Four Treatises Dissuading from Four Heinous and Common Sins, Treatise 3 · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI. Of the ſpirituall puniſhments which God inflicteth vponupon fornicators.
ANd theſe are the temporall puniſhments which are inflicted vponupon fornicators,§. Sect. 1. God ſubiecteth fornicators to his fierce vvrath. beſides which the Lord impoſeth vponupon them many ſpirituall iudgements; as firſt he ſubiecteth them to his wrath and heauie diſpleaſure, as the Apoſtle witneſſeth, Epheſ. 5.3.6. where he ſaith,Epheſ. 5.3.6. that for theſe ſinnes of fornication, vncleanneſſe, and ſuch enormous crimes, commeth the wrath of God vponupon the children of diſobedience; and therefore it behooueth vsus to mortifie theſe earthly luſts,Col. 3.5.6. as he exhorteth vsus, Col. 3.5.6, that we may not incurre the heauie diſpleaſure of our dread Lord and Soueraigne; for if we feare to prouoke againſt vsus the iuſt wrath of an earthly prince, becauſe in the light of his countenance is life, Prou. 16.14.15. and 20.2.and his fauour is as a cloud of the latter rame; whereas contrariwiſe the feare of a king is like the roring of a lion, and his wrath is as the meſſengers of death: then how much more ſhould wee auoide thoſe ſinnes, which prouoke the heauie wrath of the king of kings, whoſe voice is like the dreadfull thunder, and whoſe wrath cauſeth death eternall of ſoule and bodie? If wee are loth to diſpleaſe mortall men, from whom wee receiue worldly benefits, then how much more the euerliuing God, in whom wee liue, mooue, and hauehave our being;Act. 17.28. and from whom we expect all our good, both here in this life, and the life to come? and if wee feare to offend them who hauehave onelyonly power to kill the bodie, and can go no further,Matth. 10.28. then how ſhould we tremble and quake to commit theſe ſinnes of vncleanneſſe, whereby he is wrathfully incenſed, who is able to deſtroy both bodie and ſoule in the fire of hell?
Secondly,§. Sect. 2. God puniſheth fornication with impenitency and hardneſſe of heart. the Lord vſually puniſheth theſe ſinnes of vncleannes with blindnes of minde, hardnes of heart, carnall ſecuritie, and final impenitencie, wherby it commeth to paſſe that fornicators are hardly reclaimed from this vice, but being giuen vp to their owne vile luſts and affections, and vntounto a reprobate minde they continue in theſe ſinnes not onelyonly in their youth,Rom. 1.26.28. but alſo in old age, and euen when their bodies are impotent and diſabled, their minds are ſtill vncleane, and their tongues are exerciſed in ribald and filthie ſpeeches; ſo hard a thing it is to get out of the bondage of theſe fleſhly luſts when once we are inchained with them. To this purpoſe the wiſe man ſaith, that the harlots houſe tendeth to death, and her paths vntounto the dead. All they that goe vntounto her returne not againe, neither take they hold of the waies of life. Prou. 2.18.19. And of this there may bee rendred diuers cauſes; as firſt, becauſe theſe ſins of vncleannes do bring vponupon him who is defiled with them ſuch a blockiſh ſtupiditie and ſenſeleſſe ſottiſhnes,Pro. 2.18.19. The cauſes why fornication is accompanied with impenitencie. 1. Becauſe whoredome maketh men ſottiſh. that hee neuer thinketh of the foulnes of his ſinne, nor of the manifold miſchiefes which doe accompanie it; neither yet is capable of any admonition or inſtruction from others, whereby he might be reclaimed; for when he is once bewitched with the Syren tunes of theſe inticing harlots, and hath receiued theſe poyſonous potions of beaſtly pleaſures, he preſently loſeth the vſe of his reaſon and vnderſtanding, and though hee retaineth ſtill his outward ſhape, yet in his heart, affections, and inward faculties, hee is tranſformed into a brutiſh, or rather blockiſh creature, ſo that a man may as well with perſwaſion mooue a ſenſleſſe ſtocke, or with reaſon diſſwade a dog from following his ſalt bitches, as hee can by any waight of argument withdraw this walking blocke, and this talking beaſt from accompanying his wicked ſtrumpets; for either the hidious noyſe of his tumultuous luſts do make him deafe to all admonition, or theſe poyſonous cups of filthie pleaſure doe intoxicate his minde that hee vnderſtandeth not what hee heareth, or finally the force of luſt ſo violently tranſporteth his affections, and the harlots chaines of alluring inticements do ſo ſurely inthrall him, that if he heareth and vnderſtandeth profitable admonitions and inſtructions, yet he regardeth them not, but cannot, or will not, or therfore cannot becauſe he will not, leaue his ſinne, to which as a voluntarie ſlaue he is ſubiected.
A ſecond cauſe of their impenitencie is,§. Sect. 3. The ſecond cauſe of the fornicators impenitencie; becauſe his fin is committed in ſecret. becauſe their ſinne is committed in ſecret, hauing no other witneſſe of their fact but God, their owne conſcience, and Satan who hath drawne them to this ſinne. For as Iob ſaith; The eye of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, and ſaith, none eye ſhall ſee me, and diſguiſeth his face: Iob. 24.15: and hauing committed wickedneſſe, he wipeth his mouth and ſaith, I hauehave not committed iniquitie: as it is, Prou. 30.20. Wherof it commeth to paſſe,Pro. 30.20. that they ſecurely goe forward in their ſinne, becauſe they want the ordinarie meanes which ſhould bring them to amendment; for when as men know not their wickedneſſe, they cannot admoniſh or reproue them for it, nor cure the wounds which were neuer diſcouered, till they feſter and rot in their corruptions; they are exempted from ſhame, the vſuall companion of ſinne, and cauſe of ſorrow, which oftentimes bringeth that repentance which is neuer to bee repented of. They are alſo hereby priuiledged from puniſhments inflicted by humane lawes, which are the cords of men that draw ſinners vntounto God, and ſuch admoniſhers as will make the ſenſes conceiue them, when the vnderſtanding is beſotted. But let ſuch men know, that their ſecret acting of theſe workes of darkeneſſe will little auaile them; for what will it profit theſe offenders that other men are ignorant of their faults, when as they are knowne vntounto their own conſciences, who will beare witneſſe againſt them, vntounto God their Iudge, who will condemne them,Pſal. 1 39.11.12. Pro. 5.20. and vntounto Satan their accuſer and executioner, who will torment them? What will it aduantage them to ſhun the ſhame of men, when as, at the great day of the Lord, their filthineſſe being diſcouered, they ſhall be diſgraced before God and the bleſſed Saints and Angels? What will it benefit them to hauehave eſcaped humane puniſhments, which might hauehave reformed them, and brought them to repentance, when as they ſhall eternally be tormented in hell fire without hope of deliuerance?
The laſt cauſe of this impenitēcie is the ſweetnes of the ſin vntounto a carnall appetite,§. Sect. 4. The third cauſe of the fornicators impenitencie, is the ſweetneſſe of this ſinne to his carnall appetites. and the great delight which worldly men take in perpetrating this wickedneſſe, which will hardly ſuffer them to be weaned from it, either with the bitternes of preſent euils, or with the apprehenſion of future puniſhments. For ſuch neere correſpondence and intimate friendſhip there is betweene the fleſh, and theſe fleſhly luſts, that the carnall man is ready to venture through fire and water, and to hazard health and wealth, life and lim, for the ſatisfying of his filthie pleaſure: neither will hee eaſilie loſe that which he hath ſo deerely bought, but will rather endure all extremities, then he will part with his ſinne which is more deere and ſweete vntounto him then life it ſelfe. By all which it may plainely appeare, that theſe ſinnes of vncleanneſſe are moſt pernicious vntounto our bodies and ſoules, in that they continue vsus in impenitencie which is the certaine forerunner of eternall damnation; for howſoeuer the mercies of God are moſt large and infinite, yet are they neuer inlarged to thoſe who continue in their ſinnes; though the blood of Chriſt be of an ineſtimable value, yet it neuer procureth pardon for thoſe who are ſtill in louelove with their wickedneſſe; and howſoeuer the promiſes of the Goſpell are moſt generall and indefinite, yet are they alwaies limited and reſtrained with the condition of true repentance.
Laſtly,§. Sect. 5. The fornicator is continually tormented with vexation and cauſe of griefe. howſoeuer the fornicator is ſeldome troubled with any true ſorrow for his ſinne; yet doth he neuer want vexation and griefe in reſpect of the puniſhment which doth accompanie it. Before he committeth his ſinne, hee is ſet vponupon the racke of his owne inordinate luſts, which violently draw him to a reſolution of perpetrating his filthineſſe; after he is reſolued, he is tormented with a multitude of vnrulie paſſions and affections, which drawing contrarie waies, diuerſly diſtract him, and euen pull him aſunder. One while he is vexed with vncertaine hopes, and another while with doubtfull feares; ſometimes he is tormented with care how hee may compaſſe his deſires, and ſometimes with ielouſies and ſuſpitions of manifold miſchiefes which may accompanie the fruition of his carnall ioyes. Now hee doubteth of his harlots louelove, and wiſheth a cleere paſſage in his ſuite, and ſoone after hee feareth his wiſh, in reſpect of the ſhame or puniſhment which may follow the atchieuing of his deſires, if by any meanes his filthy fact be diſcouered and reuealed. Neither is hee in better caſe after his luſts are ſatisfied, but rather as his ſinne which was but onelyonly reſolued on, is now aggrauated by the execution and fact, ſo alſo are his puniſhments in his ſoule and eonſcience intended and increaſed. For now the ſmoke which did ariſe from the flame of his luſts and darkened the eye of his vnderſtanding being ſomewhat vaniſhed, vponupon the quenching of this fire, hee beginneth more cleerely to diſcerne the fouleneſſe of his fact, and his owne ſottiſh follie, who for the inioying of a ſhort and beaſtly pleaſure, hath robbed his conſcience of peace, and his heart of ioy, and caſt himſelfe into an inextricable labyrinth of manifold miſchiefes; now his guiltie conſcience maketh him to be in continuall feare leſt his fact being diſcouered, his name ſhould be expoſed to infamie and reproch, and his perſon to the danger of the law; and this maketh him ſuſpitious of his friends, and fearefull of his enemies, if there bee but the leaſt ielouſie of any meanes, wherby his workes of darkeneſſe may be brought to light. And this Iob notably deſcribeth, Chap. 24.16.Iob 24.16. The whoremongers dig through houſes in the darke, which they marked for themſelues in the day, they know not the light. 17. But the morning is vntounto them as the ſhadow of death: If one know them, they are in the terrors of the ſhadow of death. Yea though they hauehave ſo ſecretly acted their wickedneſſe, that they are in this reſpect ſecure, being aſſured that they ſhall neuer bee diſcouered, yet if they bee not men of ſcared conſciences, they are contiuually haunted with terrors and troubles of mind, as it were with helliſh furies, when as being guiltie of theſe foule ſinnes, they conſider that their Iudge is alſo a witneſſe of their hidden actions, and that one day they ſhal be called to a reckoning, when as they can hauehave but little hope that it will goe well with them,1. Cor. 6.9.10. Apoc. 21.8. ſeeing the ſentence of eternall death and condemnation is alreadie paſſed vponupon them in his word which is his infallible truth, yt admitteth of no change or alteration. Who therfore would for a brutiſh and momentanie delight pierce his conſcience with ſuch deepe wounds which are ſo long in healing, and bring ſuch continuall griefe and bitter torments before they can be cured? Who would at ſuch high rates (as the loſſe of Gods fauour, and the peace of their owne conſcience) buy either (at the beſt) continually cauſe of repentance, or otherwiſe the reſtleſſe feares, and torturing terrors of a guiltie ſoule, euen to the end of life, eſpecially conſidering, that theſe preſent terrors of conſcience, are but the beginnings of the eternall helliſh torments?