The Drunkards Character, Section 71 – Section 72
§ 71.
INdeed, Sathan is not so lavish, as to hurle away either cost or labour,How Sathan guls the rude multitude in giving every vice a title, …nd each vetue a disgracefull name. when it may be spared: wherefore seeing the rude…multitude so brutish and ignorant, that they will be cheated and guld with any thing; he takes advantage from their darkned soules, and to deceive them, (knowing he needs doe no more) onelyonly foules and smeares the beautifull face of vertue, with the blacke soote of those vices which seeme to have some affinity with them; as by traducing each Grace thus: conscience of sinne, in the Devills language, is called precise nicenesse, and puritanisme; zeale, madnesse; faith and confidence, presumption; syncerity, hypocrisie; patience, pu…illanimity; humility, basenesse of minde; wisdome, craft, &c. And on the other side, painting vices ugly face with the faire colours of vertue, and so present her not in her owne proper colours, but guilded over with some shewes of holinesse, that it may the more easily wind and insinuate it selfe into mens affections, calling lust, love; enuy, emulation; pride, magnanimity; sloth, warinesse; covetousnesse, good husbandry; drunkennesse, good fellowship; ignorance, innocencie; pestilent heresie, profound knowledge and deepe learning; Revel. 2. 24. worldlinesse, wisdome and policy; rashnesse, fortitude; &c. as for every severall Jemme that vertue hath, vice hath a counterfeit stone, where with she gulls the ignorant; and there is no precept nor command of God, but the Devill commands the contrary; he is ever gaine-saying what God saith; Gen. 2. 17. and 3. 4. 5.
And this is enough, for hereby their poore blind hearts are so deceived, with that shadow of resemblance which vice carrieth of vertue; that they embrace and receive grosse vices, insteed of glorious vertues, and yet thinke themselves as well, and that they shall speede as well as the best. And least one should mistrust another, he hath his cleargy to speake for him, and is never without false Prophets, which are ready to daube over sinne with untempered Morter; such as for handfulls of barley, and peeces of bread, will sowe pillowes under each arme-hole, prophesie out of their owne hearts, and pretend a lying divination; such as shall preach unto them, Peace, Peace, and tell them that despise the Lord, though they walke after the stubbornnesse of their own hearts, no evill shall come upon them; yea, such as shall even slay the soules of them that should not dye, and give life to the soules that should not live, with lyes make the hearts of the righteous sad, whom the Lord hath not made sad; and strengthen the hands of the wicked, that he should not turne from his wicked way by, promising him life. Eze. 13. Ier. 23. 13. to 22. so shutting Heaven when they should open it, and opening it when they should shut it. And thus are millions deceived, for nothing sooner wins flesh and blood, then a Doctrine which tends to licentiousnesse.
Indeed, most men are so greedy, Many so greedy of …emptation that Satan needs but cast out … angle.either of profit, or pleasure, that Sathan needs no helpe from others; for he can no sooner cast out his Angle amongst them, but immediatly, (like the soules in Lucian about Charons boate, or Coleminers about a line, when the candles burning blew, tells the dampe commeth) they will fasten upon the bayte. As let Ieraboam onelyonly set up Calves in Dan and Bethel, the people are downe on their knees, yea, all, like beasts in heards, will goe a lowing after them. Yea, were there no harlot, no drunken associate to solicite, no Devill to doe his office, wicked men would beget destruction on themselves. If Sathan should not feede them with temptations, they would tempt him for them, and snatch their owne bane; in which case, Sathan onelyonly suggests the thought, or sayes the word, and it is done.
As if he appoint them to lye, they willy;Or suggest the thought. if he command them to deceive, they will deceive; if he bid them slander, they will slander, and that as falsely as he; if he perswades them to revenge, to persecute, &c. they will doe it, as spitefully and as fully, as he could doe them himselfe; and so of every sinne, if he but say to any of his servants, let there be an oath, straight there is an oath; let there be a bribe, instantly there is a bribe; let there be a quarrell, immediatly there is a quarrel; &c. just as when God said in the beginning of the Creation, let there bee light, and there was light.
§ 72.
THus Sathan comes to us,The many wayes which Sathan hath to set upon us. and sets upon us both wayes, visible, and invisible; mediately, and immediatly; by himselfe, and by others. Yea, this is not all, for that we may the lesse suspect him, he makes us become our owne tempters, as how many temptations come in by those Cinque-ports, the Senses? how many more by Sathans injections, presenting to the affections things absent from the Senses? (as we have an army of uncleane desires, that perpetually fight against our soules) but most of all by lust it selfe (a thing not created, yet as quicke as thought, tumbling over a thousand desires in an houre) for you must know, that the Devill and our Flesh meets together every day and houre to ingender new sinnes, which is the reason our sins are counted amongst those things which are infinite, as the haires of our head, the sands of the Sea, the Starres of Heaven: yea, the Devills trade and occupation all the day, and all the yeare long, is onelyonly to make nets, and gins, and snares, to catch thee, and mee, and each man single; the wisdome of Heaven deliver us.
As there is a Sacred Trinity,Sathan the great sed… cer, wicked men are Apprentises, or factors under him. provoking to good, the Father, Sonne, and Holy Ghost: so there is a cursed Cerberus, intiseing to sinne, the World, the Flesh, and the Devill▪ but the chiefe of these tempters is the Devill, whence he is stiled, as by a kind of excellency, the Tempter, as Virgil is called the Poet, Aristotle the Philosopher, and David the King.
It's true, he could not worke his owne ends upon us, if he should professe himselfe, and appeare to us the very same that he is, and not in the persons of men, yea, in our selves, and supposed best friends: yet this hinders not, but Sathan may be the chiefe: for though there be many little seducers besides, which doe us the greatest mischiefe; yet the Serpent is worse then all his seede. I'le make it plaine. As there are sundry other crafts, so there is a craft of tempting, whereof Sathan is the crafts-master, and the rest are but his Apprentises, or Factors under him; for there was never any, of what condition soever, from the first to the last, tempted, but Sathan had a hand in the temptation.
Indeed, some make question whether there be a Devill or no, because they never saw him; but thou maist see him in his effects, tempting thee to lewdnesse, and tempting thee to tempt others; for what he cannot doe immediately by himselfe, that he doth mediatly by his instruments; and when he hath tempted some men, he sets them to tempt other men, bestowing his bad office upon them, as once he did upon heedlesse Eve.
As, alasse poore soules! they are but set on by that subtile Serpent, as the woman of Tek…a was by Ioa…. 2Sa. 14. 3. or as Zeb…deas was by her Sons, Math. 20. 20. compared with Mark. 10. 35. it is but his heart in their lips; for the Devill opens their mouthes, as the Lord, by an Angell, opened the mouth of Baalam's Asse, N…mb. 22. and speakes in, and by them, as once he did by the Serpent, when he opened her mouth, and caused her to speake with mans voice.