Sin Stigmatized, Part 2 · Section 178 – Section 179
§ 178.
ANd ſo much to make the ſick whole: To keepe out of this ſnare of the divell and drunkards.now to preſerve the whole from being ſick of this almoſt irrcoverable diſeaſe. Wouldeſt thou keepe out of this ſnare of the divell and drunkards? conſider in the firſt place, 1. See the danger and know their aime.that out of the premiſes ariſeth this concluſion: how we live in ſo corrupt an aire, that wee need many Antidotes to keepe us from being infected: for lay altogether, and the ſumme is, that Sathan and his inſtruments; are ever, and every way practiſing to lift us out of vertues ſeate, that we are compaſſed round with temptations, Some men agents for Chriſt, others for Sathan; but Sathans inſtruments have many advantages above Gods …rv…nts in wining ſoul…s.even as the Sea compaſſeth the earth, watching where it may conveniently get in; here, kiſſing the banks with flattering waves; there, ſwelling againſt it with roring billowes; for, if the divel can not winne men to hell, as hee ſeemes an Angell of light, hee will ſtrive to accompliſh it, as he is a ſpirit of terror, and what he cannot do by himſelfe, hee will by his instruments, wicked men.
More particularly. Conſider that every man hath two great and importunate ſuters for his ſoule, vertue and vice, whoſe agents are good and evill men; thoſe that are agents for vertue, leigers for Chriſt, are chiefly his faithfull Miniſters: their commiſſion, is the Word: the weapons of their warfare, their tongues; the only meanes they uſe, is, to intreat and beſeech men, by the mercies of Chriſt, that they will be reconciled unto God; the only motive to induce men hereunto, is, that if they will part with the ſinfull pleaſures of this life, they ſhall have a glorious kingdome prepared for them in heaven, which few have faith to believe, and, of them which doe, fewer will undergo thoſe grievous temptations and perſecutions, which uſually accompany the profeſſion of the Goſpell.
For though the Goſpell brings remiſſion of ſinne, and remiſſion of ſinne occaſions all true joy and peace internall, and eternall peace with God, and peace of conſcience; yet our warre with Sathan, the World, and the Fleſh, is wonderouſly increaſed thereby; wch makes divers, that ſeeme to be of Chriſts band: forſake him: for with many, like mutinous Souldiers, no longer pay, no longer fight: as that deſperate mercenary ſaid, he came not to fight for his country, he came to fight for his money; like the Law-logick, and the Switzers, they are for his ſervice, that gives them the beſt ready wages: here Sathan takes his hint to uſurpe upon the children of perdition, religion brings croſſes, Eccleſia eſt hares crucis; they find their devotion anſwered with tribulation, and cannot be quiet, becauſe they ſeeme to bee good. Now ſteps in the Divell, why ſhould you buy miſery with want, when as you may want miſery? why will you embrace certaine cares, in hope of uncertaine comforts? why doe you take paines to bee poore, when you may be rich with eaſe? Here they, that have not the grace, nor the face to give the divell the lye, throw the plow into the hedge, and will not waite till harveſt, but lay hold on theſe new offers of the world, and for a meſſe of pottage ſell their patrimony.
Whereas on the other ſide,, thoſe that are agents for vice, factors for the divell, have diverſe and ſundry ways to prevaile; whether of policy, to allure and perſwade; or of ſtrength, to compell and enforce us to yeeld. Sathan, as you have heard, hath many ſtrings to his bow, that if ſome breake the reſt may hold; many traines of powder, ſome likely to take fire; yea, he is like ſome cunning Enginere, that can invent new inſtruments, according to the preſent occaſion, and inventeth all he can, and puts in practiſe al that he inventeth; and when old tricks of cheating can doe no good, Sathan and his inſtruments will find out new. O the many advantages that Sathans inſtruments have, above Gods ſervants, both in wooing and winning to ſinne by faire meanes, and in keeping ſuch as they have wonne, and likewiſe in compelling and enforcing by foule! you have ſeene ſundry of them, in the former Treatiſe: I will ſhew you yet more.
§ 179.
AS for winning by faire meanes: firſt, An evill ſuggeſtion is more ready at hand then a good.how ready at hand is an evill ſuggeſtion? good counſel is like unto Well-water, that muſt be drawne up with a Pump or Bucket; ill counſell is like to Conduit-water, which if the cock be but turned, runs out alone.2 We are more prone to evilthen good.
Secondly, how eaſie a Rhetorick drawes us to the worſe? yea, it is hard not to doe evill vill uninvited: even Virgil a heathen could ſay, that it was an eaſie thing in ſinne to go on amaine, and with much facility, to deſcend into hell which is below, as a man that goeth downe a hill, cannot chooſe but run; or at leaſt, one man hath more power to pull him downe, then halfe a dozen the contrary; but to goe forward in goodneſſe and vertue, to aſcend ſo ſteepy a hill as heaven which is above, is hard and difficult; yea, we had need be drawn by many ſtrong helpes; for in this caſe we reſemble the Spider, which can deſcend with a ladder of her owne making, be the place never ſo low, but cannot aſcend one inch, without ſome prop; or rather a very ſtone, which deſcends naturally, is not raiſed but by violence.
—facilis deſcenſus—
Sed revocare gradum—
down ſtreame the Boat goes faſt enough, to ſtop it is all the cunning, before it ſtrike on a Shelfe. Thoſe things which the ground naturally produceth of it ſelfe, ſhe ſoone and eaſily brings forth, and that in abundance; you ſhall find your furrowes full of Cockle and Darnell, though you never ſowe them; but what is ſowen, not without much labour, and that ſparingly, becauſe ſhe is to thoſe a mother, to theſe a ſtep-dame.
And commonly it fares with counſels as it doth with meates; thoſe which are leaſt wholeſome, are moſt requeſted: and the faction of evill is ſo much ſtronger in our nature, then that of good, that every leaſt motion prevailes for the one, ſcarce any ſute for the other; and ſeldome ſhall wee ſee truth ſo ſucceſſefull as falſhood. Whence it was, that Theodota and Calisto, two beautiful harlots, could each of them boaſt, that they excelled Socrates; for that they, when they pleaſed, could draw away by their allarements, his diſciples and auditors from him, whereas he could not, with all his great wiſdome and learning, draw from them any of their lovers? whoſe anſwer was. No marvaile, for I draw, with an unpleaſing hooke, to vertue, whoſe way is difficult and hard; whereas you draw, with a pleaſing With of down to vice, which is eaſie, and men are naturally of themſelves prone to it.