The Drunkards Character, Section 142
§ 142.
THus I have unfolded thy severall and superlative sinnes;But the drun kard hath … shift to evade al this, and what else can be spoken. and laid before thee the punishment due unto them single: I have also shown thee how they are greatned and aggravated by sundry circumstances, which will also adde weight to thy torment, and (without repentance) double thy doome. All which me thinks being put together, and duely considered should make thee loath and abhorre thy present condition, and not onelyonly awaken thy conscience, but fetch blood from thy secure heart; yea, if thou wishest, or carest to bee saved, or ever hopest for entrance into Gods Kingdome, thou wilt with Ephraim, strike thy selfe upon the thigh, Ier. 31. 19. smite thy breast, with the Publican, Luk. 18. 13. and with amazement and indignation say, what have I done… what shall I doe to be saved… at least if it be possible.
But as there is no hole to bee found in all the Barke of Popery,1. He can apply Christs passion and Gods mercy as a war rant for his li…ntious…sse. but some popish Proctor, or other, will finde a peg to stop it: so though this Pot hath so wide a mouth, that, as one would thinke, no Potlid could bee found big enough to cover it; yet thou hast a shift for thy persevering, or rather, the enemy of mankind hath furnished thee with an evasion; for, that he may make smooth the way to perdition, hee will tell the procrastinator, that the Thiefe upon the Crosse was heard by our Saviour, at the last howre; and that God is mercifull, therefore he may go on boldly; aud let the worst that can come, repentance at the last howre, and saying, Lord have mercy upon me, (which the common people make their necke-verse) will make all even; otherwise, God is not so good as his word, who saith, at what time soever a sinner repenteth &c. for hee can take liberty to continue his sensuall lusts, by a warrant of Scripture: what is written for his consolation, hee turnes to poyson, making of his restorative Physicke, a drinke to intoxicate him to desperatenesse: yea, he can apply Christ's Passion, as a Warrant for his licentiousnesse, not as a remedy; and takes his Death, as a Licence to sin; his Crosse, as a letters Patent to doe mischiefe: so they not only sever those things, which God hath joyned together, sin, and punishment; and joyne together, what God hath severed, sinne, and reward; but even turn the grace of God into want onnesse, as if a man should head his Taber with his pardon.
Wherein the Divell deales with them, as once with our Saviour, Cast thy selfe downe headlong, for the Angels shall beare thee up; so plung your selves into this, or that sinne, the mercy of God shall helpe you out; poyson thy selfe, here is a counterpoyson; break thy head, here is a plaister, surfeit, here is a Physitian.
Upon which ground, the most impudent and insolent sinners, Drunkards, Adulterers, Swearers, Mammonists, &c. presume, that though they live like Swine all their life long, yet a cry for mercy at last gasp, shal transform them into Saints, as Circe's charmes transformed Men into Swine. We are all willing to believe what we wish.
The Divell makes large promises,The hope of an bypocrite is easi…y blowne into him, and as sooneblown out of him. and perswades his they shall have what they desire, but ever disappoinrs them of their hopes: as what a liberty, what wisdome, did hee promise our first Parents… when indeed, hee stole from them that liberty and wisdome they had: even as Laban promised Iacob beautifull Rachel, but, in the dark, gave him bleare-ey'd Leah: or as Hamor promised the Sechamites, that by their circumcision, all the goods of the house of Israel should be theirs, wheras in deed, the goods of the Sechamites fell to the house of Israel, Diabolus …entitar, …t fallat; vitam pollicetur, …t peri…at, saith S. Cyprian.
The condition of an inconsiderate worldling, is much like as Alchymists; who projecting for the Philosophers stone, distils away his estate in Limbecks, not doubting to find that, which shall do all the World good; yea, hee dares promise his friends before hand Gold in whole Scuttles: but at last his glasse breaks, and himselfe with it. Thus when Agag was sent for before Samuel, he went pleasantly, saying, the bitternesse of death is past; but his welcome, was immediately to be he…en in peeces, 1 Sam. 15. 33. The rich man resolves when he hath filled his Barnes, then soule rest; but God answers, no, then soule come to judgement, to cverlasting unrest, Luk. 12. 19. 20.
The hope of an hypocrite is easily blown into him, and as soone blowne out of him; because his hope is not of the right kind; yea, it is presumption, not confidence, viz. hope frighted out of it's wits; an high house, upon weak pillars, which upon every little change, threatens ruine to the inhabitant, for a little winde blowes down the Spiders-web of his hope, wherby, like the foolish builder, he comes short of his reckoning. That heart, which Wine had, even now, made as light as a feather, dyes, ere long, as heavie as a stone, 1 Sam. 25. 36, 37.