience yet presume not for as when men give long day they expect larger payment so does God or for default thereof conferres a heavier doome the first fellony may sâ—ape in hope of amendment but the second much more the seventh meetes with as well it deserves a halter Yea of this be sure if Gods long suffering workes no reformation this silent Judge will at last speake home The Elephant suffers many injuries from the inferiour beasts but warre being too farre provoked his revenge is more extreame then his patience was remisse and the higher the Axe is lifted up the deeper it cuts But what doe I nominating particulars when thou hast had more warnings and invitations then thou hast haires on thy head Gods benefits offered thee in Christ and they all solicit thee to repent are without number though thy sinnes strive with them which shall be more If thou couldest count the numberlesse number of creatures they would not be answerable to the number of his gifts though the number of thine offences which thou returnest in liew of them are not much inferiour Not to enter into particulars which were endlesse but to give you the summe or epitomy of them for I had rather presse you with weight then oppresse you with number of Arguments The Lord Christ hath not onely ransomed thee from infinite evills here and everlasting torments hereafter but also purchased every good thing thou dost enjoy whether for soule or body even to the very bread thou eatest and that with the price of his owne precious blood and as if all this were too little he reserveth for thee such pleasures at his right hand as never entred into the heart of man to conceive and to the end onely that thou shouldest serve and set forth the praise of his Name who hath done all this As he descended into Hell that we might never come thither so he ascended into Heaven to prepare a place for us which we have no right unto What should I say If we looke inward we finde our Creator's mercies if we looke upward his mercy reacheth unto the Heavens if downeward the earth is full of his goodnesse and so is the broad Sea if we looke about us what is it that he hath not given us Ayre to breath in Fire to warme us Water to coole and cleanse us Cloathes to cover us Foode to nourish us Fruits to refresh us yea Delicates to please us Beasts to serve us Angells to attend us Heaven to receive us and which is above all his owne Sonne to redeeme us whithersoever we turne our eyes we cannot looke besides his bounty O consider of these his mercies you that forget God and then though there were no Hell no punishment for sinne yet you would not transgresse Hast thou any braines or heart to conceive what it is he hath bestowed what thou hast received what thou hast deserved No surely for if thou hadst braines and wert a wise man it would make thee mad as Salomon speakes in another sense Eccl. 7. 7. or if thou hadst a heart not like a stone or an Adamant the consideration of Gods love and thy odious unthankefulnesse would make it split and breake in peeces But heare it againe 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 as these mercies are great in themselves so our unworthinesse doth greater 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 uocation 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 thâ— 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
slander his equall it is an offence and may beare an action of the case but if a Noble man it is Scandalum Magnatum deserving sharper punishment and if the King it is Treason and worthy of death then how foule must that sinne be which is a trespasse committed directly against God the King of Kings 1 Sam. 2. 25. and how fearefull the punishment Wherefore take heede what thou dost for as verily as Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords so will he dash all those peeces of earth which rise up against him as a potters vessell § 134. TRue it is they are so blind that though they doe hate God and his graces where everthey finde them and desperately fight against the most high yet they thinke they love God or at least doe not hate him yea what one is there of them not ready to call for a Bason with Pilate and to wash his hands from this foule evill with many faire pretences yea if they had no answer to frame no false plea to put in we might well say that Sathan were turned foole and that his schollers had no braines left but let the sacred truth of holy Scripture be judge and all the powers of their soules and bodies doe fight against him not a â—inew nor a veine of theirs but it wars against their Creator Iohn 15. 23. 24. which at last shall appeare for though they may dissemble it for a time yet when vengeance shall seize upon them then shall they openly and expressely blaspheme him to his face Revel 16. 9. 11. common eyes may be cheated with easie pretexes but he that lookes through the heart at the face will one day answer their Apologies with scourges yea if a man could but feele the very pulse of these mens soules he should find that the foundation of their hatred and enmity to 〈◊〉 is their hatred against God and Christ the chiefe of the Womans seede even as when Sathan slew Iob's servants his malice was against Iob or as when Saul darted a Speare at Ionathan his spite was against David 1 Sam. 20. 33. or as when Sampson burnt the corne vineyards and Olives of the Philistins his quarrell was against his Father in Law who was a Citizen of Timnah Iudg. 15. He that loves not the Members was never a friend to the Head he that wrongs the wife is no friend to the husband he loves neither that vilifies either lip-lip-love is but lying love if thou lovedst God heartily thou wouldest love the things and persons that he loves vertue is the livery of the King of Heaven and who would dare to arrest one that weares his cloth if he were not an Arch-Traytor and Rebell if we loved him we would love one another When David could doe the Father Barzillay no good by reason of his old age he loved and honoured Chimham his Sonne 2 Sam. 19. 38. And to requite the love of Ionathan he shewed kindnesse to Mephiboâ—heth so if thou bearest any good will to God whom it is not in thy power to pleasure thou wilt shew thy thankefulnesse to him in his children who are bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh Is our Ionathan gone Yet we have many Mephibosheths and he that loves God for his owne sake will love his Brother for Gods sake especially when he hath loved us as it were on this condition that we should love one another whereas thou hatest the children of God even for their very graces and vertues for thou couldest love their persons well enough if they were not conscionable And so much of the eighth aggravation § 135. NInthly againe touching the party wronged thy sinne is incomparably greater in as much as thou makest that the subject of thy derision which is the onely meanes of thy preservation Knowest thou not or mayst thou not know how the wicked owe their lives unto those few good whom they hate and persecute It were bad enough to wrong enemies but to wrong such by whom thou art preserved alive is abominable but see it proved for this may seeme incredible to thee The religious whom thou persecutest keepe off judgements from thee and the whole land 1 By their innocency 2 By their Prayers First by their innocency The Innocent saith Elâ—phas shall deliver the Iland and it shall be preserved by the purenesse of his hands Iob. 22. 30. Runne to and fro by the streets of Hierusalem saith God to Ieremiah and behold now and know and enquire in the open placâ—s thereof if ye can find a man or if there be any that executeth judgment and seeketh the truth and I will spare it Ier. 5. 1. to which testimonies I could add a world of examples even all Noah's family were preserved from drowning in the generall Deluge for Noah's sake In the destruction of Sodom if ten righteous persons could have beene found the whole City had beene spared ten had saved ten thousand Gen. 18. 29. 32. yea when there was no remedy but destroyed it must be the Angels promised Lot whomsoever he brought forth should escape for his sake Againe God saved Zoar a City belonging to Sodom for Lot's saâ—e Gen. 19. 21. Now Zoar might happily be as bad as Sodom but here was the difference Zoar had a Lot within it Sodome had none Potiphar was a Heathen yet his house shall be blessed because Ioseph is in it a whole family yea a whole Kingdome shall fare the better for one despised traduced imprisoned Ioseph though he were sold for a slave Laban was cruell churlish wicked yet he shall be blessed for Iacob's sake Gen. 30. 27. Among two hundred three score and sixteene soules there was but one Paul yet behold saith the Angell God hath given thee all that saile with thee Acts 27. 24. 44. Zacheus alone beleeved yet this brought salvation to his whole house Luk. 19. O the large bounty of God which reacheth not to us onely but to ours § 136. SEcondly good men by their prayers keepe off judgements from them The Saints are like Sampsons haire the strength of the Land and the very pillars of a State even such pillars that ten of them would have supported Sodom from falling and their prayers would have cried lowder in Gods eares for mercy then the sinnes of those thousands did for vengeance the prayer of a righteous man availeth much saith St. Iames if it be fervent Chap. 5. 16. I need not tell you what prayer hath done as that it hath shut up the Heavens from rayning and opened them againe made the Sunne stand still in the firmament one while goe backe another devided the Sea and made it stand as a wall fetch fire and hailestones from Heaven throwne downe the wales of Ierico subdued Kingdomes stopt the mouthes of Lyons quenched the violence of fire raised the dead let out of prison c. onely see what it hath done in this very case Was not Abraham's prayer so powerfull that
goodnesse And so doing thou mayst perchance winne thy Brother even as that penitent wanton in St. Ambrosse did his old love who when she courted him according to her accustomed manner and wondred at his overmuch strangnesse saying why doe you not know who I am answered yes I know you are still the same woman but I am become another man I am not I now neither would You be You any longer if yee knew so much as I doe 4 But if yet they persist and seeme incorrigible flye their company for feare of infection least it happen with thee as once it did with a chast person among Penelopes suters who went so often with his friend till in the end he was caught himselfe for if thou keepest them company there is no possibility of thy holding out to the end though thou shouldest for a time as a man may make some progresse in a good way and yet returne before he is halfe at his journeys end as Saul kept himselfe well for two yeares Iudas for three yeares and as it is storied Nero for five yeares yet all fell into damnable wickednesse scarce three worse in the world But of this more in it's proper place Besides how hard a thing is it for thee a coward to shew thy dislike of this sin in some companies where thou shalt be scoff't at thy selfe if thou dislike their drinking and scoffing at others Fiftly another thing which I had need to advise thee of is to take heede of delayes for to leave sinne when sin leaves us will never passe for true repentance besides if the evill spirit can but perswade thee to deferre it untill hereafter he knowes it is all one as if thou hadst never purposed to leave thy sinne at all as you have it largely proved Sections 151. 152. 153. Sixtly omit not to pray for the assistance of God's spirit to strengthen thee in thy resolution of leaving this sinne St. Ambrosse calls prayer the key of Heaven yet prayer without answerable endeavour is but as if a wounded man did desire helpe yet refuseth to have the sword puld out of his wound Seventhly be diligent in hearing God's Word which is the sword of the Spirit that killeth our corruptions and that unresistable cannon-shot which battereth and beateth downe the strong holds of sinne Eighthly be frequent in the use of the Lord's Supper wherein we dayly renew our covenant with God that we will forsake the Devill and all his workes of darkenesse Ninthly ponder and meditate on Gods inestimable love towards us who hath not spared to give his Sonne to death for us and the innumerable benefits which together with him he hath plentifully bestowed upon us both in temporall and spirituall things say unto the Lord what shall I render unto thee for all thy benefits but love my Creator and become a new creature Tenthly meditate on that union which is betweene Christ and us whereby wee become members of his glorious body and so shall we stand upon our spirituall reputation and be ashamed to dishonour our Head by drawing him as much as in us lyeth into the communication of this swinish sinne consider that our bodies are the Temples of the Holy Ghost the which we shall exceedingly dishonour if by drinking and swilling we make them to become like wine vessells Eleventhly consider that the Lord beholdeth thee in all places and in every thing thou doest as the eyes of a well drawne picture are fastned on thee which way soever thou turnest much more while in a brutish manner thou liest wallowing in this sinne and consider him as a just judge who will not let such grosse vices goe unpunished Twelftly beever or at least often thinking of the last and terrible day of Iudgment when we shall all be called to a reckoning not only for this sinne but for all other our sinnes which this shall occasion to our very words and thoughts And lastly if thou receivest any power against this great evill forget not to be thankfull and when God hath the fruite of his mercies he will not spare to sow much where he reapes much § 176. More especially that thou maist master and subdue this abominabâ—e sin does but set before thee in a generall view the heinousnesse thereof and the manifold evills and mischiefes which doe accompany it of which I have already spoken as that it is a vice condemned by God and men Christians and infidells that thereby we grievously offend God by making our bellies our god by unfiting and disabling our selves for his service by abusing his good creatures which with a pleantifull hand he hath bestowed upon us the necessary use whereof many better then we want that thereby we sinne in a high degree against our neighbours generally and particularly against the whole Church and common wealth strangers and familiar acquaintance and most of all against our owne family that hereby we most grievously sinne against our selves by making us unfit for our calings and for the performance of all good duties by disgracing our profession and bringing our selves into contempt by making our selves the voluntary slaves of this vice by impovershing our estate and bringing upon us want and beggery by infatuating our understandings and corrupting our wills and affections by deforming disabling weakning and destroying our bodies and bringing our selves to untimely death by excluding our selves out of the number of Christs members by quenching the gifts of the Spirit and strengthening the flesh and lusts thereof by causing our soules to be possessed with finall impenitency which is inseparably accompanied with eternall damnation Also remember that as in it selfe it is most sinfull so it is also the cause of almost all other sinnes as of the manifold and horrible abuses of the tongue of many wicked and outragious actions and particularly of those fearefull sinnes of murther and adultery Also call to mind that as it is the cause of sinne so also of many heauy and grievous punishments as making a man lyable to a fearefull woe and Gods heauy curse subjecting his name to infamy his state to beggery his body to diseases infirmities deformities and immature death his soule to senselesse sottishnesse and deprivâ—ng the whole man of the joyes of Heaven entereth him into the possession of eternall hellish torments and this will be a good meanes to make thee moderate thy greedy desires mortifie thy carnall affections and curbe thy unruly appetite by putting a knife to thy throâ—â—e as Salomon adviseth saying I could but I will not take more then is good or fit Yea the consideration of these things and of the wofull condition that drunkards are in will provoke thee to hate their opinions to strive against their practice to pity their misguiding to neglect their censures to labour their recovery and to pray for their salvation For O how ugly doth this monster appeare to the eye of that soule which hath forsaken
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 woâ—ds or deny me before or among this adulterous and sinfull generation him wâ—â—â— 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 Câ—â—sar'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 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 â—shamed 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 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 and they that hang their faith on such mens lips doe but like Ixion embrace a cloud instead of Iuno and well may he claime a Boat-swanes place in Barkley's Ship of fooles that will sell his soule for a few good words from wicked mens tongues What is it to mee how others thinke me when I know my intent is good and my wayes warrantable a good conscience cares for no witnesses that is alone as a thousand § 190. BEsides of necessity wee must bee evill spoken of by some A man shall be sure to be backt and have abbettors either in good or evill and by some shouldered in both there was never any to whom some Belialists tooke not exceptions it is not possible to please or displease all seeing some are as deeply in love with vice as others are with vertue and the applause of ignorant and evill men hath ever beene vilipended by the wise and vertuous Phocion had not suspected his speech had not the common people applauded it Antisthenes mistrusted some ill in himselfe for the vulgar commendations Much more reason have we that are Christians when wee find that spirituall things are mostly represented unto vicious men false and cleane contrary to what they are indeed as corporall things in a glasse wherein those that are on the right hand seeme to be on the left and those againe which are on the left hand seeme to be on the right as it fared with Saint Paul who speaking of his unregenerate estate saith I also thought verily in my selfe that I ought to do many contrary things against the Name of Iesus Act 26. 9. That vicious drunkards and indeed all naturall men judge by contraries think and call good evill and evâ—ll good white black and black white commend what God in his word condemns and condemne what he commends I might prove by an hundred testimonies and examples out of Scripture but these may serve First touching things as if they wore their braines in their bellies and their guts in their heads they highly esteeme what is abomination in the sight of God Luk. 16. 15. and what God highly esteemes is abomination to them Pro. 13. 19. Secondly that which is called wisdome in Gods booke they account foolishnesse 1 Cor. 1. 18. 20. 23. and 2. 14. and 4. 10. Luk. 6. 27. to 36. or madnesse Acts 26. 24. Wisd. 5. 4. and
peace Neither can any wonder that wicked men doe so consâ—ire in evill that there is such unanimity in the broachers abbetters of it if he but take notice of those Devills which being many in substance were yet one in name action habitation even a whole Legion in one man Marke 5. 9. all the praise of concord is in the subject if that be holy the consent is angelicall if sinnefull devilish true peace is to have peace with God warre with our lusts Ro. 5. 1. and 7. 22. 23. peace with vertue warre with vice whereas they have peace and are at league with their sinnes but are at warre with God and good men all at once but a just warre is a thousand times better then such an ill conditioned peace yea it no way deserves the name of peace except we be at enmity with the Serpent at unity within our selves we ought so to be at peace with men as that we doe not warre with God and his graces peace must be followed with holinesse Heb. 12. 14. wherefore Zachary joyneth faith peace and truth together Zach. 8. 16. and St. Paul peace and righteousnesse peace and edification peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. 19. 20. c. Thus the Scripture sets us our bounds for peace which we may not passe and shewes that ungodly men are not guilty of this grace that they doe but talke of peace not practise it But suppose we could enjoy peace in their company yet we can never expect to have their loves for drunkards only love drunkards and one wicked man another but care not a rush for any that are good being like Phalaris the Tyrant who would never grant any request except it were to a dissolute woman but such he never denied Likenesse we know is the cause of love and love the cause of likenesse whereas the beleiver and the unbeleiver are altogether unlike the one being crucifiâ—d and dead to the world Gal. 6. 14. but made alive in Christ 1 Cor. 15. 22. The other being spiritually dead even while they are alive 1 Tim. 5. 6. We seldome see different dispositions entirely loving for hence growes the height of friendship when two similary soules doe blend in their commixions And hence it is that two friends are said to come into Vulcan's shop to beg this boone of him that he would either beaâ—e them on his Anvile or melt them in his Fornace both into one the which he granted I'ts likenesse that makes the true love knot of friendship when we finde another of our owne disposition it appeares the same soule in a divided body Nature that makes us love our selves makes us with the same reason love those that arâ— like us A friend is a more sacred name then a Brother Pro. 18. 24. For what availes it to have the bodies from the same originall when the soules within them differ And yet some Rehoboam like passing over the religious will joyne themselves with ungodly persons like as some put away honest wives and goe to harlots wherein they deale as wisely as if a man should cast away his fleshy leg and set on another of Wood. Causa patrociâ—io non bona pejor erit Or admit thou shouldst enjoy a wicked mans love it is but mercenary base and inconstant and so not worth the having Indeed there was never such abject and servile prostitutions of presentations as life soule devotion adoration servant slave c. as there is now amongst our drunkards and rorers and what love they expresse to one they professe to all every one they know or salute is their friend but friendship so distracted like as the River Ganges was by Cyrus into 365. brookes both looses her name and nature a lover of so many never loves any Or admit a drunkard doe love thee either he loves thee for his owne sake because he hath some pleasure or profit or credit by thee as prosperity procureth friends no lesse then adversity proveth them which is with Craterus to love the King rather then with Ephaestion to love Alexander now I doe not hold him woâ—thy thankes that professeth me kindnesse for his owne ends Or secondly he loves only thy body or naturall parts which is but the worst peece of thee and love to the body is but the body of love the soule of love is the love of the soule Neither doth he truly love that loves the body more then â—he mind and soule or common gifts before saving graces this love as it is never long liv'd so it is ofâ— but feigned as you shall have drunkards and dissembling polititians salute one another with God save you at their meeting and wish one another hanged â—t their parting Italian-like they will be glorious and complementall in their in vitations but if you accept of their offer they will hate you for it ever after A drinking friendship is but a drunken friendship and beleeve it thou wilt find those friends firmest that thy vertueâ— purchase thee these will love thee when thy wealth is gone whereas those that be wonne without desert will also be lost without a cause you need but be an Arbitrator betweene two such friends to make them both your enemies things that differ in their end will surely part in their way now thy end is to gaine him his end to make a gaine of thee for let the passage of profit be stopt his love is likewise at a stand have you deserved never so well from him the deniall of one favour nay an health shall drowne the memory of many fore-performed ones which is all one as if for the abortion of one child a man should kill all the former issue whereas the good mans thankes for old favours lives even in the blowes of injurie or can you not feede these vermine as you have done away they goe like a Sunne Diall you shall be no longer regarded then you are shined on by prosperity yea Rats runne not faster away from an house on fire nor lice from a dead body then they from poverty and if ever it be your misery to stand in need of them looke for no other requitall then Iob had of his carnall friends whom he compares to a deceitful Brooke which in winter is hard frozen with cold in Summer dried up with heate betweene winter and Summer passing away alwayes deceitfull never of use Iob. 6. 14. to 19. Yea a man may say of such friends as a learned Antiquary said of Rumâ—ey Marsh bad in Winter hurtâ—ull in Summer never good nay this comparison falls short for thou hast sped well if such friends prove not dangerously hurtfull as well as helpelesse Have I not knowne some of them resemble the Snake which when a kind Husbandman had taken out of the cold and cherished in his bosome and she had recovered her lively heate and was growne lusty singled out him ungratefully to trie her first sting upon or a Promotour that in Lent
eates flesh at your table and yet is the first that accuseth thee to the Magistrate If Ziba be waxed great under Mephibosheth he will give him a lift for all he hath A promoted Begger hath not seldome renounced his advancer And what else can be looked for from them They cannot make conscience of civill duties who make none of divine If a man have cast off his God he will easily cast off his friend They that have broken their faith with him will keepe no faith with us When Religion is once gone humanity will not stay long after I take leave of this point with a caution Reveale to such men no secrets for he that now loves thee dearely may come to hate thee deadly nor beleeve a word that they say for they are like Antigonus who never denied any sute that was asked but withall never performed any thing that he granted for what they promise when they are drunke they forget when they are sober or like Saul who being perswaded of David's worth and loyalty sweares as the Lord liveth he shall not die 1 Sam. 19. 6. yet within foure verses for all his oath he daâ—ts a Speare at him intending to naile him to the vvall in the next verse he sends messengers to his house to kill him or like the Councell of Constance vvho made promise to Iohn Husse of a conduct and safe returne yet like forsworne persecuters put him to death § 204. OB. But here some of them will reply That we lay the saddle upon the wrong horse when we tax them for want of peace love and friendship in that the religious only shew inconstancy by bidding farewell to their old friends and acquaintance so soone as they embrace religion Answ To this is answered First that constancy except it be in the truth and in a good cause is impudency change in the vicious is as great a vertue as constancy in the vertuous The Almaines were praised for changing their customes which were found to be but bad before as Tacitus affirmeth Constancy in things ill is so farre from being a vertue that it is an absolute vice Of things imperfect change is the way to perfect them The Gentiles became beleevers the Iewes Infidells Zacheus turnes from the world Demas turns to the world Paul turns an Apostle Iudas an Apostate I would faine know whether charge in the Gentiles Zacheus and Paul was not as great a vertue as it was a vice in the Iewes Demas and Iudas Saint Paul was inconstant indeed for to day as it were he breathed out threatnings and slaughter against the Disciples of Christ and to morrow he preacheth Christ in the Synagogue what then will any not debauched censure him of ficklenesse for it nay will not all wise men thinke it a great honour to him and commend him for shaking hands with the high Priests and his fellow Pursevants when once hee heard that voice from heaven Act. 9. 4. There is not any so neare unto us but if he fall from God wee may fall from him It merits the name of wilfulnesse when we will not admit of a lawful chang to the better As Philocrates sported with Demosthenes you may not marvell Athenians that Demosthenes and I do differ for he drinks water and I drinke wine so some laugh at us for being sober with Rhenish and we as much pity them for being drunk with Canary Againe they censure us of inconstancy we them of impudency Now in this case when that is reputed ridiculous by one which is accounted sage by another as wise what shall we doe but make Gods Word the umpier Wherefore in all changes I will have regard to these three things God's approbation mine owne benefit and the not harming of my neighbour and then where the change is not a fault I will never 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 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 lâ—berallity then perjured even so had vve in this case rather be accounted inconstant then be unconscionable To the second part of the objection 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 be friend him as farre as the Altar meaning so farre as stood with piety and religion or his duty to God but no further and Phocion 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
besides it would overmuch swell the heape and the Pages like fish would grow into a multitude wherefore I will select out onely two verball properties of their enuy and hatred and passe over the rest The malice and enuy of drunkards vents it selfe at their mouthes either 1 By censuring or 2 By slandering us § 90. 1 FIrst they will strangely censure us if we refuse to doe as they doe Psal. 35. 16. and 69. 10. 11. 12. If a man will not sweare drinke drunke and conforme to their lewd customes he is an Arch-puritan by the law which the Iewes had to kill Christ yea for this very cause they will definitively censure one for an hypocrite though they scarce know him superficially at least if a man be but carefull of his society they will tax and floute him with stand farther off for I am holier thâ—n thou they call piety pride for not going with them to the Taverne as indeed there is no goodnesse in man but such will ascribe it to vaine glory The beastly Sodâ—mitâ—s thought Lot a proud and imperious fâ—llow Gen. 19. 9. And so Eliaâ— censures David I know the pride of thine heart saith he when nothing but the zeale of Gods glory and desire of his Brethrens good made him so forward 1 Sam. 17. 28. 29. But as all are not Theeves that Dogs barke at so all are not hypocrites which they terme so The Pharisie censured the Publican and the Infidells Paul who were more precious in Gods sight then themselves But basenesse what it cannot attaine to it will vilicate and deprave and prejudice casteth a false colour upon the best actions whence it is that if our righteousnesse doe but exceede the righteousnesse of a swearer or drunkard we are sure to be censured yea persecuted for our righteousnesse as Abet was of Caine because his owne workes were evill and his Brothers good If a man makes but the Word of God a rule to walke by he is too precize if he will be more then almost a Christian he is curious fantasticall factious and shall with David Psal. 69. 11. 12. be made the song and laughing stocke of every drunken beast whereas if he would be drunke sweare mispend his time haunt Tavernes play the good fellow and doe as they doe he should have their love approbation and good word yea if all men would be prophanely wicked and make no bones of sinne their censures would cease and there would not be a Puritane with some of them in all the world But it is the custome of lewd men I confesse a lewd custome to measure all others by their owne Bushell to forme both their opinions and censures of us accâ—rding to the mold of evill in themselves yea all for the most part judge others by themselves and hence drunkards doing all their good in hypocrisie doe thereafter judge of others Saint Chrysostome hath given the rule As it is saith he a hard thing for one to suspect another to be evill who is good himselfe so it is more hard for him to suppose another to be good who is himselfe evill As we see in Nero who being monstrous incontinent himselfe verily beleeved that all men were most foule libidinists yea that there was not a chaste person in all the world saving that men cloaked their vice with hypocrisie I11 dispositions cause ill suspicions and surely he that suspects another to be ill without just ground by so doing proclaimes himselfe to be guilty for in things uncertaine a bad construction must needs flow from a bad mind suspicion for the most part proceeds from a selfe defect vertuous men rarely censure as great labourers rarely sneeze so that to censure and traduce anothers worth is to question thine owne besides it is an uncharitable and ridiculous thing for where I want experience charity bids me thinke the best and leave what I know not to the Searcher of hearts § 91. INdeed other reasons may be given why they so censure us as first their Ignorance causeth suspicion yea there is nothing so makes a man suspect much as to know little children in the darke suppose they see what they see not you shall have a Dog very violent in barking at his owne shadow or face in a glasse An ignorant Rusticke seeing a Geometritian drawing of lines not knowing to what end he doth the same is apt to judge him foolish and fantasticke Tell a plaine country fellow that the Sunne is bigger then his cart wheele and swifter in course then any of his Horses he will laugh you to scorne The Duke of Vondozme one day looking into his Well with others and seeing face answer face having never before observed the like went home in all haste and called for ayde against the Antipodes Paglarencis was amazed and said his Farmer had surely coosened him when he heard him tell that his Sowe had eleven Pigs and his Mare but one Foale Yea I have read of a silly country fellow that kil'd his Asse for drinking up the Moone But their owne hearts can tell them how fruitfull a mother of jealousies their ignorance of spirituall things is and how it conceives upon first â—ight of every object which they cannot skill on and that being once conceived it makes the party so travell to bring forth the same in words and actions of enmity that for the interim he is as busie headed as if a hive of Bees were in his pate not considering that repentance ever followes rash judgment Secondly their passions and affections infatuate and besot them and makes them infinitely partiall For as in an ill pact Jury whereof there is one wise man another honest man five knaves and five fooles the greater part over-rules the better part these â—en over-beares those two so fares it with a wicked man the five senses and as many affections are the knaves and fooles science is the wise man conscience the honest now neither science the wiâ—e nor conscience the honest can be heard nor give their verdict but all goes with the mad senses and frantick affections We know when a man lookes upon any thing directly through the aire they appeare in their proper formes and colours as they are but if they bee looked upon through a glasse be it greene blew yellow or of any other colour all the things we see seemes to us to be of the colour of the glasse through which we do behold them even so a wicked man houlding the false spectacles of his several passions and affections before the dimme sight of his judgement all things appeare to him in a contrary colour The eye that is blood-shot thinkes every thing red those that have the Jaundise see all things yellow so these drunkards being overgrown with malicious passions thinke us in fault when themselves are only too blame O how the passions of anger and affection of love over-rules and over-perswades our judgements wee may truly say that love hatred and indifferency