Commentary on 2 Peter, Commentary on 2 Peter volume 1 · Chapter 1 · Verse 6

Commentary on 2 Peter · Commentary on 2 Peter volume 1 · Chapter 1 · Verse 6

p. 123Verſe 6.

And to Knowledge, Temperance.

THis grace of Temperance may be here diverſely underſtood:

1 For ſuch a diſcretion as may ſeaſon all theſe graces: ſo taken it is, Sal omnium virtutum, the ſalt of every vertue. Devotion without diſcretion, is like an haſtie ſervant that runnes away without his errand. Profeſſion of Faith without Temperance, is turned into hypocriſie, or ſuch a prepoſterous zeale; that is, like fire not on the harth to warme, but in the top of the chimney, to ſet the houſe on a flame: Vertue without it is folly: Virtus cum indiſcretè tenetur, amittitur: Gregor.cum diſcretè intermittitur, plus tenetur; A man may ſo indiſcreetly hold Vertue, as to loſe it: another may ſo diſcreetly forbeare medling, that he doth more firmely hold it. Patience without diſcretion wrongs a good cauſe: a man muſt beare his owne injuries patiently, but not GODS nor the Churches. Moſes egit cauſam populi ad Deum precibus & lacrymis, cauſam Dei adverſus populum gladio & vindictis; Moſes pleaded the peoples cauſe to GOD with prayers and teares; but GODS cauſe againſt the people with ſword and vengeance. Godlineſſe without Temperance, is Devotion out of the wits. Gregory obſerves on the viſion of the foure Cherubins, Ezek. 1.10. That the firſt proportion of thoſe creatures faces, was vultus hominis, the countenance of a man, which ſaith hee did Rationem denotare; ſignifie diſcretion or this temperance. See them allegorized: the Iuſt man by mortification of the fleſh becomes a Calfe ready to be ſacrificed: by fortitude in his ſpirituall warre, fi… Leo vincens, he is a conquering Lion: by contemplation of the celeſtiall glory, Aquila triumphans, he is a triumphant Eagle: Per rationem Temperantiae homo exemplaris; Greg. in Ezek.By reaſon of his Temperance, he is an exemplary Man. Brotherly kindneſſe with out Temperance, is brotherly dotage. So kindneſſe runnes into crueltie: thou feedeſt thy friends ſenſuall appetite, flattereſt him in his luſts, concealeſt his faults, followeſt his humours; all in kindneſſe: this is to ſpill his ſoule in kindneſſe. Charitie laſtly, without Temperance, is Prodigalitie: it gives Expansâ manu, ſed caeco oculo, with an open hand, and ſhut eye; and ſo a man may for his charity goe to the Devill, when in ſtead of Gods friends, he rewards his enemies. Thus hath Temperance relation to all theſe graces.

2 For ſuch a Diſcretion as may moderate Knowledge; and qualifie that heat to which it is addicted.dd1 Cor. 8.1.1 Cor 8:1 Knowledge puffeth up. Some men ſo bluſter on their knowledge, that they hold all the world dunces beſides themſelves. There is ſomewhat of poiſon in it, without the Corrective of Temperance. Hence comes ſingularity of opinions; Some conceit themſelves ſo wiſe, that all the ſober and peaceable ſpirits of the Land are meere fooles to them. Poore ſoules! Who does not pitie their blind madneſſe? One cries, Secreta mea mihi; My myſteries be to my ſelfe: another replies, St…ltitia tua tibi; thy fooliſhneſſe be to thy ſelfe: the former is the Schiſmaticke, the other the Libertine. An indifferent man might decide; Nec uni, nec alteri, ſed dividatur: let not all the folly be to one, nor all to other, but let them both part it betwixt them. One is ſo wiſe that hee cares for no Preacher at all; another wills that ſuch a factious one ſhall teach him, and no body elſe. Whether is the madder of the two; hee that will altogether faſt, or hee that will feed on nothing but bones? Modus rei tribuit decorem, ordo modum, diſcretio ordinem. Bernard.The grace of an action is the Manner, the grace of the Manner is Order, the grace of the Order is Diſcretion. Temperance is not ſo much a vertue it ſelfe; as Quaedam moderatrix & auriga virtutum; as a Marſhall or Moderatour of p. 124vertues. It is not enough to doe a good worke; Niſi illud ſuo loco, modo, tempore feceris; unleſſe the due place, fit manner, and convenient time, be obſerved. If not in the right place, it is as a man lights a taper, and puts it beſide the candle-ſticke. If not after the right manner, it is as one that is gone a good part of his travell; but muſt come backe againe, becauſe he hath miſtaken his way. If not in due time, it is like him that would never water his garden, but when it rained. If not to the right perſon, it is like a man that forgetfully ſalutes his friend ever by the wrong name. If nor to the right end, it is like Iulian, that never was bountifull, or did a man a good turne, but to damne his ſoule.

3 It is taken for ſuch a moderation of the minde, whereby we ſo demeane our ſelves, as neither to ſurfet on fulneſſe, nor to deſpaire on want. Not that the moſt temperate man can ſo maſter his paſſions, but that at ſometimes hee may over-joy his content, or over-grieve his trouble. When the moſt equall weights are firſt put into the eveneſt balances, there is a little ſwaying on both ſides, and appearance of ſome inequalitie: yet after a little motion they ſettle themſelves in a juſt poiſe. This Temperance is a ſteddy and habituall firmeneſſe, that hath no criticall ſins. The franticke, though he be ſober eleven moones, if he rage one, cannot avoid the imputation of madneſſe. When there is no diſturbance, to be quiet, is not worth God-a-mercy. The husband told his wife, that he had one ill quality; hee was given to be angrie without cauſe: ſhe wittily replied, that ſhe would keepe him from that fault, for ſhe would give him cauſe enough. It is the folly of ſome that they will be offended without cauſe, to whom the world promiſes that they ſhall have cauſes enow.eeIohn 16.33.John 16:33 In the world ye ſhall have tribulation; when this cauſe of diſquiet comes, then to be reſolved and peacefull, this is Temperance. The balances that are moſt ill matched in their unſteddy motions, yet come to an equalitie, but ſtay not at it. The perverſe worldling may reſtraine his paſſion; yea, may be ſo well compos'd, that ordinary things ſhall not ſtirre him; but when a new and unlooked for croſſe comes, then hee is out of Temper, hath loſt Temperance. Like a Fencer, that ſtands upon his uſuall wards and poſtures, and playes well in his ſchoole: but abroad he meetes with a new tricke, a blow that quite puts him from the rules of his art, and ſo is beaten with ſhame. Indeed the beſt mans Temperance may faile in one particular act, but this doth not take away the habite from him.

This Temperance muſt guide our converſation.ffRom. 12.1.Rom 12:1 Gods Sacrifice and Service muſt be Reaſonable. Cum fervor diſcretionem erigit, & diſcretio fervorem dirigit, Bern. Let Zeale inflame Temperance, and Temperance qualifie Zeale. Nimia remiſsio nutritiva criminum, nimia diſtrictio parricida virtutum. Too much remiſſeneſſe nouriſheth vices, too much ſtrictneſſe killeth vertues. Without this moderation, Feare paſſeth into Deſpaire, Griefe into Bitterneſſe, Love into Flattery, Hope into Preſumption, Ioy into Diſſolutenes, Anger into Fury: The want of Temperance in ſtead of cheriſhing, deſtroyes: like the Idolater ſo rap'd with the faire Image of the Goddeſſe, that comming to kiſſe it, he bit it. It altogether over-does.ggEccle. 7.16.Eccl 7:16 Be not righteous over-much, neither make thy ſelfe over-wiſe. Qui plus poſſe putat ſua quam natura miniſtrat: Poſſe ſuum ſuperans, ſe minus eſſe poteſt. But enough of this kinde of Temperance; men are not ſo hot that we need to coole them; but rather ſo cold that we had need to heat them. Few among us are ſo over-zealous to out-run Chriſt, it is well if yet we will follow Chriſt. We need not ſo much adde temper to your zeale, as zeale to your temper; and wiſh you ſo much of both, as may bring you to ſalvation.

4 Laſtly, Temperance is taken for a moderate uſe of outward things; and comprehends in it Abſtinence, foreign: when wee eat no more, drinke no more, goe no braver, than naturall equitie and morall decencie requires. Now if the firſt degree to Vertue be vitium fugere, to avoid the contrary; behold the beautie of this faire grace, by viewing the blackneſſe of the oppoſite ſinne, Intemperance. Generally it extends it ſelfe to all immoderations; but eſpecially it is appropriated to foure. There is Intemperance: 1. In Luſt, ſo it is called Incontinence. p. 1252. In apparell, ſo it is called Pride. 3. In meats, ſo it is called Gluttony. 4. In drinkes, ſo it is called Drunkenneſſe. All which are but the effects of Intemperance.

Firſt, Incontinence: to this Intemperance all are naturally prone, but in a different ſort. Some quite expell and mortifie this deſire by grace: for he that ishh1 Cor. 6.17.1 Cor 6:17 One ſpirit with Chriſt, will ſcorne to be one fleſh with an Harlot. The virginitie of the bodie may be loſt, and yet the ſoule preſerve her maiden-head.iiRevel. 14.4.Rev 14:4 Theſe are they which were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. This is not intended againſt marriage, there is no defilement in that. Marriage is honourable among all men, and the bed undefiled, Hebr. 13.4. Our Adverſaries call it a Sacrament; what, and a defilement too? Doe they uſe to make Sacraments of pollutions? They might be married, yet not defiled with women; neither with carnall nor ſpirituall harlotrie, nor with adultery nor idolatrie; and ſo remaine ſpirituall virgins. Others there are that keepe in this corruption by civill modeſtie; they will not expreſſe it, yet have it. Many heathens could thus ſuppreſſe their corruption, not mortifie it. Their Intemperance is to them like a mad-brain'd wife to a ſober man; he lockes her up, and goes abroad without trouble; but when he comes home he is wearied with her ſcolding. Others there are that care not to let their Intemperance burſt out, but they want opportunity: now the theefe cannot rob till he come at a bootie. So the ſinne is in them, even while they forbeare the act, and they are intemperate perſons. There is a ſort that ſhame not the eruption of this ſinne, without reſpect (I ſay not of conſcience, but) of credite: Quorum luxuriae meretrix non ſufficit omnis; That in the luſt ofkkIer. 5.8.Jer 5:8 fed horſes neigh after women. The meanes to avoid this Intemperance, is:

1 By ſubduing the body to the ſoule;ll1 Cor. 9.27.1 Cor 9:27 I keepe under my body, and bring it into ſubjection. The bodie is that part, which is againſt the LORD. The body will begge, but let a ſhameleſſe begger have a ſhameleſſe deniall. When the bodie does what the good ſoule dictates, there is a breathing Saint: when the ſoule conſents to the bodies appetite, there is a blinde man led by his dogge. Becauſe the Serpents head had led the way ſo long, now the repining taile would needs lead; but then the whole ranne into miſchiefe. When luſt undertakes to guide a man, and reaſon is faine to follow, there is a precipice to deſtruction.

2 By debarring the fleſh all luſt-provoking meats and drinkes. It is wretched to have this noyſome fire, wicked to feed it with fewell. Sodome found that Fulneſſe of bread was the mother of unnaturall filthineſſe. High diet is adulteries nurſe: Rarò vidi continentem, quem non vidi abſtinentem, Auguſt. You ſhall ſeldome ſee a man continent, that is not abſtinent. The heat is taken at a Taverne, that is, laid at a brothel-houſe. Abſtaine then, for it is faſting-ſpettle that muſt kill this tetter. He that will ever be running for fewell, never meant to put out the fire.

3 By avoiding beautifull temptations.mm1 Cor. 6.18.1 Cor 6:18 Flee fornication: Reſiſt other ſinnes, flee this. Stand not to trie thy ſtrength, but runne away. Parthus tutus ab hoſte ſuga eſt. Ioſeph ſtood not to bandie termes, and diſpute with his miſtreſſe, but fled from her. If thou wilt endure conference with an Harlot, ſhe will conquer. Like Vliſſes, ſtop thine eares, her charmes ſhall not take thee. Many have runne out of their wits for women, 1 Eſdr. 4.26. Satan having conquered the woman, never came at the man, but left the woman to doe that; hee thought ſhee would be devill enough to tempt man. Salomon with all his wiſdome, Sampſon with all his ſtrength, were thus maſter'd. One overcame a Lion, yet a Lioneſſe overcame him. The other could finde out the Harlot from the true mother; yet a Harlot found out him, and made him forget his Maker.nnNumb. 25.1.Num 25:1 The people began to commit whoredome with the daughters of Moab. The daughters of Moab, light by nature, for they were begot in Inceſt. Lots daughter lay with her owne father while hee was drunke, and called her ſonne Moab; which ſignifies, The ſonne of her father. Impudent ſtrumpet, not to bee aſhamed of ſo foule and horrible a fact! Thus they were light, and that by nature; they had it by kinde, it coſt them nothing. Even the ſonnes of GOD were p. 126tempted to folly by the daughters of men, Gen. 6. A woman faire is mans ſnare: think them thy ſhe-devils, ſent and taught to ſeduce and ſpill thy ſoule. Meretrix quò pulchrior, eò pernicioſior, Aug. A Harlot the more beautifull, the more banefull. Rara concordia formae & pudicitiae; It is rare to ſee a woman chaſt that's poore and faire. Stat quaevis quavis meretrix mercabilis arte. Bring gold enough, a little cunning ſhall ſerve for whoredome; the Devill makes his high-wayes eaſie. Perhaps all doe not ſell their bodies, that ſell their ſoules; ſome ſinne, but ſet no price on it. I am perſwaded that no one Inducement ſo ſoone turnes women to Popery, as their Indulgence to this ſinne. Venialia dicunt, ſed vaenalia ſunt; If God would afford pardons on the Popes rates, this ſinne would be infinite. But non ſic reſpondetur Domino: His Iuſtice will not be ſo anſwered.

4 By meditating on the puniſhment. If in the act of thy luſt thou couldſt ſee into the darke doores of hell, and behold the adulterers and their harlots embracing flames, quenchleſſe flames; howling, and ſhreeking, and curſing their glaſſes, their tires, their Bawds, their Panders; bound to eternity of inſufferable horrours: this would coole thy heat. For luſtfull kiſſes, kiſſing of fire; for ſoft beds, beds of deſpaire; for wanton ſongs, gnawing their tongues; for heating delicates, everlaſting famiſhment; for ſilken curtens, to wiſh aooRevel. 6.16.Rev 6:16 Rocke for their pillow, and a Mountaine for their coverlet: this, O this would ſlacken thine intemperance. What men thinke moſt pleaſing, is moſt plaguing; to have their luſts granted:ppPſal. 81.12.Ps 81:12 So I gave them up unto their owne hearts luſt. They deſired it, they had it; this was the greateſt plague. Thinke thou ſeeſt beyond thy beauty old-age, beyond old-agd ſickneſſe, beyond ſickneſſe death, beyond death Iudgement, beyond Iudgement hell, beyond that no limits of time or torments, but all eaſeleſſe, endleſſe. Thou crieſt, God be mercifull to me; but be alſo mercifull to thy ſelfe: weepe for thy ſinnes, and beſeech God to mortifie thy luſts by the death of Chriſt.

2 The ſecond kinde of Intemperance is in Apparell, Pride, Pride? why there is no ſuch ſin, all is but faſhion. Indeed Pride hath loſt it ſelfe in the name of Faſhion. This was wont to be called the womans ſinne:qqEſay 3.16.Isa 3:16 The daughters of Sion were hautie, &c. there is Pride and her wardrobe. But now it is a queſtion whether the women keepe their Charter ſtill: the men have endevoured to be as proud as they; not that the other are excuſable: innumerable are their boxes, and powders, and paintings; how they dawbe their mud-walls with Apothecaries morter! It is a ſigne that they love a vizzard better than a face.rrAct. 23.3.Acts 23:3 God ſhall ſmite thee, thou painted wall: painting is for walls, not for faces. If Natures defects and furrowes cannot be filled up with theſe colours, yet art ſhall ſupply all with rich attires. As that Painter ſhould have drawne Venus very beautifull: but when his cunning failed in her face, he drew her in exceeding rich apparell: Pulchram non potuit, divitem pinxit; Becauſe he could not make her faire, he made her rich. They die their haires too; but this ſeemes to be no new faſhion. For Cyprian writes of it in his time: Foeminae crines ſuos inficiunt malo praeſagio: capillos enim ſibi flammineos auſpicari non metuunt. They got a flame-coloured haire, an ill preſage; it is not ſafe comming ſo neere to that colour. They ſpend more time betwixt the combe and the glaſſe, than betwixt their family and the Church. They metamorphoſe their heads, as if they were aſhamed of the head of Gods making, proud of the Tire-womans. Sometimes one tire is halfe the husbands rent-day. This is the monſtrouſneſſe of our pride;ſſIer. 5 31.Jer 5:31 and what ſhall we doe in the end thereof? Ieſabel was the daughter of a King, the wife of a King, the mother of a King, yet her painted face and proud heart threw her out at the window, and ſhe was trampled under horſes feet. But Iehu would bury her; no, the dogs had done it to his hand. O the greatneſſe of our lands Intemperance this way! we have learned all things of our neighbours but this, to be proud good-cheape. Hoſpitalitie and noble attendance is changed into a veſſell that runnes on foure wheeles: It is a faſhion to build great houſes, as the Eſtriches lay egges; and then to leave them. When the poore come thither for releefe, there's none but Dawes to chatter to them; the Lord p. 127or the Knight is at London; their Mercers and taylors ſhare the poores due. Great men gather up their wealth and their credite neerer about them, than in former times. Then it conſiſted in good houſe keeping and many ſervants: now in two or three trunkes of apparell and a boy to bruſh them. Many follow Abſolons faſhion, to carry a forreſt of haire on thier heads: as if that were their grace, which God hath forbidden as ungracious. CHRIST ſaies, the body is more worth than rayment: but ſome ſtrive to make their rayments more worth than their bodies: like birds of paradiſe; their feathers are better than their carcaſes. To pull downe, if it were poſſible, the height of this pride, conſider.

1 Thy beginning; remember the rocke from whence thou wert hewen. ttPſal. 78.71.Ps 78:71From following the ewes great with young, he brought him to feed Iacob his people: David was not aſhamed of his beginning. Say thou art borne noble; yet art thou not made de meliore luto, of any finer clay or mettall than the meaneſt. We have all one common mother: and the proudeſt duſt once dead, ſhall putrifie and ſtinke for all his perfumes ſo ſoone as the pooreſt. Though all have not veſtem communem, yet all have Cutem communem.

2 Thy progreſſe: what can thy brave rags better thee? a golden bridle makes not the better horſe. If thy coate be made of wooll, the ſheepe wore it before thee: if of ſilke, the ſilly worme may pull downe thy pride. The bowells of wormes hath clothed thee, and thou ſhalt feed the bowells of wormes. Becauſe thou flouriſheſt with the flags of vanity; thou thinkeſt it is thy ſelfe, like the flie on the coach wheele, that makes ſo glorious a duſt: ſo let Heliogabalus boaſt of his ſilken halters.

3 Whatſoever the out ſide be, looke to the linings. Mens cujuſque is eſt quiſque. The body is more worth than the rayment; therefore the ſoule is more worth than the body; for the body is but the rayment of the ſoule. Why deſpiſeſt thou thy poore brother? I have more lands: haply, and more ſinnes. I have braver apparell: a neat out-ſide, and a ſluttiſh inſide. I am fairer; perhaps in face, and fouler in heart. Thou art rich in the poore commodities of this world: and poore in the rich commodities of the other: peacocke looke downe to thy feete.

4 There is onelyonly one garment worth having and ſaving.uuRom. 13.14.Rom 13:14 Put you on the Lord Ieſus Chriſt: this is Stola prima, xxLuk. 15.22.Luke 15:22the beſt robe. The Papiſts buy the beggarly righteouſneſſe of ſory Saints, and neglect this. We have worne our owne innocence to rags, let us put on Chriſts. Though our garment of inherent righteouſneſſe be very thinne; yet if it be lined with Chriſts imputed righteouſneſſe, it ſhall keepe us warme: if embroydered with his, it ſhall make us acceptable to God. If we love a ſilken garment woven out of the bowells of a worme: how much more ſhould we love the garment woven out of the bowells of Ieſus Chriſt! Thus hath God allowed to ſome a great meaſure of honour, a great meaſure of riches, a great meaſure of proſperitie; but to none one dramme of pride.

The third kind of Intemperance is in meates; in making thoſe things Detrimenta corporis, injuries to the body; which God ordained to be Nutrimenta corporis, conſervatives of the body. Good meate which is the creature of God, is offered to the art of the Cooke, who makes worke for the mouth, which makes worke for the ſtomacke, which makes worke for ſurfet, which makes worke for death, which makes worke for the devill. A ſinne ſo genuine and naturall to this nation; that pride is not more proper to Spaine, nor luſt to France, nor drunkenneſſe to Germanie, than gluttonie is to England. For methods ſake, let me deſwade you from it, by conſidering the manner, the meaſure, the matter, the Effects, the End of it.

1 For the manner, this is meerely circumſtantiall, and may thus bee expreſſed. Too ſoone: too late, too daintily: too faſt, too much, Is gluttonie Too ſooneyyEccl. 10.16.Eccl 10:16 Woe unto thee Oh Land, When thy Princes eat in the morning: but bleſſed art thou Oh Land, When thy Princes eate in due ſeaſon, for ſtrength and not for drunkenneſſe. zzEſa. 5.11.Isa 5:11Woe unto them that riſe up early in the morning to follow ryot. Their mattins p. 128is their Iunkets, and their morning ſacrifice is offered to their belly. Too late, ſuch are midnight revells: Nullum tempus occurrit ventri: Intemperance makes no difference of times. Too daintily; above the eſtate: and herein the poore may fault as ſoone as the rich; Tam latè, if not Tam lautè. Indeed men have Talem dentem, Qualem mentem. Every one hath an Eves ſweet-tooth in his head, that longs for forbidden things. Too faſt, that is with voracitie; we call it Caninum appetitum. aaEſa. 56.11.Isa 56:11Greedy dogges that can never have enough. Too much: Qui minus tradit corpori quàm debet corpori, civem necat: Qui plus tradit corpori quàm debet corpori, hoſtem nutrit. He that allowes his body leſſe than he owes it, kills his friend: he that allowes his body more than hee owes it, frankes his enemie. Give it Quantum ſufficiat naturae, not Quantum place atgulae. The wiſe man wil diſtinguiſh betweene his body and the luſt of his body: his allowance therefore ſhall bee ſuch as may preſerve nature, not pleaſe intemperance.

2. For the meaſure; it is an inſatiate deſire of delicacies. So the rich man ſaid;bbLuk. 12.19.Luke 12:19 Soule eate, for thou haſt, &c. not only body eate, but ſoule eate, and ſatiate thy ſelfe. The belly is no troubleſome creditor; it is contented with a little: ſi das quod debes, non quod potes, Sen. If thou giveſt it what it ſhould have, not what thou canſt give. It is not the conſtitution of nature, but the concupiſcence of luſt, that longs for abundance. This invented ſawces; Non tam condimenta, quàm blandimenta. Here is a ſtudie to be ſicke, when men are cunning in gluttonie. Vt ſaturitas tranſeat in eſuriem, natura mutatur in artem. This made Philoxenus wiſh his neck ſo long as a Cranes; to prolong the ſweetneſſe of his meates. This is not Neceſsitatem ſupplere, ſed aviditatem explere. Such are to bee reckoned in the number of living creatures, not of men, Seneca. ccPhil. 3.19.Phil 3:19They make their belly their god: for that they like beſt, and love moſt, is their god. The heathen had a god of drunkenneſſe, but I never read that they had any of gluttonie. To make the belly a deitie; how baſe is this Idolatry! yet Hugo thus deſcribes their luxurious worſhip. The belly is their god, the kitchin their Temple, their lungs the organ-pipes, the Altar their table, the cookes are their prieſts, fleſh roſted, boiled, or broiled, their ſacrifices, and their Incenſe, the odour of their ſawces. But this ſacrifice is to the divell; whoſe belly is filled with the froth of luxurious gluttons; in ſtead of graces, ſawces: in ſtead of praiſing God, belching blaſphemies. They have theſe vertues our Apoſtle ſpeakes of, but in a ſtrange way They have knowledge; which diſh beſt pleaſeth their appetite. Patience; to ſit foure houres at one meale. Fortitude; to encounter with an Oxe ready prepared. Peace; till they have filled their ſtomachs. Yea faith, hope, and charitie too; their faith warmes in their kitchin, their hope lies in their meſſe, and their love boyles in their kettle. This is the meaſure of gluttonie, which indeed cannot be meaſured. All is to ſatiate curioſitie; to fill more than the belly, even their eye. But as too much raine drownes the fields, which moderate ſhowres would make fruitfull: ſo this plethorie of diet inſtead of conſerving nature, confounds it.

3 For the matter, it is great feaſting. Ierome wrote to Euſtachius in the deſart; If I did eate any thing boyled, Luxuria fuit; ſo great was his temperance, All our art is too little to pleaſe our palates: we have piles of diſhes to make barricadoes againſt the appetite. Feaſts indeed have their juſt allowance: our Saviour himſelfe honoured a great feaſt, with his preſence and miracle, Iohn 2. But they muſt not be unſeaſonable. as to feaſt whence need to faſt; when God calls to mourning, then to revell, Amos 6. GOD threatens plagues, they fall to dances; therefore Verſe 7. the banket of theſe joviall fellowes ſhall be removed. Not exceſſive: Nabal the churie made a feaſt like a King; you know a churles feaſt. He feeds his familie with the mouldie remnants a monethmonth after. Not profane, ſuch was Belſhazzars, when the temple was ranſack'd to furniſh his cupbord of plate. Nehemiah read the Law of God every day of the feaſt: if men did thinke of that Law, they would not make God and Belial meet at one boord; Ioſeph and Mary went up to Ieruſalem to the great feaſt with Ieſus, but there they left Ieſus, Luke 2. Twelve yeares they could p. 129keepe him, yet at a feaſt they loſt him. Beda ſaies; the men went in one companie; the women in another: the children ſometimes with the father, ſometimes with the mother: betwixt them both CHRIST was loſt: ſo eaſily is CHRIST loſt at a feaſt. It is obſervable, Verſe 46. that in the Temple they found him: they loſt him at a feaſt, but they found him againe in the Church. The end of ſuch feaſts is commonly the beginning of a fray. VponUpon the Sodomites feaſting, heaven rained downe fire and brimſtone. VponUpon Iobs children feaſting the houſe fell downe. Againſt Belſhazzar feaſting, the finger on the wall wrote characters of deſtruction. What Dives hath dined, the divell takes away. If gluttonie be the founder, Satan is the confounder. The hoſt provides meate for the belly, the gueſt a belly for the meate: death deſtroyes them both.dd1 Cor. 6.13.1 Cor 6:13 Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God ſhall deſtroy both it and them. Paul ſaies, Phil. 3.19. that their end is damnation. It is heavy, that their end is damnation; but it is worſe, that their damnation is without end. Let us evermore ſuſpect theſe riotous meetings; among them thateeIud. ver. 12. Feed themſelves without feare. It is written of good Iob, that he feared his children at a feaſt.ffIob 1.5.Job 1:5 It may be that my ſonnes have ſinned, and curſed God in their hearts. Let us be like the deere, who are ever moſt fearefull at their beſt feeding. Beware leſt Indulgentia gulae, be Suffocatio gratiae; be jealous of a great feaſt. But I ſhall hold you too long at a feaſt, unleſſe my cheare were better: I therefore paſſe to

4 The effects; which are manifold and manifeſt. The throates pleaſure did ſhut up Paradiſe, ſold the Birthright, beheaded the Baptiſts; and it was the chiefe of the Cookes; Nehuzaradan that firſt ſet fire to the Temple, and raſed the Citie. Theſe effects are, 1. Craſsitudo, groſſeneſſe; which takes away agititie to any good worke: which makes a man move like a Tunne upon two pottle pots. Caeſar ſaid he miſtruſted not Anthony and Dolabella for any practiſes, becauſe they were fat: but Caſca and Caſsius, leane hollow fellowes; who did thinke too much. The other are the devills cramm'd fowles; like Eſops hen, too fat to lay. Indeed what need they travell farre, whoſe felicitie is at home? placing Paradiſe in their throats, and heaven in their guts. 2. Macilencie of grace: for as it puts fatneſſe into their bodies, ſo leaneneſſe into their ſoules. God fatted the Iſraelites with quailes, but withallggPſal. 106.15.Ps 106:15 ſent leanneſſe into their ſoules. The fleſh is blowne up, the ſpirit doth languiſh. They are worſe than foreign, for foreign: they put a pluriſie into their blouds, and an apoplexie into their ſoules. 3. Conſumption of their eſtates: for it is regius morbus, a coſtly diſeaſe: it makes way for either a writ or a mittimns. Gula gurges, their patrimony runs through their throate. Man that is the Lord of all creatures, hath the leaſt mouth of all creatures: malum non imitari quod ſumus. When Temperance that juſt ſteward is put out of his office, all runnes to decay and ruine: if ſatietie goe before, beggarie will follow after. 4. Sickeneſſe to their bodies: they wrap up diſeaſes in their full morſells, as pills in pap. Men deſire ſtrength of bodie, and length of daies: ſed prohibent grandes patinae. Gluttonie was alwayes a friend to Aeſculapius. But for the throats indulgence, Paracelſus for all his Mercurie had died a beggar. Aches and ay-mee's are incident to intemperate houſes: Gowtes, pluriſes, dropſies, &c. Quae niſi divitibus nequeunt contingere menſis, Horat. Wee complaine the ſhortneſſe of our lives, yet take the only courſe to make them ſhorter.

5. Laſtly, the end is rottenneſſe and death: why doſt thou feed that fleſh ſo fat, that muſt feed the wormes? The daintieſt of flying, ſwimming, or running creatures noſtris ſepeliuntur ventribus; are buried in our bowels. Seneca. Quaeris car tam ſubito morimur? ex mortibus vivimus. Doſt thou aske why wee die ſo ſoone? wee live upon deaths. The beſt dyet ſhall leave thee Putidum & putridum cadaver. The fineſt food ſhall make no better duſt. When moderation it ſelfe cannot avoid dying, how thinkeſt thou to prop up thy tabernacle wiht ſurfet? lay hold on Temperance: the Phyſician ſaies, nothing is better for the body than temperance: the Lawyer ſaies, nothing is better for the eſtate than temperance: the Philoſopher ſaies, nothing is better for the wittes than temperance: the Divine ſaies, nothing is p. 130better for the ſoule than temperance. It is good for the body, good for the brain good for the eſtate, good for the ſoule: readily therefore admit temperance. For further helpe againſt Intemperance, take theſe foure conſiderations.

Firſt that abſtinence is mans riſing, as Intemperance was his fall. We that have lapſed from the joyes of Paradiſe by meate, let us recover it againe ſo well as we can by abſtinence, Gregorie. I ſpeake not here for faſting onelyonly; though that have the due uſe, the due place. It hath a time and place in the midſt of ſorrow: for Repentance comes not before God with a full belly, and meat between the teeth. The uſe of it, is to prepare the ſoule for goodneſſe, not to merite by it. The Papiſts hold it not Tanquam adminiculum, as a helpe of pietie; but an immediate part of Gods worſhip; to be ſatisfactory. But I commend in abſtinence three rules. 1. That it be not too much, for it is better to abſtaine every day a little, than ſome daies wholly. They are moderate ſhowers that make the ground fruitfull. And eaſy ſhaking rootes the young plant faſter; an hard ſhaking roots it up. 2. Remember the poore in your abſtinence.hhEſa. 58.3.Isa 58:3 Wherefore have we faſted, and thou ſeeſt it not? complaine the hypocrites: God anſwers, becauſe in your faſts yee exact your debts; you ſhew no merciemercy to the poore Iejunium quod te affligit, alterum laetificet. Let the abſtinence that makes thee looke pale, beget bloud in anothers cheekes: let thy faſt be the poores feaſt, Am. 6.4. They eate the Lambes out of the flocke, and the calves out of the ſtall: that's ſometime bad enough, but Verſe 6. they forget the affliction of Ioſeph; that's worſe; this enhaunceth their damnation. Your tables abound with diſhes, their bowels ſound like ſhawmes: take away here, and beſtow it there. Bate a meſſe at thy table, and ſend it to the poores table. Nehemiah allowed ſome libertie to the rich, ſo it were joyned with liberalitie to the pooreiiNeh 8 10.Neh 8:10 Goe your way, eate the fat, and drinke the ſweet: but be ſure to ſend portions to them, for whom nothing is prepared. Thinke it is CHRIST that hungers, while thou rioteſt. Godfrey of Boloigne would not bee Crowned with Gold in that place, where his Maſter had beene Crowned with thornes. Doe not thou pamper thy ſelfe, when CHRIST ſtarves. CHRIST is hungry, and he muſt ſatisfie you: It is CHRIST that begs of you, and he muſt give you: it is Chriſt that lies at your gates, and he muſt let you into the gates of heaven. Advocatus pauperum, qui Iudex divitum. True feaſts of charitie are not only Convivia, but Sacrificia; with kkHeb. 13.16.Heb 13:16ſuch ſacrifices God is well pleaſed. 3. Abſtaine from all ſinne; Commendatio Iejunii, emendatio vitae: the praiſe and crowne of abſtinence is amendment of life. When you faſted and mourned, did yet at all faſt unto me, even to me, ſaith the Lord? Zech. 7.5.

2 Conſider, it is Gods bleſſing that makes fat, and not meat.Matth. 4.4.Matt 4:4 Man lives not by bread, but by the word of God. Daniel lookes as faire with his pulſe, as the reſt with their liberall portions of the kings meate. If Gods bleſſing be ſeparated from thoſe edible materialls, they yeeld no nouriſhment. He that could turne ſtones into bread, can turne bread into ſtones: and make wine infatuate, not exhilarate. He can rot the graine in the clods, blaſt it in the eare, wither it in the blade, conſume it in the barne: yea when it hath paſt the flaile, the mill, the oven; he can make it gall in the palate, in the ſtomach poiſon. He can either give thee meate and no ſtomach, or ſtomach and no meate. Be temperate then, and bleſſe God; for every creature ismm1 Tim. 4.5.1 Tim 4:5 ſanctified by the word of God, and prayer. Paſſe not by his bleſſings with ſhut eyes, as not glorifying the creator, nor looke on them with doting eyes, as too admiring the creature. Commend moderate meate to thy ſelfe, and thy ſelfe to the bleſſing of God.

3 Conſider, that if it be ſo wicked to devoure meates gluttonouſly, what is it to devoure men? tonnMic. 2.2.Mic 2:2 ſwallow up a man and his houſe, even a man and his heritage? Such devourers were the Phariſes; and under the colour of long prayers. Theſe are monſtrous Epicures: the poore mans bread is hisooIob 31.39.Job 31:39 life; and he that takes it from him is vir ſanguinum, a bloudy man. The uſurer keepes a ſlender dyet, but his ſtomach holds abundance of morgages, forfeitures, and is oppreſſed with ſuch p. 131oppreſſions. He hath ſwallowed downe riches, but he ſhal vomit them up againe: God ſhall caſt them out of his belly, Iob 20.15. God ſhall one day ſay to ſuch men; Reddite quod devoraſtis; reſtore what you have devoured. When the Chirurgian opens the Epicures dead body, he findes undigeſted crudities: when God ſhall unrip the oppreſſors dead conſcience, there will be found five or ſixe impropriated Churches, there a depopulated towne, there thouſands of acres of decayed tillage; there the lands of Orphants, and the dowries of widowes. Multi in hac vita manducant, quod poſtea apud Inferos digerunt. They devoure that on earth, which they ſhall digeſt in hell.

4 Laſtly if thou wilt ryot, let me ſhew thee a banket,ppCant. 2.4.Song 2:4 He brought me to his banketing houſe, and his banner over me was love: Eate O friends, &c. Ioh. 6.58. This is that bread which came downe from heaven: he that eateth of it, ſhall never die. This is Panis verus, though not Panis merus. As he is both the Phyſician, and the medicine in reſpect of his bloud: ſo he is both the Paſtor, and the food in reſpect of his body. He feeds his Lambes, not on his grounds, but on his wounds. All men eate Panem Domini, the bread of God: the Saints Panem Dominum, the bread that is God himſelfe. They that have ranſacked ſea and land, for rarities, never found ſuch a daintie. Here ſatiate, here be intemperate: thinke your ſoules can never feaſt enough on this diſh: with this onelyonly immoderation GOD will never bee angry.qqMatth. 5 6.Matt 5:6 Bleſſed are they that hunger and thirſt after righteouſneſſe: for they ſhall be ſatisfied. CHRIST is vita quâ vivimus, and vita quam vivimus: the life whereby wee live, for in him wee live, move, and have our being, Acts 17.28. And the life which we live; Now live not I, but CHRIST liveth in me, Gal. 2.20. Let Epicures boaſt their delicacies, this be the food of our ſoules.

I come to the laſt kind of Intemperance: and this in drinkes, we call it drunkenneſſe. My theme is ſtill Temperance: wherein I confeſſe, that as Phyſicians comming to their patients, often catch ſome of their diſeaſes: ſo you may ſay, that I fall into the vice I reprove, and that againſt exceſſe, I ſpeake exceſſively. But it is a ſin, I durſt not lightly or ſlightly paſſe over: a diſeaſe the whole world is ſicke of, and I would alſo put in my Ingredient to cure it. All drunkenneſſe is not with wine,rrEſa. 29.9.Isa 29:9 They are drunken, but not with wine: they ſtagger, but not with ſtrong drinke. There is a threefold ebrietie. 1. Of wine; Eph. 5.18. Be not drunke with wine wherein is exceſſe. 2. Of forgetfulneſſe, Eſa. 29.10. God hath powred on them the ſpirit of deepe ſlumber. 3. Of luſt to ſinne, Eſa. 28.7. They have erred through wine: which I take there not ſo much to be intended againſt this corporall, as that ſpirituall drunkenneſſe: for it is ſaid, They were in viſion, and ſtumble in judgement. I am not to deale with that drie drunkenneſſe; but onelyonly with the firſt, and haply the worſt.

Man hath a threefold appetite: Naturall, which is common with plants: this inſenſibly covets nouriſhment. Animall, common with beaſts: this ſenſibly deſires needfull nouriſhment. Rationall, proper to man: this reaſonably deſires fit and proper nouriſhment. All theſe appetites deſire drinke: without which the ſpirits naturall, vitall, animall, would conſume the firmamentall heate; that would waſt up the primogeniall humiditie; and ſo the ſparke of life would burne out; as the Lampe is extinct without ſupply of oile. The veines ſucke the ſtomach drie of moiſture; hence comes emptineſſe; upon that ſenſe of that defect; upon that, the deſire of repletion; and this is Thirſt. Drinke is the good creature of God, whether it be wine, &c. It ſerveth Alimentally for the bodies ſtrength,ſſ1 Tim. 5.23.1 Tim 5:23 Drinke no longer water but uſe a little wine for thy ſtomachs ſake, and thine often infirmities. Phyſically, to refreſh body and mind.ttPro. 31.6.Prov 31:6 Give ſtrong drinke to him that is ready to periſh: and wine unto thoſe that be of heavy hearts. Vinum moderatè ſumptum, medicamentum: plus juſto, venenum, Augu. moderate wine is phyſicall; immoderate, banefull. Iucunditati, non ebrietati creatum eſt. It is made for pleaſure, not for fulneſſe. It is givenuuPſal. 104.15.Ps 104:15 to make glad the heart of man. Civilly, for ſhew of honeſt gladneſſe, and maintenance of amitie. So our Saviour ſupplied the want of wine at a wedding, Ioh. 2. Nehemiah bids p. 132the people at their feaſt; to eate the fat, and to drinke the ſweet, Neh. 8.10. It was ill done of Lycurgus to cut downe all the vines: and falſe of Mahomet, to ſay that in every grape there is a devill. OnelyOnly in temperance makes the ſinne, abuſeth the creature, offends the Creator: onelyonly againſt this bends my diſcourſe. Herein for method, I deſire onelyonly to conſider two things; the damme and the Littour. Yet firſt before I ſhew what brood this monſtrous mother brings forth, conſider how ſhe is bred her ſelfe.

Drunkenneſſe is produced from the concurrence of many cauſes. The maine is an inordinate deſire of drinke: the originall of all vices is from our ſelves: there is a harlot within, which commits all theſe whoredomes a broad; concupiſcence. Not he that drinkes wine, but he that inordinately loves wine, is the drunkard.xx2 Pet. 2.13.2 Pet 2:13 They count it a pleaſure to ryot in the day time. Their ſoule danceth in the cup, and their eye delights in the colour of the wine, Prov. 25.31. now Vbi amor, ibi oculus. Their life is the life of frogs; like flies, ſuctu vivunt; they live by ſucking. As it was ſaid of Bonoſus, Non ut vivant, ſed ut bibant nati: they are not borne to live, but to drink. They drinke not for neceſſitie, but luxurie; not for ſocietie, but for ſatietie: indeed not for their friends ſake, but for the drinkes ſake. He is not ſo much a drunkard, qui de improviſo cadit, that is overtaken unawares: as he that loves and frequents it, though he carry it away more ſtrongly. Not he qui potu vincitur, ſed qui potibus vincîtur, that is tied to his cups. Therefore, Eſa. 5.22. Vae fortibus ad potandam; woe to them that are ſtrong to drinke: a ſtrong body without ſtrong grace, is ſtronger to ſinne; Fortior in viribus, fortior in vitiis. Thus the ſtrongeſt is the weakeſt; ſtrong to commit ſinne, weake to reſiſt ſinne. They drinke not once againſt dryneſſe, nor a ſecond time againſt ſadneſſe, but continually for madneſſe. This love of drinke is the Beldam, there are alſo other concomitances. Evill company;yyEſa. 56.12.Isa 56:12 Come, I will fetch wine, and we will fill our ſelves with ſtrong drinke. They will urge a man with foreign: but God diſchargeth ſuch men our ſocietie. 1 Cor. 5.11. And healths; Accuſationis cauſa eſt, per adjuratum Caeſarem non frequentius bibiſſe, Ieron. He that will not be drunke for the King, is no friend to the king. Here is a profeſſing from the bottome of his heart, to the bottome of the cup, that ſuch a great mans health ſhall be pledged, perhaps it muſt be done on the knees; rank idolatrie! wherein men make gods of others, beaſts of themſelves. For this purpoſe they have their ſhe-ſaints, their miſtreſſes, ſometimes little better than ſtrumpets. Here's the little difference betwixt a Papiſt and a drunkard: the one hath his will worſhip, the other his wine-worſhip. It was a noble anſwer of a Prince, when one told him how deepe a health hee had pledged for him; Doe not, ſaith he, drinke my health, but pray for it.

Looke now upon the damme, drunkenneſſe. Aquinas diſputing whither drunkenneſſe be a ſin or not, objects that no vice is oppoſed to it: as to temeritie cowardice, to prodigalitie avarice; therefore it is no ſinne, but he anſwers, that there is a vice oppoſed to it, though it wants a name, becauſe it is ſo unuſuall: as the forbearing of all ſuſtenance. It is queſtioned alſo whether a ſicke man may drinke medicinally for his health, and be drunke with it: but we may affirme, that there is no medicinall cup to the body, that is poiſonfull to the conſcience. It is folly to thinke, that the cauſe of many ſickneſſes, ſhould be phyſicke for one: or that the endangering the ſoule can be good phyſicke for the body: no good phyſician will preſcribe it, no divine will allow it: ſay with Conſtantine; Mallem ſemper aegrotare, quàm tali remedio convaleſcere. It is better to be ſtill afflicted with our diſeaſe, than bee recovered by ſuch a medicine. This vice is the plying of the pot: Nocturno torpere mero, torpere diurno. Mantuan the poet, Eccl. 9. rehearſeth the drunkards ſeven draughts.

Funde iterum: potare ſemel, guſtare: Secundus

Calluit os potus: calefacta refrigerat ora

Tertius: arma ſiti, bellumque indicere Quartus

Aggreditur: quintus pugnat: victoria Sexti eſt:

p. 133Septimus (Oenophili ſenis haec doctrina) triumphat.

The firſt draught doth but taſte the wine: the ſecond waſheth the mouth: the third cooleth it: the fourth threatens war againſt thirſt: the fifth fights with it: the ſixth overcomes it: the ſeventh triumphs over it. All this is taught by Oenophilus, a lover of wine, an old drunkard; this is the drunkards doctrine. Let us heare the Philoſopher ſomewhat more ſober and ſtayed. Ariſtotle makes ſeven degrees of it: 1. Neceſſitie, a man muſt drinke. 2. Commoditie, man ſhould drinke. 3. Pleaſure, he may drinke. 4. Fulneſſe, he may not drinke. 5. Satietie, and that is bad. 6. Ebrietie, and that is worſe. 7. Madneſſe, and that is worſt of all. Here be the deadly draughts, to which drunkenneſſe runnes headlong. Fertur equis auriga, nec audit currus habenas. The ſea knowes his bounds, but not the deluge of drunkenneſſe. We ſee the Damme, let us looke upon the Littour or effects; which are many and hideous.

1 It makes roome for the Devill: all ſinnes breake in at the loſſe of the Sconce or Capitoll; Reaſon: thence the enemie commands the whole Towne. The eyes are wanton, the tongue blaſpheming, the hands ſtabbing: all miſchiefes. Invadunt urbem ſomno vinóque ſepultum. So were the Trojans conquered: and for this cauſe, I thinke, ever ſince, drunkards are called true Trojans. It is a mare mortuum, no fiſh can live there, no vertue thrive here. It is the root of all evils, the rot of all goodneſſe: The Devill could find no reſtaaMatt. 12.43.Matt 12:43 in drie places: he loves the low countries, the wet ground; mooriſh and mariſh ſoules. The great Behemoth loveth thebbIob 49.21. Fennes. Of all reaſonleſſe creatures, he choſe the drunken Hogs, Marke 5.

2 It overturnes the eſtate: The drunkard ſhall come to poverty, Prov. 23.21. He conſumes more in a day, than he earnes in a weeke. Hee lyes open to others plots, and hath no rule of his owne ſpirit, but is a Citie without wals, Prov. 25.28. He is his owne theefe, he needs no other oppreſſours, for he is a caterpillar to himſelfe. He railes on cormorants, yet devoures himſelfe. He throwes his houſe out of the windowes, it is fit his houſe ſhould throw him out of the doores.

3 It poiſons the tongue; ſwearing and lying are the ordinary effects of it: The drunkards made ſongs upon David. It thinkes it ſelfe a Caeſar, and fals a taxing all the world: Quicquid in corde ſobrii, in lingua ebrii, Fulgent. O but In vino veritas: it is falſe, for no mans good name is ſpared. If he be multa bibens, he is ſure Plurima dicens: he often utters that in a moment, whereof hee is driven to repent all his life. Arcanum demens detegit ebrietas: A drunken inveigher againſt King Pyrrhus, being brought to his anſwer for thoſe criminations, ſaid; We ſpake all that is objected, and would have ſpoke more if the wine had not failed us. Such a one will ſpeake of God moſt, when he thinkes of God leaſt: but the mouth inured to blaſphemous or ſcurrilous ſpeeches, is no fit trumpet of Gods praiſes.

4 It intoxicates all reaſon. Bacchus was called Liber pater; but his ſonnes are not Liberi, Free-men, but ſlaves; bound to ſleepe.ccEſay 28.7.Isa 28:7 They are out of the way with ſtrong drinke: they are either out of the way, or reeling in the way.ddEccleſ. 19.2.Sir 19:2 Wine and women will make men of underſtanding to fall away: Apoſtatare facit ſapientes. We keepe our doores ſhut againſt theeves: yet let in this theefe that is worſe. O that a man ſhould voluntarily let a theefe in at his mouth, to ſteale away his wits! Young Cyrus refuſing to drinke wine, gave this reaſon to his grand-father Astiages; I tooke it to be poiſon; for I have ſeene it ſpoile men of wit and ſenſe. Alexander that overcame all, was overcome by wine, Aug. If the bodie chide the foot for ſtumbling and hurting it, the foot may lay the fault in the head for not guiding it.1 Cor. 10.1 Cor 10 The people ſate downe to eat and drinke, and roſe up to play. Wee have them that ſit downe to drinke, till they cannot riſe to play: they muſt ſleepe as they lye. Sine timore, non ſine periculo: they are aseeProv. 23.34.Prov 23:34 he that lyeth downe in the midſt of the ſea, or ſleepeth on the top of a maſt.

5 It enervates the ſtrength: Vinum ab implendo venas, Iſidor. In ſtead of filling them with bloud, it drownes them. It brings rotten teeth, ſtinking breaths, trembling hands, running eyes, gowts and dropſies. All theſe are the waiters on p. 134drunkenneſſe: all ſtrive which ſhal bring a man ſooneſt and lothſomeſt to the grave. He is gone in his ſtanding, gone in his underſtanding, gone in ſtrength to helpe him ſelfe: we commonly ſay of the drunkard, he is gone. Cum abſorbet vinum, abſorbetur à vino, August. If his belly be made a tombe of drinke, drinke will make his body a ſepulcher of his ſoule. Crebro ebrii cito ſeneſcunt; It is ſomewhat, that it alters the complexion: Vino forma perit, vino corrumpitur aetas. But worſe, that it diſſolves the conſtitution: for how ſhould his firmamentall lampe burne, that is ever drowning it in deluges of ryot!

6 It is the bawd to incontinence, Rom. 13.13. After Drunkenneſſe followes chambering and wantonneſſe. Pro ordine membrorum, ordo vitiorum, Hieron. Ambroſe ſayes of Luſt; that it is fuelled with junkets, enkindled with wine, inflamed with drunkenneſſe. It is Fomes libidinis: Vina parant animos veneri, Ovid Nunquam ebrium putabo caſtum, Hieron. I will never beleeve the drunkard to be chaſt. Drunken Lot became inceſtuous Lot: hence ſprang the Moabites and Ammonites, thoſe mortall, almoſt immortall enemies to the Church. Whom the vices of Sodome could not taint, Luſt infected. Vritur ebrius flammis mulierum, quem ſobrium ſulphurea flamma non attigerat, Origen. The flames that deſtroyed Sodome, hurt him not; his owne fire ſcorched him. In this ſenſe it may be ſaid; Vinum lac libidinis.

7 It is an Incendiary to quarrels and homicides. Bacchus ad arma vocat. Drunken Alexander killed Clitus, for whom ſober Alexander would have killed himſelfe. The Danes and Norwayes once purpoſing for England, fell drunke on ſhipbord, and ſo ſlaſh'd one another, that there was the end of their voyage. We often heare of ſuch ryotous meetings, that In praelio trudit inermes; Some dropping dead in the middeſt of their ſinnes. Be they never ſo proteſting their kindneſſe; yet Tutius eſt ebriis abſtinuiſſe locis: They may bee kinde at firſt, will bee cruell at laſt. Drunkards kiſſe when they meet, and kill when they part; Haec faceret non ſobrius unquam.

8 Laſtly, beſides all other plagues, it is a woe to it ſelfe.ffProv. 23.29.Prov 23:29 Who hath woe? who hath ſorrow? who hath contentions? who hath wounds without cauſe? The merry madneſſe of an houre, is payed with the afflictions of a tedious age. Woe to them, ſaith the Prophet, Eſay 5.11. Woe to the crowne of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, Eſay 28.1. Cùm infunditur, grave; cum turbat ſtomachum, gravius: cum refunditur, graviſsimum: When the carowſer powers in his wine, it troubles him; and he would give ſomewhat to avoid it: when it offends the ſtomacke, it troubles him worſe: when it comes up againe, it troubles him worſt of all. One Fornerius writes of a Monke at Prage, who having heard at ſhrift the confeſſion of drunkards, wondred at it, and for experiment would needs trie his braine with this ſin; ſo accordingly ſtole himſelfe drunke. Now after the vexation of three ſicke dayes, to all that confeſſed that ſinne, hee enjoyned no other penance but this; Goe and be drunke againe. Sure his meaning was like Seneca's; Sceleris in ſcelere ſupplicium; It is a torment and affliction to it ſelfe. You ſee the Damme and her littour, learne we now to avoid it, becauſe we are men, becauſe we are citizens, becauſe we are Chriſtians.

Becauſe we are men: while the wine is in thy hand, thou art a man; when it is in thy head, thou art become a beaſt. The drunkard cries to his fellow; Doe mee treaſon: but the drinke anſwers, I will leave thee no reaſon; ſcarce ſo much as a beaſt, for they will drinke no more than they need. Diogenes being urged to drinke immoderately, caſt the drinke on the ground; being reproved for that loſſe, he anſwered, If I had drunke it, non ſolum liquorem, ſed meipſum perderem; I had loſt both the drinke, and my ſelfe.

Becauſe we are citizens, and therefore ſhould lead civill lives: drunkenneſſe is an uncivill exorbitance. It was a good Perſian law;ggEſther 1.8.Esth 1:8 That no man was compelled but every one did according to his owne pleaſure. Here was no compulſion, but it was left arbitrary, Vt bibat arbitrio pocula quiſque ſuo. It were ſomewhat if but ſo much moderation were obſerved at our feaſts: Vt qui inebriari abhorret, in compulſus diſcederet p. 135incompulſus diſcederet. Wee fault in thoſe very Ethnicke obſervances; and thinke it a diſcourteſie not to be intemperate for company.

Becauſe we are Chriſtians,hh1 Tim. 5 11.1 Tim 5:11 Thou, O man of God, fly theſe things. The grace of God that brings ſalvation, teacheth us to live ſoberly, Tit. 2.12. Wee are children of the Day, let us caſt off that worke of darkneſſe, Rom. 13. The Rechabites forbore wine in awe of their earthly Father, Ierem. 35. And ſhall not we forbeare drunkenneſſe in awe of our heavenly Father? Yes, leſt that curſe fall on us, thatiiPſal. 69.22.Ps 69:22 our table be made a ſnare before us: yea leſt we be not admitted into the kingdome of God, Gal. 5.21.kkLuke 21.34.Luke 21:34 Let not your hearts be over-charged with ſurfetting and drunkenneſſe, and ſo that day come upon you unawares: drinke every draught, as if it were thy laſt draught. The poore woman would appeale from drunken King Philip to ſober King Philip; ſo will any man from a drunken Chriſtian to a ſober Heathen.

Thus in ſome poore meaſure I have deſcribed this monſter of Intemperance. A ſin ſo odious, that it is abhorred of God, deſpiſed of Angels, derided of men, pleaſing only to devils, Aug. Yet have we ſmall hope to ſubdue it; for it is inſenſible:llProv. 23.35Prov 23:35 They have beaten me, and I felt it not. Bernard calls it a groſſe Devill; he that is poſſeſſed with it, fals into the fire, and into the water, gnaſheth and fometh, Matth. 17.16. Now as all the Diſciples could not caſt out that Devill; ſo nor all the Preachers this. It is an habit hardly put off. When a Gentleman heard that his ſon was given to dicing, he anſwered, the want of money will make him leave it. After he heard that he was given to whoring; yet ſaith he, marriage or old-age will allay that fury. But when he heard that he was given to drunkenneſſe, he was hopeleſſe; for he knew that ſin would encreaſe with yeares. A gameſter will hold ſo long as his purſe laſts, an adulterer ſo long as his loynes laſt, but a drunkard ſo long as his lungs and life laſt. A Philoſopher once chancing into a company of drunkards, where a Muſician ruled the laſcivious riot; preſently charged him to change his harmony into a Dorion. By this means he ſo wrought them, and brought them to ſobriety; that caſting away their garlands, they were aſhamed of all they had done. But our drunkards have not the patience to heare ſuch muſicke. Saul was vexed with an evill ſpirit, but Davids Harpe expelled him. O that we knew that Inſtrument or leſſon, which could worke ſuch a reformation! We would double and treble that note, which might effectuate ſuch a cure. But the drunkards noiſe is louder than the Preachers voice: the ſound of the pot drownes all reprehenſion.

Verſe 6.

To your Temperance adde Patience.

PAtience is that vertue, Quae mallet mala non committendo ferre, quàm non ferendo committere, Auguſt. Which had rather ſuffer evill and doe none, than doe evill and ſuffer none. It hath theſe degrees; It does not wrong; it receives it, not with ſtupiditie but ſenſe: it does not vex him that offers to vex it: it returnes not wound for wound: it does not hate the offender: it loves him: it does good unto him: it intreats God for him, Chryſoſt. For Patience conſiſts not onelyonly in bearing injuries, but in forgiving the injurers.

But why doth the Apoſtle next to Temperance annex Patience? Quos delitiae non emolliunt, ſaepè injuriae frangunt. Temptations of pleaſure move not in many, whom the ſenſe of injuries enrageth. Men may refraine from hurting others or themſelves; therein is Temperance: but others will hurt them, to beare this with a quiet minde is Patience. A Chriſtian may live without doing wrong, not without receiving p. 136wrong. Objectum malitiae eſt non malus. The Wolfe will not worry a Wolfe, ſo long as there is a lambe in the field. This vertue is better underſtood than practiſed: like Caſſandra, better knowne than truſted. Therefore admitting that you underſtand it, I will apply my ſelfe to the affections, that you may embrace it. This let me endevour by leading you thorow certaine graduall conſiderations.

1 That it is the condition of mankind to ſuffer. When thou conſidereſt thy ſelfe, there is preſented to thee a man, a naked man, a poore man, and a miſerable man, Bern. Luges hominem, erubeſcis nudum, contemnis pauperem, doles miſerum, lacrymas miſerabilem; Thou mourneſt thy mortality, bluſheſt at thy nakedneſſe, deſpiſeſt thy poverty, weepeſt for thy miſery. Now, quod ferendum eſt, feras; what thou muſt beare, beare patiently.

2 That miſeries are not onelyonly incident to men, but more proper to Chriſtian men,mm2 Tim. 3.12.2 Tim 3:12 All that will live godly in Chriſt, ſhall ſuffer perſecution. This was Chriſts prognoſtication; In the world you ſhall have ſorrow, Ioh 16. This the Apoſtles prediction; Through many tribulations you muſt enter the kingdome of heaven, Act. 14. What Saint was ever crowned before he had combated? Ierom. Search the whole Bible over; Et quem legiſti in coelis triumphantem, quem non legiſti priùs in terris tolerantem? But it is ſaid;nnAct. 9.31.Acts 9:31 The Churches had reſt thorow-out all Iudea, &c. And there was peace in the dayes of Salomon; peace in the dayes of Conſtantine; peace in the milken times of Queene Elizabeth; and yet ſtill greater peace under the reigne of our preſent Soveraigne, that King of peace. Yet though we be freed from publike oppreſſions inflicted by Magiſtrates, not from private moleſtations. In the moſt Halcyon dayes we finde bitterneſſe: Sine miſeria vixiſſe miſerrimum eſt. If there be not an Eſau, there will be an Iſhmael: if the hand of miſchiefe cannot reach us, yet Penetrabunt ſpicula linguae; The arrowes of ſlander and contumely will ſticke in our ribs. All men are neceſſitated to miſeries, that bend their courſe toward the kingdome of heaven, Aug. Hence it is that S. Paul gives a peece of armour to the feet.ooEpheſ. 6.15.Eph 6:15 Let your feet be ſhod with the preparation of the Goſpell of peace. Our feet are naturally tender: if they be bare, clods, flints, thornes will gall them. Our affections, if they be not ſhod with Patience, will be ſo pricked with croſſes, that we ſhall be weary of our journey to heaven. It is no unuſual ſtratagem in warre, to ſtick the way full of thorns, and ends of pikes, to wound and diſ-ranke the adverſary. So the Devill beſets our way of peace, that we had need of leg-harneſſe, Patience. Though all parts be armed, yet if the feet be naked, Satan will wound us there: as Achilles was wounded in the heele, when all other places of him were invulnerable. Thus was Iob armed, Iam. 5.11. S. Iohn ſpeaking of great warre, and greater victory, concludes;ppRev. 14.12.Rev 14:12 Here is the patience of the Saints. Therefore Paul expreſly, Hebr. 10.36. Yee have need of patience, that &c.

3 That all afflictions come by a ſupreme providence, therefore be patient. qqIob 2.10.Job 2:10Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and not evill? What ever be the Inſtruments, hee lookes to the high Agent; Deus abſtulit; The Lord hath given, and the Lord hath taken away; Bleſſed be the Name of the Lord. So David, rrPſal. 39.10.Ps 39:10Remove thy ſtroke from me; I am conſumed by the blow of thine hand. Whatſoever is the weapon, it is thy blow. So he ſnibbed the ſons of Zerviah, concerning the blaſpheming of Shimei; it may be the Lord hath ſaid to him, Curſe David, 2 Sam. 16.10. Deus juſsit. So our Saviour told Pilate,ſſIoh. 19.11.John 19:11 Thou couldeſt have no power at all againſt me, except it were given thee from above. GODS providence is mater neceſsitatis, the mother of neceſſitie: now Patience makes a vertue of this neceſſitie. Other creatures modeſtly and ſilently obey, and ſhall man vex himſelfe with impatience? Quicquid Superi voluere, peractum eſt; To wraſtle with Fate, is to provoke Fate to wraſtle with us; and then who falls? Who is hee that ſaith, and it commeth to paſſe, when the LORD commandeth it not? Lam. 3.37. Murmure not my ſonne, thy Father did it. Wee ſtrike at God, and hee ſayes to us, as Caeſar ſaid to Brutus; Is it thou my ſon? Well may he ſtrike us, and let us only ſay, Tu Pater, it is Thou my Father, and be ſilent.ttPſal. 50.21.Ps 50:21 Theſe things haſt thou done, and I kept ſilence, ſaith the Lord. Wicked men ſtrike the juſt p. 137God, and he holds his peace: the juſt God ſtrikes wicked men, and they murmure.

4 Thinke thy croſſes meant for thy bleſſings: puniſhments are good for none but the Patient, to them onelyonly they are ſignes of favour. David not onelyonly concludes thus;uuPſal. 40.11.Ps 40:11 By this I know thou favoureſt me, becauſe mine enemie triumphs not over mee: but alſo thus; Becauſe thou haſt afflicted me, therefore I know thou loveſt me. If ye be without chaſtiſement, then are ye baſtards, and not ſonnes, Hebr. 12.8. This only frees us from baſtardie; or rather ſecures us, for indeed Adoption frees us. Whom God ſmites not, he loves not, Aug. Let the Chriſtian underſtand; God his Phyſitian, tribulation his phyſicke: being afflicted under the medicine, thou crieſt, Non audit medicus ad voluntatem, ſed ad ſanitatem; The Phyſitian heares thee not according to thy will but thy weale. Thou canſt not endure thy maladie, and wilt thou not be patient of the remedie? Let it not be true of us, that Nec mala noſtra, nec remedia ferre poſſumus. A man is ſicke of a Pleuriſie, the Phyſitian lets him bloud, he is content with it: the arme ſhall ſmart, to eaſe the heart. The covetous man hath a Pleuriſie of riches; God lets him bleed by poverty: let him be patient, it is a courſe to ſave his ſoule. Theſe are not in vindictam, ſed in medicinam: Pereat voluptas carnis, ne amittatur eternitas ſalutis. xx1 Cor. 11.321 Cor 11:32When we are judged, we are chaſtened of the Lord, that wee ſhould not be condemned with the world. We ſpeake for the fleſh, as Abraham did for Iſhmael; O that Iſhmael might live in thy ſight! No, God takes away Iſhmael, and gives Iſaac: He withdrawes the pleaſure of the fleſh, and gives delight to the ſoule. God threatens not to puniſh the wicked: I call it a threatning, for promiſes come from mercy, but that is a grievous puniſhment.aaEſay 1.5.Isa 1:5 Why ſhould you be ſtricken any more? Let me have none of that mercy! Art thou afflicted, why complaineſt thou? that which thou ſuffereſt, is not thy damnation, but thy caſtigation. Refuſe not the rod, as thou wouldſt embrace the inheritance, Nec attendas quam poenam habeas in flagello, ſed quem locum in Teſtamento. Regard not ſo much what portion thou haſt in the puniſhment, as what intereſt thou haſt in the Covenant. Hee that knowes hee ſhall raigne in heaven, will patiently ſuffer upon earth.

6 That all croſſes are deſerved, and come not upon us againſt equity. Equity, I ſay, conſidered in reſpect of God, not in reſpect of men: they come from a juſt Author, though from an unjuſt inſtrument. Thy ſinnes have procured it:bbIer. 4.18.Jer 4:18 Thy way and thy doings have procured theſe things unto thee: Nulla homini noceret adverſitas, ſi nulla dominetur iniquitas; No miſery had afflicted us, if no ſinne had firſt infected us. Wherefore doth a living man complaine, a man for the puniſhment of his ſinnes? Lam. 3.39. That man may well ſuffer patiently, that knowes he ſuffers juſtly. David felt the ſpight of his enemies, Pſa 38. yet he acknowledgeth his ſin the cauſe; ver. 18. I will declare mine iniquity, I will be ſory for my ſin. cc1 Pet. 2.20.1 Pet 2:20For what glory is it, if when ye be buffetted for your faults, ye ſhall take it patiently? But if when ye doe well, and ſuffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. But a man is often puniſhed for that he never did? I anſwer, in that act for which he ſuffers, he may be innocent; yet in others, guilty. David could cleare his innocencie in reſpect of Saul, not in reſpect of God. For Saul, ddPſal. 7.3.Ps 7:3Lord, if I have done this, if there be iniquitie in my hands. But for God; If thou ſhouldeſt marke iniquitie, Lord who ſhall ſtand? Pſal. 130.3. Let them be evill, be ſure thou ſuffer either for, or (at leaſt) with a good conſcience. For he refuſeth to be an Abel, whom the malice of Cain doth not exerciſe, Greg. Roſa quae redolet, creſcit cum ſpina quae pungit; The ſweet Roſe growes among ſharpe thornes:eeCant. 2.2.Song 2:2 As the Lily among the thornes, ſo is my love among the daughters.

Therefore overcome evill with good, Rom. 12.21. Be ſo farre from ſnatching Gods weapons out of his hand, that thou rather maſter unkindneſſe with kindneſſe. This Saint Paul makes to be the worke of Patience; See that none render evill for evill, 1 Theſſ. 5.15. We thinke it ignominie and cowardice, to put up the lye without a ſtabbe, a wrong without a challenge. But Salomon ſayes, (to whoſe wiſedome all wiſe men will ſubſcribe) that It is the glory of a man to paſſe by an offence. It is more honour, Injuriam tacendo ferre, quàm reſpondendo ſuperare, Gregor. Satius p. 138& tutius injurias perferre, quàm inferre aut referre. The greateſt magnanimitie is Patience. Yet, O into what infortunate times are we fallen, when every wrong muſt be anſwered with bloud! How hath the Devil bewitched us to glory in our ſhame! That the wretchedeſt and baſeſt cowardice ſhould ruffle it out in the garbe of valour! Yet if the graveſt Biſhop in the Land doe preach this, our impatient gallants will not beleeve it. Indeed how ſhould they credit man, who will not be perſwaded by God himſelfe! O yet that our teares could waſh off the guilt from mens ſoules, as eaſily as we can convince them by arguments! we would then with Ieremie, wiſh our heads fountaines, and our eyes ſpouts; to cleanſe our Land from the bloud thus ſhed, and the brave opinion of ſhedding it. Apud Chriſtianos non qui patitur, ſed qui facit injuriam, miſer eſt, Hieron. Among Chriſtians he is onelyonly the wretched man that does wrong, not hee that ſuffers. It is a great vertue not to hurt him that hath hurt thee; Magna gloria, ſi cui potuiſti nocere, parcas, Hugo. This was in thoſe dayes truely noble; now nothing but revenge. Iob is counted a foole, and David a coward. With them it was valour, Audire noxia, & reſpondere placita; To bleſſe thoſe that curſed them: we thinke that Degeneres animos patientia arguit; that patience is an argument of baſeneſſe. What is the difference? There was the faith and patience of the Saints: here is the infidelitie and impatience of ſinners. Let ſuch men know:

1 That God ſhall condemne them for invading his office; for vengeance is His: and that they call courage, he ſhall judge outrage. Then it will be but a poore plea, to ſay ſuch an one wronged mee: who gave thee leave to quit thy ſelfe? Is not God able to puniſh? Thou art cruell, and wilt carve too deepe: let God alone he is mercifull and juſt.

2 To what purpoſe are Magiſtrates, if every man may be his owne judge? Thou mayeſt complaine to the deputie, not with thine owne hands puniſh the injury.ffAct. 19 38.Acts 19:38 If a man have matter againſt another, the Law is open, and there are deputies; let them implead one another. Sic certent cauſae, ut non certent pectora; Let mens cauſes fight a while, that their ſoules may be in peace for ever. There is utterly a fault among you, that ye goe to law one with another, 1 Cor. 6.7. That is a fault: but ſome ſo abuſe the Law, that Quae datur in conpenſationem injuriae, vertitur in injuriam: That which ſhould redreſſe wrong and miſchiefe, is perverted to be the greateſt wrong and miſchiefe. Whom their hands dare not ſtrike with blowes, their purſes ſhall vex with ſuits. We may ſay of ſuch Citizens, as it was of ſome Popes; they are not Vrbani, but Turbani.

3 Remember that the LORD IESUS ſhed his bloud to make thee friends with GOD, and wilt not thou be friends with thy brother? Cannot the bloud of CHRIST, that bought a whole Church, of GOD, buy the forgiveneſſe of one wrong at thy hands? Take heed, leſt for not ſhewing mercy, thou finde no mercy.

4 GOD is patient towards thee, though he be provoked every day. Ad Patientiam vocat, qui patientia eſt; He invites us to be patient, that is, Patience it ſelfe. Suſtine tu, August.ſuſtinet Deus; Doe thou beare with others, God beares with thee. Is there a Too much, which thou canſt ſuffer for ſo patient a Lord? How wouldeſt thou endure wounds for him, that canſt not endure words for him? A man reviles thee, thou art impatient: how wouldſt thou afford thy aſhes to CHRIST, and write Patience with thine owne bloud?

5 The examples of the very Heathen may put ſuch impatient Chriſtians to the bluſh. When that Tarentine was angry with his faulty ſervant; Sumpſiſſem inquit ſupplicium, niſi tibi iratus eſſem: I had ſtriken thee, had I not beene angrie. He had rather Impunitum dimittere, quàm per iram plus juſto punire. Xenophon, to one that railed on him, replied; Didiciſti tu maledicere, ego maledicta contemnere; thou haſt learned to reproch, and I to contemne thy reproches. When Metellus inveighed againſt Tacitus in the Senate, he anſwered; It is eaſie to finde fault with him that is not willing to reply. Potentia tua, non Patientia mea, accuſanda eſt; The blame lyes on your malice, not on my patience. When one tould Diogenes, Vituperant te multi; many p. 137duplicate page p. 138duplicate page p. 137duplicate page p. 138duplicate page p. 140deſpiſe thee; he returnes; So wiſe men muſt ſuffer of fooles. Lingua illum meliorem eſſe indicat, quem carpit. The ſame envious tongue that would ſpeake a man worſe, doth indeed confeſſe him better: for the object of entire is goodneſſe. Another being reproved by his friend, becauſe he did not correct his provoking ſervant anſwered, Quia alium, quem potius caſtigarem, inveni: becauſe I have found one I have more reaſon to correct, that is, my ſelfe. Thus for moralitie they excellently commended this vertue: we have the ſeale of God put upon it,ggEph. 6.15.Eph 6:15 Be ſhod with the preparation of the Goſpell of peace. Nothing but the Goſpell of peace can give true patience. Theirs was an opinion to ſtupifie mens ſenſes: Minùs im patienter, non minùs infaeliciter ferre: but the knowledge of peace in heaven is the ſoule of patience. Hereby we have a reſolution that nothing ſhall hurt us: for ſinne is the ſting of all troubles; pull out the ſting, and deride the malice of the ſerpent. Sinne makes our burden heavy: take away that, all is tolerable. Sinne turnes the grave into a darke dungeon; which remitted, is a perfumed bed of quiet reſt. Sinne ſhewes the Devill horrible, God a ſevere Iudge: let the Goſpell remove that, God is thy Father, the devill his and thy ſlave. Therefore the Prophet well annexeth Bleſſedneſſe to the Remiſsion of ſinnes.hhPſal 32.1.Ps 32:1 Bleſſed is he whoſe tranſgreſſion is forgiven. And our Saviour ſaies to the man ſicke of the Palſey;iiMatth. 9.2.Matt 9:2 Be of good cheare; for thy ſinnes be forgiven thee, yea more, we are reſolved that all things ſhall worke together to our good: All things, then even our ſinnes. Not that ſinne is good in it ſelfe: but as Bernard; Miro quodam modo etiam ipſum peccatum juſto in Iuſtitiam operatur. The miraculous hand of God diſpoſeth our very unrighteouſneſſe, to helpe us to righteouſneſſe. And that firſt in reſpect of God, manifeſting and magnifying his merciemercy in forgiving it: where ſinne abounded, grace did much more abound, Rom. 5.20. And in reſpect of our ſelves; working in us a ſorrow of repentance, not to be ſorrowed; an humilitie to be honoured, a faith to be crowned. Humiliores efficimur & cautiores, Bern. Thus God caſts us into the fire, not to be conſumed as droſſe, but refined as gold. That at laſt we may reſolve, not only to die in the Lord, but for the LORD IESUS.

6 Conſider that all ſufferings ſhall have an end. The rod lies now on the godly, but it is not in the right place, ubi manendum eſt At laſt CHRIST ſhall lay it where it ſhall abide even on the wicked, there it muſt reſt for ever.kkPſal. 125.3.Ps 125:3 The rod of the wicked ſhall not reſt upon the lot of the righteous, leſt the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity. So Abraham told Dives of an exchange: before Lazarus had ſorrow, thou hadſt pleaſure: now therefore you have changed turnes, and places; he is comforted and thou art tormented, Luk. 16. To the godly eaſe ſhal come; Patientia filia Spei. Hope is the Mother of patience. The Wiſe man rejoyced to find the Star, the woman to find her peece of ſilver, our Lady rejoyced to find our Lord: Chriſt alwaies returnes with encreaſe of joy. The righteous is delivered out of trouble: and the wicked commeth in his ſtead, Prov. 11.8. Here is the viciſſitude.llProv. 21.18.Prov 21:18 The wicked ſhall bee a ranſome for the righteous, and the tranſgreſſor for the upright. Here is the redemption or ranſome; miſerie like a Vulture, muſt have ſome body to prey upon; the world deſtines the, righteous to it, and for a while they ſuffer: but God ordaines the unrighteous to it, and they muſt ſuffer for ever. GOD ſhall ſpeake to ſorrow, deliver me my ſervant, let that man goe whom thou now afflicteſt; and take this reprobate in his ſtead, torment him for ever, Hebr. 10.36. Yee have need of patience; why ſhould we be patient? Becauſe yee have ſo ſhort a time to ſuffer, Verſe 37. Yet a little while, and he that comes, will come, and will not tarry. Why, what ſhall he doe when he is come?mmIoh. 16.22.John 16:22 I will ſee you againe, and your heart ſhall rejoyce; and your joy ſhall no man take from you. The Lambe ſhall lead them to the fountaine of living waters; and God ſhall wipe away all teares from their eyes, Revel 7.17. But how are we ſure of this? Becauſe it is a righteous thing with God, to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you: and to you who are troubled, reſt with us, 2 Theſ. 1.8.2 Thess 1:8when the Lord Ieſus ſhall be revealed from heaven with his mightie Angels. Iacob ſerved ſeven yeares patiently for his wife p. 140Rachel; and ſhall not we ſerve longer for our deare husband Ieſus? Love ſuffers all things, 1 Cor. 13. he loves not the Lord, that will not ſuffer for him. Omnia paſſus amor, nec ſe vult dicere paſſum. Iam 5.7.Jas 5:7Be patient therefore unto the comming of the Lord: lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth neere, Luke 21.28. If theſe meditations could ſinke and ſoke into our hearts, they would be mollified with patience. It is truely ſaid concerning the wicked; Breve eſt quod delectat, aeternum quod cruciat: their pleaſure is ſhort, their paine everlaſting. The contrary is as true concerning the faithfull: Breve eſt quod cruciat, aeternum quod delectat: their paine is ſhort, their joy eternall.ooProv. 10.28.Prov 10:28 The hope of the righteous ſhall be gladneſſe: but the expectation of the wicked ſhall periſh. VponUpon Shimei's execration, David thus comforted himſelfe; It may be the Lord will looke on mine affliction, and will requite good for his curſing this day, 2 Sam. 16.12. David ſuffered much of Saul, before he wore the promiſed Crowne: no matter what wee ſuffer on earth, ſo wee may be crowned in heaven.

Laſtly, conſider that CHRIST our LORD ſuffered all patiently for us: that Lambe was dumbe before the fleecers and Butchers. Such Lambes muſt wee bee, that have neither hornes to daſh nor nailes to teare, nor teeth to bite, nor flight to eſcape; but patiently to ſubmit our ſelves to the will of our ſhepheard. Such Lambes were the Martyrs; their perſecutors were more weary feriendo, with ſtriking; than they Ferendo, with ſuffering. But none ever ſuffered like the Lord Ieſus: Iuſtus pro iujuſtis, ab injuſtis, 1 Pet. 2.21. He is not onelyonly our Redeemer, but our example he taught us both in his doing, and in his dying.ppLuke 24.26.Luke 24:26 Ought not Chriſt firſt to have ſuffered theſe things, and to enter into his glory? As hee was Ʋnctus oleo laetitiae prae ſociis, ſo oleo triſttiae prae caeteris. As hee was annointed with the oile of gladneſſe above his fellowes ſo firſt with the oile of ſadneſſe above his fellowes. Indeed the Deitie ſuffered not, yet hee that is GOD ſuffered. Deitas in Dolente, though not in Dolore. Now all this is to teach us patience, Hebrewes 12 2. Let us looke unto Ieſus the founder and finiſher of our faith; who endured the croſſe and deſpiſed the ſhame, and is now ſet downe at the right hand of the throne of God: therefore Let us runne with patience unto the race that is ſet before us. By death Chriſt came to us, by death let us not grudge to goe to Chriſt.

Patience you ſee, is an excellent vertue; you have heard many commendations of it: if it had no other, this were enough to praiſe it, that it eaſeth our griefes. Many cannot away with other graces; becauſe voluptatem prohibent, voluntatem cohibent; they curbe the will, and abridge delight, and impoſe hard things to the fleſh. They cannot away with Charitie, becauſe it takes out of the purſe: nor with Abſtinence, becauſe it reſtrains the appetite: nor with Himilitie, becauſe it abates pride: nor with Chaſtity, becauſe it debars luſt. But me thinks each man ſhould love Patience, becauſe it eaſeth his paines, and mitigates his ſorrowes. Naturall men care no more for vertue, than that cruell Iudge did for equity: yes if they knew a vertue that would eaſe their burdens, and qualifie their griefes, they would love it. Me thinkes, even wicked men ſhould uſe this vertue, and make much of it: though for no other purpoſe than Pharaoh uſed Moſes; to remove the Iudgements. Our proverbe hath it; Of ſufferance comes eaſe: let us be patient then, if but for our owne benefits.

VERSE 6.

And to patience, Godlineſſe.

BEfore we come to the definition of Godlineſſe, let us conceive ſome reaſons of this connection, and immediate adding of Pietie to patience.

1 Becauſe the pillar of patience is godlineſſe; it cannot ſtand without it, p. 140duplicate page p. 140duplicate page p. 140duplicate page p. 140duplicate page p. 141it is firme being upheld by it. For true Patience cannot befall a reprobate; (ſtupiditie may as to Nabal) not by an abſolute impoſſibilitie, but by the indiſpoſition of his heart to receive it: as a ſparke of fire falling upon water, ice, or ſnow, preſently goes out: which faſting on wood or ſuch combuſtible matter, kindles and burnes. The food whereupon true patience lives, is faith in the Goſpell of peace. Saul was a morall man, yea a zealous man, while he was Saul, and Gamaliels ſcholler but when he was made a Chriſtian, he was called Paul; he was not a Paul before. So Patience in Ethnikes is not rightly named: as Silvius when he was choſen Pope ſaid; Aeneam rejicite, recipite Pium: forget Aeneas, and accept me your Pius. So to ſuffer before converſion, was but ſtupiditie in quiet: now mutato homine, mutato nomine, the perſons being changed, change alſo the name; call it Patience.

2 Becauſe Godlineſſe teacheth a man patience: it is the Imitation of God and our God is patient. Now if we feele this merciemercy from God, let us ſhew it to them that are his. He that will not tolerate man, tolerari a Domino ſe facit indignum; makes himſelfe unworthy to be borne with of God. Deus habet in manu vindictam, mavult in uſu patientiam. God hath in his hand vengeance, in his heart patience. We pray for pardon as we give pardon: we would be loth to have our owne lips condemne us.

3 Becauſe patience will doe the ſoule no good with godlineſſe: the glory and comfort of all ſuffering, is gods cauſe. Neither is the reward given for ſuffering, but for ſuffering well.qq1 Pet. 2.19.1 Pet 2:19 This is thanke-worthy, if for conſcience toward God, wee endure griefe. Tribulations are the markes of CHRIST; but then they muſt be borne for CHRIST: herein Paul delighted himſelfe;rr2 Cor. 12.10.2 Cor 12:10 I take pleaſure in reproaches, in neceſſities, in perſecutions, in diſtreſſes, for Chriſts ſake. Thus being prouder of his iron fetters, than a bragging Courtier of his golden chaine. The departures of the Saints are not Mortes, ſed Immortalitates. If Iulian ſo honoured his ſouldiers dying in the warres; celebri potius laude, quàm luctu: how much more ſhall CHRIST honour his! Precious in the ſight of the Lord is the death of his Saints, Pſal. 116.15. ſuch as undergoe in Chriſts cauſe Chriſts Croſſe. No death is comfortable, niſi in Domino, vel pro Domino: and that mans life is well beſtowed in ſuffering death, when to Patience is added Godlineſſe. Our life is the Lords by many deare titles: therefore not too good for him when he requires it. Thou art a depoſitary, to whoſe truſt is committed a precious Iewell: perhaps thou haſt much adoe to keepe it from the ſubtilties of tempters, and violence of attempters: yea haſt a corrupt deſire, unthriftily to ſpend it upon profits or pleaſures, ſurfets and vanities: and thou never art in true quiet, till he that delivered this Iewell, thy life to thee, doth reaſſume it. But then thou muſt tarry till he calls for it: for God refuſeth the ſoule that comes to him before he ſends for it. When the Indians, to avoid the Spaniſh ſlaverie, grew to a practiſe of killing themſelves: the Spaniards diſſembled a killing of themſelves alſo: threatning upon their meeting in another world to afflict them there more than before. Indeed, if the troubles and anguiſhes of this world ſo deſpaire thee, that thou caſteſt away thy owne life: thoſe very ſame in a farre heavier meaſure ſhall find thee out in the other. Miſeriam non effugis, ſed adauges. There is no comfort in ſuffering death, except Godlineſſe bleſſe our patience. Aelian writes that among the Grecians there was a Law, that if a ſick man drank wine without the advice of his Phyſician; though he ſaved his life by it, he ſhould be put to death for it; becauſe he did that was not permitted him. Bitter then muſt be their puniſhment, that take not wine but poiſon: that precipitate their lives into certaine deſtruction: having no command from God, that he requires it; no promiſe that he will reward it. Our Saviour teacheth us, being perſecuted in one Citie, to flie into another: if we wilfully runne into unneceſſary death; he will ſay who required this at your hands? who bad you runne from England to Rome for poiſon; and from Rome backe againe to England with treaſon? you may have Patience, but here's no Godlineſſe. The good ſheepe knowes the voice of his Shepheard, and ſtaies for his call. Thoſe glorious p. 142Martyrs that now have a permanent triumph in heaven, were not ſo madly prodigall of their blouds, as to throw them away without a warrant. They that poſſeſſe this Lawrell, waſhed their garments, not in their owne blouds onelyonly: ſo they might have beene ſtill red and ſtained: but in the bloud of the Lambe, that changes them into white. ſſRevel. 7.15.Rev 7:15Therefore they are before the throne of God, and he that ſitted on the throne ſhall dwell among them. That ſinfull Mary waſted and bathed herſelfe, not in her owne bloud but in her teares: ſaith Chryſoſtome. And of Saint Peter he askes this queſtion; when he had denied his Maſter; Nunquid ſanguinem fudit? did he ſhed out his owne bloud? No, but his teares, and ſo waſhed away his ſinnes. We are not ſent into this world to ſuffer, but to doe, and when wee doe ſuffer, to adde to Perſecution Patience, to Patience Godlineſſe. The way to triumph in ſecular armes, was not to be ſlaine in the battell, but to keepe their ſtation. In the Romane warlicke diſcipline; Ius legionis facile; Non ſequi, non fugere: this was the rule; not to follow deſperately, nor to flie baſely. So it is in our Chriſtian battell; not to invite danger, not to ſhrinke from it. Indeed God betimes in the world called for this bleeding witneſſe: hee ſealed his acceptation of Abels ſacrifice, by accepting Abel for a ſacrifice; who before all example, firſt dedicated Martyrdome, Chryſoſt. And as ſoone as CHRIST came into the world, after the receiving of the wiſe mens oblations; he would immediately be glorified with that hecatombe of Innocents. But to offer this without Gods asking, ſhall bring but a poore reward. For while pietie is not preſerved, the Crowne of patience is loſt.tt1 Pet 4.19.1 Pet 4:19 Wherefore let them that ſuffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their ſoules to him in wel-doing, as unto a faithfull Creator. Put not Pietie from thy Patience, thy wounds ſhall be healed, and thy ſoule rewarded.

4 Becauſe patience without Godlineſſe, when it receives injurie of man, may doe more injurie to God. Let us write the wrongs to our ſelves in the duſt, to forget them; that is Patience: the wrongs we have done to God in marble; to remember them; that is Godlineſſe. To beare meekely with thy perſecutors, is commendable patience: to be ſilent at Gods diſhonour, is condemnable baſeneſſe. It is no leſſe than treaſon; thy ſilence makes thee guilty. Thou pleadeſt thy ſelfe to be the ſonne of God: he is a very bad ſonne, that can heare his righteous Father blaſphemed with patience. Curſed is that Patience, that hinders a man from Godlineſſe. CHRIST is thy brother, he bought thee with his bloud, thou art his coheire: canſt thou behold him gored with new wounds, and hold thy peace? Thou beleeveſt not; for then thou wouldeſt ſpeake: as the Pſalme hath it: I beleeved and therefore I ſpake: no defending of faith, no faith. The Inhabitants of Meroz tooke not part with Gods enemies, yet were they curſed for not taking part with friends, Iudge. 5.23. Indifference in Gods cauſe is damnable: not to oppoſe them, that oppoſe God, is to be his enemy. How eaſily are we moved at our owne injuries? how patient at Gods? Let our owne credits or riches bee troubled, we rage like Lions let Gods honour be queſtioned, we are as tame as Lambes. If the aſperſion of ſcandall lights upon our names, there is ſuite upon ſuite, from Court to Court; all to beggar the raiſer of it. Let the Lords dreadfull Name be blaſphemed, we are ſo far from ſpending a penny, that we will not ſpeake a ſyllable. Like Ionah, we are more moved for the loſſe of a gourd, than for all Niniveh. Moſes can brooke Miriam deſpiſing him, and goe away ſilent, becauſe himſelfe onelyonly was intereſſed, Numb. 12. But when the people had Idolatrizd, he brake the ſacred Tables in paſſion, burned the Calfe, ſcattered the duſt on the waters, and in deteſtation of their wickedneſſe made them drinke it. We have patience enough, but pietie is thruſt out of doores. Such infortunate and apoſtate times are we falne into, that to uphold Gods honour is held uncivill tartneſte: ſuch men are ſawcy, and ſuch ſawce is too ſharp for proud and vicious ſtomachs: this diſſolves the knot of friendſhip. Let it; Ideo miſit Deus bonam ſeparationem, ut malam rumperet Conjunctionem: better a holy diſcord, than a profane concord. Care not for that mirth, which muſt grieve the Holy Ghoſt: p. 143diſclaime that peace, which muſt be at warre with Chriſt. If they refuſe thee, thou knoweſt who will receive thee, Ioh. 9.35. When they had excommunicated him, CHRIST welcomed him. Feare not them that kill the body, &c. It is worſe loſing the Lords favour, than thy Land-lords: better part from thy cottage in earth; than thy Inheritance in heaven.

Neceſſary therefore is the acceſſion of Pietie to Patience. It is an abhorred ſin to temporize: when a Chaplaine muſt meaſure his ſpeech by his Lords humour, the truth of the Lord of hoſts is abuſed. Againſt oppreſſion he dares not ſpeake, becauſe it is his Lords fault; not againſt Pride, becauſe it is his Ladies: not againſt riot, becauſe it is his young Maſters. He muſt not meddle with the ulcers that ſticke on his great ones conſcience: hell will take that patience. Let them be aſhamed of Chriſt, that care not for his being aſhamed of them. For us, let us plead Gods cauſe, for his ſake that pleads our cauſe in heaven.

Godlineſſe is taken by the Philoſophers in a threefold relation. For Religion towards God, which they held a devout adoration of their Idols. For religion towards their country: when any died for their country, they were ſaid Piè mori. For religion towards their parents: ſo Aeneas was called Pius: and for this they gave thoſe additionall names of Pii. Our Apoſtle meant it not in this latitude: it muſt here import ſome particular grace, as appeares by the ranke. Yet let us a litttle conſider it in the larger acception. So it is ſuch a gracious habite, as prefers Gods glory before all things, and refers all things to it.

For the former, Godlineſſe aimes immediately at the Lords honour, Matth. 8.21. There was one following Chriſt, but hearing of his Fathers death, he firſt deſire leave to bury him: perhaps he gaped for an executorſhip, or meant at leaſt to thruſt in for an adminiſtration. No ſaith CHRIST; let the dead bury their dead: thou haſt a living father, (let the dead goe) that can give thee a better inheritance. But to bury ones Father is Godlineſſe: yes, but ſaith Ierome; Pietatis genus eſt, impium eſſe pro Domino: to neglect our very Parents when God requires it, is pietie. Himſelfe teſtifies; he that loves father or mother better than me, is not worthy of me. This falls heavy on ſome: the voluptuous loves his wife better,uuLuk. 14.20.Luke 14:20 I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. Vxori plus datur quàm Chriſto: the uxorious husband obeyes his wives precepts, ſooner than Gods. The covetous parent loves his child better than the Lord: oppreſſing Gods children to enrich his owne. So his young ones be warme in the neſt, let CHRIST ſhake with cold. Love the Lord, and love thy children, or friends: but if neceſſitie enforce the loſſe of one; In ſuos odium, eſt pietas in Deum, Hieron: whatſoever thou loſeſt, loſe not the Lord Ieſus.xxLuk. 9.61.Luke 9:61 Another ſaid, Lord I will follow thee, but let me firſt goe bid them fare-well that are at home, as if any friend were to ſtand in competition with CHRIST. But we have alwaies ſomewhat to do when we ſhould follow him: as Eliſha ſaid to Eliah; let me firſt kiſſe my father and my mother; then will I follow thee, 1 King. 19.20. Vriah was ſo earneſt of fighting the Lords battell; that he would not goe downe to his houſe, nor ſleepe with his beautifull wife. Such a zeale, as prefers Gods ſervice before all other things, that is godlineſſe.

For the other; it referres all to Gods honour: in all things that it does, ſpeakes, or ſuffers, it declares a purpoſe of heart to glorifie the Lord. All things and actions are Ordinabilia ad deum: deus finis, all elſe ad finem: what ſhould man deſire more than to ſerve that God who preſerves him?aa1 Cor. 10.31.1 Cor 10:31 Whatſoever yee doe, doe all to the glory of God. This is the end of our creation, the beginning of our ſalvation, the perfection of our happineſſe. Haſt thou wiſedome? referre it to the glory of thy maker: otherwiſe like the Moone, when thou art lighteſt to the world thou art darkeſt to heaven. Haſt thou ſtrength? uſe it to reſiſt Satan, to conquer (nor another, but) thy ſelfe. Vae fortibus ad peccandum; woe be to them that are ſtrong to ſinne. Haſt thou old age? let thy life grow white with thy haires: leſt thou be Satur Dierum, full of dayes and fuller of ſinnes. Haſt thou honour? imploy it to honour him that p. 144hath honoured thee. Haſt thou authoritie? draw not this ſword in thy private wrongs, let it not bee ſheathed in the Injuries of the Goſpell. Haſt thou riches? ſpend them upon Godlineſſe; Pro Pietate ſumptum facere, lucrum eſt. Say not with Iudas, Why is this waſt? but with David; bb2 Sam. 24.24.2 Sam 24:24I will not offer to the LORD of the which coſts mee nothing. To this generall Pietie there are two enemies, Profaneneſſe and Hypocriſie.

Profaneneſſe: there are two characters of a man truely Pious; underſtanding and will: the one in his Science, the other in his Conſcience: commonly this vice bewitcheth them both. As thou doſt ſee thy owne face in thy heart, ſo others doe ſee thy heart in thy face. If a drunkard dare number his ebrieties: the laſcivious, how often he hath beene at the houſe of ſinne; who can blanch this ungodlineſſe! But indeed wicked men have more boldneſſe to appeare ill, than the godly have to appeare good,ccEſa. 59.15.Isa 59:15 For he that departeth from evill, maketh himſelfe a prey; or as the originall imports, is accounted mad. Any man that carries his face toward Sion, is held an hypocrite: he that is aſhamed to doe ill, ſhall be aſhamed for his good. This is not a graine of ungodlineſſe, but ungodlineſſe in graine. Can you lament your loſſes on the ſeas, the wracke of goods in your ſhips; and not the ſhipwracke of a good conſcience in your ſhops? The ſpider never builds, but where are flies: Satan never placeth his neſt, but where is ſtore of theſe ungodly luſts. Let them baniſh profaneneſſe, that ever expect the comforts of pietie.

Hypocriſie;ddIoh. 6.70.John 6:70 Have not I choſen you twelve and one of you is a devill? I, not another; emphatically, I, foreign, the very Wiſedome of GOD. Choſen, not entertained offering your ſervice, nor admitted as ſutors, but Choſen. You, not the refuſe people out of the high waies, nor the great Perſonages of the Land; but you, whom I have elected to propagate my Goſpell, how many? Twelve; a little number: Chriſts is the leaſt Colledge. Yet one of you is a devill; lay theſe particulars together, and ſumme up a hypocrite. The congregation of hypocrites ſhall be deſolate, Iob 15.34. The hypocrite is like Hoſe's dough-bak'd Cake, Hoſea. 7.8. Only hott on the viſible ſide. Seeing the fire of GODS Altar, the zeale of the Temple cannot heate them, they are reſerved to bee baked throughly in the Oven of hell.

Endevour then to ſtore thy heart with Godlineſſe: for worldly things, ſay as he did of Eloquence: Si adſit, non ſperno: ſi abſit, non deſidero: if they be preſent, I will uſe them, it they be abſent, I doe miſſe them. Sequere tu Pietatem, caetera ſequentur te: follow thou Godlineſſe, other things ſhall follow thee.eeMatth 6.33.Matt 6:33 First ſeeke the kingdom of God and his righteouſneſſe, then ſhall all theſe things be added to you. While a man hunts after his owne ſhadow, his backe is upon the ſunne, and ſtill his ſhadow is unovertaken before him: let him turne his face to the ſunne, and travell toward it; his ſhadow ſhall follow him. The profits and delights of this world are but a ſhadow, while a man hunts after them his backe is upon Ieſus Chriſt, that Sun of righteouſneſſe; and he can never overtake them: if he could, yet they are but a ſhadow. Set thy face and thy faith toward Chriſt, all theſe ſhadowes ſhall waite upon thee. A Painter had drawne Iove's picture, Iuno's, and another mans that was his friend. That friend cheapned the other two, and laſt of all, his owne. Nay, ſaies the Painter, buy the other two, and take the laſt into the bargaine. Be ſure of Godlineſſe; riches, honours, and pleaſures; all thoſe counterfeits of true happineſſe, ſhall come into the bargaine.

Our diſcourſe hath thus farre dwelt on godlineſſe in the latitude. In a ſtricter acception, I find it eſpecially conſiſting in two things; Adoration and Imitation of GOD.

Adoration of the true God in a right manner, is Godlineſſe. Nature hath written in every heart, that a Superior power is to be worſhipped; though it could not declare, Cui debitum; what power that was which might challenge it. Out of this Ignorance ſprung that multitude of imaginarie gods; which Saint Paul calls p. 145ff1 Cor. 12.2.1 Cor 12:2Dumbe Idols. Now he that is dumbe, is alſo commonly deafe: they could neither ſpeake nor heare, Pſal. 115.5. They have mouthes, and ſpeake not: they hauehave eares, and heare not. To avoid this ſin, God gave an expreſſe Law; Thou ſhalt have no other Gods but me. Which negative precept eſpecially forbids foure things. 1. The having no God at all, as the Atheiſts;ggPſal. 14.1.Ps 14:1 The foole ſayes in his heart, There is no God. 2. The having ſtrange gods, and not the true; as had the Gentiles: gods according to the number of their Cities: every twinkling ſtarre was held a deity; yea, many ſo groſſe and baſe gods, that there were not worſe creatures in the world, except themſelves. 3. The having ſtrange gods with the true, as had the Samaritans; They feared the Lord, and ſerved their own gods, 2 Kin. 17.33. they ſware by the Lord, and they ſware by Malcham, Zeph. 1.5. They chuſe new gods; then was war in the gates. 4. The having the true God, but not a-right, according to his will and Word, as Heretikes. For this is the maine difference betweene Hereſie and Idolatry, that ſerves the true God with a falſe worſhip, this ſerves falſe gods with a true worſhip: Both hatefull.

Now ſeeing the principall part of our Pietie ſtands in the due and true worſhip of God, it is Satans maine ſtratagem to ſubduce it. If it were poſſible, he would have it himſelfe, and draw us A Cultu dei debito, ad cultum ſuimet indebitum. He is proud ſtill: amiſit celſitatem gloriae, non ſuperbiae; He hath loſt the height of his happineſſe, not the height of his pride. He would be a god, though a helliſh god: a Prince, though it be a prince of darkneſſe. Good Angels refuſe to be worſhipped; when Iohn fell at the Angels feet to worſhip him; he ſaid to him,hhRev. 19.10.Rev 19:10 See thou doe it not.

But evill Angels deſire it: to this the Devill perſwaded Chriſt; to fall downe and worſhip him; he durſt be ſo bold with the Sonne of God himſelfe. Devilliſh impudence! to requeſt him that is worſhipped of the Angels of light, to worſhip an angell of darkneſſe. But Chriſt ſoone choaked him; Get thee hence, Satan; for it is written, Thou ſhalt worſhip the Lord thy God, and him onelyonly ſhalt thou ſerve, Mat. 4.10. But howſoever he cannot bring men to worſhip himſelfe immediately, yet he effects this often mediately. If Iſrael will but make a golden Calfe, the Devill findes his owne worſhip in that: If a Papiſt bowes to his crucifix, even here finds himſelfe honoured. Albeit they ſay, we give the Image no worſhip, think it no god: no more did the Iſraelites thinke that Calfe their deliverer out of Aegypt; yet was this a curſed ſinne. They ſay, they worſhip God before the crucifix; but God rejecting that worſhip, it ſtayes in the crucifix. Such another policie had the devill to wound Iſrael; when he preſented to them the whores of Moab, Numb. 25. Was only Adultery his aime? No, but Idolatry alſo. They have beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and the matter of Cozbi, ver. 18. The matter of Peor was wrought by the matter of Cozbi; iiHoſ. 9.10.Hos 9:10They went to Baal-peor, and ſeparated themſelves to that ſhame. They joyned themſelves to Baal-peor, and did eat the ſacrifices of the dead, Pſal. 106.28. Baal was the Moabitiſh Idoll, Peor a mountain: there they worſhipped, and feaſted, and ate the offerings of the dead. Not of dead men, but of Idols, which are dead things: for God is foreign, the living God. But could Satan effectuate this Idolatry in ſuch a people? We reade, Numb. 24. Balaam itching after Balaks gold, hereon he practiſes, and ſhifts ground; as gameſters doe their ſtandings for better lucke; and would faine curſe; but ſpight of his teeth he bleſſeth. Now he ſees, there is no way to make God forſake his people, unleſſe they were firſt brought to forſake him. Therefore it is likely that upon Balaams advice, the daughters of Moab and Midian were brought before the Iſraelites; light houſwives, dancing, frisking, and flaring; their carriage promiſing tractablenes enough, if the other would come on: ſo were they tempted to wantonneſſe with thoſe profeſt ſtrumpets, and by that means to offer up to Baal-peor. This was the devils trick to effect that Art, by fraud, w^ch he could not Marte, by open war. Let me a little encreaſe your deteſtation of idolatrous worſhip, that you may more ſincerely worſhip God.

1 It is a pleaſing ſin, therefore more pernicious: few that love it, can be brought to acknowledge it. A Turke beleeves nothing leſſe, than his Alcoran to be Idolatry. A Monke at his Maſſe is ſo farre from thinking himſelfe an Idolater, that hee calls p. 146himſelfe a Spirituall man. Though nothing be more reproved in Gods Word, and puniſhed in his workes, than Idolatry; yet there is in corrupt nature a ſtrange proclivitie to it. The Prophet calls Idols,kkEſay 44 9.Isa 44:9 Delectable things: Their delectable, or deſirable things ſhall not profit them. The Idolater is like a woman inflamed with love toward ſome proper young man: her affection is ſo ſet, that forgetting all modeſtie, ſhee ſends for him, and brings him to the bed of love:llEzek. 23.8.Ezek 23:8 Neither left ſhee her whoredomes brought from Aegypt: for in her youth they lay with her, and they bruiſed the breſts of her virginitie, and powred their whoredome upon her. Such a whore is the Church of Antichriſt, Revel. 17. Whoſe doctrine like the wine of fornications, goes downe merrily, to the intoxication and poiſon of ſoules. OnelyOnly the Goſpell hath brought this Land a remedie, no other than the bloud of Chriſt to purge it.

2 It is an impudent ſin, and goes to the furtheſt line of condemnation. It ſtickes not to take Gods bleſſings with the left-hand, and gives them away to his enemies with the right. So the Iſraelites received of God Manna, food from heaven; and then ſacrificed it to Idols. For it is likely that in the Deſart they had no better cheare to feaſt the Devill with, than Manna and water: their beaſts being hardly ſufficient to maintaine their daily ſacrifice to the Lord. God gave them Iewels from the Aegyptians, as wages for their ſervice; they melt them to make a Calfe. Yea, Children, that are the chiefe Inheritance on earth;mmPſal. 127.5.Ps 127:5 Happie is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they ſhall not be aſhamed, when they ſpeake with their enemies in the gates: children, the divided peeces of themſelves; ſo deare, that Rachel mourn for them, and would not be comforted, becauſe they were not: even theſe they ſacrifices to Moloch: nnPſal. 106 37.Ps 106:37Yea, they ſacrificed their ſonnes and their daughters unto devils; and ſhed innocent bloud of their ſons and daughters, whom they ſacrificed unto the Idols of Canaan: and the Land was polluted with bloud. But, what will ye doe in the end thereof? Ier. 5.31. What? Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled againſt his people; inſomuch that he abhorred his owne inheritance, Pſal. 106.40. Ephraim is joyned to Idols, let him alone, Hoſ. 4.7. Let him alone? O fearefull: when God takes away correction, damnation enters the doores. Sin ſhal now be the wages of ſin, that death and deſtruction may be the wages of both:ooHoſ. 8.11.Hos 8:11 Becauſe Ephraim hath made many altars to ſin, altars ſhall be unto him to ſinne. This is fearefull; therefore I conelude this point, as Saint Iohn doth his firſt Epiſtle; Babes, keepe your ſelves from Idols: Yea, Lord keepe us all from them by the grace of thy Spirit.

You ſee the danger of will-worſhip, let this containe us in the true adoration of God. Worſhip is two-fold; Civill or Religious. Civill, to men, in reſpect of their degrees in the Church, Common-wealth, or private family. In regard of Age, give reverence to the gray-head: of gifts, ſo Eliſha reverenced Eliah: of place; in Church: ſo Miniſters are to reverence their Biſhops: in Common-wealth, ſo ſubjects muſt give reverence to Magiſtrates: in private family, ſo children owe reverence to their parents, ſervants to their maſters. To God only is due religious worſhip: they write that to the King of Benin the people give ſuch reverence, that we ſcarce give more to God. They fall flat on the ground before him, covering their faces, and depart without turning their backes. But to all men give Summa, ſed Sua: to God only religious worſhip; who is ſo jealous of his honour that he will not give it to another. Be yee never ſo great, ſtoope to the Lord: honour him that hath honoured you: it is no diſcredite to your worſhips to worſhip God. Chriſt ſtooped low for our ſakes;Philip 2.7.Phil 2:7 He made himſelfe of no reputation, but tooke upon him the forme of a ſervant, and was made in the likeneſſe of men. What the Barbarians dreamed of Paul and Barnabas, Act. 14.11. Dii deſcenderunt ſimilitudine hominum; The gods are come downe to us in the likeneſſe of men. We found true in Chriſt; God is come downe among us in the likeneſſe of man; Yea, indeed, a true man. GOD ſaid once, Gen. 3.22. in deriſion of our folly; Behold! the man is become as one of us. But wee may ſay truely, GOD is become as one of us. Hee that was ſo low, is now and was ever the moſt High: Let us adore that bleſſed IESUS. The LORD ſaith, when he bringeth in the p. 147firſt begotten into the world;qqHebr. 1.6.Heb 1:6 Let all the Angels of God worſhip him. Doe the bleſſed Angels of heaven, and ſhall not men on earth worſhip him? I ſpeake not onelyonly of a corporall adoration, though that alſo be due.Philip. 2.Phil 2 At the Name of IESUS ſhould every knee bow, of things in heaven, in earth, and under the earth. Neither doe I thinke the bowing of knee, at the Name of IESUS, to be a fruitleſſe but harmeleſſe ceremonie. As for their exception, that the bowing more at this, than at other Names of GOD, may breed an errour of advancing the Sonne above the Father and Holy Spirit. Wee anſwer, that the truth of the Sonnes equalitie with the Father and the Spirit, is a myſterie ſo hard for mortall wits to apprehend; that of all errours, that which may give them the moſt honour, is leſſe to be feared. Bellarmine obſerves, that moſt Heretickes have denied the Son, none ever denied the Father to be God. But why not bow we as well at the name of Chriſt? if any name bee greater than other, it ſeemes to be Chriſt: for he is called Domini Chriſtus, Luk. 2.26. The Lords Chriſt. Bernard anſwers; Of all names given to him, ſtill IESUS is the ſweeteſt. Other are names of Majeſtie, this of Mercy: the Word of God, the Sonne of God, the Chriſt of God; all titles of glory; IESUS, of Grace and Redemption. The contemptible name, which Pilate ſo ſcoffed at; IESUS of Nazareth, is ſo preached and praiſed; that againſt all Infidels it hath gotten the preheminence above every name. The condemning then of this honour due to IESUS, is rather an argument of ſpite, than an evidence of the Spirit; as it hath beene ſaid truely. To this Name all ſhall bow: in heaven, Angels and glorified Spirits: on earth, Men: under the earth, thoſe that bee now dead: for all ſhall appeare before his Tribunall with bended knees. Perhaps by under the earth, are meant even devils and damned ſpirits: though they bow not ſpontaneae genua; yet they ſhall give an extorted adoration. Glorious Angels, bleſſed Spirits, and good Men, have a voluntary geniculation: but the wicked on earth, and fiends in hell, ſhall be forced to it againſt their wils. So was Iudas; I have ſinned in betraying the innocent bloud. So Iulian; Thou haſt over come, O Galilean! So the devils; What have we to doe with thee, Ieſus thou Son of God? Matth. 8.29. That evill ſpirit ſaid; Ieſus I know, Act. 19.15. for even the devils beleeve and tremble. Wicked men now trample his bloud, but ſhall one day ſubmiſſively acknowledge his Dominion; Lord, when ſaw we thee hungry, &c. Matth. 25. But this extorted Confeſſion ſhall be to their Confuſion; Depart ye curſed. Thus as every knee ſhould bow, ſo every knee ſhall bow; if not out of faith, yet out of feare.rrEſay 45.23.Isa 45:23 I have ſworne by my ſelfe: the word is gone out of my mouth in righteouſneſſe, and ſhall not returne; that unto me every knee ſhall bow, Rom 14.11. He is God, and ſhall be worſhipped.

This I thought good to urge, becauſe as if we had beene taught to be proud, there is little reverence among us: I am aſhamed to ſpeak it; many ſit in the Church as at a Theater: their hands are too idle to uncover their heads, their knees too ſtiffe to bow to Chriſt. Even to the Goſpell, which muſt ſave them, or they ſhall never be ſaved, their regard is little better than contempt. For ſhame of men, and Angels, where is our reverence? Doe you come hither to give God a bleſſing, or to take it? Will a Petitioner ſue to a Peere with a covered head, or an unmoved knee?ſſLevit. 19.30.Lev 19:30 Yee ſhall reverence my Sanctuary, I am the Lord. If the Law chalenged ſuch reverence, what doth the Goſpell? If the bloud of goats had ſuch reſpect, what requires the Lambe of God, the bloud of our Lord Ieſus? What is this, but to give the ſacrifice of fooles? Eccl. 5.1. God will dwell with him, that trembleth at his Word, Eſay 66.2. Wee tremble like mountaines; yea, the mountaines quake at Gods preſence, ſaith the Pſalmiſt: wee are not moved. But as for mee, I will come into thy houſe in the multitude of thy mercies;ttPſal. 5.7.Ps 5:7 and in thy feare will I worſhip toward thy holy Temple O for one dramme of this reverence! But indeed it is in vaine to bend the knees, with unbended ſoules: it is a poore worſhip, to move our hats, not our hearts. But hee doth beſt, that expreſſeth before men his zeale by his reverence, and commends before GOD his reverence by his zeale. It is fabled, that when Iuno on a day had proclaimed a great reward to him that brought her the beſt preſent; p. 148there came in a Phyſitian, a Poet, a Merchant, a Philoſopher, and a Begger. The Phyſitian preſented a hidden ſecret of nature; a preſcript able to make an old man young againe. The Poet an Encomiaſticke Ode of her bird, the Peacocke. The Merchant, a rare hollow Iewell to hang at her eare. The Philoſopher, a booke of ſtrange myſteries. The poore quaking Begger, onelyonly a bended knee, ſaying, I have nothing worth acceptance; Accipe meipſum, Take my ſelfe. Some come hither with preſcripts of their owne; they have receits enow already, they care for no more. Other like the Poet, come to admire Peacocks, the gawdie Popinjayes, and faſhioniſts of the time, bluſtring in their painted feathers. Other like the Merchant, preſent Iewels; but they are hollow: come with criticall or hypocriticall humours: like Carpes, to bite the net, and wound the Fiſher; not to be taken. Some like the Philoſopher, bring a booke with them; which they reade without minding the Preacher, ſaying, they finde more learning there, than he can teach them. But bleſſed are the poore in ſpirit; that like the Begger, give themſelves to God. Iuno gave the reward to him, God gives the bleſſing to theſe.uuLuke 1.53.Luke 1:53 He hath filled the hungry with good things, but the rich hee hath ſent empty away. A reverent heart ſhall carry away the comfort: Godlineſſe in the humble duſt of Adoration, ſhall be lifted up by the hand of mercy.

Imitation of God followes: for what elſe is godlineſſe, but to be like God? We were all made after his Image; that was loſt: now our regeneration is nothing elſe but the repairing of that Image.xxEpheſ 5.1.Eph 5:1 Be yee therefore followers of God, as deare children. True children will imitate their parents: if we doe not follow God, we are baſtards. Follow thy Father, as Aſcanius did Aeneas, though non paſsibus aequis. It is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy, 1 Pet. 1.16. By nature a Noah may beget a Cham; Abraham an Iſhmael: but in grace, the moſt Holy begets no children but Saints.aa1 Ioh. 2.6.1 John 2:6 He that ſaith he abideth in him, ought himſelfe to walk even as he walked. He is no member that walks a contrary way to his head. If Ieſus goe unto the Mount to pray, and Iudas to the Phariſies to betray, he is no Apoſtle, but an Apoſtate. This is my way, ſaith Chriſt, the light of Truth: if you will goe by darkneſſe, becauſe your deeds are evill; wee ſhall never meet, till we meet in judgement.bbLuke 6.36.Luke 6:36 Be you mercifull, for your Father in heaven is mercifull. God loves mercy; they that love it not, are not Godly. I wonder what hope; oppreſſours of their poore tenants; Vſurers with their forfeitures; contentious men with their Law-vexations; the malicious with their injuries, can have? The Father of mercies hath no children but the mercifull. Iudgement mercileſſe ſhall be to him that ſhewes no mercy, Iam. 2.13. The poore man that hath ſmarted with their crueltie, may taſte the ſweets of Gods mercy: Wretched they! this cup ſhall never touch their lips. Have merciemercy on mee, ſayes the poore wretch to his living oppreſſours; no. Have mercy on me, ſaith the dying oppreſſour to God: No, Goe ye curſed; you had no mercy on others, there is no mercy for your ſelves. If thou ſeen a man unmercifull, be bold to ſay he is ungodly.

Thus Pietie conſiſts in the imitation of God: Pii nomen non meruit, qui Dei exemplum non coluit. Indeed this name is often uſurped, ſeldome juſtified. There are ſome things, wherein it is no Godlineſſe to ambigate a likeneſſe to God. Contend not to be like him in the Arme of his power, for this Nebuchadnezzer loſt his kingdome: nor in the finger of his miracles, for this Simon Magus was caſt downe, and broke his necke: nor in the face of his Majeſtie, for this Lucifer was throwne out of heaven: nor in the Braine of his wiſdome, for this Adam was driven out of Paradiſe. But in the bowels of his mercy; according to this wee ſhall be everlaſtingly rewarded. Never did, or ſhall, Man or Angell offend, in coveting to be like God in meekneſſe, in goodneſſe, in charity, in mercy. Imitate his Morals, not his Miracles.

To conclude, let me ſet this marke upon Godlineſſe: Prove your ſelves Content and I will aſſure you Godly. Godlineſſe with contentment is great gaine, 1 Tim. 6.6. The Apoſtle ſeeing ſuch univerſall labour for ſmall gaine, thought to winne men with great gaine. But what is that? Godlineſſe? Here's a paradox will hardly be received: he had need of good Logicke, for this is a hard poſition. The whole world p. 149thinkes gaine to be godlineſſe, and doth Paul ſay Gcdlineſſe is gaine? Michaiah had not ſo many opponents, foure hundred to one, 1 King. 22. He ſhall have merchant with his adventures, Land-lord with his fines, Patron with his Simonies, Vſurer with his obligations, Lawyer with his caſes; all ſtriving to confute this, crying out for gaine, as the Epheſians for their Goddeſſe; Great is Diana of the Epheſians. IndeedccMatt 19.11.Matt 19:11 all men cannot, and many men will not, receive this ſaying. You will not beleeve it, though it be told you, Habac. 1.5. This ſaying may, like the Lord, Pſal. 14.2. Looke downe from heaven, to ſee if any will regard it: None, no not one. It may goe from Court to City, from City to Country, and ſcarce one of a thouſand will yeeld to it. But as the Bride was decked for her Beloved, Pſal. 45. in garments of needle-work, and a veſture of wrought gold, with jewels and ornaments: So God trimmes up Piety, ſweet and beauteous in her-ſelfe, with rich endowments of honour, pleaſure, peace, and happineſſe; as it were Letters of Commendations, that all might love her. No worldly gaine can ſatisfie mans heart: Iſrael murmured as much when they had Manna, as when they had it not: and rich men are as troubled with that they poſſeſſe, as poore men for that they want. Iacob gave Reuben a bleſs;ing, but added, Thou ſhalt not be excellent, Gen. 49. So God gives the worldling riches, but ſayes, Thou ſhalt not be ſafisfied. But when Piety commeth, Content followes it: you found ſmall peace in the world, you ſhall have great peace in conſcience. When Chriſt brought ſalvation to Zaccheus, his minde altered: before he did nothing but ſcrape, now hee was all for giving. This was not the firſt day that he ſeemed rich to others, but this was the firſt day hee ſeemed rich to himſelfe. Riches bring contention, Godlineſſe brings contentation. Gaine hath often hurt the getters, Piety is profitable to all men. Wealth comes, and a man is not pleaſed: honour comes, and yet he is not pleaſed: the luſts of the fleſh are fulfilled, and yet he is not pleaſed: but when Godlines comes, his cup is full:ddPſal. 16.6.Ps 16:6 The lines aye fallen unto me in pleaſant places, I have a goodly heritage. As Philip ſaid, Lord, ſhew us the Father, and it ſufficeth, Ioh. 14.7. So Lord, give us Godlineſſe, and it ſufficeth. What the rich man falſely uſurped, this certainely affordeth; Soule reſt, ſat habes, thou haſt enough.eeIoh. 8.36.John 8:36 If the Sonne make you free, yee ſhall be free indeed: If Godlineſſe make you rich, ye ſhall never be poore.