The Drunkards Character, Section 133 – Section 135
§ 133.
NOw the reason why God punisheth this sinne so severely,…hat is done to the godly, Christ takes as done to himselfe. And well b… may, for their hatred is against God and Christ. is this. What wrongs and contumelies are done to his children, he accounts as done to himselfe; as we may plainely perceive, by, Psal. 83. 2. 5. 6. Pro. 19. 3. psal. 44. 22. and 69. 7. Rom. 1. 30. and 9. 20. Math. 10. 22. and 25. 45. Luk. 21. 17. Zach. 2. 8. 1 Sam. 17. 45. Isa. 37. 4. 22. 23. 28. Psal. 74. 4. 10. 18. 22. 23. Psal. 89. 50. 51. Acts, 5. 39. and 9. 4. 5. Psal. 139. 20. Isa. 45. 9. Iob. 9. 4. Isa. 54. 17. 1 The. 4. 8. 10. 15. 18. 20. 21. 24. 25. 23. Num. 16. 11. 1 Sa. 8. 7. And well he may, for they that hate and revile the Godly, because they are godly, as these doe, hate and revile God himselfe; and they that fight against the grace of the Spirit, fight against the Spirit, whose grace it is; and whatsoever wrong is done to one of Christ's little ones, is done unto him, Math. 25. 45. It is an idle misprision, to sever the sense of an injury, done to any of the Members, from the Head: there is that straite conjunction betweene Christ and beleevers, that the good, or evill offered them, redowndes to him; Christ is both suffering, and triumphing in his Saints; in Abel, he was slaine of his Brother; he was scoft at by his Sonne, in Noah; he wandred to and fro, in Abraham; in Isaac, he was offered; sold, in Ioseph; driven away, in Moses; in the Prophets, he was stoned; in the Apostles, tossed up and downe by Sea and Land. What did Ioseph's brethren, in going about to kill him, but in effect, and so farre as they could, they kild their father in him: Ioab smot Absalom's body, but therein David's heart. The Rebell saith, he meanes no hurt to the person of the King, but because he doth it to the Subjects, he is therfore a Traytor: thus when the proud Philistine defied the Army of Israel, David said directly, that he had blasphemed God himselfe, 1 Sam. 17. 45. and Rabsheka defying the Iewes, is said, by Hezekiah, to have rayled on the living God, Isa, 37. 4. 23. 24. as eager Wolves will houle against the Moone, though they cannot reach it. Saul, Saul, saith Christ, seeing him make havocke of the Church, why persecutcst thou me? I am Iesus whom thou persecutest, Act. 9. 4. 5. and Iesus was then in Heaven, but we know, the head will say, and that properly, when the foote is trod upon, why tread you upon me?
Wicked men are like that great Dragon, that old Serpent, called the Devill, and Sathan, Rev. 12. who when he could not prevaile against Michael himselfe, nor pursue that man child, Christ, he being taken up to God, and to his Throne; waged spitefull and perpetuall warre with the Woman, who had brought forth the man Child, that is, with the Church, and the remnant of her seede, which keepe the Commandements of God, and have the testimony of Iesus Christ.
History reports, how one being to fight with a Duke in a Duel, or single combat; that he might be more expert, and doe it with the greater courage, got his picture, and every day thrust at it with his sword: and onelyonly to deface the picture of an enemy, when we cannot come at his person, hath a little eased the spleene of some. It contents the Dog, to gnaw the stone, when he cannot reach the thrower. It was well pleasing to Saul, since he could not catch David, that he might have the blood of Ahimelech, who used him so friendly, and relieved him in his great distresse, 1 Sam. 21. so though these men cannot wreake their malice upon God, he being out of their power and reach, yet, that they may doe him all the mischiefe they can, have at his Image, they will wreake it upon his children, in whom his Spirit dwells: as Mithridates kild his Sonne Siphares, to be revenged of the mother: or as Progne slew her Sonne Itys, to spite her husband Tereus; or as the Panther, that will fiercely assault the picture, for the inveterate and deadly hatred which he beareth to man: or as Calignla caused a very faire house to be defaced, for the pleasure his Mother had received in the same; it being as true of malice, as it is of love, that it will creepe, where it cannot goe.
Which being so, shewes that this thy sinne is not small: for if one revile or slander his equall, it is an offence, and may beare an action of the case; but if a Noble man, it is Scandalum Magnatum, deserving sharper punishment; and if the King, it is Treason, and worthy of death: then how foule must that sinne be, which is a trespasse committed directly against God, the King of Kings, 1 Sam. 2. 25. and how fearefull the punishment?
Wherefore take heede what thou dost, for as verily as Christ is King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, so will he dash all those peeces of earth, which rise up against him, as a potters vessell.
§ 134.
TRue it is, they are so blind that though they doe hate God,Though they are so blind that they think they love God and his graces, where everthey finde them, and desperately fight against the most high, yet they thinke they love God, or, at least, doe not hate him; yea, what one is there of them, not ready to call for a Bason, with Pilate, and to wash his hands from this foule evill, with many faire pretences? yea, if they had no answer to frame, no false plea to put in, we might well say that Sathan were turned foole, and that his schollers had no braines left: but let the sacred truth of holy Scripture be judge, and all the powers of their soules and bodies doe fight against him; not a …inew, nor a veine, of theirs, but it wars against their Creator, Iohn, 15. 23. 24. which at last shall appeare, for (though they may dissemble it for a time, yet) when vengeance shall seize upon them, then shall they openly and expressely blaspheme him to his face, Revel. 16. 9. 11. common eyes may be cheated with easie pretexes, but he that lookes through the heart at the face, will one day answer their Apologies with scourges: yea, if a man could but feele the very pulse of these mens soules, he should find, that the foundation of their hatred and enmity to …, is their hatred against God, and Christ, the chiefe of the Womans seede: even as when Sathan slew Iob's servants, his malice was against Iob: or as when Saul darted a Speare at Ionathan, his spite was against David, 1 Sam. 20. 33. or as when Sampson burnt the corne, vineyards, and Olives of the Philistins, his quarrell was against his Father in Law, who was a Citizen of Timnah, Iudg. 15.
He that loves not the Members, was never a friend to the Head; he that wrongs the wife, is no friend to the husband; he loves neither, that vilifies either; lip-love, is but lying love; if thou lovedst God heartily, thou wouldest love the things and persons that he loves; vertue is the livery of the King of Heaven, and who would dare to arrest one that weares his cloth, if he were not an Arch-Traytor and Rebell; if we loved him, we would love one another. When David could doe the Father Barzillay no good, by reason of his old age, he loved and honoured Chimham his Sonne, 2 Sam. 19. 38. And to requite the love of Ionathan, he shewed kindnesse to Mephibo…heth: so if thou bearest any good will to God, whom it is not in thy power to pleasure, thou wilt shew thy thankefulnesse to him, in his children, who are bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh. Is our Ionathan gone? Yet we have many Mephibosheths; and he that loves God, for his owne sake, will love his Brother, for Gods sake, especially, when he hath loved us, as it were, on this condition, that we should love one another; whereas thou hatest the children of God, even for their very graces and vertues; for thou couldest love their persons well enough, if they were not conscionable. And so much of the eighth aggravation.
§ 135.
NInthly,… …hom they wrong a…e their best friends to whom they owe their very lives. againe touching the party wronged, thy sinne is incomparably greater, in as much as thou makest that the subject of thy derision, which is the onelyonly meanes of thy preservation. Knowest thou not, or mayst thou not know, how the wicked owe their lives unto those few good, whom they hate and persecute? It were bad enough to wrong enemies, but to wrong such, by whom thou art preserved alive, is abominable: but see it proved, for this may seeme incredible to thee,
The religious, whom thou persecutest, keepe off judgements from thee, and the whole land.
1 By their innocency.
2 By their Prayers.
First, by their innocency. 1 By their i…nocencyThe Innocent (saith El…phas) shall deliver the Iland, and it shall be preserved, The …eligious keeps off judgement… f…om them.by the purenesse of his hands, Iob. 22. 30. Runne to and fro by the streets of Hierusalem, (saith God to Ieremiah) and behold now, and know, and enquire in the open plac…s thereof, if ye can find a man, or if there be any that executeth judgment, and seeketh the truth, and I will spare it, Ier. 5. 1. to which testimonies, I could add a world of examples, even all Noah's family, were preserved from drowning in the generall Deluge, for Noah's sake. In the destruction of Sodom, if ten righteous persons could have beene found, the whole City had beene spared; ten, had saved ten thousand, Gen. 18. 29. 32. yea, when there was no remedy, but destroyed it must be, the Angels promised Lot, whomsoever he brought forth should escape for his sake. Againe, God saved Zoar, a City belonging to Sodom, for Lot's sa…e, Gen. 19. 21. Now Zoar might happily be as bad as Sodom; but here was the difference, Zoar had a Lot within it; Sodome had none. Potiphar was a Heathen, yet his house shall be blessed, because Ioseph is in it: a whole family, yea, a whole Kingdome, shall fare the better for one despised, traduced, imprisoned Ioseph, though he were sold for a slave. Laban was cruell, churlish, wicked, yet he shall be blessed for Iacob's sake, Gen. 30. 27. Among two hundred three score and sixteene soules, there was but one Paul; yet behold, saith the Angell, God hath given thee all that saile with thee, Acts, 27. 24. 44. Zacheus alone beleeved, yet this brought salvation to his whole house, Luk. 19. O the large bounty of God, which reacheth not to us onelyonly, but to ours!