Sin Stigmatized, Part 1 · Section 142
§ 142.
THus I have unfolded thy ſeverall and ſuperlative ſinnes; But the drunkard hath a ſhift to evade al this, and what elſe …an be ſpoken.and laid before thee the puniſhment due unto them ſingle: I have alſo ſhown thee how they are greatned and aggravated by ſundry circumſtances, which will alſo adde weight to thy torment, and (without repentance) double thy doome. All which me thinks being put together, and duely conſidered ſhould make thee loath and abhorre thy preſent condition, and not onelyonly awaken thy conſcience, but fetch blood from thy ſecure heart; yea, if thou wiſheſt, or careſt to bee ſaved, or ever hopeſt for entrance into Gods Kingdome, thou wilt with Ephraim, ſtrike thy ſelfe upon the thigh, Ier. 31.19. ſmite thy breaſt, with the Publican, Luk. 18.13. and with amazement and indignation ſay, what have I done? what ſhall I doe to be ſaved? at leaſt if it be poſſible.
But as there is no hole to bee found in all the Barke of Popery, 1. He can apply Christs puſſion and Gods mercy as a warrant for his licentiouſneſſe.but ſome popiſh Proctor, or other, will finde a peg to ſtop it: ſo though this Pot hath ſo wide a mouth, that, as one would thinke, no Potlid could bee found big enough to cover it; yet thou haſt a ſhift for thy perſevering, or rather, the enemy of mankind hath furniſhed thee with an evaſion; for, that he may make ſmooth the way to perdition, hee will tell the procraſtinator, that the Thiefe upon the Croſſe was heard by our Saviour, at the laſt howre; and that God is mercifull, therefore he may go on boldly; and let the worſt that can come, repentance at the laſt howre, and ſaying, Lord have mercy upon me, (which the common people make their necke-verſe) will make all even▪ otherwiſe, God is not ſo good as his word, who ſaith, at what time ſoever a ſinner repenteth &c. for he… can take liberty to continue his ſenſuall luſts, by a warrant of Scripture: what is written for his conſolation, hee turnes to poyſon, making of his reſtorative Phyſicke, a drinke to intoxicate him to deſperateneſſe: yea, he can apply Chriſt's Paſſion, as a Warrant for his licentiouſneſſe, not as a remedy; and takes his Death, as a Licence to ſin; his Croſſe, as a letters Patent to doe miſchiefe: ſo they not only ſever thoſe things, which God hath joyned together, ſin, and puniſhment; and joyne together, what God hath ſevered, ſinne, and reward; but even turn the grace of God into wantonneſse, as if a man ſhould head his Taber with his pardon.
Wherein the Divell deales with them, as once with our Saviour, Cast thy ſelfe downe headlong, for the Angels ſhall beare thee up; ſo plung your ſelves into this, or that ſinne, the mercy of God ſhall helpe you out; poyſon thy ſelfe, here is a counterpoyſon; break thy head, here is a plaiſter; ſurfeit, here is a Phyſitian.
Upon which ground, the moſt impudent and inſolent ſinners, Drunkards, Adulterers, Swearers, Mammoniſts, &c. preſume, that though they live like Swine all their life long, yet a cry for mercy at laſt gaſp, ſhal transform them into Saints, as Circe's charmes transformed Men into Swine. We are all willing to believe what we wiſh.
The Divell makes large promiſes, The hope of an hypocrite is eaſily blowne into him, and as ſoone blown out of him.and perſwades his they ſhall have what they deſire, but ever diſappoints them of their hopes: as what a liberty, what wiſdome, did hee promiſe our firſt Parents? when indeed, hee ſtole from them that liberty and wiſdome they had: even as Laban promiſed Iacob beautifull Rachel, but, in the dark, gave him bleare-ey'd Leah: or as Hamor promiſed the Sechamites, that by their circumciſion, all the goods of the houſe of Iſrael ſhould be theirs, wheras in deed, the goods of the Sechamites fell to the houſe of Iſrael, Diabolus mentitur, ut fallat; vitam pollicetur, ut perimat, ſaith S. Cyprian.
The condition of an inconſiderate worldling, is much like an Alchymiſts; who projecting for the Philoſophers ſtone, diſtils away his eſtate in Limbecks, not doubting to find that, which ſhall do all the World good; yea, hee dares promiſe his friends before hand Gold in whole Scuttles: but at laſt his glaſſe breaks, and himſelfe with it. Thus when Agag was ſent for before Samuel, he went pleaſantly, ſaying, the bitterneſſe of death is paſt; but his welcome, was immediately to be hewen in peeces, 1 Sam. 15.33. The rich man reſolves when he hath filled his Barnes, then ſoule reſt; but God anſwers, no, then ſoule come to judgement, to everlaſting unreſt, Luk. 12.19.20.
The hope of an hypocrite is eaſily blown into him, and as ſoone blowne out of him; becauſe his hope is not of the right kind; yea, it is preſumption, not confidence, viz. hope frighted out of it's wits; an high houſe, upon weak pillars, which upon every little change, threatens ruine to the inhabitant, for a little winde blowes down the Spiders-web of his hope, wherby, like the fooliſh builder, he comes ſhort of his reckoning. That heart, which Wine had, even now, made as light as a feather, dyes, ere long, as heavie as a ſtone, 1 Sam. 25.36, 37.