The Godly Mans Journey to Heaven, Treatise 2 · Meditation 15 – Meditation 16
15. Satan his cruell taskmaisters sent forth against man to keepe him vnderunder hellish slauerie here; and in the end to drowne him in that lake which burneth with fire and brimstone.
THou canst not be ignorant, ô my soule, (being acquainted with holy Scripture) that as cruell Pharoah King of Egypt, had fierce taskmaisters set by him ouer the Lords of Israel. So that cruell Dragon Satan thy greatest enemie, hath his owne bloudie taskmaisters sent forth against Gods elect ones to shame them, and to slay them: and that these his taskmaisters resemble in one thing especially, the taskmaisters of Pharoah. Pharoahs taskmaisters, as holy Scripture testifieth, are not content to mitigate Pharoahs will vntounto the poore Israelites, but they must with fierce countenances, sharpe tongues, and strong hands, hasten them without all delay to do it: Euen so Satans taskmaisters do not onelyonly command these, ouer whom they are set, and in whom they raigne, to obey the diuels will, but they hasten them so to obey it, that they can neither eate nor drinke; no sleepe as it were, till Satans will be executed by them. But who be the taskmaisters of Satan, ô my soule, let that disciple whom Iesus loued, and in whose bosome he louingly sometime lay,1. Iohn 2. 16. resolue thee. The lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Young Ammon is so boasted, and beaten by that taskmaister ye lust of his flesh,2. Sam. 13. lusting after his sister Tamar, yt be pineth away from day to day, till hauing obeyed the command of that fierce filthie taskmaister he defiles his sister vnnaturally. Young Absolon is so beaten, and boasted by that alluring taskmaister the pride of life,2. Sam. 15. longing after a crowne, that he can take no rest by night, nor by day, till he put the crowne of his old father vponupon his head, contenting that his father in the meane time flee out of Ierusalem barefooted and bare-headed. That vncouth traitor Iudas is so boasted, and beaten by that deceiuing taskmaister the lust of the eyes and so of couetousnesse, that he cannot possibly be destroyed by all that his maister hath done vntounto him, by all that his maister hath spoken to him in the audience of his brethren touching him that should betray him; from betraying of him: and all to the end that he may see … peeces of siluer deliuered Lament, lament, herefore, ô my soule, the miserable estate of those, pitied by others, albeit not by themselues: who esteeme themselues to be the greatest amongst men. Will noble men, will great men be commanded by that great good God, speaking vntounto them, and hasting them to do his good will, by these his kinde, by smiling and meeke taskemaisters, in whose mouthes he hath put his word, and yet they dare be content to be commanded by, and to be (as most miserable slaues) couched vnderunder that euill one Satan, and these his cruell taskemasters hasting them to do the diuell his euill will. Will our Gentlemen, ô my soule, be seruants to any man, content to be schollers, to be tradesmen, to be craftsmen, and yet they can reioyce to suffer themselues to be abused by Satan, and by sinne, by the which in such …ort he fighteth against their soules, that no slaue roweth in a gall…y so farre against his will, vnderunder the vncouth bondage of that cruell maister the Turke, as a verie world in this our age, of these men row with both their hands and feete (as it were) vnderunder the diuell, hastened in the meane time by the foresaid taskemaisters, and yet not against their will, but willingly; not with griefe, but with ioy. Let the adulterer, the idolater, the murtherer, the fornicator, the drunkard, the seditious man, the oppressour, the false man, the couetous man lay his hand to his heart, so shall he find this to be true. The consideration hereof moued wise Salomon (acquainting vsus with the nature of the wicked man, and counselling vsus to beware of him) thus to speake:Prou. 4. 14. 15. 16. Enter not into the way of the wicked, and walke not in the way of the euill man, auoide it, go not by it, turne from it, and passe by it: for they cannot sleepe except they hauehave done euill, and their sleepe departeth except they cause some to fall.
16. Learne so to liue that thou giuegive offence to none by thy life.
ALas, ô my soule, how many be there, who misled, alas, by their owne conceits, more then blind and abhominable in this last and most leud age, who being grauely counselled, and louingly requested by their onelyonly true friends, who do louelove them in God to saluation, to refraine themselues from some companie, some pastimes, some speeches, some actions, because of that aduantage, their malicious enemies, and most counterfeit friends, makes thereby; because of the offence their weake brethren cannot but iustly take thereby: yea, because of that great griefe thereby they procure to such who loues them in God dearely, making them to weepe in secret bitterly, for their knowne and seene misbehauiours, and who being thus counselled, can tauntingly answer: Tush, tush, I regard not who speake of me, what be spoken of me, I may not liue, I cannot liue, yea I will not liue, to the phantasies of men. True it is, ô my soule, that the child of God should not fashion himselfe vntounto this world, should not liue after the lusts of men yet I thinke that that man can hardly hold himselfe for the child of God,Rom 12. 2. who will not confesse,1. Pet. 4. 31. that the child of God should liue after the will of God his Father.1. Pet. 4. 2. Now is it not the will of God,2. Sam. 12. 14. ô my soule, that all his children should liue so,1. Cor. 10. 32 that neither they giuegive occasion to his enemies to blaspheme his truth, nor offence to the poorest who beleeues in his blessed Sonne, nor cause the eyes of his holy ones to gush out riuers of teares with Dauid, Psal. 119. 136.because they see the Law of God their Father transgressed? Augments not this thy sinne and dittie ô Dauid, 2. Sam. 12. 14.that by it thou madest the enemies of God to blaspheme. Are we not thus resolued by our Sauiour and maister who cannot lye, and is onelyonly able to teach vsus aright to leade our liues: Whosoeuer offendeth one of these little ones which beleeue in me, Mat. 18. 6.it were better for him that a milstone were hanged about his necke, and that he were drowned in the deepe of the sea. Is not this thy holy prudence, ô Paul (whom I euer hold for a maister able to instruct Preachers and hearers of all sorts how to leade their liues:)2. Cor. 11. 12. I take away occasion from such as seeke occasion. Is not this thy holy pitie and pietie, ô Paul, when thou lookest vponupon thy weake brethren?1. Cor. 8. 13. If meate offend my brother, I will not eate flesh while the world lasteth, that I may not offend my brother. Shall holy, wise, pitifull Paul, ô my soule, euen abstaine from lawfull things, to the end he may not offend his weake brethren, and darest thou attempt to refuse (being charged by Christ thy louelove, who to take away offence, was content to pay custome being free of custome, being counselled by Christians who in Christ do louelove them) to abstaine from vnlawfull companie, vnlawfull pastimes, vnlawfull speeches and actions. I aduise thee ô my soule, (considering the time) that thou attempt not to sit in the chaire with such men who dare liue so loosely in this world, yt they regard not whose mouthes be opened to blaspheme Gods truth, what stranger, or weake knowne brother they offend, what friend they grieue by their loose and leud behauiour. For I must tell thee, ô my soule, that there will be a day in the which the great Iudge of the world will bring with eueryevery man eueryevery worke vntounto iudgement,Eccl. 12. 14. yea, eueryevery secret thing whether it be good or euill.