thee But this makes nothing for such as love their sins better then their soules except thou repentest Indeed let the wicked forsake his wayes and the unrighteous his owne imaginations and returne unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he is very ready to forgive saith Esay Chap. 55.7 and that we should not doubt of this he redoubles the promise Ezekiel 18. and confirmes the same with an oath Chapter 33.11 Yea he is more ready to shew mercy upon our repentance then we are to beg it as appeares in that example of the Prodigal son Luk. 15 20. Do but repent and God will pardon thee bee thy sinnes never so many and innumerable for multitude never so heynous for quality and magnitude for repentance is alwayes blest with forgivnes yea sinnes upon repentance are so remitted as if they had never been committed I have put away thy transgressions as a cloud and thy sinnes as a mist Esay 44.22 and what by corruption hath beene done by repentance is undone as abundance of examples witnesse He pardoned David's adultery Salomon's idolatry Peter's apostacie Paul did not only deny Christ but persecuted him yet hee obtained mercy upon his repentance Yea amongst the worst of Gods enemies some are singled out for mercy witnesse Manasses Mary Magdalen the Thiefe c. many of the Iewes did not only deny Christ the Holy one and the Just but crucified him yet were they pricked in heart at Peter's Sermon gladly received the word and were baptized Ast. 2.41 And a very Gentile being circumcised was to be admitted to all priviledges and prerogatives concerning matters of faith and Gods worship as well as the children of Israel Gen. 17.13 But on the other side unlesse we repent and amend our lives we shall all perish as Christ himselfe affirmes Luk. 13.3.5 § 145. FOr though mercy rejoyceth against justice Iames 2.13 His mercy rejoyceth against justice but destroyeth not his justice yet it destroyeth not Gods justice though hee is a boundlesse Ocean flowing with mercy yet he doth not overflow he is just as well as mercifull yea saith Bernard Mercy and Truth are the two feet of God by which he walketh in all his wayes his mercy is a just mercy and his justice is a mercifull justice he is infinite in both hee is just even to those humble soules that shall be saved and he will be merciful while presumptuous sinners go to hell and therefore in his word hee hath equally promised all blessings unto those which keepe his Commandements and threatned all manner of judgments to those which break them with their severall extreames according to the measure and degree of every sin Deut. 28 Neither is salvation more promised to the godly then eternall death and destruction is threatned to the wicked His mercy is a just mercy and as Christ is a Saviour so Moses is an accuser Iohn 5.45 Alasse though to all repentant sinners he is a most mercifull God And therefore hath equally promised all blessings to those which keepe his commande ments and threatned all manner of judgements to those that break them yet to wilfull and impenitent sinners hee is a consuming fire Heb. 12.29 Deut. 4.24 doth not the Apostle say that neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor buggerers nor thieves nor covetous nor drunkards nor railers nor extortioners to which number S. Iohn Revelation 21.8 addeth the fearefull and unbeliveing and murtherers and sorcerers and all lyers shall not inherit the Kingdome of God 1 Corinth 6.9.10 Galathians 5.21 but shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death And doth he not likewise affirme that all they shall be damned which believe not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnes 2 Thes 2 12. doth not the Lord say Ier. 16.13 that he will have no mercy for such as are desperately wicked And again Deut. 29.19.20 that if any man blesse himself in his heart saying I shall have peace although I walke according to the stubbornnesse of mine owne heart that he mill not be mercifull to him c. Doth not our Saviour himself say that the gate of heaven is so strait that few find it Mat. 7.13.14 and will hee not at his comming to judgement as well say unto the disobedient Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Divell and his Angels as to the obedient Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome c. yes they are his owne words Matth. 25.34.41 and S. Iames saith that he shal have judgement without mercy that hath shewed no mercy Iames. 2.13 In fine he that believeth in the Son hath everlasting life but he that obeyeth not the Sonne shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Ioh. 3.36 For as mercy in the second Commandement is entailed only to believers and to those which love God and keepe his Commandements so God at the last day will reward every man according to his righteousnesse 1 Sam. 26.23 as hee did David 2 Sam. 22.21 though not for his righteousnesse Deut. 9.4.5.6 which is as a menstruous cloth Esay 64.6 Yea hee hath sufficiently manifested his justice and severity already in punishing sinne and powring vengeance upon others that have provoked him as 1. upon the Angels 2. upon our first Parents and all the race of mankind 3. upon the old World 4. upon whole Monarchs and Empires 5. upon whole Nations 6. upon whole Cities 7. upon whole Families 8. upon divers particular persons and 9. upon his owne Sonne that no sinne might goe unpunished which may make all impenitent persons tremble for As the Locrians might once argue if our King is so just to his owne onely son in punishing adultery that he caused one of his eyes to be pul'd out and another of his owne how can wee his subjects expect to be dispensed withall so may I argue if God was so just and severe to his own Son that nothing would appease him but his death on the crosse how can the wicked his enemies looke to be spared If he spared not a good and gracious Sonne saith S. Bernard will he spare thee a wicked and ungracious servant one that never did him a peece of good service all thy daies If he punished David's adultery and murther so sharply a man after his own heart yea and that after his sinne was remitted what will hee doe to his enemies but send them to that devouring fire that everlasting burning Isa 33.14 If Gods own children who are as deare and neer to him as the aple of his eye or Signet on his right hand suffer so many and grievous afflictions here what shall his adversaries suffer in Hell if Sampson be thus punished shall the Philistims escape Yea if judgement begin at the house of God where shall the ungodly and wicked appeare If many shall seeke to enter in at the strait gate
this way makes a Devill and admit man hath some advantage above beasts it is a miserable advantage that onely makes us apt to evill yea the worst of evills and capable of an hell small cause have we to brag of those powers which so distinguish us from beasts that they make us worse then the worst of beasts But of their acting the Devills part and their severall slights in seducing and enforcing others to sinne in drawing others to perdition expect more Section the 75. c. Onely this for the present let the Drunkard know that except he doe repent and amend there is not the most lothsome and despicable creature that crawles upon the earth which he shall not once enuy and wish to have beene rather then what he is which should have been my next theame but of this when I come to the punishment of Drunkards Swearers and Seducers Section 30. to 34. and 44. and 119. to 143. And so much of the person in generall and a part now take a generall view of the sinne before I come to particulars and see how the Learned in all ages both Christians and Heathens have censured this vice and judged of this sinne though indeed the odiousnesse of it is beyond all expression neither have I dehortation answerable to my detestation of it onely what cannot be spoken your meditation supplying the defect of my speech may be implyed as under a curtaine which was the Painters shift in deliniating the picture of Venus and the wont of Timanthes who in each picture hee drew occasioned more to be understood then was painted § 11. THe Learned of all ages have concluded What the learned say of this sin yea drunkennesse it selfe if it could speake as it can take away speech would confesse that it is a flattering Devill a sweet poyson a voluntary madnesse an invited enemy the author of outrages quarrells debates murthers the nurse of fury the mistris of pride the fountaine of all vice the originall of all diseases and bane of the soule that it is a fire whose flame is lust whose sparkes are oathes and evill words whose smoake is pride and infamy whose ashes are diseases and poverty and whose end is hell That it is a sinne which cracks mens credits consumes their estates distempers their constitutions dulls their spirits infatuates their senses intoxicateth their braines stupefies and besots their understandings perverteth their wills troubleth reason overthroweth the judgment infeebleth the memory corrupteth all the affections excludeth counsell and without Gods infinite mercy and their sound repentance damnes the soule That it is a bewitching sweete in the mouth which turnes to deadly poyson in the heart the revealer of secrets the shipwrack of chastity the shame of honesty the ruine of good manners the thiefe of time the disgrace of mankind a sinne which makes man an abomination to the Lord odious to the Angells scorned of men abandoned of all good society and above all makes men subjects and vassalls to Sathan a sinne of all others the most spreading most infectious most incurable most inexcusable a sinne which makes no difference of times places persons c. A sinne which is against the lawes of God of grace of nature and of all nations against sense and reason a sinne which brings wrath and judgment upon the whole land a sinne which is a griefe to friends a ruine to families which separates from the society and company of Gods Saints on earth excludes and shuts them out of the Kingdome of Heaven as Plutarch Solon Pittacus Boetius St. Austin St. Ierom St. Chrysostome and others stile and define it That it is of sinnes the queene as the goute is of diseases even the most prodigall wastfull unthrifty unprofitable unnaturall unseemely insatiable unreasonable sinne the most base brutish beastly foule filthy odious execrable detestable horrible abominable state disturbing heathenish infernall prodigious damnable gracelesse and shamefull sinne of all others as some of our Moderne writers render it In fine it is a sinne odious and lothsome in any but in us who have so much light so many lawes of God and man against it most unsufferable but as it was once observed that Philosophy was taught in Athens but practised in Sparta so now temperance and sobriety is taught in England but practised in Spaine and Turky § 12. ANd as it is a most grievous and matchlesse sinne in it selfe Drunkennesse both a matchlesse sin in it selfe and the cause of all other sine so it is the cause of all other sinnes a monster with many heads the roote of all evill the incendiary of all vice the Magazine of all misery the mother and metropolis of all mischiefe As tell mee was there ever any sinne committed which wine hath not beene an occasion of for notwithstanding wine doth first serve and obey the drinker yet by little and little mixing it selfe with the blood in the veynes it doth rule over him and like Saules evill and controlling spirit makes him it 's vassall whereby like the Centurions servant he no sooner heares the word from Sathan doe this but instantly hee doth it whether it be to the committing of adultery with Holofernes incest with Lot murther with Alexander Cambyses and Philopater one of which in his drinke slew his deare and faithfull friend Clytus who was his chiefe Captaine in all his exployts though it so troubled him being sober that he would have made away himselfe the second his onely Sonne the third his deare father and mother or treason with him that confest to King Pyrrhus upon his arraignment all this wee did and spake against thee and much more should have done had not the wine failed us or blasphemy with Belshazzar and his Princes Dan. 5.23 and what not for even to rehearse the severall examples which history affords and experience hath made knowne were endlesse Some examples I have given you and he is a very young man and unobservant that cannot adde forty out of his owne experience And doe not our reverend Judges in their severall circuits finde by experience that few brawles murthers manslaughters rapes c. are committed which arise not from this roote of drunkennesse And indeed as in Justice all vertues are couched together summarily as Aristottle affirmes so in drunkennesse all vices are lapt up together as it were in a bundle for it is a confluence or collection of all the rest and as he said of old prove a man to be ingratefull and you prove him naught all over so prove one to bee a Drunkard and you prove him guilty of every thing that is evill reprobate to all that is good for what sinne is it which a drunken man will sticke to commit when wee reade that Cyrillus his Sonne being drunke slew his Father and his Mother great with child hurt his two Sisters and defloured one of them as St. Austin affirmes when another being tempted by the Devill as Philip Lonicer witnesseth to commit
and office Briefly so many as are puft up with their knowledge or doe not part with their sinnes shew that they never sought it for Gods glory but for their own honour and glory and certainly if we seeke not Gods glory in doing his worke hee will give us no wages at the latter end But to apply what hath beene spoken The application of wha◠hath beene spoken If it be so that God reveales himselfe savingly to none but his children the godly and that none are soule wise but such as digest their knowledge into practise and imploy their wisdome to his glory that gave it and the good of themselves and others then your objection of what the world thinks like a childs bubble blowne into the aire is fallen to the ground and dissolved to nothing Alasse the world is no more fit to judge of cases of conscience then a blind man is fit to judge of colours Wherefore as the Orator would admit none but Rhetoricians to judge of his Orations so henceforward admit none but spirituall men to sway thee in spiritual matters and follow our Saviours counsell seeke to justifie thy judgement and practise to the children of wisdome of whom wisdome is justified and not to fooles by whom shee is daily crucified Only condole these blind mens disasters and drop some teares in pity and compassion for their great and greivous misery And so much for the objection § 167. NOw that I may sasten againe the thread of my discourse Admonition not to make mercy a bolster for continuing in sin where I brake it and fall in where I left off let your thoughts return with me to the Law I meane to the Law of Christ and to the testimony alleadged and explained from § 142. to § 154. and you will easily confesse that Sathan hath hitherto gulled you and all in your case that he holds a paire of false spectacles before the eyes of wicked men and thereby perswades their deceitfull hearts that the bridge of Gods mercy is farre larger then it is and they give such credit therunto that while they thinke they are upon the bridge they go besides and so are sure in the end to fall and be drowned in the waters of eternall destruction Wherefore if thou meanest to fare better make not Christ a bolster for sinne least the plaister prove worse then the sore nor Gods mercy a warrant for thy continuing in an evill course for this is to sin with an high hand or with a witnesse as we use to say which if thou doest thou shalt also perish with a witnesse Deuteronomy 29.19 20 21. I have heard of a woman that presumed so much upon her husbands love that if he should find her in the bed of incontinency he would not harme her but it proved farre otherwise to her shame and ruine and so it will fare with thee in the end for hee that deliberately resolves to sinne doth what he can to make himselfe uncapeable of forgivenesse yea how should the crosse of Christ be a friend to them that are enemies to his crosse Philip. 3.19 and trample upon him with their feet because hitherto hee hath borne the contumelies of their tongues and excesses of their lives O what a blasphemous imagination is this against Jesus Christ to think that he came into the world to bee a patron of sinne or a bolster whereupon we may more securely sleep in sensuallity and not to destroy the workes of the divell 1 Iohn 3.3.8.9.10 Oh that Christians should so live as if the practise of the Gospell were quite contrary to the rule of the Law but such men shew what they are for none but hase minds and perverse dispositions saith Saint Bernard will therefore be evill because God is good and those that belong to Gods election wil never make that liberty which Christ hath purchased for them with his precious blood a cloak to cover their wickednesse but rather a spur to incite them to godlinesse they for whom Christ dyed will not presumptuously lavish on his score not caring what they spend because he is able to pay for all no they will live as though there were no Gospell dye as though there were no Law and nothing so soone leades an ingenuous mind to repentance as when hee considers Gods bountifulnesse and long suffering towards him Rom. 2.4 there is mercy with thee saith David what that thou mightest be despised blasphemed c. no if you take him so you mistake him but that thou mightest be feared Psalm 130.4 and the love of Christ constrained Paul to duty 2 Cor. 5.14 § 168. WHereas nothing will do good upon thee for albeit What small hope of the drunkards yeelding I have informed thee how dangerous thine estate is that thou mightest plainly see it truly feare it and timely prevent it yet I have not the least or at most very little hope of thy yeelding For first these lines to thee are but as so many characters written in the water which leaves no impression behind them thou being like one that beholdeth his natural face in a glasse who when he hath considered himselfe goeth his way and forgotteth immediately what manner of one he was Iames 1.23.24 or like some silly flie which being beat from the candle an hundred times and often singed there in yet will returne to it againe untill shee bee consumed If thou wilt behold thy case in another person look 2 King 8.12 to 16. Proverbs 23.35 All those Beasts which went into the Arke uncleane came likewise out uncleane Secondly though these sparks of grace may kindle piety in others yet not in thee for what is light to him that will shut his eyes against it And men of thy condition do on purpose stop their eares and wink with their eyes least they should see with their eyes and heare with their cares and understand with their hearts and so should bee converted as our Saviour shewes Matth. 13.15 and Saint Paul Acts 28.27 O if these Adders had not stopt their eares how long since had they beene charmed And indeed it were an unreasonable motion in me if I should request minds preposessed with prejudice to heare reason there is no disputing with him that denies Principles if they believe not Mases and the Prophets they would never be perswaded although one should bee sent unto them from the dead to testifie what a place of torment they are going unto Luk 16.31 A brute beast is as capeable of good counsell as a drunkard once became a scorner for like Salomons foole braying in a mortar will not alter him yea a very stone to which Ezekiel compares a hard heart Chapter 11.19 is not more insensible then such a sinner for he will neither be softned with benefits nor broken with punishments neither God's severity can terrifie him nor his kindnesse mollifie him yea the more these anvills are beaten upon the harder they are the change of meanes whether the
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
is like the Tower of David built for defence a thousand shields hang therein and all the Targets of the strong men Cant. 4.4 it is a cleare glasse wherein wee may see our beauty and deformity yea the least spots of evill and be directed to wipe them out It is a light saith Theophilus which discovereth unto us all the slights and snares of our spirituall adversaries yea nothing can deceive them saith he that reade the Scriptures Thy word saith David is a lanthorne to my feete and a light unto my pathes Psal 119.105 this Ariadnes clew of thred guides the beleever through the worlds maze of temptations unto the glorious liberty of the Sonnes of God It is an Apothecaries shop saith St. Basil full of all soveraigne Medicines wherein every man may have cure for his disease and there is no part or passion of our Soules saith St. Chrysostome but needeth physicke and cure from the holy Scriptures In fine it is their counseller it is their wisdome it is their strength it is their food it is their Physicke it is their wealth it is their joy it is their life it is their all in all if they have this they want nothing if they want this they have nothing But see one of these particulars illustrated for I will not spin out each of these Metaphors into a long continued Allegory Suppose any little David a child of God be set upon by the greatest spirituall Goliah that ever was namely the World or the Flesh or the Devill himselfe let him but chose out of this brook the Scripture a few stones precepts threats promises keepe them in the Scrippe of his memory hurle them with the Arme of a strong faith from the string of his tongue as occasion serveth at the combatant with the level of Christian prudence even the stoutest of them shall be compelled to leave the field and give up his weapons As for example if thou be tempted to pride answer it 's written that God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble Iames 4.6 That all proud persons are under the Devills regiment his subjects and vassalls Iob. 41.25 If to cruelty that they shall have judgment mercilesse which shew not mercy Iames 2.13 If to contemne reproofe or hate thy reprover that hee which hardeneth his necke when he is reproved shall suddenly be destroyed and cannot be cured Pro 29.1 If to sweare that â—athes carse the land to mourne Hosea 4.2.3 And that the curse of God shall never depart from the house of the swearer untill it be consumed Zach. 5.3.4 If to covetousnesse that the love of money causeth many to fall into divers temptations and snares and many foolish and noysome lusts which drowne men in perdition and destruction 1 Tim. 6.9.10 If to Hypocrisie that it is the sin against which our Saviour pronounced seven woes in one Chapter and adjudge to the lowest place in Hell Math. 23. If to despaire through the consideration of thy manifold sinnes and infirmities that Christ came not to call the righteous but weary and heavie laden sinners to repentance Math. 9.13 and 11.28 that he who strives most and not hee who sinnes least shall be best accepted with God If to lust that the Law ordaine death for the Adulterer Levit. 20.10 and the Gospell excludes the fornicator out of Heaven 1 Cor. 6.9.10 If to drunkennesse that Hell enlargeth it selfe for drunkards and openeth her mouth without measure that all they may descend into it Isaiah 5.14 And so in every other case which can be named as well as in this of temptation have but recourse to the written Word this as an Oracle from Heaven shall give thee plenary satisfaction and by this meanes viz. by applying with our Saviour it is written it is written Math. 4. thou shalt so silence and overcome the spirit of untrueth that though he solicite thee by the World or the Flesh or by a Prophet or an Angell from Heaven hee shall not be strong enough to divert thee from the good thou intendest yea let fire and faggot doe their worst as once in Queene Maries time yet nothing shall be able to separate thee from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus Rom. 8.35 to 39. And thus wee see the Word of God to the faithfull is an Armory out of which they may furnish themselves with all kind of munition a Magazine out of which they may be furnished with all manner of needfull provision whereas on the contrary he which lives without making this his rule he who sets not the Diall or Clocke of his life by this Sunne hee who directeth not his course in walking by this North-Pole or load-starre but by the wavering uncertaine moovable stars of custome Example Reason or good intentions sayles without a compasse and may looke every minute to be swallowed up in the Ocean of sin and judgement God hath made a promise to us to keep us in all our wayes Psalm 91.11 but not out of them we are in our wayes so long as we have a command or warrant out of the word for what we doe to be kept by God is so to have him watch over us by his fatherly providence and protection that nothing shall befall us but what is good for us and to have a continuall guard of Angles to protect and keepe us from every approaching evill Psalme 91.10 11 12. How safe then and happy is the man that is resolved to doe nothing without God who commands all creatures both in Heaven Earth and Hell and they obey him the consideration of which made Luther so couragious that being perswaded by his friends to absent himselfe from the Diet at Wormes hee made answer though all the tyles of the houses were so many Divells yet would I goe thether he knew he should have more and mightier with him then against him being in his way that is having a warrant out of the Word for what hee went about Neither could he want examples to encourage him herein wee see David being in his way it was not the Lion nor the Beare nor that great Goliah nor Saul himself though he darts a speare twise at him sends to seek him throughout all the thousands of Iudah and layes so many plots to take away his life could doe him any harme Elisha being in his way rather then the Assyrians mighty Host shall hurt him the mountaine shall bee full of Horses and Chariots of fire to reskew him 2 King 6.17 neither shall Ahab or Iesabel hurt Eliah though they threaten much and do their worst 1 Kin. 19.2 Let Daniel and the three children be in their way do nothing either forthrough feare or flattery but what they have warrant for out of Gods Word and then throw the one into the Lions den and the other into the fiery furnace Gods providence shall so keepe them that not a haire of their heads shall perish Dan. 3.27 and 6.22 Let the same consideration prevaile
with us Have wee a warrant out of the word are wee in the path of Gods protection in the way wherein the Angels guard and watch Let us go on valiantly and not feare what men or divels can doe unto us When Ioseph had a command from God to goe out of Egypt into the Land of Israel after Archelaus succeeded his father Herod he was sore affraid and as it seemeth loath to go yet considering that God had commanded him he disputeth no longer with flesh and blood but goeth his way Mat. 2.22 It is too much tendernesse to respect the scoffes and censures and threats of others when wee have a direct word from God the fearefull sluggard will cry a Lion in the way Pro. 26.13 yea but the Scriptures cry an Angell yea many Angels to stop the Lions mouth the Lion is in those by-wayes in which the Prophet walked 1 Kin. 13.24 On the other side if God take no charge of us but when wee are in our wayes yea in his by having a warrant out of the Word how are they in their wayes who spend their whole time in drinking swearing whoring c. who persecute the godly for keeping close to this Word If that be Gods way where did he chalk it out where or in what part of his Word hast thou a warrant to doe these things or to hate persecute revile slander reproach contemne deride or censure men for being holier and more temperate then thy selfe If thou want his word looke not for his protection and miserable is that man who in dangerous actions is left to his owne keeping it fares with him touching his spirituall adversaries as with the Deere that leapes over the Park pale and straggles abroad which a hundred to one doth cost her her life or as it did vvith Shemei vvhen hee past his bounds set him by the King vvho lost his life for his labour 1 King 2.42.43.46 As for example Pharaoh and his Host were out of their way when they pursued the children of Israel going out of Egypt but how sped they the Sea devided to let the Israelites pass but swallowed them up quicke Exod. 14.28 Baalam was out of his way when hee rode to Balack with an intent to curse Israell when God had forbidden him so to doe but the Angel of the Lord met him with a naked sword and had slaine him if the Asse had not turned away Numb 22.33 Sampson was out of his way when hee went in to the harlot Dalilah or els God had not departed from him neither could the Philistims have bound him Iudg. 16 20.21 Ionas was out of his way when he was sayling to Tarshis God having sent him to Ninive but how sped hee the windes and waves stormes and tempests conspired together to crosse him and would not be pacified untill hee was cast into the Sea Ionas 1.12 15. And thus Caine when he went out into the field to slay his brother Abel Gen. 4.8 to 15. Corah Dathan and Ahiram with those two hundred and fifty Captaines when they gathered themselves together against Moses and Aaron Num. 16.32 Haman when he went out unto the King to procure that bloody decree against the Iewes Ester 3.9 Absalom when hee rose up against his Father to usurpe the Kingdome 2 Sam. 15. The 42. children when they followed the Prophet calling him bald-head 2 Kin. 2.23.24 The seduced Prophet when he went beyond his commission set him by God 1 King 13. The two Captaines and their fifties when they went to apprehend Eliah 2 King 1.10.12 Iudas when he went unto the high Priests to sell his Master and backe with the Officers to betray him with a kisse Marke 14. and lastly Paul before his conversion when hee went with authority from the high Priests to persecute the Christians at Damascus Acts 9.1 2. they were all out of their way but how did they speed I need not tell you vvhat fearefull revenges and sudden destruction they met vvithall in their journeys onely the last vvas crost vvith a blessing and instead of judgement received mercy though thou canst no more presume to fare as hee did then I can presume to live and have the same strength forty yeares hence that I have at this present because it hapned to be so vvith Caleb Ioshua 14.11 § 55. VVHerefore looke to it in time Vse and application of the former doctrine and if thou meanest not to meet vvith destruction by the vvay keepe out of the vvorlds road you see this your reason is saplesse and vvants vveight to bee received yea vvee may say of this common objection as Ierom said of the Pelagian Heresies even a repetition of it is a sufficient refutation of it neither needs it any other confutation but derision and a meer hissing at You see that al vvho follovv example vvhether of the greatest number or the greatest men or the greatest Schollers or the best men or reason or good intentions are miserably deluded and that things ought to bee judged by Law and not by examples that Gods precepts must be our only presidents and that this onely evidences a good conscience vvhen the maine vveight vvhich sets the vvheeles on vvorke is the conscience of Gods Commandement As for thy translating and laying the fault of thy drinking upon others that is but a meere pretence it faring vvith thee as it did vvith Harpaste a blind vvoman in Seneca's family vvho mindles of her ovvn infirmity complained that the house vvas darke vvherein she vvas or as it did vvith another spoken of by the same Seneca vvho having a thorne in his foot imputed the cause of his limping to the roughnesse of the vvay for if thine ovvn heart vvere not vile and vvicked custome and evill example could no more svvay thee then it doth some other men vvho shine as lights in the midst of this crooked generation yea thou vvouldest therfore redeeme the time because the dayes are evill Ephes 5.16 Alasse no man that hath grace in his heart vvill make the badnes of the times a cloak to excuse his conformity in drinking and vvasting of his precious hovvres vvickedly but rather a spur to incite him to be so much the more carefull not to be svvayed with the common streame Happy is that man who makes anothers vices steps to climbe to heaven by and so doth every wise and good man Even the mud of the world by the industrious Hollander is turned to an usefull fuell and the Mariner that hath Sea-roome can make any winde serve to set him forward in his wished voyage And good reason have they to make this use of the corruption of the times for if the aire be generally infectious had wee not need bee so much the more strict in our diet and carefull in the use of wholesome preservatives Generallity of assent is no warrant for any act we that are Christians must not live by prophane examples but by Gods holy precepts Indeed common errors carry away
you yet seven times more for your sins Lev. 26.18 to 40. So that an impenitent mans preservation out of one judgment is but a further reservation of him to seven judgments What did it availe Cham that he escaped drowning with the multitude he had better have perished in the waters then have lived unto his Fathers curse What did it availe Lot's wife to escape turning into ashes in Sodom when suddenly after she was turned into a pillar of salt in the plaine Or what did it availe Pharaoh that himselfe was not smitten with many of those judgements wherein others perished it was farre from being a mercy yea it was a reservation to the greatest temporall judgment of all here and to that eternall judgment also in the burning lake from which there is no redemption So that it is not simply our deliverance but our thankfulnesse for it and obedience after it that gives sufficient argument to our consciences that God delivered us in mercy and favour Yea to prosper in ill designes and ungracious courses to goe on in sinne uncontrolled is the greatest unhappinesse the heaviest curse for he that useth to doe evill and speeds well never rests till he come to that evill from which there is no redemption Ioab kills Abner and scapes againe he embrues his hands in the blood of Amasa and is not indited for it now David is old and Adoniah towardly he furthers him in the usurpation and big with prefidence of his owne command he thinkes to carry it but this carryed him to his grave Faire Absalom was proud and ambitious yet he flourisheth hee kills his owne Brother yet escapes he insinuates himselfe into the affections of the people and bold of their fidelity to him he swels even against his owne royall Father and becomes a disloyall Traytor God owes that man a grievous paiment whom he suffers to runne on so long unquestioned and his punishment shall be the greater when he comes to reckon with him for all his faults together Yea though prosperous wickednesse is one of the Devills strongest chaines yet the currant passage of ill enterprises is so farre from giving cause of encouragement that it should justly fright a man to looke backe to the Author and to consider that he therefore goes fast because the Devill drives him § 60. THere be three things which usually succeede one another in the Church The Plague hath wrought little or no reformation great blessings great sinnes great punishments yea a fourth was wont to follow in former ages namely great sorrow of heart great lamentation and woe and upon the necke of that great favour and mercy As in the booke of Iudges and elsewhere what a continued circle doe we finde of Peace Sinnes Iudgements Repentance Deliverances the conversation of Gods people with the wicked tainted them with sinne their sinnes drew on judgments the smart of the judgment moved them to repentance upon their repentance followed speedy deliverance and upon their peace and deliverance they sinned againe thus it was ever and in every age of the world but in this her decrepit and doting age in which Religion is become contemptible and wherein it is a shame to be strict and holy in the service of God But now let God send never so many and great Iudgments one upon the neck of another as Sword Famine Pestilence yea one pestilence after another yet no repentance no reformation Witnesse these two yeares sicknesse together and the yeere 1625. for of so many millions of notorious sinners as were in this land how many or where are any who from thence hitherto have left off their drinking swearing whoreing prophaning of the Lord's day cheating c. can you name tenne yea or two of a thousand which you partly know No certainely for hee that was a drunkard before is a drunkard still hee that was a swearer before is a swearer still hee that was filthy before is filthy still c. though such a Judgement in a different age would have caused an universall repentance and reformation as the like onely threatned not executed did in the Ninivites Ionas 3. But what doe I speake of their repentance and reformation Yea many are the worse when they will scoffe at jeere and persecute any that shal but refuse to run with them to the same excesse of ryot What doe I speake of their being the better when they are much the worse for this judgement for they are not onely the same they were drunk every day and scoffe at those who will not nor only sweare and blaspheme as frequently as speake nor only whore quarrell and the like when thousands dye in a weeke as formerly they have done but much more abundant if they have where withall for as some have noted the Tavernes and Ale-shops of which too many are the Thrones of Sathan were never so thwackt as in those times when the streets were almost empty especially those houses which had newly or lately beene visited and which was worth the observing each house if not each company had musick aurium tenùs up to the eares so the Fidlers fasted not what ever the poore did yea many poore snakes that at other times never dranke better than Whey could now swim in Wine I have my selfe seene The Tavernes fullest when he â—â—reets are emptiest when the Bills were at the highest even Bearers who had little respite from carrying dead Corpses to their graves and many other of the like ranke go reeling in the streets Neither were men ever so impudent and audacious in roaring and declaring their sinnes in the open streets as then Thus they declared their sinnes as Sodome Neither hath this lingring visitation either found or made them better it is no rare thing to see men newly recovered of the Plague at least when the sword of the destroying Angell hath newly swept away the greatest part of their families and they have but newly taken breath from those noysome roomes where they have been a long time pent up grow more vicious and insolent more abominably licentious and wicked then they were before so little are they moved with this grievous judgement § 61. BUt see the difference betweene Gods people and those sonnes of Belial The difference betweene their practifâ— and the godlies Hee which truly feares God wil in such times of calamity Vriah-like refraine from many lawfull and allowed recreations well knowing that actions of an indifferent nature are not alwayes seasonable not ever warrantable and indeed neither the time nor place of mourning is for mirth which made our Saviour Christ soone turne the Minstrels out of doores when the Rulers daughter was dead Mat. 9.23 Yea it is the Lords complaint against Ierusalem when he threatned her destruction by Nebuchadnezzar I called to weeping and mourning and to baldnesse and girding with sackcloth but behold joy and gladnesse slaying Oxen and killing Sheepe eating flesh and drinking wine Isaiah 22.12 13. for
divell hath purchased for himselfe a large patrimony of unquenchable fire Though few men will confesse their sinnes yet many mens sins will confesse their master To beget a president of vice is like the setting a mans own house on fire it burnes many of his neighbours and he shal answer for al the ruines Alas while I live I sinne too much let me not continue longer in wickednesse then life Sin hath an ubiquity one sinners example infects others and they spread it abroad to more like a man that dyes of the Plague and leaves the infection to a whole City so that hee must give an account even for the sinnes of a thousand yea they have so much to answer for that have thus occasioned so much ill that it had beene happy for them if they had never beene at all then being to be laden with the sinnes of so many O what infinite torments doth Mahomet endure when every Turke that perisheth by his jugling doth daily adde to the pile of his unspeakable horrors And so each sinner according to his proportion and the number of soules which miscarry through the contagion of his evill example for they shall speed at last like him that betrayed a City to a Tyrant who when he had conquered it first hanged up the party that help'd him to it Yea perhaps God will even in this life make them an example of his just vengeance and provoked indignation as he did Pharaoh and Iulian as their sinne hath perverted many so their fall and ruine may perchance convert many the life of Iulian made many Infidels the death of Iulian made many Christians God will teach men to feare him even by their ruine that taught them not to feare him Yea the Dâ—vell who now is their good master will in the end reward these his subjects as that Emperor which Plutarch speakes of did by one that kild a great man who first crowned him for his valour and then caused him to bee executed for the murther or as the Wolf does by the Ewe who sucks her while she is a little one and devours her when she is growne a great one Nutritus per me sed tandem saeviet in me So that it were happy for all seducing drunkards whors c. if they were prevented of doing this great mischiefe and in their non-age throwne alive into the Sea as the Citizens of Rome threw Heleogabalus into the river of Tiber with his mother Semea to bear him company for that she bear and brought forth such a gulfe of mischiefes as Lampridius reports yea the whole State should fare the better for such riddance for so they should become though not profitable yet infinitely lesse hurtfull to such as should remaine § 131. THe eight circumstance which aggravates thy sinne is the object or party which is offended and in this respect 8. They abuse and persecute not the evill but the good who are to God as the Apple of his eye thou art liable to the greater condemnation in that thou injurest those whom God tenderly loves which is farre more displeasing unto him then if the same were done unto others they are as the signet upon his right hand yea as the Apple of his owne eye he that toucheth you saith God meaning the Iewes his chosen and beloved people toucheth the Apple of mine owne eye Zach. 2.8 And who are they which thou scoffest at traducest nicknamest revilest and persecutest but the best of men such as are most religious and conscionable such as wil not sweare nor be drunke nor commit such wickednesse as thou doest Now he which doth these things to evill men who are Gods enemies grievously offend him for what saith the Scripture him will I destroy that privily slandereth his neighbour Psa 101.5 and the word neighbour includes very heathens How heinously then doe they offend which doe the same and worse to his children 2 Cor. 6.18 Galat. 3.26 Iohn 1.12 who partake of the Divine nature 2 Peter 1.4 and are like God in holinesse 1 Pet. 1.15 members of Christs body 1 Corinth 12.27 bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh Ep. 5.30 and being Temples of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6.19 If the Goates at the great day shall bee bid depart into everlasting torment for not feeding cloathing visiting Matt. 25.41 to 46. what shall bee done to those that persecute Christ in his members But let as many as have eares heare what God hath threatned in his word against such I will produce but a few of many the Holy Ghost affirmes that hee will destroy them for ever and root them out of the land of the living whose tongues imagine mischiefe and are like a sharpe Razor that cutteth deceitfully loving to speakee vill more then good Ps 5.22 to 5. that hee will confound such as persecute his children and destroy them with a double destruction Ier. 17.18 yea that he will render unto their enemies sevenfold into their bosome their reproach wherewith they have reproached the Lord Psal 79.12 O consider this yee that forget God least he teare you in peeces and there be none that can deliver you In fine that hee will raine upon them snares of fire and brimstone with stormes and tempests Psal 11.6 and after all cast them into a furnace of fire where shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth for evermore when the just whom they now despise shall shine as the Sunne in the Kingdome of their Father Matthew 13.42.43 Men may dip their tongues in venome and their pens in poyson to speak against the righteous but the Lord will once revenge the cause of his poore ones he will not alwayes hold his peace nor hide his face well may the vengeance of this sin sleepe but it can never dye yea as truly as God hath threatned to curse all them that curse his children Gen. 27.29 so as truly will he performe it in one kind or other either cursing them in their bodies by sending some foule disease or in their estates by suddenly consuming them or in their names by blemishing and blasting them or in their seed by not prospeing them or in their minds by darkening them or in their hearts by hardening them or in their consciences by terrifying them or in their wits by distracting them or in their soules by damning them It were endlesse for the Sea of examples hath no bottome to recite all which Scripture and Ecclesiasticall history makes mention of with the variety of fearefull and incredible judgements both spirituall and corporall which God hath executed upon them even in this life though I count it a mercy to smart here if they dye penitent rather then bee reserved to those flames which are easelesse and endlesse that fearefull damnation made up of an extremity universality and eternity of torments Yea if God caused two and forty little children to bee devoured of wild Beares for calling Elisha bald-head 2 Kings 2.24 how can these aged persecutors hope to
to Mephibosheth so if thou bearest any good will to God whom it is not in thy power to pleasure thou wilt shew thy thankefulnesse to him in his children who are bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh Is our Ionathan gone Yet we have many Mephibosheths and he that loves God for his owne sake will love his Brother for Gods sake especially when he hath loved us as it were on this condition that we should love one another whereas thou hatest the children of God even for their very graces and vertues for thou couldest love their persons well enough if they were not conscionable And so much of the eighth aggravation § 135. NInthly 9 VVhom they wrong are their best friends to whom they owe their very lives againe touching the party wronged thy sinne is incomparably greater in as much as thou makest that the subject of thy derision which is the onely meanes of thy preservation Knowest thou not or mayst thou not know how the wicked owe their lives unto those few good whom they hate and persecute It were bad enough to wrong enemies but to wrong such by whom thou art preserved alive is abominable but see it proved for this may seeme incredible to thee The religious whom thou persecutest keepe off judgements from thee and the whole land 1 By their innocency 2 By their Prayers First 1 By their innocency by their innocency The Innocent saith Eliphas shall deliver the Iland and it shall be preserved The religious keepe off judgements from them by the purenesse of his hands Iob. 22.30 Runne to and fro by the streets of Hierusalem saith God to Ieremiah and behold now and know and enquire in the open places thereof if ye can find a man or if there be any that executeth judgment and seeketh the truth and I will spare it Ier. 5.1 to which testimonies I could add a world of examples even all Noah's family were preserved from drowning in the generall Deluge for Noah's sake In the destruction of Sodom if ten righteous persons could have beene found the whole City had beene spared ten had saved ten thousand Gen. 18.29.32 yea when there was no remedy but destroyed it must be the Angels promised Lot whomsoever he brought forth should escape for his sake Againe God saved Zoar a City belonging to Sodom for Lot's sake Gen. 19.21 Now Zoar might happily be as bad as Sodom but here was the difference Zoar had a Lot within it Sodome had none Potiphar was a Heathen yet his house shall be blessed because Ioseph is in it a whole family yea a whole Kingdome shall fare the better for one despised traduced imprisoned Ioseph though he were sold for a slave Laban was cruell churlish wicked yet he shall be blessed for Iacob's sake Gen. 30.27 Among two hundred three score and sixteene soules there was but one Paul yet behold saith the Angell God hath given thee all that saile with thee Acts 27.24.44 Zacheus alone beleeved yet this brought salvation to his whole house Luk. 19. O the large bounty of God which reacheth not to us onely but to ours § 136. SEcondly 2 By their prayers good men by their prayers keepe off judgements from them The Saints are like Sampsons haire the strength of the Land and the very pillars of a State even such pillars that ten of them would have supported Sodom from falling and their prayers would have cried lowder in Gods eares for mercy then the sinnes of those thousands did for vengeance the prayer of a righteous man availeth much saith St. Iames if it be fervent Chap. 5.16 I need not tell you what prayer hath done as that it hath shut up the Heavens from rayning and opened them againe made the Sunne stand still in the firmament one while goe backe another devided the Sea and made it stand as a wall fetch fire and hailestones from Heaven throwne downe the wales of Ierico subdued Kingdomes stopt the mouthes of Lyons quenched the violence of fire raised the dead let out of prison c. onely see what it hath done in this very case Was not Abraham's prayer so powerfull that God never left granting one request after another touching Sodome untill he left asking Gen. 18.32 Was not Moses prayer for the people when they had made the golden calfe and imputed their deliverance to it so powerfull that God was faine to say unto him Let me alone Moses that my wrath may wax hot against them and consume them and yet Moses would not let him alone but pleads his promise what the Aegyptians would say c. untill he had obtained their pardon though God promised to make of him a mighty people Exod. 32.10 to 15. was not Lot's prayer touching Zoar so powerfull that God saith unto him I have received thy request concerning this thing that I will not overthrow this City for the which thou hast spoken adding this moreover that he could doe nothing to Sodome untill he was entred into Zoar Gen. 19.20.21.22 Thus the prayer of Abraham removed that judgement from Abimelecke his wife and women servants when the Lord had shut every wombe Gen. 20.17.18 Thus Moses prayer removed the leprosie from Mirriam Num. 12.13.14.15 and kept off sundry judgements from the Israelites as when they murmured against him at the Red Sea Exod. 14.11.15 Againe at the waters of Marah Chap. 15.25 then at the Desart of Zim Chap. 16. then at Repidim Chap. 17.4 then when they fought with Amalecke ver 11. after when the Lord would utterly have consumed them Chapter 32.10 to 35. then he removed from them that judgement of fire which burnt among them Num. 11.1.2 againe when they murmured for flesh vers 4.10.31 after that he saved them from being consumed by the Pestilence Num. 14.12 to 21. then from another plague Chap. 16.45 to 49. and lastly he tooke away the Serpents by his prayer Num. 20.6.7.8 Againe how many severall plagues did he remove from Pharaoh and all Aegypt by his prayer As first the judgment of Frogs Exod. 8.8 then the judgement of Flyes ver 30.31 then the Thunder Hayle and Fire Chap. 9.33 then the Grashoppers Chap. 10.18.19 c. Thus by the prayer of Iehoahas all Israel was delivered from the oppression of the King of Syria 2 King 13.4.5 And by Samuel's prayer the Israelites were delivered out of the hand of the Philistines 1 Sam. 7.8.9 And by the prayer of Esay and Hezekiah the Israelites were delivered from that great Host of Senacharib under the conduct of Rabshekah and that miraculously for the Angell of the Lord in one night smote in the campe of the Assyrians an hundred foure score and five thousand 2 King 19.4.20 Many the like examples I could give you § 137. ANd are not the like faithfull prayers of godly men amongst us Jn their distresse they will sue to the godly and desire them a loue to pray for them alike prevalent with God both for the averting and
it but see the different natures of the godly and the wicked God forbeareth the wicked for the godlies sake As when Augustus had conquered Anthony and taken Alexandria the Citizens expecting nothing but present massacre the Emperor proclaimed a generall pardon for Arrius his sake a Philosopher of that City and his familiar friend Whereas the wicked in requitall persecute the godly for whose sake they are forborne and contemne those to whom they owe their very lives like as Brutus Cassius Domitius Trebonius Cimber Tullius and many others slew Iulius Caesar with 23. wounds in the Senate house albeit hee had lately pardoned them for fighting against him on Pompie's side or as they whom William the conqueror most advanced had the speciall hand in his destruction or as Pompilius Laena whom Marcus Tullius Cicero saved from the Gallowes by pleading his cause before the judges when he was accused for murthering his Father was the prime man that puld his head out of the Litter and cut it off But O foolish and unwise is this any other peece of policy then if the Sodomites should make hast to turne out Lot and his familie that fire and brimstone may make hast to destroy them for as when the Prophets went from Hierusalem then Sword and Famine and Pestilence and all plagues rained upon them even as fire came downe upon Sodome so soone as Lot was gone out Or as when Noah and his family were once entred the Arke the Flood came and destroyed the first world Gen. 7.11.13 so the number of Christs Church being accomplished fire shall come down to destroy the second world yea the raine should not fall nor the earth stand but for the elects sake the earth should burne the elements melt the heavens flame the divels and all reprobates bee laid up in hell the elect men and Angels imparadised in heaven all but for this Gods number is not yet full till this be done Sathan may range abroad the wicked domineere the righteous suffer misery and sinne walke their round the heavens move the Seas ebb and flowe the world stand and the Lord suffers all Wherefore cease yee malicious sinners to vex the religious you are beholding to them for your very breath if they were taken away you should be tormented before your time yea make you friends of such as feare God for it is no smal happinesse to be interrested in them who are favourites in the Court of Heaven one faithfull man on these occasions is more worth then millions of the wavering and uncertaine Indeed you may so long provoke the Lord that he will not suffer his people to pray nor intreat for you as is well set forth Ier. 7.13 to 17. and then can you expect nothing but death and hell Yea the time will come when all Christs enemies shall be dragged out of the prison of their graves to behold him whom they have pierced Revelation 1.7 at what time there shall be no Moses to stand in the gap for them no Aaron to stand betweene the living and the dead no Noah Daniel or Iob to pity or pray for them yea when there shall bee no more mercy no more patience no more repentings in God towards them but judgement without mercy or mitigation but God laughing at their destruction and the Saints which shall judge the world 1 Cor. 6.2 3. rejoycing to see the vengeance that they may at length wash their feet in the blood of the wicked Prov. 1.26 Psal 58.10 when there shall be no Rocks nor Mountaines to fall upon them when the earth shall melt with heate when the day of the Lord shall burn as an oven and eat their flesh as it were fire Revel 6.16 2 Pet. 3.10 Mal. 4.1.2 3. Iam. 5.3 § 140. TEnthly 10 Their sin is not against the life of body or estate but against the soules of men thy sinne is incomparably greater and consequently thy punishment shall be in that the hurt which thou doest to thy neighbour is against his soule For as the hurting and endamaging of the person and life of another is a more hainous offence then is the diminishing of his goods and outward estate so the hurt which redowndeth by our meanes unto the soule of any is much more abominable every way both in it selfe and in the sight of God then is that wrong which is offered unto his body Now thou art a soule murtherer yea many are the soules which thou hast intentionally and as much as in thee lyeth slaine with death eternall and what canst thou expect without repentance and an answerable endeavour to win soules as fast to God as formerly thou hast to Sathan but to bee many fathoms deeper in Hell then other men will God powre out his curse and vengeance on them which make the blind stumble to the hurt of his body Deut. 27.18 and will he not much more do this to soule-destroyers An objection answered Objection But thou like those Disciples Iohn 6.60 wilt think this a hard saying neither canst thou believe that thou art a soule murtherer though I have made it undeniable in Section the 100.101.113.134.115.116.117 Answer But it will one day be a harder saying if you take not heed when Christ shall answer all your apologies with depart from me into everlasting fire prepared for the Divel and his Angels Mat. 25.41 Luk. 13.25 to 29. As for further proofe of what I lay to thy charge I could easily shew thee how The daily scoffes reproaches c. of thee and thy fellovves 1. Detaines 2. Staggers 3. Keepes 4. Beates 5. Hardens many From entering into a religious course Which have made some progresse in the vvay From doing the good vvhich they vvould or appearing the same which they are Clean off from their profession And makes them resolve against goodnesse For there is no such rub in the way to Heaven as this Sathan hath not such a tryed shaft in all his quiver which makes our Saviour pronounce that man blessed that is not offended in him Matth. 11.6 But of these severalls elsewhere least I should overmuch seeme to digresse only I grieve to see how they wrong themselves in thus wronging others for in that wicked men doe so mock and deride such as are in love with heavenly things it is hard to say whether they doe most offend in hindering the honour of God thereby or their neighbours wellfare or their own salvation What are the waters of thine own sinns so low that thou must have streames from every place to run into thine Ocean thy owne burthen is unsupportable yet thou wilt adde to the weight other mens that thy rising may be irrecoverable Content thy selfe for assuredly thou shalt once pay deare for it either by teares or torment Yea let such take heed for the fire of Hell will be hot enough for a mans owne iniquities he needs not the iniquities of others like fuell and Bellowes to blow and increase the flame which if they
extention of it And herein thou dost out-strip almost all other sinners in the heynousnesse of thy offence for whereas other sinnes viz. swearing theft murther c. may be compared unto a single Bullet which kills but one at once namely the party offending one of thy sinnes viz. drunkennesse may be compared to chaine-shot which sends men by clusters to Hell the other I meane thy scandalizing the way of truth and turning good into evill is like that plot of the gunpowder Treason which if it had taken effect would have destroyed a multitude at one blow Yea thereby thou dost not onely thy utmost but even sufficient without Gods great mercy to murther and destroy all that heare of thy milicious slanders and bitter invectives make them ashamed of their holy profession and flye from Christs standard backe to the world Now injurics are so much the more intollerable as they are dilated unto more those offences which are of narrow extent may receive an easie satisfaction the amends are not possible where the wrong is universall as may be collected from the story of Queene Vashti Esther 1.16.17.18 And thou dost not inveigh against this or that particular person or congregation but against all the faithfull throughout the land wherein thou more then resemblest a mad Dog who spareth none but bites at all that come neere him for this thy ill report of the way of truth like poyson disperseth it selfe into every veine of the body politicke Now he is monstrously malicious and deserveth grievously to be punished that casts poyson into one cup with an intention to poyson one alone but he more which throweth it into the whole vessell whereof all the family drinkes with a purpose to speed every one in the house but he is desperatly and prodigiously wicked beyond expression who hurleth deadly poyson into the fountain whence the whole City is served as once the Iewes served this City and even such and no other is thy case it differs not a haires breadth only thou poysonest soules the other bodies and therein transcendest Now as this is an heinous offence above any I can think upon so great offences if ever they obtaine forgivenesse had need of answerable satisfactions notorious offenders may not thinke to sit downe with the taske of ordinary services the retributions of their obedience must bee proportionable to their crimes as was that of Paul's who as he had done more evill to the Saints then all the rest of the Apostles so he laboured more then they all in adding to the Church such as should be saved yea saith God to Ananias I will shew him how many things hee must suffer for my Names sake Act. 9.16 § 142. THus I have unfolded thy severall and superlative sinnes But the drunkard hath a shift to evade al this and what else â—an be spoken and laid before thee the punishment due unto them single I have also shown thee how they are greatned and aggravated by sundry circumstances which will also adde weight to thy torment and without repentance double thy doome All which me thinks being put together and duely considered should make thee loath and abhorre thy present condition and not onely awaken thy conscience but fetch blood from thy secure heart yea if thou wishest or carest to bee saved or ever hopest for entrance into Gods Kingdome thou wilt with Ephraim strike thy selfe upon the thigh Ier. 31.19 smite thy breast with the Publican Luk. 18.13 and with amazement and indignation say what have I done what shall I doe to be saved at least if it be possible But as there is no hole to bee found in all the Barke of Popery 1. He can apply Christs pussion and Gods mercy as a warrant for his licentiousnesse but some popish Proctor or other will finde a peg to stop it so though this Pot hath so wide a mouth that as one would thinke no Pot-lid could bee found big enough to cover it yet thou hast a shift for thy persevering or rather the enemy of mankind hath furnished thee with an evasion for that he may make smooth the way to perdition hee will tell the procrastinator that the Thiefe upon the Crosse was heard by our Saviour at the last howre and that God is mercifull therefore he may go on boldly and let the worst that can come repentance at the last howre and saying Lord have mercy upon me which the common people make their necke-verse will make all even otherwise God is not so good as his word who saith at what time soever a sinner repenteth c. for heâ— can take liberty to continue his sensuall lusts by a warrant of Scripture what is written for his consolation hee turnes to poyson making of his restorative Physicke a drinke to intoxicate him to desperatenesse yea he can apply Christ's Passion as a Warrant for his licentiousnesse not as a remedy and takes his Death as a Licence to sin his Crosse as a letters Patent to doe mischiefe so they not only sever those things which God hath joyned together sin and punishment and joyne together what God hath severed sinne and reward but even turn the grace of God into wantonnesse as if a man should head his Taber with his pardon Wherein the Divell deales with them as once with our Saviour Cast thy selfe downe headlong for the Angels shall beare thee up so plung your selves into this or that sinne the mercy of God shall helpe you out poyson thy selfe here is a counterpoyson break thy head here is a plaister surfeit here is a Physitian Upon which ground the most impudent and insolent sinners Drunkards Adulterers Swearers Mammonists c. presume that though they live like Swine all their life long yet a cry for mercy at last gasp shal transform them into Saints as Circe's charmes transformed Men into Swine We are all willing to believe what we wish The Divell makes large promises The hope of an hypocrite is easily blowne into him and as soone blown out of him and perswades his they shall have what they desire but ever disappoints them of their hopes as what a liberty what wisdome did hee promise our first Parents when indeed hee stole from them that liberty and wisdome they had even as Laban promised Iacob beautifull Rachel but in the dark gave him bleare-ey'd Leah or as Hamor promised the Sechamites that by their circumcision all the goods of the house of Israel should be theirs wheras in deed the goods of the Sechamites fell to the house of Israel Diabolus mentitur ut fallat vitam pollicetur ut perimat saith S. Cyprian The condition of an inconsiderate worldling is much like an Alchymists who projecting for the Philosophers stone distils away his estate in Limbecks not doubting to find that which shall do all the World good yea hee dares promise his friends before hand Gold in whole Scuttles but at last his glasse breaks and himselfe with it Thus when Agag was
sent for before Samuel he went pleasantly saying the bitternesse of death is past but his welcome was immediately to be hewen in peeces 1 Sam. 15.33 The rich man resolves when he hath filled his Barnes then soule rest but God answers no then soule come to judgement to everlasting unrest Luk. 12.19.20 The hope of an hypocrite is easily blown into him and as soone blowne out of him because his hope is not of the right kind yea it is presumption not confidence viz. hope frighted out of it's wits an high house upon weak pillars which upon every little change threatens ruine to the inhabitant for a little winde blowes down the Spiders-web of his hope wherby like the foolish builder he comes short of his reckoning That heart which Wine had even now made as light as a feather dyes ere long as heavie as a stone 1 Sam. 25.36 37. § 143 IT is Sathans method VVicked men are altogether in extreames either God is so mercifull that they may live hâ—w they list or so just that he wil not pardon them upon their repentance first to make men so senselesse as not to feele their sins at all and then so desperate that they feele them too much In the first fit men live as if there were no Hell in the last they dye as if there were no Heaven While their consciences are asleepe they never trouble them but being stirred by Sathan who when he sees his time unfolds his Ephemerides and leaves not the least of all their sinfull actions unanatomized but quoats them like a cunning Register with every particular circumstance both of time and place they are fierce as a mastive Dog and ready to pul out their throatâ— This Serpent may bee benummed for a time through extreamity of cold but when once revived it will sting to death The Divell is like Dalilah who said to Sampson the Philistims be upon thee when it was too late and she had taken away his strength Iudges 16. Wicked men are altogether in extreams at first they make question whether this or that be a sin at last they apprehend it such a sin that they make question whether it can bee forgiven either God is so mercifull that they may live how they list or so just that hee will not pardon them upon their repentance no meane with them betweene the Rocke of presumption and the Gulfe of despaire now presumption encourageth it selfe by one of a thousand and despaire will not take a thousand for one If a thousand men be assured to passe over a Foord safe and but one to miscarry desperation sayes I am that one and if a thousand Vessels must needs miscarry in a Gulfe and but one escapes presumption sayes I shall be that one as we read of but one sinner that was converted at the last howre of millions that had lesse iniquity yet have found lesse mercy But see further the strength of their argument Objection of the thief upon the crosse answered The Thiefe was saved at the last howre and therefore I shall Thou maist as well conclude the Sunne stood still in the dayes of Ioshua therfore it shall doe so in my dayes for it was a miracle with the glory whereof our Saviour would honour the ignominy of his Crosse and wee may almost as well expect a second crucifying of Christ as such a second Thiefes conversion at the last howre Hee were a wise man that should spurre his Beast till hee speake because Baalams Beast did once speake yet even so wise and no wiser is hee that makes an ordinary rule of an extraordinary example Againe the Thiefe was saved at the very instant of time when our Saviour triumphed on the Crosse tooke his leave of the world and entered into his glory Now it is usuall with Princes to save some heinous malefactors at their Coronation when they enter upon their Kingdomes in triumph which they are never knowne to doe afterwards Besides the Scripture speaks of another even his fellow in that very place and at that very instant which was damned There was one saith S. Augustine that none might despaire there was but one that none should presume That suddaine conversion of one at the last howre was never intended in Gods purpose for a temptation neither will any that have grace make mercy a Cloak or warrant to sinne but rather a spurre to incite them to godlinesse well knowing that to wait for Gods performance in doing nothing is to abuse that Divine providence which will so worke that it will not allow us idle and yet by Sathans policie working upon wicked mens depraved judgements and corrupt hearts in wresting this Scripture it hath proved by accident the losse of many thousand soules The flesh prophesies prosperity to sin yea life and salvation as the Pope promised the Powder traitors but death and damnation which Gods Spirit threatens will prove the crop they will reape for God is true and all flesh is a lyer § 144. BUt God sets forth himselfe to bee incomparably gracious Object God in mercyis in finitly transcenâ—ent mercifull long-suffering abundant in goodnes c. Ezâ— 34.6 and is acknowledged to bee so by David Psalm 86.5 by Ioel Chap. 2.13 by Ionah Chap. 4.22 by Micha Chap. 7 18. and in many other places It is very true Answ for it is a part of his title Exodus 34.6 hee is mercy in the abstract 1 Iohn 4.16 2 Cor. 1.3 1 Tim. 4.10 rich and abundant in mercy Ephesians 2.4 1 Pet. 1.3.19 his love is without height or depth or length or breath or any dimensions even passing knowledge Ephes 3.18 yea the Scripture advanceth God's mercy above his justice Psa 36.5 to 12. not in it's essence for God in all his Attributes is infinitely good and one is not greater then another but in it's expressions and manifestations It is said of mercy that it pleaseth him Micha 7.18 whereas justice is called his strange worke Esay 28.21 Lamentation 3.33 that he is slow to anger but abundant in goodnesse Exodus 34.6 hee bestowes mercyes every day inflicts judgements but now and then sparingly and after a long time of forbearance when there is no remedy 2 Chron. 36.15 Esay 65.2 that he visiteth the iniquities of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation onely whereas hee shewes mercy to thousands Exodus 20.5.6 so that by how much three or foure come short of a thousand so much doth his justice come short of his mercy in the exercise of it Againe that his love to his people outstrips a Father's love to his sonne Matth. 7.11 and a Mothers too Esay 49.15 for he is the Father of mercies 2 Cor. 1.3 as being himself most mercifull and the author of mercy and compassion in others In fine he is so mercifull that the Kingly Prophet repeates it over six and twenty times together in one Psalm that his mercy endures for ever Psal 136. But what makes this for
but hee onely findes helpe in adversity that sought it in prosperity and ther can be no great hope of repentance at the houre of death where there was no regard of honesty in the time of life God useth not to give his heavenly and spirituall graces at the houre of death to those who have contemned them all their life yea it is sensles to think that God should accept of our dry bones when Sathan hath suckt out all the marrow that he should accept of the lees when we have given to his enemy all the good Wine But heare what himselfe saith by the Prophet Malachy c. 1.8 and S. Ierome upon the place it is a most base and unworthy thing to present God with that which man would disdaine and think scorne to accept of Wherefore Admonition not to deferre repentance as you tender your owne soule even to day heare his voyce set upon the work presently he that begins to day hath the lesse work for to morrow And proroge not your good purposes least ye saying unto God in this life with those wicked ones in Iob depart thou from mee for a time God say unto you in the life to come depart from me ye cursed and that for ever Hee hath spared thee long and given thee already a large time of repentance but he will not alwayes wait for denyals his patience at length wil turn into wrath Time was when hee stayed for the old world an hundred and twenty yeares he stayed for a rebellious Nation forty yeares he stayed for a dissolute City forty dayes but when that would not serve his patience was turned into fury and so many as repented not were cast into hell If in any reasonable time wee pray hee heares us if we repent he pardons us if we amend our lives he faves us but after the houre prefixt in his secret purpose there is no time for petition no place for Conversion no meanes for pacification The Lord hath made a promise to repentance not of repentance if thou convertest to morrow thou art sure of grace but thou art not sure of to morrowes conversion so that a fit and timely consideration is the onely thing in every thing for for want of this Dives prayed but was not heard Esau wept but was not pitied the foolish Virgins knockt but were denied and how many at the houre of death have offered their prayers supplications and services unto God as Iudas offered his money to the Priests and could not have acceptance but they died as they lived and went from despaire unto destruction § 154. BUt thou wilt say unto me Objection that must men are of a contrary judgement and practice if this be so that all the promises are conditionall that mercy is entayled onely to such as love God and keepe his Commandements that none are reall Christians but such as imitate Christ and square their lives according to the rule of Gods word that of necessity we must leave sinne before sinne leaves us and that God will not heare us another day when we call to him for mercy if we will not heare him now when he calls to us for repentance how is it that so few are reformed that most men minde nothing but their profits and pleasures yea count them fooles that doe otherwise I answer VVhereof a double reason there be two maine reasons of it though one be the cause of the other 1 Ignorance 2 Vnbeleife First First few men beleeve the whole written word few men beleive what is written of God in the Scripture especially touching his justice and severity in punishing sinne with eternall destruction of body and soule for did they really and indeed beleeve God when he saith that his curse shall never depart from the house of the swearer Zack 5. they durst not sweare as they doe Did they beleive that neither Fornicâ—tors nor Idolaters nor Adulterers nor Theeves nor Murtherers nor Drunkards nor Swearers nor Raylers nor Lyers nor Covetous persons nor Extortioners nor Vnbeleivers nor no Vnrighteous men shall inherit the Kingdome of Heaven but shall have their part in the Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death 1 Cor. 6.9.10 Rev. 21.8 they durst not continue in the practise of these sinnes without feare or remorse or care of amendment Did they beleive that except their righteousnesse doe exceede the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees they shall in no case enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Matth. 5.20 and that without holinesse no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12.14 with many the like it were impossible they should live as they doe Yea if they did in good earnest believe that there is either God or Devill Heaven or Hell or that they have immortall soules which shall everlastingly live in blisse or woe and receive according to that they have done in their bodies whether it be good or evill 2 Cor. 5.10 they could not but live thereafter and make it their principall care how to be saved But alas they are so farre from beleiving what God threateneth in his Word against their sinnes that they blesse themselves in their heart saying we shall have peace we shall speede as well as the best although we walke according to the stubbornnesse of our owne wills so adding drunkennesse to thirst Deut. 29.19 yea they preferre their condition before other mens who are so abstemious and make conscience of their wayes even thinking that their God deceiveth them with needlesse feares and scruples as once Rabshekah would have perswaded the Iewes touching their trust and confidence 2 King 18.22.25.30.32.33.35 They beleive what they see and feele and know they beleeve the lawes of the Land that there be places and kinds of punishment here below and that they have bodies to suffer temporall smart if they transgresse and this makes them abstaine from Murther Fellony and the like but they beleeve not things invisible and to come for if they did they would as well yea much more feare him that hath power to cast both body and soule into Hell as they doe the temporall Magistrate that hath onely power to kill the body they would thinke it a very hard bargaine to winne the whole world and lose their owne soules Luk. 9.25 but enough of this having proved the Drunkard an Atheist Sect. the 146. § 155. SEcondly 2 Ignorance is the cause of all sinne another maine reason is ignorance yea ignorance if we rightly consider it is the cause of all sinne sinne indeed at first was the cause of ignorance but now ignorance is the cause of sinne Swearing and lying and killing and stealeing and whoring I may well adde drunkennesse abound saith the Prophet because there is no knowledge of God in the Land Hosea 4.1.2 It is a people that doe erre in their hearts saith God why because they have not knowne my wayes Psal 95.10 yee are deceived saith our Saviour because ye know not the
Word Judgements Mercies c. doe but obdure their hearts instead of melting them as we see in the example of Pharach We know the same Sunne which procuretha sweet savour from flowers makes carrion to stink And as the same water which washes other things cleane makes clay more dirty so this which hath been collected out of the Word instead of diminishing their sinne will as may bee feared increase it like as Physick if it worketh not upon choller turneth into choller their nature being serpentine in lapping this sweet milk they turn it forthwith into poyson Let one charme never so sweetly these Adders will not onely stop their owne eares but stop the charmers mouth too if they can At least if we play upon David's harp to drive away the evill spirit from these Sâ—ul's they will let flie the darts of reproach and the arrowes of slander at us yea whereas I offer them Wine as Christ did to the Iewes they will returne me Vineger as the Iewes did to Christ or they have lost their old wont What should I say if thou beest a drunkard and a scorner thou art dead in sinne only thy sinne is alive and not only dead as Iairu's daughter was Matthew 9.25 nor onely dead laid out and coffind as the Widowes Sonne of Naum was Luke 7.14 but dead coffind and buried as Lazarus was Iohn 11.39 even tell thou stinkest in the nosthrils of God and all good men And what rubing can fetch heat in such a dead body So that to admonish thee were as if a man should knock at a deaf mans doore yea it were almost as ridiculous as that Ceremony which the Mahometans use of flinging stones to stone the divell with If you would have a president to make good what hath beene spoken see Matth. 27. where when Iesus cried with a lowd voice and yeelded up the Ghost the vaile of the Temple rent in twaine from the top to the bottome the earth did quake the graves did open themselves and the dead Saints came forth and went into the holy City the Sunne was forsaken of his light c. as if all were sensible of their Maker's suffering when as the generality of the people yea those great Clarkes the Scribes and Pharisees were altogether insensible and worse then all the rest of the creatures the very stones of the Temple were soft in comparison of their stony hearts and they which were dead in their graves were alive to those which were dead in their sinnes So that I have no other message to deliver unto thee then that which the vigilant captaine delivered together with a deaths wound to his sleeping watchman dead I found thee and dead I leave thee Onely thou O Father to whom nothing is hard if it be thy good pleasure as why not seeing it will make much for the glory of thy great Name to save such a mighty sinner who Manasset-like hath multiplied offences above the number of the sand of the Sea and is bound downe with many Iron bands say unto his soule live It 's true thy angry threatning towards sinners is importable but thy mercifull promise is unmeasurable and unsearchable thou therefore that art able to quicken the dead and make even of stones children to Abraham mollifie these stony hearts with the blood of the Lambe and make of these children of the Devill members of thy Sonne Iesus Christ § 169. ANd so much of the Drunkards Character Much of him hath beene spoken but nothing neere all though I might expatiate for he is a creature made up of many ingredients to which every vice contributes something as the gods did to Vulcan toward the making of his Pandora for as many vices challeng part in him as Cities did of Homer the true tosse-pot is deficient in no evill under the Sunne though few or scarce any sufficiently discerne and deplore the same by reason of custome and the commonnesse of this sinne Much of him hath beene said O how much more might be said I could carry you a great way farther and yet leave more of him before then behinde for he is like some putrid Grave the deeper you digge the fuller you shall find him both of smitch and horror Yea as in Hercule's Monster there was still fresh headsarising one after the cutting off of another and as in Ezekiel's Vision after the sight of some abominations still more so as the Lord said to his Prophet I should yet shew you more abominations in him then these but that it would crave a longer time then I am willing to afford him or my Reader me with patience If any marvell at this which hath been discovered he would marvell much more if all should be told and say it was a true report that we heard of his sin of our danger of the Churches losse but the one halfe was not told us Yea if halfe so much were knowne to man as God knowes of him how would all drunkards hang downe their heads for shame or if we had but a window into his breast which Momus would have had in Vulcan's man or that he had written on his forehead what he thinkes as Tully so much wisht or that himselfe might discerne unpartially in an instant as Mercury made Charon in Lucian by touching of his eyes what strange monsters would there appeare to be what ugly odious hiddious feinds would represent themselves O what swarmes what litters what legions of noysome lusts are couched in the stinking stye of a drunkards heart which I may rather wish then hope to unbowell or anatomize for man saith St. Augustin is a great deepe one may better tell the haires of his head then the thoughts of his heart and God only hath reserved it as a prerogative Royall to himselfe exactly to search it to the bottome Iem 17.9.10 Then what am I that I should attempt to empty the same when the Well is not more deepe then my pitcher is narrow little brittle my plummet light my line too short and weake to sound it For if I cannot see it how should I describe it if I cannot know it how should I make you know it Yet as well as I can I have deliniated this monster given you as in a small Map the Drunkard set forth in his colours together with his skill will and power in seducing and by this you may guesse at the residue for as huge as the Sea is we may tast the saltnesse of it in a drop If these be their words and actions what thinke you are the secrets of their hearts certainely if all their thoughts did but breake forth into action they would not come farre short of the Devills them selves § 170. IF any shall thinke I have beene too bitter The foulenes of this sin constrained me to be so bitter let them pardon this holy impatience and blame the foulnesse of this sinne not my just vehemency considering that the medicine is but fitted to the disease the
compleate Armour against evill Society For considering a vision of the sinne without a provision against it a discovery how they tempt without directions how to avoid their temptations is not enough as in the former Treatise I have shewed what drunkards doe so in that which followes I will shew them and others what they should doe FINIS COMPLEAT ARMOUR AGAINST EVILL SOCIETY By R. Iunius IN DOMINO CONFIDO 1 COR. 5.11 If any man that is called a brother be a fornicator or covetous or an idolater or a railer or a drunkard or an extortioner with such an one eate not LONDON Printed by R. Badger for George Latham at the Bishops-head in S. Pauls Churchyard 1638. Compleat Armour AGAINST EVILL SOCIETY § 172. IN the former Treatife I have applyed my selfe to drunkards in shewing how injurious they are to God Their neighbours Themselves For all that hath beene spoken may bee reduced to one of these heads In this which followes I will wholly apply my selfe to the sober I meane such as either are sober or would be sober such as care more to be good men and good Christians then good fellowes Indeed it remaines that I should shew the drunkard how he may leave his drunkennesse and become first a sober man and after that a sound Christian but how hard a matter is it as Cato speakes to preach abstinence to the belly The drunkard hath beene too long sick to be recouered which hath no eares and will take no denyall however the case standeth Besides the drunkard hath beene too long sicke of this disease to be recovered for the sound of the pot w th him will drown al reprehension all admonition even al the precepts and sweet promises all the menaces all the terrors of God contained in the Bible cannot move them but he that is thus filthy will be filthy still in spite both of Law and Gospell The drunkard will rather be confounded then reformed for as if he were infected with the poyson of that Serpent which is cold iâ— the fourth degree mortall â—ee lackes heat to bee wrought upon he hath â—â—â—â—zen brow a stiffe necke an unciâ—â—umcised eare a fat heart yea his heart is adamantine as strong as a stone and as hard as a nether Mil-stone Iob 41.15 a blinded eye an obdurate soule c. Nay be is dead in sense and dead in soule as I have proved why then should I touch that sore which is all dead flesh The sick man may heare or feele the dead can neither yea when a man is dead chaffe him rub him bow him put Aquaâ—â—vitâ—e into him then take him by the hand and bid him walke yet hee cannot stirre the least joynt except the soule be restored all perswasions are in vaine I have said enough to perswade them to a detestation of this vice had they the least spark of grace or matter combustible in them But alasse how should mud take fire plants and stones lye under the same beames of the Sunne and are wet with the same moysture of the clowds yet the plants spring and grow when there is no alteration of the stones An Ethiopian enters blacke into the Bath and commeth out againe blacke A good man is easily stopt in his evill intendments as David in his purpose of murthering Nabal but nothing shall prevaile with the desperate ly minded Nay if I may speak it with reverence Nothing wâ—l dogood upon a wicked heart what meanes can God use that shall bee a ble to convert such an one which resolves against yeelding neither Word judgements mercies threatnings promises VVhereof many examples or an Angell sent from the dead to warne him shall prevaile The nine plagues shall not prevaile with Pharaoh the graves openning the dead arising the Temple renting the light of the Sunne failing the Centurion confessing c. will doe no good upon the Scribes and Pharisies yea though Ahab be told from the Lord that if he goe to warre he shall perish yet he goeth and speeds accordingly Againe let Malchus be smitten to the ground with the very words of our Saviour let him have his right eare cut off and miraculously healed againe by him whom he came to apprehend yet he will be one that shâ—ll lead him bound to Pilate O Malchus could thy eare bee whole and not thine heart broken and contrite with remorse for rising up against so merciful and so powerful an hand lâ—t the Sodomites be all strucken blind for contesting with Lot and his two Angels they will not cease seeking his doore to break it open persist they will untill they feele fire and brimstone about their eares Gen. 19. Yea let God himselfe forbid Balaam to goe with Balacks messengers to curse the children of Israel yea let an Angell stand in his way with a drawne sword to stop him yea let him heare his beast speak under him yet he slights all who does not wonder that this Magician wondered not who would not looke that his haire should stand upright his blood forsake his cheekes that hee should alight from that strange kind of beast and stand amazed at the miracle yet stil he persists and resolves desperately as Esther did religiously if I perish I perish What shall I say Reason once debauched Reaâ—on once debauched it worse then brutishnes is worse than brutishnesse I see the savagest of all creatures Lions Tigers Beares c. by an instinct from God came to seek the Ark as we see Swine foreseeing a storme runne home crying for shelter not one man doe I see except Noah and his family so none but the wel affected whose hearts it pleaseth the Lord to change would follow my directions should I take the paines to prescribe as they only followed Saul when hee was chosen King whose hearts God had touched 1 Sainuel 10 26. Indeed though they refuse to heare yet wee must not altogether bee silent The fountaine casteth out her water though none come to drink and though Physitians come not to infected persons that are past cure yet they give Antidotes to preserve the sound Wherefore a word and but a word to them of the remedies because others have well handled them already were they as well put in practise § 173. IF there bee any then that would relinquish this sinne The tranâ—ccendey of the sin of â—â—unken nesse that would mortifie and subdue this abusive excessive unseasonable drinking that would leave this swinish swilling which makes sick the Land this besotting sinne If any would reâ—in quish this sin et thâ—â— that takes away the heart especially from God against the first commandement this idolatrous sin which makes men worship the belly and sacrifice upon their knees to others instead of God against the second Comman dement this blasphemous and execrable sin that setteth men so on swearing cursing c. that makes a jest of Gods words and his Name that prophane and sacrilegious sin which makes no difference oftimes or
and they that hang their faith on such mens lips doe but like Ixion embrace a cloud instead of Iuno and well may he claime a Boat-swanes place in Barkley's Ship of fooles that will sell his soule for a few good words from wicked mens tongues What is it to mee how others thinke me when I know my intent is good and my wayes warrantable a good conscience cares for no witnesses that is alone as a thousand § 190. BEsides Of necessity we must be evil spokeâ— of by â—â—me of necessity wee must bee evill spoken of by some A man shall be sure to be backt and have abbettors either in good or evill and by some shouldered in both there was never any to whom some Belialists tooke not exceptions it is not possible to please or displease all seeing some are as deeply in love with vice as others are with vertue and the applause of ignorant and evill men hath ever beene vilipended by the wise and vertuous Phecion had not suspected his speech had not the common people applauded it Antisthenes mistrusted some ill in himselfe for the vulgar commendations Much more reason have we that are Christians when wee find that spirituall things are mostly represented unto vicious men false and cleane contrary to what they are indeed as corporall things in a glasse wherein those that are on the right hand seeme to be on the left and those againe which are on the left hand seeme to be on the right as it fared with Saint Paul who speaking of his unregenerate estate saith I also thought verily in my selfe that I ought to do many contrary things against the Name of Iesus Act. 26.9 And wicked men judge by contraries That vicious drunkards and indeed all naturall men judge by contraries think and call good evill and evill good white black and black white commend what God in his word condemns and condemne what he commends I might prove by an hundred testimonies and examples out of Scripture but these may serve First touching things 1 Of things as if they wore their braines in their bellies and their guts in their heads they highly esteeme what is abomination in the sight of God Luk. 16.15 and what God highly esteemes is abomination to them Pro. 13.19 Secondly that which is called wisdome in Gods booke they account foolishnesse 1 Cor. 1.18.20.23 and 2.14 and 4.10 Luk. 6.27 to 36. or madnesse Acts 26.24 Wisd 5.4 and contrarily that which God calls foolishnesse and madnesse they terme wisdome Gen. 41.8 Iob. 5.13 Pro. 28.11 Ier. 4.22 1 Cor. 3.19 Exodus 1.10 Iosh 9.4 Titus 3.9 Pro. 10.18 3 They thinke there is no God Psal 14.1 or that he is carelesse and mindeth them not Psal 10.11 and 94.7 or that he is not so just as to reward every one according to his workes Psal 10.13 4 They thinke the service of God which is the greatest freedome Iohn 8.34.36 Rom. 6.16.18.22 the only bondage Psal 2.3 4. and to serve their owne lusts and therein the Devill whose captives they are 2 Tim. 2.26 the only freedome Psal 12.4 5 They censure true faith in the Godly to be presumption 2 Chron. 32.11.14 Rom. 8.38.39 and yet thinke their owne presumpâ—tion to be true faith 6 They not only thinke profession arbitrary but blame worthy when as our Saviour commands it upon paine of being denied before God and his holy Angells at the later day Matth. 10.32.33 Mark 8.38 7 They censure yea condemne us to the pit of Hell about vanities of their own devising Luk. 7.33.34 Mark 7.5 and justifie heynous crimes in themselves verse 11.12.13 8 They thinke if they have the worlds friendship and good opinion that they are in a passing good and happy estate when nothing more truely proves them in a cursed condition Luke 6.26 Iames 4.4 § 191. SEcondly touching persons 2 Of pâ—â—sons First they account the sincere Christian which walkes according to the rule of Gods word an Hypocrite Iob. 4.6 and the greatest Hypocrite who is a Christian in name only they acqâ—it of Hypocrisie Isay 66.3 2 They thinke such enemies to the state who are greatest friends yea props of the State and those friends who are the greatest enemies 1 King 18.17.18 Gen. 39.5.20 Iob. 22.30 Isay 6.13 3 They account themselves the most valiant and couragious because they are apt to fight upon every idle quarrell be it but the lye which is the greatest pusillanimity or at most but stupid and desperate madnesse and shewes that their lives are but little worth seeing they will sell them so good cheape when they are the basest cowards and vilest white-livers in a countrey not daring to suffer for Christ or in a good cause so much as a poore Nick-name how much lesse would they burne at a stake for him as the Martyrs did even weake women which is the only true valour and yet contrarily account the righteous who are as bold as a Lyon so their cause be good Pro. 28.1 the most hen-hearted and fearefullest 4 They account Gods people the most dumpish and melancholy of all others when indeed they are or have cause to be the only joyfull people alive Psal 4.7 Heb. 10.34 Iob. 20.5 Eccles 9.7 Matth. 13.44 Luke 1.44.47 and 2.10 Iohn 16.22 Acts 13.52 Rom. 14.17 and 15.13 2 Cor. 7.4 Gal. 5.22 Iames 1.2 1 Iohn 1.4 c. 5 They take themselves to be wise because they are wise to doe evill and thinke the Godly simple because they are wise only to that which is good Rom. 16.19 not considering that wisdome is as the waters of which some descend from above and some spring from beneath Iames 3.15.17 6 Such as by faith and true repentance are purged from their filthinesse in the blood of Christ and walke in newnesse of life they thinke pure in their owne eyes though indeed they esteeme their very righteousnesse but as a menstruous cloth Isay 64.6 when it is themselves that are pure in their owne conceits as wanting the light of Gods Spirit and the eye of faith 3 Their judgement practise is quite contrary to Gods word Thirdly touching their judgement and practise joyntly First they glory in their shame Phil. 3.19 I meane their wickednesse Gen. 19.34 and are ashamed of that which should be their only glory and crowne of rejoycing viz. holinesse 2 Whereas the mercy of God is the chiefe motive to make his children feare him Psal 130.4 they make it the only motive for them to continue in sinne Iude 4. 3 Whereas the Godly render them good for evill they againe render them the greatest evill for the greatest good Psal 35.12 to 16. Acts 7.52 to 60. persecute them to the death for shewing them the way to eternall life Acts 5.30 to 34. Ier. 18.20 4 Even their very mercy and kindnesse is cruelty Pro. 12.10 witnesse the drunkards love to his friend the adulterers to her whom he defiles the pitifull man who gives or obtaines a pardon for the murtherer
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