such deceived us 743. he whom the Lord loves shall be delivered out of their snares and he whom the Lord hates shal fall into them 341. Sathan disturbes not his own 387. no greater temptation then not to be tempted 388. Theefe objection of the thiefe upon the crosse answered 548. Thoughts of wicked men touching the religious not the same in distresse as in prosperity 524. Time they drink to drive it away 267â— if times be bad wee should be more carefull 223. Tongues that drunkards use their tongues only a frivolous excuse 503. a lewd tongue a lowd one and a lowd tongue a lewd one 86. Traduce us because they cannot otherwise hurt us 376. V VErtue and vice can never accord 409. Victory Drunkards in conquering are most overcome 329. Vice every vice hath a title given it and every vertue a disgrace 293. Violence when by gentle perswasions they cannot prevaile they use violence 726. W VVIcked nothing will doe good upon a wicked heart 691. whereof many examples ibid. a continual warre betweene the wicked and the godly in all ages 432. Watchfulnesse 740. we must be Watchfull Wise and Valiant if we will not be overcome by their allurements 739. Where 's the Divel much beholding to whores but farre more to drunkards 451. Wine the drunkards high esteeme of it about making wise 45. Wine lawfull if used lawfully Winne wee should be as zealous and industrious to win soules to God as they are to Sathan 455. Wisdome no wicked man a wise man 189 how wise the drunkard is in his owne conceit 118. of which two reasons 119. drunkards purblind to worldly wisdome starke blind to heavenly 133. they not alwayes the wisest which know most 604. the religious man wiser then the most profound humanist 608. or the cunningest Politician 613. severall misprisions of wisdome 609. worldly men account folly wisdome and wisdom folly 601. objection that the strictest livers are seldome the wisest men answered 600. Witnesse every invitation to repentance will bee a witnesse against us 484. Word to believers is all in all 213. Words he would never endure blowes that cannot concoct evill words 767. wee should read their words backward 763. World begins with milke ends with an hammer 720. whereas Christ keeps back the good wine untill afterwards ibid. many prefer the worlds favour before Gods 772. Worldlings have more peace with 1. Sathan 731. 2. the world 731. 3. themselves 732. then Gods people they may satisfie their lusts to the full 727. have free scope and liberty to do or say what they please 729 whereas Gods people are restrained in their very thoughts ibid. whence they thinke themselves more happy in serving the Divell then others in serving of God 733. they profit more in sinne then the godly in grace 734. they are penny wise and pound foolish 634. but it is otherwise with the godly ibid. Wounds those prove deepe wounds to weake Christians that would be balm and physick unto abler judgements 765. Z ZEale a compounded affection of love and anger 848 we should be as zealous in good as they are in evill 455. FINIS The Introduction Drunkards not to be reckoned amongst men Other sinners Beasts Drunkards worse then Beasts wherein they equall Beasts Why so tart Beasts know when they have enough Beasts remaine the same they were crealed but Drunkards shame their creation Drunkards deprive themselves of sense and motion They subvert reason and prove cruell to themselves They transforme themselves into the condition of evill Angells what the learned say of this sin Drunkennesse both a matchlesse sin in it selfe and the cause of all other sins Drunkennesse disables and indisposeth men to all good yea to all the meanes thereof The rooâ—e of all evill the rot of all good The Drunkards heart a Mare Mortuum The Drunkard cut up and anatomized His outward dâ—â— formiti His inward infirmities An objection answered The Drunkard his own executioner Aâ—ward pot-valiant will kil and â—lay Drunkennesse the cause of murther No admonishing a drunkard Drunkennesse the cause of adultery Drunkennes Beastiates the soule Drunkennes brings poverty Drunkennesse defames a man Drunkeâ—nesse and Ide esse of each other both the cause and effect Idlenesse the most corrupting Fly that can blow in any humaâ—e â—inde All the drunkards labour is to satisfie his Eusts 〈…〉 One drunkard hath tongueenough for twenty men Drunkennesse discovers all secreâ—s His vaine babling scnrriloâ—s jeâ—â—ing 〈◊〉 talking His cursed and impious swearing blaspheming c. Drunkards deserve like dirâ— in the house of God to be throwâ—e out 1 Because they bring an ill name upon the Gospell â— cause the enemy to blaspheme God Because they infect almost all that come neere them Because the whole land fares the woâ—se for their sakes To make them looke into themselves 5 Because they contemne all admonition Swearing the most 〈◊〉 excusable 〈◊〉 Of which two realons That of all otheâ— the swearer shal be sure of plogues Drunâ—ards iâ—sensible of their 〈◊〉 and daâ—ger because ignorant Why they are so jocund and confident Three wayes to make them leave their swearing Their discourse and behaviour on the Alebeâ—â—h How wise the drunkard is in his 〈◊〉 conceil Of which 2. reasons The greatest Bowzers prâ—ved the greatest Buzzards 〈◊〉 sect 42. Drunkennesse either fiâ—des them fools or makes them fooles thâ—t â—se it Aâ— objection answered Many examples of driâ—k besâ—â—ling meâ— 2. That drunkards have shallâ—w memoriâ—s As drunkards are purblind to worldly wisdome so thâ—y are stâ—rk blind tâ— heavenly An unpardonâ—ble crime not to drinke as they dâ—e The utmoâ—â— of a Drunkards honesty is good fellowship He of most reputation that can drinke most He a rare man now that forbeares to drinke untill he be thirsty They devoure whole dâ—luges of strong dâ—inke They devoure whole deluges of strong drinke It is Gods uâ—speakable mercy that wee have not a famine or that the land dâ—th not spue out ber inhabitants for this sin But Drvn kards are reserved uâ—to the great day The judgments of God â—pirituall temporall and eternall which in Scripture are threat ned against Drunkards Yet if they can repent and leave their siâ— God is very ready to forgive 4. Excuses which drunkards usually make taken away If they can bare their drink they are no drunkards 2. Their alleadging the examples of some â—oly men 3 They are not drunke with wine 4 That it is the usuall custome of the place and common practise of the people with who they are couversant and by whom they live That wee ought not to follow the example either 1 of the greatest number or 2 Of the greatest men or 3 Of the greatest schollers That no wicked man is a wise man 4. The best and holiest men no certaâ—ne rule to walk by 5. Neither is reason as now it is clouded with the mists of originall nor ruption 6 Neither are good and holy intentioâ—s enough That onely Law and precept must be our rule Vse and
much § 4. VVHerefore in my encounter with this Monster I will neither spend time nor blot paper with shewing wherein they are equall with beasts as that they are onely led by sensuality that their whole intendment is their bellies that like hogs they thinke no garden so pleasant as the dunghill no cleare streame comparable to the mire wherein they wallow that seeming a heaven to them which to a sober and religious man is little better then an hell yea who thinks it not lesse labour to plow all day then to pot it that it is a taske almost invicible to make them owne those words and behaviours when they are sober which in their pots they were authors of that notwithstanding drink hath often made them as sicke as ever was Sea-man and exposed them to a thousand perills yet they are never the wiser afterwards that they have no more conscience nor feare of God then beasts yea tell them of God their hearts will make reply as the Cyclops in the Tragedy did with his mouth when Vlysses told him of God I know no other God but my belly that they are as improvident without forefight of what will follow as beasts providing no refuge against the evill day but thinke to beare off the judgments of God with head and shoulders that like bruite beasts they will beleive nothing but what they are led to by sense that they consider no more how time passeth away then a beast is able to tell the clocke whereupon their departure is commonly so suddaine that when they looke for a pleasant peale behold it is their passing bell that they are no more ashamed of their deeds then beasts yea lesse for a very Dog though he cannot blush will goe away as if he were ashamed when he hath done a shrewd turne and is taken in the manner but Drunkards have a meretricious forehead stupid and steeled with impudence shame-proofe there is not so much blood of grace in their hearts as will serve to make halfe a blush in their cheekes If it bee objected that a Drunkard can sometimes speake I answere that is no more then a beast hath done even a silly Asse Num. 22. 28. These and many the like I will passe over and only shew you wherein they be worse then beasts § 5. IN which let none thinke mee over tart or my comparisons too homely for they must not looke to live like beasts yea worse then beasts and be slattered as if they were men what shall wee walke in the spirit of falsehood and prophesie of wine and strong drinke no this were to bee a beast for company if men thinke scorne thus to be compared let them forbeare to deserve such comparisons What saith St. Chrysostome shall I thinke thee to be a man when thou hast all the qualities of a beast kickest like an Asse neighest after women like a Horse ragest in lust like a Bull ravenest like a Beare stingest like a Scorpion rakest like a Wolfe as subtill as a Fox as impudent and shamelesse as a Dog thou hast nothing in thee to induce mee to thinke so seeing there is a greater similitude betweene thee and a beast in the disposition of thy minde then dissimilitude in the composition of thy body as for thy shape that affrights mee more when I see a beast in the likenesse of a man But I speake not so much to them as of them for these beasts rarely reade bookes especially tending to piety I speake to the sober as unto men of understanding and let them judge what I say § 6. Drunkards inferiour to beasts in five particulars viz. 1 In swilling to excesse whereas beasts keepe within the bounds of moderation 2 Iâ— cosing the prerogative of their creation wheras beasts keepe theirs 3 In depriving themselves of sense and motion wherein beasts excell plants and stones 4 In that they subvert reason prove cruell to themselves yea ofttimes become their owne executioners 5 In transforming themselves into the condition of cvill Angells whose whole delight is to sin and make others sinne and whose portion is in the burning lake 1 First it is not so bad to be a Beast as for a man who hath more noble endowments to live like a beast which is the Drunkards case who in their practise resemble beasts saving that beasts are therin better then they as for example beasts whether Horses Oxen or any other brutish creature as knowing when they have enough when once they have drank sufficient to quench their thirst and to satisfie nature have so much reason and good manners in them as to forbeare to drinke any more then they neede yea they cannot be forced by any violence to drinke againe which shewes that excesse is a most unnaturall and abominable sin whereas the drunkard drinks double and treble yea ten times more then hee needs and not onely satisfies nature but also gluts and oppresseth it with superfluity even unto surfeit Yea this even one of their owne Poets have confest who when his wife askt him whether hee were not ashamed to lye drunke in the streets like a beast replyed thou lyest like a whore for if I were a beast I would not be drunke I marvell how a Drunkard could give so good a reason Neither is this all for as beasts know when they have enough these brutish Animals are so far from having command over their affections from putting a knife to their throate when they have taken enough as Salomon adviseth Pro. 23. 2. that they will be ready to sheath it in the Drawers belly if hee shall but offer to set bounds to their throats at least they will unblesse themselves when meanes and time and company will not permit another Sacrifice to their Bacchus their belly so that to say the truth and give beasts their due in this particular it is a wrong to beasts to call drunkennesse their sinne for generally they are sober and these so much worse then beasts as they ought to be better § 7. 2 DRunkards are worse then beasts in that beasts remaine the same they were created whereas Drunkards subvert natures institution cease to bee what God made them reasonable creatures and suffer themselves to be transformed by drinke into swine as Elpenor one of Vlysses companions was turned by Circe into a Hog so shaâ—ing their creation and whereas other sinnes deprive a man of Gods Image this deprives him of mans leaving him neither the use of reason nor speech without which but for the name and dimensions of a man he is no better then a beast as the Foole said of his Coulestaffe when he rid upon it into the water as good no horse but for the name of a horse yea the Drunkards soule is made a slave to his sense and whilst this rebells she that worst may must hold the Candle Now a man having lost the use of his soule is worse then a beast which keeps the use
sinne scornes reproofe admonition to it were like goads to them that are mad already or like powring Oyle down the chimney which may set the house on fire but never abate the heate Neither can the rest better brooke what he speaks then he what they speak for these Pompeian spirits think it a foule disgrace either to put up the least wrong from another or acknowledge to have overslipt themselves in wronging of another whereby thousands have been murthered in their drink it faring with them as it did with that Pope whom the Divel is said to have slaine in the very instant of his adultery and carry him quick to hell For this is the case of drunkards as of Souldiers and Marriners the more need the lesse devotion I am loth to trouble you with the multitude of examples which are recorded of those that having made up the measure of their wickednes have Ammon like dyed and beene slaine in drink God sometimes practising martiall law and doing present execution upon them least fooles should say in their hearte there is no God though he connives at and deferres the most that men might expect a Judge comming and a solemne day of judgement to follow And what can be more fearefull then when their hearts are merry and their wits drowned with wine to be suddenly strucken with death as if the execution were no lesse intended to the soule then to the body or what can bee more just then that they which in many yeares impunity will find no leisure of repentance should at last receive a punishment without possibility of repentance I know â—peed of death is not alwayes a judgement yet as suddennes is ever justly suspicable so it then certainly argues anger when it findes us in an act of sinne Leisure of repentance is an argument of favour when God gives a man law it implies that hee would not have judgement surprise him § 20. NOW as drunkennesse is the cause of murther so it is no lesse the cause of adultery yea as this sinne is most shamefull in it selfe so it maketh a man shamelesse in committing any other sin whereof luâ—t is none of the last nor none of the least Yea saith Ambrose the first evill of drunkennesse is danger of chastity for Bacchus is but a pander to Venus hereupon Romulus made a law that if any woman were found drunke shee should dye for it taking it for granted that when once drunke it was an easie matter to make her a whore The stomach is a Limbeck wherein the spirit of lust is distilled meates are the ingredients and wine the onely fire that extracts it For as the flame of mount Aetna is fed onely by the vapours of the adjacent sea so this fire of lust is both kindled and maintained by surfeiting and drunkennesse When the belly is filled with drinke then is the heart inflamed with lust and the eyes so filled with adultery that they cannot but gaze upon strange women as Salomon Shewes Prov. 23. 33. whereas love saith Crates is cured with hunger You know when the Iron is hot the Smith can fashion it to his pleasure and wine tempers the heart like wax for the divels impression when a man is drunk Sathan may stamp in his heart the soulesâ— sinne but lust will admit no denyall Yea drunkennesse inflames the soule and fills that with lusts as hot as hell high diet is adulteries nurse They rose up in the morning like fed Horses saith the Prophet and what followes every man neighed after his neighbours wife Ier. 5. 8. which is more then true with us for drunkards like the Horse and Mule which have no â—nderstanding no shame no conscience c. especially your brazen brain'd and flinty foreheaded clownes can no sooner spie a woman or maide chast or unchast even in the open streets but they will fall to imbraceing and tempting her with ribaldry scurrility turning every vvord she speakes to some lascivious obscene sense vvhereof they are not a little proud though it vvould make a vvise and modest man even spue to heare them But to goe on When Lot is drunke hee is easily drawne to commit incest with his owne daughters not once perceiving when they lay downe nor when they rose up Gen. 19. 32. to 36. Rarò vidi continentem quem non vidi â—bstinentem saith St. Austin you shall rarely see a man continent that is not abstinent and it 's a true rule for that heate which is taken at the Taverne must be alaid at the brothel-house the blood which is fired with Bacchus must be cooled with Venus and soe Sathan takes two Pigeons with one beane And the Divell should forget both his office and malice if hee did not play the pander to Coâ—cupiscence this way for idlenesse makes way for loose company loose company makes way for wine wine makes way for lust and lust makes worke for the Devill Venus comes out of the froth of this Sea I will never believe that chastity ever slept in the Drunkards bed for although I cannot say that every whormonger is given to drunkennesse yet I may truely say that there are no Drunkards but are either given over or greatly inclined to whoredome This sinne fills the heart and eye both eyes if not the whole life with horrible filthinesse naturall unnaturall any this is so cleare a truth that darknesse it selfe saw and confest it even a Poet of the Heathens could call eating and drinking the fuell that maintaines the fier of Lust for Lust saith hee is quenched by abstinence kindled by excesse and nothing sooner kills this tetter then that fasting spittle of abstinence for how should the wieke burne without tallow or the lampe without oyle That Wine is an inducement to Lust David well knew or else hee had spared those superfluous cups but when hee would have forced Vriaâ— to lye with his wife that so shee might have a colour for her great belly and the child might appeare legitimate hee first made him drunke 2 Sam. 1 1. 13. Even as Ice is ingendered of water so is Lust of intemperance The Drunkard is like a Salamander stone which fires at the sight of every flame yea if hee but see a whore and shee him like the Weesell and Baâ—iliske they poyson each other with their sight Pro. 7. One Devill is ready to helpe another in mischiefe hee that tarrieth long at the wine saith Salomon his eyes shall looke upon strange women and his heart shall speake lewd things Proverbs 23. 33. and St. Paul witnesseth that the fruits of gluttony and drunkennesse are chambering and wantonnesse Rom. 13. 13. Yea as drunkennesse is the onely businesse of loyterers so lewd love is the onely businesse of Drunkards for while they are awake they thinke and speake of it and when they are asleepe even when other mens thoughts lye at Anchor they nothing but dreame of it and what is it a Drunkard loves halfe so well as a whore
generall rule but admits of some exceptions and this rule is not alwayes infallible for wine makes some quick spirited others dull this man talkative another dumb according to the disposition and constitution of the party Yea I confesse the complot and purpose to kill Casar was as faithfully committed unto Cimber who would daily bee drunk with quaffing of wine as unto Cassius that drank nothing but water neither had Augustus any cause to bee discontented with Lucius Piso that conquered Thrace for all he trusted him with the secretest affaires he had in hand nor Tiâ—erius with Cossus to whom hee imparted all his seriousest counsells although both so gave themselves to drinking that they were often faine to bee carried from the Senate and both reputed notable drunkards but it is rarely seene that the contrary holds not Wherefore I will not tell a bibber what I would not heare againe lest I heare of it againe from those to whom I dare not avouch it againe Yea for this cause were there no other reason I will beware of wine I will not doe God so great a dishonour as to demideifie man in making him privie to my heart and thoughts Yea seeing God hath given me two eyes two eares and but one tongue I wil heare and see double to what I speak And so much to shew how well the drunkard can keepe counsell if any be so mad as to trust him with a secret I passe on to his Vaine babling Surrilous jesting Wicked talking c. § 28. SEcondly suppose you urge him not the wine having set his tongue at liberty it shall resemble Bacchus his Liber pater and goe like the saile of a Wind-mill For as a great gale of wind whirleth the failes about so abundance of wine whirleth his tongue about and keeps it in continuall motion Now he railes now he scoffs now he lyes now he slan ders now he seduces talks baudie sweares banns somes and cannot bee quiet till his tongue bee wormed And all this hee sets out with the same throat that a hired waterman cryes Cales sand for commonly a lewd tongue is a lowd one and a lowd tongue a lewd one Impudent speakers are like gaping Oysters which being open'd either stink or there is nothing in them But to keepe close to drunkards This Caca-doemons discourse is all quarrelling scoffing or scurrilous for as hee hath a spitefull tongue in his anger so he hath a beastly tongue in his mirth as these two inseparably attend each other First a spitefull tongue in his anger for if you marke him then having more rage than reason hee enterlaceth all his discourse either with reviling the present or backbiting the absent now all his prayers are curses and all his relations lyes talkative and lying you know are two birds which alwayes she out of one nest To be short heare him when he is in this veine and bâ—t seriously consider his condition you would thinke that by a just judgement of God hee were metamorphosed like Hecuba the wife of Priamus into a Dog whose chiefe property is to barke with open mouth at such as hee knowes not for without question their wits are shorter and their tongues longer then to demonstrate them rationall creatures Secondly he hath a beastly tongue in his mirth the drunkards communication is ever filthy and beastly ful of all ribaudry and baudinesse no filthy talke or rotten speech whatsoever comes amisse to a drunkard yea no word savours well with them that is not unsavoury their onely musicke and so fares it with all the rude rabble is ribaudry modesty and sober merriment with them is dulnesse Thus whereas hee should either bee silent or his words should be bâ—tter worth then silence contrariwise from the beginning to the end hee belcheth forth nothing but what is as farre from truth piety reason modesty as that the Moone came down from heaven to visit Mahomet O the beastlines which burns in their unchast and impure minds that smoakes out of their polluted mouthes A man would thinke that even the Divell himselfe should blush to heare his child so talke How doth his mouth rune over with falsehoods against both Christians and Preachers what speakes hee lesse then whoredomes adulteries incests at every word yea heare two or three of them talke you would change the Lycâ—â—â—ians language and say Devills are come up in the likenesse of men Yea it is a small matter with them to meddle with their equalls or to sit upon their parish Priest as those hogsheads terme him for in such a meeting they will visit a whole Diocesse and Province nay the sagest Iudge and gravest Councâ—ller and greatest Peeâ—â— in the land must doe service to their Court and be summoned before the Alebench according to that in the Pâ—almes they set theâ—r mouthes against Heaven and their tongues wâ—â—ke through the earth Psal. 73. 9. Nor will they stay here for when they have huft their smoake into the face of these they will have health to King Charles and what not for the honour of England O that they should 〈◊〉 to make that a shooing-horne to draw on drinke by drinking healthes to him I cannot bee in charity with the places that permit this with the persons that pardon it much lesse with such Belialists as practise it But see greater abominations then these for as yet wee bee but in the Haven if wee launch out into the deepe we shall meete with Sea-monsters farre fowlerevills § 29. 3 FRom wicked talking hee proceeds to cursed and impious sâ—earing blâ—spheming c. as you seldome see a Drunkard but hee is a great swearer and not of petty oathes but those prodigious and fearefull ones of Woâ—â—ds and Blood the damned language of ruffians and monsters of the earth together with God damne me which words many of them use superficially if they repent not Yea the Drunkards and desperate ruffians of our dayes sweare and curse as if Heaven were deafe to their noyse yea they have so sworne away all grace that they count it a grace to sweare and that not onely when they are displeased with others will they tare the name of their Maker in peeces which is no better then frenzie but in their very best moodes Prophane Drunkards sweare even as dogs barke not ever for curstnesse but mostly out of custome neither know they that they sweare though they nothing but sweare as you shall heare a man when reproved for swearing presently rap out oathes that he swore not like men desperately diseased their excrements and filth comes from them at unawares And as by much labour the hand is so hardened that it hath no sense of labour so their much swearing causeth such a brawny skin of senselessenesse to overspread the heart memory and conscience that the swearer sweareth unwittingly and having sworne hath no remembrance of his oath much lesse repentance for his sinne O the numberlesse number of oathes and blasphemies that one blacke mouthed
oft doth one commend or condemne me for one thing and another for the contrary Yea the famous Alderguts or gulpe-thirsts of our time not onely thinke excessive drinking worthy of all honour during life and so ratifie those ancient presidents but they looke their associates should not cease to honour them being dead by mâ—ntioning their rare exployts herein like Darius who caused it to be engraven upon his tombe for an honour I could drinke great store of wine and beare it well But O you sottish sensualists how hath the Devill bewitched you to magnifie honour and applaud all that are enthralled to this worse then swiniâ—h swilling and on the other side to vilifie reproach and undervalue all that hate and loath it in their judgments or else renounce it in their practice is it possible that the reasonable soule of man not professedly barbarous should be capable of such a monster certainely if I did not know the truth and probate of it by ocular and experimentall demonstrations from day to day I could hardly bring my understanding to believe that men that Christians should be of so reprobate a judgement as to affect admire adore c. so foule so base so beastly so unamiable so unfruitfull unprofitable unpleasant unnaturall a vice as this is in most mens judgements and experience Nay I cannot believe what I both see and heare in this case for it is not possible for the most corrupted heart to thinke that any should be honoured for villany and for honesty be contemned but rather that every Drunkard in his more serious cogitations thinkes of his fellow dying in this sinne a fit saint to be canonized for the Devill for not seldome are wicked mens judgments forced to yeeld unto that truth against which their affections maintaine a rebellion And so we see that what Seneca said long since when wine was sold in Apothecaries shops and dranke rather in time of sicknesse then in health namely that the time would come when honour should be ascribed unto drunkennesse and that to drinke much wine should be reputed a vertue is fulfilled in our age that very time is come Non habet â—lterius quod nostris potibus addâ—s Posteritas They drinke not for strength but lust and pride to shew how full of Sathan they be and how neere to swine O wofull glory § 43 MEn were not so temperate in former times as we read of Cyrus and many others that did never eate but of hunger nor drinke but for thirst and then but a little but they more abound in excesse at this present for he is a rare Drunkard yea a rare man in these dayes that forbeares to drinke untill hee be thirsty for as if they scorned such an occasion they drink before they are â—ry they drink untill they become dry so that thirst overtakes drunkennesse as fooles runne into the river to avoyd a shower of raine All drunkards all you who know no other calling but to visite Tavernes know that I speake true that you drinke one liquour to draw on another not to quench but to increase thirst not to qualifie but to inkindle heat in which their swinish swilling they resemble so many Froggs in a puddle or water-Snakes in a pond for their whole exercise yea religion is to drink they even drowne themselves on the dry land O what deluges of wine and strong drinke doth one true drunkard devoure and cause to bee devoured who never drinkes but double for he must be pledged yea if there be ten in company every one must drink as much as he and he will drinke untill his eyes stare like two blazing starres and Drawers or Tapsters those Sergeants of the maw will see that the pots shall neither be full nor empty They drinke more spirits in a night then their flesh and brains be worth for if it be possible they will choake rather then confesse Beere good drinke But in the meane time how many thousands which are hard driven with poverty or by the exigents of warre might be relieved with that these men spend like beasts whiles that is throwne out of one swines nose and mouth and guts which would refresh a whole family O wofull calamity of mankind saith S. Augustine how many may we find that doe urge and compell those that be already satisfied to drinke more then becometh them and yet will deny even a cup of small drinke to the poore that beg it for Gods sake and for Christs sake they pinch the hungry to pamper the full withhold drinke from the thirsty to make others drunke with too great abundance § 44. BUt O how just a punishment were famine after such a satiety and pestilence after famine for such as turne the Sanctuary of life into the shambles of death O Lord it is thy unspeakeable mercy that our land which hath beene so long sicke of this drunken disease and so often surfitted of this sinne doth not spue us all out which are the inhabitants The Lord of most glorious Majesty and infinite purity sees all heares all knowes all and yet behold we live nay the Lord still causes Heaven Earth Sea Land all Creatures to waite upon us and bring us in all due provision nay he hath not long since abounded even in that blessing and graine which hath bene most abused to drunkennesse here is patience here is mercy here is bounty O that we could stay here and suffer our selves to lose our selves in the meditation and admiration of this wonderfullnesse But what 's the reason God will not punish the righteous with the wicked Gen. 18. 25. he knoweth how to deliver the godly and to reserve the wicked these brute beasts who walke after the flesh in the lusts of uncleannesse and count it pleasure to riot unto the great day to be punished 2 Peter 2. 9. 13. whose judgement is not farre off and whose damâ—ation sleepeth not ver 3. For as surely as the word of God pronounceth many a woe unto them as woe to Drunkards saith I saith that are mighty to drinke wine and unâ—o them that are strong to powre in stroâ—g drinke that continue drinking till the wine doth inflame them Woe saith Habakuk unto him that giveth his neighbour drinke till hee be drunken Woe saith Solomon to them that tarry long at the wine to them that goe and seeke mixt wine Woe to his body which is a temporall woe woe to his soule which is a spirituall woe woe to both body and soule which is an eternall woe howle ye Drunkards saith Ioel weepe yee saith St. Iames Isaiah 5. 22. Habakuk 2. 15. Ioel. 1. 5. Iames 5. 1. 5 Yea which of Gods Servants hath not a woe in his mouth to throw at this sinne so every tittle of this word shall be accomplished God will one day hold the cup of vengance to their lips and bid them drinke their fills Yea as Drunkards are Sathans eldest Sonnes so they shall have
chapter together with the former I wish thee to read if thou wilt know thy selfe and foreknow thy judgement § 46 I But will some Titormus say being it may be stronger to drink and taler to tipple then Milo himself was to eat who devoured a whole Oxe at a meale I was never so gone yet but I knew the way home I could tell what I did what I said c. for if a drunkard can but put his singer just into the flame of the candle without playing hit I misse I which is their tryall of the victory though hee spue whole fish-ponds he is held a sober man Yea no man ever saw mee so much as wheele in the streets I am therefore no drunkard neither doe these threatnings appertaine to me as desperate is the cause which admits no colour of defence but what answers the Prophet woe unto them that are mighty to drinke wine men of strength to mingle strong drinke Isa. 5. 22. and Salomon that divine Orator answers whose answer is also ours they that tarâ—y long at the wine they that go to seek mixt wine they are the parties to whom this woe belongs they are to bee ranked with drunkards Yea the abuse may bee committed many wayes as vice is manifold vertue vniforme drink then is not only abused when it turnes up a mans heeles and makes the house runne round but when it steales away the affections so far that a man cannot make too much hast to it take too much paines for it spend too much time at it and money in it Believe it if a man drink too much for his purse too much for his calling and occasions too much for his health and quiet of body and mind Salomon cals him a drunkard A man hath no more reason nor warrant to drown his time his estate his liver his stomack c. then his wits and braines and in cases of this nature things are rather measured by the intention and affection of the doer then by the issue and event Why should not a man be deemed a drunkard for his inordinate affection to drinke as well as an adulterer for the like affection to his neighbours wife Sinne as sinne in it's owne colours and nature is neither desired nor desirable but onely as it is disguised and offers it selfe to the understanding and will in the likenesse and habit of goodnesse Alasse if none be drunke but such as have lost their leggs tongues senses that by tumbling in their owne vomit and sleeping in a guzell what should Salomon speake of quarrells bablings c. such bee as dead asso many withered plants and doe what you will to them they lye like Iupiters logg and neither answer nor stirre again it is your mannerly sober methodicall drunkard that drinkes by the hower and can tell the clock that drinkes by measure and by rule first so much Ale then such a quantity of Beere then of Sack then of Rhenish then back again from Wine to Ale to Beere till the reynes bee cleansed the liver cooled the stomack set upright and heat and moysture brought to a just and an even temper wherefore though it be somewhat to keep a mans senses yet it is not sufficient a man may not be drunk and yet not bee sober § 47. A Gaine secondly for the drunkard doth nothing amisse though the Divell himself would scarse wish him to do worse some will excuse themselves yea beare and bolster out themselves in their drunkennesse or at least lessen their sin by pleading presidents and examples many holy men say they some whereof are mentioned in the Scriptures have beene drunk as namely Noah and Lot and therfore it is not so heynous a sinne as you would make faire for But let such know that drunkennes ventured on by the example of a Saints frailty is of a more malicious nature in them then it was in him they alledge Any transgression thus derived is the argument of a more ungracious soule then that it seekes to imitate Yea this is so grosse a delusion that what indeed is an argument of feare they make an argument of presumption in sinning and what they hope shall excuse them doth but more properly condemne them because they had that warning before them and is so farre from being an evidence to acquit them that nothing can more aggravate their guilt for certainly hee is more guilty of his owne death who eates Mercury and knows such and such were poysoned with it or who goeth into an infected house seeing Lord have mercy upon us over the doore then another that should do the same things ignorantly and unadvisedly What Pilot that were in his right wits when hee seeth Sea-marks purposely set to give warning of Rocks Sands and Shelves whereon others have made shipwracke will take occasion thereby to run his Ship upon them yea will he not employ all his care and skill that by avoyding them he may escape the danger yes except hee be starke mad or extreamely desperate The Holy Ghost compares the examples of holy men to the cloud in the wildernes Heb. 12. 1. which was partly light partly dark now if any with the Israelites that follow the light part of this cloud the vertues and graces of these Saints and holy men it will safely conduct and carry them thorow the red Sea of this troublesome world but contrariwise if any with those Egyptians Exod. 14. shall follow the black part their frailties and infirmities he is like to be drowned in the sea of eternal destruction as the Egyptians were in those waters Wherefore imitate their vertues but beware and take heed of their vices Evill was never made to bee imitated but goodnesse yet alasse Lots faith and obedience is not such a sinners object but his drunkennes as if Iacobs modest looke liberall hand truth-speaking tongue devout knee and humble heart were not worth the noting but only his lamenesse and haulting Yea their weaknesse is seen tears are seene in our eyes Oh sottish men that mark none of the graces of godly men but their skars But if any tender the safety of his own soule when he seeth these examples which are recorded for our learning for our warning let them bee as so many monitors to warne him to take heed yea if they being so godly had their slips and falls let him that thinketh he standeth take heed least he fall let them not make us goe on more securely in our sinfull courses but rather move us to worke out our salvation with feare and trembling as the Apostle exhorts Phil. 2. 12. Againe the Saints falls should serve to raise us up when wee are downe not to cast us down when we are up and should serve for our consolation afterward not for our presumption before Lastly Lots and Noahs falling into this sin were nothing in comparison of thine for as for Noah hee was ignorant of the nature of wine and knew not the strength of the
yet he must still persist and presume yea because his time was not come to perish God lets him alone in pursuing his children even to the Sea and halfe way over faire way he had and smoothly he ran on till he came to the midst not so much as one wave to wet the foote of his Horse but when he is too farre to escape then God begins to strike neither he could nor these can be quiet without their full vengeance as filching leaves not the Pilferer with raw sides but brings him to a broaken necke they have such festred and putrified hearts that ordinary stripes will not reach to the quicke their long tugging at Sathans Oares and wearing his Shackels hath so brawned their flesh that they are not sensible of an ordinary lash And this likewise is the Saylers case who although the Philosopher would not permit them to be numbred amongst the living as not amongst the dead yet for all their many and eminent dangers no men are more regardlesse of their soules § 59. CUstome of successe makes men confident in their sinnes and causes them to mistake an arbitrary tenure for a perpetuity But as the Heathen Menander could say in the like case if they were not meere strangers to themselves they could be no other then confounded in themselves their case being like that of Damocles whom Dionysius caused to sit in his chayre of State abounding with all kind of delicates when over his head hung a naked sword held up onely by a small haire yea farre worse for while they are dancing the trap-dore falls under them and they in Hell before they are aware their hope makes them jocund till the ladder turnes and then it is too late to care or crave Security is the certaine usher of Destruction neither is destruction ever neerer then when security hath chased away feare 1 Thes. 5. 3. as the Philistines were neerest their destruction when they were in their greatest height of jollity Iudg. 16. 25. to 31. Little doe sinners know how neere their jollity is to perdition how nere was Nabal to a mischiefe and perceived it not David was comming at the foote of the hill to cut his throate while he was feasting in his house without feare or wit and drinking drunke with his sheepeshearers Many a time judgment is at the threshold whilst drunkennesse and surfeit are at the board Yea this hardnesse of heart and impenitency is alwayes the harbinger to some fearefull plague Isay 6. 10. 11. When God will give over men to his judgements he first gives them over to this judgement of an hard and impenitent heart and what doth impenitency but turne all deliverances into further curses and judgements so that such a mans deliverance is a worse judgment then the judgment from which he is delivered for it argues either Gods utter forsaking of them as desperate Patients are given over by the Physitian why should yee be smitten any more for yee fall away more and more saith God to the stiffe-necked Iewes Isaiah 1. 5. or else it argues a reservation of them for some more fearefull plague if by these former judgments yee will not be reformed by me saith God but walke stubbornely against me then I will walke stubbornely against you and smite you yet seven times more for your sins Lev. 26. 18. to 40. So that an impenitent mans preservation out of one judgment is but a further reservation of him to seven judgments What did it availe Cham that he escaped drowning with the multitude he had better have perished in the waters then have lived unto his Fathers curse What did it availe Lot's wife to escape turning into ashes in Sodom when suddenly after she was turned into a pillar of salt in the plaine Or what did it availe Pharaoh that himselfe was not smitten with many of those judgements wherein others perished it was farre from being a mercy yea it was a reservation to the greatest temporall judgment of all here and to that eternall judgment also in the burning lake from which there is no redemption So that it is not simply our deliverance but our thankfulnesse for it and obedience after it that gives sufficient argument to our consciences that God delivered us in mercy and favour Yea to prosper in ill designes and ungracious courses to goe on in sinne uncontrolled is the greatest unhappinesse the heaviest curse for he that useth to doe evill and speeds well never rests till he come to that evill from which there is no redemption Ioab kills Abner and scapes againe he embrues his hands in the blood of Amasa and is not indited for it now David is old and Adoniah towardly he furthers him in the usurpation and big with prefidence of his owne command he thinkes to carry it but this carryed him to his grave Faire Absalom was proud and ambitious yet he flourisheth hee kills his owne Brother yet escapes he insinuates himselfe into the affections of the people and bold of their fidelity to him he swels even against his owne royall Father and becomes a disloyall Traytor God owes that man a grievous paiment whom he suffers to runne on so long unquestioned and his punishment shall be the greater when he comes to reckon with him for all his faults together Yea though prosperous wickednesse is one of the Devills strongest chaines yet the currant passage of ill enterprises is so farre from giving cause of encouragement that it should justly fright a man to looke backe to the Author and to consider that he therefore goes fast because the Devill drives him § 60. THere be three things which usually succeede one another in the Church great blessings great sinnes great punishments yea a fourth was wont to follow in former ages namely great sorrow of heart great lamentation and woe and upon the necke of that great favour and mercy As in the booke of Iudges and elsewhere what a continued circle doe we finde of Peace Sinnes Iudgements Repentance Deliverances the conversation of Gods people with the wicked tainted them with sinne their sinnes drew on judgments the smart of the judgment moved them to repentance upon their repentance followed speedy deliverance and upon their peace and deliverance they sinned againe thus it was ever and in every age of the world but in this her decrepit and doting age in which Religion is become contemptible and wherein it is a shame to be strict and holy in the service of God But now let God send never so many and great Iudgments one upon the neck of another as Sword Famine Pestilence yea one pestilence after another yet no repentance no reformation Witnesse these two yeares sicknesse together and the yeere 1625. for of so many millions of notorious sinners as were in this land how many or where are any who from thence hitherto have left off their drinking swearing whoreing prophaning of the Lord's day cheating c. can you name tenne yea
or two of a thousand which you partly know No certainely for hee that was a drunkard before is a drunkard still hee that was a swearer before is a swearer still hee that was filthy before is filthy still c. though such a Judgement in a different age would have caused an universall repentance and reformation as the like onely threatned not executed did in the Ninivites Ionas 3. But what doe I speake of their repentance and reformation when they will scoffe at jeere and persecute any that shal but refuse to run with them to the same excesse of ryot What doe I speake of their being the better when they are much the worse for this judgement for they are not onely the same they were drunk every day and scoff◠at those who will not nor only sweare and blaspheme as frequently as speake nor only whore quarrell and the like when thousands dye in a weeke as formerly they have done but much more abundant if they have where withall for as some have noted the Tavernes and Ale-shops of which too many are the Thrones of Sathan were never so thwackt as in those times when the streets were almost empty especially those houses which had newly or lately beene visited and which was worth the observing each house if not each company had musick aurium tenus up to the eares so the Fidlers fasted not what ever the poore did yea many poore snakes that at other times never dranke better than Whey could now swim in Wine I have my selfe seene when the Bills were at the highest even Bearers who had little respite from carrying dead Corpses to their graves and many other of the like ranke go reeling in the streets Neither were men ever so impudent and audacious in roaring and declaring their sinnes in the open streets as then Thus they declared their sinnes as Sodome Neither hath this lingring visitation either found or made them better it is no rare thing to see men newly recovered of the Plague at least when the sword of the destroying Angell hath newly swept away the greatest part of their families and they have but newly taken breath from those noysome roomes where they have been a long time pent up grow more vicious and insolent more abominably licentious and wicked then they were before so little are they moved with this grievous judgement § 61. BUt see the difference betweene Gods people and those sonnes of Belial Hee which truly feares God wil in such times of calamity Vriah-like refraine from many lawfull and allowed recreations well knowing that actions of an indifferent nature are not alwayes seasonable not ever warrantable and indeed neither the time nor place of mourning is for mirth which made our Saviour Christ soone turne the Minstrels out of doores when the Rulers daughter was dead Mat. 9. 23 Yea it is the Lords complaint against Ierusalem when he threatned her destruction by Nebuchadnezzar I called to weeping and mourning and to baldnesse and girding with sackcloth but behold joy and gladnesse slaying Oxen and killing Sheepe eating flesh and drinking wine Isaiah 22. 12 13. for which he was so offended that he tells them this their iniquity should not be purged till death vers 14. And doth not our Saviour seeme to blame the old World for that they did as freely as at other times eate and drink marry and give in marriage while the Ark was in building even unto the day that the flood came and tooke them all away Mat. 24. 38. every of which actions at another time had beene approved Alasse lawfull actions depraved by bad circumstances become damnable sinnes and things benificiall in their use are dangerous in their abuse or miscariage Is this a time saith the Prophet to his servant to receive money and garments and vineyards 2 King 5. 26 so the truly humbled soule will say is this a time to drink and revell in can God be pleased that in this time of visitation while the Plague or famine lies sore upon our neighbours wee should give our selves to sport and jovisance No and certainely they have desperate soules that can rejoyce and bee merry when the God of heaven and earth shewes himselfe so angry For as nothing magnified the religious zeale of Vriah more than this that he abandoned even alowed comforts till he saw the Arke and Israel victorious so nothing did aggravate David's sin so much as that hee could finde time to loose the raynes to want on desires and actions even while the Arke and Israel were in distresse And yet David's case was no more like these mens then Zimrie's case was like David's for they drinke and roare and sweare and whore as it were in a presumptious bravery to intimate that they regard not Gods wrath nor weigh his heavie displeasure Now though the harlot doth bad enough which wipes her lips that the print of her sinne may not be seene and though shee commit it she will conceale it yet an Absolom doth far worse that spreads his incestuous Pallet on the roofe and calls the Sunne a blushing witnesse to his filthinesse Yea let any man judge whether they are not frontlesse Zimries that dare bring whores to their Tents in the face of all Israel while God is offended Moses and all Israel grieved the Princes hanged the people plagued that dares brave God and all the people in that sinne which they see so grievously punished before their eyes this at any time were abominable but now most execrable Yea what other is this then to imitate the Thracians who when it lightens and thunders shoot Arrowes against heaven thinking by that meanes to draw God to some reason And yet no marvaile that there should be such when Lots daughters were so little moved with that grievous judgement the turning of Sodome into ashes of their Mother into a pillar of Salt both in their eye that they durst think of lying w th their own Father yea and one of them afterward impudently◠calls that sonne Moab my Fathers son by me no marvaile when Pharaoh's heart was more hard after every of the 9. plagues no marvaile when the high Priests and Souldiers together with the spectators were obdurated at our Saviours sufferings notwithstanding the whole frame of nature suffered with him those proofes of his Deitie were enough to have fetcht all the world upon their knees and to have made all mankind a convert and yet behold some mock and revile him some give him Uinegar and Gall in his thirst others after hee was dead pierce his blessed side with a speare other seeing him risen report that his Disciples came by night and stole him out of the Sepulchre c. But al hearts are not alike no meanes can worke upon the wilfully obdured even that which would make Pagans relent as they which never prayed in their lives will pray at sea in a tempest may leave some Christians worse then impenitent Lime is kindled with water
a vessell of wine before nature summons him to depart and will needs be tormented before the time All which their zeale industry and fervent affection to doe the will of their Father should teach and stirre up Goâ—s people to the like zeale industry and fervent affection to doe the will of their Father Their voluntary lewdnesse calls for our dutifull and more zealous obedience that our God may have as faithfull â—ervants as he hath unfaithfull enemies Shall wicked men be at more cost and paines to please an ill master then we can afford to please so good a God so gracious so loving a Father Shall they labour so hard for that which shall confound them and shall we thinke any paines too much for that which shall 〈◊〉 us Is it their meate and drinke to doe mischiefe and shall good duties downe as a Potion with us This were to acknowledge more venome in the seede of the Serpent then there is health in the seede of the woman Indeed the world could not stand before us if our truth might be but as hotly followed as their falsehood O that our God whose cause we maintaine would inkendle our hearts with the fire of holy zeale but so much as Sathan hath inflamed theirs with the fire of fury and faction O Saviour it was thy meate and drinke to doe the will of thy Father how doe we follow thee if we suffer either pleasures or profits to take the wall of thy services But of this elsewhere § 119. FOr I consider that both by Gods and mans Law next after inditement and conviction followes sentence and after sentence is past comes execution if a reprive or pardon be not use out in the 〈◊〉 Wherefore as drunkards have seene their sinne laid open so let them now hearken to their punishment If there be any of these Antipodes to God and his Kingdome who like Trees have rooted both head and heart into the earth and set heaven at their heeles that have in this Treatise as in a picture taken a full view of his owne horrid and detestable condition and with Bâ—palus the Painâ—eâ— read the lively character of his odious and deformed demeanour and after hee hath seene as in a cleare glasse the ugly face of his foule heart with those spots and wrinkles which otherwise hee could not have confest in himselfe and further seene how miserably hee hath been deluded in his judgement touching the religious and shall notwithstanding resolve against yeelding and presence the humouring of his soule before the saveing of it and shall thinke it a disparagement to repent him of his errors and would rather obstinetely continue in them then disclame them so shutting his eyes that hee may not see and stopping hes eares that hee may not heare and hardening his heart that he may not consider presumptuously as Pharaoh did maliciously as 〈◊〉 did desperately as Ahab did and blasphemously as Iulian did let him know this that he shall surely perish The reason of it is taken out of the Proverbs an Arrow drawne out of Salomen's sententions Quiver read the words and tremble A man that hardneth his neck when he is rebuked shall suddenly be destroyed and cannot be cured Prov. 29. 1. yea faith the Lord himselfe Prov. 1. 24. 25. 26. because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out mine hand and ye would not regard but despised al my counsell I will also laugh at your destraction and mock when your feare commeth And of this we have sundry instances The Sonnes of Ely would not harken unto nor obey the voyce of their father why because saith the Text the Lord was determined to destroy them 1 Samuel 2. 25. Their hearts must be hardened that they may be destroyed I know saith the Prophet to Amaziah that God hat determined to destroy thee because thou hast done this and hast not obeyed my counsell 2 Chr. 25. 16. 20. O remember that there is a day of account a day of death a day of judgement comming wherein the Lord Iesus Christ shall bee revealed from heaven with his mighty Angells in flaming fire to render vengeance unto them which obey not unto his Gospell and to punish them with everlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power 2. Thes. 1. 7 8 9. Iude 15. Wisdome 5. 1. to 10. at which time thou shalt heare him pronounce this fearefull doome Depart from me ye cursed Matth. 25. 41. which is an everlasting departure not for a day nor for yeares of dayes nor for millions of yeares but for eternity and that from Christ to the damned to the divells to hell without either end or ease or patience to endure it at which time within thee shall bee thine owne guilty conscience more then a thousand witnesses to accuse thee the Divell who now tempts thee to all thy wickednesse shall on the one side testifie with thy conscience against thee and on the other side shall stand the holy Saints and Angels approving Christ's justice and detesting so filthy a creature behinde thee an hidious noyse of innumerable fellow damned reprobates tarrying for thy company before thee all the world burning in a flaming fire aboue thee that irefull Judge of deserved vengeance ready to pronounce the same sentence upon thee beneath thee the fiery and sulphureous mouth of the bottomlesse pit gaping to receive thee into which being cast thou shalt ever bee falling downe and never meet a bottome and in it thou shalt ever lament and none shall pitie thee for thou shalt have no society but the Divell and his Angells who being tormented themselves shall have no other ease but to wreak their fury in tormenting thee thou shalt alwayes weep for paine of the fire and yet gnash thy teeth in indignation for the extremity of cold thou shalt weep to think that thy miseries are past remedy to think that to repent is to no purpose thou shalt weep to thinke how for the shadow of a few short pleasures if they could bee called pleasures thou hast incurred these sorrowes of eternall paines which shall last to all eternity thy conscience shall ever sting thee like an Adder when thou thinkest how often Christ by his Preachers offered thee remission of sinnes and the Kingdome of Heaven freely if thou wouldest but believe and repent and how easily thou mightest have obtained mercy in those dayes how neere thou wast many times to have epented and yet did dest suffer the divell and the world to keep thee still impenitent and how the day of mercy is now past and will never dawne againe for thou shalt one day finde that conscience is more then a thousand witnesses and God more then a thousand consciences § 120. IF you will not believe mee yet at least believe Pharaoh who in the rich mans scalding rtorments hath a Discite a me learne of me he can testifie out of wofull experience that if wee will
slander his equall it is an offence and may beare an action of the case but if a Noble man it is Scandalum Magnatum deserving sharper punishment and if the King it is Treason and worthy of death then how foule must that sinne be which is a trespasse committed directly against God the King of Kings 1 Sam. 2. 25. and how fearefull the punishment Wherefore take heede what thou dost for as verily as Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords so will he dash all those peeces of earth which rise up against him as a potters vessell § 134. TRue it is they are so blind that though they doe hate God and his graces where everthey finde them and desperately fight against the most high yet they thinke they love God or at least doe not hate him yea what one is there of them not ready to call for a Bason with Pilate and to wash his hands from this foule evill with many faire pretences yea if they had no answer to frame no false plea to put in we might well say that Sathan were turned foole and that his schollers had no braines left but let the sacred truth of holy Scripture be judge and all the powers of their soules and bodies doe fight against him not a â—inew nor a veine of theirs but it wars against their Creator Iohn 15. 23. 24. which at last shall appeare for though they may dissemble it for a time yet when vengeance shall seize upon them then shall they openly and expressely blaspheme him to his face Revel 16. 9. 11. common eyes may be cheated with easie pretexes but he that lookes through the heart at the face will one day answer their Apologies with scourges yea if a man could but feele the very pulse of these mens soules he should find that the foundation of their hatred and enmity to 〈◊〉 is their hatred against God and Christ the chiefe of the Womans seede even as when Sathan slew Iob's servants his malice was against Iob or as when Saul darted a Speare at Ionathan his spite was against David 1 Sam. 20. 33. or as when Sampson burnt the corne vineyards and Olives of the Philistins his quarrell was against his Father in Law who was a Citizen of Timnah Iudg. 15. He that loves not the Members was never a friend to the Head he that wrongs the wife is no friend to the husband he loves neither that vilifies either lip-love is but lying love if thou lovedst God heartily thou wouldest love the things and persons that he loves vertue is the livery of the King of Heaven and who would dare to arrest one that weares his cloth if he were not an Arch-Traytor and Rebell if we loved him we would love one another When David could doe the Father Barzillay no good by reason of his old age he loved and honoured Chimham his Sonne 2 Sam. 19. 38. And to requite the love of Ionathan he shewed kindnesse to Mephiboâ—heth so if thou bearest any good will to God whom it is not in thy power to pleasure thou wilt shew thy thankefulnesse to him in his children who are bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh Is our Ionathan gone Yet we have many Mephibosheths and he that loves God for his owne sake will love his Brother for Gods sake especially when he hath loved us as it were on this condition that we should love one another whereas thou hatest the children of God even for their very graces and vertues for thou couldest love their persons well enough if they were not conscionable And so much of the eighth aggravation § 135. NInthly againe touching the party wronged thy sinne is incomparably greater in as much as thou makest that the subject of thy derision which is the onely meanes of thy preservation Knowest thou not or mayst thou not know how the wicked owe their lives unto those few good whom they hate and persecute It were bad enough to wrong enemies but to wrong such by whom thou art preserved alive is abominable but see it proved for this may seeme incredible to thee The religious whom thou persecutest keepe off judgements from thee and the whole land 1 By their innocency 2 By their Prayers First by their innocency The Innocent saith Elâ—phas shall deliver the Iland and it shall be preserved by the purenesse of his hands Iob. 22. 30. Runne to and fro by the streets of Hierusalem saith God to Ieremiah and behold now and know and enquire in the open placâ—s thereof if ye can find a man or if there be any that executeth judgment and seeketh the truth and I will spare it Ier. 5. 1. to which testimonies I could add a world of examples even all Noah's family were preserved from drowning in the generall Deluge for Noah's sake In the destruction of Sodom if ten righteous persons could have beene found the whole City had beene spared ten had saved ten thousand Gen. 18. 29. 32. yea when there was no remedy but destroyed it must be the Angels promised Lot whomsoever he brought forth should escape for his sake Againe God saved Zoar a City belonging to Sodom for Lot's saâ—e Gen. 19. 21. Now Zoar might happily be as bad as Sodom but here was the difference Zoar had a Lot within it Sodome had none Potiphar was a Heathen yet his house shall be blessed because Ioseph is in it a whole family yea a whole Kingdome shall fare the better for one despised traduced imprisoned Ioseph though he were sold for a slave Laban was cruell churlish wicked yet he shall be blessed for Iacob's sake Gen. 30. 27. Among two hundred three score and sixteene soules there was but one Paul yet behold saith the Angell God hath given thee all that saile with thee Acts 27. 24. 44. Zacheus alone beleeved yet this brought salvation to his whole house Luk. 19. O the large bounty of God which reacheth not to us onely but to ours § 136. SEcondly good men by their prayers keepe off judgements from them The Saints are like Sampsons haire the strength of the Land and the very pillars of a State even such pillars that ten of them would have supported Sodom from falling and their prayers would have cried lowder in Gods eares for mercy then the sinnes of those thousands did for vengeance the prayer of a righteous man availeth much saith St. Iames if it be fervent Chap. 5. 16. I need not tell you what prayer hath done as that it hath shut up the Heavens from rayning and opened them againe made the Sunne stand still in the firmament one while goe backe another devided the Sea and made it stand as a wall fetch fire and hailestones from Heaven throwne downe the wales of Ierico subdued Kingdomes stopt the mouthes of Lyons quenched the violence of fire raised the dead let out of prison c. onely see what it hath done in this very case Was not Abraham's prayer so powerfull that
repenteth c. for hee can take liberty to continue his sensuall lusts by a warrant of Scripture what is written for his consolation hee turnes to poyson making of his restorative Physicke a drinke to intoxicate him to desperatenesse yea he can apply Christ's Passion as a Warrant for his licentiousnesse not as a remedy and takes his Death as a Licence to sin his Crosse as a letters Patent to doe mischiefe so they not only sever those things which God hath joyned together sin and punishment and joyne together what God hath severed sinne and reward but even turn the grace of God into want onnesse as if a man should head his Taber with his pardon Wherein the Divell deales with them as once with our Saviour Cast thy selfe downe headlong for the Angels shall beare thee up so plung your selves into this or that sinne the mercy of God shall helpe you out poyson thy selfe here is a counterpoyson break thy head here is a plaister surfeit here is a Physitian Upon which ground the most impudent and insolent sinners Drunkards Adulterers Swearers Mammonists c. presume that though they live like Swine all their life long yet a cry for mercy at last gasp shal transform them into Saints as Circe's charmes transformed Men into Swine We are all willing to believe what we wish The Divell makes large promises and perswades his they shall have what they desire but ever disappoinrs them of their hopes as what a liberty what wisdome did hee promise our first Parentsâ— when indeed hee stole from them that liberty and wisdome they had even as Laban promised Iacob beautifull Rachel but in the dark gave him bleare-ey'd Leah or as Hamor promised the Sechamites that by their circumcision all the goods of the house of Israel should be theirs wheras in deed the goods of the Sechamites fell to the house of Israel Diabolus â—entitar â—t fallat vitam pollicetur â—t periâ—at saith S. Cyprian The condition of an inconsiderate worldling is much like as Alchymists who projecting for the Philosophers stone distils away his estate in Limbecks not doubting to find that which shall do all the World good yea hee dares promise his friends before hand Gold in whole Scuttles but at last his glasse breaks and himselfe with it Thus when Agag was sent for before Samuel he went pleasantly saying the bitternesse of death is past but his welcome was immediately to be heâ—en in peeces 1 Sam. 15. 33. The rich man resolves when he hath filled his Barnes then soule rest but God answers no then soule come to judgement to cverlasting unrest Luk. 12. 19. 20. The hope of an hypocrite is easily blown into him and as soone blowne out of him because his hope is not of the right kind yea it is presumption not confidence viz. hope frighted out of it's wits an high house upon weak pillars which upon every little change threatens ruine to the inhabitant for a little winde blowes down the Spiders-web of his hope wherby like the foolish builder he comes short of his reckoning That heart which Wine had even now made as light as a feather dyes ere long as heavie as a stone 1 Sam. 25. 36 37. § 143 IT is Sathans method first to make men so senselesse as not to feele their sins at all and then so desperate that they feele them too much In the first fit men live as if there were no Hell in the last they dye as if there were no Heaven While their consciences are asleepe they never trouble them but being stirred by Sathan who when he sees his time unfolds his Ephemerides and leaves not the least of all theit sinfull actions unanatomized but quoats them like a cunning Register with every particular circumstance both of time and place they are fierce as a mastive Dog and ready to pul out their throats This Serpent may bee benummed for a time through extreamity of cold but when once revived it will sting to death The Divell is like Dalilah who said to Sampson the Philistims be upon thee when it was too late and she had taken away his strength Iudges 16. Wicked men are altogether in extreams at first they make question whether this or that be a sin at last they apprehend it such a sin that they make question whether it can bee forgiven either God is so mercifull that they may live how they list or so just that hee will not pardon them upon their repentance no meane with them betweene the Rocke of presumption and the Gulfe of despaire now presumption encourageth it selfe by one of a thousand and despaire will not take a thousand for one If a thousand men be assured to passe over a Foord safe and but one to miscarry desperation sayes I am that one and if a thousand Vessels must needs miscarry in a Gulfe and but one escapes presumption sayes I shall be that oneâ—as we read of but one sinner that was converted at the last howre of millions that had lesse iniquity yet have found lesse mercy But see further the strength of their argument The Thiefe was saved at the last howre and therefore I shall Thou maist as well conclude the Sunne stood still in the dayes of Ioshua therfore it shall doe so in my dayes for it was a miracle with the glory whereof our Saviour would honour the ignominy of his Crosse and wee may almost as well expect a second crucifying of Christ as such a second Thiefes conversion at the last howre Hee were a wise man that should spurre his Beast till hee speake because Baalams Beast did once speake yet even so wise and no wiser is hee that makes an ordinary rule of an extraordinary example Againe the Thiefe was saved at the very instant of time when our Saviour triumphed on the Crosse tooke his leave of the world and entered into his glory Now it is usuall with Princes to save some heinous malefactors at their Coronation when they enter upon their Kingdomes in triumph which they are never knowne to doe afterwards Besides the Scripture speaks of another even his fellow in that very place and at that very instant which was damned There was one faith S. Augustine that none might despaire there was but one that none should presume That suddaine conversion of one at the last howre was never intended in Gods purpose for a temptation neither will any that have grace make mercy a Cloak or warrant to sinne but rather a spurre to incite them to godlinesse well knowing that to wait for Gods performance in doing nothing is to abuse that Divine providence which will so worke that it will not allow us idle and yet by Sathans policie working upon wicked mens depraved judgements and corrupt hearts in wresting this Scripture it hath proved by accident the losse of many thousand soules The flesh prophesies prosperity to sin yea life and salvation as the Pope promised the Powder traitors but death and damnation which
repent when thou art sicke though indeed the farthest end of all thy thoughts is the thought of thy end and to make thy reckoning at the last day the last and least thing thou makest reckoning of But hark in thine eare Oh secular man thy life is but a puff of breath in thy nosthrils and there is no trusting to it yea the least of a thousand things can kill thee and give thee no leasure to be sicke Surges may rise on suddaine ere wee think And whiles we swim secure compel us sink Sâ—ul being minded to aske counsell of the Lord concerning the Philistins was prevented for want of time 1 Samuel 14. 19. And commonly wee never have so much cause to feâ—re as when we feare nothing When Sampson was sporting wâ—th his Dal lah he little thought that the Philistins were in the chamber lying in waite for his life Ind 16. Full little doe sinners know how neare their jollity is to perdition judgement is often at the threshold while drunkennesse and surfeit are at the table § 152. BUt admit what thou imaginest namely that death be not suddaâ—ne much the better for is it not commonly seene that the purpose of proroging for a day or a weeke doth not onely last for a yeare as the suspension of the Councell of Trent made for two yeares lasted tenne but as ill debtors put off their creditors first one weeke then another till at last they are able to pay nothing so deale delayers with God they adjourn the time prefixt from next yeare to next yeare whereby they and that good howre never meet as you shall observe one Coach wheele followes another one minute of a Clock hastens after another but never overtake each other In youth men resolve to afford themselves the time of age to serve God in age they shuffell it off to sicknesse when sicknesse comes care to dispose their goods lothnesse to dye hope to escape c. martyres that good thought and their resolution still keepes before them Or else it fares with them as with many an unthrifty Trades-man who is loth to turne over his books and cast up his debts least it should put him into sad dumps and fill him with melancholly cares When Christ went about to cast out divels they said he tormented them before the time Matthew 8. 29. so whensoever thou goest about to dismisse thy sinnes and pleasures though thou stay till thou be an old man yet they will still say thou dismissest them before the time but then is the time when the divell saith the time is not yet for the divell is a layer Alasse how many men post off their conversion and at twenty send Religion before them to thirty then put it off to forty and yet not pleased to overtake it they promise it entertainment at three score at last death comes and will not allow them onehowre and perchance when their soule sits on their lips ready to take her slight then they send for the Minister to teach them how to die well But as in such extremity the Apothecary gives but some opiate Physick so the Minister can give but some opiate Divinity a cordiall that may benum them no solid comfort to secure them here is no time to ransack for sins to search the depth of the ulcer a little balme to supple but the core is left within for though true repentance is never too late yet late repentance is seldome true But here is great hope thou wilt say as it is the Divinity of diverse let men live as they list in ignorance and all abominable filthinesse so they call at last and but say Lord have mercy upon me we must infallibly conclude their estate as good as the best as though the Lord had not said you shall cry and not bee heard Prov. 1 I know the mercy of God may come inter pontem fontem inter gladium jugulum betwixt the bridg and the brook betwixt the knife and the throate and repentance may bee suggested to the heart in a moment in that very instant but this only may bee there is no promise for it many threatnings against it little likelihood of it it were madnesse for thee to break thy necke to try the skil of a Bone-setter But how many on the other side dye in Spira's caseâ— who being willed in his sicknesse to say the Lords prayer answered I cannot find in my heart to call him father whereas not one of many leave a certaine testimony or sure evidence behind them that their repentance is true and sound And indeed how is it likely they should dispatch that in half an howre which should be the busines of our whole lifeâ— For as hee which never went to Schole will hardly when he is put to it reade his neck-verse so hee that never learn'd the doctrine of repentance in his life will find it very hard if not impossible at his death Let men therefore repent while they live if they would rejoyce when they dye let them with Noah in the dayes of their health build the Arke of a good conscience against the floods of sicknesse yea if they have spent a great part of their time in the service of sinne as Paul did let them for the residue of their life make the world amends by their double yea treble endeavour to redeeme that time by a holy life and godly conversation for else we may justly suspect the truth and soundnesse of their repentance and conversion We seldome reade of any that were long barren either in soule or wombe but they had the happiest issue afterwards witnesse Sarah Manodh's Wife Hannah Elizabeth Saul Mary Magdalen c. As for the purposes of repentance which men frame to themselves at the last hourâ— they are but false conceptions that for the most part never come to bearing and indeed millions are now in hell which thought they would repent hereafter not being wise enough to consider that it is with sinne in the heart as with a Tree planted in the ground the longer it groweth the harder it is to be pluck'd up it is too late to transplant Trees after two seaven years or a Nayle in a Post which is made faster by every stroke or a Ship that leaketh which is more easily emptied at the begining then afterwards Or a ruinous house which the longer it is let runne the more charge and labour will it require in the repairing Yea sinne out of long possession will plead prescription custome of any evill makes it like the lawes of the Medes and Persians which may not be altered or removed an old vice is within a degree of impossible to be amended which maketh the Lord say by his Prophet Can the Black-more change his skin or the Leepard his spots then may ye also doe good that are accustomed to do evill ler. 13. 23. All other men have but three enemies to encounter with the Divel the World and the Flesh but
Fooles will beleive this before the feeles it and before it be too late Secondly like David's Foole he saith in his heart there is no God Psal. 14. 1. yea as if he were a brute beast he will beleive nothing but what he is led to by sense For suppose you tell such a covetous Laban or cruell Pharaoh that God seeth him when he is contriving his secretest plots against his people and withall takes notice of his oppression Gen. 31. 12. Exodus 3. 7. he will not regard it for Marius-like he esteemes it a great point of vertue to be skillfull in cosenage and Mammon is all the god he worships yea and herein he applauds his choyce no lesse then that Popish dolt did who having got the picture of St. Franc is curiously painted in his Closset said they talke of the Rhode at Rome and our Lady of Lauretta and Katherine of Sienna and Iames of Compostella but I have a picture at home meaning yellow pictures worth ten of them Thirdly Idiot-like bray him in a Morter as wheate is bray'd with a Pestell yet he will not depart from his foolishnesse Pro. 27. 22. for let God send never so many messengers to him and plagues upon him as he did upon Pharaoh he will not depart from his sinnes he must retaine if not all yet at least this his beloved sinne untill he is overwhelmed in the bottomlesse Ocean of his wrath yea let him heare even our Saviour himselfe say that he shall give an account at the day of judgement for every idle word Matth. 12. 36. yet he will goe on in his helliâ—h plots and perswade himselfe he shall give no account at all or let some Prophet of the Lord tell him what traines are laid to catch his soule and how many Principalities spirituall wickednesses and powers of darknesse lye in ambush against him Ephes. 6. 12. As El sha disclosed the traines and ambushments of the King of Syria against the King of Israel 2 King 6. 9. 10 which was as good a peece of service as could be he makes nothing on 't he shall speede as well as his fellowes and indeede so he shâ—ll even as Laban or Nabol or Dives doe in Hell if in due time he repent not and so restore what he hath wrongfully gotten as the worst of them would doe if they were suffered to returne out of Hell to their former riches Now that thou mayst repent while the day of thy life lasteth take one motive from the damned in Hell who would gladly repent now but cannot St. Augustin asketh this question what we thinke the rich glutton in Hell would doe if he were now in this life againe would he take paines or no quoth he would he not bestir himselfe rather then returne into that place of torment againe yes his teares should even strive with the sand in the hour-glasse he would doe any thing to seeke the Lord while he may be found Wherefore to day if ye will heare his voice harden not your bearts Yea as our Saviour Christ said to forewarne all revolters Remember Lot's wife so say I to forewarne all Arch-politicians and cunning Machevillians of the world remember poore Naboth's Vineyard § 160. FOurthly vertue is in farre lesse esteeme with the cunning Politician then riches As it fares with a naturall foole he is so farre from selling all that he hath to buy the rich Pearle of faith with the wise Merchant Matth. 13. 46. that he will sell this rich Pearle and all other grace to boote to purchase the triviall commodities of white and red earth and good reason as temporising States-men politicke Machevilians and hypocriticall Ambidexters thinke who make a shew of Religion but in their hearts laugh at it he knowes no other coyne he desires no other stampe yea to be rich thinkes this worldling is to be three parts of the way on-ward to perfection Indeed gold is the onely coverlet of imperfections t' is the fooles curtaine that can hide all his defects from the world yea from himselfe for though he have a want of all good and which is worse a sense of want of that want yet he thinkes himselfe in a very good estate and so much neerer to Heaven for having abundance of earth And yet if God did not give to some of them their riches in wrath he would not deny them the use of their owne as how often are men baser by being wealthier like Pierce Gavistone who as the Chronicle reports the more he was enriched the worse was his estate or whether it be that they have not so much wit as to know their money will buy them all necessaries of meate drinke apparell and the like or whether by a just judgment of God the Devill makes them his drudges to get and bring him in gold as the King of Spaine doth the poore Indians that he may keepe it in banke for the next prodigall to spend as ill as the other got it as how oft is that spent upon one Christmas revelling by the Son which was fourty yeares a getting by the Father I know not but sure I am that though with that Priest 2 King 12. 9. they can put a world of gold and silver into their chests yet they cannot take it out againe to doe themselves good for the Devill keepes the key as Iehoash the King of Israel did of that chest vers 10. So that a covetous griper is like Tantalus who standeth up to the chin in water and hath all kinds of fruits hanging over his head but is not suffered to tast them Or like an Asse who is laden with gold but feeds upon thistles Or like the Indians who though they have all the gold amongst them yet are the most beggerly and naked people alive For what is he other then a rich begger or a begger in the midst of his riches when upon all his estate there is set a spell and his wealth sayes to him in effect touch not tast not handle not But O fooles incomparable Aristippus cared onely for the body as if he had had no soule Zeno but for the soule as if he had had no body Achitophel for his family alone as if he had had neither body nor soule of his owne to care for but these care neither for soule nor body nor family for he both tyres and starves them but for a little mucke to leave behind them Fiftly as a foole can finde in his heart to be surety for a stranger yea yeild himselfe to Prison for anothers enlargment Pro. 17. 18. so the politick worldling and cruell oppressor can finde in his heart to goe to Hell for another he will damne his owne soule to leave his Sonne rich yea what a deale of paines and care doth the covetous man take for his owne damnation he scarce weares a good garment or eates a liberall meale or takes a quiet sleepe but torments himselfe to get that for getting whereof he shall
from passion and affection touching either party and as our eyes could not aright judge of colours except they were void of all colours nor our tongues discerne of tastes unlesse freed from tasts so no man can jndge aright of passions except his mind be altogether free from passions Wherefore bee not so much led by lust passion or affection as by reason Wee know appetite in a burning Feavor will call for cold drink even to the overthrow of our lives if reason gainsay it not But as they that would see more sharply and certainly shut one eye so doe thou let the eyes or windowes of thy affections bee shut to the allurements of the world and the flesh least they draw thee from the right line of obedience yea shut to humane reason also least it make thee mistake and swerve from faiths injunctions And then if thou canst but bring thy flesh with it's lusts a little asleep while thy soule is waking thou hast entred â—hrough the gate into the porch of this heavenly Palace But he that will doe this must shunne all dispute with Sathan of which else where Secondly he must get an humble conceit of his owne wisdome The first step to knowledge is to know our owne ignorance we must become fooles in our owne judgements before we can be truly wise 1 Cor. 3. 18. And indeed the opinion of our knowing enough is one of the greatest causes of our knowing so little for what we presume to have attained we seeke not after Humble eyes are most capable of high mysteries he will teach the humble his way saith David Psal. 25. 9. yea the first lesson of a Christian is humility Matth. 11. 29. Pro. 1. 7. and he that hath not learnt the first lesson is not fit to take out a new One would thinke that a worldly wise man might most easily also make a wise Christian but St. Paul saith no except first he becomes a foole that is acknowledge his cleare light and wisdome which he hath so magnified for clearenesse to be blindnesse and ignorance he cannot be wise in this case 1 Cor. 3. 18. Yea saith St. Cyprian it is as much lost labour to preach unto a man the things of God before he be humbled with the sight of hiâ— wants as to offer light to a blind man to speake to a deafe man or to labour to make a brute beast wise Pride is a great let to true wisdome for God resisteth the proâ—d aâ—d onely gives grace to the humble Iames 4. 6. 1 Pet. 5. 5. hence it comes to passe that few proud wits are reformed I am come unto judgement into this world saith our Saviour to the Pharisees that they which see not might see and that they which â—ee meaning in their owne opinion might be made blind Ioh. 9. 39. which was the reason he propounded his woes to the Pharisees and his Doctrines to the people An heart full of Pride is like a vessell full of aire this selfe-opinion must be blowne out of us before saving knowledge will be powred into us Humility is the knees of the soule and to that posture only the Lamb will open the booke Christ will know none but the humble and none but humble soules truly know Christ. Now this grace of humility is obtained by taking a serious view of our wants the Peacock's pride is abated when she peâ—ceives the blacknesse of her legs and feete Now suppose we know never so much yet that which we doe knovv is farre lesse then â—hat which we are ignorant of and the more we know the more we knovv vve vvant at all both vvise and holy â—en have felt and confest yea this vvas the judgement of the vvisest even amongst the Heathen 〈◊〉 being demanded vvhy the Oracle of Delphoâ— should pronounce him the vvisest man of Greece made ansvver I know nothing but this that I knoâ— nothing neither can there be any thing in me to â—â—rifie the Oracle eâ—cept this that I am not wise and know it whereas others are not wise and know it not and to be ignorant and knovv it not is by farre the greater ignorance So the renovvned Orator Cicero even bevvayled his own emptinesse I would quoth he I could light on the truth as easily as I can 〈◊〉 fasehood a negative knovvledge vvas the greatest knovvledge he vvould acknovvledge in himselfe He is wise that can truly see and acknowledge his ignorance he is ignorant that thinkes himselfe wise I 'le cleare it by a similitude being here below we thinke one Iland great but the whole earth unmeasurably if we were above in the firmament with these eyes the whole earth were it equally enlightned would seeme as little to us as now the least Starre in the firmament seemes to us upon earth and indeed how few Stars are so little as it even such is the naturall mans mistake in judging of and comparing what he hath with what he wants naturall wisdome with spirituall and Heavenly Wherefore if thou perceivest not more strength and wisdome to be in the weaknesse and foolishnesse of Gods truth 1 Cor. 1. 25. which therefore only seemes weaknesse and foolishnesse because the strength and wisdome of it is not perceived by the fleshly eye then in the strength and wisdome of the profoundest Naturian and if thou beleivest not the godly to be most wise doe not blame them for foolishnesse but thy selfe for blindnesse and desire the Lord as Elisha did for his servant to open thine eyes Thus as by mortification and dying unto sinne we come to vivification and living unto grace or as by dying the death of nature we obtaine the life of glory so by becomming a foole a man may attaine to wisdome Wherefore get humility and thou hast mounted another step toward wisdome entred a second roome of this Palace § 164. THirdly let him get faith For as without faith no man can please God so without faith no man can know God Faith doth clearely behold those things which are hid both from the eye of sense and the eye of reason I am come into the world saith our Saviour that whosoever beleeveth in me should not sit in darknesse Iohn 12. 46. Reason and faith are the two eyes of the soule Reason discernes naturall objects faith spirituall and supernaturall We may fee farre with our bodily eye sense farther with the minds eye reason but farther with the soules eye Faith then with both Yea the rationall doth not so farre exceede the sensuall as the spirituall exceeds the rationall and though reason and humane learning is as oyle to the Lampe of our understandings which makes them burne clearer yea so doubles the sight of our minds as Menander speakes that there is as much difference betweene the learned and unlearned as there is betweene man and beast yet Faith and illumination of the spirit adds to the sight of our minds as a Prospective glasse adds to the corporall sight Matth. 16. 17. Christ is
the Sunne of the soule Reason and Faith the two Eyes I am the light of the world saith our Saviour he that followeth me meaning by a lively Faith shall not walke in darknesse but shall have the light of life Iohn 8. 12. and more see two eyes then one Yea the day with one eye doth for more things descry then night can doe with more then Argus eyes Vnregenerate men who want faith are like blind Sampson without his guide So that we must have minds lifted above nature to see and love things above nature heavenly wisdome to see heavenly truth or else that truth which is saving will be to us a mystery yea seeme foolishnesse 1 Cor. 2. 7 8 14. wheras the spirit reveales all things to the beleiver even the deepe things of God 1 Cor. 2. 10 12 15 16. giving him a mouth and wisdome where agâ—inst all his adversaries shall not be able to speake or resist Luke 21. 15. Wherefore get faith and thou hast mounted another step to wisdome entred a third roome of this Palace Fourthly he must be frequent and fervent in prayer to God for the direction of his holy Spirit for First humble and faithfull prayer ushered in by meditation is the cure of all obscurity especially being accompanied with fervor and fervency If any lacke wisdome saith St. Iames let him aske of God which giveth to all men liberally and reproacheth no man and it shall be given him Iam. 1. 5. marke the words it is said if any wherefore let no man deny his soule this comfort againe aske and have it cannot come upon eaâ—ier termes yea God seemes to like this sute so well in Solomon as if he were beholding to his Creature for wishing good to it â—elfe yea more whatsoever we aske in prayer if we beleeve we shall have it Math. 21. 22. And in vaine doe we expect that Almes of Grace for which we doe not so much as beg Secondly as Sampsons companions could never have found out his Riddle if they had not plowed with his heyfer so no man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12. 3. And as none can behold the light of the Sunne but by the benefit of the Sunne so none can know God who is called the Father of lights in the plurall number because of the degrees and diversities of his gifts nor the things of God but by the revelation of God 1 Cor. 12. 8. Math. 16. 17. with the Spirits helpe the meanes can never be too weake without never strong enough One excellent and necessary prerogative of the spirituall man is this he hath God for his teacher he learnes the counsells of God of that spirit which only knoweth God's counsells Luke 21. 15. For though his outward man receives the elements and rudiments of Religion by breeding and education yet his inward man receiveth them by heavenly infpiration For as spirituall wisdome is not the fruite of time and study as the naturall is so it hath a higher fountaine then nature to feede it even the Spirit of God which is no small priviledge for the Scholler learnes quickly when the Holy Ghost is his teacher the eye sees distinctly when the Holy Ghost doth enlighten it When Christ taught in the Temple they askt how knoweth this man the Scriptures seeing he never learned them so it is a wonder what learning some men have that have no learning like Priscilla and Aquila poore Tent-makers which were able to schole Apollos that great Clarke a man renowned for his learning What can we say to it for no other reason can be given for it but as Christ said Father so it pleaseth thee For as Iacob came so soone with his Venison that his father askt him how he came by it so suddenly and Iacob answered because the Lord thy God brought it suddenly to my hands so holy and righteous men can give no other reason why they understand the words of God so easily and the wicked doe conceive them so hardly but that God brings the meaning suddenly to their hearts as we reade Luk. 24. that Christ standing in the midst of his Apostles after he was risen from the dead opened their understandings that they might understand clearely the Scriptures and what vvas vvritten of him in the lavv of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalmes vers 44. 45. Loe hovv suddenly their knovvledge came unto them But see vvhat a generall promise God in the person of vvisdome hath made to all that serve him Pro 1. 23. Wherefore importune God the Father for the dirâ—ction of his holy Spirit and thou shalt at the least have light enough on earth to bring thee to the light of Heaven But in praying for wisdome observe one caution doe not pray for it without putting difference There is a speculative knowledge in the braine common to hypocrites with Gods children Heb. 6. 4. and there is an experimentall and saving knowledge in the heart peculiar to the godly alone Eph. 4. 8. and 5. 8. pray especially for the last of these let thine hearts desire be to know God in Christ Christ in faith faith in good workes to know Gods will that thou mayst doe it and before the knowledge of all other things desire to know thy selfe and in thy selfe not so much thy strength as thy weakenesse pray that thine heart may be insteed of a Commentary to helpe thee understand such points of religion as are most needfull and necessary and that thy life may be an exposition of thy inward man that there may be a sweete harmony betwixt Gods truth thy judgement and whole conversation that what the naturall man knowes by thinking thou mayst double by feeling the same in thine heart and affections as indeed experimentall and saving knowledge is no lesse felt then knowne and I cannot tell how comes rather out of the abundance of the heart then by extreame study or rather is sent by God unto good men like the Ramme that was brought to Abraham when he would have sacrificed his Sonne Isaac But if thou shalt pray unto God for knowledge without making a difference and shalt stand more upon the quantity then the quality so resembling the curre in the fable which preferred the shadow to the meate or those parents among the Heathen which sacrificed to the gods for children but not for good children or Nero's Mother who being told that her Sonne should be Emperour but to her griefe and sorrow answered so my Sonne have the Empire let my sorrow and griefe be what it will or Eudoxus whose wish and prayer to the gods was that hee might once view the Sunne neere at hand to comprehend his forme greatnesse and beauty on condition he were immediately burnt and consumed by it God will either crosse thee in thy desire as he did those anticke builders Gen. 11. 3. to 10. who purposed a Tower the top whereof should reach unto Heaven
withall more then he expected so deales Sathan and the world with a poore soule The divill is like a late Emperor of Turkie who married his owne daughter to a Basha on the one day and then after a night pleasure sent for his head the next morning for here he is a tempter hereafter a tormenter And herein Christs servâ—nts and the divels differ this life is our hell and their heaven the next shall be their hell and our heaven Psal. 17. 14. Matth. 5. 4. Luke 6. 21. Iohn 16. 20. Indeed our outward afflictions here are so sweented with inward consolation that this world may rather bee called our purgatory for a Christian here in respect of his manifold troubles and sweet consolation in christ seemes half in hell and halfe in heaven as Petrus Tenorius Archbishop of Toledo caused King Salomon to be painted upon the walles of his Chappell after he had a long time considered the waighty reasons on each side whether he were damned or saved or as the Papists feigned Erasmus to be for that he was halfe a Protestant halfe a Roman Catholike but this inward consolation is hidden to the world Fourthly the divell and his instruments can so delude the fancy and judgement of a naturall man that as he sees nothing desireable in a religious life so hee shall give no credit to nor believe any thing that the godly shall affirme As for example Let us tell one whom they have converst withall how sweet a religious life is and how farre the light of God's countenance the peace of conscience and joy in the Holy ghost doth surpasse all earthly felicity he will not believe there is any such thing because it transcends his conceite as a poore labouring man in the country said to his neighbour he believed not there was any such sum as a thousand pounds of money though rich men talked so much of it they will believe no more then what comes within the compasse of their five senses for they are all the Articles of their faith But they are ill discoverers that think there is no land when they can see nothing but Sea Yea viewing the godly but with natures eye they thinke both God and nature envies them of all others and that most men are deluded with a poysonous lye in making only the vertuous happy But in case we say with Steâ—en that we see Christ Iesus sitting at the right hand of God these blind wizards are ready to throw stones at us for confessing what wee see or for seeing what is hid from them Againe let them see a man carefull to avoid the ginnes and snares of Sathan which are laid in every place to take his soule they will judge and call him a scrupulous fellow for watching against that which they neither see nor feare as wonder is the daughter of ignorance Indeed as country men will rather believe the reports of travellers then go to see it so they will believe these things rather then be troubled or much trouble themselves about them Againe let God by his Embassadors offer them the Kingdome of heaven upon faire and easie tearmes they will none of it yea they will slight it as the golden Indies was offered to diverse Princes and they vilipended it because they never saw it yet the wealth was worth their labour that undertooke it and so in al other cases worldly hearts especially being thus deluded can see nothing in actions of zeale but folly and madnesse untill we be borne againe we are like Nicodemus who knew not what it was to be borne againe Iohn 3. Untill we become zealous our selves wee are like Festus who thought zeale madnesse Act. 26. untill wee bee humble our selves wee are lie Michal who mocked David for his humility and thought him a foole for dancing before the Arke 2 Samuel 6. 16 yea it was true then and it is true now and it will be true alwayes which S. Paul observeth 1 Cor. 1. 18. that to such as shal perish or are for the present in a perishing condition religion shall seeme foolishnes piety hath no relish to a brutish mans palate but distastfull and indeed how should they like the food which they never tasted or bee in love with the party of whom they have not the least knowledg For as to speake is only proper to men so to know the secrets of the kingdome of heaven is only proper to believers Sense is a meere beasts reason a meere mans divine knowledge is only the Christians § 181. FIfthly the World and the Divell can so forestall mens judgements with prejudice against Gods people and goodnes that they shall resolve never to be religious so long as they live as how many by reason of that generall contempt which the divels instruments cast upon religion are both hindred from good and hardened in evill to their owne ruine and destruction 1 Pet. 2. 7 8. Yea this makes them become more impudent stupid and insensible then Salomâ—n's drunkard for as touching admonition they are like the deafe Adder tell them what God saith in his word they will stop the eare with the tongue by ingrossing all the talke neither is it the highest eloquence of the best Preacher can make him fit for heaven for they resolve against yeeld ng and words are vagabonds where the perswader hath an evill opinion of the perswader Oh this is a difficult devill to bee cast out even like that we reade of Mat. 17. 16. for as all the Disciples could not cast out that Divell no more can all the Preachers this yea certainly where Sathan hath once set this his porter of prejud ce though Christ himselfe were on earth that soule would never admit him take no good from him no not so much as think well of him as we see in the Scribes and Pharisies who made an ill construction of whatsoever he did or spake for when he wrought miracles he was a Sorcerer when he cast out divels it was by the power of divels when he reproved sinners he was a seducer when hee received sinners he was their favourer when he healed the sick he was a breaker of the Sabbath c. And even so it fares with these men for as an ill stomacke turnes all it receives into ill humours or as the Spider converts every thing she eates and the Viper every thing shee touches into poyson so they whatsoever they heare or see in the godly In fine as Beggers with Scumea make their owne flesh raw so these with prejudice make their owne eyes blind whereby it fares directly with such an one as it doth with the Serpent Regulus no charming can charme him for prejudice like the goddesse Adrasteia or Sorceres rather takes memory wit and grace from all that entertaine it and leaves them in Pyrrhon's condition who would not believe what his eyes saw and his eares heard Sixthly they have a great advantage of Gods servants in this when they have
so for good fellowes and evill men are incompatible like Simeon and Levi sworne brothers but brethren in evill which is too evill a brotherhood for an honest man to make one in or indeede a wise man for is not â—ee a foole that will sell Heaven for company as a great many tru drunkards doe For my owne part if I have good company I will cherish them as Lot did his Angels which were sent for guardians if I have any bad I will studie to loose them least by keeping them I loose my selfe in the end § 202. 5 ANother reason why we should separate our selves from their society is that according to the Apostles rule sâ— far as is possible we may have peace with all men which is no way obtainable but by a separation A wicked man saith Salomon is abomination to the just and he that is upright in his way is abomination to the wicked Prov. 29. 27. if so either no communion or no peace Believers and such as are enemies to the Crosse of Christ can never be reconciled at least in heart What communion can righteousnesse have with unrighteousnesse You may as well tye a sure knot betweene a Cobweb and a Cable as a true and fast love-knot between the child of God and a wicked man These two yoked together agree like the Harp and the Harrow they are as suitable as a wooden Legg and a Thigh of flesh which makes the Apostle Rom. 12. 18. in enjoyning us to have peace with all men to add if it bee possible and in another place to say be not unequally yoked with infidels for as wee should not be yoked with infidels so wee should not be yoked with common drunkards and swearers nor with Atheists which are no better then infidels for that also is to be unequally yoked unlesse vve be Atheists too As the Iewes might not consort vvith the Canaanites so vvee may not consort vvith them vvhich are like Canâ—anites Wiâ—e Salomon chargeth us from God that vvee should not keepe company vvith gluttons and drunkards Proverbs 23. 20. and the Apostle enjoyneth us not to have any fellowship nor so much as eat with a drunkard 1 Cor. 5. 11. and that vve should have no fellowship with these unfruitfull workes of darknesse or if unvvittingly and unvvillingly vve bee thrust into any such society vve must not imitate but reprove them Ephesians 5. 11. and vvee professe our selves the servants of God novv they are bad servants vvho vvill keep company vvith their masters enemies especially after he hath streightly charged them to the contrary Alasse vvhat should vvee doe in the presence of base persons vvhen even our sober ignorance in ill courses is more then disesteemed of the vvorld Yea vvhen it is not enough for them to be bad themselves except they raile at the good vvhen if there be one in a company that abhorres impious language they vvill blaspheme on purpose to vex him vvhen they vvill thinke themselves slighted if they be not sent away drunk when to depart sober is held in civility and we cannot talk idly enough nor doe lewdly enough to beare them company we can neither say as they say nor be silent when we see and heare their basenes As whom would it not stirre to heare oaths strive for number with words scoffs with oathes vaine speeches with both we love neither to bite nor fawne yet we can not forbeare to speak the naked truth which if we do will breed a quarrel As for instance one jests pleasantly with his Maker another makes himselfe sport with Scripture a third fils his mouth with oathes of sound a fourth scoffs at the religious one speaks villany another laughs at it a third defends it one makes himselfe a swine another a divell Now who that is not all â—arth can endure it Yea vvho having grace can heare such vvickednesse and feeleth not some sparke of holy indignation arise in him vvhile he thinkes of it or vvho having not lost his spirituall sent can endure the savour of such noysome and stinking breath as their rotten lunges send forth Well born children are touched to the quick vvith the injuries of their Parents and not thus to be moved is to confesse our selves bastards Indeed men of steele stomackes can digest any discourse though never so course but the gracious knovv that as they must render an account for every idle word so likevvise for their idle silence for in this case not to reprove them either by word or gestâ—re is to do the same things in judgement and conscience which the other doth actually Every evill we see doth either vex or infect us The very sight of sinne makes a man either sad or guilty if we see it and be not sorrowful we are sinful If Lot had not beene vexed vvith the beastly Sodomites God had beene vexed vvith him yea in such a case not to bee very angry is to make God very angry Ely heard of his sonnes impiety no doubt vvith griefe enough but not vvith anger enough therefore he is punished with hearing of their destruction that was too remisse in hearing of their transgression It is easie to be guilty of anothers wickednesse even our very permission appropriates crimes to us we need no more guiltinesse of any sinne then our willing tolleration All sinnes which we give allowance to being committed or not hindered by us if we may are ours as if we committed them first Commanders 2. Abbettors 3. Counsellors 4. Consenters 5. Commenders 6. Connivers 7. Concealers 8. not hinderers each of these will be found guilty before Gods Tribunall What saith the Prophet to King Iehosaphat wouldest thou helpe the wicked and not only so but wouldest thou love them that hate the Lord therefore for this thing the wrath of the Lord is upon thee 2 Chron. 19. 2. we need doe no more to bring the wrath of God upon us then even to love and favour those which hate him How much better then to oppose thy friend by reproving him then that God should reprove thee for being at one with him But this is no friendly part yes the Scripture affirmes that not to tell ones Brother plainely of his faults at least if there be probability of doing good is to hate him in his heart Levit 19. 17. And Philosophy tell us that is truly perfect love which to profit and doe good feareth not to hurt or offend that admonitions and corrections are the cheifest offices of friendship Diogenes when they called him Dog for his sharpe kinde of rebuking would answer That other Dogs used to bite their enemies but he his friends for their greater good and Scipio the elder when his friends for so doing turned his enemies was able to say I have given mine enemies as much cause to love me as my friends Phocioâ— when a friend of his would have cast himselfe away would not suffer him saying I was made thy friend for this purpose and to King
added the greatest Schollers 177. let Good intentions 206. be added Example of the best men 197. no safe rule to walk by without a precept 162. Excuses of drunkards taken away 154. F FAith 653. Drunkards would flout us out of our faith 381. Feare and cowardise a cause of drunkennesse 282. Fooles the greatest polititian the greatest foole 013. in five particulars made good 621. some wise in foolish things and oolish in wise things 638 bray them in a mortar they will not leave their sinnes 624. though the Divel makes fooles of them yet he makes them wise enough to make fooles of any that will trust them 636 the voluptuous fooles 643. the greatest bousers the greatest buzzards 121. the greatest humanist without grace little better 604. Forsake none but counterfeits will forsake Christ for all they can do 534. Friends wicked men wrong none so much as their best friends to whom they owe their very lives 515. love and friendship only among good men 843 G GOd his gifts numberlesse 481. Godly what is done to them Christ challengeth as done to himselfe 508. Goodnes alone the whetstone of a drunkards envie 386. Good and bad agree together like the Harp and Harrow 821. good men must be imitated only in good things 157. good intentions cannot justifie evill acts 206. good â—ellowes who 820. reputation of goodfellowship 277. Guilty we may be of anothers sin divers wayes 825 H HAnds hatred and malice of drunkards would break out at their hands were they not manacled by the Law 391. Heart to get an humble heart 649. Hatred against the religious the most bitter and exorbitant 343. they hate none but the good 411 but they are sure of opposition 412. how their hatred vents it selfe 345. their hatred is against God and Christ 508. not to tell our neighbour of his faults is to hate him 826. to hate the vices of a wicked man but love his person 849. wee should hate evill in whomsoever 850. Hell a description of it and the last judgement 458. 461. good men draw all they can to Heaven 440. wicked men all they can to Hell ibid. none helpe to people Hell like drunkards 4â—1 they would have our company in Hell 436. and why 446. the covetous man can finde in his heart to go to Hell so his sonne may be left rich 629. Healths a shoing horne to all excesse 309. they drinke others healths their owne deaths 323. of which many examples and of the just judgement of God upon drunkards 314. healths great in measure or many in number 310. if small the liquor is stronger or the number more 311. healths upon their knees 313. not more forward to drinke healths then zealous and carefull that other pledge the same 318. the rise and originall of health drinking 313. Honesty he the soberest and honestest man that resembles the drunkard least 691. good-fellowship the utmost of a drunkards honesty 139. Honour misprision of it and reputation 322 Hope easily blown into a wicked man and as soone blowne out of him 444. Hurt drunkards would hurt and maime us for being sober and conscionable if they durst 392. I IDlenesse a cause of drunkennesse and drunkennesse a cause of idlenesse 72. an idle person good for nothing but to propagate sin 73 Ignorance of drunkards 121. 107. and all naturall men 177. 600. the cause of all sin 593. drunkards insensible of their sinne and danger because ignorant 107. Ingratitude and great folly of wicked men 526. Intention of soule-murther shall bee rewarded as if they did it 539. Ioy if true only enjoyed by good men 817. the joy of worldlings more talked of then felt 817. objections touching joy and good-fellowship answered 817. Iudge wicked men judge of things 757. and persons 759. by contraries 761 their judgement and practise cleane contrary to Gods Word ibid. how the Divel deludes the fancy and judgement of a natur all man 721. Iudgements of God what use drunkards make thereof 111. the religious keep off judgements 516. first by their innocency 516. secondly by their prayers 517. K KIll drunkards and wicked men would kil the godly if they would not yeeld 392. of which their savage disposition five reasons 402. first they must do the workes of their father the Divell 402. secondly that their deeds of darknesse might not come to light 404. thirdly they cannot follow their sinnes so freely so quietly ibid. fourthly what they could not make good with reason they would with iron ibid. fifthly their glory and credit is eclipsed by the godly 405. but they cannot do as they would though their punishment shall bee all one 399. King Sathan their King and they must seek his wealth and honour and inlarge his Kingdome by winning all they can from Christ 431. Knowledge he that hath saving knowledge hath every other grace 597. six helpes to saving knowledge 646. L LAw and precept our only rule 210. Looke Drunkards look to us not to themselves 356. Love wicked men think they love God but they doe hate him 512. Drunkards love their sinnes better then their soules 551. a Drunkard can never love thee being sober and religious 834. a wicked mans love mercenary and inconstant 835. nothing rivits hearts so close as religion 845. Lust provoked by drunkennesse 54. discard all filthy lusts and corrupt affections 646. M MEanes must be used 664. to sinne against mercy the abundance of meanes and many warnings mightily aggravates sinne 475. Melancholly Drunkards drink to drive it away 259. but this increaseth it 260. Memory Drunkards have shallow memories 132 Mercy God in mercy infinitely transcendent 550. but it makes nothing for such as will not part with their sins 551. his mercy is a just mercy 554. mercy rejoyceth against justice but destroyeth not Gods justice 553. if we forsake our sinnes God will forgive them how many and how great soever 152. wicked men apply Christs passion and Gods mercy as a warrant for their licentionsnesse 542. they are altogether in extreames either God is so mercifull that they may live how they lift or so just that he will not pardon them upon their repentance 546. Mocking some will better abide a stake then others a mock 504. Mourne in all ages the godly alone have mourned for the abominations of their time 255. Modesty in some a vice 842. Most objection that most men are of another judgement answered 589. Multitude how Sathan guls the rude multitude 293 the multitude will do what they see others do 371. of which many examples 372. Murther caused by drunkennesse 50. N NAmes we should taint our names by keeping evill company 808. to defend our neighbours good name if we can a duty 828. Naturall men called beasts in Scripture 3. O OBedience God hath equally promised all blessings to the obedient and threatned all manner of judgements to the disobedient 554. Offences Objection against offences answered 742. P PAssions and affections make partiall 352. they must be discarded 646 Peace
our case would be far worse if wee had the worlds peace 390. not strange that wicked men should agree so well 414. agreement of wicked men not worthy the name of peace 832. Persecute wicked men persecute not the evil but the good 499. Petitions God may grant them in anger 659. Plague be it never so hot drunkards are the same 137. it hath wrought little or no reformation 245. many the worse for it 247. Taverns fullest when the streets emptiest 248. Pledge the originall of the word 327. Practise how the godly and wicked differ in their practise 249. wee know no more then wee practise 595. Pray Gods people count it a sinne not to pray for their greatest enemies 523. pray not for knowledge without putting difference 658. when we cannot pray what 663. Presumptuously do drunkards sin 471. Prejudice makes many resolve against yeelding 724. Pride and reputation of good-fellowship a cause of drunkennesse 277. pride of wit 280. Promises entailed to believers and limited with the condition of faith and repentance 560. Profession of religion 382. 532. look Scoffs Punishment wicked men complaine of their punishment but of their sin they speake not 539. R REason as it is clouded with the mistes of original corruption a blind guid 202. once debauched is worse then brutishnesse 693. Reckoning worldlings never think of the reckoning they are to give 621. Regeneration what and how we may know our selves to be regenerate 565. Repentance what and how we may know whether we have repented 570. not to deferre it 588. sicknesse no fit time for it 79. God wil not accept our dry bones when Sathan hath suck't out all the marrow 586. the several wayes whereby God cals to repentance 478. in a judgement so many as repent are singled out for mercy 257 if any would repent of and relinquish this sin of drunkennesse let them first lay to heart the things delivered 695. secondly refraine the causes ibid. thirdly believe their state dangerous and that there is no way to helpe but by a chang to the contrary 696. fourthly be peremptory in their resolution ibid. fifthly shame not to confesse their dislike of it in themselves and others 700. sixthly fly evill company 701. seventhly take heed of delayes 702. eightly omit not to pray for divine assistance ibid ninthly be diligent in hearing 703. tenthly frequent in the use of the Lords Supper ibid. eleventhly meditate what God hath done for them ibid. twelfthly think on the union we have with Christ ibid. thirteenthly consider that God ever beholds them 704. 14ly often think of the day of judgement ibid. fifteenthly consider the hainousnesse of this sin and the â—vills which accompany it 705. sixteenthly abstaine from drunken company 709. for all depends upon this seventeenthly abstaine from drinking-places 710. Report of necessity we must be evill spoken of by some 756 the evill report of evill men an honour 763 Reputation hee of most reputation that can drinke most 139. Reward of drunkards 146. and swearers 104. they shall have a double portion of vengeance to other men 464 Righteous the civilly righteous have hell for their portion 465. S SAthan hath all worldlings under his command 21. 402. 432. and they must do what he will have them 379. by degrees he works men to the heighth of impiety 423. Saints falls should make us beware not presume 157. Scoffes beate off many from their profession 532. the scoffer commonly worse then the scoffed 367. none but fooles will be scoffed out of their religion 754. yet few that will not offend God and their conscience rather then be scoft at 749. Scripture he must be studious therein and follow that rule who will know Christ savingly 664. Security the certaine usher of destruction 242. Separate Drunkards and swearers deserve like dirt in the house of God to be throwne out 93. of which five reasons 94. happy if they were kept by themselves 230. Shame Drunkards would mitigate their owne shame by discrediting the good 374. Singularity a vertue when vice is in fashion 225. Sinnes against knowledge and conscience 467. open and scandalous sinnes how evill 472. to multiply the same sinnes often 473 to commit one sin on the neck of another 473. how one mans sin may extend it selfe to millions yea after ages 539. Drunkards not only sin but make others sin too 493. the Divell shewes the sweet of sin but hides the bitter of punishment untill afterward 734. custome of sinne takes away the sense of sinne 427. Slander Drunkards raise slanders of the godly 358. of which seaven reasons 366. how apt men are to believe slanders of the godly and to spread them 360. what delight wicked men take in hearing evill of the good 361. a slander once raised will scarce ever dye 377. how they mitigate their owne shame by slandering others 368. and often prevaile against the good hereby 370. the condition of a slanderer set out 363. his sinne and punishment 378. Smiting God will not leave smiting untill we smite that which smites at his honour 253. Soule Drunkards guilty of Soule murther 443. 530. nothing but our Soules will satisfie the Serpent and his seed 436. covetous man cares more for his outward estate then for body or soule 626. Spirit saving knowledge not attain'd without the Spirits help 655. Straite what a straite the godly are in 383. Striking 392. Subtilty and wisdome two different things 641. Successe custom of it makes men confident 241 Suffer our Saviour suffered two and twenty wayes of hisâ— enemies 397. Suggestion evill moreready at hand then a good 717 Superlative some men strive to bee superlative in sinne 415. severall examples of superlative sinners 416. Suspition ignorance the cause of it 351. Swearing the most in excusable sin 100. of which 2 reasons 101. that of all others the swearer shall bee sure of plagues 104. three wayes to make men leave their swearing 112. T TAle-bearing the receiver as bad as the tale-bearer 380. Tempting Sathan the Tempter wicked men his Apprentises or Factors under him 298. the many wayes that Sathan hath to set upon us 297. aswell reckon up the motes in the Sunne as all sorts of Seducers 304. all wicked men resemble the Divell in Tempting 286. how politick they are in Tempting 288. Drunkards Sathans principle agents in this businesse 306. the Drunkards chiefe delight is to infect others 286. Temptations on the right hand the most dangerous 746. A wise man will suspect the smooth streame for deepnesse 747. they never wound so deadly as when they stroke us with a silken hand 745. to bee a Tempter the â—asest office 330. their seduceing of others will adde to the pile of their torments 450. how greedy most men are of temptation 295. Sathan needs but say the word 295. or suggest the thought 296. the minde of man not capeable of a violation either from man or Sathan 303. it will bee a poore plea an other day to pretend that such and