anothers use who can deprive him of them without Intrenchment upon his just Right to whom they are given And then is not he guilty of †Mal. 3.8 Robbing of God which shall take away that and turn it to a secular Use for his own advanrage which was consecrated to Gods holy service Yea though a man that dedicates any thing to God should not do it with a Right intention yet is it the Lords Right after it is consecrated to a Religious Vse And therefore Christ calls the Temple built by Herod for vain glory his Fathers HOUSE and whips out them that profan'd it * 1 John 2.15 16. Much more will God scourge with his judgements those that under the pretence of Religion commit Sacriledge 'T was one of the Laws of the twelve Tables in Rome Sacrum Sacrove commendatum qui clepserit rapseritve Parricida esto †Cic. pro Rosc Let him that stealeth or violently taketh away holy things or things dedicated to a holy Use be reputed and punished as a Parricide And should Sacriledge be esteemed a lesse Crime amongst Christians then it was amongst Heathens shall we think it a lesse sinne to rob the true God the * Gen. 1.1 Ps 124.8 Creator of Heaven and Earth whose †Eph. 2.10 Workmanship we are for his * Psal 119.73 hands have made and fashion'd us then they did to rob their false gods which were so created by men to defraud their Idols which were the †Ps 115.4 work of mens hands being but * Ezek. 20.32 Wood and Stone or at the best but †Psa 135.15 Silver and Gold Surely if they to expresse the heinousnesse of this sin reckon'd it amongst the vilest murders of Bodies we shall want a sin with which to match it which is in effect a murder of souls It 's sad to think how many thousand souls were murder'd at one stroke when the Revenues of the Church were alienated in many places in England an act then which the Infernal Powers could hardly have decreed any thing more Diabolical and Destructive to the Kingdome of Christ however pretended for the purging of the Land from Superstition and spiritual Tyranny For have not many thousand souls by this means eternally perisht in their sinnes who for want of a competent maintenance for a sound and able Ministry have never enjoy'd the Means of Grace and Salvation but have sat down in Darknesse and the shadow of Death under an ignorant unprofitable and scandalous soul-murthering Ministry maintain'd by some broken reversions of those rich Revenues which were cut off from the Church by that cursed Sacriledge Doubtlesse the Blood of thousands of soules will give Testimony to the truth hereof at the Day of Judgement to the eternal confusion of such damned Sacrilegists who if they escap't punishment in this present Life shall be overtaken with the Wrath and Vengeance of God in the world to come Of this great evil does Calvin complain upon account of the Alienation of Abby-Lands and other depredations made upon the Churches revenues here in England in his Epistle to Cranmer Arch-Bishop of Canterbury as a mighty obstruction to the prosperous successe of the Gospel and Hindrance of the flourishing of the Christian Religion For sayes he Id quo minus fiat occultis quidem artibus obsistit Satan Unum tamen apertum obstaculum esse intelligo quod praedae expositi sunt Ecclesiae Reditus Malum sane intolerabile That this might not be Satan by his secret slights prevailes to the raising of a strong resistance But one thing I understand is an open Obstacle and that is that a Sacrilegious Rape is committed upon the Churches Revenues This is indeed a mischief intolerable And therefore it was both wise and holy Counsel and worthy of a Christian Prince which Christopher of Wittenberg gave to Andrew an eminent Divine in his Dominion when he was sent for by Lodwick Count of Oeting for his advice in some special concernments in the Church that if Count Lodwick should set upon a REFORMATION that under the Pretence of Religion he might rob God and by seizing upon the Revenues of the Church under the pretence of suppressing SUPERSTITION because they were anciently given for the maintenance of Monasteries turn them to his own private use and advantage he should presently leave him as a SACRILEGIOUS Person and come back to his own Countrey How strange is it that such Sacrilegious Persons should go on secure in their sins without fearing the judgement of God which is at their heeles in pursuit of them What a sad end befel Cardinal Woolsey that first began to enrich himself by Lands given to Monasteries And what a revenging hand pursu'd his five chief Agents that were most serviceable to him in that Sacrilegious Enterprize One of them kill'd his fellow in a Duel and was hang'd for it a third drowned himself in a Welâ— a fourth fell from a great estate to extreame Beggery Dr. Allen the last and chiefest of them being made Arch-Bishop of Dublin was cruelly slaine by his Adversaries Whereupon sayes the * Scultâ—t Relator of this sad Story Utinam his similibus Exemplis edocti discant homines res semel Deo consecratas timidè attrectare O that these and such like Examples might teach men to be afraid to meddle with such things as have at any time been consecrated unto God But judgement does not alwayes fall upon the Person but is sometimes reserv'd for the Posterity of those who have stain'd their hands with the guilt of Sacriledge Dionysius of Syracuse was wont to make a Mock of Sacriledge a sinne he thought he might boldly jest with as having made it his Familiar Amongst the rest he took a golden Vestment from the statue of Jupiter Olympius and instead thereof put a Cloak of cloth upon it saying Gold was too heavy for Summer and too cold for Winter but this would suit well with either Season Some have pretended the Churches good in taking away her Gâ—â—ments of Gold as if while her cloathing is of wrought Gold she can never be all glorious within †Ps 45.13 Now might not all men expect some remarkable judgement should be inflicted upon this Sacrilegious Tyrant Yet herein were mens expectations frustrated For sayes Valerius he underwent not the punishment he deserved But take notice for its worthy our observation of the Divine Conclusion which the Heathen Historian makes hereupon Qui tametsi debita supplicia non exolvit Dedecore tamen Filii mortuus Poenas rependit quas vivus effugerat Lento enim gradu ad Vindictam sui Divina procedit Ira tarditatemque supplicii gravitate compensat * Val. Max. l. 1. c. 1. Though sayes he he suffer'd not the punishment due to his insolency during his Life yet was the DISGRACE of his SON a punishment of his pride and stain to his glory after his Death Thus Divine Justice
2.13 and 5.18 The wicked One Seducers are here so called from their subtile Impostures flattering Illusions and †Eph. 4.14 cunning craftinesse to deceive according to the Import of the word here used They have something of the * Gen. 3.1 Rev. 12.9 subtilty of the old Serpent whose seed and spawn they are The word signifies also a Delusion by means of Witchcraft or Incantation Seducers are a kinde of Sorcerers and Seduction is a kinde of spiritual Witchcraft and Inchantment O foolish Galatians sayes the Apostle †Gal. 3 1. who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the Truth before whose Eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth crucifi'd among you These are they that draw men off from the Waies of Truth into the By-paths of Errour that lead to Destruction * ver 6. These are they which creep into houses and leade captive silly women laden with sinnes led away with diverse Lusts These are they which using a kinde of spiritual sorcery do with Simon Magus †Act. 8.9 10 11. bewitch the People who being taken with their Delusions are ready to cry out These men are the great Power of God Thus they carry as it were in one hand a flaming light and in the other an impoyson'd Cup and so the multitudes that follow them for the one hey cause to drink of the other which causing a spiritual drunkennesse carries them headlong to Eternal Destruction For * 2 Thes 2.10 11 12. Because they received not the Love of the Truth that they might be saved even for this cause doth God send them strong Delusion the Energie of Error †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they should believe a lie that they all might be damned who believed not the Truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse These are the Foxes to which Satan hath ty'd his Fire-brands which if not speedily apprehended and suppressed will soon set all in a flame and cause a fearful combustion both in Church and State When these fiery Comets do appear they usually portend great changes in the Common-wealth and great Calamities to the Church of God These therefore we may well look upon as the Messengers of evil Tidings and the Marks of perillous Times Thus we have seen the persons decipher'd by their several Characters which make the Times perillous Now by a serious survey and a deliberate consideration hereof every soberly wise Christian may easily discerne when these Dayes are come which the Scripture hath foretold shall be perillous Times especially if the State of things also be but duly considered when such persons as these do abound From the Characters therefore of men and the Consideration of the state of things we may drawe the Scripture-Symptomes of Perillous Times and such are these that follow The SYMPTOMES of Perillous Times The first Symptome Prevalency of Impiety THey are Perillous Times Dayes of great Danger When those impieties do exceedingly abound which are high Provocations of Gods Anger This is a Conclusion which may be clearly drawn from all the forementioned Characters When those sins are daily multiply'd against God whereby God is provoked to execute his Judgements upon men When Sin and Wickednesse abounds amongst a people professing true Religion and Godlinesse Thus our Saviour speaking of the last Dayes wherein these Perillous Times should be tells us that then Iniquity should abound * Mat. 24.12 They were evil Dayes perillous Times with the People of Israel when their prevailing Impieties brought down prevailing Judgements When the Land is polluted with sin it 's time it should be purged with Judgement When the iniquity of the Amorites was full †Gen. 15.16 God cut them off and planted the Israelites in their land When the sins of Sodom were come to their height * Gen. 18.20 Fire and Brimstone was rained down upon them from heaven †Gen. 19.24 When the Jews had fill'd Jerusalem with their manifold sins and multiply'd Abominations God caused them to be carry'd away Captives to Babylon * See Jer. Chap. 5. to 16 When men draw iniquity with Cords of Vanity and sin as it were with a Cart-rope †Isa 5.18 they do but pluck down Judgements upon their own Heads crying-Crying-sins are wont to bring down cutting Judgements VVhen the Field is overgrowne with Thornes its time to set it on Fire Mens sins are but Fewel to the Fire of Gods Judgements The Seed of sin brings forth the Fruit of Death 'T is so in a Person 't is so in a Nation This Observation is very often verifi'd by sad Experience Even as I have seen saies Eliphaz in Job * Chap. 4. v. 8 9. They that plow iniquity and sowe wickednesse reap the same The thornes of tribulation grow up from the seeds of sin Though sin at the first bear a sweet Flower it at length grows up to a sharp Thorne VVhen a whole land is sow'n with wickednesse what can we expect the Harvest-Time to be but a Day of Destruction VVhen the Harvest of sinne is ripe God sends forth an Angel with a sharp Sickle to reap the Earth †Rev. 14.14 15. When the Lord of the whole earth hath fenc't a Land about for a Vine-yard to himself and gather'd out the stones thereof and planted it with the choicest Vine and built a Tower in the midst of it and also made a Wine-presse therein and yet notwithstanding all this cost and care when God expects it should bring forth Grapes it shall bring forth wilde Grapes * â—sa 5.2 what do you think will he do to this Vine-yard Let God himself tell you who is as True in his Threatnings as Just in his Iudgements Go to now saith the LORD †Isa 5.5 6 I will tell you what I will do to my Vine-yard I will take away the hedge thereof and it shall be eaten up and break down the wall thereof and it shall be troden down And I will lay it wast It shall not be pruned nor digged but there shall come up Briars and Thornes I will also command the clouds that they raine no raine upon it Thus will God suspend his mercies from an unthankful People and inflict his Iudgements upon a sinful Nation Yea further God will at length send his Angel with a sharp sickle to gather the Clusters of these wilde Grapes So shall they be cast into the great Wine-presse of the wrath of God So is his dealing with sinners Prophetically represented to us in the Holy Scriptures * Rev. 14 â—8 19. when they have filled the earth with the cursed Fruits of sinne And upon the execution of this sentence what follows And sayes the Scripture †Rev. 14.20 the Wine-presse was troden without the City and Blood came out of the Wine-presse even unto the Horse-bridles by the space of a thousand and six hundred Furlongs Thus when a land is polluted with over-flowings of sin it may soon be punished
Communication be Yea yea Nay nay For whatsoever is more then these cometh of evil The Apostle James * Chap. 5. ver 12. further backs this Injunction and earnestly presses this Prohibition But above all things saith he my Brethren Sweare not neither by Heaven neither by the Earth neither by any other Oath but let your Yea be yea and your Nay nay lest ye fall into Condemnation How strange it is that men should delight to pollute their own soules and pull down judgement on the Land by the Customary Commission of a sin so strictly prohibited under the Pain of Damnation This is a sin which hath in it no Profit no pleasure no not sensual sweetnesse enough to bait a temptation How does this argue a Devilish Disposition in men that they will do a thing so much abhord of God so strictly forbidden in the Word so certainly Destructive to their souls when they cannot tast so much as a seeming sweetnesse nor see so much as an appearing Goodnesse in it to be any ground of their Allurement thereunto or occasion of their frequent Commission thereof when such a fin abounds must not God needs be provokt to plague and punish such a desperately wicked People So for the sin of cursing a sin of the same Hellish nature a fruit of the same root of bitternesse how hath the Lord manifested his Displeasure against it by the punishment which he ordained to be inflicted on such as were guilty of it in his holy Word We reade †Lev. 24 10-16 of the Son of an Israelitish woman whose Father was an Egyptian that went out among the Children of Israel in the Camp And this Son of the Israelitish woman blasphemed the Name of the LORD and cursed And they brought him unto Moses And they put him in Ward that the mind of the LORD might be shew'd them And the LORD spake unto Moses saying Bring forth him that hath Cursed without the Camp let all that heard him lay their hands upon his Head and let all the Congregation stone him And hereupon the LORD made it a Statute in Israel that whosoever should be found guilty of this sin whether Israelite or Stranger he should surely be put to Death And therefore however amongst men this sin may go unpunished yet seeing the Name of God is hereby profan'd the LORD will not hold them guiltlesse * Exo. 20.7 that are guilty of it nor suffer them to escape his Righteous judgement That Imprecation of the Psalmist is Prophetical and hath the force of a Commination †Psal 59.12 13. For the sin of their Mouth and the words of their Lips let them even be taken in their Pride and for Cursing and Lying which they speak Consume them in wrath consume them that they may not be and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the Ends of the Earth Doubtlesse the Curse of God hangs over the Heads of those that are given to Cursing Dreadful is that Jmprecation of David of the same Nature with the former * Psal 109 17 18 19. As he loved Cursing so let it come unto him as he delighted not in Blessing so let it be far from him As he cloathed himself with Cursing like as with his Garment so let it come into his Bowels like Water and like Oyle into his Bones Let it be unto him as the Garment which covereth him and for a Girdle where with he is girded continually Woe be to him whose Body Belly Bones are thus cloath'd fill'd consum'd with Cursing This is doubtlesse worse then the most deadly Disease and will prove more intolerable then the torturing Wracks of the terriblest Tyrants in the World Cursing will surely fill the awaken'd Conscience of the guilty sinner with tormenting Agonies which shall last to Eternity Oaths and Curses are as Arrows shot up against heaven which at length fall down upon the Heads of them that shot them Yea they are sparks of Hell-fire or rather Firebrands of Hell which are thrown into the Aire and may if timely Repentance with speedy Reformation and infinite mercy prevent not kindle a deadly burning in that City or Nation wherein they abound unpunished And yet is not this the sinne not onely of the basest sort but of many of the great Gallants of the Times Oathes are the Sause of their Mirth and Curses are the Stings of their Anger Oathes are in Fashion amongst them and to rap them out roundly is a piece of their Gallantry Curses still wart upon their commands and whosoever or whatsoever doth but a little crosse them they wish all the Plagues of hell to light upon them Surely the Devil himself cannot speak more desperate language and utter more damnable speeches then these horribly Profane Gallants If any where there be a Hell upon Earth 't is where these Children of Hell these first-born sonnes of the Devil that have Damnation written in their Foreheads are met together and sit the Devil being doubtlesse in the Head of the Company Bowzing Swearing Storming Cursing Blaspheming as if they would tear Heaven to let down flaming Vengeance and rend the earth to the Bottom of Hell that they might go down quick into that fiery Prison fall down headlong into the burning-Lake A wonder it is of the Divine Patience that when they are rending the Sacred Name of God with Oathes Blasphemies Cursings God doth not give them up into the hands of the Devil to tear them instantly in pieces as we read he hath dealt with some and carry them Body and Soul into Hell But God in Justice lets them live for the Aggravation of their sins and the encrease of their Torments in Hell-fire to Eternity For how can they hope for any salvation by Christ or benefit by his Blood who desperately wrap up his wounds and blood in their Oathes and Curses and so as it were throw them in God Almighty's Face whence is it he doth not with some dreadful Thunderbolt instantly smite them into Hell How should they expect that God should save them in the Day of their Death who disperately bid God damne them every day How can they escape Hell and Damnation who are still bidding the Devil take them upon every slight occasion O desperately Profane Wretches O Devilish wicked Creatures Is it possible there are such to be found under the Sunne Is it possible there should be such Monsters found within the Pale of the Church such Incarnate Devils in a Land enlightned with the Gospel of Christ and honoured with the glorious Profession of Christianity O that the tingling Ears and trembling Hearts of many of Gods children who have occasionally heard this Language of Hell though never privy to the thousandth Part of these Hellish Impieties were not too sad an evidence of these Abominations abounding in the Land Now shall not the Lord visit for these things Shall not his soul be avenged on such a Nation as this Is it not a wonder Heaven
is not all in flames over our heads and the Earth all staind with blood under our Feet for this sin long before now Surely this deserves sadly to be laid to heart as a fearful Presage of some very dreadful Judgement I shall close this fourth Instance with the Excellent counsel of the Son of Sirach Accustome not thy selfe sayes he †Eccl. 23 9-13 to Swearing neither use thy self to the Naming of the Holy One. For as a servant that is continually beaten shall not be without a blew mark so he that sweareth and nameth God continually shall not be faultless * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A man that useth much swearing shall be fill'd with iniquity and the Plague shall never depart from his House If he shall offend his sinne shall be upon him and if he acknowledge not his sinne †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he maketh the offence double And if he swear in vaine he shall not be innocent but his House shall be full of Calamities There is a Word that is cloathed about with Death God grant that it be not found in the Heritage of Jacob for all such things shall be farre from the godly and they shall not * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wallow in their sinnes Use not thy mouth to †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intemperate swearing for therein is the word of sin The fifth Sin Adultery Fornication Uncleanness VVHen the Land is defiled with Adultery Fornication and Vncleanness the Times are Perillous and Evil. God is a God of infinite Purity and Holiness When a Land therefoâ—e is polluted with these Impurities and Abominations what can be expected but that the Lord should abhor it When the Lord hath e poused a Nation to himself and it hath * Hos 1.2 committed great Whoreâ—omes what can be expected but that the Lord should give it a Bill of Divorce When the Lord's Mercies are turned into the Fewel of Uncleannesse what may we expect but Wrath and Judgement Dreadful are the Judgements which the Lord hath executed for the Punishment of these sinnes Yea so dreadful that never hath the world seene more terrible Demonstrations of the Wrath and Vengeance of an angry God an incens'd Majesty 'T was for the Punishment of this Sin that God drown'd the whole world and burnt up the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah with Fire and Brimstone For the Old World burn'd in Lust and Wantonness before it was drown'd with Water and Sodom was drown'd in Luxury and Filthinesse before it was burnt with Fire In the former the Sonnes of God doted on the Beauty of the Daughters of men †Gen. 6.2 and in the latter the Sons of men sought to commit Folly with the Angels of God * Gen. 19 4 5 Desperate Pollution that would attempt the Violation of Angelical Purity But their unnatural Lusts received a supernatural punishment God sending down upon them Hell out of Heaven But now these sins amongst us are worse by a thousand Degrees then they were amongst them For a Christian by profession whose Body hath been consecrated by Baptisme for a Temple of the holy Ghost to abuse himself by filthy Lusts is to do an Act beyond all the Abominations of the Heathens even to turn the Sanctuary into a Stews The Apostle therefore uses this Argument to take off the too lascivious †Hinc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scortari Chil. Eras Corinthians from this sinne Flee Fornication sayes he * 1 Cor. 6.18 19. Every sin that a man doth is without the Body But he that committeth Fornication sinneth against his own Body What know ye not that your Body is the Temple of the holy Ghost which is in you which ye have of God and ye are not your own Now where the Lords Temples are thus profan'd may not he justly abhor them and utterly forsake that Land Yea if for this sin especially the Lord †2 Pet. 2.5 6 brought in the Flooâ— upon the World of the Ungodly And turning the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into Ashes * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 condemn'd them with an overthrow making them an Example to these that afterwards should live ungodly who are †Jude v. 7 suffering the Vengeance of Eternal Fire of how much sorer Punishment think you shall they be thought worthy who under the Light of the Gospel Profession of Christianity and Meanes of Grace commit these horrid Abominations Surely it 's a wonder the flaming Vengeance of God is not before now broken forth against the provoking People of this Land But we know * Heb. 13.4 Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge For this sin does God complaine of his ungrateful People the Jews When I had fed them to the full saith the Lord * Jer. 5.7 8 9. they then committed Adultery and Assembled themselves by Troops in the Harlots Houses They were as fed Horses in the morning every One neighed after his Neighbours Wife Shall I not visit for these things saith the LORD and shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this So the Prophet complaines as of one of the great Evils of his Time †Jer. 23 10 the Land is full of Adulterers And when the Lord found the Land full of such filth he came and swept it with the Besome of Desolation in the Babylonish Captivity The committing of Adultery is one of those sins for which the LORD hath said * Hos 4.2 3. The Land shall mourne The sixth Sin Gluttony and Drunkennesse WHen Gluttony and Drunkennesse are those Idols to which men sacrifice the Marrow and Fatnesse of the Land together with their Time and Strength the Dayes are evil the Times are Perillous When these two appear together as Castor and Pollux promise safety in the Sea they presage a storme in the State These two Monsters are enough to devoure a whole Land and they provoke God to destroy the Place where they prevaile Men were eating and drinking as if that had been the end of their Creation when God brought the Flood and drown'd the world †Mat. 24.38 whereby they were involv'd in a sudden Destruction And we know there is a Day a coming which shall steal upon men as a Thief in the Night wherein the World shall be destroy'd with Fire * 2 Pet. 3.10 And sayes our Saviour †Luk. 21.34 35. Take heed to your selves lest at any Time your Hearts be overcharg'd with surfeiting and drunkennesse or * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vinum Gourmandise Yurongnerie Gallic Genev. Gluttony and Fulness of Wine and cares of this Life and so that day come upon you unawares For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the Face of the whole Earth However though the Day of the General Judgement which yet cannot be far off should not surprize the present Generation they may be suddenly overtaken with the black and
Delicacies of Earth and Sea O the Pride of Epicurism The Glory of Gluttony But alas what is it but a shining but soon-vanishing Meteor exhaled from the Fumes of a pompous Feast brighten'd a little with the Beams of the Royal Favour which in the Revolution of a few years we may see with Astonishment in the Eclipse Even so it fell out here For not long after the King out of some Jealousies of State caused this Bacchanalian Bishop to be apprehended seized upon his whole Estate to the value of twenty thousand pounds and sent him over Priâ—oner to Callis in France where suffering a strict Imprisonment he lay languishing in Misery and Want †Victus jacuit in summa inopia Godw. Thus were the Plumes of his Pride pluckt off by the Power of his Prince and his excessive Prodigality was punisht by extreame Poverty by the Justice of God Punishment still follows at the Heeles of sin and yet sinners will be still following their sinful Pleasures until they are overtaken by their justly deserved Punishments How desperately wicked a wretch was that rich Citizens sonne presented to us in * Part. 2. p. 110 111 the Theatre of Gods Judgements who to please all his five senses at once allow'd to the delight of every several sense an Hundred Pounds For which purpose he provided a Roome richly hung and beautifi'd with the most curious Pictures to please his Eye There he had the rarest Musick to delight his Eare the richest Perfumes to ravish his Smell and the choicest Dainties to content his Tast and to gratifie his Feeling Sense he wanted not a beautiful Harlot for his wanton Embraces All this sensual Pleasure he drunk as it were at one draught while he thus feasted all his five senses in one day Neither was he herewith satisfi'd but three years did he spend in the pursuit of his sensual Pleasures and loose Delight wherein he wasted his Estate having in this short time spent no lesse then thirty thousand pounds And yet after all this he swore that if he had three times more then ever he had he would spend is all to live one weâ—k like a God as he accounted it though he was sure to be damn'd to Hell the next day after Desperate Profanenesse But to what Extremity of Torments will men at length be carry'd by such an unbridled Excesse Dives fared deliciously every day while he was here on Earth but he could not get one Drop of water to coole his flaming tongue in Hell †Luk. 16 19-26 Now this sin is one of the Cords by which a Nation plucks down Judgement upon it self The fiercest and cruellest Plagues are often let loose for the Punishment of the sinne of Luxury It was the Gate of Intemperance by which Death at first entred into the World with his whole Army consisting of many Millions of Miseries which are continually warring against miserable man-kinde Through Intemperance Adam lost his Paradise and cast his Posterity in an undone condition Fulnesse of Bread was one of the Sins of Sodom for which God destroy'd that wicked City with a dreadful destruction * Ezek. 16 49 And to this Day Fulnesse of Bread is the ordinary forerunner of Cleannesse of Teeth A Glutton is an extreamly pernicious Person He ruines himself and his Posterity and besides contributes much to the ruine and Destruction f the whole Nation For the Glutton entombes his Ancestors in his Bowels and devoures his Posterity as Saturn was said to do his Sons and by his provoking of God becomes a Plague to the present Generation Slanderers make a sword of their Tongue and Gluttons dig their Grave with their Teeth †Adag Gallic yea hereby also they dig a Pit for the Destruction of the whole Land And is not this among many others the Sin of these our Dayes surely some there are that with the Sea-Asse * Arist Hist Animal l. 9. c. 17. have their Hearts in their Bellies yea some that with the gormandizing Cretians †Tit. 1.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per Aphaeresin pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Poet. pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gulosi helluones Ventri ad Insaniam usque indulgentes Pas Phavorin Drus Praeterit in loc make their Belly their God to which they sacrifice the best part of their precious Time and Treasure These are they of whom the Apostle tells us weeping * Phil. 3.18 19 that they are the Enemies of the Crosse of Christ whole End is Destruction whose God is their Belly and whose glory is in their shame who minde earthly things How many are there that will needs live above their Ranck and spend above what their estates will bear till they have at once undone themselves and many others If they have but occasion of Feasting their Friends every thing must be set off with such a Princely Magnificence as if they were Lords of such an Ocean of wealth as knew neither Bounds nor Bottome Thus Nabal upon whose Name that Folly was engraven which was rooted in his Nature upon the Occasion of shearing his sheep †1 Sam. 25 36 held a Feast in his house like the Feast of a King wherein he himself was as drunk as a beggar Thus Luxury halted not in his House but went upon both its legges Gluttony and Drunkennesse But whoever they are that take this course will at length find that Riot is the Road to Ruine and that Poverty is the next neighbour to Prodigality It s therefore the Wisdome of such to hearken betimes to the Counsel of the Wise man * Prov. 23.19 20 21. Hear thou my Sonne and be Wise and guide thine heart in the way Be not amongst Wine-bibbers amongst Riotous Eaters of Flesh For the Drunkard and the Glutton shall come to Poverty and Drowsinesse the ordinary companion of Drunkenness shall cloath a man with ragges Dreadful are the Woes which the Lord in his Word hath pronounc't against Drunkards Woe unto them sayes the Lord by the Prophet †Isa 5.11 12. that rise up early in the morning that they may follow strong Drink and continue until Night till Wine inflame them And the Harp and the Viol the Tabret and the Pipe and Wine are in their Feasts But they regard not the Work of the LORD neither consider the operation of his Hands And no wonder For * Hos 4.11 Whoredom and Wine and new Wine take away the heart Drunkennesse makes men so sottish and senselesse that they take no notice of Gods Dispensations till they are overtaken with his Judgem nts Thus it s said of Nabal after his Drunkennesse †1 Sam. 25 37 38. that his Heart died within him and he became as a stone And it came to passe about ten dayes after that the LORD smote Nabal that he died Again sayes the LORD * Isa â— 22 Woe unto them that are Mighty to drink Wine and men of strength to mingle strong Drink
despised and whose COVENANT he brake even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty Army and great Company make for him in the War by casting up Mounts and building Forts to cut off many Persons Seeing he despised the OATH by breaking the COVENANT when lo he had given his HAND and hath done all these things he shall not escape Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD As I live surely mine OATH that he hath despised and my COVENANT that he hath broken even it will I recompence upon his own head And I will spread my Net upon him and he shall be taken in my snare and I will bring him to Babylon and will plead with him there for his Trespasse that he hath trespassed against me And all his Fugitives with all his Bands shall fall by the Sword and they that remaine shall be scattered towards all windes and ye shall know that I the LORD have spoken it Thus will no Force no Confederacy availe for the securing of that person from a deserved Punishment who by this sin of Perjury and Covenant-breaking is become obnoxious to Divine Justice An OATH is a sacred thing it bindes in the Name of God if it be violated it provokes God to arme his Justice with vengeance against the Violator The LORD will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his NAME in vain †Exo. 20.7 Perjury * A pejerando fit Vox pejor quod perjurio nihil pejus is a desperate and damnable sin It proceeds from Atheism the mother of Abominations and produces Rebellion with a thousand impieties It s a sin which the Heathens have not onely justly condemn'd but also severely punished The Egyptians and Scythians punish't Perjury with Death The Romanes censure of it in the Law of the twelve Tables was this Perjurii Poena divina Exitium humana Dedecus †Cic. l. 2. de Legibus Though Perjury have no punishment amongst men but Disgrace it 's punish't by God with Destruction That which was thus detestable amongst Heathens should be much more abominable amongst Christians However God hath declar'd his Wrath against it from Heaven as some remarkable Passages of the Divine Providence do fully declare whereof we shall mention two out of the Turkish History The Emperour Albert had made a Truce with the great Turk and solemnly ratifi'd the same with an Oath But Pope Eugenius the fourth sent him a Dispensation from his Oath and excited him to renew the Warre against the Turk Thus does the man of sin make void the Law of God But in the first battel wherein the Emperour engaged he was discomfited and slaine Thus he that with his Sword cut in two the sacred Band of his Oath had his Perjury written by his enemies Sword with his own Blood whereas had he kept his Oath he might have sav'd his Life But the Infidels hereupon took occasion to cast reproach upon Christianity as a Religion that gave Patronage to Perjury and Covenant-breaking when the most solemne Obligation had been sealed with the Name of Christ Thus Covenant-breaking brings the most blessed Religion in the World into contempt and makes Christianity the scorne and reproach of Heathens Uladislaus King of Hungary having for a time manag'd his War with Amurath the great Turk with good successe at length brought him to conditions of Peace which were to himself sufficiently advantagious For upon this Agreement certaine Provinces were to be restored to the Hungarians which otherwise could not have been recover'd by the sword without the losse of many Lives But a Peace being concluded betwixt them a solemne League and Covenant for the confirmation thereof was interchangably sealed with an Oath taken by both Parties But the Pope whose Holinesse was thought sufficient to sanctifie the sinfulnesse of the vilest Perjury sent a Letter of Dispensation to his son Uladislaus as a Key of his Cabinet to unlock those Bonds and Fetters wherewith he was bound hand and foot from the further prosecution of the Warre with the Turks And to promote the Popes designe the Cardinal of Florâ—nce See the Hungarian History Admiral of the Navy on the one hand and Cardinal Julian the Popes Legate in Hungary on the other hand help to lift him up out of his Honourable Restraint the Liberty of Warre being barr'd up to him by a League of Peace into an infamous Freedome by strong sollicitations to the renewal of the War with Amurath Hereupon staining the glory of his Crown with the breach of his Covenant he assaulted the Turk unawares with a great Army who yet rallying his Forces with all the speed and vigour he could Dubiis victoria pennis Inter utrumque volat gave him Battel The Victory for a good while together hanging in an equal Ballance enclin'd to neither side But at length the Scales began to turne and Victory forsaking the Army of Amurath seem'd now ready to alight upon the Standard of Uladislaus Amurath perceiving this and withal seeing a Crucifix in a displayed Ensigne of the Christians Army advanc't against him pluckt the Writing wherein the late League was contain'd out of his bosome and with eyes and hands cast up to Heaven said O thou crucifi'd Christ Behold this is the LEAGVE which thy Christians made with me and seal'd with a solemne OATH swearing by thy Name and this have they without cause this day violated If thou be a GOD as they say thou art Revenge the wrong done unto thy Name and the injury offer'd unto me upon thy perjur'd People who though they honour thee in their Words do in their Deeds deny thee Immediately hereupon the battel turn'd and thâ— Turks prevail'd mightily against the Christians The King himself was slaine by the Janissaries and fell in the midst of his Enemies though not so much by their hands as by a stroke of Justice from heaven The Christians fled before the Mahumetans and perish't by a miserable slaughter eleven thousand being slaine in the place very few escaping with their Lives Thus hath the Blood and Lives of many slaughter'd Christians given testimony to the Justice of God triumphing in the punishment of Perjury and the violation of Covenants This is that which according to the intent of the wicked counsel of Balaam * Rev. 2.14 engages God himselfe against his own People Xenoph. Agesilaus general of the Grecian Army returned this answer to Tissaphernes Lieutenant to the King of Persiâ—'s Army when contrary to his Oath he had levy'd an Army and denounc'd War against him That he gave him no small thanks for that by his Perjury he had made the Gods angry with the Persians who he hoped for his Fidelity would be favourable to the Grecians And the Event answer'd the Omen for joyning Battel he gave the Persians a great overthrow Pausanius notes this to be one chief cause why Philip King of Macedon with all his Posterity were so quickly destroy'd because