The Drunkards Character, Section 166 – Section 167
§ 166.
SIxthly and lastly, he must do, touching his spirituall estate,6. Go to counsell. as worldly men do, touching their temporall possessions: goe to counsell, take advise of the Learned, (I meane the Ministers) when hee is in any doubt: as who knowes the spots of his owne face, but either by the reflection of a glasse, or by the relation of others? and in a worke of great consequence, it argues the candor and modesty of a man, to desire a coadjutor.
Now the Priests lippes, saith Malachi, preserve knowledge; and the people seek the Law at his mouth, for hee is the messenger of the Lord of Host…, Mal. 2. 7.
Yea, there is use to bee made of our friends, private Christians, we ought to borrow our friends eyes; and lend them ours; for that we do not more love our selves above others; then we see others better then our selves; we can more easily see a moate in anothers eye, then a beame in our owne, Matth 7. 3,
It is not amisse sometimes to goe from home, to heare what newes there is at home: as Tarlton told the Queene, hee was going to London, to heare what newes at Court: so a wise man will gather much knowledge of himself, from others observation; lookers on many times see more, then the actors doe. Tully said, hee could better heare the newes of Rome at Antium, then at Rome it selfe; neither can Paris tell more newes of France; or Madril of Spaine, then our Exchange in London of both. Yea, what Traveller is able to speake so much of forraigne parts, as hee that lookes no further then his studie.
Besides, every man in his owne cause is a party, and therefore partiall; so that hee which learnes of none but himselfe, hath a foole to his teacher: yea, Salom…n, no lesse then nine times▪ brands him for a foole, who refuseth admonition.
But herein observe one caution: neither advise, nor consult with brutish sensualists; for their knowledge is ignorance; their wisdome, folly; their sight, blindnesse, &c. they neither consider what reason speaketh, or religion commandeth, but what the will and appetite affecteth: for will is the axeltree, lusts and passions the wheeles, whereupon all their actions are carried, and doe runne; appetite being their lord, reason the servant, and religion their slave; whereas religion should govern their judgments, judgment and reason their wils, and affections, as Adam should have done Eve,
These are the six steps which lead up to the palace of wisdome; answerable to those six steps which led up to Salomons Throne; which all must ascend by, that meane to enter: the more of them you have ascended, he nearer you are to heaven,
If you have once attained this precious grace of s…ving knowledge, you will (as much as in you lies) …moloy the same, to the glory of the giver. There be some that care not to know; and there be some, that care for nothing else but to know; many strive after, and pray for knowledg, but why? they would be wiser, not holier by it: it is their owne honour they seek, not the honour of …hrist: if they may bee thought great Rabbies, deep and profound S…hollers, this is the height of their ambition; though neither the Church be benefited, nor God glorified by it, whereas they ought the contrary. For, as the grace of God is the fountaine from which our wisdom flowes, so the glory of God should be the Ocean to which it should runne: it is derived from the one, and must bee directed to the other. Yea, that God may be honoured by our wisdome, is the onelyonly end for which he gives us to be wise; and for default of this end, he not seldome curseth the meanes, whereby many striving to expell ignorance, fall into error; as an Empirick to cure one disease; cau…eth a worse.
If you would know in speciall, whom they are, that in using their gifts, seek not the glory of God; you may discern them by these marks. First, they will have al the talk, wheresoever they come, like Parrats. 2. They contemne others, like the Pharisies. 3. They will be wiser then God, and not submit their judgements and opinions to his word, like the Romish Pontifician Doctors, who because the commandement thwarts their opinions, and stands plainly forbidding images; that images may stand, they forbid the Commandement. 4. They spurne at him which tells them of their faults, like Abner. 5. They jump with their superiours in every thing, like the Herodians. 6. They turn with the time, like Demas. 7. They seek their own credit, by the discredit of others, like the enemies of Paul. 8. They love to heare their own praise, like Herod. 9. Above all, they would have their owne wills, like Iezabel; let these men denie it if they can. Yea, I would faine know what fruit, or effect these mens knowledge hath in them, except it bee to enable them to dispute, and discourse, to increase wit, or to increase wealth, or to increase pride? whether the utmost of their ayme be not to enrich, dignifie, and please themselves; not once casting the eye of their soules at Gods glory, or their neighbours good? as let any fluent Herod, or eloquent Turtullus tell me, whether his knowledge puffs him no…p, as if he had eaten a Spider; and whether he seekes not more the praise of his wit, then the profit of his soule, and feares not more an affront from his superiour, then he feares hell.
Againe, let any strong brain'd Achitophel tell me, whether hee had not rather seeme wicked, th… simple? Any unrighteous Judge, or Lawyer, whether his whole ayme bee not the purchasing of land, without either feare of God, regard of men, or the discharge of his duty and office.
Briefly, so many as are puft up with their knowledge, or doe not part with their sinnes, shew, that they never sought it for Gods glory, but for their own honour and glory; and certainly, if we seeke nor Gods glory, in doing his worke; hee will give us no wages, at the latter end.
But to apply what hath beene spoken.The application of what hath beene spoke… If it be so, that God reveales himselfe savingly to none but his children, the godly; and that none are soule wise, but such as digest their knowledge into practise, and imploy their wisdome to his glory that gave it, and the good of themselves and others: then your objection, of what the world thinks (like a childs bubble blowne into the aire) is fallen to the ground, and dissolved to nothing. Alasse! the world is no more fit to judge of cases of conscience, then a blind man is fit to judge of colours. Wherefore as the Orator would admit none but Rhetoricians, to judge of his Orations: so henceforward, admit none but spirituall men to sway thee in spiritual matters, and follow our Saviours counsell, seeke to justifie thy judgement and practise to the children of wisdome, of whom wisdome is justified; and not to fooles, by whom shee is daily crucified. Only condole these blind mens disasters, and drop some teares in pity and compassion, for their great and greivous misery. And so much for the objection.
§ 167.
NOw that I may fasten againe the thread of my discourse,Admonition, not to make mercy a …olster for continuing in …in where I brake it; and fall in, where I left off; let your thoughts return with me to the Law (I meane, to the Law of Christ) and to the testimony alleadged, and explained from §: 142. to §. 154. and you will easily confesse, that Sathan hath hitherto gulled you, and all in your case; that he holds a paire of false spectacles before the eyes of wicked men, and thereby perswades their deceitfull hearts, that the bridge of Gods mercy is farre larger then it is: and they give such credit therunto, that while they thinke they are upon the bridge, they go besides, and so are sure, in the end, to fall, and be drowned in the waters of eternall destruction.
Wherefore if thou meanest to fare better, make not Christ a bolster for si…ne, least the plaister prove worse then the sore; nor Gods mercy a warrant for thy continuing in an evill course; for this is to sin with an high hand, or with a witnesse (as we use to say) which if thou doest, thou shalt also perish with a witnesse, Deuteronomy 29. 19, 20, 21. I have heard of a woman, that presumed so much upon her husbands love, that if he should find her in the bed of incontinency, he would not harme her; but it proved farre otherwise, to her shame and ruine: and so it will fare with thee, in the end, for hee that deliberately resolves to sinne, doth what he can, to make himselfe uncapeable of forgivenesse: yea, how should the crosse of Christ be a friend to them, that are enemies to his crosse, Philip. 3. 19. and trample upon him with their feet, because hitherto hee hath borne the contumelies of their tongues, and excesses of their lives?
O what a blasphemous imagination is this, against Jesus Christ! to think that he came into the world to bee a patron of sinne, or a bolster, whereupon we may more securely sleep in sensuallity; and not to destroy the workes of the divell, 1 Iohn 3. 3. 8. 9. 10.
Oh that Christians should so live, as if the practise of the Gospell, were quite contrary to the rule of the Law! but such men shew what they are, for none but base minds, and perverse dispositions, saith Saint Bernard; will therefore be evill, because God is good: and those that belong to Gods election, wil never make that liberty which Christ hath purchased for them, with his precious blood; a cloak to cover their wickednesse; but rather a spur, to incite them to godlinesse; they, for whom Christ dyed, will not presumptuously lavish on his score not caring what they spend, because he is able to pay for all: no, they will live as though there were no Gospell; dye, as though there were no Law: and nothing so soone leades an ingenuous mind to repentance, as when hee considers Gods bountifulnesse and long suffering towards him, Rom. 2. 4. there is mercy with thee, saith David, what? that thou mightest be despised, blasphemed? &c. no, (if you take him so, you mistake him) but that thou mightest be feared, Psalm 130. 4. and the love of Christ constrained Paul to duty, 2 Cor. 5. 14.