without his suâ—ficient sorrow actiue and passiue mischiefes if the morning wine should not enflame them They that are daily guests at the Deuils table know the fashions of his Court they must be drunke at the entrance It is one of his lawes and a Physicke-bill of hell that they must not wash till they haue drunke These Waters are to be applied inwardly first and once taken downe they are fitted to swallow any morsell of damnation that shall afterwards be presented them Water was the first drinke in the world and Water must be the first drinke at the Deuils Banket There is more in it yet The Deuill shewes a tricke of his wit in this title Water is a good creature and many coelestiall things are shadowed by it 1. It is the element wherein wee were baptised 2. And dignified to figure the grace of the holy Spirit Yet this very â—ame must be giuen to Sinne. Indeede I know the same things are often accepted in diuers senses by the langâ—â—ge of Heauen Leauen is est-soones taken for hypocriâ—ie as in the Pharises for Atheiâ—me as in the Sâ—dduces for Profâ—nenesse as in the Hâ—rodians And generally for Sinne by Paul 1 Cor. 5. Yâ—t by Christ for grace Luke 13. God is compared to a Lyon Amos. 3. And Christ is called the Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah Apocal. 5. And the Deuill is called a Lyon A roaring Lyon c. 1. Pet. 5. Christ was figured by a Serpent Ioh. 3. And to a Serpent is Satan compared 2 Cor. 11. Stones are taken in the worst sense Matth. 3. God is able of these stones to raise c. Stones in the best sense 1. Pet. 2. Liuing stones and Christ himselfe the headstone of the corner Psal. 118. Be like children saith Paul and not like children be children in simplicitie not in knowleâ—ge Graces are called Waters so here vices but the attribute makes the difference Those are liuing Waters these are the Waters of death The Deuill in this playes the Machiauell but I spare to follow this circumstance here because I shall meete it againe in the next branch Bread of secrecies Sinnes may in some sense be likened to waters yea euen to waters in the Cup for to waters in the Sea they are most like The one drownes not more bodies then the other soules They know the danger of the Sea that proâ—ecute their businesse in great waters they might know the hazards of Siâ—ne that saile in the Deuils Barge of luxurie I may say of them both with the Poet. Digitis à morte râ—moti quatuor aut septem si sit latissimataeda They are within foure or seauen Inches of death how many soules are thus shipwrackt how many weepe out a De profundis that would not sing the songs of Syon in the Land of the liuing they forgot Ierusalem in their mirth and therefore sit downe and howle by the waters of 〈◊〉 but these here are Festiuall not Marinall wateâ—s 1. Water is an enemie to digestion so is Sinne clogging the memorie the soules stomach with such cruditâ—es of vice that no sober instructions can bee digested in it especially Waters hurt digestion in these cold Countries naturally cold in regard of the Climate but spiritually more cold in deuotion Frosen vp in the dregs of Iniquitie Surely many of our Auditours drinke too deepe of these Waters before they come to Iacobs Well our Waters of heauenly doctrine will not downe with them The Waters of sinne so put your mouths out of tast that you cannot rellish the Waters of Life they are Marah to your palates It seemes you haue beene at the Deuils Banket and therefore thirst not after righteousnesse The Cup of the old Temptation hath filled you you scorne the Cup of the New Testament If you had not drunke too hard of these Waters you would aske Christ for his liuing Water but Achan hath drunke cursed Gold when hee should come before Ioâ—uah Gehâ—â—i hath drunke Bribes when hee should come to Elisha No maruell if you sucke no Iuyce from the Waters of God when you are so full and drunken with the Waters of Sathan 2. Water duls the braine and renders the spirits obtuse and heauie It is an enemie to literature saith Horace merrily Who in a Rithme rehearses That wâ—ter drinkers neuer make good Vearses Wee haue no skill in the himnes of the spirit no alacritie to praise God no wisedome to pray to him why wee haue drunke of these stollen waters The chilling and killing colde of our Indeuotion the morose and raw humours of our vncharitablenesse the foggy dull stupid heauinesse of our inuincible ignorance shew that wee haue beene too busie with these Waters nothing will passe with vs but rare and nouell matters Ieiunus rarò stomachus vulgaria temnit and in these we study to admire the garbe not to admit the profit 3. Wee finde Grace compared to Fire and gracelesnesse to water the Spirit came downe on the Apostles in the likenesse of firie tongues at the day of Pentecost and Iohn Baptist testifies of CHRIST that hee should Baptise with the Holy Ghost and with Fire The spirit of sinne falls on the heart like a cold deaw It is implied Reuel 3.15 that zeale is hote wickednesse colde neutrallitie luke-warme Fire is hot and drie Water is cold and moyst praedominantly and in regard of their habituall qualities so zeale is 1. hote no incendiary no praeter-naturall but a supernaturall heate equally mixed with Loue and Anger such was Elias zeale for the Lord of Hostes he could not be cold in this life that went vp in Fire to Heauen 2. Drie not like Ephraim a Cake baked on the one side but crude and raw on the other no the heate of zeale hath dried vp the moisture of prophanenesse But wickednesse is 1. colde a gelid nature a numnesse in the Conscience that as when the Ayre is hotest the Springs are coldest so when the Sunne of Grace warmes the whole Church is yet shaking of an Ague nay and will not creepe like Simon Peter to the fire 2. Moist not succus sanguinis plenum full of iuyce and sappe but sinne runnes like a colde rheume ouer the Conscience This metaphor followes Saint Paul Quench not the Spirit wherein hee fully iustifies this circumstance forbidding the water of impietie to quench the fire of Grace Here then see the impossibilitie of vniting the two contrary natures in one conscience as of reconciling Fire and Water into the same place time and subiect If sinne keepe court in the Conscience and sit in the Throne of the Heart Grace dares not peepe in at the gates or if it doth with colde entertainement I haue heard report of a generation of men that carry Fire in the one hand and Water in the other whose conuersation mingles Humentia siccis Wet and Drie together like the Syriphian Frogs in Pliny whose challenge
was mihi terra lacusque I haue Land and Sea for my walke but alas if the water be true water of sinne beleeue it the Fire is but a false fire the blaze of hypocrisie but the Hermite turned his guest out of dores for this tricke that hee could warme his colde hands with the same breath wherewith hee cooled his hot pottage 4. Water is a baser Element and I may say more elementary more mixt and as it were Sophisticate with transfusion Fire is in the highest Region the purest Element and next to Heauen this is the seate of grace non inferiora secuta scorning the lower things Sinne is like water of a ponderous crasse grosse stinking and sinking nature They that haue drunke the Cup of slumber had need to be bidden Awake and stand vp for they are sluggish and laid Grace though in the Orbe of Sinne yet hath her conuersation in Heauen and cor repositum vbi proemium depositum her heart laid vp where her loue and treasure is her motto is non est mortale quod opto She hath a holy aspiration and seeketh to be as neere to God as the clogge of flesâ— will let her Sinne is like water though raging with the surges and swellings and onely bounded in with Gods non vltra here I will stay thy proud waues yet deorsum ruit whiles these waters swimme in the heart the heart sinkes downe like a stone as Nabals 5 Phisitians say that water is a binder you may apply it that men in these dayes are terrible water-drinkers for the times are very restrictiue you may as well wring Hercules Clubbe out of his fist as a penny from auarices Purse Mens hearts are costiue to part with any thing in pios vsus their hands clutch't dores shut purses not open nay the most laxatiue prodigals that are lauish and letting-flie to their lusts are yet heart-bound to the poore It is a generall disease procured be these waters to be troubled with the griping at the heart Such were the Kine of Bashan soluble to their owne lusts bring let vs drinke bound vp and strait-laced to the poore not refreshing but oppressing not helping but crâ—shing the needy they greeue not for Ioseph nay they greeue Ioseph These Kine are dead but their Calues are in England abundantly multiplied These are not the dayes of peace that turne Swordes into Sickles but the dayes of pride wherein the Iron is knocked off from the plough and by a new kinde of Alchymistrie conuerted into plate The Farmers painefulnesse runnes into the Mercers Shop and the toyling Oxe is a sacrifice and prey to the cunning Foxe all the racked rents in the Country will not discharge the Bookes in the Citie Great men are vnmercifull to their Tenants that they may be ouer-mercifull to their Tendents that stretch them as fast as they retch the others The sweat of the labourers browes is made an ointment to supple the ioynts of Pride Thus two malignant Planets raigne at once and in one heart costiue couetousnesse and loose lauishnesse like the Serpent Amphisboena with a head at each end of the body who whiles they striue which should be the Master-head afflict the whole carkase whiles Couetise and Pride wrastle the Estate catcheth the fall They eate Men aliue in the Countrey and are themselues eaten aliue in the Citie what they get in the Hundreth they loose in the Sheere Sic proedae patet esca sui they make themselues plumpe for the prey â—or there are that play thâ— robbe-theefe with them Vnius compendium alterius dispendium if there be a winner there must be a looser Serpens Serpentem deuorando fit Draco Many Landlords are Serpents to deuoure the poore but what are they that deuoure those Serpents Dragons You see what monsters then vsurious Citizens are Thus whiles the Gentleman and the Citizen shuffle the Cardes together they deale the poore Commons but a very ill game These are the similitudes I could also fit you with some discrepancies 1. Waters mundifie and clense these soile â—nd infect the Conscience growes more speckled by them till men become not onely spotted but spots as Lucan sayd of the wounded body totum est pro vulnere corpâ—â— the whole body was as one wound 2. Adde that waters quench the thirst and coole the heate of the body but these waters rather fire the heart and inflame the affections puffe the Splene which swolne all the other parts pine and languish into a Consumption the heart is so blowne with lustes that all the graces of the soule dwindle like blasted Impes these are aquae soporiferae waters of slumber that cast the soule into a dead sleepe whiles the Deuill cauterizeth and seares vp the Conscience 3. Wee say of water it is a good Seruant though an ill Master but wee cannot apply it to Sinne it is not good at all indeed lesse ill when it serues then when it raignes if this false Gibeonite will needs dwell with thee set him to the basest Offices So Israel kept in some Canaanites lest the wilde Beasts should come in vpon them our infirmities and mastred sins haue their vse thus to humble vs with the sense of our weakenes lest the furious beasts of pride and securitie breake into our freeholds But sinne of it selfe is good neither Egge nor Bird neither in Root nor Branch neither Hot nor Cold neither in the Fountaine nor in the Vessell The pluralitie of these waters prolongs and determines my speech their nature is not more pernicious then their number numerous indesinita locutio infinita turba an vndefined word an vnconfined number If there were but one cup alone it would cloy and satiate and procure loathing as euen Manna did to Israell therefore Satan doth diuersifie his drinkes to keepe the wicked mans appetite fresh and sharpe If he be weary of one sinne behold another stands at his elbow hath Diues din'd hee may walke vp to his study and tell his Money his Bags his Idols or call for the Key of his Wardrobe to feede his proud eye with his Silkes for Diuitiae deliciae Riches and Pleasures serue one anothers turne If Nabal be weary of counting his Flockes or laying vp their Fleeces he may goe and make himselfe drunke with his sheep-shearers Hence it is that ex malis moribus oriuntur plurim leges to meet with the multiplicitie of sinnes there is required a multitude of lawes as when Phisitians grow rich it is an euident signe of an infected Common-wealth Sinne stood not single in Gods view when hee threatens so fearefull a punishment as the whole Booke againe can not match it Therefore the Land shall mourne and euery one that dwelleth therein shall languish with the beasts of the Field with the Fowles of Heauen yea the Fishes of the Sea also shall be taken away an vniuersall vastation but as 1. priuately there was no Truth yet if
the mysteries of Earth good and happy in their opportune and moderate vse but wretched in our misapplied lustes to turne the blood into fire and to fill the bones with luxurie not to make nature swimme in a riuer of delights but euen to drowne it Waters neither Succourie nor Endiue c. no refrigerating waters to coole the Soules heate but waters of inflamation Spaines Rosasolis water of Inquisition Tyrones Vsquebah water of Rebellion Turkey's Aqua fortis a violent and bloodie water Romes aqua inferna a superstitious water stilled out of Sulphure and Brimstone through the Lymbeck of Heresie Oh! you wrong it it is aquavitae and aqua coelestis Let the operation testifie it it is aqua fortis aqua mortis Vinum Barathri the wine of hell no poysons are so banefull It tastes like honey but if Ionathan touch it hee will endanger his life by it These are wretched waters worse then the moorish and Fennie riuers which the Poets faine runne with a dull and lazie course tranquilla alta streames still at the top but boyling like a Cauldron of moulten Lead at the bottome Phlegeton Pyriphlegeton ignitae et â—â—â—mminiae vnde were meere fables and toyes to these waters they are truculent virulent obnoxious waters deriued by some filthy guttures from the mare mortuum of Iniquitie The Pope hath waters not much vnlike these of the Diuels Banket Holy-waters holy indeede for they are conâ—ured with a holy exorcisme saith their Masse-booke Of wonderfuâ—l effects either sprinkled outwardly they refresh the receiuer as if his head was wrapped with a wet clowt in a colde morning or drunke downe they are powerfull to cleanse the heart and scowre out the Diuell Oh you wrong Romes holy water to thinke it the Diuels drinke when the prouerbe sayes the Diuell loues no holy water yes hee will runne from it as a mendicant Fryer from an almes To speake duely of it it is a speciall riuer of hell and drownes more then euer did the red Sea when it swallowed an whole Armie of the Aegyptians Why but holy-water is a speciall ransome to free soules out of Purgatorie and digged out of the fountaine of Scripture Asperges me Domine Hysopo Thou shalt sprinkle me oh Lord with Hysope for so their translation hath it the sense of which place is saith the Romist that the Priest must dash the graue with a holy-water-sprinkle for you must suppose that Dauid was dead and buried when he spake these words and his soule in Purgatorie It is added that Diues desired in hell a drop of water to coole his tongue Oh then how cooling and comfortable are the sprinklings of these waters on the graues of the dead But if they can speake no bettâ—r for them they will proue some of these waters here serued in at Sinnes banket for if Antichrist can make a man drunke with his holy-water hee will swallow all the rest of his morsels with the lesse difficultie These then are the waters not the water of Regeneration wherein our Fathers and we haue beene baptised nor the waters of Consolation which make glad the Citie of God nor the waters of Sanctification wherein Christ once the Spirit of Christ still washeth the feete the affections of the Saints Not the Hyblaean Nectar of heauen whereof he that drinkes shall neuer thirst againe nor the waters of that pure Riuer of life cleare as Christall proceeding out of the Throne of God But the lutulent spumy maculatorie waters of Sinne either squeased from the spungie cloudes of our corrupt natures or surging from the contagious vaines of hell springs of Temptation I might here blab to you the Diuels secrets and tell you his riddles his trickes his pollicies in that he calls Sinnes Waters and would make his guests beleeue that they wondersully refresh but I reserue it to a fitter place the Sweetnesse shall carrie that note from the waters I will contract all to these foure obseruations as the Summe of that I would write of the waters not on the waters I haue better hope of your memories 1. The preferment of waters at Sathans Banket 2. The Diuels pollicie in calling Sinnes by the name of waters 3. The similitude of Sinnes to Waters 4. The pluralitie and abundance of these waters Water is here preferreâ— to Bread for lightly Sinnes guests are better drinkers then eaters they eate by the â—omer and drinke by the Epha Indeede a full belly is not of such dexteâ—itie for the Deuils imployment as a full braine Gluttonie would goe sleepe and so doe neither good nor harme Ebrietie hath some villanie in hand and is then fitted with valour the drunkard is an Hercules furens he will kill and slay how many doe that in a Tauerne which they repent at a Tiburne you will say it is not wiâ—h drinking water yes the Harlots waters such as is serued in at the Deuils Banket mixt with rage and madnesse Water is an Element whence humiditie is deriued the sap in the Vine the iuyce in the Grape the liquiditie in the Ale or Beere is water Indeede sometimes Neptune dwels too farre off from Bacchus dore and the water is mastred with additions yet it may alienate the propertie not annihilate the nature and essence of water water it is still though compounded water compounded in our drinkes but in wines deriued à primis naturae per media not extinguished in the being not brought to a nullitie of waters Drinke then bibendum aliquid though the Harlot giues it a modest and coole name waters is the first dish of the Deuils Banket The first entertainement into this Appij forum is with the three Tauernes not so much a drunkennesse to the braine as to the conscience There is a Drunkennesse not with wine there is a staggering not with strong drinke The Deuill begins his Feast with a health as Belshazzar whatsoeuer the vp-shot be He propounds the water and he propines it hee will not giue them worse then he takes himselfe As Iupiter is said to haue at his Court-gate two great Tunnes whereof they that enter must first drinke and himselfe begins to them Iupiter Ambrosiasatur est est Nectare plenus Intemperance is the first dish to be tasted of it is if not principalis yet si ita dicam principialis if not the prime dish yet the first dish Satan must first intoxicate the braynes and extinguish the eye of reason as the Thiefe that would rob the house first puts out the Candle Vnderstanding is first drowned in these waters Riot iustles and the Wit is turned besides the Saddle The Sonnes of the Earth would not so doate on the Whore of Babilon if the wine of her Fornication had not made them drunke the ghesâ—s heere rise early to the wine it is the first seruice and are indeede as the Apostles were slandered nine-of-clocke Drunkards The day would be
shamefull spewing shall be for your glory We haue all drunke liberally of these waters too prodigally at Sinnes fountaine Quando voluimus et quantum valuimus when we would as much as we were able not onely to drunkennesse but euen to surfet and madnesse if we keepe them in our stomachs they will poyson vs Oh fetch them vp againe with buckets of sighes and pumpe them out in riuers of teares for your sinnes Make your heads waters and your eyes fountaines weepe your consciences emptie and dry againe of these waters Repentance onely can lade them out They that haue dry eyes haue waterish hearts and the Prouerbe is too true for many No man comes to heauen wiâ—h drie eyes let your eyes gush out teares not onely in compassion for others but in passion for your selues thaâ— haue not kept Gods Law Weepe out your sullen waters of discontent at Gods doings your garish waters of pride freezing obduracie burning malice foggie intemperancâ— base couetise Oh thinke thinke how you haue despised the waters of life turned Iesus Christ out of your Inne into a beastly Stable whiles Pride sits vppermost at your Tables Malice vsurpes the best Chamber in your mindes Lust possesseth your eyes Oathes imploy your tongues Ebrietie bespeake your tastes Theft and iniurie inthrone themselues in your hands Mammon obsesseth your affections Sicke sicke all ouer you may cry with the Shunamites Sonne Caput dolet my head my head and with Ierusalem my bowels my bowels Oh let faith and repentance make way that the bloud of our Sauiour may heale you We are not onely guilty of auersion from God but of aduersion against God Oh where is our reuersion to God the waters of lusts are aquae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the waters of folly and madnesse but our teares are aquae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the waters of change of minde and repentance Poenitentia est quasi poenae tenentia Repentance is a taking punishment of our selues oh take this holy punishment on your soulâ—s Weepe weepe weepe for your vanities Achan cannot drinke vp his execrable gold nor Gehazi deuoure his bribes nor Ahab make but a draught of a vineyard mingled with bloud nor Iudas swallow downe his cousenage and treason without being called to a reckoning Nos quare non credimus quod omnes astabimus ante tribunal Why account wee not of our future standing before a Iudgement Scate Omnium aures pulso All we whom these walls compasse haue beene drunken with these waters some that hate Swearing with dissembling some that abhorre Idolatrie with profanenesse some that auoid notoriousnesse with hypocrisie many that pretend ill-will to all the rest with those Lares et Lemures household-Gods or rather household-Goblins and Deuils which almost no house is free from Fraud and Couetousnesse Wee know or at least should know our owne diseases and the speciall dish whereon wee haue surfetted oh why breake wee not forth into vlulations mournings and loud mournings for our sinnes cease not till you haue pumped out the sinnes of your soules at your eyes and emptied your consciences of these waters And then behold other behold better behold blessed waters you taste of them in this life and they fill your bones with Marrow and your hearts with ioy they alone satisfie your thirst without which though you could with Xerxes Armie drinke whole Riuers drie your burning heat could not be quenched Here drinke Bibite et inebriamini Drinke and be drunken in this Wine-celler onely hauing drunke hearty draughts of these waters of life retâ—ine them constantly be not queasie-stomached Demas-like to cast them vp againe the token of a cold stomach not yet heated by the spirit for as the loathing of repast is a token that Nature drawes toward her end so when these holy waters proue fastidious it is an argument of a soule neere her death Take then and digeâ—â— this water Recipitur aure retinetur corde perficitur opâ—re The eare receiues the heart retaines the life digests it but alas we retaine these waters no longer then the finger of the Holy Ghost keepes them in vs like the â—arden-pot that holds water but whiles the thumbe is vpon it Leaue then Beloued the Deuils Wine-Celler as Venerable Bede calls it Vbi nos dulcedo delectationis invitauit ad bibendum Where the sweet waters of delight tempt vs to drinke But Dauid though he longed for it would not drinke the water of the Well of Bethlehem which his three Worthies fetched because it was the water of bloud brought with the danger of life and shall wee drinke the waters oâ— the Deuils Banket the venture of bloud with the hazard of our dearest soules No come wee to this aqua Coelestis be wee poore or rich haue wee money or none all that come are welcome And know that hauing drunke liberally at the fountaine of grace you shall haue yet a larger and pleasanter draught at the fountaine of glory that riuer of life cleare as Christall proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lambe to which the Spirit and the Bride are Inviters and say come It is a delightfull banket we enioy heere The Kingdome of heauen is rightâ—ousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost None know the sweetnesse of these ioyes but they that feele them but the Supper of ioy the Banket of glory the Waters of blessednesse are such as no â—ye hath seene c. Illic beata vita in fonte There is the Spring-head of happinesse they cannot want water that dwell by the Fountaine Nam licet allata graâ—us sit sapor in vndâ— Dulcius ex ipso fonte bibantur aquae That which is deriued to vs in Pipes is pleasant oh what is the delight at the Well-head The Deuill like an ordinary Host sets forth his best wine first and when the guests haue well drunke worse but thou oh Lord hast kept the best wine tâ—ll the last They are sweet wee taste heere but medio de sonte leporum surgit amari aliquid There are some persecutions crosses to imbitter them the sweet meate of the Passeouer is not eaten without sowre hearbs but in thy presence oh Lord iâ— the fulnesse os ioy at thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore There is no bitternesse in those waters they are the same that God himselfe and his holy Angels drinke of so that as for Christ his sake wee haue drunke the bitter Cup of persecution so we shall receiue at Christ his hands the Cup of saluation and shall blesse the name of the Lord. To whom three persons one onely true and eternall God be all praise glory and obedience now and for euer Amen FINIS THE Second Seruice OF THE DEVILS BANKET BY THOMAS ADAMS Preacher of Gods Word at Willington in Bedford-shire ZACHARIAH 5.4 I will bring forth the curse saith the Lord of Hostes and it shall enter into
and the intelligencer betweene the vestall and the Nunne betweene the proud Prodigall and his vnconscionable Creditor Indeede the greatest sinner shall haue the greatest punishment And hee that hath beene a principall guest to the Deuill on earth shall and that on earth were a strange priuiledge hold his place in Hell Reward her euen as she rewarded you and double vnto her double according to her workes in the cup which shee hath filled fill to her double How much shee hath glorified her selfe and liued deliciously so much torment and sorrow giue her Diues that fedde so hartily on this bread of Iniquitie and drunke so deepe draughts of the waters of sinne reserues his superioritie in torment that hee had in pleasure Behold hee craues with more floods of scalding teares then euer Esau shed for the blessing but one drop of water to coole his tongue and could not be allowed it But what if all the riuers in the South all the waters in the Ocean had beene granted him his tongue would still haue withered and smarted with heate himselfe still crying in the language of Hell a non sufficit It is not enough Or what if his tongue had beene eased yet his heart liuer lungs bowells armes legges should still haue fryed Thus hee that eate and dranke with superfluitie the purest flower of the Wheate the reddest blood of the Grape his body kept as well from diseasâ—â— as soft linnen and fine rayment could preserue it here findes a fearfull alteration From the table of surfet to the table of torment from feeding on Iunkets to gnaw his owne flesh from bowles of wine to the want of cold water from the soft foldes of fine silkes to the winding lashes of furies from chaines of gold for ornament to chaines of yron for torment from a bed of downe to a bed of flames from laughing among his companions to howling with Deuils from hauing the poore begging at his gates to begge himselfe and that as that Rich-man for one drop of water Who can expresse the horrour and miserie of this guest Non mihi si centum linguae sint oraque centum Ferrea vox omnes scelerum comprendere formas Omnia poenarum percurrere nomina possim No hart of man can thinke no tongue can tell The direfull paines ordain'd and felt in hell Now sorrowes meete at the Guests hart as at a feast all the furies of hell leape on the Table of his Conscience Thought calls to Feare Feare to Horrour Horrour to Dispaire Dispaire to Torment Torment to Extremitie all to Eternitie Come and helpe to afflict this wretch All the parts of his body and soule leaue their naturall and woonted vses and spend their times in wretchednesse and confusion Hee runnes through a thousand deaths and cannot dye Heauie irons are locked on him all his lights and delights are put out at once Hee hath no soule capable of comfort And though his eyes distill like fountaines yet God is now inexorable His Mittimus is without Bayle and the Prison can neuer be broken God will not heare now that might not he heard before That you may conceiue things more spirituall and remote by passions neerer to sense Suppose that a man being gloriously roabed deliciously feasted Prince-like serued attended honoured and set on the proudest height of pleasure that euer mortallitie boasted should in one vnsuspected moment be tumbled downe to a bottome more full of true miseries then his promontory was of false delights and there be ringed about with all the gory Mutherers blacke Atheists sacrilegious Church-robbers and incestuous Rauishers that haue euer disgorged their poyson on earth to re-assume it in Hell Nay adde further to this supposition that this depth he is throwne into was no better then a vast Charnell-house hung round with lamps burning blew and dimme set in hollow corners whose glimmering serues to discouer the hideous torments all the ground in stead of greene rushes strewed with funâ—rall rosemary and dead mens bones some corpses standing vpright in their knotted winding-sheetes others rotted in their Coffins which yawne wide to vent their stench there the bare ribs of a Father that begat him heere the hollow skull of a Mother that bare him How direfull and amazing are these things to sense Or if Imagination can giue being to a more fearefull place that or rather worse then that is Hell If a poore man sodainely starting out of a golden slumber should see his house flaming about him his louing Wife and loued Infants breaâ—hing their spirits to heauen through the mercilesse fire himselfe inringed with it calling for despaired succour the miserable Churle his next neighbour not vouchsafeing â—o answere when the putting forth of an arme might â—aue him such shall be their miseries in Hell and nor an Angell nor a Saint shall refresh them with any comfort These are all but shadowes nay not shadowes of the infernall depth here expressed You heare it feare it fly it scape it Feare it by Repentance flye it by your Faith and you shall scape it by Gods mercie This is their Poâ—na sensus positiue punishmenâ— There is also Poena damni to be considered their priuatiue punishment They haue lost a place on earth whose ioy wâ—s temporall they haue missed a place in Heauen whose ioy is eternall Now they finde that a dinner of greene hearbes with Gods loue is better then a stalled Oxe and his hatred withall A feast of sallets or Daniels pulse is more cherisâ—ing with mercie then Belshazzars Banket without it Now they finde Solomonâ— Seâ—mon true that though the bread of deceit â—e sweâ—t to a man yet the time is come that the mouth is filled with grauell No no â—he blessing of God onely maketh fat and hee addeth no sorrow vnto it Waters the wicked desired and Bread they lusted after behold after their secure sleepe and dreamed ioyes on earth with what hungry soules doe they awake in Hell But what are the Bread and the Waters they might haue enioyed with the Sainâ—s in Heauen Such as shall neuer be dryed vp Ieâ— thy presence is the fulnesse of ioy and at thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore Happy is the vndefiled soule who is innocent from the great offence all whose sinnes are washed as white as Snow in that blood which alone is able to purge the conscience from dead workes He that walketh righteously c. he shall dwell on high his place of defence shall be the munitions of rockes Bread shall be giuen him his Waters shall be sure His ioyes are certaine and stable no alteration no alternation shall empaire them The wicked for the slight breakfast of this world loose the Lambs supper of glory Where these foure things concurre that make a perfect feast Dies lectus locus electus coetus bene collectus apparatus non neglectus A good time eternitie A good place Heauen A good companie the Saints Good cheere
Bishops in others diocesses scalding our lips in our neighbours pottage When those Shepheards heard the first glad tydings of Christ they were attending their flockes by night in the field Saul going honestly about his Fathers businesse met with a Kingdome And Dauid was at the folds when Samuell came with the holy oyle We say Pluribus intentus minus est ad singula sensus and Miles â—quis Piscator aquis c. Quod medicorum est Promittunt mâ—dici tractant fabrilia fabri Let none prescribe Phisick but practitioners in that facultie none plead at the barre but Lawyers Let the Shooe-maker looke to his boot the Fisher to his boat the Scholler to his booke The Husbandman in foro the Minister in choro Omnia cum facias miraris â—ur facias nil Posâ—hume remsolam qui facit ille facit He that would comprehend all things apprehends nothing As hee that comes to a Corne-heape the more hee opens his hand to take the lesse hee graspeth the lesse hee holdeth Who would in omnibus aliquid shall in toto nihil scire When a man couets to be a Doctor in all Arts hee lightly proues a dunce in many Let the naturall Phisitian apply his ministring the spirituall his Ministerie Quid enim in Theatro renunciator turpium c. The idle sports of the Theater the wicked crafts in the Market the gallant braueries of the Court must not hinder vs either to say Seruice in the Temple or to doe seruice for the Temple Clericus in opido piscis in arido as I haue read Rather from the words of that Father if it be Gods will that when Christ comes to iudgement inveniat me vel precantem vel praedicantem hee may finde me either praying or preaching his holy word Well wee haue euery one our owne cures let vs attend them Let vs not take and keepe liuings of an hundred or two hundred pound a yeere and allow a poore Curate to supply the voluntary negligence of our non-residence eight or perhaps somewhat bountifully ten pounds yeerely scarce enough to maintaine his body not a doyt for his study He spoke sharply not vntruly that called this vsurie and terrible vsurie Others take but tennâ— in the hundred these take a hundred for tenne What say you to those that vndertake two three or foure great Cures and Phisicke them all by Atturneyes These Phisitians loue not their Patients nor Christ himselfe as hee taught Peter which S. Bernard thus comments on Vnlesse thy conscience beare thee witnesse that thou louest me exceeding much that is plus quam tua plus quà m tuos plus quà m te More then thy goods more then thy friends more then thy selfe thou art not worthy to vndertake this Office God hath made vs superintendents of our charges and bound vs as Paul adiured Timothie I charge thee before God and the Lord Iesus Christ who shall iudge the quicke and dead at his appearing to preach the word and bâ—e instant c. Many are content vvith presidence not with residence Ac si victuri essent sine cura cum peruenerint ad curam As if they had forgotten all care when they haue gotten a cure This is not dispensantis sed dissipantis officium gererâ— to be a Steward but a loyterer in Gods family The Phisitian sleepes in his Studie the Apothecarie for want of iudgement takes a wrong Medicine or no Medicine for the sicke The Pastor is absent the â—ireling very often either preacheth idlely or negligently or not at all And thus Gods people arâ— not recouered 3. Phisitians must not deale too much with that they call blandum medicamentum which Phisitians thus describe Blandum dicitur quod mediocritantum quantitate sumptum alâ—â—um pigrè et benignè mouendo pauca deijcit Spirituall Phisitians must beware how they giue these soothing and supple Medicines which rather confirme the humours then disperse the tumours or purge the crudities of sinnes in their Patients Robustum corpus multis obsâ—rucâ—ionibus impâ—ditum blanda imbecillaque medicamenta spernatur A soule setled like Moab on the Lees or frozen in the dregges of inueterate and obstinate sinnes is not stirred by faire and flattering Documents GOD complaines in this Chapter against those They haue healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly saying Peace peace when there is no peace Such are described Ezek. 13. They haue seduced my people saying Peace and there is no peace and one built vp a wall and loe others dawbed it with vntemperd Morter God giues a terrible and vniuersall threatning ver 15.16 I will accomplish my wrath vpon the wall and vpon them that haue dawbed it with vntemperd Morter and will say vnto you The wall is no more neither they that dawbed it He proceedes to command Ezekiel to prophecie against the women that prophecie to Israel Woe to the women that sow pillowes to all arme-holes c. This is shamefull in a Preacher to wink at Idolatrie in Bethel because it is the Kings Chappell and not to reproue the iniquitie of Gilgal the Countrey of oppression because himselfe feeds at an oppressoâ—rs Table Some are so weake that as Mulieres quia molliores et pueri quia teneri et ex longo morbo resurgentes blandioribus egent medicinis they cannot digest too strong a potion of reproofe Therefore slecte quod est rigidum foue quod est frigidum rege quod est deuium Bend â—he refractary warme the cold direct the wandring I haue read in a Phisitian that among many sophistications of this Balme sometimes they faine it with water and then it runnes aboue the water like oyle sometimes with honey which is thus perceiued If you put a drop thereof into milke it runneth to curdes When Ministers shall adulterate Gods pure and sacred word with the honey or oyle of their owne flatteries and giue it to a sicke soule it is so farre from nourishing as the sincere milke of the Gospell should doe that it curdleth in the stomach and endangers the conscience worse It is enough for Phisicke if it be wholesome Not pleasant tast but secret vertue commends Medicines The Doctrine that is sweet to flesh and blood hath iust cause of â—â—spition It is without question harsh to the appetite of either soule or body that heales either Not that wee should onely blow a Trumpet of Warre against opposers but sometimes yea often also pipe Mercie and Gospell to those that will daunce the Measures of obedience We must preach as well libertie to Captiues as captiuitie to Libertines and build an Arke for those that desire saluation as powre forth a Flood of curses against them that will perish and open the dore to the penitent knockers as keepe the gate with a flaming sword in our mouthes against the obstinate If we harpe somewhat more on the sad string of Iudgement know that it is because your sinnes are rifer and riper