Sin Stigmatized, Part 2 · Section 186 – Section 187
§ 186
SEcondly, 2 VViſe.let us be wiſe and cautelous to avoid their crafty allurements, take heede of beleiving their words, of truſting their promiſes, of yeelding to their perſwaſions and ſolicitations, when they woe us to drinke more then will doe us good: yea, let quaffers quarrell, rage, and ſcoffe, threaten, curſe, and load thee with a thouſand cenſures; yet hold thine owne ſtill, pledge the Devill for none of them all.
Ob. Many ob…ons anſwered.But I ſhall offend my friend, and the reſt will take exceptions.
Anſw. Thou art what thou art, when thou art thus tried and put to it: wherefore, if the wife of thy boſome ſhall tempt thee to evill, or ſeeke to alienate thy affection from God and his Law, ſhe is a traytor both to thee, and to him, and therefore muſt be rejected. What ſaith St. Hierom? ſhould my Father kneele to mee, my Mother beſeech me with teares, my Brothers and Siſters ſeeke to entiſe mee to the love of this world, and the neglect of Gods worſhip, I would ſhake off my Father, tread under foote my Mother, and ſpurne my Brothers and Siſters, rather then they ſhould be a meanes to keepe mee from the ſervice of God.
Neither will the complaint of our firſt Parents, be taken for a good anſwer or plea another day: That others deceive thee, will be a poore plea another day.it will be fruitleſſe to ſay, ſuch and ſuch a friend deceived me: Eue was perſwaded by the ſerpent to eate the forbidden fruit, and Adam by Eue; yet that would not juſtifie them in the Court of Heaven, each of them had a ſeverall curſe, both tempters, and tempted.
True it is, drunkards being better acquainted with wrangling then reaſoning, and deeper in love with ſtrife then truth; what they cannot maintaine by reaſon, a feminine teſtineſſe ſhall outwrangle, at least, if a man will be ſubdued with words, which is the caſe of none, but cowards and fooles: but as for their exceptions. If thou wouldeſt avoid all circumvention by theſe multiplied healthes, pledge the healths of none, and then none can take exceptions: he that would not be drawne to pledge many healthes, let him not admit of any, upon any tearmes.
But they will be importunate above meaſure. Anſ. A ſhameleſſe begger muſt have a ſtrong deniall. O but I ſhall be held unmannerly, diſcourteous, uncivill, &c. What, becauſe thou wilt not hazard thy health, credit, ſoule, &c to gratifie a beaſt. But they are ſuch as love me, and doe it in kindneſſe; This kindneſſe of theirs is but a dog-like kindneſſe, as you ſhall have a Spaniell, in great love to his maſter, leape upon him, ſlabber his cloathes, lick his face; is it, I pray you, any incivility to beate downe ſuch a cur? I tell thee, a dog will not more defile thee, then theſe drinking cattle will, unleſſe thou beate them off with flat denialls.
Wherefore, though I wiſh thee not to be rude and uncivill, yet b… ſure to ſhake off theſe hold-faſts, and neither make thy ſtomack too heauy, nor thy head too light with anſwering expectation. It is better to be thought unmannerly, diſcourteous, or injurious towards men (eſpecially ſuch men) then indeed be ſo unto God himſelfe.
As for their love and friendſhip, if thou but kneweſt whoſe factors thy ill companions are, thou wouldeſt even hate them, and either not come in their company, or haſten out of it with all poſſibl… ſpeede; for nothing more proves them enemies, then their too much importuning thee; and they can be no other then wicked, when their very mercies are cruelty.
Neither doe theſe enemies ever wound ſo deadly, They never wound ſo deadly as when they ſtroak with a filken handas when they ſtroake us with a ſilken hand: for by their ſmooth tongues, and milky language, they ſerve their freinds, as the Tyrannous Emperor ſerved his ſervants, whom hee ſtifled in a chamber filled with Roſes: they are like the miſtaken Lanthorne in eighty eight, for under pretence of guiding, they will draw us into hazzard and loſſe among our ſpirituall enemies, and whoſoever hath put confidence in their words, have found them to reſemble ſincking floores, which will faile us, when our waight is on them. Theſe cunning hypocrites, never intend ſo ill, as when they ſpeake fairest: reſembling ſome crafty cheater, who while hee holds men at gaze with trickes of jugling, picks their pockets.
But alaſſe! moſt men, not knowing this deepneſſe of Sathan, or not having courage enough to deny the requeſts of a ſeeming friend, or fearing, leaſt they ſhould ſeeme rude, know not how to deny: yea, it is the common complaint, they were not able to gainſay: and indeed, moſt men, in this particular, are like new wax, which admits of an eaſie impreſſion: or like a light, and unballaſted veſſel, that is at command of every wave, of every wind: or like Vitellius, who never denyed any mans requeſt: or laſtly, like the Babylonians who with a little ſweet muſick, would be made to do any thing, Daniel 3.7. Yea, they are ſo flexible, that let a tempter but hold up his finger, the creatures ſhall bee abuſed, the Lords day prophaned, the Word relinquiſhed, and all religion ſuſpended: ſo they divide themſelves into three parts; God hath one part, (indeed that is onelyonly in purpoſe) the world hath another, the fleſh another, and the divell at length will have all.
§ 187.
I Should here adviſe men to a double care and circumſpection, Temptations on the right hand the worſt.touching theſe flattering allurements, becauſe temptations on the right hand have commonly ſo much more ſtrength in them, above the other, as the right hand hath above the left; they are more perillous, becauſe they are more plauſible and glorious. Many that keepe on their cloathes in the wind, yea, that hold their Cloakes the faſter, when it is rough; not only lay by their Cloakes; but unbutten themſelves in the Sunne. The Cannon doth not ſo much hurt againſt the wall, as a mine under the wall. Sathan winnes not ſo much by battery, as by treachery; preſents, and parlies winne him more, then the weapon, or the dragg of a compulſive hand. The golden ſword will ſooner conquer, then one of ſteele: yea, ſaith one, there is no doubt of that ſoule, which will not bite at a golden hooke. When all the Philistins could not with their ſtrength bind Sampſon, Dalilah did it with her ſubtilty. All the ſpite of Ioſeph's brethren was not ſuch a croſſe to him as the inordinate affection of his Miſtreſſe. Every one is not a Ioab, to bee fetcht home to us, with firing his fields; as they ſay Witches are brought to the houſe, where they have done miſchiefe, by caſting ſome reliques into the fire. The divell did not appeare to Chriſt in a terrible forme, threatening the calamities of earth, or torments of hell, but by faire promiſes of many Kingdomes, and much glory. But I defer the exhortation unto the concluſion.A wiſe man will ſuſpect the ſmooth ſtreame for deepneſſe.
Though indeed a wiſe man unbidden will ſuſpect the ſmooth ſtreame for deepnes, knowing, that no faces looke lovelier, then the painted. The Italian thinketh himſelf, upon the point, to be bought and ſold, when hee is better uſed then hee was wont to bee, without manifeſt cauſe.
Too much importunity, does but teach a wiſe man how to deny. The more wee deſire to gaine, the more do others deſire that they may not looſe. The earneſtneſſe of the requeſter teacheth the petitioned to bee ſuſpicious; and ſuſpition teaches him how to hold, and fortifie.
Againe, ſomtimes wee are wrought to good by contraries, foule acts, (ſaith Horace) keepes vertue from the charmes of vice: and not ſeldome doth our good God, as a wiſe Phyſitian, make this poyſon of theirs medicinall, to his children; ſo that their meretricious offers, and Siren-like allurements, do, by his grace, but procure the good mans hate.
And good reaſon; for though Sathan and his inſtruments, like a flattering hoſt, promiſe good cheare, yet the reckoning payes for all, and hee that compares the welcome with the farewell, ſhall finde, he had better have faſted: for if we ſwallow the baite, the hooke will choake us. And indeed, if we could as well ſee what God hath in ſtore for us, as that the divell here offereth us; we would not regard the divels largeſſe.