Diseases of the Soul, Part 13
Inflammation of the reines, or lustfulnesse. Disease 7.
AMong many diseases incident to the reines, as the Diabetes, vlcers, the stone there, and the emission of bloudy vrine, there is one called inflammation of the reines. To this not vnfitly, by comparing the causes, Symptomes, and cure of either, I doe liken Lust: the Scripture cals it by a generall name, Vncleannesse. Couetousnes is commonly the disease of old age, Ambition of middle age, Lust of youth: if it extends further, it portends lesse helpe.
Causes.
THe Causes of the bodily disease are giuen to be. First, corrupt humours. Secondly, drinking of many medicines. Thirdly, vehement ridings. Consider these in our comparison, and tell me, if they sound not a similitude. There is corruptio perdita, whence comes eruptio pestifera. Prouocatur libido, vbi deficit; reuocatur, vbi desinit. Medicines are inuented, not to qualifie, but to calefie; as if they intended to keepe aliue their concupiscence, though they dead their conscience.
Signes and Symptomes.
THe Signes are many. There is a beating paine about the first ioynt of the backe, a little aboue the bastard ribs, &c. with others, which modestie bids couer with the cloke of silence. The Lustfull man is a monster; as one that vseth,
Humano capiti ceruicem iungere equinam.
He affects Popery for nothing else, but the patronage Hor.of fornication, and frankenesse of Indulgence. Hee cites Harding frequently, that common Courteghians in hote countreys, are a necessary euill: which hee beleeues against Gods expresse prohibition, in a hoter climate then Italie. There Deut. 23. 17shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel: then certainely no whore-master. He thinks it; if a sinne, yet peccadillo, a little sinne; and that the venereall faults are veniall, at least venall. Thus he would be a Bawd to the sinne, if not to the sinners. He is carelesse of his owne name, of his owne soule: iniurious to his own minion, whom he corrupts: to his bastard, whom he brings vp like himselfe. He increaseth mankind, not for louelove to the end, but to the meanes. His soule is wrapped in the trusse of his senses; and a whore is the Communis terminus, where they all meete. Hee hath no command ouer his owne affections, though ouer countreys; as our moderne Epigrammatist of Hercules.Owen Epigr.
Lenam non potuit, potuit superare leaenam;
Quem fera non valuit vincere, vicit hera.
His practice is, as it is sayd of some Tobacchonists, to drie vp his purse, that he may drie vp his bloud, and the radicall moisture.
Nil nisi turpe iuuat, curae est sua cui que voluptas;Amor. 1.
Haec quo que ab alterius grata dolore venit.
The delight of his wickednesse is the indulgence of the present, for it indures but the doing. He neuer rests so contentedly, as on a forbidden bed. Hee is a felonious picklocke of Virginities, and his language corrupts more innocent truth, then a bad Lawyers. Hee is an Almanack from eighteene to eight and twenty; if hee scapes the fire so long. He can neuer call his haires and his sinnes equall; for as his sins increase, his haires fal. He buyes admission of the Chambermaid with his first fruits. He liues like a Salamander in the flames of lust, and quencheth his heat with fire; and continues his dayes vnderunder Zona Torrida. He spends his forencone with Apothecaries; the afternoon of his daies with Surgions: the former beget his miserie, the latter should cure it. EueryEvery rare female, like a wandring Planet, strikes him: hence he growes amazed. His eyes are the trap-dores to his hart; and his lasciuious hopes sucke poyson from the fairest flowre. Hee drownes himselfe in a womans beauty, which is Gods good creation, as a melancholy distracted man in a Crystall riuer. When conscience plucks him by the sleeue, and would now after much importunacy speake with him, he bids her meet him at fifty: hee chargeth repentance attend him at master Doctors. When his lifes sunne is ready to set, he marries, and is then knocked with his owne weapon: his owne disablenesse, and his wiues youthfulnesse, like bels ringing all in. Now his common theme is to bragge of his young sinnes; and if you credit his discourse, it shall make him farre worse then hee was. At last, hee is but kept aboue ground by the art of Chirurgery.
Cure.
FOr his cure, let him bloud with the law of God: Thou shalt not commit adultery. That the righteous God tryeth Psal. 7. 9.the heart and the reines: euen the place, where his disease lyeth. That
Si Renum cupis incolumem seruare salutem,
Sirenum cantus effuge, sanus eris.
That breuis est voluptas fornicationis, perpetua poena fornicatoris: Owen Epig.the pleasure of the sinne is short, the punishment of the Ieron.sinner eternall. That
Nuda Uenus picta est, nudi pinguntur amores:
Nam, quos nuda capit, nudos amittat oportet.
That his desired cure, is his deserued poyson. Age and sleepe are his infalliblest Physicians. Disease is the mortifier of his sinne, and cures it with an issue. That no black shield of the darkest night, no subtill art can hide or defend from Gods impulsiue sight. That, as a moderne Poet of ours:
Ioy grauen in sense, like snow in water wasts.
Without conserue of vertue nothing lasts.
That hee walkes the high-way to the diuell; and Windes downe the blinde staires to hell. That as it is called a noble sinne, it shall hauehave a noble punishment. That he hath taken a voyage to the kingdome of darknesse; and is now at his iournies end, when lust leaues him ere he discharge it. Let him obserue S. Pauls medicine: Fly fornication: EueryEvery sinne that a man doth, is without the body: but hee that 1. Cor. 6. 8.committeth fornication sinneth against his owne body. And This is the will of God, euen your sanctification, and that yee 1. Thes. 4. 3.should abstaine from fornication. Let him shunne Opportunity as his Bawde, and Occasion as his Pandar. Let him often drink that potion, that Augustine at his conuersion. Let Confes. lib. 8. cap. 12. Rom. 13. 13.vsus walke honestly as in the day time, not in rioting and drunkennesse, not in chambering and wantonnesse, &c. But put ye on the Lord Iesus Christ, and make not prouision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof. Phisicians prescribe, for the reines inflammation, cooling things, cataplasmes, bathes, &c. A speciall intention to cure this burning concupiscence, is to coole it with the teares of penitence. Weepe for thy sins; and if the disease growe still strong vponupon thee, take the antidote God hath prescribed, Marriage. It is better to marrie then to burne. Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed 1. Cor. 7. Heb. 13. 4.vndefiled: but Whoremongers and Adulterers God will iudge. Much exercise doth well to the cure of this Inflammation. When our affections refuse to sit on the nest of Lust, and to keepe it warme, the brood of actuall follies will not be hatched. How Aegistus (not without companie) became an Adulterer,
In promptu causa est, desidiosus erat. For.
Otia si tollas, periere Cupidinis arcus.
Cupid shootes in a slugge, and still hits the sluggish. This intemperate fire is well abated by withdrawing the fewel. Delicates to excite Lust, are spurres to post a man to hell. It is fasting spettle, that must kill his tetter. Uncleannesse is the bastard begot of Gluttony and Drunkennesse. Sine Cerere & Baccho friget Uenus. When the mouth is made a tunnell, and the belly a barrell, there is no contentment without a bed and a bed-fellow.