Sin Stigmatized, Part 1 · Section 159
§ 159
The particulars wherein the Politician is a Foole, are theſe ſix.
1 He is improvident and without foreſight.The cunning politician a foole, in 6. particulars.
2 He ſaith in his heart there is no God.
3 Let him be brayed in a Morter, he will not depart from his fooliſhneſſe.
4 Uertue is in farre leſſe eſteeme with him then riches.
5 He proves cruell to himſelfe.
6 Hee rates not things according to their true value.
FIrſt, like a naturall Foole, he is improvident and without foreſight, Matth. Firſt, be is without foreſight, and never thinkes of the reckoning he is to give.7.26. never bethinking himſelfe, what a reckoning he is to give, untill it is too late, untill he is beaten with his owne Rod: for if ſuch an one have wealth, which laſteth but for the preſent day of this natural life, it may be, but a day naturall, as the ſame Sunne ſaw Iob both rich and poore, to a proverbe; and as ſometimes, by reaſon of fire or water, there hath beene but one day, betwixt a great City, and none, as Seneca obſerves; or an earth-quake, (which this preſent yeare, hath in the Province of Calabria the inferiour, in the Kingdome of Naples, utterly deſtroyed many Cites, Townes, and Caſtles, kild, drowned, and ſuncke into the earth about fifty thouſand perſons, within the circuite of 70. miles compaſſe, in one inſtant of time, viz. betweene three and foure of the clock in the afternoone, being Saturday, the 17. of March, 1637.) they take no care, or thought for the morrow of eternity, how they ſhall fare then; yea, they runne on in ſinne, and ſo upon ſcore with Sathan, without feare or wit how they ſhall ſatisfie the ſame; yea, all that he offers them, whether it be this Orphant's good, or that Heires lands, this enemies life, or that great mans office, be the meanes never ſo indirect, and horrid, they will greedily embrace the ſame, and never thinke what a wofull reckoning will come in the end; As, Item, for falſehood; Item, for forgery; Item, for hypocriſie; Item, for bribery; Item, for ſacriledge; Item, for murther and treachery: but come they once into thoſe flames with Dives, and finde that of Samuel to Agag, 1 Sam. 15.33. verified upon them, as thou hast done to others, ſo ſhall it be done to thee, O then I had not thought, but now I ſee, I have ſpun a faire thread, when I muſt anſwer for all my ſinnes, that am not able to anſwer for one of the leaſt of them; then, woe is me that ever I was borne; and then, gladly would every Ahab reſtore to Naboth his Vineyard, every Iudas his bribes, every Achan would willingly caſt downe his gold gotten by Sacriledge, and every Gehazi his goods gotten by forgery and deceit. But which of theſe Fooles will beleive this, before he feeles it, and before it be too late?
Secondly, like David's Foole, 2 He will not beleeve except his ſenſes ſay amen to it,he ſaith in his heart there is no God, Pſal. 14.1. yea, as if he were a brute beaſt, he will beleive nothing but what he is led to by ſenſe. For ſuppoſe you tell ſuch a covetous Laban, or cruell Pharaoh, that God ſeeth him, when he is contriving his ſecreteſt plots againſt his people, and withall takes notice of his oppreſſion, Gen. 31.12. Exodus, 3.7. he will not regard it; for, Marius-like, he eſteemes it a great point of vertue to be skillfull in coſenage, and Mammon is all the god he worſhips; yea, and herein he applauds his choyce no leſſe, then that Popiſh dolt did, who having got the picture of St. Francis curiouſly painted in his Cloſſet, ſaid, they talke of the Rhode at Rome, and our Lady of Lauretta, and Katherine of Sienna, and Iames of Compoſtella; but I have a picture at home, meaning yellow pictures, worth ten of them.
Thirdly, 3. Bray him in a morter he will not depart from his f…lly, viz. his wickeaneſſe.Idiot-like, bray him in a Morter, as wheate is bray'd with a Peſtell, yet he will not depart from his fooliſhneſſe, Pro. 27.22. for let God ſend never ſo many meſſengers to him, and plagues upon him, as he did upon Pharaoh, he will not depart from his ſinnes; he muſt retaine, if not all, yet, at leaſt, this his beloved ſinne, untill he is overwhelmed in the bottomleſſe Ocean of his wrath: yea, let him heare, even our Saviour himſelfe ſay, that he ſhall give an account at the day of judgement, for every idle word, Matth. 12.36. yet he will goe on in his helliſh plots, and perſwade himſelfe, he ſhall give no account at all; or let ſome Prophet of the Lord tell him, what traines are laid to catch his ſoule, and how many Principalities, ſpirituall wickedneſſes, and powers of darkneſſe lye in ambuſh againſt him, Epheſ. 6.12. As El ſha diſcloſed the traines and ambuſhments of the King of Syria, againſt the King of Iſrael, 2 King. 6.9.10. which was as good a peece of ſervice as could be, he makes nothing on't he ſhall ſpeede as well as his fellowes, and indeede ſo he ſhall, even as Laban, or Nabol, or Dives doe in Hell, if in due time he repent not, and ſo reſtore what he hath wrongfully gotten; as the worſt of them would doe, if they were ſuffered to returne out of Hell, to their former riches.
Now that thou mayſt repent while the day of thy life laſteth, take one motive from the damned in Hell, who would gladly repent now, but cannot. St. Auguſtin asketh this queſtion, what we thinke the rich glutton in Hell would doe, if he were now in this life againe? would he take paines, or no, quoth he, would he not beſtir himſelfe rather then returne into that place of torment againe? yes, his teares ſhould even ſtrive with the ſand in the hourglaſſe, he would doe any thing, to ſe…ke the Lord while he may be found. Wherefore to day if ye will heare his voice, harden not your hearts. Yea, as our Saviour Chriſt ſaid, to forewarne all revolters, Remember Lot's wife: ſo ſay I, to forewarne all Arch-politicians, and cunning Machevillians of the world, remember poore Naboth's Vineyard.