vnto Iudgement But You gaue them not therefore lie maledictj Goe ye cursed so Come yee blessed What because ye dealt iustly and gaue euery man his due no these vertues may be in morall men that want Fayth and Christianitie But You gaue them your owne bread Hungry and clad them Naked with your owne cloathes therefore Come ye blessed What vse you will make of this I know not what vse you should make I know If the Tree without good fruite shal be burned what shall become of the Tree that hath euill If Barrennesse be cast into the fire what doth Rapine and Robberie deserue If it be damnation enough to deny our owne Bread what is it to take away the onely Loafe Coate or Cottage of our poore brother Woe to the Backe that weares the Garment to the Bellies that deuowers the Food they neuer sweate for I meane that by force or fraud tooke them from the owners If Naball and Diues burne for not giuing their owne what shall become of Ahab and Iesabell for taking away the Vineyard of Naboth If the righteous be scarcely saued where shall the vngodly and the sinner appeare Now if after this Phisicke giuen I should aske many how they feele the Pulses of their Consciences beate I presume on this reply Notum loqâ—eris you but guild Gold and minister to vs such Phisicke as we haue taken before All this we know we doe not euermore ply your vnderstandinges with new thinges but lay old almost dead forgotten fresh to the Conscience I aske further how much of this haue you practised and still looke for an affirmatiue answere All this haue I kept from my youth Let vs reason discusse this matter a litle To Enquire is hearing or rather harkning to the word to Returne is repenting to Come is beleeuing or rather looking more toward perfection proceeding into the ripenesse of Fayth This latter is so necessarie that we can not come to God with his acceptance our comfort if wee leaue our Fayth behind vs without this impossible to please him to be rewarded of him This our Charter wherby we hold all our Priuiledges our Title in Capiâ—e to Earth and Heauen But Sub â—udice Lis est the great Iudge of Heauen shall one day censure it meane time giue me leaue to helpe thee peruse this euidence of thy Fayth whereon thou so presumest Christ dying made a Will sealed it with his owne Blood wherein he bequeathed a certaine Inheritaunce to his breathren the Conueyance is the Gospell this his Testament the executor of this Will is the Holy ghost our Tenure and Euidence is our Fayth Now thou layest title to Ierusalem for a childs part What 's thy title in Christes name and right what conueyance did Christ euer make thee of such a portion Yees he conueyed it to mee by Will What by a speciall name no but by a generall title to all beleeuers That I am one of these heires my euidence my Fayth Let God alone to try thy Fayth If thou commest to me for counsell sayth S. Iames thou must shew me another euidence Shew me thy faith by thy works If thy heart be corrupt thy hands filthy thy tongue false thy euidence is but counterfaite Christ giues not title of inheritaunce in Heauen to such as haue no holinesse on Earth Know ye not that the vnrighteous shall not inherite the kingdome of God Be not deceiued neither Fornicatoâ—s c. And there shall enter into it no vncleane thing nor any thing that worketh abhomination or lyes Perhappes thou wilt yet stand vpon it produce thy witnesses they are onely two thy Life thy Conscience they cannot speake with thee against their maker and thine Thy life speakes lowde and plaine Thy pride drunkennesse oppression cousenage lustes blasphemies manifest thou hast but a broken title and Paul pleads against thee from this cleere aduantage Protest to them yee beleeue in God that they be carefull to shew foorth good workes They that haue the euidence of faith must haue the witnes of workes It is a poore deed without witnesses Thy conscience speakes plaine too that thy faith is but a carnall perswasion bred of securitie a forged Euidence made by a false Scriuener the Diuell to deceiue thy owne eyes and the worldes not Gods Now where is thy claime stand vpon good assurance lest when that subtile winnower Satan comes to fift thee graine after graine thou prouest Chaffe we may come with this carnall perswasion little better then reprobate hope to the Temples to the Pulpittes to the Sacraments but if we come so to the tribunall of Christ woe vnto vs the too much trusting to a verball leane sicke starued faith deceiues many a Soule whiles we couet to be solifidians in opinion wee prooue nullifidians in practise no matter for wisedome in the Soule grace in the conscience honesty in the life if the profession of faith be in the tongue but the Poore may say as he in the Comedie Oculatae mihi sunt manus credunt quod vident My handes haue eyes and they beleeue what they see wee carry the formes and outsides of Christians and thinke God beholding to vs for gracing his materiall earthly Temples when in the Temples of our owne heartes wee sette vp the Idolls of our owne affections yet are these the Temples wherein he is best pleased to dwell But if we be come to God by faith he is also come to vs by grace The spirit of Christ is in vs if we be not Reprobates And if this spirit be in vs the body of sinne is dead At least hath his deathes-wound But alasse in how many of vs doth sinne liue dwell I would I might stay there nay euen raigne as if Christ had come to destroy the Diuell and not the workes of the Diuill to free vs from the damnation and not the dominion of sinne but he that tooke from sinne the power to condemne vs tooke also the power to raigne in our mortall Bodyes And the second is but a consequent of the first postscribed with that word of inference now then c. Thus Christ came not onely to binde the Diuell but to loose and dissolue his workes I haue read and obserued in the Historie of Scotland a certaine controuersie betwixt that Kingdome and Ireland for a little Iland that lay betweene them eyther claimes it as theit due and the strife growing hotte was falling from wordes to blowes but reason moderated both sides and they put it to the decision of a Frenchman who thus iudged it he caused lyning Serpents to be put into that Iland if they liued and thriued there he iudged it Scotlands if they pyned and dyed he gaue it for Ireland You can apply it easily If the venemous Serpents poysons and corruptions of our natures batten and thriue in vs wee are Satans if they languish and consume wee are Gods thus is the title ended for
THE Gallants Burden A Sermon preached at PAVLES CROSSE THE twentie nine of March being the fift Sunday in Lent 1612. By THO. ADAMS Preacher of Gods Word at Willington in Bedford-shire Published by authority LONDON Printed by W. W. for Clement Knight and are to be sold at his Shoppe in Paules Church-yard at the Signe of the Holy Lambe 1612. TO THE HONORABLE SIR WILLIAM GOSTWICKE Baronet and his worthy Lady the Lady IANE GOSTWICKE HOnorable Sir I acknowledge freely that the World is oppressed with the Presse aâ—d the confluence of Bookes hath bred a confusion of errours of Vices so hard is it to distinguish betwixt profitable and vaine Writinges and hauing culled out the best so easie is it with much good Meate to surfet yet is not therefore Meate vnnecessarie It is no sober inference because both Text and readers haue been corrupted with false Glosses to reiect all Expositions all Applications both are fitte this latter most necessary for our Vnderstanding is better then our Conscience there is some light in our Minds litle warmth in our Affections So against Nature is it true in this that the essentiall qualities of Fire Light and Heat are deuided and to say whether our light of Knowledge be more or our heate of Deuotion lesse is beyond me Let this considered plead for me that I doe but rubbe this sowning Knowledge in vs to bring it backe to some life of Obedience If any feele their thicke eyes hence to receiue any clearenesse or their nummed Affections to gather the least Spirit let thâ—m at once giue God the glory and take to themselues the comfort Sinne hath got strength with age and against all naturall order is more powerfull subtile and fuller of actiue dexteritie now in the dotage of it then it was in the nonage Both Pulpit Presse are weake enough to resist it It therfore this small Arrow of Reproofe can wound but euen one of his Limbes it shall a litle eneruate his tyranny Whatsoeuer this Sermon is it is wholly yours and he that made it whose Patronage I could not be ambitious of if I should onely fixe my eyes on my owne deseruinges but in the affiance of your good natures mature iudgementes and kind constructions of my weake endeauours I haue presumed to make you the Patron of my Labours who was freely the Patron of my selfe I know that Gods word can countenaunce it selfe and needes not the shelter of an humaine arme not though it had as many Edomites to deride it as it hath Patrons to defende it But I find not onely the best Writinges of the best Men but euen some of those Holy Bookes inspired from Heauen bearing in their foreheads as from the pen-men a dedication I confesse it is not all for your Protection somewhat for your vse and you are blessed in fauouring that which shal be best able to fauour you May I therefore intreate your Honors to giue it happy entertainement to your owne heartes fauourable protection to the worldes eyes so shall that and my selfe be yet more yours The God of all power and mercie be as fâ—ythfull a shadow of refreshing to your soules as your kindnesse hath been free to my wantes who must euer remaine Your Honors in all faythfull obseruance Tho. Adams THE GALLANT' 's BVRDEN Esay 21. ver 11. 12. The burden of Dumah He calles vnto me out of Seir Watchman what was in the night Watchman what was in the night The Watchman sayd The morning commeth and also the night If ye will aske enquire returne and come QVò breuior â—ò obscurior the shorter this Prophesie is the more mysticall In holy Writ these two thinges euer concurre Sententia breuis res ampla a finite Sentence an infinite Sense As in a little Map we see a world of Countries and what the Foote cannot measure in many dayes the Eye peruseth in a moment this is the little Mappe of Idumea or Edom wherein we may suruey the state of that whole Region not much vnlike the situation of it standing in this Chapter betwixt Chaldea and Arabia The Burdens against them both are heauy and the Plagues aggrauated with more circumstaunces The burden of Dumah though short shall weigh with them graine for graine As you trauaile with me into this Countrie by the guidance of that inlightning spirit tie your considerations to two especiall thinges the Mappe the Morall In the Mappe you shall finde 1. an Inscription 2. a Description In the Inscription obserue 1. the name of the Countrie 2. the nature of the Prophecie The Description restes it selfe on 3. Obiectes 1. a Mountaine 2. a Watchman 3. an Edomite where is shadowed 1. vnder the Mountaine Securitie 2. vnder the Watchman Vigilancie 3. vnder the Edomite Scorne Now if you aske as they did the Prophet Ezekil what these thinges meane the Morall directes you 1. by a Qâ—estion 2. by an Answere The Question would know what was in the Night the Answere declares it 1. by a Resolution 2. by an Aduice The Resolution Venit manè et vespè The â—â—orning câ—mes and also the night the Aduice If ye will aske enquire returne and come In the Inscription we propouÌ„ded to be considered 1. the name of the Country 2. the nature of the Prophecie For the Country there is some question what this Dumah should be some affirme it to be the Country of the Ishmaelites and to receiue the name from Dumah that sonne of Ishmaell mentioned Gen. 25. 14. but that Dumah with other the sonnes of Ishmaâ—ll inhabited Arabia which is burdened in the Prophecie following distinctly seuered from this this Dumah then was the Countrie of the Idumeans or Edomites the place where Esaâ— and his generation dwelt this is cleare by the Mount Seir which was an Hill of the Edâ—muâ—s Ezech. 35. 15. This Idumea is heere called Dumah thus God insinuates his contempt of that rebellious and accursed nation by cutting short the name as vnworthy to stand in his Booke graced with the full length the estimation which the wicked beare with God is heere expressed he thinkes the mention of them a blurre to his sacred leaues now shall their persons sit in his Kingdome with honour whose names may not stand in his Booke without disgrace Sometimes they are concealed as Diues that reall Parable giues no other title to the condemned churle Christ allowes the Tyrant Herod no other name then a Foxe Goe tell that Foxe c. God calles those Princes the Bulles of Bashan on the Mountaines of Samaria they would be blottes to his holy Booke if they were expressely named Sometimes they are named but with abbreuiations Dumah for Idâ—maeâ— Thus Aram is called Ram Ephesdamâ—im a coast of the Philistines neuer spoken of without contempt is twice thus curtalled 1. Cro. 11. it is called Pasdaemmim and 1. Sam. 17. Dammim Let not this Obseruation slippe from vs without our vse If God take letters from
Powder-treason haue been if the matter had hit right as horred as the thought of it is to an honest minde the hoysting vp of Buildinges shiuering of Bodyes tearing vp of Monuments dissipation massacre murder of olde young Prince people Senators and Senate drawne to the life by the art of a Painter would haue been a contenting spectacle for so holy an eye to contemplate sure there is honesty in Hell if this be Religion if the Deuill can deuise more execrable stratagems let him change Seates with the Pope Christ medled with neither Herod nor Emperour King nor Cesar no Emperours held his Stirrop no Kings kissed his blessed feete hee onely fought with the weapons of the Spirit against Sinne and Satan This is a Watch-man indeed but he watcheth to inuade beseidge enter and spoyle the Citie of God hee liath other Watch-men vnder him Vncleane birdes fluttring from that Vulture of Babilon and flying like Battes and Owles vnder the eues of night to vomite the poysons of Heresie and Treasons from their swolne gorges Watch-men like the Chaplens of Mars at Rome in the dayes of Idolatry that practised to tosse Fire-brandes from Campe to Campe to inflame euill affections that care not whose blood they sacrifice to their Romane God without distinction of Troian of Tyrian nor out of whose Sepulchers they digge themselues an estate They watch indeed for they keepe a Register of all our proceedinges against them in these ltaleyon dayes of ours and if euer the Sâ—nne of Alteration shine on their faces they will repay vs tenne blowes for one vpon our Burgonets meane time our Prayses to Heauen they watch their owne bane and as one writes of Parry so I may of the end of them all Itala gens sceleri te dedit Angla cruâ—â— Italy giues them their villanie England their Gallowes this is their malus but meritus sinis the euill but deserued end of them all England is sinfull enough but she professeth not her selfe a Schoole-mistris of Sinne as Rome doth of Treason there it is professed taught learned and as on the sandy Theator exercised before it come to the fatall execution The Priestes of peruerted Israel were but shadows of these of apostate Rome As Theeues waite for a man so the company of Priestes murder in the way by consent Hence that Prouerbe carryes no lesse trueth then antiquitie with it An Englishman Italianate is a Deuill incarnate these are those Iesuites Iebusites Incendiaries Traytors and not lesse then Deuils but that they haue bodyes God blesse vs from such Watch-men if these be Watch-men who are enemies We see then the vanitie of their laboures that would vndertake to bring vs to a composition if Heresie can be made Sinceritie Idolatrie true Religion Treason Obedience we may be vnited but it is a sure rule Contraries in the abstract can neuer be reconciled God put an vn-appeasable Contention betwixt the two Seedes of the Woman and Serpent when hee put Enmity betweene them for an Enemy may be made a Friend but Enmitie can neuer be made Frendship the Ayre that is darke may be made Light but Darknesse cannot be made Brightnesse a Papist may be conuerted to a Christian but Papistry can neuer be made Christianitie no more then Antichrist can become Christ our strife with them is not for the extention of Limits but for the possession of the Inheritaunce whether Grace or Nature the Popes Law or Gods shall take place in the Conscience So I haue read of that audacious and sottish Hermite that would vndertake to make God and the Deuill friendes the impossibilitie of which attempt the Deuill could tell him God is all Light and I am all Darknesse that my foule nature can not be hidden our affections seates persons are so opposed that I haue no hope of peace They will not we may not yeeld except the Sheepe shall compound with the Wolfe or the Mise with the Catte which the old tale forbids though the Catte gette on a Monks Cowle cries demurely through the creuices Quod fueram non suw fraâ—er caput aspice tonsum Good brothâ—r Mouse creepe out thy house come foorth let vs chat Behold my Crowne is shauen downe I 'm now a Priest â—o Cat. When Cats say Masse the Myse alas must pray against their will Kind Pusâ—e your pate is smoth of late your heart is rugged sâ—â—ll Experience would teach vs the answere of the verse though we had neuer read it Vâ—x tiâ—i â—raesto fidem cor tibi restat idâ—m To leaue the incorrigible Watch-men of Rome since we would haue cured Babel and she would not be cured let vs looke home to our selues The Wolues of Rome haue not more honour then the Watch-men of England scorne the Edomites of the world can not abide Ministers the best is they are but Edemites heires of Esau and as prophane as their Father that make Religion their Minstrell to giue them sport and sleepe no iest in such laughter as that which is broken on a Priest the proofe is plaine on euery Tauerne and Theater We serue indeed contrary Maisters wee Christ they Lust and Sathan and Hinc illae rixae of theirs hinc illae laechrimae of ours hence their flowts our teares we bite them with the salt of Reproofe hence they storme we cast Incke and Gall on their Tetters hence they startle Veritatem lucentem multi diligunt arguentem reijciunt dum sâ— ostendit columus dum nos ostendit odio habemus The trueth shining many loue reprouing they reiect whiles it shewes it selfe we imbrace it whiles it shewes vs we can not endure it euen in this consistes at once our Happinesse their Damnation our Happinesse Blessed are yee when for me porsecuted their Damnation That Light being in the world they imbrace and are gladde of Darknesse though their wronges done vs be against the Law of Armes and Nature for an Ambassadour should be Inter hostium tela incolumis safe among the Weapons of the Enemies But doe the Edomites onely take up these Weapons of scorne against vs No I speake it betwixt shame and griefe euen the Israelites scorne the Prophets There are some sicke of a wantonnes in Religion so hot about the question De modo that the Deuill steales the matter of Religion from their heartes if we cannot wrangle with Formes and Shadowes and shew our selues refractarie to established Orders we shall Malè audire our Sermons shall be slighted our persons derided thus this is the mischiefe men of name professors of note when they speake bitterly of vs their credite carries it strong with our scandals one Arrow of these Israelites wounds deeper then a hundred Cannon-shot of the Edomites I confesse I speake Stones but if they hitte as they are intended they shall heale some hurt none Dicatur veritas rumpatur inuidia Let Trueth be spoken and Enuie burst her Gall let all these Scorners remember that the contempt done to vs redowndes to God himselfe Hee
were folded in them but our maine worke lay dead for want of execution Prouide then for this Night ôh thou whose cheeke the Sunne of mercie and forbearance kisseth The sleepe of him that trauaileth is sweete whether he eate little or much but the satiety of the rich will not suffer him to sleepe If the Day be well spent the wearied bones reioyce in their earned repose and the contented Conscience applaudes it selfe in the thought of her carefull obedience body and soule receiues rest Whiles the Day is slouthfully spent Night bringes no reioycefull ease to either spirits or corpes The Day of thy life worne out in the well disposed houres of a religious obedience thy body shall rest in a perfumed Graue and thy soule in the bosome of Abraham when Night comes but whiles pride surfets oppressions wantonnes haue shared the Day the Night comes with no lesse suddennesse then sorrow thy rest shal be vnrest neither easier then smoake and thornes and flames nor shorter then the eternitie of all these can make it Oh then what folly madnes selfe-enmitie is this to play out our short Day and howle vnder the pressure of working tormentes for an euerlasting Night Wee are come to the last fruite that I shall gather you from this Tree and it growes on three branches the whole body of it being applyed to the maner not the matter of the Question the matter is first satisfied The Morning comes the Night the maner is now touched If ye will aske enquire returne and come You aske in derision keepe the Cloth but reiect the Fashion Aske still but to repentance Let your demaundes manifest your desires of resolution If ye will aske and needes be acquainted with your sorrowes Enquire with humilitie reuerence fayth Returne from your sinnes by repentance and come home to God by obedience Triplex ex arbore fructus heere is a threefold fruite from this Tree whereon let your soules feede and then depart to refresh your bodyes Enquire Wee must not looke that God should seeke vs with his blessinges as Elias was charged to runne by the way of the Wildernesse in quest of Hazael to annoynt him No Seeke yee the Lord whiles he may be found the rule of the Prophet is iust the Rich man comes not to the Beggars dore with reliefe in his hand but the Beggar to his for it there is small reason to expect it from God that he should both giue and seeke I confesse he doth as Christ testifies of himselfe I came to seeke and to saue that which was lost but withall he conueyes into our heartes a preuenting Grace to seeke him Hence the Condition is annexed to the Graunt by the giuer himselfe Aske and you shall haue Enquire and you shall be satisfied But if any will be ignoraunt let them be ignoraunt still If you aske mee 1. Where you should Enquire Our Prophet directes you To the Law to the Testimonie Where should a people enquire but at their God 2. If how With Humilitie Reuerence and desire of Knowledge Inter Iuuenile tuaicium et senile praeiudicium multa veritas corrumpitur There must be in vs an equall auoyding of both Rashnes and Preiudice Young men apprehend not the necessitie of Knowledge Old men presume of a plerophorie and abundance hence neither young nor old enquire 3. If when The Wise-man answers Enquire seeke Remember thy Creatour in the dayes of thy youth Begin this search in the Morning of thy yeares Mane is the Lordes Aduerbe the Deuils Verbe the Lord sayth Earely the Deuill sayth Tarry to whom you harken iudge your selues One thing onely take heed you stay not too long the Deuill is a false Sexton and settes the Clocke too slow that the Night comes ere we be aware tarry not then till your piles of Vsuries heapes of Deceites mountaines of Blasphemies haue caused God to hide himselfe and will not be found There is a Sera nimis hora time too late which Esau fell vnluckily into when hee sought the Blessing with teares and could not find it It may be the Statues or the Guides or thy owne Eies may be denied thee then too late thou Enquirest Whiles the Booke of God is not perused his Temples not freuented nor his Throne sollicited by Prayers hard heartednesse steales on vs and like Sampson bound by the Philistims wee would breake their Bondes and cast their Cordes from vs but our Dalilah our Folly hath beguiled vs. Is this all no there is second Fruite growing on this Tree of equall necessitie greater vse After Enquiring followes Returning you are gone wrong returne into the way of Peace Enquire it first and hauing found it Returne put your feete into it God warnes you by the reuelation of his word as the Wise-men by the vision of a Dreame to Returne into your Country whither you would arriue and where onely is your rest another way If euer this exhortation was necessarie for Edom let mee thinke it fitter for England as sin-full as wee are let mee yet say there is more hope of our repentance then of Edoms our Iniquities as great our Instructions greater then theirs what remaines but our Repentance neuer more need Our sinnes are not low slow few or sleightly done negligence sinnes security sinnes contempt sinnes presumption and hard-heartednes sins here is the Scorners Chaire the Drunkardes Bench the Idle-mans Cushion the Vsurers Studie Oh where is Repentance to rowse these God is angry we haue been smitten not in the Skirts and Suburbes of our Common-wealth onely our Citie Body and whole vnitie hath been pearced to the soule The whole Head hath been sicke and whole Heart heauy Where is the phisicke of Repentance I can shew you many Actors presenting themselues on the Theator of this World I see not Repentance play her part I can point you to Vsurie robbing grinding sucking blood cutting throates whiles he sittes in the Chimney corner heares of his Zani's whelpes vnderling Theeues ending their dayes at the Gallowes I can shew you Couetousnes sweating for gaine crowching ramping playing Ape Lion or Deuill for Money I can discouer to you Drunkennesse rising early to the Wine Malice making haste to the death of Ammon Ambition running after Honour faster then Peter to the Sepulchre Pride whirling in her Charriot Wantonnes shutting vp the windowes Bribery creeping in at the Key-hole euen when the doore of Iustice is locked vp against her Among all these I see not repentance Doth she stay till the last act I feare the tragedy of many Soules ruine will be done first This land is full of sinnes let me speake impartially this Citie as many Lines meete at the Center so all sinnes by a generall confluence to this place Glomerantur in vnum innumerae pestes Erebj The mischiefes of Hell are swarmed to one Crowde and we haue it I know there are some names in Sardj some that make Conscience of
their wayes the same ayre is drawn by men of as contrary dispositions as is the opposition of the two Poles that I may say of the liues of this Citie as one doth of Origen's writinges Vbi bene nemo melius vbi male nemo peius Those that are good are exceeding good and those that are euill are vnmeasurable euill nothing was euer so vnlike it selfe You are as contrary as fire to water but al the water of the one's deuotion will not quench the Fire of the others wickednesse This latter is so monstrously growne on vs with the times that it is all if the Idolatrie of Rome or the Atheisme of Turkey can goe beyond it They are rare heartes that care not more to seeme then to be Holy if perhaps they will either seeme or bee Rare handes that are free and cleane from either blood or filthinesse rare Tongues that doe not vie Oathes with Words making scoffes scornes flatteries vaine speaches the greater part of their tongues exercise that if their Words could be weighed their Prayers of a yeare are not so substantiall and ponderous as their Oathes of one day It were no wonder to see these abominations in Dumah Egipt Babilon to find them in England is matter of amasement It was an admirable and astonishing speach the Prophet him selfe thought by his aduertisement prefixed The virgin Israel hath done filthily If Harlots and Brothels be vnchast they doe not degenerate from their kind in so pure a Virgin no imagination would haue dream't it It is no newes to find the Deuill in Hell to haue him thrust into Paradise tempting and preuayling with our first Parents is horrible Let Rome and Turkey swell with the poysons of Sathan till they burst who wonders to finde the sputteringes of his venime in the Church is grieuous If we be accused for accusing of sinnes let the Physition be blamed for discouering Diseases in the sicke bodie we must speake Oh yet Si nostra sperem prece posse mouerâ— that wee could hope with any sayinges to moue you If the worst come I can but speed as others before me Be there no Vsurers that say to the Gold in secret You are my Confidence Populus me sibilat at mihi plaudo ipse dâ—mi the world hisseth at me but I hug applaud my owne soule fat my spirits in the sight of my Bags Is there neuer a Broker to comfort this sinne of death in the distresse of his Conscience with Vsury is no sinne many learned men are of this opinion But I aske him if his Conscience can be so satisfied would he not willingly giue one hundred pound bagge to be secured in this poynt Sure it is at the least not safe wading farre in a questionable Water if it could be safe to some yet how many haue been drowned in this Whirlepoole I confesse that flesh and blood puts the Bladders of Wealth and Promotion vnder their Arme-holes and the Deuill holdes them vp by the Chinne till they come to the deepest and then as the Priestes serued Iudas they bid them shift for them selues and wanting the helpe of Repentance of swimme downe they sinke In profundum inferni to the bottomlesse bottom of Hell These two are not vnfitly compared to two Milstones the Vsurer is the nether Stone that lyes still he sittes at home in his warme Furres and spendes his time in a deuillish Arithmeticke in numeration of houres dayes and moneys in substraction from others estates and multiplication of his owne till they haue diuided the earth to themselues and themselues to Hell The Broker runnes round like the vpper Mill-stone and betwixt both these the poore is grinded to powder Vsury you say is exploded among Saintes I would you would deale no worse with couetousnesse But alasse this is too generall a fault to giue any hope of amendment He that railed on Beelsebub pulled al Ekrom about his eares He that sleighted Melchom prouoked the Ammonites But he that condemnes Mammon speakes against all the world This is the delight the loue the solace of many the God of some Pouertie sicknesse age are all the Deuils they tremble at and Beliall Melchom Mammon Pleasures Honours Riches all the Gods they worshippe These three vsurping Kings like the three seditious Captaines in Ierusalem or those three Romane Tyrants Casar Crassus and Pompey haue shared the world amongst them and left God least who owes all Lactantius speakes of one Tullus Hostilius that put Feare Palenes into the number of Gods It is pittie that euer his Gods should goe from him it is not pittie but iustice that these Gods and the true God too should forsake such reprobates that idolatrize the honour to Creatures wherewith they should worship the Creator But alas how is Pharaobs Dreame verified among vs The leane Kine eate vp the fatte Gods leane blessinges riches and pleasures deuowre his fatte ones Grace and Religion How it dishonours God disparageth our selues and our creation to put Lead in a Cabinet of gold base desires in a faire and precious soule We neuer yet attained the toppe of Mount Syon He that stands on the Towre of Diuine meditation will iudge those Pigmeys which below he thought Giants but we desire not Heauen because we know it not we neuer looke beyond our Horizon we liue in our contented slauery of Egipt and neuer dreame of the freedome of Canaan Vbi amor ibi oculus where the loue is there is the eye This S. Augustine shortly and soundly reproues Si sursum os cur deorsum cor hath Nature giuen vs an vpright â—ace and a groueling heart this is a preposterous dissimilitude of the minde and countenaunce doe but compare as lifting vp thy soule with thy eyes heauen with earth and thou wilt change thy opinion Through want of these meditations these earthly vanities carry away our inchaunted hearts to neglect those better things of our eternall peace and by the testimony of our Sauiour It is hard for a rich man to get into Heauen The Prouerbe sayth There is no earthly Gate but an Asse laden with Gold can enter and this onely loding hinders our entring the gates of Glory A wealthy and great man serued vp to Gods table in his kingdome is as rare as Venison at our Boardes on earth there are sometimes such seruices not often Is this all no Vidi Ebriosorum sitim vomentium famem I haue seene Drunkennesse reeling from Tauerne to Tauerne and not seldome from thence to his Stewes It was the sinne nay the shame of Beggars it is now the glory the pride of Gallants They should daily be transformed to the image of God they come neerer and neerer to beasts let me say to Diuells For Saint Bernard sayth Ebrietas est manifestissimus Daemon Drunkennesse is a most manifest Diuell They that are possessed with Satan or with drunkennesse fall alike into the fire into the water they gnash alike alike they foame