Sin Stigmatized, Part 1 · Section 106
§ 106.
ANd ſo I have ſhowne how Drunkards doe intiſe, The ground of all their tempting and enforceing to ſinne.how they would enforce to ſinne, what they doe, with their tongues; what they would doe, with their bands, if they were not manacled by the Law; and prooved that the cauſe of all is, they cannot have our company in ſin. But one thing, of no leſſe conſequence, is behind, namely, the cauſe of this cauſe, which followes; for before I ſpeake of their drawing to perdition, and deſire of community in the burning Lake, I will make the way cleare, by giving you the Originall ground of all.
The maine ground or reaſon why drunkards (and indeed all naturall men) hate and perſecute the Religious, Drunkards children of the Devill and partake of his nature.and none elſe, is, the one are the ſeede of the Serpent, children of the Devill, and partake of his nature, 1 Iohn, 3.8.10.12.14. Acts, 13.10. Iohn, 6.70. and 8.44. and 14.30. and 16.11. Math. 13.38.39. 2 Cor. 4.4. 2 Tim. 2.26. Gen. 3.15. and 5.3. Eph. 2.1. to the end, and 5.14. 1 Cor. 15.22. Rom. 5.12.18. Titus, 33. to 8.1. Peter, 2.9.10.25. Iohn 3.3.5.6.
And the other, children of God, Thoſe whom they hate and perſecute the children of God and partake of the D…vine natureand members of Chriſt, and partake of the divine nature, 2 Cor. 6.18. Gal. 3.26. Iohn, 1.12.13. and 3.5. &c. 2 Pet. 1.4. Iames, 1.18. 1 Pet. 1.15. Rom. 8.9.16.17.29. 1 Cor. 6.19. and 12.27. Ephſians, 5.30. This is the cauſe upon which indeede all the former reaſons and cauſes doe depend, as the leſſer wheeles in a clocke depend on the great one; or as the branches of a Tree depend on the ſtock and roote, and ſpring from it, as the Arteries of mans body do from the Heart, and Veynes from the Liver: for in reaſon, if it be ſo, they muſt needs be very contrary; and if contrary, no marvell they ſhould ſo ill agree; for there can be no amity, where there is no ſympathy, no reconciling of Turkes and Chriſtians, no neighbourhood, no alliance, no conjunction is able to make the curſed ſeed of the Serpent, and the bleſſed ſeede of the Woman ever agree, ſince God and the Devill are everlaſtingly falne out; one blood, one belly, one houſe, one education, could never make Cain and Abel accord, Iacob and Eſau, Iſaac and Iſhmael at one; yea, though they be Man and Wife, Parent and Child, yet, if they be not like, they will not like: and indeed, what is the Father, or Mother, or Brother of our fleſh, to the Father &c. of of our ſpirits? Can there be ſuch a parrity betweene the Parent and the Child, the Husband and Wife, as ther is a diſparity betweene God and Sathan? no certainely, the corporall ſympathy is nothing, in compariſon of the ſpirituall antipathy, which is between the two natures, Diviliſh, and Divine.
If Athens and Sparta could never agree, Vertue and vice can never accord.for that the one was addicted to ſerve Minerva, the other Mars, being each of them Heathens: there muſt needs bee a greater enmity betweene a regenerate man, and him that is wholly carnall: for what fellowſhip, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks, can there be betweene righteouſneſſe and unrighteouſneſse; what communion betweene light and darkneſſe; and what concord betweene Chriſt and Beliall; and what peace between the Believer and the Infidel? 2 Cor. 6.14.15. and wherein doe theſe godleſſe perſons, drunkards, (though they live in our Church) differ from infidels? onelyonly in name.
An enemy may be reconciled, enmity cannot. A vicious perſon may bee made vertuous, but vice and vertue can never accord; theſe are ſo diametrically oppoſite, that the two Poles ſhall ſooner meet, then theſe be reconciled. A wicked man, ſaith Salomon, is abomination to the juſt; and he that is upright in his way, is abomination to the wicked, Prov. 29.27. and S. Iames witneſſeth, that the amity of the world, is the enmity of God, and that whoſoever will bee a friend of the world, maketh himſelfe the enemy of God, Iames 4.4.
Michael and the Dragon cannot agree in one heaven; nor Nehemiah and Sanballat in one City; nor the cleane and the Leprous in one Campe; nor the Arke and Dagon in one houſe; nor God and Idols in one Temple; nor Iohn and Cerinthus in one Bath; nor Iſaac and Iſhmael in one family; nor Iacob and Eſau in one wombe. In vaine then ſhall any man attempt, to make an agreement betwixt a wicked and a godly man; except the one, of wicked becomes godly, or the other, of godly becomes wicked: for there is ſuch an enmity, or mutuall malevolence between perſon and perſon. That as the fiſh Lexus, is poyſon to man, and man to him: ſo theſe can no way brooke one another.
Yea, that cannot properly bee ſaid to ridd this enmity out of them, which rids them out of the world, death it ſelfe: for what wee reade of thoſe two Birds, Aegithalus and Achanthus, namely, that they ſo hate one another living, that being dead their bloods will not mix, but preſently ſeparates: and that which is recorded of Florus and Anthus; Polynices and Etheocles, viz. that the two former being killed, their bloods would not bee mixed; the two latter being burnt together, their aſhes inſtantly parted; is truly verified in this enmity and antipathy, which is in the ſeed of the Serpent, againſt the ſeed of the Woman; for it is ſo deadly and mortall, that dureing life it is altogether irreconcileable, and after death, they part and ſeparate as farre aſunder, as is hell from heaven, Mat. 25.32.41. and 10.16.