The Drunkards Character, Section 54
§ 54.
BUt thou wilt say;That onelyonly Law and precept must be our rule. if neither custome of the greatest number, nor of the greatest men, nor of the greatest Schollers, nor of the best men, though thou hast Reason for thy doing it, and good Intentions in the doing of it, is a sufficient warrant for thy actions; but that all these be crooked and deceitfull guides; then what may bee a safe guide, and a sure and infallible rule in all cases, to steere by, and square the course of thy life?
Answ. As a rule directeth the Artificer in his worke, and keepeth him from erring: so doth Gods word direct the Religious in their lives, and keepe them from erring.
The right way is the signified Will of God; and whatsoever swarves from, or is repugnant to the right, is wrong and crooked: Law and Precept is a streight line, to shew us whether we doe misbeleeve, or mislive: we have a most sure Word of the Prophets and Apostles, sayes Peter, 2 Peter, 1. 19. a sure foundation, saith St. Paul, 1 Cor. 3. 11. Eph. 2. 20. and as many as walke according to this rule, peace shall bee upon them, and the Israell of God, Gal. 6. 16. search the Scriptures, saith our Saviour, for in them ye thinke to have eternall life, and they are they which testifie of me, Iohn, 5. 39.
All Beleevers are tied to the Scriptures; as the Iewes, are tyed to their Cabala; the Turkes, to their Alcaron; Logicians to the Axioms of their Aristotle; Physitians to the Aphorismes of their Hippocrates and Galen; Geometricians to the compasses of Euclid; Rhetoricians, to the Precepts of Tully; Lawyers, to the Maxims of their Iustinian; and Grammarians, to the rules of their Priscian; and it hath ever beene the care of Christians, to sticke close to the written Word, having alwayes, and in all cases, an eye thereunto: even as the Load-stone (what way soever the wind bloweth) turnes alwayes to the North Pole; it is as a Load Star, to guide the ships of their soules and bodies, in the right way to Heaven.
And without this written Word▪ a man in the world, is as a ship on the Sea without a guide. The holy Scriptures are a store house of all good instructions; it is the Christians Armory, wherein are many Sheilds, to defend our selves; and many Swords, to offend our Enemies; yea, each precept, as a Sword, will both defend and slay. It is like the Tower of David build for defence, a thousand shields hang therein, and all the Targets of the strong men, Cant. 4. 4. it is a cleare glasse, wherein wee may see our beauty, and deformity, yea, the least spots of evill, and be directed to wipe them out. It is a light, saith Theophilus, which discovereth unto us all the slights and snares of our spirituall adversaries; yea, nothing can deceive them (saith he) that reade the Scriptures: Thy word, saith David, is a lanthorne to my feete, and a light unto my pathes, Psal. 119. 105. this Ariadnes clew of thred, guides the beleever through the worlds maze of temptations, unto the glorious liberty of the Sonnes of God. It is an Apothecaries shop, saith St. Basil, full of all soveraigne Medicines, wherein every man may have cure for his disease; and there is no part, or passion of our Soules, saith St. Chrysostome, but needeth physicke and cure from the holy Scriptures. In fine, it is their counseller, it is their wisdome, it is their strength, it is their food, it is their Physicke, it is their wealth, it is their joy, it is their life, it is their all in all; if they have this, they want nothing; if they want this, they have nothing.
But see one of these particulars illustrated, (for I will not spin out each of these Metaphors into a long continued Allegory) Suppose any little David, a child of God, be set upon by the greatest spirituall Goliah that ever was, namely, the World, or the Flesh, or the Devill himselfe; let him but chose out of this brook, the Scripture, a few stones, precepts, threats, promises, keepe them in the Scrippe, of his memory, hurle them with the Arme of a strong faith, from the string of his tongue, as occasion serveth, at the combatant, with the level of Christian prudence, even the stoutest of them shall be compelled to leave the field and give up his weapons. As for example, if thou be tempted to pride, answer; it's written, that God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble, Iames, 4. 6. That all proud persons are under the Devills regiment, his subjects, and vassalls, Iob. 41. 25. If to cruelty; that they shall have judgment mercilesse, which shew not mercy, Iames, 2. 13. If to contemne reproofe, or hate thy reprover; that hee which hardeneth his necke when he is reproved shall suddenly be destroyed, and cannot be cured, Pro, 29. 1. If to sweare; that …athes ca…se the land to mourne, Hosea, 4. 2. 3. And that the curse of God shall never depart from the house of the swearer, untill it be consumed, Zach. 5. 3. 4. If to covetousnesse; that the love of money causeth many to fall into divers temptations, and snares, and many foolish and noysome lusts which drowne men in perdition and destruction, 1 Tim. 6. 9. 10. If to Hypocrisie; that it is the sin, against which our Saviour pronounced seven woes in one Chapter, and adjudge to the lowest place in Hell, Math. 23. If to despaire, through the consideration of thy manifold sinnes and infirmities; that Christ came not to call the righteous, but weary and heavie laden sinners to repentance, Math. 9. 13. and 11. 28. that he who strives most, and not hee who sinnes least, shall be best accepted with God. If to lust; that the Law ordaine death for the Adulterer, Levit. 20. 10. and the Gospell excludes the fornicator out of Heaven, 1 Cor 6. 9. 10. If to drunkennesse, that Hell enlargeth it selfe for drunkards, and openeth her mouth without measure, that all they may descend into it, Isaiah. 5. 14.
And so in every other case which can be named, as well as in this of temptation, have but recourse to the written Word, this, as an Oracle from Heaven shall give thee plenary satisfaction, and by this meanes, viz. by applying with our Saviour, it is written, it is written, Math. 4. thou shalt so silence and overcome the spirit of untrueth, that though he solicite thee by the World, or the Flesh, or by a Prophet, or an Angell from Heaven, hee shall not be strong enough to divert thee from the good thou intendest: yea, let fire and faggot doe their worst, as once in Queene Maries time, yet nothing shall be able to separate thee from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus, Rom. 8. 35. to 39.
And thus wee see, the Word of God to the faithfull is an Armory, out of which they may furnish themselves with all kind of munition; a Magazine, out of which they may be furnished with all manner of needfull provision: whereas on the contrary, he, which lives, without making this his rule; he, who sets not the Diall or Clocke of his life by this Sunne; hee who directeth not his course in walking by this North-Pole, or loadstarre, but by the wavering, uncertaine, & moovable stars of custome, Example, Reason, or good intentions, sayles, without a compasse, and may looke every minute to be swallowed up in the Ocean of sin and judgement.
God hath made a promise to us, to keep us in all our wayes, Psalm. 91. 11. but not out of them: we are in our wayes so long as we have a command, or warrant out of the word for what we doe: to be kept by God, is so to have him watch over us by his fatherly providence and protection, that nothing shall befall us, but what is good for us: and to have a continuall guard of Angles, to protect and keepe us from every approaching evill, Psalme 91. 10, 11, 12. How safe then and happy is the man, that is resolved to doe nothing without God; who commands all creatures, both in Heaven, Earth, and Hell, and they obey him? the consideration of which made Luther so couragious, that (being perswaded by his friends to absent himselse from the Diet at Wormes) hee made answer, though all the tyles of the houses were so many Divells, yet would I goe thether: he knew he should have more, and mightier with him, then against him, being in his way, that is, having a warrant out of the Word for what hee went about. Neither could he want examples to encourage him herein; wee see David, being in his way, it was not the Lion, nor the Beare, nor that great Goliah, nor Saul himself, though he darts a speare twise at him, sends to seek him throughout all the thousands of Iudah, and layes so many plots to take away his life, could doe him any harme. Elisha, being in his way, rather then the Assyrians mighty Host shall hurt him, the mountaine shall bee full of Horses and Chariots of fire to reskew him, 2 King. 6. 17. neither shall Ahab, or Iesabel hurt Eliah, though they threaten much, and do their worst, I Kin. 19. 2. Let Daniel and the three children be in their way, do nothing either for through feare or flattery, but what they have warrant for out of Gods Word; and then throw the one into the Lions den, and the other into the fiery furnace, Gods providence shall so keepe them, that not a haire of their heads shall perish, Dan. 3. 27. and 6. 22.
Let the same consideration prevaile with us. Have wee a warrant out of the word? are wee in the path of Gods protection? in the way wherein the Angels guard and watch? Let us go on valiantly, and not feare what men or divels can doe unto us. When Ioseph had a command from God, to goe out of Egypt into the Land of Israel, after Archelaus succeeded his father Herod, he was sore affraid, and (as it seemeth) loath to go; yet considering that God had commanded him, he disputeth no longer with flesh and blood, but goeth his way, Mat. 2. 22. It is too much tendernesse to respect the scoffes, and censures and threats of others, when wee have a direct word from God: the fearefull sluggard will cry, a Lion in the way, Pro. 26. 13. yea, but the Scriptures cry, an Angell, yea, many Angels to stop the Lions mouth: the Lion is in those by-wayes, in which the Prophet walked, 1 Kin. 13. 24.
On the other side: if God take no charge of us, but when wee are in our wayes, yea, in his, by having a warrant out of the Word; how are they in their wayes, who spend their whole time in drinking, swearing, whoring? &c. who persecute the godly, for keeping close to this Word? If that be Gods way, where did he chalk it out, where, or in what part of his Word hast thou a warrant to doe these things, or to hate, persecute, revile, slander, reproach, contemne, deride, or censure men for being holier and more temperate then thy selse? If thou want his word, looke not for his protection: and miserable is that man, who in dangerous actions is left to his owne keeping; it fares with him, touching his spirituall adversaries, as with the Deere that leapes over the Park pale, and straggles abroad, which a hundred to one doth cost her her life: or as it did vvith Shemei, vvhen hee past his bounds set him by the King, vvho lost his life for his labour, 1 King. 2. 42. 43. 46. As for example, Pharaoh and his Host were out of their way, when they pursued the children of Israel going out of Egypt; but now sped they? the Sea devided to let the Israelites pass, but fwallowed them up quicke, Exod. 14. 28. Baalam, was out of his way, when hee rode to Balack, with an intent to curse Israell, when God had forbidden him so to doe; but the Angel of the Lord met him with a naked sword, and had slaine him, if the Asse had not turned away, Numb. 22. 33. Sampson was out of his way, when hee went in to the harlot Dalilah, or els God had not departed from him, neither could the Philistims have bound him, Iudg. 16 20. 21. Ionas was out of his way, when he was sayling to Tarshis, God having sent him to Ninive; but how sped hee… the windes and waves, stormes and tempests conspired together to crosse him, and would not be pacified, untill hee was cast into the Sea, Ionas 1. 12, 15. And thus Caine, when he went out into the field to slay his brother Abel, Gen. 4. 8. to 15. Corah, Dathan, and Ahiram, with those two hundred and fifty Captaines, when they gathered themselves together against Moses and Aaron, Num. 16. 32. Haman when he went out unto the King, to procure that bloody decree against the Iewes, Ester 3. 9. Absalom, when hee rose up against his Father to usurpe the Kingdome, 2 Sam. 15. The 42. children when they followed the Prophet, calling him bald-head, 2 Kin. 2. 23. 24. The seduced Prophet, when he went beyond his commission set him by God, 1 King. 13. The two Captaines, and their fifties, when they went to apprehend Eliah, 2 King 1. 10. 12. Iudas when he went unto the high Priests to sell his Master, and backe with the Officers to betray him with a kisse, Marke 14. and lastly, Paul before his conversion, when hee went with authority from the high Priests to persecute the Christians at Damascus, Acts 9. 1. 2. they were all out of their way: but how did they speed? I need not tell you vvhat fearefull revenges and sudden destruction they met vvithall in their journeys; onelyonly the last vvas crost vvith a blessing, and instead of judgement, received mercy; though thou canst no more presume to fare as hee did, then I can presume to live, and have the same strength forty yeares hence, that I have at this present, because it hapned to be so vvith Caleb, Ioshua 14. 11.