made such rebellious creatures It is long before his wrath be incensed but if it be throughly kindled all the Riuers in the South are not able to quench it Daily man sinnes and yet God repents not that he made him Woe to that man for whose creation God is sorrie Woe to Ierusalem when Christ shall so complaine against her Stay the Bells ye Sonnes of wickednesse that ring so lowd peales of tumultuous blasphemies in the eares of God Turne againe ye wheeling Planets that moue onely as the sphere of this world turnes your affections and despise the directed and direct motion of Gods Starres Recall your selues ye lost wretches and stray not too farre from your Fathers house that your seekers come againe with a non est inuentus least God complaines against you as heere against Israell or with as passionate a voyce as once against the world It repents mee that I made them If wee take the words spoken in the person of the Prophet let vs obserue that hee is no good Preacher that complaines not in these sinfull dayes Esay had not more cause for Israell then we for England to cry Wee haue laboured in vaine and spent our strength for nought For if we equall Israell in Gods blessings wee transcend them in our sinnes The bloud-red Sea of warre and slaughter wherein other Nations are drowned as were the Egiptians is become dry to our feete of peace The Bread of Heauen that true Manna satisfies our hunger and our thirst is quenched with the waters of life The better Law of the Gospell is giuen vs and our sauing health is not like a curious piece of Arras folded vp but spread to our beleeuing eyes without any shadow cast ouer the beautie of it We haue a better high Priest to make intercession for vs in heauen for whom he hath once sacrificed and satisfied on earth actu semel virtute semper with one act with euerlasting vertue We want nothing that heauen can helpe vs to but that which wee voluntarily will want and without which wee had better haue wanted all the rest thankefulnesse and obedience We returne God not one for a thousand not a dramme of seruice for so many talents of goodnesse We giue God the worst of all things that hath giuen vs the best of all things Wee cull out the least sheafe for his Tyth the sleepiest houre for his prayers the chippings of our wealth for his poore a corner of the heart for his Arke when Dagon sits vppermost in our Temple He hath bowels of brasse and an heart of yron that cannot mourne at this our requitall We giue God measure for measure but not manner for manner For his blessings heapen and shaken and thrust together iniquities pressed downe and yet running ouer Like Hogges we slauer his pearles turne his graces into wantonnesse and turne againe to rend in pieces the bringers Who versing in his minde this thought can keepe his cheekes dry Oh that my head were waters and mine eyes a fountaine of teares that I might weepe night and day c. No maruell if animus meminisse horret The good soule tremble to thinke it especially when all this wickednesse ariseth not from Sodome and Sidon and Edom but from the midst of the daughter of Sion Hinc illae Lachrimae Hee that can see this and not sigh is not a witnesse but an agent and sinne hath obstructed his lungs he cannot sorrow Forbeare then you captious sonnes of Belial to complaine against vs for complaining against you Whiles this Hydra of Iniquitie puts forth her still-growing-heads and the sword of reproofe cannot cut them off what should we doe but mourne Quid enim nisi threna supersunt Whither can wee turne our eyes but wee behold and lament at once some rouing with lewdnesse some rauing with madnesse others reeling with ebrietie and yet others railing with blasphemie If we be not sad wee must be guilty Condemne not our passions but your owne rebellions that excite them The zeale of our God whom wee serue in our spirits makes vs with Moses to forget our selues Wee also are men of like passion with you It is the common plea of vs all If you aske vs why we shew our selues thus weake and naked we returne with Paul Why doe you these things Our God hath charged vs not to see the funerals of your soules without sighes and teares Thus saith the Lord Smite with thy hand and stampe with thy foote and say Alas for all the euill abominations of the house of Israell for they shall fall by the sword by the famine and by the pestilence Shall all complaine of lost labours and we brooke the greatest losse with silence Merchants waile the shipwracke of their goods and complaine of Pyrates Shepheards of their deuoured Flockes by sauage Wolues Husbandmen of the tyred earth that quites their hope with weedes And shall Ministers see and not sorrow the greatest ruine the losse of the world were lesse of mens soules They that haue written to the life the downfall of famous Cities either vastate by the immediate hand of God as Sodome or mediately by man as Ierusalem as if they had written with teares in stead of Inke haue pathetically lamented the ruines Aeneas Syluius reporting the fall of Constantinople historifies at once her passion his owne compassion for it The murthering of Children before the Parents faces the slaughtering of Nobles like beasts the Priests torne in pieces the Religious flea'd the holy Virgins and sober Matrones first rauished and then massacred and euen the Reliques of the Souldiours spoile giuen to the mercilesse fire Oh miseram vrbis faciem Oh wretched shew of a miserable Citie Consider Ierusalem the Citie of God the Queene of the Prouinces tell her Turrets and marke well her Bulwarkes carrie in your minde the Idaea of her glories and then on a sodaine behold her Temple and houses burning the smoke of the fire wauing in the ayre and hiding the light of the Sunne the flames springing vp to Heauen as if they would ascend as high as their sinnes had erst done her Old Young Matrons Virgins Mothers Infants Princes and Priests Prophets and Nazarites famished fettered scattered consumed if euer you read or heare it without commisseration your hearts are harder then the Romanes that destroyed it The ruine of great things wring out our pitie and it is onely a Nero that can sit and sing whiles Rome burnes But what are a world of Cities nay the whole world it selfe burning as it must one day to the losse of mens soules the rarest pieces of Gods fabricke on earth to see them manacled with the chaines of Iniquitie and led vp and downe by the Deuill as Baiazeth by that cruell Scithian stabbed and massacred lost and ruined by rebellious obstinacies and impenitencies bleeding to death like Babell and will not be cured till past cure they weepe like Rahell and will not be comforted to see this
sinne that vvhiles men commit it it commits them either to the high-way or the Hedges and from thence either by a Writ or a Warrant an Arrest or a Mittimus to the prison Solomon saith Hee shall not be rich The Gut is a Gulfe that vvill easily swallow all his commings in Meat should be as wise Agur praied food conuenient for thee or as the Hebrew phrase is the food of thy allowance This dish is to feed on all dishes that may pleasâ— the appetite or rather may delight surfet for appetite dares not lodge in an Epicures house This Sinne is instar omnium like the Feast it selfe saue that the Glutton feedes on Gods good â—reatures corporally but on Sathans mysticall boord is set nothing but what is originally euill and absolutely banefull So that here Gluttony that feeds on all Dishes is but a priuate Dish it selfe and though perhaps for the extent and largenesse it takes vp the greater roome yet for the number it is but one It is most rancke Idolatrie sayes Paul and so neere to Atheisme vvith a no-God that it makes a carnall God In mea paâ—ria Deus venter as profound and profane as the Babilonians sacrifice they to their Bell these to their Belly Perhaps you will say they are more kinde to themselues not a whit for they vvrappe vp death in their full morsels and swallow it as Pilles in the Pappe of delicatie They ouerthrow nature vvith that should preserue it as the Earth that is too rancke marres the Corne. They make short vvorke vvith their estates and not long vvith their liues as if they knew that if they liued long they must bee beggars therefore at once they make haste to spend their liuings and ende their liues Full Suppers midde-night Reuels Morning Iunkets giue them no time to blow but adde new to their indigested surfets They are the Deuils crammed Fowles like Aesops Henne too fat to lay to produce the fruites of any goodnesse They doe not dispensare but dissipare bona Domini wisely dispence but blindely scatter the gifts of GOD. They pray not so much for daily Bread as for daintie Bread and thinke God wrongs them if they may not Diues-like fare diliciously euery day Sense is their Purueyour Appetite their Steward They place Paradise in their throates and Heauen in their guts Meane time the state wastes the soule pines and though the flesh be puffed and blowne vp the spirits languish they loue not to liue in a Fenne but to haue a Fenne in them It is not plague enough that GOD withall sends leannesse into their soules but their estates sincke their liues fall away they spinne a webbe out of their owne bowels vvorse then the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Men-eaters they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 selfe-eaters they put a Pleurisie into their bloods a Tabe and Consumption into their states an Apoplexie into their soules the meat that perisheth not is fastidious to their palates that they may feede on that which feeds on them and so at once deuoure and be deuoured drinke of a cup that drinkes vp them 3. The third Viall is Idlenesse a filching water to for it steales away our meanes both to get goods and to be good It is a rust to the Conscience a theefe to the estate The Idle man is the Deuâ—ls Cushion wherevpon he sits and takes his ease He refuseth all works as either thankelesse or dangerous Thus charactered he had rather freeze then fetch wood hee had rather steale then worke and yet rather begge then take paines to steale and yet in many things rather want then begge Ignaui sunt fures saith Melancthon Sluggards are theeues they robbe insensibly the Common-wealth most sensibly themselues Pouertie comes on him as an armed man The Idlesbie is pouerties prisoner if hee liue without a calling pouertie hath a calling to arrest him When the Cisterne of his patrimonie is emptied and seemes to inuite his labour to replenish it hee flatters himselfe with enough still and lookes for supply without paines Necessitie must driue him to any worke and what hee can not auferre he will differre auoyd hee will delay Euery get-nothing is a theefe and lazinesse is a stollen water if the Deuill can winne thee to plye hard this liquour hee knowes it will whet thy stomach to any vice Faction Theeuerie Lust Drunkennesse blood with many Birds of this blacke wing offer themselues to the Idle minde and striue to preferre their seruice Would you know sayes the Poet how Aegistus became an adulterer In promptu causa est desidiosus erat the cause is easie the answere ready hee was Idle Hee that might make his estate good by labour by Idlenesse robbes it This is a dangerous water and full of vile effects for when the lazie haue robbed themselues they fall aboard and robbe others This is the Idle-mans best end that as hee is a Thiefe and liues a beast so to dye a beggar 4. The fourth Cup is Enuie Water of a strange and vncouth taste There is no pleasure in being drunke with this stollen water for it frets and gnawes both in palates and entralls There is no good rellish with it either in tast or digestion Onely it is like that Acidula aqua that Plinie speakes of which makes a man drunke sooner then wine Enuie keepes a Register of Iniuries and graues that in Marble which Charitie writes in the dust Wrong It cannot endure that any should be conferred with it preferred to it Nec quemquam iam ferre potest Caesarue priorem Pompeiusue parem Caesar can brooke no Greater Pompey no riuall Iohn Baptist was of another spirit when he heard that the people had left him to follow Christ he spake with the voice of content My ioy is fulfilled He must encrease and I must decrease Inuidus non est idoneus auditor The enuious man is an incompetent hearer his eares are not fit to his head If hee heares good of another hee frets that it is good if ill he is discontent that he may not iudge him for it If wronged hee cannot stay Gods leasure to quit him he is straight either a Saul or an Esau by secret ambushes or by open hostillitie he must carue himselfe a satisfaction No plaister will heale his pricked finger but his heart-bloud that did it if he might serue himselfe he would take vnreasonable peny-worthes S. Augustine would coole his heate Vis vindicari Christiane Wilt thou bereuenged of thine aduersarie oh Christian tarry a while Nondum vindicatus est Christus Thy Lord and Sauiour is not yet auenged of his enemies Malice is so madde that it will not spare friend to wreake vengeance on foes So Garnet told the Powder-traitours that some innocent mighâ— be destroyed with many nocent if the publicke good could not otherwise be perfected His instance was that in a Towne besieged though some friends were there yet no wrong nor offence at
to their nature Whiles Nature findes ascribed to her selfe freedome of will validitie of merites the Latitude of an ignorant and cursorie faith she runnes mad of conceit That Indulgences for all sinnes may be deriued from that open Exchequour that if a man wants not money he needes not loose heauen that the bare Act of the Sacrament conferres grace without faith and the meere transient signe of the Crosse who euer makes it can keepe off the Deuill Oh Religion sweet to Nature Nay to speake neerer to our district instance Lust not onely affectuall but actuall is dispensed with Priests are licensed their Concubines though inhibited Wiues Adulterie is reckoned among their pettie sinnes I haue read it quoted out of Pope Innocentius the third of their Priests Mane filium virginis offerunt in choro Nocte filium veneris agitant in thoro The Priests doe not engrosse all the Market of venerie to themselues yet they doe prettily well for their allowance One Benefice with one Wife is vnlawfull but two Benefices and three Whores are tollerable But the Stewes like the common Bath is afforded to the Laitie and if their States will maintaine it a priuate supply besides Vrbs est iam tota Lupanar The vvhole Citie is become a meere Stewes As the Prophet Esay said once of Ierusalem so wee may say of Rome The holy Citie is become an Harlot Full of Harlots they vvill not sticke to yeeld and so full of Adulterers Nay the Citie it selfe is an Harlot and hath left her first loue Shee committes Idolatrie vvhich is the vilest Adulterie vvith Stockes and Stones Thus Nature drinkes pleasant waters but they are stollen Lust encroacheth vpon the Law and Concupiscencies gaine is Gods losse Some of them saith Bishop Iewell haue written in defence of filthinesse VVhat blacke Vice shall vvant some Patronage But causa patrocinio non bona peior erit Powerfull arguments no doubt yet powerfull enough to ouercome the yeelding spirit Strong affection giues credite to weake reasons A small temptation serues to his peruersion that tempts himselfe and vvould bee glad of a cloake to hide his leprosie though he steale it How can it then be denied that sinnes are sweet whiles Lust doth take tast censure them The Deuils Banket is not yet done there is more cheare a comming The Water-seruice is ended now begin Cates of another nature or if you will of another forme but the nature is all one Norma et forma manet The same Methode of Seruice the same manner of Iunkets It may bee distinguished as the former Into a prescription de quo Bread Into a description de quanto Bread of Secrecies Into an ascription de quali Bread of pleâ—sure Bread hath a large extent in the Scriptures Vult sufficientiam vitae et praesentis et futurae Vnder it is contained a sufficiencie of food and nourishment 1. For the body 2. For the soule Therefore some would deriue the Latine word Panem from the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so make it a generall and comprehensiue word to signifie omne quod nobis necessarium all things needfull whither to corporall or animall sustenance 1. Corporall the fourth petition in that absolute Prayer lessoned to vs by our Master implies so much Giue vs this day our daily Bread Where saith S. Augustine Omnem necessariam corporis exhibitionem petimus We begge all necessarie sustentation to our temporall life So in sudore vultus vesceris pane tuo All thy repast shall bee deriued from thy trauell Set Bread before them saith Elisha to the King of Israell And he made great prouision for them Iobs kindred did eate Bread that is feasted with him Hee that ate of my Bread saith Dauid or did feed on the delicacies of my Pallace 2. For the soule I am the liuing Bread that came downe from heauen if any man eate of this Bread hee shall liue for euer It is not straitned of this sense Matth. 15. It is not meete to take the childrens Bread and to throw it to dogges Christ and all his benefites are shadowed forth by Bread The losse of the Word is called by the Prophet a Famine or losse of Bread Bread then implies multitudinem salutum magnitudinem solaminum plenitudinem omnium bonorum Much health great comforts fulnesse of all requisite good things And what Will Satan bragge that hee can giue all these and that his Bread intensiue is so virtuall in it owne nature and extensiue that it shall afford so much strength of comfort validitie of nutriment and neuer faile the collation of health to his guests This is in him an hyperbolicall and almost an hyperdiabolicall impudence to make the bread of sinne equall with the Bread of life and to ascribe vnto it potentiam virtutis and virtutem dulcedinis that it is Bread and sweet bread nourishing and well-tasted As Ceres must bee taken and worshipped for the Goddesse of Corne and Bacchus for the God of Wine when they were at the vtmost but the first Inuenters of grinding the one and pressing the other for God is the God of both fields and Vineyards So the Deuill would seeme owner of Bread and Water when God onely is Lord of Sea and Land that made and blesseth the Corne and the Riuers His Power containeth all and his Prouidence continueth all that is good vnto vs. Obserue how the Deuill is Gods Ape and striues to match and paralell him both in his words and wonders Hee followes him but not passibus aequis with vnequall steps If Christ haue his waters of life at the Lambes wedding Feast the Deuill will haue his waters too at Lusts Banket If the highest giue his thunder hailestones and coales of sire as to Elias sacrifice the red Dragon doth the like He maketh fire to come downe from heauen in the sight of men If Moses turne his rod to a Serpent the Sorcerers doe the like but yet they fall short for Moses rod deuoured all theirs Must Abraham sacrifice his Sonne to the God of Heauen Agamemnon must sacrifice his daughter to the Prince of Darknesse A Ramme redeeemes Ishaac a Hinde Iphigenia For Iehouah's Temple at Ierusalem there is great Diana's at Ephesus It is said of the Sonne of God that he shall giue sight to the blinde and heale the sicknesses of the people The Sonne of Iupiter Aesculapius shall haue the like report Ouid and Hesiod haue their Chaos in imitation of sacred Moses Noahs deluge shall be quitted with Deucalions For our Noah they haue a Ianus for our Sampson a Hercules for our Babel-builders they that lay Pelion vpon Ossa Giants If Lots Wife be turned to a Pillar loe Niohe is metamorphosed to a stone Let God historifie his Ionas Herodotus will say more of Arion Of which S. Augustine well We may suspect the Greeke tale of the one meanes the Hebrew truth
of the other Thus if Christ at his Table offer to his Saints his owne body for bread bloud for wine in a misticall sort The Deuill will proffer some such thing to his guests Bread and Waters Waters of Stealth Bread of Secrecie He is loath to giue God the better he would not doe it in heauen and therefore turned out and doe you thinke hee will yet yeeld it no in spight of Gods water of Christall peace and glory he will haue his waters of Acheron guilt and vanitie But by Satans leaue there is a Bread that nourisheth not Wherefore doe ye spend money for that which is not Bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not It seemes but is not bread and if it be yet it satisfies not Say it could yet man liues not by bread onely but by the word and blessing of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the delicates that Sinne can afford vs are but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the bane of the soule Pabula peccati pocula lethi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All meate prepared with fire There is no cheare at this Banket drest without fire either present of Lust or future of torment Now since the Deuill will put the forme of Bread vpon his tempting wickednesse let vs examine what kinde of bread it is 1. The seede is corruption an vncleane seede No other then the tares which the Enemie sew God sew good Corne but whence are the tares The seed whereof this bread is made is not Wheate or good Corne but Cockle Darnell Tares Dissention Rebellion Lies Vanities The Deuill is herein a Seedes-man but he sowes corrupt seede that infects and poysons the heart which receiues it 2. The heate of the Sunne influence of the Ayre sap and moisture of the Ground that ripens this seede are Temptations The seede once sowne in the apt ground of our carnall affections is by the heate of Satans motion soone wrought to ripenesse So that it is matured suggerendo imprimendo tentando suggestion impression tentation hasten the seed to grasse to a blade to spindling to a perfect eare to growth in the heart and all suddenly for an ill weede growes apace Rather then it shall dwindle and be stunted he will crush the cloudes of hell and raine the showres of his malediction vpon it Before he sowes here he waters 3. The seede thus ripend is soone cut downe by the Sickle of his subtilty whose policie to preserue his state Florentine is beyond Machiauels His speede is no lesse else he could not so soone put a Girdle about the loynes of the earth But what policie can there be in shortning the growth of sinne this trick rather eneruates his power weakens his Kingdome The Deuill doth not euer practise this cunning but then alone when he is put to his shifts For some are so vile that the Deuill himselfe would scarce wish them worse Such are Atheists Rob-altars Vsurers Traytours c. But some liuing in the circun ference of the Gospell are by mans awe and law restrained from professed abominations what would you haue him now doe Sure Satan is full of the Politiques Daemonas grammatici dictos volunt quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est peritos ac rerum scios He is a Deuill for his craft I call therefore the reaping his Subtiltie for he might seeme therein to dissolue his Kingdome and spoile the height of sinne by cutting it downe But the sequell and successe proues he doth it rather to corroborate the power thereof by making it fitter for application Thus he transformes himselfe to an Angell of light and is content to top the proud risings of palpable and outward Impieties that hee may more strongly possesse the soule by hypocrisie Thus there may be an expulsion of Satan from the house of the heart quoad veterâ—m eruptionem when his repossession is made stronger quoad nouam corruptionem Common grace throwes him out but he findes the house empty swept and garnished that is trimmed by hypocrisie and therefore enters and fortifies with seauen other spirits more wicked then the first What he cannot doe by notorious rebellion hee â—erformes by dissimulation So that as Sorcerers and Witches conuerse with euill spirits in plausible and familiar formes which in vgly shapes they would abhorre So many would not endure him vt rude cacodaemon as a rough and grosse Deuill in manifest outragious enormities who yet as a smooth sleeke fine and transformed Deuill giue him entertainment This then is his Haruest 4. Being thus reaped and hous'd he soone thresheth it out with the Flaile of his strength Hee is called the strong man where he takes possession he pleads prescription hee will not out His power in the captiued conscience scornes limitation Hee is not content to haue the seed lye idle in the heart hee must thresh it out cause thee to produce some cursed effects Hee doth not to speake for your capacitie in the Countrey hoord vp his Graine but with all his might and the helpe of all his infernall flailes hee thresheth it out and makes it ready for the Market If any Cain or Iudas be so hastie that he will not stay till it be made Bread tarry for tentation but tempt himselfe the Deuill is glad that they saue him a labour howsoeuer he will haue his Graine ready his suggestion shall not be to seeke when he should vse it Hee would be loath that the lustfull eye should want a Harlot the corrupt Officer a bribe the Papist an Image the Vsurer a Morgage the theefe a bootie Hee knowes not vvhat guests will come he will thrash it ready 5. Being thrashed out it must you know bee ground Satan hath a Water-mill of his owne though founded on mare mortuum a dead Sea for all sinnes are dead workes yet the current and streame that driues it runnes with swifter violence then the straites of Giberaltare The flood of concupiscence driues it The Mill consistes of two stones Deliciae diuitiae Pleasure and Profit There is no seede of sinne which these two can not grinde to powder and make fit for Bread when Concupiscence turnes the Mill. Rapine Sacriledge Murder Treason haue bin prepared to a wicked mans vse by these Instruments Quid non mortaliae pectora cogunt Couetousnesse and carnall delight bid any sinne welcome Onely pleasure is the nether stone Idlenesse would lye still but Couetousnesse is content to trudge about and glad when any sackes come to the Mill. These two grinde all the Deuils grist and supply him with tentations for all the World All the vgly births of sinnes that haue euer shewed their monstrous and stigmaticke formes to the light haue bene deriued from these Parents Carnall pleasure and Couetousnesse You see how the Deuill grindes 6. It is ground you heare It wants leauening The Leauen is the colourable and fallacious
and the intelligencer betweene the vestall and the Nunne betweene the proud Prodigall and his vnconscionable Creditor Indeede the greatest sinner shall haue the greatest punishment And hee that hath beene a principall guest to the Deuill on earth shall and that on earth were a strange priuiledge hold his place in Hell Reward her euen as she rewarded you and double vnto her double according to her workes in the cup which shee hath filled fill to her double How much shee hath glorified her selfe and liued deliciously so much torment and sorrow giue her Diues that fedde so hartily on this bread of Iniquitie and drunke so deepe draughts of the waters of sinne reserues his superioritie in torment that hee had in pleasure Behold hee craues with more floods of scalding teares then euer Esau shed for the blessing but one drop of water to coole his tongue and could not be allowed it But what if all the riuers in the South all the waters in the Ocean had beene granted him his tongue would still haue withered and smarted with heate himselfe still crying in the language of Hell a non sufficit It is not enough Or what if his tongue had beene eased yet his heart liuer lungs bowells armes legges should still haue fryed Thus hee that eate and dranke with superfluitie the purest flower of the Wheate the reddest blood of the Grape his body kept as well from diseasâ—â— as soft linnen and fine rayment could preserue it here findes a fearfull alteration From the table of surfet to the table of torment from feeding on Iunkets to gnaw his owne flesh from bowles of wine to the want of cold water from the soft foldes of fine silkes to the winding lashes of furies from chaines of gold for ornament to chaines of yron for torment from a bed of downe to a bed of flames from laughing among his companions to howling with Deuils from hauing the poore begging at his gates to begge himselfe and that as that Rich-man for one drop of water Who can expresse the horrour and miserie of this guest Non mihi si centum linguae sint oraque centum Ferrea vox omnes scelerum comprendere formas Omnia poenarum percurrere nomina possim No hart of man can thinke no tongue can tell The direfull paines ordain'd and felt in hell Now sorrowes meete at the Guests hart as at a feast all the furies of hell leape on the Table of his Conscience Thought calls to Feare Feare to Horrour Horrour to Dispaire Dispaire to Torment Torment to Extremitie all to Eternitie Come and helpe to afflict this wretch All the parts of his body and soule leaue their naturall and woonted vses and spend their times in wretchednesse and confusion Hee runnes through a thousand deaths and cannot dye Heauie irons are locked on him all his lights and delights are put out at once Hee hath no soule capable of comfort And though his eyes distill like fountaines yet God is now inexorable His Mittimus is without Bayle and the Prison can neuer be broken God will not heare now that might not he heard before That you may conceiue things more spirituall and remote by passions neerer to sense Suppose that a man being gloriously roabed deliciously feasted Prince-like serued attended honoured and set on the proudest height of pleasure that euer mortallitie boasted should in one vnsuspected moment be tumbled downe to a bottome more full of true miseries then his promontory was of false delights and there be ringed about with all the gory Mutherers blacke Atheists sacrilegious Church-robbers and incestuous Rauishers that haue euer disgorged their poyson on earth to re-assume it in Hell Nay adde further to this supposition that this depth he is throwne into was no better then a vast Charnell-house hung round with lamps burning blew and dimme set in hollow corners whose glimmering serues to discouer the hideous torments all the ground in stead of greene rushes strewed with funâ—rall rosemary and dead mens bones some corpses standing vpright in their knotted winding-sheetes others rotted in their Coffins which yawne wide to vent their stench there the bare ribs of a Father that begat him heere the hollow skull of a Mother that bare him How direfull and amazing are these things to sense Or if Imagination can giue being to a more fearefull place that or rather worse then that is Hell If a poore man sodainely starting out of a golden slumber should see his house flaming about him his louing Wife and loued Infants breaâ—hing their spirits to heauen through the mercilesse fire himselfe inringed with it calling for despaired succour the miserable Churle his next neighbour not vouchsafeing â—o answere when the putting forth of an arme might â—aue him such shall be their miseries in Hell and nor an Angell nor a Saint shall refresh them with any comfort These are all but shadowes nay not shadowes of the infernall depth here expressed You heare it feare it fly it scape it Feare it by Repentance flye it by your Faith and you shall scape it by Gods mercie This is their Poâ—na sensus positiue punishmenâ— There is also Poena damni to be considered their priuatiue punishment They haue lost a place on earth whose ioy wâ—s temporall they haue missed a place in Heauen whose ioy is eternall Now they finde that a dinner of greene hearbes with Gods loue is better then a stalled Oxe and his hatred withall A feast of sallets or Daniels pulse is more cherisâ—ing with mercie then Belshazzars Banket without it Now they finde Solomonâ— Seâ—mon true that though the bread of deceit â—e sweâ—t to a man yet the time is come that the mouth is filled with grauell No no â—he blessing of God onely maketh fat and hee addeth no sorrow vnto it Waters the wicked desired and Bread they lusted after behold after their secure sleepe and dreamed ioyes on earth with what hungry soules doe they awake in Hell But what are the Bread and the Waters they might haue enioyed with the Sainâ—s in Heauen Such as shall neuer be dryed vp Ieâ— thy presence is the fulnesse of ioy and at thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore Happy is the vndefiled soule who is innocent from the great offence all whose sinnes are washed as white as Snow in that blood which alone is able to purge the conscience from dead workes He that walketh righteously c. he shall dwell on high his place of defence shall be the munitions of rockes Bread shall be giuen him his Waters shall be sure His ioyes are certaine and stable no alteration no alternation shall empaire them The wicked for the slight breakfast of this world loose the Lambs supper of glory Where these foure things concurre that make a perfect feast Dies lectus locus electus coetus bene collectus apparatus non neglectus A good time eternitie A good place Heauen A good companie the Saints Good cheere
that actuall applications pierced more then verball explications Nathan by an instance of supposition wrought Dauids hart to an humble confession Hee drew the Proposition from his owne lippes The man that hath done this is worthie of death and then stroke while the iron was hot by an inferred Conclusion Thou art the man The Prophet Ahijah rent the new garment of Ieroboam in twelue pieces and bad him reserue tenne to himselfe in signe That God had rent the Kingdome out of the hand of Solomon and giuen tenne Tribes to him Esay by going naked and bare-foote as by a visible signe lessons Egâ—pt and Ethiopia that after this manner they should goe captiue to Assiria Ieremie by wearing bands and yokes and sending them to the Kings of Edom Moab Ammon Tyre Sidon Iudah giues them an actuall representation a visible Sacrament of their Babilonish captiuitie Ezekiells pourtraying vpon a Tile the Citie Ierusalem and the siege against it is called by God a signe against them Agabus tooke Pauls girdle and bound his owne hands and feete a signe and that from the holy Ghost that hee who ought the girdle should be so bound at Ierusalem and deliuered into the hands of the Gentiles God schooled Ionas in the Gourd by a liuely Apothegme and reall subiection to his owne eyes of his vniust impatience against God and Niniueh It was Gods vsuall dealing with Israell by the afflictions wherewith hee grieued them to put into their mindes how they had grieued him by their sins So Paul as our Prophet here For this cause yee are weake sickely and many dye drawing them by these sensible cords of their plagues to the feeling of their sinnes which made their soules faint in Grace sicke in Sinne dead in Apostasie For this cause c. This Doctrine affords a double vse particular and generall particular to Ministers generall to all Christians 1. To the dispensers of Gods secrets It allowes them in borrowed formes to expresse the meditations of their harts God hath giuen vs this libertie in the performance of our callings not onely nakedly to lay downe the truth but with the helpes of Inuention Wit Art to remoue loathing of his Manna If wee had none to heare vs but Cornelius or Lidia or such sanctified eares a meere affirmation were a sufficient confirmation But our Auditors are like the Belgicke armies that consist of French English Scotch Germaine Spanish Italian c. so many hearers so many humours the same diuersity of men and mindes That as guests at a strange dish euery man hath a rellish by himselfe that all our helpes can scarce help one soule to heauen But of all kindes there is none that creepes with better insinuation or leaues behinde it a deeper impression in the Conscience then a fit comparison This extorted from Dauid what would hardly haue ben graunted that as Dauid slew Goliath with his owne sword so Nathan slew Dauids sinne with his owne word Iotham conuinced the Shechemites folly in their approued raigne of Abimelech ouer them by the tale of the Bramble Euen temporall occasions are often the Mines to digge out spirituall instructions The people flocke to Christ for his bread Christ preacheth to them another bread whereof hee that eates shall neuer dye The Samaritane vvoman speakes to him of Iacobs Well hee tells her of Iesus Well whose bottome or foundation was in Heauen whose mouth and spring downewards to the earth crosse to all earthly fountaines contayning waters of life to be drawne and carried away in the Buckets of faith She thought it a new Well she found it a true Well whereof drinking her soules thirst was for euer satisfied The Creeple begges for an Almes the Apostle hath no money but answeres his small request with a great bequest health in the name of Iesus Nihil additur marsupio multum saluti His Purse is nothing the fuller his body is much the happier This course you see both Christ and his Apostles gaue vs in practise and precept In practise When the woman blessed the wombe that bare Christ and the pappes which gauâ— him sucke he deriueâ— hence occasion to blesse them which conceiue him in their faith and receaue him in their obedience Blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it Euen as Mary her selfe was rather blessed percipiendo fidem quam concipiendo carnem Christi in receauing the faith then conceauing the flesh of Christ. So the newes of his kinred in the flesh standing at the doore taught him to teach who are his true kinred in the Spirit In precept to his Apostles If they will not receaue and beleeue you Wipe off the dust of their Citie that cleaueth to your feete against them If they will not be moued with your words amaze them with your wonders Heale the sicke cleanse the leapers raise the dead cast out Deuils We cannot now worke miracles yet we can speake of miracles Euen we must also as obey his Documents so obserue his doings and follow him in due measure both in his words works though non passibus aequis not with equall steps Our imitation must be with limitation aptly dâ—stinguishing what we must onely admire in our mindes what admit in our manners 2. To all Christians that wee climbe vp by the staires of these inferiour creatures to contemplate the glorious power of the Creatour A good Christian that like the Bee workes honey from euery flower suffers no action demonstration euent to slip by him without a question All Obiects to a meditating Solomon are like wings to reare mount vp his thoughts to Heauen As the old Româ—nes when they saw the blew stones thought of Olympus so let euery Obiect though low in it selfe eleuate our mindes to Mount Syon A meane scaffold may serue to raise vp a goodly building Courtiers weather-driuen into a poore Cottage etiam in caula de Aula loquuntur gather hence opportunitie to praise the Court Wee may no lesse euen ex hara de ara dicendi ansam sumere from our Tabernacles on earth be induced to praise our standing house in Heauen So as the Philosopher aymed at the pitch stature of Hercules by viewing the length of the print of his foote Wee may by the base and dwarfiâ—h pleasures on our earth guesse at the high and noble ioyes in Heauen How can we cast vp our eyes to that they were made to behold and not suffer our mindes to transcend it passing through the lower Heauen which God made for Fowles Vapours Meteors to the Firmament wherein he fixed his Starres and thence meditating of the Empyreall Heauen which he created for himselfe his Angels his Saints a place no lesse glorious aboue the visible then the visible is aboue the earth Read in euery Starre and let the Moone be your Candle to doe it the prouident disposition of God the eternitie of your after-life But
opposition the storme of Iudgement will ensue Nay haue not your iniquities made the Pulpit the Gospels mercy-seat a Tribunall of Iudgement 2. Will not these mournings menaces querulations stirre your hearts because they are deriued from GOD through vs his Organ-pipes as if they had lost their vigour by the vvay Then open your eyes you that haue deaâ—'d your eares and see him actually complayning against vs. Obserue at least if not the thunders of his voyce yet the vvonders of his hand I could easily loose my selfe in this Common-place of Iudgements I will therefore limit my speech to narrow bounds and onely call that to our memories the print whereof stickes in our sides God hauing taught Nature euen by her good to hurt as some wash gold to depraue the weight of it euen to drayne away our fruits by floods But alas we say of these strokes as the Philosopher in one sense and Solomons Drunkard in another non memini me percussum wee remember not that wee were stricken or as the Prophet of the Iewes Thou hast smitten them but they haue not grieued thou hast consumed them but they haue refused to receiue correction euen whiles their wounds were yet raw and their ruines not made vp Many are like the Stoickes in Equuleo though the punishment lye on their flesh it shall not come neere their heart God would schoole our heauie-spirited and coldly deuoted worldlings that sacriâ—ice to their Nets attribute all their thriuing to their owne industry and neuer enter that thought on the point of their hearts how they are beholding to God Here alas we finde that wee are beholding to the Corne and other fruites of the earth they to the ground the ground to the influences of Heauen all to God When man hath done all in plowing tilling sowing if either the cloudes of Heauen denie their raine or giue too much how soone is all lost The Husbandman that was wont to waite for the early and latter showres now casts vp trembling eyes to the cloudes for a ne noceant For your Barnes full of weedes rather then graine testifie that this blow did not onely spoile the glory and benefit of your Meadowes but euen by rebound your Corne-fields also Be not Athiests looke higher then the cloudes It was no lesse then the angry hand of God Thus can God euery way punish vs. It was for a time the speech of all tongues amazement of all eyes wonder of all hearts to see the showres of wrath so fast powring on vs as if the course of nature were inuerted our Summer comming out in the robes of Winter But as a Father writes of such a yeere Our deuotions begun and ended with the showre Nocte pluit tota redeunt spectacula manè It raines and wee lament But the Sunne did not sooner breake out through the cloudes then wee broke out into our former licentiousnes We were humbled but nâ—t humble dressed of God not cured Though God with-hold plentie wee with-hold not gluttony Pride leaues off none of her vanities Vsury bates not a crosse of his Interest The â—ioter is still as drunken with Wine as the earth was with Water And the Couetous had still rather eate vp the poore as bread then they should eate of his bread keeping his barnes full though their mawes be emptie as if hee would not let the vermine fast though the poore starue No meruaile if heauen it selfe turnes into languishment for these impieties Dic rogo cur toties descendit ab aethere nimbus Grandoque de coelis sic sine fine cadit Mortales quoniam nolunt sua crimina flâ—re Coelum pro nobis soluitur in lachrymâ—s What meane those aery spowtes and spungy clouds To spill themselues on earth with frequent flouds Because man swelling sinnes and dry eyes beares They weepe for vs raine down showres of teares God hath done for his part enough for Israell He hath stored their Vials with Balme their Cities wiih Phisitians It was then their owne fault that their health was not recouered Oh Israell thou hast destroyed thy selfe but in mee is thine helpe Let euen the inhabitants of Ierusalem and Iudah themselues be vmpires And what could I haue done more to my Vineyard that I haue not done in it God is not sparing in the commemoration of his mercies to vs as knowing that of all the faculties of the Soule the memory first waxeth old and of all obiects of the memory a benefit is soonest forgotten Wee write mans iniuries to vs in Marble but Gods mercies in dust or waters Wee had neede of remembrances God hath done so much for vs that he may say to vs as once to Ephraim Oh Ephraim what shall I doe more vnto thee What could Israell want which God supplyed not If they want a guide God goes before them in fire If they lacke Bread Flesh or Drinke Mercy and Miracle shall concurre to satisfie them Heauen shall giue them Bread the Wind Quailes the Rocke Waters Doth the Wildernesse deny them new clothes their old shall not waxe old on their backes A Law from heauen shall direct their Consciences and Gods Oracles from betweene the Cherubins shall resolue their doubts If they be too weake for their Enimies Fire from heauen vapours from the cloudes Frogges and Catterpillers Sunne Aire Waters shall take their parts Nay God himselfe shall fight for them What could God doe more for their reseruing for their preseruing If I should set the mercies of our land to runne along with Israells wee should gaine cope of them and out-runne them And though in Gods actuall and outward mercies they might outstrip vs yet in his spirituall and sauing health they come short of vs. They had the shadow we the substance they candle-light we noone-day they the breakefast of the Law fit for the morning of the world we the dinner of the Gospell fit for the high-noone thereof They had a glimpse of the Sunne we haue him in the full strength they saw per feâ—estram wee sine medio They had the Paschall-Lambe to expiate sinnes ceremonially wee the Lambe of God to satisfie for vs really Not a typicall sacrifice for the sinnes of the Iewes onely but an euangelicall taking away the sinnes of the world For this is that secret opposition which that voyce of a Cryer intimates Now what could God doe more for vs Israell is stung with fiery Serpents behold the erection of a strangely medicinall Serpent of brasse So besides the spirituall application of it the plague hath stricken vs that haue striken God by our sinnes his mercy hath healed vs. Rumours of Warre hath hummed in our eares the murmures of terrour behold he could not set his bloody foote in our coasts The rod of Famine hath beene shaken ouer vs wee haue not smarted with the deadly lashes of it Euen that wee haue not beene thus miserable God hath done much for vs. Looke
Poets Phisitians Historians haue reported some one extraordinarie thing exceeding all the rest in their obseruations They talke of Cornucopia that it supplied men with all necessarie foode They hammer at the Philosophers stone which they affirme can turne baser mettals into gold Vulcans Armour saith the Poet was of proofe against all blowes Phisitians tell vs that the hearbe Panaces is good for all diseases and the drugge Catholicon in stead of all Purges as both their names would seeme to testifie They come all short of this spirituall Balme It hath in deede and perfection what they attribute to those in fiction Panace is an hearbe whereof Plinie thus testifieth Panace ipso nomine omâ—iâ—m morborum remedia promittâ—t The very name of it promiseth remedie to all sicknesses It is but a weede to our Balsame which is a tree a tree of life a complete Paradise of trees of life flourishing and bearing euery moneth the fruit being delectable the leaues medicinable It is a true purging vertue to cleanse vs from all corruption of spirit of flesh Now are ye cleane through the word which I haue spoken vnto you Catholicon is a drugge a drudge to it It purifieth our hearts from all defilings and obstructions in them A better Cornucopia then euer Nature had shee beene true to their desires and wants could haue produced the bread of Heauen by which a man liues for euer A very supernaturall stone more precious then the Indies if they were consolidate into one Quarrey that turnes all into purer gold then euer the land of Hauâ—lab boasted A â—tronger Armour then was Vâ—lâ—â—n's to shield vs from a more strange and sauage enemie then euer Anak begot the Deuill It is a Panary of wholesome food against fenowed traditions A Phisitians Shop of Antidotes against the poysons of heresies and the plague of iniquities A pandect of profitable Lawes against rebellious spirits A treasurie of costly iewels against beggarly rudiments The Aromaticall tree hath sometimes good sauour in the rinde sometimes in the flower sometimes in the fruit So it fareth in the Cinamon that is a riâ—de the Mace is thâ— flower and the Nutmegge the fruit According as the dry and earthie part mingled with the subtle watry matter hath the Masterie in any part ' more or lesse that part smelleth best As in common flowers which sauour in the flower when from the stalke or root ariseth nothing Onely the Balme smels well in euery part So the word is in euery respect the sweet sauour of life though to some through their owne corruption it becomes the sauour of death We may say of the word as one of the Lambe it is all good the fleece to cloath the flesh to eate the blood for medicine Thus All Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reprooâ—e for correction for instruction in righteousnesse That the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished vnto all good works His salubriter et corriguntur praâ—a et nutriuntur parâ—a et magna oblectantur ingenia Euill wittes are corrected simple are illightned strong are delighted by the word And In his quotidie proficerem si â—as solas ab ineunte pueritia vsque ad deâ—repitam sâ—â—â—ctutem maximo otiâ— summo studio meliore ingenio conarer addiscere In these I should continually profit if from the first day of my vnderstanding to the last of my old age I should be conuersant with them Other things may haue in them salubritatem quandam a certaine wholesomnesse but from this Balme sanitas â—t ipsavita petitur health life it selfe is deriued Humane writings may like the Aliptae put blood in our cheeks but this is the true Phisick to cherish our spark to maintaine our life Other hearbs plants and roots may be toxica and poyson the broath this is Elisha's salt that onely sweetens it Lignum crucis is lignum vitae like Moses wood to put a healthfull tast into the bitter waters of humane knowledge These are the two Testaments of God which no man shal interline without certaine iudgment like the two pillars of smoke fire one dark like the old the other bright as the new only able to conduct vs from Egipt to Canaan and to furnish vs with all necessaries by the way if we depend thereon The two Cherubins that looke directly toward the Mercie-seate both pointing to Iesus Christ. The Treasure that hath both old and new in it sufficiently able to instruct the Scribe to the Kingdome of Heauen This is that medicamentum medicamentorum as Petrus Apponensis saith of the Balme vbi nihil deficit quod in salutem sufficit where there is no want of any thing requisite to saluation Cuius plenitudinem adoro whose fulnesse I reuerence and admire This is that light which can iustly guide our steps this is that measure of the Sanctuary that must weigh all things this is that great Seale that must warrant all our actions This giues at one Sermon Balme sufficient to heale diuers diseases Peter had Auditours of diuers Nations Parthians Medes Elamites c. Iewes and Proselâ—â—es Cretes and Arabians and no question but their affections were as naturally as nationally different yet were three thousand wonne at one Sermon So the Multitude the Publicans the Souldiours had all their lessons at one time so many in number and such manner of men in nature had their remedies together and their seuerall diseases healed as it were with one plaister The people had a doctrine of charitie the Publicans of equitie the Souldiours of innocencie This was prophecied by Esay fulfilled here and often in Christs Kingdome The Wolfe is turned to the Lambe when the Souldiours are made harmelesse the Leopard into a Calfe when the Publicans are made iust the Lyon and Beare into a Cow when the Multitude is made charitable Water searcheth and winde shaketh and thunder terrifieth euen Lyons but the word onely is strong to conuert the heart of man Some indeede both in sense and censure iudge it weake but they alas shall finde it if weake to saue them yet strong to condemne them If it cannot plant thee it will supplant thee This then is that soueraine Balme medicinable to all maladies Phisitians ascribe many healing vertues to their Balsame many and almost what not This Metaphysicall doth more properly challenge that attribution 1. They say that Balme taken fasting Asthmaticis valde confert is very good against short-windednesse Truly Gods word lengthens and strengthens the breath of grace which otherwise would be short the conscience as the lungs being soone obstructed with iniquities For goodnesse soone faints where the word is not without the Gospell the health of obedience looseth and the disease of sinne gathers strength 2. They say that Balme taken inwardly dissolues and breakes the stone in the reynes But Ieremie in Gods Phisicke-booke saith that our Balme is