mutable Creature that he should fall It was most congruous that God having made such a Creature as Man furnished with such powers and capable of being governed by a Law and of being moved by promises and threats should for some time hold him in a state of tryal unconfirmed that it might be seen how he would behave himself towards his Creator and that he should be rewardable or punishable accordingly in a state that should be everlasting and unchangeable But if any shall further inquire into the manner of this first defection 't is most probable there was in the instant of temptation a suspension of the understanding's Act not only as previous to the sin but as a part of it and thereupon a suddain precipitation of Will as Estius determins But let us not too curiously inquire into this matter 'T is wholsom counsel that one gives that we should labour rather to get sin out of our Souls than trouble our selves how it came in For as a man that falls into a deep Ditch or Pond 't is Austin's similitude does not lie there considering how he fell in but labours speedily to get out so it should be with us in this case 4. Let us consider what were the sad effects and consequents of this sin and breach of Gods Covenant First Upon our first Parents Secondly Upon us their Posterity 1. Our First Parents were hereby deprived of their Original Righteousness and Communion with God 2. They became depraved and corrupted inclin'd to evil and indisposed to good 3. They brought themselves under an estate of wrath were driven out of Paradise and were made liable to death both Temporal and Eternal And though they were reprived for the present from suffering the penalty the Law requires yet 1. Sorrows were inflicted on the Woman in Child-bearing Under which we may comprehend her sorrows in breeding bearing bringing-forth and bringing up her Children 2. Sorrow also was inflicted upon the Man Gen. 3.17.18 Cursed is the ground for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the dayes of thy life Thorns and Thistles shall it bring forth In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread c. 3. His Dominion over the Creatures was much impaired 4. He was rendred utterly unable to help out of this miserable estate 2. Let us consider the sad effects of Adams fall in reference to us 1. We were involved in the guilt of his first transgression For the Covenant was not made with Adam only but with all mankind who where seminally or radically in him We were not indeed then personally in him for we were not then Natural Persons but we were in him seminally and virtually And God may justly reckâ—n us to have been seminally in him because our Essence was to be derivâ—d from him And as when a man is guilty no part of him is innocent so we were guilty of â—dams first sin so far forth as we were parts of him and in him As Levi is said to have payed Tythes in Abraham because he was in the Loins of his Father Abraham when Melchizedech met him Heb. 7.9 10. though he was born some Generations after him on the same grounâ— it may well be inferred that all Adams posterity did eat of the forbidden fruit in him because they were all at that time in his Loins And the Apostle speaks to the same purpose Rom. 5.12 By one man sin entred into the World c. In whom * Eâ—â— in qâ—â— hâ—â— viro non muâ—ieâ—e qâ—â—d vir sit praecipuuâ— aâ—â—â—or posteritatis tam â—si mâ—lio pâ—iâ—â—est laâ—sa â—raim all have sinned If a Father by Treason forfeit his Estate no wonder if his Children de deprived of it 2. We were hereby dâ—prived of Original Righteousness Rom. 3.23 All have sinned that is in Adam and so come short of the glory of God that is are depriv'd of his glorious Image which in mans first creation was stamped upon him By reason of that first sin of Adams whereof all are guilty want of Original righteousness and depravation of Nature are come upon us as a just punishment of Adams transgression and are the sad consequents of it Therefore some say that God now deprives Souls of Original Righteousness Non qua Creator sed qua Judex 3. Instead of Original Righteousness a corrupt disposition and vitiosity of Nature was imparted to all their Posterity descending from them by ordinary Generation The Soul is now propense to evil because it wants that rectitude that should regulate it As sickness besides the depriving us of health affects our bodies with corrupt humors Mr. Cotton on Eccles 11 Vers 5 holds that God forms the Soul of man of the Spirituous part of the seed of the Parents and so Original corruption is naturally propagated from the Parents to the Children This corrupt disposition is called The old Man Rom. 6.6 The sin dwelling with us Rom. 7.17 It is called Flesh as opposite to grace Rom. 7.18 The Law of the Members Rom. 7.23 Body of sin Rom. 6.6 The body of death Rom. 7.24 Lastly A mans own lust James 1.14 In which place by the next words following 't is plainly distinguiâ—hed from actual sin as being exprâ—sly affirmed to be the procreant cause of it So that by this Original corruption all our Faculties are depraved 1. Our Minds blinded 2. Our Wills rendred averse to that which is good 3. Our Memories unfaithful to retain what is good but too tenacious of evil 4. Our Consciences defiled 5. Our Affections disordered These are some of the sad Consequents of Adams First transgression 4. We are cast under the wrath and curse of God Besides the effects of this wrath and curse upon our Souls of which before our bodies are now liable to diseases and deformities and all our enjoyments and every condition of our lives is subjâ—ct to a curse And which is most deplorable we are liable by reason of our sins to Eternal wrath and misery 5. We are hereby rendred utter unable to help our selves Rom. 5.6 The Law exacts perfect and perpetual obedience under a curse Gal. 3.10 Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them Now here observe Two things 1. What the Scripture speaks concerning mans Impotency and inability to help himself out of this miserable condition wherein he is by Nature 1. He is said to be meer darkness Eph. 5.8 Ye were sometimes darkness sayes the Apostle to the Converted Ephesians but now ye are light in the Lord And 1 Cor. 2.14 But the Natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God For they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned 2. To have a heart of stone Ezek. 36.26 3. To be enthralled under the Dominion of sin and Satan Acts 26.18 4. To be dead in sins and trespasses Eph. 2.1.5 5. To be without strength in Spiritual things Rom.
7. What is required of them who may expect this great priviledge 1. We shall consider what Sin is and what is the foul nature of it that so we may the better estimate the great goodness of God in pardoning of it The Apostle shews us 1 John 3.4 that Sin is the transgression of the Law The Law of God is the rule of the actions of man and any deviation from that rule is a Sin and brings us under guilt 2. Let us consider what are the kinds of Sin Sin is either original or actual 1. Original Sin is by the Church of England in her Articles described to be a fault and corruption of the nature of every man that naturally is engendred of the off-spring of Adam whereby man is very far gone from original Righteousness and inclined unto evil In which description three things may be observed 1. Original sin is the corruption of the nature of every man descended from the loins of Adam 2. It is a departure from that original Righteousness wherewith the Lord enriched Adam and our selves in him 3. 'T is an inclination to evil So that the whole race and off-sping of Adam who were then radically seminally and potentially in his loins were infected with this contagion As the Scripture sayes of Levi that he paid tythes in Abraham to Melchisedec Heb. 7.9 10. For he was then in the loyns of his Father Abraham when Melchisedec met him So all we and the whole race of Mankind were in Adam when he lost himself And that we are all from the womb tainted with this original corruption * Unum illud peccatum fons est aliorum Becan and depravation of nature is plain and manifest from these Scriptures Psal 51.5 Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me Ephes 2.3 And were by nature the children of wrath even as others And that even Infants themselves are tainted with this original corruption may appear from this that they are liable to death Now Death is a wages no way due to Infants for actual sins for actually as yet they have not offended therefore there must need be in them some original guilt some birth-sin which makes them liable to death 2. Actual sin which is the fruit of original is any action or commission or any omission repugnant unto the Law of God 3. Let us consider the wages of sin The Apostle tells us Rom. 6. last The wages of sin is death The wages due reward and fruit of sin is death But life eternal is the fruit of righteousness not as its wages but as a gift freely given by God upon the account of the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ Every sin therefore being a deviation from the Law of God brings us under guilt and guilt makes us liable to suffer the punishment which is due to our sins and proportional to our offences And our offences are augmented by the consideration of the dignity of the person against whom they are committed And being committed against God must therefore needs be very heinous and bind us over to suffer eternal punishment except we obtain a pardon and our sins be remitted 4. Let us consider by whom sins are remitted 1. Men may forgive offences committed against them so far forth as they concern them Luke 17.3 4. If thy brother trespass against thee rebuke him and if he repent forgive him and if he trespass against thee seven times in a day and seven times in a day turn again to thee saying I repent thou shalt forgive him But as Sin is a transgression of Gods Law so God only can forgive it 2. 'T is God the Fathers Prerogative to forgive Sins Isaiah 43.25 I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgression for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins 3. God communicated this power to his Son while he was here on the earth who had power of forgiving sins as part of that power that was given him both in Heaven and Earth Mark 2.5 and 7. When Jesus saw their Faith he said unto the sick of the Palsie Son thy sins be forgiven thee The Scribes ask who can forgive sins but God only Their position was good that God only can forgive sins but their supposition false that Christ was a meer man and not God as well as Man 4. Ministers may forgive sins not authoritatively but Ministerially and declaratively They preach remission in Christs name declare what persons they must be and what they must do who shall obtain it 5. Let us consider upon what account and for whose sake sins are forgiven The external impulsive cause inclining God to pardon us our sins and trespasses is the respect he hath to the obedience and sufferings of our Saviour Jesus Christ The Apostle tells us Rom. 3.24 that we are justified freely by the grace of God as by the internal impulsive cause of our justification by which he was first moved to forgive us our sins and then through the redemption wrought by Jesus Christ as the external moving or impulsive cause of so great a mercy The death of Christ is the meritorious cause of our forgiveness Mat. 26.28 For this is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins Ephes 1.7 In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace Acts 13.38 39. Be it known unto you therefore men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses 1 John 1.7 And the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin Rev. 1.5 Vnto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood God is indeed said to remit our sins but never to remit the price without which we had never been redeemed The Law promised life but upon perfect absolute uninterrupted obedience and the voice thereof was Do this and live But this we failed in we need therefore the interposition of the Sacrifice of Christ for us The atonement made by the Sacrifices under the Law clearly had relation to the death of the Messias and whatsoever vertue was in them did operate through his death alone As he was a Lamb slain from the foundation of the world in Gods decree so all atonements which were ever made were only effectual through his blood So that no sin was ever forgiven but by vertue of that satisfaction and God was never reconciled to any sinner but by intuition of that propitiation Yet the general doctrine of remission of sins was never clearly revealed and publickly preached to all Nations till the coming of our Saviour in the flesh 6. Let us consider what forgiveness of sins doth import and contain in it Forgiveness of Sins doth comprehend in it reconciliation of an offended God and a
not their first Station they sinned against God and by sin fell from their happiness 3. Let us inquire how they came to sin Being created pure they had no lust within to incline them to it and being in Heaven they had no Object without to draw or allure them to it neither had they any â—empâ—â—r before one or more of their own number fell to intice them to it Some late Divines conceive that the great Angel â—ow called Belzebub first fell and then drew others by his tâ—mptaâ—ion and seducement into the same rebellion and disobedience with himself For Matth. 25.44 we read of the Devil and his Angels and Matth. 12.24 of Belzebub the Prince of Devils From whence we may probably conjecture there was some Prince or Chief of the Apostate Angels who was the Ring-leader in this faction and rebellion against God And if any shall further inquire how sin came into the Angels at first all that we can say is this They were created good yet mutable and they voluntarily chose not to abide in their first estate 'T is Gods Prerogative only to be immutable All Creatures though never so pure if not assiâ—ted by grace are mutable and may sin Job 4.18 Behold he put no trust in his Servants and his Angels he charged with folly The Angels being mutable Creatures might fall from their righteousness if left to themselves and some of them did fall and God charged them judicially with folly for it They were created in a blessed state and from that they might and some of them did fall But however it was we may assure our selves God was not the cause of their fall by infusing any evil into them Neither is he to be looked upon as consenting to their sin in that he did not hinder them from it or in that he did not support them by his Grace For he oweth his Grace to none and giveth it when and to whom he pleaseth And in the Angelical Nature as well as the humane he would discover his Justice and his Mercy and the freedâ—m of his dispensations 4. Let us consider the time when they fell How soon they fell we cannot certainly determine 'T is probable they fell very soon For Joh. 8.44 Satan is called a Murderer from the beginning and 1 Joh. 3.9 'T is said the Devil sinneth from the beginning that is soon after the Creation That these Angels were created plainly appears from Col. 1.16 And probably they were created on the second day when the Heavens the proper place of their residence were created 'T is certain they sinned before Man fell For the Devil in and by the Serpent seduced Eve Gen. 3.1.2 Cor. 11.3 5. Let us consider their number 'T is certain that the number of these Apostate Angels is very great and that there are very many of them going up and down in the World as may appear by this that an whole Legion of them was in one man Luke 8.30 * Legio apud Romanos continebat 12500 miâ—ites numâ—rus certus pro incerto ut ipse Daemon explicat But how great their number is cannot by us be certainly determined 6. Let us consider their Nature Properties and Employment 1. They are Spirits of great knowledge cunning and subtilty They are subtil by Nature and by long experience in tempting since the beginning of the World their subtilty is much increased They can transform themselves into Angels of light 2 Cor. 11.14 But this is observable they never move to good as 't is good but as it may have some evil consequent upon it And further they know how to suit their temptations to the several tempers of men They have much Natural and Experimental knowledge so as they can discern hidden causes and virtues which mans reason cannot reach unto They know how to apply actives to passives they can guess notably at future events but as for a certain knowledge of them unless of such things as depend upon necessary causes or have been some way or other made known unto them by God that they have not That knowledge is proper to God and accordingly he challengeth it unto himself Isai 41.23 Shew things that are to come hereafter that we may know ye are gods says he of the vanities and Idols of the Heathen They are of wonderful sagacity to judge of mens hearts by their outward gestures and carriage In a word they are wise enough to do evil but to do good they have no knowledge 2. Their malice is very great This is set forth to the life 1 Pet. 5.8 Be sober be vigilant because your adversary the Devil like a roaring Lyon goes about seeking whom he may devour whom resist stedfast in the Faith His malice is so great that he goes about doing mischief though he knowes that he gets no good by it nay though his punishment will be so much the greater for the mischief he does His malice is great against all mankind but principally against the Saints and Servants of God First Because they bear the Image of God Secondly Because they through grace resist his temptations here and shall as approvers of Christs righteous sentence judge him hereafter 1 Cor. 6.3 3. They are Spirits of great Power though it be limited by God so that it cannot be exercised but when and where and how it pleaseth him The Devil doth exercise his power as far as he is able to the hurt of the Children of men but especially to the hurt of the Saints obstinately endeavouring to hinder them from enjoying that happiness which he lost 4. They are Spirits of great industry to do mischief as we may see Job 1.6.7 The Devil not only does all the outward mischief he can but he tempts also by inward suggestions For being a Spirit he hath communion with our Souls and Spirits and can dart evil thoughts into us thus he filled the heart of Judas to betray his Lord and Master Thus he provoked David to number the People 1 Chron. 21.1 His temptatioâ—s are many times suddain impetuous importunate And his suggestions may oftentimes be known from those that arise from our own corrupt hearts by the suddenness violence and unnaturalness of them Those that arise from our own corrupt Natures are usually pleasing unto us But if the teâ—ptation be against the light of Nature as for one to kill a friend whom he dearly loves and do fill the Soul with horror as blasphemous thoughts do those may be reckoned as Satans fiery Darts For they torment the mind as poisoned Arrows do the body And by an humble recourse to Christ for help we should labour to quench these fiery Darts Our Saviour himself was tempted by the Devil to most hideous things Matth. 4. And having been tempted himself he knows how to succour those that are tempted Heb. 2.18 The Saints of God therefore should encourage themselves from these considerations 1. A restraint is put on Satan in all his temptations 1 Cor. 10.13 He
had by sin madâ— God his enemy he needed no Mediator to mediate or intercede for him 8. This Covenant in case of disobedience afforded man no relief no not upon his repentance And thus the case stood with man in the state of his Innocâ—nce Of Maâ—s faâ—â— We come now to the second thing I propounded to treat of concerning man and that is his fall from his Original happiness by disobeying the precept and command of God and forfeiting the priviledges of the Covenant contained in it Gen. 3. from 1. to 7. Now the Serpent was mâ—re subtil than any Beast of the field which the Lord God had made and he said unto the woman Yea hath God said Ye shall not eat of every Tree of the Garden And the Woman said unto the Serpent We may eat of the fruit of the Trees of the Garden But of the fruit of the Tree which is in the midst of the Garden God hath said Ye shall not eat of it neither shall ye touch it lest ye die And the Serpent said unto the Woman ye shall not surely die For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof then your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as gods knowing good and evil And when the woman saw that the Tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eyes and a Tree to be desired to make one wise she took of the fruit thereof and did eat and gave also untâ— her Huusband with her and he did eat And the eyes of them both were opened and they knew that they were naked and they sewed Fig-leaves together and made themselves Aprons Rom. 5.12 19. Wherefore as by one man sin entred into the World and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous And that I may speak more distinctly of the matter I shall inquire in to these particulars 1. Who were the first sinners among men and by whom sin entered into the World 2. What was the first sin 3. What were the causes and occasions of Adams first transgression 4. What were the sad effects and consequents of this sin and breach of the Covenant First Upon our first Parents Secondly Upon us their Posterity 1. We shall inquire who were the first sinners among men and by whom sin entred into the World Adam and Eve the first Man and first Woman were certainly among men the first transgressors as may appear by those places before cited Gen. 3. And Rom 5.12 And the Apostle tells us 1 Tim. 2.14 Adam was not deceived that is First and by the Devil and so as to draw Eve into transgression but the woman being deceived was first * Thâ—â—gh Eve was first in the trangression yet Adam was the chief and therefore Adam is sometimes taken collectively both for man and woman in the transgression and drew Adam into it Hosea 6.7 God says of the unfaithful Israelites They like Adam have transgressed the Covenant And 2 Cor. 11.3 We read that the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty viz. To eat of the forbidden fruit and she persuaded Adam to eat also It therefore we trace corruption and depravation to the well-head we shall find we cannot stay any where till we come to the first Man the common Parent and Root of us all And 't is very evident that the first Fountain of mankind was corrupted seeing all the streams are so 2. Let us consider what was the first sin God made our first Parents holy and happy and whilst they performed their duty they could not but be happy But the Devil having fallen from God himself as we have seen before Sect 3. and envying our first Parents their present happiness he sets upon Eve to draw her from her obedience to God And the temptation he spred before her is this you shall be as God He pretends to acquaint her with a way whereby they might raise themsâ—lves to a higher condition than that wherein they were at present They should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like God himself or like Angels they should be lifted up to a higher estate than now they enjoyed And this happiness he tells them they might acquire by eating of that Tree in the midst of the Garden which God had forbidden them which he intimates would be so far from procuring death or misery to a them that it had a contrary virtue in it namely to raise them to higher state of happiness than now they enjoyed Eve being caught by this subtil device began to believe this Serpent who thus proves himself a Lyar and a Murderer from the beginning and to dâ— believe God and to doubt the truth of his threatning and commination who Gen. 2.17 had told Adam Of that Tree thou shalt not eat for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die Evâ— being thus won upon by the Dâ—vils temptation did venture to eâ—t of this sorbidden fruit and dreâ— Adam to eat also So that infiâ—elity and doubting of the truth of Gods word and threatnings tâ—rough the Devils insinuation and pride and affection of an hâ—gher estate seem to be the first miscarriages and sins of Adam and Eve O the cursed Nature of pride and unbelief How soon did these â—â—ns enter into the very Angels How soon did they undo our first Parents 3. Let us inqâ—ire what were the causes and occasions of Adams sin 1. God was not The pure and holy Nature of God could not be the Original of mans sin The Holy God cannot be the cause of any unholiness God indeed permitted man to fall seeing he knew how to bring good out of it But he inclin'd him not to it 2. Neither external Objects nor the temptations of Satan could necâ—ssitate the will of man to sin The Devil might persuade but could not force 3. The persuading cause in respect of Eve was Satan in the form of a Serpent The Devil opened the Serpents mouth and caused it to speak with mans voice as an Angel opened the mouth of Balaams Ass Numb 22.28 Now the Serpents cunning may appear in this 1. He first assaults the Woman not the Man 2. He equivocates about knowing good and evil which he represents to her as a state of perfection Whereas the forbidden Tree was called the Tree of knowledge because Adam if he did eat thereof should experimentally know to his sorrow from how much good he had fallen and how much evil he had brought upon himself 3. He uses Eve a Companion newly made for Adam and surely very dear to him to draw in her Husband 4. Man being not created at first immutably Holy but defectible and sin being only a defect a person that was mutable and defectibly Holy as Adam was might fall into sin 'T was no strange thing that Man should be created defectible and being a defectible and
satisfaction made to a just God It contains reconciliation without which God cannot be conceived to remit It comprehendeth satisfaction without which God was resolved not to be reconciled Christ by his death hath reconciled God unto us who was before offended by our sins His death was ordained to be a propitiation for us and to render God propitious to us The punishment which Christ endured was a full satisfaction to the Will and Justice of God He gave his life a ransome for many Matth. 20.28 Now a ransome is a price given to redeem such as are any way in captivity or any thing laid down by way of compensation to take off an obligation whereby he who was before bound becometh free Christ bought us and the price he paid for us was his own blood and that blood was a full and perfect satisfaction unto God And as the offence is augmented as we said before by the dignity of the person against whom the offence is committed so the value and dignity of that which is given by way of compensation is enhaunced according to the dignity of the person who makes that satisfaction If therefore we consider on our side the nature and obligation of sin and on Christs side the satisfaction made and reconciliation wrought we shall easily perceive how God forgiveth Sins and in what the remission of them consisteth Christ taking upon him the nature of man and offering himself a Sacrifice to God for mans sin giveth that unto God for and instead of the everlasting punishment due to man which is more valuable and acceptable unto God than that punishment could be and so maketh a sufficient compensation and satisfaction to God for the sins of man Which sacrifice God accepting releases the offence and becomes reconciled unto man He performing the conditions required of him and for the punishment which Christ endured taketh off mans obligation to eternal punishment And in this act of God consisteth the forgiveness of sins 7. Let us consider what is required of them who may expect this great priviledge and blessedness the remission of all our sins The things required of them are these 1. True Repentance Of which see Chap. 2. of the second part of Knowledge and Practice 2. Faith in Christ Of which see Chap. 3. of the same Treatise 3. Sincere obedience unto Christ Heb. 5.9 He is the author of eternal Salvation to all that obey him 4. A readiness and willingness to forgive others who have done us wrong Matth. 6.14 15. For if ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you But if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses Mark 11.25 And when ye stand praying forgive if ye have ought against against any that your Father also which is Heaven may forgive you your trespasses Having thus in brief explained the Doctrine of remission of sins it will possibly seem requisite that I should add a few things more for the fuller explanation of so great an Article which we are all so much concerned clearly and distinctly to understand In order hereunto I shall further consider these three things 1. What is meant in Scripture by Justification 2. What is the procuring cause thereof 3. How any come to be partakers thereof For the first Justification and remission of Sins in the Scripture are one and the same thing * See Acts 13.38 39. Matth. 26.28 Eph. 1.7 Acts 10.43 Rom. 5.19 In some texts of Scripture we are said to be justified by Christ In others that we obtain remission of Sins by Christ In others that we are made righteous by Christ By which expressions one and the same thing is intended For Justification is a discharging us from the guilt of all our sins and an acquitting us from the challenges of the Law and a constituting us righteous before God not qualitative by making us inherently righteous with such a perfect righteousness as is Gods Justice-proof for by such a righteousness no Son of fallen Adam can be justified as we shall shew afterwards but it is a constituting us righteous in the sight of God or a judicial absolving of us upon the account of satisfaction given and accepted on our behalf and though Justification principally consists in our pardon and the remission of our sins yet there are other blessings also springing from it For those whom God justifies he sanctifies whom he sanctifies here he will also glorifie hereafter 2. Let us consider the procuring cause of our pardon and justification The procuring cause of it is the Satisfaction made to Divine Justice by the active and passive obedience of Christ And that we may understand this the more clearly let us take into our consideration these particulars 1. The Law or Covenant of Works required of our first Parents perfect and sinless obedience upon pain of death But they transgressing fell under the curse and condemnation of the Law However it pleased God of his infinite mercy that the Law should not be immediately executed upon them And yet he did not abrogate it but only relax it as to the right of it by introducing another Covenant viz. the Covenant of grace 2. By this second Covenant or Covenant of Grace no Son of fallen Adam can be justified with the justification of an innocent person or as one perfectly and inherently righteous For such persons if they should be challenged are justified because they are found without fault or blame and their justification is nothing but a declaration of their righteousness and innocence But by this Covenant of grace we must be justified as sinners and offenders upon a satisfaction made to the justice of God for our sins For offenders can no other way be brought into the state of just men but upon a legal pardon and discharge And so we may be said to be justified when the compensation or satisfaction made for us is accepted and we thereupon are legally pardoned discharged 3. This Compensation or Satisfaction made to the justice of God in our behalf is made by the active and passive obedience of Christ and the whole of our justification is founded thereon I say the active as well as the passive obedience of Christ is here to be reckoned as concurring hereunto For though Christ when he had once assumed our nature and was made Man was bound to obey the Law yet in that he voluntarily came from Heaven and voluntarily took our nature and so voluntarily put himself under the obligation of the Law this consideration makes his active obedience also meritorious These two are therefore joyntly to be considered in this matter For Christ voluntarily took on him the office of a mediator He was not compelled to it Indeed when he was man he was obliged as a man A creatures homage was due from him when he had assumed our nature but it was his own free choice that brought him into that state and condition From
burden insupportable some of them have called it the burden of Issacar that they cannot be permitted to live as they list or that they should be barred of any of Christs Ordinances or that any should controul them 17. When they are excessively hard and difficult to be pleased and are too ridged exacters of observance and respect from their inferiors 18. When they love others not according to their true worth but according to the measure of respect which they shew to them 19. Proud persons are usually most injurious both in words and actions towards weak adversaries 20. Proud persons are very resentful of any injuries either reall or supposed done to them and when they are wronged they look for great submission and satisfaction 21. Pride makes people exceeding loath to be beholding to others Some will almost starve rather than make their wants known 22. The Pride of the heart very often shews and manifests its self in the vanity of the garb and attire 23. Pride many times makes people to slight the Ministers and Messengers of God and to hear their teachers as Judges not as Learners 24. Pride very often makes those in place apt to domineer over their inferiours and to think of the dignity of their places more than of the duty they owe to God and the people in those places 25. Pride makes people spend profusely for their credit or reputations sake But when an object of Charity calls they are backward enough Their estates are more at the command of their credit than at the command of God or charity And so much of the second Particular namely what pride is and what are the signs and evidences of it I come now to the third viz. 3. To shew the great evil malignity and danger of it And this I shall represent to you in sundry particulars 1. Consider that Pride is a very ruining sin It undid Angels 1 Tim. 3.6 and our first Parents It overthrew the Tower of Babel drowned Pharaoh prostrated Goliah hanged Haman destroyed Senacharib made Nebuchadnezzar like a beast caused Herod to be eaten up with lice Prov. 15.25 God threatens that He will destroy the house of the Proud 2. 'T is a very disquieting sin 1. 'T is a great disquieter of a mans own Soul Every little thing casts a proud man into a passion It renders his life miserable and puts him in the power of any man to be his tormentor A small neglect or affront disorders a proud man even almost to distraction A remarkable instance hereof we have in Haman Esther 3.5 2. It is a great disquieter of others a great occasion of disquiet in private families and so likewise in Parishes it makes men very firebrands in the places where they live It makes them full of animosity against those that cross them in any thing and full of envy at those that are above them And so in Church and State none so troublesome as proud persons Look also upon the lamentable effects of it in the world O cursed Pride thou child of the Devil how dost thou set the whole world on fire what woful divisions contentions and mischiefs dost thou cause where thou prevailest 3. Pride usually blasts parts It blinds the mind and makes people over confident of their own conceits 'T is also very frequently the high-way to Apostacy Mark those that are proud in a Parish or family and if there come any infection of schism or heresie near them they are commonly the first that catch it 4. Pride commonly hates fraternal admonition and reproof and so keeps off the proper remedy and means of amendment and reformation 5. 'T is the mother of many other sins as of revenge oppression and hard and injurious dealing 6. 'T is a very extensive sin 'T is apt to shoot it self into our whole conversation yea which is saddest of all to creep into our best duties There is scarce a good action we do but this cursed flye will be apt to get into it and poyson it if we take not great care * Sâ—pâ—rbia maxime timâ—nda in recte actis Luth. and watch our hearts very strictly 7. 'T is a great impediment to conversion It obstructs saving illumination A proud person is hardly convinced of the greatness of his Sins Original sâ—n will scarce be acknowledged by him and he thinks but slightly and diminitively of his actual Sins such a person is hardly brought to see the necessity of conversion and his absolute need of a Saviour And so much of the great evil and danger of this Sin 4. I come now in the fourth place to give some remedies and directions against it 1. Enter into a serious consideration of thy own vileness * E Coelo descendit Nosce teipsum Consider the infirmities weaknesses and sicknesses of thy body but especially the great depravedness of thy Soul Want of due and serious consideration and descending into a mans self is the great cause of Pride Meditate on thy manifold sins and the deserts of them and meditate on thy weaknesses and miseries and then tell me whether thou hast any cause to be proud 2. Often meditate on the glorious nature and attributes of God on his infinite greatness holiness and purity and tha is one good means to abase thee and make thee to abhor thy self Job 42.5 6. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now mine eye seeth thee Wherefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes 3. Consider how d declares that he hates abhors and resists a proud person nd he must needs fall whom God sets himself against He resists the proud but his grace and favour is towards the lowly Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord Prove 16.5 4. Look upon the great imperfection of thy graces and thy manifold failings even in thy best duties Ex ignorantia tui venit superbia Ignorance of thy self is the cause of thy Pride 5. Look upon our humble Saviour Nulla creatura humilior Deo sayes Laurentius excellently The most powerful sight in the world for the humbling of the soul is a Crucified Saviour What an example of humility hath he left us His whole life was a constant Lecture of Humility He condescended so low as to wash his Disciples feet John 13. Non ex officio sed ex amore in exemplum as one sayes upon the place 6. Look on the holy Angels how they humble themselves and condescend to minister for the good of the people of God who are so much their inferiors 7. Look upon the examples of the most eminent Saints and you will find they were eminent in this grace of humility See instances hereof in Abraham Gen. 18.27 Behold now I have taken upon me to speak to the Lord who am but dust and ashes In Jacob Gen. 32.10 I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies which thou hast shewed unto thy servant for with my staff I passed
things of the flesh sayes the Apostle Rom. 8.5 There are some who too much delight in eating and feeding making their belly their God like Philoxenus who wished he had the neck of a Crane that he might have the longer delight in swallowing and tasting his meat and drink These people should remember that the flesh is one of the enemies they are engaged by their baptism to fight against and therefore should not pamper it unto wantonness 2. Want of due understanding what is truly conducing to health and to the furthering of us in our duty towards God and man A decaying body ought carefully to be supported but an unruly body ought carefully to be subdued And they that do not duly consider their own constitution and what is the duty incumbent upon them in reference to their particular Temper and the state of their bodies will be apt to erre in this matter 3. Making appetite the rule and measure of our eating and drinking whereas appetite was given to us to make that grateful to us which reason bids us to eat and not to be our measure Many a mans appetite is stronger than his concoction and many healthful people have an appetite to more than they ought to eat or than nature can well digest We see in Swine and many greedy Children that they would many times even kill themselves with eating if they had not the reason of others to govern them Appetite therefore is not to be our rule either for quantity or quality of meats but reason in this as in other things is to be our guide and governor When reason hath nothing against it then appetite sheweth what is most agreeable to nature and what the Stomach is like best to close with and digest But God hath given us reason as well as appetite and though as the common saying is * Venter non habet aures the belly and the appetite hath no ears yet reason should make them hear yea and obey too 4. The exceeding deliciousness and pleasantness of some meats tempts the appetite to desire more than nature requires So the quality oftentimes tempts and invites to an excess in quantity 5. The evil custom of urging and importuning others to eat more than they have a desire unto This is many times a great cause of Gluttony We are all more prone to exceed than to fall short and we need no incitation to eat our own appetite is apt to incite us too much But many people think it a piece of civility to urge importune and almost force their friends to eat though they will not urge them in the like kind to drink more than they have a mind unto And so much of the causes of Gluttony 3. I come now to the third thing I propounded to speak to namely the great evil and danger of this sin And this I shall shew in sundry particulars 1. 'T is a great enemy to the Body Plures gula * Quicquid avium volitat quicquid pisâ—ium natat quicquid ferarum discurrit nostris sepelitur ventribus Sen. quam gladius The throat hath killed more than the sword Many men dig their graves with their teeth and dye because they put not the knife to the throat (a) Prov. 23.1 Pone cuâ—trum i. e. modum adhibe gulae tuae eamque velut cultro gutturi infixo refraena Menech How hard soever it hath gone with some people in the World at some particular times yet more have been killed by their own Gluttony than ever were starved to death through want It may well be supposed that a little more than half the quantity of meat and drink which many people take would afford them as lasting and as healthful a state of body as the over measure they ordinarily use Intemperate men are Valetudinis suae proditores as he said betrayers of their own health For Gluttony though it kills not suddenly yet it doth it surely and certainly like the Dropsie of which 't is said it killeth as it filleth that is by degrees and insensibly Gluttony fills the body with crudities which are the root of most sicknesses There are few diseases but are the effects of Gluttony or excess in drinking 't is excess that commonly breeds them and layes the matter and foundation of them And if this were well understood I wonder that wicked men if they do not believe a life to come yet should not be affraid of shortning this their present life by their intemperance 2. 'T is a great enemy to the mind and to all the exercises operations and imployments of it both religious and civil It makes men heavy drousie dull and shathfull The body ought to be the instrument of the Soul in the service of God But Gluttony makes it a clog to the Soul and exceedingly indisposes it for the duties we owe either to God or man 3. Gluttony is a great symptom of a carnal mind and a carnal mind is enmity against God as the Apostle tells us Rom. 8.7 And that which opposes God is sure to be destroy'd And the spirit of God further assures us at the thirteenth verse of that Chapter that they that live after the flesh shall dye and that not only a temporal death but except they be converted an eternal death also 4. It breeds lust and furthers the power of concupiscence As dunging the ground makes it fruitful especially in weeds so Gluttony fills the mind with the weeds of filthy thoughts filthy desires and inclinations and thence come filthy words and filthy actions He therefore that feeds his body high does plainly and evidently pamper his enemy but he that beats down his body and keeps it in subjection as the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 9.27 by fasting and abstinence takes a right course to mortifie the lusts of the Flesh 5. 'T is a shameful abuse of Gods good creatures which are given us for our use Would you not think those men exceeding blame-worthy who should take good and wholsome meat and throw it into the channel or sink Gluttons by their great excess do that which is much worse For they not only abuse Gods good creatures by their exâ—ess and riot but they thereby hurt their own bodies also 6. 'T is a most ungrateful sin It carries Gods good provisions over to his enemy even to the strengthning of fleshly lusts and turneth them all against the giver of them Is it not a horrible disingenuous thing so to provoke and dishonour God with his own mercies Pride Idleness fullness of Bread and hard-heartedness to the poor were the provoking sins of Sodom Ezek. 16 49. 7. 'T is a kind of idolatry to mind the belly inordinately The Apostle tells us of some Phil. 3.19 whose belly was their God And such persons worship a craving God that will not let them alone except they serve him 8. A gluttonous appetite maketh our very table become a snare to us Deut. 6.11 12. When thou hast eaten and art full
should we tempt people to eat more than they judge conducing to their health 9. Look upon the practice of the ancient Christians those great patterns of Abstinence They were much in fasting and prayer and strangers to Gluttony and excess Nay among the Heathens themselves we may find some great examples of temperance in this kind We read of the Platonick Suppers that were frugal and learned They cared not so much to fill the bellies as the minds of their Guests Their meat was good and sufficient but their discourse better We read also what Socrates said to his friends at his moderate Supper If ye be vertuous this will suffice If ye be not ye are not worthy of this And we read of some famous men of old who to divert and keep them from intemperance in this kind used to have some good Book read to them at their Tables that minding what was read might make them less mind their appetite This is reported particularly of Pomponius Atticus and Carolus Magnus and this custome came afterwards into Colledges and Religious houses and is observed in some of them at this day 10. Go sometime into the houses of the Poor and see what mean sare and provisions they live upon The very sight of a poor mans diet now and then methinks in all likelihood should do a voluptuous Glutton good Seeing affecteth more than hear-say 11. Yet after all that hath been said take heed of running into the contrary extream place not more Religion in external abstinence and fastings than you ought to do Do not think that abstaining from flesh on such and such dayes and glutting your selves with fish or other delightful meats is pleasing to God or acceptable in his sight Neither think that abstinence from meats will prove you holy without abstinence from sin Where hath God required of you that you must eat no Flesh for forty dayes together at one time of the year or for two or three dayes in a week God hath indeed injoyned us temperance at all times And every one should duly consider his own constitution and temper and how far either eating or fasting may be a help and furtherance to him in his duty towards God and so without raising perplexing scruples to himself make use of them accordingly CHAP. V. Of Drunkenness IN treating of this subject I shall proceed in this method 1. I shall shew what is to be esteemed Drunkenness 2. What are the causes of it 3. The heinousness of this sin 4. Shall answer the vain excuses that persons addicted to this vice do usually make for themselves 5. Shall give some remedies and directions against it For the First What is to be esteemed Drunkenness Drunkenness is a voluptuous excess in drink to the depravation of reason Drunkenness and Gluttony are sins much of the same nature only there is this difference The understanding usually is more hurt and the reason more disturbed by excess in drink than by excess in meat Drunkenness doth usually more brutifie a man and make him more like a beast than excess in eating doth and so is a more scandalous sin And therefore humane Laws have provided a penalty against Drunkenness but not against Gluttony Now Drunkenness in the largest sence extendeth both to the affection and to the effect He is a Drunkard reputatively and in the sight of God who would drink to excess if he had it and would lie at the Ale-house or Tavern and drink as others do but cannot by reason of his want of money so that he is not restrained by his will * Voluntas est homo nihil aliud sumus nisi voluntates August but by his necessity And further you must observe that 't is not only the highest degree of drunkenness that is to be called by that name but lower degrees of it also that disturb and disorder the reason and understanding of a man may justly so be called There are several degrees of drunkenness short of the highest They that drink beyond what nature or moderate refreshment require and spend whole dayes or a great part of them at Taverns or Ale-houses at that vile exercise of drinking though they do not drink themselves drunk and can bear it and carry it away better than others yet they are very culpable in the sight of God Some men that can bear much drink without intoxication may be more guilty in the sight of God of excess than others who by a small quantity upon a surprize are drunk before they are aware He that hath by drinking disturbed his reason and disabled and hindred it from the performance of its proper work and office is drunken in some degree But he that hath quite disabled it is stark drunk I know it will here be said that a glass of wine or strong beer moderately taken is many times very useful to give a man an assistant alacrity in his work and duty and the service God requires of him No doubt a man may lawfully add the refocillation refreshment and alacrity to his Spirits which maketh him more ready and chearful in the duties of his general or particular calling But the excess is that which we here speak against as that which is alwayes to be avoided And so much of the first particular what drunkenness is 2. We come now to inquire into the causes of drunkenness And we shall find there are many causes of it 1. An inordinate love unto and an eager appetite after drink which some have brought themselves unto by their deboshes and excesses These persons have so much of the brute in them and so little of the man that their appetite is quite too hard for their reason They will tell you possibly that they know they should abstain but they cannot and why can they not namely for want of a resolved will And thus going on in this wicked course their immoderate appetite to drink draws them to drink till they are drunk and that drunkenness causeth a praeternatural thirst and that thirst a new drunkenness and so adding drunkenness to hiâ—st Deut. 29.19 They by degrees inslave themselves to this vice 2. Love of good fellowship as they call it and merry company where they drive away all thoughts that favour of sound reason the fear of God or care of their Souls They love such company where they may talk their pleasure over their cups and may laugh and scoff at those that are seriously Religious and dare not do as they do But alass the end of such mirth what is it but heaviness and grief and vexation of spirit Poor Wretches Is this the merriment you so much covet and delight in keep it to your selves No wise or good man envies you or would be your Partner in it upon any terms Were I your enemy I would not wish you so much harm and misery as you voluntarily choose for your selves 3. Slight thoughts of this sin not considering that 't is one of the black list which excludes
out of Heaven 1 Cor. 6.9 10. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Be not deceived neither Fornicators nor Idolaters nor Adulterers nor Effeminate nor abusers of themselves with Mankind nor Thieves nor Covetous nor Drunkards nor Revilers nor Extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God And yet notwithstanding this dreadful sentence denounced by God in his holy word against this sin there are some so vile and miserably depraved as to think it a piece of bravery to drink stoutly and a sign of a strong brain to be able to bear much drink and a great conquest over another man to drink him down not considering in the mean time that while they conquer others in this vile manner at their Cups they themselves are shamefully conquered and overcome by the Devil 4. Not considering nor understanding the extreme hurt that this kind of excess does unto their bodies They apprehend not how much it spoils the temper of their stomachs ruines their health and ordinarily shortens their lives 5. Another great cause of drunkenness is idleness They that are of an idle sloathful temper and love not to take pains in an honest calling usually seek out idle companions like themselves and so that they may drive away the time as they call it they go a potting together 6. Another very frequent cause of drunkenness is that vile custome of drinking Healths and constraining others to pledge them which constrains many a man to drink more than he should There are many reasons may be alledged against this evil custome 1. To urge a Health is a great and unsufferable usurpation * Peccatum est provocare ad aequales Calices nec fas est respondere Lessius de Justitia jure Lib. 4. c. 3. upon another Why may not another enjoyn me to eat as much and as big pieces and portions as he eats as well as injoyn me to drink * Una salus sanis nullam potare salutem Non est in potâ vera salute salus as full bowls and as many glasses as he drinks 'T is very likely that I can neither eat nor drink so much as he And what authority hath he over me to compel me to it In Ahasuerus's feast Hester 1.8 none was to be compelled to drink more or oftner than it pleased him and shall we that profess our selves Christians be worse than civil Pagans 2. 'T is unreasonable that my health and consequently my life should be at the mercy of another ma◠which it must needs be if he may compell me to drink so much as will destroy my health as is frequently done How many have gotten a great fit of sickness and some their death by one drunken bout And besides If I to comply with anothers drunken humor who begins an health should drink so much as to make may self sick besure he will neither feel my pains nor pay my Physician nor answer to God for my sin 3. We ought not to incourage others to drink more than is fit as the custom of pledging Healths manifestly does Possibly another would not have pledged the healths that went about if he had seen me stick at it and not to have done it before him My example may in all likelihood have induced him the rather to do it And why should I be accessary to draw another man into intemperance And possibly had I stoutly refused it it might have prevented the urging of any more healths at that time and so I might have prevented a great deal of evil And further why should I encourage such a vile custome as makes it a crime and an high offence against civility and good manners to refuse a health when I have so much reason to do it Surely all manifest occasions and provocations to sin ought to be avoided as the Apostle tells us Eph. 5.11 Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them 'T is notoriously known that healthing is a frequent occasion of drunkenness and not of that only but of quarrelling fighting and sometimes of murder also And why should I encourage such a custome which is the occasion of so much mischief I do not say 't is simply evil in it self to drink a glass of wine or keep off my hat whilst another is remembred But by accident it may be evil namely if I thereby encourage an evil custom which is a great occasion of drunkenness and give scandal and offence to such who upon that account have a great aversation to it Yet so it may happen that this accident may be outweighed and overballanced by a greater accident namely if I see my life in apparant danger if I refuse it And any other accident which will really out-weigh the former hurtful accident may make it lawful As in some cases and companies the offence given by denying it may possibly be such as will do more hurt far than the yielding to it would do As in that case when a mans loyalty to the King is laid upon it though I confess it is a very unreasonable thing to make that a Test of Loyalty which many good men and very faithful and loyal to the King do scruple and which his Majesty himself in his first Proclamation after his return declared against yet I say if such a thing should happen then Christian Prudence must be the present decider of the case by considering whether more good or evil be like to ensue thereupon and must determine accordingly To be bare when others lay the honour of our superiors upon it is a ceremony which on the foresaid reasons may be complied with But when to avoid a greater evil we are extraordinarily put on any such ceremony 't is fit we should add some such words as may declare upon what account we do it that so we may prevent scandal and offence But the best way of all is to avoid as much as possibly we can such company as are like to put us upon these scruples and inconveniencies And so much of the causes of drunkenness 3. I come now to shew the heinousness of this sin which will the better appear to us if we consider these following Particulars 1. 'T is a high provoking offence against God who hath declared his high displeasure against it in his holy word Let drunkards read these places and tremble Isa 5.11 22. Wo unto them that rise up early in the morning that they may follow strong drink that continue until night till wine inflame them Wo unto them that are mighty to drink wine and men of strength to mingle strong drink Habakkuk 2.15 Wo unto him that giveth his neighbour drink that putteth his bottle to him and maketh him drunken that he may look on his nakedness Isay 28.1 Wo to the Crown of Pride the drunkards of Ephraim c. and Verse 7. They have erred through wine and through strong drink are out of the way the Priest and the Prophet
have erred through strong drink they are swallowed up of wine they are out of the way terough strong drink they erre in vision they stumble in judgement Prov. 20.1 Wine is a mocker and strong drink is raging and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise Prov. 23.29 30 31 32. Who hath wo Who hath sorrow Who hath contentions Who hath babling Who hath wounds without cause Who hath redness of eyes They that tarry long at the wine they that go to seek mixt wine Look not thou upon the wine when it is red when it giveth its colour in the cup when it moveth it self aright At the last it biteth like a Serpent and stingeth like an Addar Luke 21.34 Take heed to your selves lâ—st at any time your hearts be over-charged with surfeiting and drunkenness and the cares of this life and so that day come upon you unawares Rom. 13.13 14. Let us walk honestly as in the day not in rioting and drunkenness not in chambering and wantonness not in strife and envying But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof 2. It greatly hurts the mind the Prophet tells us Hos 4.11 that Whoredom and Wine and new Wine take away the heart that is they besot the understanding O what a wonder of sottishness and stupidity is an habitual drunkard whose filthy mind closes with sin and vanity but is wholly averse to any thing that is wise and holy such a frame of mind renders a man unfit for prayer reading meditating or any good and religious duty And such persons are usually very foolish also in ordering their very worldly affairs and concerns 3. It greatly hurts the body Excess causeth indigestion and indigestion causeth crudities and crudities are the cause of most diseases Hence proceed vitious humors and a multitude of sicknesses and distempers Gout Dropsie Stone Apoplexy and many times Consumption are the fruits of this kind of excess And therefore O Drunkard if thou art so sottish as not to fear Hell yet methinks the fear of the Gout or Dropsie Consumption or Apoplexy should deter thee from this vice 4. It unfits and disables a man not only for the service of God but the duties of his particular calling Should we take it well to have our horse or beast which we in kindness lent to our neighbour for his use and benefit to be lamed and spoiled by him and made unfit for our service Why then shouldst thou unfit and disable thy self to serve God in thy particular calling who gave thee all thy faculties and abilities have we not heard it often said of some men that they were very able and useful in their profession till they fell to that vile trade of drinking and company-keeping and since that they are become meer sots and good for nothing 5. 'T is a great wast and mispence of Gods good creatures O drunkard thou vilely and basely consumest the good creatures of God that are given thee for thy necessity refreshment and comfort and not to abuse to luxury Wine was given to cheer the heart and not to oppress it to comfort the stomach and not to load it There is oftentimes more drink sinfully spent at one mad revelling meeting than would maintain several poor families many weeks or moneths When our Saviour at the marriage at Cana turned water into wine that the Feast might be furnished with sufficient plenty Joh. 2.7 Surely he did not intend that they should abuse that plenty Indeed there may be a more free and liberal use of the creature at one time than at another provided it exceed not the bounds of sobriety Wine was given to make glad the heart of man Psal 104.15 And so far as it delighteth and refresheth us and more fits us for our duty we may make use of it Give strong drink unto them that are ready to perish and wine to those that be of heavy hearts sayes the wise man Prov. 31.6 7. Thus and no otherwise I suppose 't is said of Josephs brethren that they drank and were merry * Primum poculum necessitatis sanitatis secundum voluptatis hiloritatis tertium ebrietatis insaniae Ancharsis Gen. 43.34 6. It occasions the wast of a great deal of pretious time which should be better imployed Those that are given to drinking and company-keeping how many dayes and nights or at least great part of them do they spend in that wicked way And what a sad account will such persons have to give to God of their time so spent 7. It blots the name and brings a stain and reproach upon it Indeed it is not only a dishonour to the Christian profession but a shame to even humane nature There is hardly a more ugly loathsome sight in the World than to see a reeling staggering staring shewing Drunkard O drunkard thou destroyest thy reason * Nihil aliud est Ebrietas quam voluntaria insania Sen. which is the glory of thy nature and the natural part of Gods image in thy mind Thou dost plainly dehominate and unman thy self Involuntary madness I confess deserveth pity and compassion but voluntary madness the severest scourging Non homo sed amphora said one of drunken Bonasus He is not a man but a barrel They say in Spain a drunkard is not allowed for a witness against any man as being not a credible person or a man whose testimony is to be valued Regard therefore thy reputation if thou wilt not regard thy Soul 8. It horribly consumes and wasts the estate and hinders charity to the poor He that prodigally spends his money in wine or strong drink cannot relieve the poor as he ought to do He that loveth wine sayes Solomon Prov. 21.17 Shall not be rich that is he that loves it inordinately is like to bring himself thereby speedily to poverty O wretched drunkards the woful tears and pitiful tears and pitiful complaints of your poor neighbours cannot many times wring one penny from you but at Taverns and Ale-houses you can spend without measure and there be ready in bravery to contend who shall pay most 9. 'T is a great injury to a family not only by reason of the great expence it occasions but by the infectiousness of the example O drunkard thy example may infect many others in thy family and possibly in the neighbour-hood Wouldst thou have thy Wife Children and Servants to be drunkards Surely if all these were given to this vile vice thy house would be a very Bedlam nay worse For in Bedlam there are some wise and discreet persons appointed to govern those that are mad But if thou who art the head of thy Family be a drunkard who shall govern thy mad family if they be all like to thy self 10. Drunkenness is usually the cause of many other sins When the drink is in we use to say the wit is out what horrid sins does the Devil then tempt men to commit
and willing to pay in case the person for whom he is bound cannot For so the person to whom the bond is made looks upon him and if he be not so he deceives him in being bound This being premised I shall now tell you what Solomon sayes of surety-ship Prov. 17.18 A man void of understanding striketh hands and becometh surety in the presence of his friend Chap. 22.28 Be not thou one of them that strike hands or of them that are surety for debts Chap. 11.15 He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it and he that hateth surety-ship is sure Chap. 6. v. 1. My Son if thou be surety for thy friend if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger thou art snared with the words of thy mouth Do this now my Son go humble thy self and make sure thy friend give not sleep to thine eyes nor slumber to thine eye-lids deliver thy self as a Roe from the hand of the Hunter and as a Bird from the hand of the Fowler c. you may see by this what Solomons opinion was of surety-ship The truth is many an easie and good natured man hath been utterly undone by being drawn into bonds for his friend or relation And therefore I think it is not a sign so much of a covetous mind as of a prudent mind to be shy of surety-ship 2. He lives very neerly and sparingly and much under his estate Answ Thou maist surmise his estate to be greater than it is Thou dost not know his losses nor his manifold charges Or it may be having seen the difficulties and dangerous temptations that others have been put upon through want he spares that he may not be exposed to the like temptations Or it may be he spares and in many things denies himself that he may have to give to the poor His frugality is the purse-bearer to his Charity Or possibly he will tell thee who vainly and foolishly spendest thy money that thou dost not know the value of a penny One single penny will buy a yard square of good Land worth twenty pound an acre as may appear by the demonstration in the margin * In every Acre there are a hundred and sixty square Poles or Rods. In every Pole coâ—sisting of five yards and an half there are thirty yards square and one quarter of a yard as may appear by the Diagram hereunto annexed So there are four thousand eight hundred and forty yards square in an Acre which if sold at one penny a yard comes to twenty pound three shillings and four pence and therefore he is not willing to spend his money so idly and prodigally as thou dost And in the last place possibly he will tell thee that he is sparing because as the Proverb goes a penny saved is better than two pence got yet for all that his heart is not set on his riches but he can freely part with his money when God calls for it 3 It does not appear that he is Charitable and liberal to the Poor Answ He may be prudent in well ordering his Charity and Conscientious in observing that rule of Christ Mat. 6.3 When thou givest alms let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth He may possibly give much more to the poor than thou knowest of 4. He layeth up much Answ Thou canst not tell what part of his estate he layeth up yearly nor to what ends The Apostle prescribeth it as a duty belonging to Parents to lay up for their Children 2 Cor. 12.14 and 1 Tim. 5.8 He sayes that if any man provide not for his own house he is worse than an Infidel To conclude all seeing Covetousness is so secret and close a sin and consists chiefly in the inward desires of the heart let us all carefully observe the frame of our own hearts let us be severe and rigid in examining our selves but let us be charitable and candid towards others CHAP. IX Of Anger IN treating of this Subject I shall proceed in this Method 1. I shall speak of the nature of Anger 2. Of the kinds of it 3. Give some directions for the right regulating of it that we may not offend therein 4. Answer the vain excuses that angry persons are apt to make for themselves For the first Anger is an affection by which the blood and spirits are heated upon the apprehension of some injury or wrong offered to us or those for whom we are concerned Or Anger is the rising up of the heart in a passionate displeasure against an evil which we apprehend will cross or hinder us of some desired good 2. Anger is either good or evil according to the circumstances with which it is attended It is good 1. When the cause for which we are angry is good and warrantable and such as we can give a good account of to God Mark 3.5 Jesus looked round about on them with anger being grieved at the hardness of their hearts When we are angry and our anger is accompanied with grief because God is dishonoured or because we see people offend against Piety Justice Humanity or because we see them neglect their duties and hurt their own souls or the Souls of others or do that which is wicked and sinful or prejudicial and hurtful to us or others This is a just cause of Anger 2. When the object is right The object of our anger must not be the Person offending but his offence his vice his sin his immorality his folly his fault These we may be angry at yea hate but not the offenders person 3. When the End is right When the end of our anger and displeasure is that the fault we are angry with may be amended and the Person offending for the future may be warned not to offend in the like kind again 4. When there is no excess in the measure of our anger or the time when our anger is only a rational and temperate displeasure when reason commands it thus far it shall go and no farther when it neither is too hot nor too long Now Anger is good when it is thus qualified and circumstantiated namely when it arises upon a good and justifiable ground when it is directed upon the right object the sin and fault of the offender when it aims at the right end the reformation of the Person offending and when it is neither too hot nor too long but when it fails in these circumstances it is evil 3. I am come now in the third place to give some directions for the right regulating of our anger that we may not offend therein 1. Make account every day that you may meet with many occasions that will be apt to provoke you to anger * Praesume animo multa tibi esse patienda Sen. de ira if you be not very watchful over your self Every morning think with your self that you may that day meet with some cross and finister accidents some unexpected injuries troubles or inconveniencies which