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 thy 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 sorrow 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 c without feare or sorrow or striving to leave it if thou delightest to boast of sinne and mischiefe or seekest to defend it Psal 52.1 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 â—â—ery 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 But he can repent when siâ—knes comes 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 repent when thou art sicke though indeed the farthest end of all thy thoughts is the thought of thy end and to make thy reckoning at the last day Death may be sudden and give a manne leasure to be sicke the last and least thing thou makest reckoning of But hark in thine eare Oh secular man thy life is but a puff of breath in thy nosthrils and there is no trusting to it yea the least of a thousand things can kill thee and give thee no leasure to be sicke Surges may rise on suddaine ere wee think And whiles we swim secure compel us sink Saul being minded to aske counsell of the Lord concerning the Philistins was prevented for want of time 1 Samuel 14.19 And commonly wee never have so much cause to feare as when we feare nothing When Sampson was sporting with his Dalilah he little thought that the Philistins were in the chamber lying in waite for his life Iud 16. Full little doe sinners know how neare their jollity is to perdition judgement is often at the threshold while drunkennesse and surfeit are at the table § 152. BUt admit what thou imaginest 2 Orif death be not sudden repentance is no easie worke and late repentance is seldome true namely that death be not suddaine much the better for is it not commonly seene that the purpose of proroging for a day or a weeke doth not onely last for a yeare as the suspension of the Councell of Trent made for two yeares lasted tenne but as ill debtors put off their creditors first one weeke then another till at last they are able to pay nothing so deale delayers with God they adjourn the time prefixt from next yeare to next yeare whereby they and that good howre never meet as you shall observe one Coach wheele followes another one minute of a Clock hastens after
man have a lot in Canaan let him bee a sure to bee a true Israelite And so we see there must of necessity bea 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 What to repeâ—â— and belâ—eve how we may know whether we have or not that thou hast not repented nor doest yet believe is plaine for as faith is a gift of God whereby the elect soule is firmly perswaded not only that the whole word of God is true but that Christ and all his benefits doe belong unto her so it is an honourable and an operative grace alwayes accompanied with other graces ever 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 forsakeing 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 Titus 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 Iam. 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 office 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 vevy 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 it selfe and not now and then but continually Whether we feare 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 faith 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 somthing doe amiss And our perfection imperfection is Neither is it to any man given Corruption wil mix with our purest devotion 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
and practise cleane contrary to Gods Word ibid. how the Divel deludes the fancy and judgement of a naturall 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 for give them how many and how great soever 152. wicked men apply Christs passion and Gods mercy as a warrant for their licentiousnesse 542. they are altogether in extreames either God is so mercifull that they may live how they list 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 obejection 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 our case would be far worse if wee had the worlds peace 390. not strange that wicked men should agree so well 414. agreement of wicked men not worthy the name of peace 832. Persecute wicked men persecute not the evil but the good 499. Petitions God may grant them in anger 659 Plague be it never so hot drunkards are the same 137. it hath wrought little or no reformation 245. many the worse for it 247. Taverns fullest when the streets emptiest 248. Pledge the originall of the word 327. Practise how the godly and wicked differ in their practise 249. wee know no more then wee practise 595. Pray Gods people count it a sinne not to pray for their greatest enemies 523. pray not for knowledge without putting difference 658. when we cannot pray what 663. Presumptuously do drunkards sin 471. Prejudice makes many resolve against yeelding 724. Pride and reputation of good-fellowship a cause of drunkennesse 277 pride of wit 280. Promises entailed to believers and limited with the condition of faith and repentance 560. Profession of religion 382.532 look Scoffs Punishment wicked men complaine of their punishment but of their sin they speake not 539. R REason as it is clouded with the mistes of original corruption a blind guid 202. once debauched is worse then brutishnesse 693. Reckoning worldlings never think of the reckoning they are to give 621. Regeneration what and how we may know our selves to be regenerate 565. Repentance what and how we may know whether we have repented 570. not to deferre it 588. sicknesse no fit time for it 79. God wil not accept our dry bones when Sathan hath suck't out all the marrow 586. the several wayes whereby God cals to repentance 478. in a judgement so many as repent are singled out for mercy 257 if any would repent of and relinquish this sin of drunkennesse let them first lay to heart the things delivered 695. secondly refraine the causes ibid. thirdly believe their state dangerous and that there is no way to helpe but by a chang to the contrary 696. fourthly be peremptory in their resolution ibid. fifthâ—y shame not to confesse their dislike of it in themselves and others 700. sixthly fly evill company 701. seventhly take heed of delayes 702. eightly omit not to pray for divine assistance ibid ninthly be diligent in hearing 703. tenthly frequent in the use of the Lords Supper ibid. eleventhly meditate what God hath done for them ibid. twelfthly think on the union we have with Christ ibid. thirteenthly confider that God ever beholdsthem 704. 14ly often think of the day of judgement ibid. fifteenthly consider the bainousnesse of this sin and the cvills which accompany it 705. sixteenthly abstaine from drunken company 709. for all depends upon this seventeenthly abstaine from drinking-places 710. Report of necessity we must be evill spoken of by some 756 the evill report of evill men an honour 763 Reputation hee of most reputation that can drinke most 139. Reward of drunkards 146. and swearers 104. they shall have a double portion of vengeance to other men 464 Righteous the civilly righteous have hell for their portion 465. S SAthan hath all worldlings under his command 21.402.432 and they must do what he will have them 379. by degrees be works men to the heighth of impiety 423. Saints falls should make us beware not presume 157. Scoffes beate off many from their profession 532. the scoffer commonly worse then the scoffed 367. none but fooles will be scoffed out of their religion 754. yet few that will not offend God and their conscience rather then be scoft at 749. Scripture he must be studious therein and follow that rule who will know Christ savingly 664. Security the certaine usher of destruction 242. Separate Drunkards and swearers deserve like dirt
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 Vriah 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. 11.13 Even as Ice is ingendered of water so is Lust of intemperance The Drunkard is like a Sâ—lamander stone which fires at the sight or every flame yea if hee but see a whore and shee him like the Weesell and Basiliske 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 Yea Wine so inflames the Drunkard with Lust that were his power equall to his desire were his dreames and wishes all true hee would not leave a Virgin in the world might but his acts answer the number of his desires nature could scarce supply him with severall objects or could his wishes take effect Popery might have many Nuns it should have no maids Now what decayes health and strength and consequently shortens a mans dayes more then whoredome when so many dye of the Pox a disease which slayes thousands though they will not be known of it for because of the whorish woman a man is brought to a morsell of bread Pro. 6.26 yea shee causeth many to fall downe wounded and all the strong men are slaine by her her house is the way unto the grave which leadeth downe to the chamber of death Pro. 7.26.27 And so much of the drunkards body § 21. SEcondly if wee dive deeper into him Drunkennes Beastiates the soule and search into his soule what one sinne more mangles and defaces Gods Image and mans beauty then this how doth it damme up the head and spirits with mud how doth it infatuate the understanding blind the judgement pervert the will and corrupt all the affections how doth it intrap the desires surprise the thoughts and bring all the powers and faculties of the soule out of order which occasioneth one to say where drunkennesse raignes as King there reason is banished as an exile the understanding is dulled counsell wandereth and judgement is overthrowne And with this accordeth Seneca who defines drunkennesse to be a voluntary madnesse or a temporary forfeiture of the wits yea the Holy Ghost affirmes that the excesse of wine makes men mad foolish and outragious Pro. 20.1 for being worse then the sting of an Aspe it poysoneth the very soule and reason of man Yea wee finde this and a great deale more by experience for many a man drinkes himselfe out of his wits and out of his wealth and out of his credit and out of all grace and favour both with God and good men Neither is the Scripture lesse expresse for Salomon calls wine a mocker and tells us that strong drinke is raging And Hosea affirmes that wine takes away the heart Chap. 4.11 And wee reade elsewhere that wine makes men forget God and his lawes Pro. 31.5 Yea utterly to fall away from God and to be incapable of returning for it is commonlie accompanied with hardnesse of heart and final impenitence Esa 5.11.12 and 56.12 Pro. 23.35 For admonish such as are bewitched and besotted with the love of wine you speak to men senseles past shame and past grace Tell them of some better imployment they will say as once Florus an idle fellow was wont I would not be Caesar alwayes marching in armor to whom Caesar replyed and I would not be Florus alwayes drinking in a Taverne Yea being wrapt in wine and warme cloathes they so like their condition that they would not change upon any termes no not to be glorified Saints in Heaven as those swine and other brutish creatures which Circe transformed would by no meanes be perswaded to become men againe though they were put to their choice by the said goddesse or sorceresse rather upon the earnest request of Vlysses You shall never perswade a Drunkard that the water of life is the best wine In a word by long custome they turne delight into necessity and bring upon themselves such an insatiable thirst that they will as willinglie leave to live as leave their excessive drinking in regard whereof St. Austin compares drunkennesse to the pit of Hell into which when a man is once fallen there is no redemption Yea this vice doth not onely rob men of reason but also of common sense so as they can neither prevent future danger nor feele present smart But of this enough having already proved them as much worse then beasts as beasts are better then Devills Besides I shall occasionallie treate more of the soules Character in sundry particulars which follow § 22. 5 FIfthly Drunkennes brings poverty as hee deformes his body impaires his health shortens his life beastiates his soule c. so he consumes his estate and brings himselfe to poverty and want as to whom is poverty as Salomon speakes but to Drunkards who thinke no cost too much that is bestowed on their bellies who consume their wealth at the wine even while they have swallowed downe their whole estates As let the Drunkard have but a groate it burnes in his purse till it be drowned in drinke if hee have gold he will change it if plate hee will pawne it and rather then not satisfie his gut away goes all to the coate on his backe yea rather then hee will scant as they say his belly had hee a jewell as rich as tenne Lordships or as Cleopatra's was that womanlike swaggerer his throate shall have it O that either wealth or any other blessing should be cast away thus basely Or suppose he bee a labouring man and must earne it before he have it he will drinke as much in a day saith St. Ambrose as hee can get in a weeke spend twelve pence sooner then earne two pence And hence it commeth to passe that the company keeper goes commonly in a ragged coate as it is seldome seene that they offend the Statute against excesse in apparell for rather then so they will goe naked and
graine of grace is more worth then many pounds of naturall parts But learning and grace do not alwayes keepe company together yea oh Lord how many are there that have a depth of knowledge yet are not soule wise that have a library of Divinity in their heads and not so much as the least catechisme in their consciences No rare thing for men to abound in speculation and be barren in devotion to have full braines and empty hearts clear judgement and defiled affections fluent tongues but lame feet yea you shall heare a flood in the tongue when you cannot see one drop in the life But see how justly they are served they might bee holy and will not therefore though they would bee soule wise yet they shall not the scorner seeketh wisdome but findeth it not Pro. 14.6 Let them know never so much they are resolved to be never the better and they which are unwilling to obey God thinks unworthy to know § 51. NO wicked man is a wise man That no wicked man is a wise man for as God is the giver of wisdome so hee reveales himselfe savingly to none but his children the godly First God only is the giver of it For as no man can see the Sunne but by the light of the Sunne so no man doth know the secrets of God but by the revelation of God Mat. 16.16 17. to know the mysteries of the Kingdome of Heaven wee must have hearts eyes and eares sanctified from above Deut. 29.2 3 4. Ps 111.10 Luk. 24.45 Ioh. 15.15 Rom. 8.14.15 No learning nor experience will serve to know the riches of the glory of Gods inheritance in the Saints to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge Eph. 1.17.18 and 3.19 for as meere sense is uncapeable of the rules of reason so reason is no lesse uncapeable of the things that are supernaturall Yea the true knowledge of the nature and state of the soule must come by his inspiration that gave the substance As the soule is the lamp of the body and reason of the soule and religion of reason and faith of religion so Christ is the light and life of faith 2. God reveales himselfe savingly to none but the godly and such as he knows will improve their knowledge to his glory even as husbandmen will not cast their seed but into fruitfull ground which will returne them a good harvest the secrets of the Lord saith David are revealed to them that feare him and his covenant is to give them understanding Psa 25.14 these secrets are hid from the wicked neither hath hee made any such covenant with them the faithfull are like Moses to whom God shewed himselfe Exod. 3. like Simeon that imbraced Christ in his armes Lu. 2.28 like Iohn the beloved Disciple that leaned on his bosome Ioh. 13.25 like the three Disciples that went with him up the mount to see his glory Matth. 17. like the Apostles whose understandings he opened Luk 24.45 and to whom hee expounded all things whereas to unbelievers he speakes all things as it were in Parables Mar. 4.34 see this in Abrahams example shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do saith God Gen. 18.17 As if this were an offence in God if he should tell the righteous no more then hee tells the wicked They which love God 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 A ristotle 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 really and by his owne experience to know th◠chiefe points of Christian religion suc◠as are Faith Repentance Regeneration◠the love of God the presence of the Spifrit the Remission of sins the effusion o◠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 againe 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
is good being here let us build c. for be they never so long in a Taverne they thinke not the time long yea they curse the Clock for hast and are angry that they cannot with Ioshua make the Sunne stand still or keepe the Moone from going downe not till they confound the Amorites but till these Amorites work each others confusion they wish that the day might bee corrupted and that the night would take bribes if it proves any way an impediment unto them else there they live nay there they dye daily as Chrysostome speakes As come to a mans house and where is he his wife knowes not aske the servants they know not when will he bee at home they cannot tell you yes they can but they blush to speake forsooth the matter is this there is his house but his dwelling is at the Ale-house except all his money bee spent and then if his wife will fetch him home with a Lanthorne and his men with a Barrowe hee comes with as much sense as Michol's image had else Sunne and Moone goe over his head till hee hath flept himselfe sober and watcht himselfe drunke For as if loosing their times were nothing while they are in a drinking-schoole they are bound by their Law of good fellowship and would be so were there no such Law to bee powring in at their mouths or whiffing out at their noses one serving as a shooing horne to the other for Tobacco being hot and dry must have a qualifier of cold and moist from the pot and that again being cold and moist must have a qualifier of hot and dry from the Pipe which makes them like ratsband Rats drinke and vent vent and drink Sellengers-round and the same againe To which purpose every one hath his purveyance at either elbow a Jurden for his Urine on the one side and a Bowle for his vomit on the other that when with their excessive beszeling they have filled their skins and are full gorged they may empty themselves at pleasure which they can doe by only putting their finger to their throate though some without ever forcing themselves will vomit as if they were so many live Whales spewing up the Ocean which done they can drink againe afresh Yet to whet on their appetites the better and because it is heynous to all supervisors of the Panchery either not to goe out full bellied or not to come in full handed up comes a service of shooing-horns of all sorts as Rashers on the coles Red Herrings a Gammon of Bacon Caveary Anchovise and abundance of such pullers on and then begins the full pots to go round about the Table and the empty against the walles Neither is it possible the appetite of these Leeches should ever bee satisfied seeing they have a hundred devices naturall artificial wickednesse to make themselves still insatiable to this end also they use Tobacco that by drunkennesse they may both expell drunkennesse and being glutted with wine they drinke smoke that by this variety it may not grow teadious Thus they spend their money mispend their time spend good houres in ill actions and great blessings to bad purposes wherby they are foure dayes in the week drunke and the other three not sober never considering that the divell is a fisher sinne his hooke pleasure his baite fooles his fish nor weighing the danger they are in making a recreation of misery sporting themselves in their sinnes round about the pits brinke without feare when as they are every howre ready to topple into hell that bottomlesse gulfe of easeles and everlasting flames They desire most to passe away time then which nothing though few consider it is more precious yea saith Seneca there is nothing swifter nothing sweeter then time But did they know what treasure time offers to their poore soules they would looke with a jealous eye upon the houre-glasse and sigh at the dropping of every Sand. And surely they that seeke to mend the pace of time spurre a free and fast enough 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 3. Cause is lust 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 That they drinke not for love of drink is either false or makes their sinne double then Esau did for his pottage for which hee sold his birth-right no more then Vgaccio 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
sober 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 then 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 Sodomites thought Lot a proud and imperious fellow Gen. 19.9 And so Eliab 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 Abel 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 VVhereof foure reasons first they judge others by themselves I confesse a lewd custome to measure all others by their owne Bushell to forme both their opinions and censures of us according 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 Ill 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 2 Their ignorance makes them suspicious 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 sight 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 3 Their passions and affections make them partiall 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 ten 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 wise 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 lookes through three paire of eyes what we see or heare being passionately transported either by love or anger wee neither see nor heare it as it is The object which we love seemeth much more faire unto us and that much
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
83.2.5.6 Pro. 19.3 Psal 44.22 and 69.7 Rom. 1.30 and 9.20 Math. 10.22 and 25.45 Luk. 21.17 Zach. 2.8 1 Sam. 17.45 Isa 37.4.22.23.28 Psal 74.4.10.18.22.23 Psal 89.50.51 Acts 5.39 and 9.4.5 Psal 139.20 Isa 45.9 Iob. 9.4 Isa 54.17 1 The. 4.8 Io. 15.18.20.21.24.25.23 Num. 16.11 1 Sa. 8.7 And well he may for they that hate and revile the Godly because they are godly as these doe hate and revile God himselfe and they that fight against the grace of the Spirit fight against the Spirit whose grace it is and whatsoever wrong is done to one of Christ's little ones is done unto him Math. 25.45 It is an idle misprision to sever the sense of an injury done to any of the Members from the Head there is that straite conjunction betweene Christ and beleevers that the good or evill offered them redowndes to him Christ is both suffering and triumphing in his Saints in Abel he was slaine of his Brother he was scoft at by his Sonne in Noah he wandred to and fro in Abraham in Isaac he was offered sold in Ioseph driven away in Moses in the Prophets he was stoned in the Apostles tossed up and downe by Sea and Land What did Ioseph's brethren in going about to kill him but in effect and so farre as they could they kild their father in him Ioab smot Absalom's body but therein David's heart The Rebell saith he meanes no hurt to the person of the King but because he doth it to the Subjects he is therfore a Traytor thus when the proud Philistine defied the Army of Israel David said directly that he had blasphemed God himselfe 1 Sam. 17.45 and Rabsheka defying the Iewes is said by Hezekiah to have rayled on the living God Isa 37.4.23.24 as eager Wolves will houle against the Moone though they cannot reach it Saul Saul saith Christ seeing him make havocke of the Church why persecutest thou me I am Iesus whom thou persecutest Act. 9.4.5 and Iesus was then in Heaven but we know the head will say and that properly when the foote is trod upon why tread you upon me Wicked men are like that great Dragon that old Serpent called the Devill and Sathan Rev. 12. who when he could not prevaile against Michael himselfe nor pursue that man child Christ he being taken up to God and to his Throne waged spitefull and perpetuall warre with the Woman who had brought forth the man Child that is with the Church and the remnant of her seede which keepe the Commandements of God and have the testimony of Iesus Christ History reports how one being to fight with a Duke in a Duel or single combat that he might be more expert and doe it with the greater courage got his picture and every day thrust at it with his sword and onely to deface the picture of an enemy when we cannot come at his person hath a little eased the spleene of some It contents the Dog to gnaw the stone when he cannot reach the thrower It was well pleasing to Saul since he could not catch David that he might have the blood of Ahimelech who used him so friendly and relieved him in his great distresse 1 Sam. 21. so though these men cannot wreake their malice upon God he being out of their power and reach yet that they may doe him all the mischiefe they can have at his Image they will wreake it upon his children in whom his Spirit dwells as Mithridates kild his Sonne Siphares to be revenged of the mother or as Progne slew her Sonne Itys to spite her husband Tereus or as the Panther that will fiercely assault the picture for the inveterate and deadly hatred which he beareth to man or as Caligula caused a very faire house to be defaced for the pleasure his Mother had received in the same it being as true of malice as it is of love that it will creepe where it cannot goe Which being so shewes that this thy sinne is not small for if one revile or 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 Though they are so blind that they think they love God they are so blind that though they doe hate God and his graces where ever they 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 finew 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 scourages 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 us 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 require the love of Ionathan he shewed kindnesse
out in thy good purposes 5 Shame not to confesse thy dislike of it in thy selfe and others and meanest to bring thy thoughts to the birth thou must not be ashamed to confesse with that honest theife upon the crosse even before thy companions and fellow drunkards that thou art not now the same man thou wast both thy mind and judgement is changed and so shall thy practise God assisting thee nay thou wilt not only forsake thy sin but their company too except they will forsake their old customes of drinking and scoffing and jeering at sobriety and 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 6 Fly evill company 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 7 Take heede of delayes 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 8 Omit not to pray for divine assistance 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 Sevently be diligent in hearing God's Word which is the sword of the Spirit 9 Be diligent in hearing that killeth our corruptions and that unresistable cannon-shot which battereth and beateth downe the strong holds of sinne Eighthly 10 frequent in the use of the Lords-Supper 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 11 Meditaâ—e what God hoth done for thee ponder and med tate 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 12 Meditate on that union we have with Christ c 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 13 Consider that the Lord beholdeth thee whersoever thou art 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 be ever or at least often thinking of the last and terrible day of Iudgment when we shall all be called to a reckoning 14 Often thinke of the day of judgment 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 15 Morcespecially consider the heinousnesse of thiâ— sin and the evills which accompany it that thou maist master and subdue this abominable sin doe 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 grievoussy 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 plentifull 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 callings 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 impoverishing 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
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
our first Parents which tended to the ruine of them and all mankind It is usuall with drunkards to kisse when they meete and kill when they part Drunken Alexander killed Clytus for whom sober Alexander would have killed himselfe The Danes and Norwayes once purposing for England fell drunke on shipboard and so slasht one another that there was an end of their voyage Out of their gallant disposition you shall have one kill another upon the interpretation of a word a manifest confession that their life is not much worth sith they will sell it so good cheape yea there are not wanting of them that resemble Fimbria of Rome who meeting a Citizen that he hated gave him a deadly thrust into the body with his sword and the next day entred an action against him that he had received but part of his blade into his body and not all as he meant it Yea perhaps they may make you to doe that which you never dreamt of like Herod who cut off Iohn Baptist's head only to answer the expectation of the standers by Matth. 14.9 As for flattery it never wants welcome while selfe-love is at home but the plaine dealing man cannot live among these Vipers and not be stung by them yea he lives most in trouble that most seekes to have peace with them by a familiarity Well then if they are so offensive to the stomacke of our company that they will not let us be at peace our best way wil be to spevv them out to deale with our old vicious consorts as the Fox in the Fable did by his Fleas who wading backward into the water by degrees drew them all into a lock of Wooll which he had in his mouth and then left it swimming even leave them without taking leave of them or if you like not to teare friendship asunder upon the sudden you may unsowe it by little and little He that would not continue a friend may but neglect him and have his ayme § 203. OB. The agreement of wicked men not worthy the name of peace But I heare none boast so much of peace as the ungodly nor none taxed so with contention as the religious Answ Boast of it they may but it is apparent that the way of peace they have not so much as knowne indeed they have some kind of agreement among themselves and so have Serpents and Beares and Wolves it is a rare thing to see one Wolfe devoure or fight with another yea they have made a covenant with death and are at agreement with Hell Isay 28.15 and yet as there is no peace to the wicked Isa 57.21 so there is no peace among the wicked for every combination in evil is rebellion not peace rather a conspiracy then a concord like the agreement of Absolom and Achitophel combining together against David or of Herod and Pilate conspiring against Christ or of the false Apostles plotting against Paul so meeting in malice to doe mischiefe but a godly dissention is better then such a wicked peace Neither can any wonder that wicked men doe so conspire in evill that there is such unanimity in the broachers abbettors 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 A dâ—unkard can never love him that is sober and religious 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 crucified 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 beate 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 are 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 patrocinio non bona pejor erit Or A wicked mans love mercenary inconstant and not worth the having 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 worthy 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 the mind and soule or common gifts before saving graces this love as it is never long liv'd so it is oft 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 at 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 vertues 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 Rumney Marsh bad in Winter hurtfull 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 darts 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. Objections answered 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 Change in the vicious were a rare vertue 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 change 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 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