The Drunkards Character, Section 73 – Section 75
§ 73.
THat Sathan the Prince of darknesse,The Devil speakes in and works by them as once he did by the Serpent. which ruleth in the ayre (even that false Spirit) speaketh and worketh by all the children of disobedience, as by his Agents and instruments; partly, as a workman worketh with his tooles; partly, as a Client speakes by his Advocate; and partly, as a Generall …ighteth by his Army, we have plainely set downe, Ephes. 2. 2. 3. yea, looke but, 2 Cor. 4. 4. and there he is stiled their god; and being their god, they must use all possible meanes whereby to gaine soules to him, by tempting and seducing others; to which end, and that they may be the better gifted to doe the same exactly, this great temper helpeth their infirmitie, by infuseing of his owne nature into them; as when hee put it into the heart of Iudas Iscariot, to betray Christ, Iohn, 13. 2. and when he moved David to number the people, 1 Chro. 21. 1. and spake to our Saviour by Peter, as through a trunke, and infused his subtilty into Herod to destroy all the Males; for though Herod be called a Fox, yet this old Fox taught him all his subtilty.
And this he can easily doe. For as the Load-stone, by a secret in nature, not only…draweth the Iron unto it, as Iet and Amber doth Straw, but infuseth also a faculty into the Iron, whereby one peece of Iron is made apt to draw another peece after it; yea, the Loadestone being put neere a chaine of Iron, doth not onelyonly draw the link that is next it unto it, but also causeth that link to draw it's fellow, and the next to it it's fellow, and so the rest, until all be drawn: so Sathan, by infusing into some men his serpentine nature, maketh them as apt to tempt others, and they their associates; as when by the infusion of this divelish nature hee had tempted Eve, and made her his vassall, she proved an apt, exquisite, and ready instrument to seduce Adam to eate the forbidden fruit, at the price of death eternal: and ever since the divell might use the words of God, and say, behold, man is become as one of us.
And for number,Sathan more me… on earth to fight for him then the Trinity which made us. Sathan hath more servants then any Emperour of the world, yea, more men (I feare me) to fight for him, then the Trinity which made us: for whereas few have the courage to speake for God, and his worship, (even amongst us Christians) Sathan hath his tempters and seducers in every country, and place, yea, in every corner of each country, like continuall Leigers, to follow his busines; who both can do it neere as well, even as Witches can doe almost as much as the divel himselfe; and will do it as faithfully as if he did it in his own person.
What Gideon and Abimelech once spake to their troopes, Iudg. 7. 17. and 9. 48. looke on me, and see what you see me do, make hast, and do you likewise, and they did it: the same speaks Sathan to his followers, and they imitate and resemble the divell, as truly as Apes and Monkies will imitate and resemble men; which though they cannot speake and understand, with such reason as men do; yet they will counterfeit men in any thing that possible they can compasse.
And these his servants are so at his beck, that he needs no more, but hold up his finger; as the master of a Galley, when he perceives a good gale of winde, that is faire for his voyage, doth with once whisling, make all the Galley-slaves fall to their Oares. So that Sathan hath diverse and sundry wayes to assault us, many strings to his Bow, that if some break, the rest may hold; many traines of powder, some likely to take fire; yea, he is like some cunning Enginere, that can invent new instruments, according to the present occasion; and he inventeth all he can, and puts in practise all that he invent…th. Yea, if men have so many slights to compasse their matters, how can the compasser himselfe hold his fingers? If the Serpents seed bee so subtile, what doe you thinke of this old Serpent? Yea so many snares and engines are laid, by the professed enemy of man, to intrap our soules, that wee may with reverence and love wonder at the mercy of God in our delivery; for wee fall, O God, we fall to the lowest hell if thou prevent us not, if thou sustaine us not; all our weaknesse is in our selves, all our strength is in thee.
Neverthelesse, wee can thanke none, but our selves if wee yeeld;The minde of man not capeable of a viola…ion either from man or Sathan. for though that old Saba blowes many an intiseing blast, to carry us away from our true alleagiance to Christ Iesus, our King; yet the minde of man is not capeable of a violation, either from man, or Sathan: and who then can I tax for mine owne yeelding, but my selfe?
§ 74.
NOw to speake of,As impossible to rec kon up all sorts of seducers as to tell the moates in the Sun. or nominate all sorts of seducers; much more to shew the several slights which wicked men use, that they may make us associate them in their lewdnesse, is impossible; yea, I may as well weigh the fire, or measure the winde; as well reckon up the moates in the Sun, paint Eccho to the life, make the Moone a new coate, and assoone finde out the motion of a bird in the aire, the way of a Serpent upon a stone; and the way of a Ship in the midst of the Sea, which are all too wonderfull for me, Prov. 30. 18. 19. yea, had I the gift of prophecy, and knew all secrets touching the same, I should need two hundred tongues, and six hundred pens, and a mouth of steele, with an Iron voyce; if I should declare their severall diversities. For the foure and twenty letters in the Alphabet make not more variety of words in divers languages: then the Serpents subtilty produceth diversity of stratagems, in severall persons; and I could easilier tell you what good they omit, then what evill they doe.
O the many waies that Sathan (through mens help) hath to seduce us! and the many temp…rs he hath, in every corner,Of drunkards who are sathans principall agents in this busines to set upon us! where shall a man come and not find a seducer? and a drunkard of all other tempters, as he never ceaseth to seduce; so hee seldome misses of prevailing. But though the Springs and Wards of temptation are so infinite, that it is impossible to decypher them all, yet according to the measure of the line, whereof God hath distributed unto me, I will discover how the drunkard seduceth; and so goe a middle way betweene saying all and nothing; and by looking upon him, you may more then guesse at the rest.
Neither will I undertake to tell all, for that the time would bee too short, or this Treatise too long, if I should stand upon every severall slight which drunkards have to seduce; yea, talking Fabi…s would be tyred, before hee can relate halfe of what were requisite to be …poken of them it would require whole volumes; for not a fewlines, nor leaves, would containe the same. Besides, notions when they exceede, are wont, as nayles to drive out one another; and these which I have purposely selected out, are the principall, most behovefull, and best deserving our discovery, and the worlds notice.
§ 75.
THat none are either affected, or addicted to seduce like drunkards; let their deeds (which come now to bee discovered) manifest.
The drunkards chiefe delight is to infect others, Drunkards to turne others into beasts, … … make them selves di…vells.the Serpents speciall venome (as I said before) wherewith these his elfes bee intoxicated, is to make others more beasts then themselves: yea, drunkards being the divels deputies, to turne others into beasts, will make themselves divels, wherein they have a notable dexterity; making the Ale-house or Tavern, their studie; their circle, the pot; themselves, the conjurers; mens soules the hire; reputation of good fellowship, the char me; the characters, healths; the goblin raised, is the spirit of the buttery; and to drink God, out of their hearts; health, out of their bodies; wit, out of their heads; strength out of their joynts; all the money, out of their purses; all the drink, out of the Brewers barrels; wife and children, out of doores▪ the land, out of quiet; plenty, out of the Kingdome; is all their businesse.
These agents for the Divell (drunkards) practise nothing but the art of debauching men;They practile nothing but the art of debauching men. for they will take no pains, unlesse the Divel set them on work; though in this case, being set like beasts to draw in the divels teame, they will leade captive unstable soules to sinne with c…rds of vanity, and as it were with a cartrope, Isaiah 5. 18. for to sinne, these pernicious sedusers, divels in the shape of men, are no niggards of their paines. Oh how much is hell beholding to them! yea, seldome ever doe wee finde goodnesse so industrious, the children of light are not alwaies the forwardest in their generation.
Besides, they have many obstacles, 1 Thes. 2. 18. we would have come unto you once, and again, saith Paul to his converts, but Sathan hindred us. Our way is like C… shie's, full of rubs: but they, like Ahimaaz, take the plaine and beaten path; mischiefe is nimble, and he that intends evill, will breake his sleepe to do it. Iudas, and that bench of gray-headed Priests and Elders, will be awake, when Peter and his fellow Disciples (notwithstanding Christ charged them to watch with him but one houre) are fast asleepe, Matth. 26. 40. to 51. the … sower is in the field, when the husbandman is in his bed, Mat. 13. 25 yea, they that worship …he beast, and his Image, never rest day nor night, Revel. 14. 11.
But never did opportunity meet with any, that made more use of it, then doe these seducers, they will husband it to proofe, and like some cunning Antagonist, loose not an inch of their advantage, their dilig…nce is admirable; the Pharis…es would take great paines, compass… sea and land to make one like themsel…s, Matth. 23. 15. and Seminary Priests will come from Rome, to draw one from the true religion: so what will not some drunkards do, or spend, to make a sober man a drunkard, or to drinke another drunkard under the Table; which may cast a blush upon our cheekes, who are nothing so industrious to winne soules to God.