but the worshipper had better part with a talent of gold The Deuill indeed keepes open house noctes atque dies c. Hee makes the world beleeue that hee sels Robin-Hoods peny worths that he hath manum expansam a prodigall hand and giues all gratis but vijs modis hee is paid for it and such a price that the whole world comes short of the value Onely hee is content to giue day and to forbeare till death but then hee claps vp his debtors into euerlasting prisonment and layes an heauy execution on them that eue◠the Spanish Inquisition comes short of it Thus as the King of Sodome said to Abraham Da mihi animas Giue me the soules take the rest to thy selfe The Prince of darkenesse is content that thou shouldest haue riches and pleasures cheape enough onely giue him thy soule and hee is satisfied The Deuill would haue changed his Arithmeticke vvith Iob and rather haue giuen addition of vvealth then substraction if hee could haue so wrought him to blaspheme God Sathan seemes marueilous franke and kinde at first Munera magna quidem praebet sed praebet in hamo They are beneficia viscata ensnaring mercies As the Tree is the Birds refuge when shee flies from the snare and loe there shee findes Bird-lime that teares off her flesh and feathers Conuiuia quae putes insidiae sunt They are baites which thou takest for bankets The poore man is going to prison for a small debt the Vsurer lends him money and rescues him two or thee winters after his fit comes againe and by how much an Vsurer is sharper then a meere Creditour hee is shaken with the vvorse Ague that kindnesse plungeth him into a deeper bondage the first was but a thredden snare which he might breake but this is an infrangible chaine of yron Men are in want and necessitie is durum telum a heauy burden the Deuill promiseth supply Behold the drunkard shall haue Wine the theefe opportunitie the malious reuenge if they be hungry he hath a Banket ready but as I haue seene Emperickes giue sudden ease to a desperate inueterate griefe yet eyther with danger of life or more violent reuocation of the sickenesse so their miserie ere long is doubled and that vvhich vvas but a stitch in the side is now a shrewd paine in the heart The Stagge and the Horse sayth the Fiction were at variance the Horse being too vveake desires Man to helpe him Man gets on the Horses backe and chaseth the Stagge Vsque ad fugam vsque ad mortem to flight to death Thus the Horse gets the victorie but is at once victor victus Captaine and captiue for after that he could neuer free his mouth from the bit his backe from the Saddle Non equitem dorso non fraenum depulit ore Man is beset vvith exigents hee vvailes his vveakenesse the Deuill steps in with promises of succour Iudas is made rich Gehesi gets change of suites Nero is crowned Emperour but vvithall hee gets possession of their affections whence all the power of man cannot vntenant him Thus the last slauerie is worse then the first and the cheare is not so cheap at sitting downe as it is deare at rising vp This is the Deuils cheapenesse no euery good and perfect gift is from aboue The Deuill giues nothing but God giues to all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 richly or abundantly so that when he giues hee takes nothing backe for the gifts of the spirit are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without repentance Ho euery one that thirsteth come ye to the waters of life and he that hath no money c. God hath waters no stollen water but waters of freedome and other blessings if ye loue liquid things o◠an answerable nature greater vertue and those whereof hee is a true proprietarie Wine and Milke Milke to nourish Wine to cherish the heart of man buy them without money let not your pouerty keepe you backe here is cheapnesse if you haue a sauing desire come freely and take your filles The Gospell is preached to the poore Thinke not to buy the graces of God with money lest you and your money perish Onely take your time and come whiles God is a giuing for there is a time when the dore of bountie is shut Though hee stretch forth his hand of mercy all the day yet the night comes when hee drawes it backe againe They that answere him proffering grace as Daniel to Belshazzar Keepe thy rewards to thy selfe and giue thy gifts to another may knocke at his gates and be turned away emptie Now spare to speake and spare to speed Then though you cry vnto mee I will not heare To day then harden not your hearts Pray vnto him and he will giue good things to them that aske him Hee doth not sell but giue not the shadowes but the substances of goodnesse The conclusion then is cleere blessings and graces are truly cheape And no good thing will God withhold from them that walke vprightly All things shall worke to their good that are good The Deuill giues nothing but sels all for price neither are they good things he selleth but figuras boni the meere formes counterfeits of goodnes But if the cheapenesse of sinne so affect men vvhat meane they to runne to Rome for it where I doe not say onely that sinne and damnation hath a shrewd price set vpon them but euen blisse and comfort and no Pilgrim can get the least salue-plaister to heale his wounded Conscience but at an vnreasonnable reckoning But soft it is obiected that Rome is still baited in our Sermons and when we seeke vp and downe for matter as Saul for his Asses wee light vpon the Pope still I answere that I can often passe by his dore and not call in but if he meets me full in the face and affronts mee for good manners sake non praetereo insalutatum I must change a word with him The Pope is a great Seller of these Stollen waters yet his Chapmen thinke them cheape He thrusts his Speare into the Mountaines and sluceth out whole floods as it is fabled of Aeolus Hee vsurpes that of God that he can spanne the waters in his fist that he hath all the graces of God in his owne power and no water can passe besides his Mill as if hee could call for the waters of the Sea and powre them out vpon the face of the Earth or as Iob speaketh of Behemoth Behold he drinketh vp a Riuer and hasteth not and trusteth that he can draw vp Iordan into his mouth As if all the graces of God were packed vp in a bundle or shut into a boxe and the Pope onely was put in trust to keepe the Key and had authoritie to giue and denie them So Aeolus the God of Windes sayth the Poet gaue Vlisses a Maile wherein all the
the mysteries of Earth good and happy in their opportune and moderate vse but wretched in our misapplied lustes to turne the blood into fire and to fill the bones with luxurie not to make nature swimme in a riuer of delights but euen to drowne it Waters neither Succourie nor Endiue c. no refrigerating waters to coole the Soules heate but waters of inflamation Spaines Rosasolis water of Inquisition Tyrones Vsquebah water of Rebellion Turkey's Aqua fortis a violent and bloodie water Romes aqua inferna a superstitious water stilled out of Sulphure and Brimstone through the Lymbeck of Heresie Oh! you wrong it it is aquavitae and aqua coelestis Let the operation testifie it it is aqua fortis aqua mortis Vinum Barathri the wine of hell no poysons are so banefull It tastes like honey but if Ionathan touch it hee will endanger his life by it These are wretched waters worse then the moorish and Fennie riuers which the Poets faine runne with a dull and lazie course tranquilla alta streames still at the top but boyling like a Cauldron of moulten Lead at the bottome Phlegeton Pyriphlegeton ignitae et â—â—â—mminiae vnde were meere fables and toyes to these waters they are truculent virulent obnoxious waters deriued by some filthy guttures from the mare mortuum of Iniquitie The Pope hath waters not much vnlike these of the Diuels Banket Holy-waters holy indeede for they are conâ—ured with a holy exorcisme saith their Masse-booke Of wonderfuâ—l effects either sprinkled outwardly they refresh the receiuer as if his head was wrapped with a wet clowt in a colde morning or drunke downe they are powerfull to cleanse the heart and scowre out the Diuell Oh you wrong Romes holy water to thinke it the Diuels drinke when the prouerbe sayes the Diuell loues no holy water yes hee will runne from it as a mendicant Fryer from an almes To speake duely of it it is a speciall riuer of hell and drownes more then euer did the red Sea when it swallowed an whole Armie of the Aegyptians Why but holy-water is a speciall ransome to free soules out of Purgatorie and digged out of the fountaine of Scripture Asperges me Domine Hysopo Thou shalt sprinkle me oh Lord with Hysope for so their translation hath it the sense of which place is saith the Romist that the Priest must dash the graue with a holy-water-sprinkle for you must suppose that Dauid was dead and buried when he spake these words and his soule in Purgatorie It is added that Diues desired in hell a drop of water to coole his tongue Oh then how cooling and comfortable are the sprinklings of these waters on the graues of the dead But if they can speake no bettâ—r for them they will proue some of these waters here serued in at Sinnes banket for if Antichrist can make a man drunke with his holy-water hee will swallow all the rest of his morsels with the lesse difficultie These then are the waters not the water of Regeneration wherein our Fathers and we haue beene baptised nor the waters of Consolation which make glad the Citie of God nor the waters of Sanctification wherein Christ once the Spirit of Christ still washeth the feete the affections of the Saints Not the Hyblaean Nectar of heauen whereof he that drinkes shall neuer thirst againe nor the waters of that pure Riuer of life cleare as Christall proceeding out of the Throne of God But the lutulent spumy maculatorie waters of Sinne either squeased from the spungie cloudes of our corrupt natures or surging from the contagious vaines of hell springs of Temptation I might here blab to you the Diuels secrets and tell you his riddles his trickes his pollicies in that he calls Sinnes Waters and would make his guests beleeue that they wondersully refresh but I reserue it to a fitter place the Sweetnesse shall carrie that note from the waters I will contract all to these foure obseruations as the Summe of that I would write of the waters not on the waters I haue better hope of your memories 1. The preferment of waters at Sathans Banket 2. The Diuels pollicie in calling Sinnes by the name of waters 3. The similitude of Sinnes to Waters 4. The pluralitie and abundance of these waters Water is here preferreâ— to Bread for lightly Sinnes guests are better drinkers then eaters they eate by the â—omer and drinke by the Epha Indeede a full belly is not of such dexteâ—itie for the Deuils imployment as a full braine Gluttonie would goe sleepe and so doe neither good nor harme Ebrietie hath some villanie in hand and is then fitted with valour the drunkard is an Hercules furens he will kill and slay how many doe that in a Tauerne which they repent at a Tiburne you will say it is not wiâ—h drinking water yes the Harlots waters such as is serued in at the Deuils Banket mixt with rage and madnesse Water is an Element whence humiditie is deriued the sap in the Vine the iuyce in the Grape the liquiditie in the Ale or Beere is water Indeede sometimes Neptune dwels too farre off from Bacchus dore and the water is mastred with additions yet it may alienate the propertie not annihilate the nature and essence of water water it is still though compounded water compounded in our drinkes but in wines deriued à primis naturae per media not extinguished in the being not brought to a nullitie of waters Drinke then bibendum aliquid though the Harlot giues it a modest and coole name waters is the first dish of the Deuils Banket The first entertainement into this Appij forum is with the three Tauernes not so much a drunkennesse to the braine as to the conscience There is a Drunkennesse not with wine there is a staggering not with strong drinke The Deuill begins his Feast with a health as Belshazzar whatsoeuer the vp-shot be He propounds the water and he propines it hee will not giue them worse then he takes himselfe As Iupiter is said to haue at his Court-gate two great Tunnes whereof they that enter must first drinke and himselfe begins to them Iupiter Ambrosiasatur est est Nectare plenus Intemperance is the first dish to be tasted of it is if not principalis yet si ita dicam principialis if not the prime dish yet the first dish Satan must first intoxicate the braynes and extinguish the eye of reason as the Thiefe that would rob the house first puts out the Candle Vnderstanding is first drowned in these waters Riot iustles and the Wit is turned besides the Saddle The Sonnes of the Earth would not so doate on the Whore of Babilon if the wine of her Fornication had not made them drunke the ghesâ—s heere rise early to the wine it is the first seruice and are indeede as the Apostles were slandered nine-of-clocke Drunkards The day would be
without his suâ—ficient sorrow actiue and passiue mischiefes if the morning wine should not enflame them They that are daily guests at the Deuils table know the fashions of his Court they must be drunke at the entrance It is one of his lawes and a Physicke-bill of hell that they must not wash till they haue drunke These Waters are to be applied inwardly first and once taken downe they are fitted to swallow any morsell of damnation that shall afterwards be presented them Water was the first drinke in the world and Water must be the first drinke at the Deuils Banket There is more in it yet The Deuill shewes a tricke of his wit in this title Water is a good creature and many coelestiall things are shadowed by it 1. It is the element wherein wee were baptised 2. And dignified to figure the grace of the holy Spirit Yet this very â—ame must be giuen to Sinne. Indeede I know the same things are often accepted in diuers senses by the langâ—â—ge of Heauen Leauen is est-soones taken for hypocriâ—ie as in the Pharises for Atheiâ—me as in the Sâ—dduces for Profâ—nenesse as in the Hâ—rodians And generally for Sinne by Paul 1 Cor. 5. Yâ—t by Christ for grace Luke 13. God is compared to a Lyon Amos. 3. And Christ is called the Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah Apocal. 5. And the Deuill is called a Lyon A roaring Lyon c. 1. Pet. 5. Christ was figured by a Serpent Ioh. 3. And to a Serpent is Satan compared 2 Cor. 11. Stones are taken in the worst sense Matth. 3. God is able of these stones to raise c. Stones in the best sense 1. Pet. 2. Liuing stones and Christ himselfe the headstone of the corner Psal. 118. Be like children saith Paul and not like children be children in simplicitie not in knowleâ—ge Graces are called Waters so here vices but the attribute makes the difference Those are liuing Waters these are the Waters of death The Deuill in this playes the Machiauell but I spare to follow this circumstance here because I shall meete it againe in the next branch Bread of secrecies Sinnes may in some sense be likened to waters yea euen to waters in the Cup for to waters in the Sea they are most like The one drownes not more bodies then the other soules They know the danger of the Sea that proâ—ecute their businesse in great waters they might know the hazards of Siâ—ne that saile in the Deuils Barge of luxurie I may say of them both with the Poet. Digitis à morte râ—moti quatuor aut septem si sit latissimataeda They are within foure or seauen Inches of death how many soules are thus shipwrackt how many weepe out a De profundis that would not sing the songs of Syon in the Land of the liuing they forgot Ierusalem in their mirth and therefore sit downe and howle by the waters of 〈◊〉 but these here are Festiuall not Marinall wateâ—s 1. Water is an enemie to digestion so is Sinne clogging the memorie the soules stomach with such cruditâ—es of vice that no sober instructions can bee digested in it especially Waters hurt digestion in these cold Countries naturally cold in regard of the Climate but spiritually more cold in deuotion Frosen vp in the dregs of Iniquitie Surely many of our Auditours drinke too deepe of these Waters before they come to Iacobs Well our Waters of heauenly doctrine will not downe with them The Waters of sinne so put your mouths out of tast that you cannot rellish the Waters of Life they are Marah to your palates It seemes you haue beene at the Deuils Banket and therefore thirst not after righteousnesse The Cup of the old Temptation hath filled you you scorne the Cup of the New Testament If you had not drunke too hard of these Waters you would aske Christ for his liuing Water but Achan hath drunke cursed Gold when hee should come before Ioâ—uah Gehâ—â—i hath drunke Bribes when hee should come to Elisha No maruell if you sucke no Iuyce from the Waters of God when you are so full and drunken with the Waters of Sathan 2. Water duls the braine and renders the spirits obtuse and heauie It is an enemie to literature saith Horace merrily Who in a Rithme rehearses That wâ—ter drinkers neuer make good Vearses Wee haue no skill in the himnes of the spirit no alacritie to praise God no wisedome to pray to him why wee haue drunke of these stollen waters The chilling and killing colde of our Indeuotion the morose and raw humours of our vncharitablenesse the foggy dull stupid heauinesse of our inuincible ignorance shew that wee haue beene too busie with these Waters nothing will passe with vs but rare and nouell matters Ieiunus rarò stomachus vulgaria temnit and in these we study to admire the garbe not to admit the profit 3. Wee finde Grace compared to Fire and gracelesnesse to water the Spirit came downe on the Apostles in the likenesse of firie tongues at the day of Pentecost and Iohn Baptist testifies of CHRIST that hee should Baptise with the Holy Ghost and with Fire The spirit of sinne falls on the heart like a cold deaw It is implied Reuel 3.15 that zeale is hote wickednesse colde neutrallitie luke-warme Fire is hot and drie Water is cold and moyst praedominantly and in regard of their habituall qualities so zeale is 1. hote no incendiary no praeter-naturall but a supernaturall heate equally mixed with Loue and Anger such was Elias zeale for the Lord of Hostes he could not be cold in this life that went vp in Fire to Heauen 2. Drie not like Ephraim a Cake baked on the one side but crude and raw on the other no the heate of zeale hath dried vp the moisture of prophanenesse But wickednesse is 1. colde a gelid nature a numnesse in the Conscience that as when the Ayre is hotest the Springs are coldest so when the Sunne of Grace warmes the whole Church is yet shaking of an Ague nay and will not creepe like Simon Peter to the fire 2. Moist not succus sanguinis plenum full of iuyce and sappe but sinne runnes like a colde rheume ouer the Conscience This metaphor followes Saint Paul Quench not the Spirit wherein hee fully iustifies this circumstance forbidding the water of impietie to quench the fire of Grace Here then see the impossibilitie of vniting the two contrary natures in one conscience as of reconciling Fire and Water into the same place time and subiect If sinne keepe court in the Conscience and sit in the Throne of the Heart Grace dares not peepe in at the gates or if it doth with colde entertainement I haue heard report of a generation of men that carry Fire in the one hand and Water in the other whose conuersation mingles Humentia siccis Wet and Drie together like the Syriphian Frogs in Pliny whose challenge
embraced vertues And so in happy time worke out your owne saluations God giue a succesfull blessing to your Christian Indeuours which shall euer bee faithfully prayed for by Your VVorships affectionately deuoted THOMAS ADAMS THE Breaking vp of the Deuils Banket The third Sermon PROVERB 9.17 Stollen waters are sweet and Bread eaten in secret is pleasant THE custome of sinne hath so benummed the sense of it and the delighted affections brought the conscience so fast a sleepe in it that he troubles Israel who would waken Israel and his speech is harsh Barbarisme that speakes against the Deuils Diana the Idoll of Vice which many worship Our vnderstandings thinke well of Heauen but our affections thinke better of Earth Alexander after his great Conquests wrote to the Graecian Senate Vt se deum facerent that they would accept him into the number of their Gods With a resolute consent they denied it At last a right Politician stoode vp and told them that videndum est ne dum coelum nimis custodâ—rent terram amitterent they should looke well to it least whiles they were so religious for heauen they lost their part of earth Hence they made though but a perfunctory and fashionable decree Quoniam Alexander Deus esse vult Deus esto Since Alexander will be a God let him be one God commends to vs his â—eauenly graces Satan his lying vanities Our Iudgements must needes giue assent to God But because his precepts goe against the graine of our affections and the Deuâ—ll tels vs that curiositie for the vncertaine ioyeâ— of heauen will lose vs the certaine pleasures of earth we settle vpon the Graecian resolution though more seriously not to be so troubled for our soules as to lose a moment of our carnall delights This iâ— the Dâ—â—â—ls aâ—sertion in calling stollen waters Sweet tâ—â— truth whereof I am â—old though a little I disquiet yâ—uâ— luâ—â—â— to examine You haue heard the prescription Waters the description Stollen The Ascription of the quality in it selfâ— or effect to others of these â—aters if we may beleeuâ— Temptation is Sweet Stollen waters are Sweet It is the speech of the Father of â—ies and therefore to carrie little credit with vs. Sweet to none but those that are Lust-sicke like them â—hat are troubled with the greene-sicknesse that thinke Chalke and Salt and Rubbish sauourie It is a strangely-affected soule that can finde Sweetnesse in sinne Sinne is the deprauation of goodnesse the same that rottennesse in the Apple sowrenesse in the Wine putrefaction in the flesh is sinne in the conscience Can that be sweet which is the deprauing and depriuing of all sweetnesse Let any subtilty of the Deuill declare this riddle The prae-existent priuations were deformitie confusion darknesse The position of their opposite perfections was the expulsion of those foule contraries Sinne comes like bleake and squalid Winter and driues out these faire beauties turnes the Sunne-shine to blacknesse calmenesse to tempests ripenesse to corruption health to sicknesse sweetnesse to bitternesse They desperately thrust themselues on the pikes of that threatned woe Esa. 5. that dare say of bitter it is sweet and consent to the Deuill in the pleasantnesse of his cheare when the impartiall conscience knowes it is Gall and Wormewood Yet such is the strong Inchantment whereby Satan hath wrought on their affections that bloudinesse lust periurie oppression malice pride carrie with these Guests an opinion of sweetnesse If froathie and reeling Drunkennesse leane and raking Couetousnesse meager and bloud-wasted Enuie keene and rankling Slander nastie and ill-shapen Idlenesse smooth and faire-spoken Flatterie bee comely what is deformed If these be sweet there is no bitternesse But though the Deuill be not an Angell of light yet he would be like one Though hee neuer speakes Truth yet he would often speake the colour of Truth Therefore let vs obserue what fallaces and deceitfull arguments hee can produce to make good this attribute and put the probabilitie of sweetnesse into his stollen waters For the Deuill would not be thought a Dunce too weake to hold a Position though it be neuer so absurd Stollen waters Iniquities are sweet to the wicked in three respects 1. Because they are stollen 2. Because they are cheape 3. Because they giue delight and perswaded content to the flesh 1. Stollen or foubidden Euen in this consists the approbation of their sweetnesse that they come by stealth and are compassed by dangerous forbidden paines Furta placent etiam quòd furta Theft delights euen in that it is theft The fruites of a wicked mans owne Orchyard are not so pleasant-tasted as his neighbours neither doe they reserue their due sweetnesse if they be freely granted But as the Prouerbe hath it Dulcia sunt poma cùm abest custos Apples are sweet when they are plucked in the Gardiners absence Eue liked no Apple in the Garden so vvell as the forbidden Antiochus scornes Venison as base meate if it bee not lurched It is an humour as genunie to our affections as moisture is inseparable to our blouds that nitimur in vetitum semper Wee runne madde after restrained Obiects Wee tread those flowers vnder our disdainefull feete which mured from vs we would breake through stone-walls to gather The libertie of things brings them into contempt neglect and Dust-heapes lye on the accessible stayres Difficultie is a spurre to contention and there is nothing so base as that which is easie and cheape Sol spectatorem nisi cum desicit non habet nemo obseruat Lunam nisi laborantem The two great lights of heauen that rule in their courses the day and night are beholding to no eyes for beholding them but when they are ecclipsed We admire things lesse wonderfull because more rare If the Sunne should rise but once in our age wee would turne Persians and worship it Wines would bee lesse set by if our owne lands were full of Vineyards Those things that Nature hath hedged from vs wee long and languish for when Manna it selfe because it lies at our dores is loathed Virtutem praesentem ferè in nostris odimus Sublatam ex oculis procul quaerimus inuidi The more spreading good things are the more thought vile and though against that olde and true rule the communitie shall detract from the commoditie It is the peruersenesse of our natures till sanctification hath put a new nature into vs that Gods yoke is too heauie for our shoulders we cannot draw in the geeres of obedience We can trauell a whole day after our dogges but if authoritie should charge vs to measure so many miles how often would wee complaine of wearinesse The Bird can sit out the day-measuring Sunne see his rise and fall without irksomnesse whiles shee is hatching her Egges if her nest were a Cage with what impatience would shee lament so long a bondage So the Vsurer though hee began his first bagge with the sirst houre
there had bene Mercy nay no Mercie somewhat yet if Knowledge had stood constant no Knowledge in the Land So 2. positiuely there was Swearing can swearing be without lying no lying too is the tongue alone set on fire at the Deuils Forge no the hand is also a firebrand of Hell Killing Stealing Adulterie ioyne their forces and to giue testimonie against their singularitie Blood touchèth blood How should reprobates else fill vp the measure of their sinnes Thus when the vngodly haue eate and drunke they may rise vp to play Will you descend to personall instances loe Iudas is new come from this Banket giue him a vomite and what lyes on his stomach strange waters and abundance of them behold the Spanish waters of Pride the Romish waters of Treason the Italian waters of Murder the Iewish of Hypocrisie the Turkish of Theeuerie the Grecian of all Villanie aske Mary Magdalene what varietie was at this Banket she will tell you of seauen Viols seauen Deuils you may heare another tel his name Legion Bidde Absolon giue you a Tauerne-bill or short Inuentorie of these waters and hee will read you In primis the swelling waters of Pride Item the surfetting waters of Luxurie Item the scalding waters of Adulterie Item the red waters of Bloodinesse Item the blacke waters of Treason and for the shot aske him the totall summe of the Bill and hee will tell you Damnation If sinnes be thus familiarly linked in one man how doe they tune in a Consort how agree they in Companie nothing better not a Broker and a Pawne not a deare yeere and a Cormorant Hence Christ cals the way to perdition the broad way You can not stirre a foot in the great Road to the Citie of Hell Pluto's Court but you meet sinnes in throngs vanitie is the largest and most beaten thorow-fare of the world Some double in their companies some treble some troupe none goe single vae soli if one sinne were alone it would be easily vanquished The Deuill knowes that vis vnita fortior collected strengths are vnconquerable and therefore driues his waters so that vndae super advenit vnda one waue seconds the former 1. Sometimes they goe like Beasts by couples Rom. 13. Ryot and Drunkennesse Chambring and Wantonnesse Strife and Enuy. Ierem. 23. Adulterie and Oâ—thes and Ierem. 2. My people haue committed two euills c. 2. Sometimes they daunce in Triades by threes Phil. 3 Gluttonny Pride Couetousnesse Gallat 5. Vaineglory Prouocation Malice Amos 1. For three transgressions and for foure c. If there bee not rather a great number meant Saint Iohn abridgeth all the vanitie of the world into a triplicitie All that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lusâ— of the eyes the pride of life This is the Trinitie the world doth worship Haec trià pro trino Numine mundus habet 3. Sometimes they come by whole heards and droues like the Host of the Aramites Galat. 5. you may read them mustred vp Adulterie c. Thus I haue shewed you the multiplicitie of these waters what remaines but that thâ— sâ—me fire of Gods Altar that hath enlightened your vndâ—â—â—tandings doe a little also warme your conscienceâ— should preuent the methode of my Teâ—â— â—f I sâ—oulâ— yet shew you the direfull dismall operation of these waters yet somewhat I must say to make you loath them As Captaines prouoke their Souldiours Per verbum vocale per semivocale per mutum By vocall speeches semi-vocall Drummes and Trumpets mute Ensignes so God disswades you from these waters 1. By his word Viua et viuifica voce A liuing and enliuing word either in the Thunders of Sinai or Songs of Syon which the Word incarnate hath spoken 2. Or by his semi-vocall writings for at the beginning God talked with man by himselfe but after finding him estranged from his Creator he sent him his minde in writing And this hee makes sounding by his Ministers 3. Or by his dumbe Ensignes wonders terrours Iudgements vpon the louers of these waters Trust not too much to these waters they are not so virtuall as the described Inviters the Deuils Prophets tell you Sathan had long since his Water-Prophets such were the Oracles Colophonium and Bronchidicum wherein one by drinking of waters the other by receiuing the fume of waters fore-tolde future things Porphyrie obserues that antiquitie called them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Madnesse but the errour and impudence of succeeding ages 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diuinations These were the Priests of Bacchus welcome to the world as those would haue beene to Israell that Prophecie of wine and strong drinke Men heare of strange fountaines famoused for wondrous cures and runne straite thither The Deuill is a Iuggler and would make men beleeue that if they drinke at his fountaine of Idolatrie they shall haue good lucke after it hee blushed not to lay this batterie of Temptation to the Sonne of God As good lucke as Sampson had when he drunke out of the Asses tooth and presently after lost his eyes or rather as he that to finde his Horse must by the Masse-Priests direction drinke at Saint Briâ—gets Well accordingly found his Horse and riding home â—hereon broke his necke Yeeld it a Fable the Morall shall yeeld vs this that we trust nothing which hath not Gods word for warrant Charmes Spels Coniurations are all vanities lying vanities he thaâ— trusts thereto forsakes his owne mercie Fearâ— these waters for they are dangerous sinne is not more cooleâ—n the tâ—st then it is fierie in the operation Afflicâ—ion is hote to the rellish you cannot drinke of my Cup but coole easefull peacefull in the digestion but these waters are mel in ore fel in corde sweet in the palate bitter in the stomach The Oracle gaue it Ninum prius capi non posse quam fluuius ei fiat hostis Niniueh should not be taken before the waters became her enemie she feared no invndation the Sea was too remote yet in the third yeere of her Seige the waters of the Cloudes broke loose and with abundant raine ouerwhelmed the walls Muros deiecit ad stadia viginti to twentie furlongs We liue secure and deuoure these waters of iniquitie as Fishes the water of the Sea but when God shall make our sinnes compasse vs at the heeles and raise vp these flouds against vs we shall crie as the drowning world woe vnto vs the waters are become our enemies the flouds of our owne sinnes ouerwhelme vs so the Drunkard drinkes a riuer into his belly that drownes his vitall spirits with a Dropsie Let vs pumpe out these waters of Sinne which wee haue deuoured It is the onely course we haue left to keepe our Ship from sinking Euomite quos bibistis fluuios Cast them out by repentance this is a sauing vomite or else God will giue you a vomite of Sulphure and
shamefull spewing shall be for your glory We haue all drunke liberally of these waters too prodigally at Sinnes fountaine Quando voluimus et quantum valuimus when we would as much as we were able not onely to drunkennesse but euen to surfet and madnesse if we keepe them in our stomachs they will poyson vs Oh fetch them vp againe with buckets of sighes and pumpe them out in riuers of teares for your sinnes Make your heads waters and your eyes fountaines weepe your consciences emptie and dry againe of these waters Repentance onely can lade them out They that haue dry eyes haue waterish hearts and the Prouerbe is too true for many No man comes to heauen wiâ—h drie eyes let your eyes gush out teares not onely in compassion for others but in passion for your selues thaâ— haue not kept Gods Law Weepe out your sullen waters of discontent at Gods doings your garish waters of pride freezing obduracie burning malice foggie intemperancâ— base couetise Oh thinke thinke how you haue despised the waters of life turned Iesus Christ out of your Inne into a beastly Stable whiles Pride sits vppermost at your Tables Malice vsurpes the best Chamber in your mindes Lust possesseth your eyes Oathes imploy your tongues Ebrietie bespeake your tastes Theft and iniurie inthrone themselues in your hands Mammon obsesseth your affections Sicke sicke all ouer you may cry with the Shunamites Sonne Caput dolet my head my head and with Ierusalem my bowels my bowels Oh let faith and repentance make way that the bloud of our Sauiour may heale you We are not onely guilty of auersion from God but of aduersion against God Oh where is our reuersion to God the waters of lusts are aquae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the waters of folly and madnesse but our teares are aquae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the waters of change of minde and repentance Poenitentia est quasi poenae tenentia Repentance is a taking punishment of our selues oh take this holy punishment on your soulâ—s Weepe weepe weepe for your vanities Achan cannot drinke vp his execrable gold nor Gehazi deuoure his bribes nor Ahab make but a draught of a vineyard mingled with bloud nor Iudas swallow downe his cousenage and treason without being called to a reckoning Nos quare non credimus quod omnes astabimus ante tribunal Why account wee not of our future standing before a Iudgement Scate Omnium aures pulso All we whom these walls compasse haue beene drunken with these waters some that hate Swearing with dissembling some that abhorre Idolatrie with profanenesse some that auoid notoriousnesse with hypocrisie many that pretend ill-will to all the rest with those Lares et Lemures household-Gods or rather household-Goblins and Deuils which almost no house is free from Fraud and Couetousnesse Wee know or at least should know our owne diseases and the speciall dish whereon wee haue surfetted oh why breake wee not forth into vlulations mournings and loud mournings for our sinnes cease not till you haue pumped out the sinnes of your soules at your eyes and emptied your consciences of these waters And then behold other behold better behold blessed waters you taste of them in this life and they fill your bones with Marrow and your hearts with ioy they alone satisfie your thirst without which though you could with Xerxes Armie drinke whole Riuers drie your burning heat could not be quenched Here drinke Bibite et inebriamini Drinke and be drunken in this Wine-celler onely hauing drunke hearty draughts of these waters of life retâ—ine them constantly be not queasie-stomached Demas-like to cast them vp againe the token of a cold stomach not yet heated by the spirit for as the loathing of repast is a token that Nature drawes toward her end so when these holy waters proue fastidious it is an argument of a soule neere her death Take then and digeâ—â— this water Recipitur aure retinetur corde perficitur opâ—re The eare receiues the heart retaines the life digests it but alas we retaine these waters no longer then the finger of the Holy Ghost keepes them in vs like the â—arden-pot that holds water but whiles the thumbe is vpon it Leaue then Beloued the Deuils Wine-Celler as Venerable Bede calls it Vbi nos dulcedo delectationis invitauit ad bibendum Where the sweet waters of delight tempt vs to drinke But Dauid though he longed for it would not drinke the water of the Well of Bethlehem which his three Worthies fetched because it was the water of bloud brought with the danger of life and shall wee drinke the waters oâ— the Deuils Banket the venture of bloud with the hazard of our dearest soules No come wee to this aqua Coelestis be wee poore or rich haue wee money or none all that come are welcome And know that hauing drunke liberally at the fountaine of grace you shall haue yet a larger and pleasanter draught at the fountaine of glory that riuer of life cleare as Christall proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lambe to which the Spirit and the Bride are Inviters and say come It is a delightfull banket we enioy heere The Kingdome of heauen is rightâ—ousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost None know the sweetnesse of these ioyes but they that feele them but the Supper of ioy the Banket of glory the Waters of blessednesse are such as no â—ye hath seene c. Illic beata vita in fonte There is the Spring-head of happinesse they cannot want water that dwell by the Fountaine Nam licet allata graâ—us sit sapor in vndâ— Dulcius ex ipso fonte bibantur aquae That which is deriued to vs in Pipes is pleasant oh what is the delight at the Well-head The Deuill like an ordinary Host sets forth his best wine first and when the guests haue well drunke worse but thou oh Lord hast kept the best wine tâ—ll the last They are sweet wee taste heere but medio de sonte leporum surgit amari aliquid There are some persecutions crosses to imbitter them the sweet meate of the Passeouer is not eaten without sowre hearbs but in thy presence oh Lord iâ— the fulnesse os ioy at thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore There is no bitternesse in those waters they are the same that God himselfe and his holy Angels drinke of so that as for Christ his sake wee haue drunke the bitter Cup of persecution so we shall receiue at Christ his hands the Cup of saluation and shall blesse the name of the Lord. To whom three persons one onely true and eternall God be all praise glory and obedience now and for euer Amen FINIS THE Second Seruice OF THE DEVILS BANKET BY THOMAS ADAMS Preacher of Gods Word at Willington in Bedford-shire ZACHARIAH 5.4 I will bring forth the curse saith the Lord of Hostes and it shall enter into
Heathen might iustifie and exemplarily make good that verse Nitimur in vetitum semper cupimusque negata Wee hunt for things vnlawfull with swift feet As if forbidden ioyes were onely sweet But such a report among Christians is so strange that fictum non factum esse videatur it would seeme rather a fable then a fact a tale then a deed Publish it â—ot in Gath nor tell it in the streets of Askelon that any Israelite should the more desperately cleaue to Baal because Elias hath cursed it There are none such neither is there Raine in the Clouds Indeed Charitie would not beleeue it for it is euen the order of Nature that tarda soleâ— magnis rebus adesse fides slow faith is giuen to great reports but alas wee are forced to see what wee would not beleeue such refractary Recusants to all Christianitie lâ—uing and speaking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to their owne lusts that would not be so ill if they had not beene taught to be better quibus res diuinae lusus sunt ijs voluptas pro vita libido pro ratione est They that play with Diuinitie and make Relâ—gion a mocke giude their Life by Pleasure and their Reason by Lust. Time was the Kingdome of Heauen suffered violence and men tooke it by strong hand now it offers violence and men by strong hand repell it before it was so precious that euery man preassed and crowded into it now it pressâ—th vpon vs and wee are glad to be rid of it as Couetousnesse of pouertie at his dore And as the fountaines would not be so colde if the Sunne had not heated the ayre and forced the contrarie qualitie into such abstruse corners many would haue beene lesse outragious in their filthinesse is the Gospell of Grace had not so vniuersally spread his beames Their whole life is a continuall preuarication and it is the cordiall Physicke to fat their spleenes that they can be crosse to God But lex in sermone tenenda I speake to Christians of whom we cannot but hope better things if there be any here that hath sold his faith for his pleasure as Adam did his life for an Apple or Esau his birth-right for a messe of Pottage and will venture himselfe a guest at the Deuils Bankâ—t maugre all devitation let him stay and heare the Reckoning for there is a Shot to be payed which cannot be auoided as Circe's Cup turnes men into beasts so it brings them to a beastly end it fats them against the slaughter-day of Iudgement We leaue then the prescription of the waters and come to the description of their natures Stollen It is a word of Theft and implies besides the action of Stealth some persons actiue and passiue in this businesse some that doe wrong and steale some that suffer wrong and are robbed Robberiâ— is a sinne literally forbidden onely in one Commandement but by inference in all What sinne is committed and some person is not robbed Doth not Idâ—latrie rob God of his worship Blasphemie of his honour Saboth-impietie of his reserued time Doth not Irrâ—uerenâ—e rob our betters Murder rob man of his life Theft of his goods False tâ—stimonie of his good name or right Doth not the Harlot here knit the eight precept to the seuenth and call adulterium furtum The pleasures of a forbidden bed Stollen waters Let vs solace our selues with loues for the good man is not at home c. Since then all sinnes are waters of stealth it is an ineuitable consequent that euery sinne robs some let vs examine whom The parties robbed are 1. God 2. Man 3. Our selues and there be diuers sinnes rob either of these Of euery circumstance a little according to the common liking for some had rather h are many points then learne one they would haue euery word a sentence and euery sentence a Sermon as hee that wrotâ— the Pater-noster in the compasse of a Penie Onely I entreate you to obserue that this is a theeuish Banket where is nothing but stollen waters all the Cates be robberies the guests cannot drinke a drop but there is iniurie done Accordingly I will ioyntly proceede 1. To describe the Waters of Sinne at this Feast 2. And withall to proue them stollen waters such as rob either our God our Brethren or our selues I need not cleare the Feast from an opinion of coursenesse because the prime Seruice goes vnder the name of waters this alone doth inforce the delicacie Neither is all water for the Bread of Secrecie is one halfe of the Banket Let vs not be too nice in the letter and shadow the substance is The Deuill inuites and tempteth men to feede on vanitie to feast on Sinnes those sinnes I haue laboured to display so farre as the Metaphor would giue me leaue onely let your affections follow me that as I feare not to make the Iniquities hatefull to your vnderstandings so I may hope they will be loathed of your hearts eschewed of your liues in confidence whereof I proceede The first course of these waeâ—rs are such sinnes as more immediatly rob God And here as it is fit Atheisme leades in the rest a principall Viall of these stollen waters 1. Atheisme is the highest Theft against God because it would steale from him not sua â—ed se his goods but himselfe proceeding further then Deus haec non curat to Deuâ— non est Then to say God will not regard it but there is no God to regard it These offer not onely a wicked hand to their owne conscience to scrape out the deepe-ingrauen and indeleble characters of the Diuinitie there but a sacrilegious hand to heauen as if they would empty it of a Deitie and pull Iehouah out of his Throne and make him a nonens All with them is begun and done either by the necessitiy of Fate or contingencie of Fortune Te facimâ—â— Fortuna Deam If any strange vice be committed the Planets shall be charged with it Mercurie told the lye Mars did the murder Venus committed the whoredome Thus by looking to the inferiour causes producing necessarie effects they rob God who is prima causa creans causas the causing cause and the originall mouer of all things These are worse then the Deuill for if at first he doubts and tempts Christ yet seeing feeling his power and miracles he confesseth onely impudent Caiaphas saw and knew yet tempts Thus often the Instrument excels the Agent and there be Machiauels Polititians Atheists haue trickes beyond the Deuill The Deuill beleeues and trembles these haue neither faith nor feare The Deuill quakes at the day of Iudgement torment vs not before the time these deride it Where is the promise of his comming Strange euen the Father of Sinnes comes short of his Children and that there should be Atheists on Earth when there is none in Hell These Monsters are in the Wildernesse No they borough in Sion if seldome
the Prophet cals gracelesse an Harlots forehead that cannot blush Swearing swaggers out admonition drunkennes drinkes downe sorrow and penitence Vsurie floutes at Hell It was Epitaph'd on Pope Alexanders Tombe Iacet hîc scelus vitium Here lies wickednesse it selfe it could not bee so buried vp Hee was vile enough Thais Alexandri filia sponsa nurus Lucrece was his Daughter his Whore his Sonnes Wife Horrid that Viper went not to Hell issue-lesse What is this but Infidelitie and Atheisme though not in Antecedente yet in Consequente if not verball yet reall vnder the forme of Godlinesse an implicite renegation of the power Multi adorant Crucem exterius qui crucem spiritualem per contemptam conculcant Many superstitiously adore the Crucifixe that are enemies to the Crosse of Christ and tread his holy Blood vnder their scornefull feet Nay they are not wanting that bragge with Pherecides that they haue as much prosperitie though they neuer sacrifice as they that offer whole Hecatombes They will bee wicked if it bee for nothing else to scape the rod of affliction They make sport with the Booke of GOD as Daphias with the Delphicke Oracle who enquired of it whither hee should finde the Horse he had lost when indeed hee had none the Oracle answered inuenturum quidem sed vt eo turbatus periret that he should finde a horse but his death withall Home he is comming ioyfull that hee had deluded the Oracle but by the way he fell into the hands of the wronged King Attalus and was by his command throwne headlong from a Rock called the Horse and so perished as fabulous as you may thinke iâ— the Morall of it will fall heauy on the deriders of God These are the sinnes that immediately robbe God fitly called by our whorish Sorceresse Stollen waters which shall neuer be carried away without account The second sort of Stollen waters are those sinnes which mediately rob God immediately our Brethren depriuing them of some comfort or right which the inuiolable Law of God hath interrested them to for what the Law of God of Nature of Nations hath made ours cannot bee extorted from vs without Stealth and may bee euen in most strict tearmes called Stollen waters 1. Here fitly Irreuerence is serued in first a water of Stealth that robbes man of that right of honour wherewith God hath inuested him Euen Abimelech a King a Gentle King reuerenced Abraham euen stately Herod poore Iohn Baptist. Yes let reuerence be giuen to Superioritie if it be built on the bases of worthinesse and to Age if it be found in the waies of righteousnesse Indeed it should bee so that Seniores annis should be Saniores animis and praefectus perfectus that eminencie of place and of vertue should concurre that Greatnesse and Goodnesse should dwel together but the conscience of reuerence is fetchâ— from Gods precept not mans dignitie and therefore the omission is a robberie the neglect of honour to whom it belongs is a Stollen water The eye that mocketh at his Father and despiseth to obey his Mother doth he thinke them worthy or not the Rauens of the Valley shall picke it out and the yong Eagles eat it But alas these are those vnreuerent dayes where infoelix lolium steriles dominantur auenae â—nuectiues railings calumnies libels grow vp among sober and wholesome admonitions the same ground produceth both Hearbes and Weedes and so nourisheth both Sheepe and Serpents Terra salutiferas herbas eademque nocentes nutrit vrticae proxima saepe Rosa est The Nettle growes vp with the Rose and the Lambe must graze in the Wolfes company These are like furious Beasts that ranging for their pray and being hampered in the snares when they cannot breake loose to forrage they lie downe and roare From this foule neast haue fluttered abroad all those clamorous Bils slanderous Libels malicious Inuectiues seditious Pamphlets whence not onely good names haue beene traduced but good things abused Selfe-conceit blowes them vp with ventositie and if others thinke not as well of them as they of themselues strait like Porcupines they shoot their quils or like Cuttels vomite out Inke to trouble the waters That impudent and insolent claime is made ordinarie in these dayes With our tongue we will preuaile for our lips are our owne When the Eagle in the Ayre Panther in the Desart Dragon in the deepe Leuiathan in the Ocean are tamed yet the Tongue can no man tame it is an vnruly euill full of deadly poison It is fiered and with no weaker Fire then Hels Their hearts are Ouens heated with malice and their tongues burning peeles they are neuer drawne but there is a batch for the Deuill These are not only the Geese in the Capitall to gaggle at Statesmen in the Common-wealth but Foxes also about the Temple that if they bee seene stealing the Grapes fall a biting their descryers by the shinnes Because the Church hath not heretofore giuen some the Keyes of her Treasure nor called for them when Bishoprickes and promotions were a dealing they will indite her of incontinencie with Rome miserable sonnes to slaunder their Mother with adulterie What they would and can not doe themselues they blame in others with Corah Yee take too much vpon ye sonnes of Leui. Libels are stollen waters 2. Murder vsurpes the second roome a red Water that robbes man of his life whither they be Popish commissions to cut throates for the Whore of Babilon can drinke nothing but blood or the monstrous illuminations of the Anabaptists deriuing reuelation from the spirit of horrid murder that the brother should cut off the brothers head by a command from Heauen the Father Mother standing by Luther cals this a grosse Deuill or the sudden quarrels of our age where euidences of pusillanimitie or at best inconsiderate furie are produced as arguments of Valour A crosse word is ground enough for a challenge and what issue hath streamed from these Duells who can thinke and not quake The Land is desiled with blood not shed by an alien hand God hath beene content talem nobis auertere pestem to free vs from that plague but ciuill vnciuill broiles We fall out for feathers some lie dead in the Chanell whiles they stood too much for the wall others sacrifice their hearts blood for the loue of an Harlot Not to pledge a health is cause enough to loose health and life too Oh who shall wash our Land from these aspersions of blood Murder is but Mans-slaughter and Mans-slaughter no more then dog-slaughter Parce ciuium sanguini should be our condition of life as it is a sanction of nature to spare the blood of Citizens connaturall collateral connationall with our selues but now it is not spared sanguini vel ciuium vel sanctorum to spill the blood of either Citizens or Saints yet precious in the sight of the Lord is the
blood of his Saints when the blood of his enemies shall not be impunely shed There is not a drop of blood thus spilt vpon the earth but swels like an Ocean and nothing can drie it vp till it be reuenged The most excellent of Gods creatures on earth the beautie the extract the abstract or abridgement of the world the glory of the workeman the confluence of all honour that mortallitie can afford and what is aboue all the rest the Image of the almightie God with paine borne with expence nurtured must fall in a moment and by whom one sonne of Adam by another the prouerbe is exiled homo homini Deus man is a God to man nay it is rare saith the Philosopher to finde a man to man for want of vsing reason how many are beasts and for not vsing it well how many Deuils Heare the Law ye lawlesse broode of Cain that slay a man in your anger Blood for blood You thinke to scape with a Pardon but there is no pardon of Earth can ease the bleeding conscience Let none kill Cain that so euery day kils himselfe As in that great plague on Egipt all the waters in their Riuers Streames Ponds Pooles Vessels were changed into blood so shall it be in the conscience of the Murderer his eyes shall behold no other colour but red as if the ayre were of a sanguine dye his visions in the night shall bee all blood his dreames sprinkling blood on his face all his thoughts shall flow with blood If any Dauid scapes the wounds of mans sword to his body or Gods to his soule let him thanke the blood of the crucified IESVS whose wounds must intercede for his and procure a pardon This is that Blood which doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speake better things and stint the ceaselesse cry of the blood of Abell but all this to none but those that bleed in soule for those sinnes Purge the Land of this blood ye Magistrates For the Land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein but by the blood of them that shed it They that in spilling blood such pleasure haue Let them not goe but bleeding to their graue Purge it then lest God in reuenge make his arrowes drâ—nke with blood Feare not to finde them ye Iurors lest whiles you sauâ— a Murtherer you expose obiect hazard your owne throates to his Sword Heare this also ye Phisitians thinke it is the life of Man is questioned the Epigram comes here to my minde Furtum non facies Iuristae scribitur haec lex Haec non Occides pertinet ad Medicum Thou shalt not steale the Lawyers square to right them Thou shalt not kill is the Physitians Item Sell not insufficient drugs nor pitch so high a price on your Ignorance Let it not be true of you that pessimus morbus est Medicus the worst disease is the Phisitian That Emperour found it true by a mortall experience that Turba medicorum interfecit Regem Physitians killed him Blood is pretious let it be preserued 3. Adulterie knowes her place a filthy water yet in speciall account at this Feast It may well be called a stollen water for it robs man of that comfort which the sacred hand of heauen hath knit to him vnrauels the bottome of that ioy which God hath wound vp for him subornes a spurious seede to inherite his Lands dampes his liuelihood sets palenesse on his cheeke and impastures griefe in his heart It is that speciall instance of wickednesse whereby Solomon here expresseth all the rest The whorish woman calls the pleasures of a forbidden bed stollen waters Woe is to him that is robbed I meane the bitter woe of a temporall discontent which is an inseparable consequent of Christian affection wronged but more woe to the Robber who besides the corporall strokes of Heauens angry hand in this life shall feele the fearefull addition of an eternall woe in hell Whore-mongers and adulterers God will iudge If a present punishment be suspended the future shall neuer be dispended with Our firmament hangs too full of these falling Starres corrupt Meteors wandring Planets that onely glimmer in the night when the Sunne of vigilancie is set This cursed weede begins to grow almost as ranke in England as in Italy onely no Authoritie giues toleration to it they are heere Aquae surreptitiae waters of stealth but there Inuitant adaperta viros malè limina spurcos The open dores inuite their entrance whiles the law doth not onely winke but warrant There is no hope to keepe out Venus when Drunkennesse her Gentleman-Vsher and Dice her olde company-keeper are let in Many Nightingales haue sung sad lamentations woe and ruine against these rapes and whoredomes but the vncleane Sparrowes cherping the voice of Lust on the house-tops are suffered to haue nests in the roofe when the good Nightingale is driuen to the Woods There are not wanting by report and those no beggars that iustifie this and cleare it from sinne by arguments strong wits and those sublimed the wittier the wickeder I will giue them a double answere which no distinction shall euade God hath charged Thou shalt not commit Adulterie Hazard thy selfe to dispute against and eneruate Gods Prohibition and try if the second confute thee not the blacke poison of thy owne conscience which is set on fire by Lust heere and though it haue the fire of Hell added to it shall neuer be wasted The Deuill was modest when he came to Eue with praecepitne Deus c Hath God charged you not to eate c now bluntly Non praecepit Deus God hath not concluded Adulterie a sinne Inaudita oracula fundit Impudence in the highest degree to giue God the lye and except against the absolutenesse of his precept I intended breuitie in the broaching these stollen waters the matter forceth mee to prolixitie against my will Lust hath many friends in these dayes many Promoters whereby shee insinuates her selfe to the world Among all those in print doe most mischiefe Libri Sybaritici as the same sinne-guilty Martiall calls them Bookes of Epicurisme and Sensuality Ouids amatories haue bright and trite couers when the booke of God lyes in a dustie corner The Deuill playes with vs as Hippomenes with Atalanta seeing vs earnest in our race to Heauen throwes vs heere and there a golden Ball an idle Pamphlet If Cleanthes open his Shop hee shall haue Customers Many a Traueller there sets downe his staffe though hee pulls off his eyes with Ouids dole Cur aliquid vidi cur nâ—xia lumina feci Why haue I so couetously beheld these vanities Paucis de Philosophià gustâ—ndum was the olde charge let few drinke at the fountaine of Philosophy but we are drunk with that all Philosophy condemned The Stationer dares hardly venture such cost on a good Sermon as for an Idle Play it will not sell so well wicked dayes the whiles Oh that they
such Churles seldome rost what their Fathers tooke in hunting Now what Thiefe can more spoile another then such a man doth himselfe he cannot find in his heart to put a good morsell into his belly He dares not eate an Egge least he should loose a Chicken A poore Beggar is in better estate then a rich Miser hee wants many things but this wants all things Corpus extenuat vt lucrâ—m extendat He wrinkles and contracts his bodie that hee may enlarge and replenish his purse hee pincheth his carkasse to stuffe his Capcase No maruell if that he heare not the moanes of the poore when he is deafe to the complaints of his owne belly Whereas he that laboureth laboureth for himselfe for his mouth craueth it of him It is the voice not only of Gods spirit that so it should be nor of reason onely that so it must be but euen of nature that so it is vnlesse in such vnreasonable beasts as the Couetous or rather worse then beasts for they serue the necessity of nature vnnaturall wretches Dressing like Cookes much good meat and not vouchsafing to licke their owne fingers There is an euill saith Solomon vnder the Sun and such an euill that the Sun can scarse see a worse A man to whom God hath giuen riches and that so abundantly that he wanteth nothing of all that his soule can desire yet God giueth him not the power to eate thereof but a stranger eateth it Thiâ— is vanitie and an euill disease A Disease it is and fitly called the Dropsie Thus the Couetous man pines in plenty like Tantalus vp to the chinne in water yet thirsty He that hath no power to take part of Gods blessings which he keepeth playes the Thiefe finely and robs himselfe His extortion hath erst stolne from others and now hee playes rob-thiefe and steales from himselfe They say the rule of charity should be fetch'd from home He that is miserable to himselfe will neuer be liberall to others he that pines himselfe God blesse me from begging at his dore It is miserable liuing at this mans finding for like a Chimist he turnes euery thing into siluer what he should weare and what he should eate and so robs both backe and belly of warmth of sustenance All to coniure a little money into the circle of his Purse which he will doe though he fetch Spels from the Deuill to doe it yet keepes it onely to looke on not to vse Nemini bonus sibi pessimus As he is good to none so let it be his plague hee is worst to himselfe He is euer in debt to his belly the purest mettall is for his Coffer the coursest meate is good enough for his stomach He doth so crosse the vanity of Pride which esteemeth the dearest things the best that hee thinkes nothing sweet but what is cheape If euer he satisfie his complayning stomach with a good morsell it shall be from his neighbours Trencher He hath not so much idle time as to sleepe but either he dreameth of his gold or riseth to see if the dores be fast So Claudian amongst others describes the Couetous dreame Et vigil elapsas quaerit auarus opes He seekes that in his sleepe which he could not finde waking The Couetous giue better eare to the Priests of Ianus then to the Apostles of Iesus Quaerenda pecunia primùm est First seâ—ke money hath thrust out Querite primùm regnum Dei First seeke the Kingdome of God They wil heare vs willingly if our Text be Commodity and our Sermon Policie A Bill that containes the sale of a Lordship or the newes of a Morgage or the offer of good security for ten in the hundred is more heeded then a booke on the Stationers shop with the way to heauen for the Title Neither let vs as is said iudge him onely to drinke of this water that extorts from others but euen him that pincheth himselfe So S. August Non solùm auaruâ— est qui rapit alienae sed qui cupidè seruat suae He is not onely couetous that raketh from others but he also that taketh from himselfe The niggards lookes to his entring guests is like Diana's Image in Chios which frowned with a lowring countenance on all that came into the Temple but looked blithe and smiled on them that departed This is he that thinkes there are no such Angels as his golden ones no such Paradise as in his Counting-house Hee cares not to runne quicke to the Deuill of an errand so gaine sends him payes him for his paines He hath a short conscience and a large damnation He is a speciall guest at the Deuils boord and neuer misseth his Ordinarie which he affects the more because hee payes nothing The more hee deuoures the hungrier hee is a full supper of profit giues him the more eager appetite to his morrowes breakfast All he eates is like Physicke to him hee lookes thinner after it Hee takes great paines to goe to hell whither since hee will goe hee might doe it with more ease He hath no heauen neither present nor future and hauing sold blisse for riches as Aesops Dogge did the flesh for the shadow behold he looseth both Other sinners for their damnation haue somewhat which they call delightfull the Couetous man buies hell with hell eternall with present anguish Thus he robs himselfe of all content and when all is done he 's a man vndone and pierced through with many sorrowes We haue now ended the seruice of the waters with the 1. Praescription of their Beings Waters and 2. The description of their natures stollen The Vices which vnder this smooth name the Deuill tempts his guests to surfet on are to your hearing odious I will step no further to fetch in application then from the word Stollen All stollen things are accountable for the law of all Nations hath prouided that cuique suum euery man may enioy his owne God is a iust Iudge a retributor of euery man his owne No theefe can scape 1. The apprehension of his Pursuiuantâ— 2. The apparance to his Sessions 3. The penaltie of his sentence He hath appointed a generall Assises a day wherein he will iudge the world in righteousnesse by that man whom he hath ordained c. To which there is a necessitie of appearance For wee must all appeare before the Iudgement seat of Christ that euery one may receiue the things done in his bodie c. At which time an account is not auoidable God shall bring euery worke into Iudgement with euery secret thing whither it be good or euill What then will be the successe of these stollen waters We carry out our robberies now vvithout question wee inuade our brethren we euade the Law But behold at Euening-tide trouble before the Morning he is not This is the portion of them that spoile vs and the lot of them that rob vs. Felony is
to their nature Whiles Nature findes ascribed to her selfe freedome of will validitie of merites the Latitude of an ignorant and cursorie faith she runnes mad of conceit That Indulgences for all sinnes may be deriued from that open Exchequour that if a man wants not money he needes not loose heauen that the bare Act of the Sacrament conferres grace without faith and the meere transient signe of the Crosse who euer makes it can keepe off the Deuill Oh Religion sweet to Nature Nay to speake neerer to our district instance Lust not onely affectuall but actuall is dispensed with Priests are licensed their Concubines though inhibited Wiues Adulterie is reckoned among their pettie sinnes I haue read it quoted out of Pope Innocentius the third of their Priests Mane filium virginis offerunt in choro Nocte filium veneris agitant in thoro The Priests doe not engrosse all the Market of venerie to themselues yet they doe prettily well for their allowance One Benefice with one Wife is vnlawfull but two Benefices and three Whores are tollerable But the Stewes like the common Bath is afforded to the Laitie and if their States will maintaine it a priuate supply besides Vrbs est iam tota Lupanar The vvhole Citie is become a meere Stewes As the Prophet Esay said once of Ierusalem so wee may say of Rome The holy Citie is become an Harlot Full of Harlots they vvill not sticke to yeeld and so full of Adulterers Nay the Citie it selfe is an Harlot and hath left her first loue Shee committes Idolatrie vvhich is the vilest Adulterie vvith Stockes and Stones Thus Nature drinkes pleasant waters but they are stollen Lust encroacheth vpon the Law and Concupiscencies gaine is Gods losse Some of them saith Bishop Iewell haue written in defence of filthinesse VVhat blacke Vice shall vvant some Patronage But causa patrocinio non bona peior erit Powerfull arguments no doubt yet powerfull enough to ouercome the yeelding spirit Strong affection giues credite to weake reasons A small temptation serues to his peruersion that tempts himselfe and vvould bee glad of a cloake to hide his leprosie though he steale it How can it then be denied that sinnes are sweet whiles Lust doth take tast censure them The Deuils Banket is not yet done there is more cheare a comming The Water-seruice is ended now begin Cates of another nature or if you will of another forme but the nature is all one Norma et forma manet The same Methode of Seruice the same manner of Iunkets It may bee distinguished as the former Into a prescription de quo Bread Into a description de quanto Bread of Secrecies Into an ascription de quali Bread of pleâ—sure Bread hath a large extent in the Scriptures Vult sufficientiam vitae et praesentis et futurae Vnder it is contained a sufficiencie of food and nourishment 1. For the body 2. For the soule Therefore some would deriue the Latine word Panem from the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so make it a generall and comprehensiue word to signifie omne quod nobis necessarium all things needfull whither to corporall or animall sustenance 1. Corporall the fourth petition in that absolute Prayer lessoned to vs by our Master implies so much Giue vs this day our daily Bread Where saith S. Augustine Omnem necessariam corporis exhibitionem petimus We begge all necessarie sustentation to our temporall life So in sudore vultus vesceris pane tuo All thy repast shall bee deriued from thy trauell Set Bread before them saith Elisha to the King of Israell And he made great prouision for them Iobs kindred did eate Bread that is feasted with him Hee that ate of my Bread saith Dauid or did feed on the delicacies of my Pallace 2. For the soule I am the liuing Bread that came downe from heauen if any man eate of this Bread hee shall liue for euer It is not straitned of this sense Matth. 15. It is not meete to take the childrens Bread and to throw it to dogges Christ and all his benefites are shadowed forth by Bread The losse of the Word is called by the Prophet a Famine or losse of Bread Bread then implies multitudinem salutum magnitudinem solaminum plenitudinem omnium bonorum Much health great comforts fulnesse of all requisite good things And what Will Satan bragge that hee can giue all these and that his Bread intensiue is so virtuall in it owne nature and extensiue that it shall afford so much strength of comfort validitie of nutriment and neuer faile the collation of health to his guests This is in him an hyperbolicall and almost an hyperdiabolicall impudence to make the bread of sinne equall with the Bread of life and to ascribe vnto it potentiam virtutis and virtutem dulcedinis that it is Bread and sweet bread nourishing and well-tasted As Ceres must bee taken and worshipped for the Goddesse of Corne and Bacchus for the God of Wine when they were at the vtmost but the first Inuenters of grinding the one and pressing the other for God is the God of both fields and Vineyards So the Deuill would seeme owner of Bread and Water when God onely is Lord of Sea and Land that made and blesseth the Corne and the Riuers His Power containeth all and his Prouidence continueth all that is good vnto vs. Obserue how the Deuill is Gods Ape and striues to match and paralell him both in his words and wonders Hee followes him but not passibus aequis with vnequall steps If Christ haue his waters of life at the Lambes wedding Feast the Deuill will haue his waters too at Lusts Banket If the highest giue his thunder hailestones and coales of sire as to Elias sacrifice the red Dragon doth the like He maketh fire to come downe from heauen in the sight of men If Moses turne his rod to a Serpent the Sorcerers doe the like but yet they fall short for Moses rod deuoured all theirs Must Abraham sacrifice his Sonne to the God of Heauen Agamemnon must sacrifice his daughter to the Prince of Darknesse A Ramme redeeemes Ishaac a Hinde Iphigenia For Iehouah's Temple at Ierusalem there is great Diana's at Ephesus It is said of the Sonne of God that he shall giue sight to the blinde and heale the sicknesses of the people The Sonne of Iupiter Aesculapius shall haue the like report Ouid and Hesiod haue their Chaos in imitation of sacred Moses Noahs deluge shall be quitted with Deucalions For our Noah they haue a Ianus for our Sampson a Hercules for our Babel-builders they that lay Pelion vpon Ossa Giants If Lots Wife be turned to a Pillar loe Niohe is metamorphosed to a stone Let God historifie his Ionas Herodotus will say more of Arion Of which S. Augustine well We may suspect the Greeke tale of the one meanes the Hebrew truth
was mihi terra lacusque I haue Land and Sea for my walke but alas if the water be true water of sinne beleeue it the Fire is but a false fire the blaze of hypocrisie but the Hermite turned his guest out of dores for this tricke that hee could warme his colde hands with the same breath wherewith hee cooled his hot pottage 4. Water is a baser Element and I may say more elementary more mixt and as it were Sophisticate with transfusion Fire is in the highest Region the purest Element and next to Heauen this is the seate of grace non inferiora secuta scorning the lower things Sinne is like water of a ponderous crasse grosse stinking and sinking nature They that haue drunke the Cup of slumber had need to be bidden Awake and stand vp for they are sluggish and laid Grace though in the Orbe of Sinne yet hath her conuersation in Heauen and cor repositum vbi proemium depositum her heart laid vp where her loue and treasure is her motto is non est mortale quod opto She hath a holy aspiration and seeketh to be as neere to God as the clogge of flesâ— will let her Sinne is like water though raging with the surges and swellings and onely bounded in with Gods non vltra here I will stay thy proud waues yet deorsum ruit whiles these waters swimme in the heart the heart sinkes downe like a stone as Nabals 5 Phisitians say that water is a binder you may apply it that men in these dayes are terrible water-drinkers for the times are very restrictiue you may as well wring Hercules Clubbe out of his fist as a penny from auarices Purse Mens hearts are costiue to part with any thing in pios vsus their hands clutch't dores shut purses not open nay the most laxatiue prodigals that are lauish and letting-flie to their lusts are yet heart-bound to the poore It is a generall disease procured be these waters to be troubled with the griping at the heart Such were the Kine of Bashan soluble to their owne lusts bring let vs drinke bound vp and strait-laced to the poore not refreshing but oppressing not helping but crâ—shing the needy they greeue not for Ioseph nay they greeue Ioseph These Kine are dead but their Calues are in England abundantly multiplied These are not the dayes of peace that turne Swordes into Sickles but the dayes of pride wherein the Iron is knocked off from the plough and by a new kinde of Alchymistrie conuerted into plate The Farmers painefulnesse runnes into the Mercers Shop and the toyling Oxe is a sacrifice and prey to the cunning Foxe all the racked rents in the Country will not discharge the Bookes in the Citie Great men are vnmercifull to their Tenants that they may be ouer-mercifull to their Tendents that stretch them as fast as they retch the others The sweat of the labourers browes is made an ointment to supple the ioynts of Pride Thus two malignant Planets raigne at once and in one heart costiue couetousnesse and loose lauishnesse like the Serpent Amphisboena with a head at each end of the body who whiles they striue which should be the Master-head afflict the whole carkase whiles Couetise and Pride wrastle the Estate catcheth the fall They eate Men aliue in the Countrey and are themselues eaten aliue in the Citie what they get in the Hundreth they loose in the Sheere Sic proedae patet esca sui they make themselues plumpe for the prey â—or there are that play thâ— robbe-theefe with them Vnius compendium alterius dispendium if there be a winner there must be a looser Serpens Serpentem deuorando fit Draco Many Landlords are Serpents to deuoure the poore but what are they that deuoure those Serpents Dragons You see what monsters then vsurious Citizens are Thus whiles the Gentleman and the Citizen shuffle the Cardes together they deale the poore Commons but a very ill game These are the similitudes I could also fit you with some discrepancies 1. Waters mundifie and clense these soile â—nd infect the Conscience growes more speckled by them till men become not onely spotted but spots as Lucan sayd of the wounded body totum est pro vulnere corpâ—â— the whole body was as one wound 2. Adde that waters quench the thirst and coole the heate of the body but these waters rather fire the heart and inflame the affections puffe the Splene which swolne all the other parts pine and languish into a Consumption the heart is so blowne with lustes that all the graces of the soule dwindle like blasted Impes these are aquae soporiferae waters of slumber that cast the soule into a dead sleepe whiles the Deuill cauterizeth and seares vp the Conscience 3. Wee say of water it is a good Seruant though an ill Master but wee cannot apply it to Sinne it is not good at all indeed lesse ill when it serues then when it raignes if this false Gibeonite will needs dwell with thee set him to the basest Offices So Israel kept in some Canaanites lest the wilde Beasts should come in vpon them our infirmities and mastred sins haue their vse thus to humble vs with the sense of our weakenes lest the furious beasts of pride and securitie breake into our freeholds But sinne of it selfe is good neither Egge nor Bird neither in Root nor Branch neither Hot nor Cold neither in the Fountaine nor in the Vessell The pluralitie of these waters prolongs and determines my speech their nature is not more pernicious then their number numerous indesinita locutio infinita turba an vndefined word an vnconfined number If there were but one cup alone it would cloy and satiate and procure loathing as euen Manna did to Israell therefore Satan doth diuersifie his drinkes to keepe the wicked mans appetite fresh and sharpe If he be weary of one sinne behold another stands at his elbow hath Diues din'd hee may walke vp to his study and tell his Money his Bags his Idols or call for the Key of his Wardrobe to feede his proud eye with his Silkes for Diuitiae deliciae Riches and Pleasures serue one anothers turne If Nabal be weary of counting his Flockes or laying vp their Fleeces he may goe and make himselfe drunke with his sheep-shearers Hence it is that ex malis moribus oriuntur plurim leges to meet with the multiplicitie of sinnes there is required a multitude of lawes as when Phisitians grow rich it is an euident signe of an infected Common-wealth Sinne stood not single in Gods view when hee threatens so fearefull a punishment as the whole Booke againe can not match it Therefore the Land shall mourne and euery one that dwelleth therein shall languish with the beasts of the Field with the Fowles of Heauen yea the Fishes of the Sea also shall be taken away an vniuersall vastation but as 1. priuately there was no Truth yet if