Sin Stigmatized, Part 1 · Section 58
§ 58.
NEither ſpeak I of what God can do, Were there any poſſibility of their leaving it, they would abstaine in the heate of the plague.for with him all things are poſſible; but with men, with drunkards, it is in a manner impoſſible: for ſurely if there were the leaſt poſſibility of their leaving it, if they were not altogether hardened, paſt feeling, and paſt grace, then would they now abſtaine, whilſt the plague is hot amongſt us. But alaſſe! even at this preſent, when many lawfull and indifferent actions are unexpedient, theſe warped, wicked, wretched men, neither feare, nor ceaſe to roare, drinke, drab, ſweare, &c. ſo difficult is the work: like Iairus Minſtrels, they cannot forbeare to play and revell, even in the time, and place of mourning; Dives-like, they muſt have exquiſite muſick, merry company, dainty fare, &c. every day; ſo little are they mooved with Gods diſpleaſure, and this grievous judgement.
Yea, notwithſtanding it is for their ſakes that judgements are upon us, and that their crying ſinnes have pierced the heavens, and brought downe the Plague upon thouſands, as when Achan ſinned, Iſrael was beaten; neither did the wickedneſſe of Peor ſtretch ſo far as the Plague; yea, the Adultery of thoſe few Gibeonites to the Levites wife, was the occaſion of ſix and twenty thouſand mens deaths, beſides all their wives and children, together with forty thouſand and odd of the Iſraelites, Iudg. 20. when the death of thoſe few malefactors would have ſaved all theirs, and put away evill from Iſrael, verſ. 13. yea, if the Campe of Iſrael ſuffered ſo much for one Achan's fault; what may wee expect, that have ſuch a multitude of Achans amongſt us?
Notwithſtanding, I ſay it is for their ſakes that judgements are upon us; yet they, of al men are leaſt ſenſible of them; as it fared with Ionas, who for all that grievous tempeſt was for his ſake, yet Ionas alone was faſt aſleep; and the Diſciples, in another caſe; as wherefore was that unſpeakable agony of Chriſt, but for the ſinnes of his Diſciples, and choſen? and yet even then the Diſciples were aſleepe.
But why doe I make the compariſon, when betweene them there is no compariſon? for the fire of Gods wrath being kindled amongſt us for their ſakes, they doe but warme themſelves at the flame, ſining ſo much the more freely and merrily, even drinking in iniquity, as the fiſh drinketh in water; and living, as if they were neither beholding to God, nor affraid of him, both out of his debt and danger: yea: as if the Plague were not only welcome unto them, but they would fall to courting of their owne deſtruction, as if, with Calanus, they hated to dye a naturall death.
The pleaſure of the world is like that Colchian hony, whereof Zenophon's Souldiers no ſooner taſted, then they were miſerably diſtempered; thoſe that tooke little, were drunk; thoſe that took more, were mad; thoſe that tooke moſt, were dead: ſo moſt men are either intoxicated, or infatuated, or killed out right with this deceitfull world, that they are not ſenſible of their feares or dangers. It is like a kind of melancholy, called Chorus Sancti Viti, which who ſo hath it, can doe nothing but laugh and dance, untill they be dead, or cured; as it made Argos in the Poet, and another, mentioned by Aristotle, ſit all day laughing and clapping their hands, as if they had beene upon a ſtage at a Theater.
Wickedneſſe makes guilty men feare, where is no cauſe; theſe have cauſe enough, but no grace to feare: they are ſo beſotted with a ſtupid ſecurity, that they are not affected with any danger; yea, they account it the chiefeſt vertue, to be bold, feareleſſe, and careleſſe; according to that, Ier. 5. where the Prophet complaines unto God, thou haſt ſmitten them, but they have no tſorrowed; thou haſt conſumed them, but they have refuſed to receive correction; they have made their faces harder then a ſtone, and have refuſed to returne, verſe, 3. which was Pharaoh's caſe, who though his backe were all blew and ſore with ſtripes, yet he muſt ſtill perſiſt and preſume; yea, becauſe his time was not come to periſh, God lets him alone in purſuing his children, even to the Sea, and halfe way over; faire way he had, and ſmoothly he ran on, till he came to the midſt, not ſo much as one wave to wet the foote of his Horſe; but when he is too farre to eſcape, then God begins to ſtrike, neither he could, nor theſe can be quiet, without their full vengeance; as filching leaves not the Pilferer with raw ſides, but brings him to a broaken necke; they have ſuch feſtred and putrified hearts, that ordinary ſtripes will not reach to the quicke; their long tugging at Sathans Oares, and wearing his Shackels, hath ſo brawned their fleſh, that they are not ſenſible of an ordinary laſh. And this likewiſe is the Saylers caſe, who although the Philoſopher would not permit them to be numbred amongſt the living, (as not amongſt the dead) yet for all their many and eminent dangers, no men are more regardleſſe of their ſoules.