A Fathers Testament, Chapter 17
CAP. XVII.
What then are the branches?
HOliness spreads it self into three may… branches, S…brietie, Righteousness, and …odliness, Tit. 2.12. Sobrietie, or Temperance, may be thus described. It is that fruit of the Spirit, whereby we are enabled to moderate our selves, our affections, and actions in the use of the creature. 1. It is wrought in us by the holy Ghost, and is his fruit, Gal. 5.22, 23. It is ta…ght us by the word of grace, the Gospel, Tit. 2.11, 12. And thus it differs from that moral virtue, with which we may observe many heathens fairly to glister. Have ye never seen dishes of fruit stand out upon some shops, composed o… wax, and curiously painted? How much more fair, and lovely do they seem to the eye, than the same natural fruit, which you pluck from the tree? But if you weigh them in your hand, or (much more) if you ta… them, what a palpable difference do ye find between these made, artificial apples, and the natural? Pictures may be fairer than the substance, but they want the life, and use of the substance. I have seen a crab more pleasant to the eye than the apple, which sprung from a noble graft, planted on the same stock; but to the tast how hateful the crab? the apple how delightful? Till we are cut off from the first Adam, and grafted into the Second, all our fruits are as the apples of Sodom, abominable, and loathsome. 2. Secondly, whereas our Lord hath bestowed all his creatures upon us, the act, and exercise of Temperance is so to moderate our minds in receiving, our affections in desiring, and our actions in using them, that we abuse them not, 1 Cor. 7.31. Let me more cleer it by instancing in some particulars.
1. A special inward gift to man is knowledg, which is (as the object) more excellent in things spiritual. Here Sobrietie will bridle, and rein in the understanding when it is spurred on by Curiosity to pry into the Ark, and not suffer it to break through to the Lord, lest we perish, Exo. 19.21. There are things secret, and revealed, Deut. 29.29. as therefore it will not palliate defects, but put us on diligently to search the scriptur…, and to find out the things which belong to us; so in the excesse it will stop us, when our itching eyes, and ears would carry us beyond those bounds, (Exo. 19.12.) which our Lord hath set us. It will curb the thoughts, and hold them in, that they shall not think more highly than they ought, but think soberly, Rom. 12.3.
2. Whereas every member hath his place, and proportion in the body of Christ, and several duties allotted them (every one in his calling,) Sobrietie will so temper our spirits, that it will keep us in our rank; and not suffer us either to boast of a false gift, lest we prove (as those spots in love-feasts) clouds without rain; (See, Prov. 25.14. Iude 12.) nor yet under a mask of voluntary humilitie to intrude our selves in things which we have not seen, vainly puft up in our fleshly mind, Col. 2.18. Thus it moderated that great Apostle, and kept him as we say in his tedder; that he should not exceed the compass of his own measure, 2 Cor. 10.13, 14, 15. And for want of this virtue, many in these times (which bear a great hulk, and seem great ones in the eyes of deluded, and bewitched professours, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledg of the truth) breaking out of their rank, are neither sheep, nor dogs of the flock, but wolves deceiving, and being deceived, 2 Tim. 3.13.
But much more apparent is the exercise of this grace in things without. As. 1. It empales a man in his proper calling, and perswades him with quietness to work, and eat his own bread; and suffers him not to live idly, or disorderly, as a busy-body, (2 Thes. 3. vers. 11, 12.) and yet keeps off the shackles of earthly cares; it empales, but imprisons not in his calling; nor so enslaves him to worldly affairs, but that he may have all requisite libertie, and enlargement to the heavenly. He serves not his calling, but God in it.
Secondly, in his estate it settles the heart in a quiet contentation. Emptiness shall not breed greediness, nor fulness pride. It teacheth him to want without grudging, and to abound without swelling, Phil. 4.12. 3. In recreations it keeps a middle way, equally distant from sullenness, and mad mirth. It will suffer the heart sometime to be drenched in sorrow, never drowned, to swim sometime, never to sink in pleasure. It will instruct the spirit to be sometime thoughtful, sometime joyful, never cheerful. Lastly, for things indifferent it moderates our desires, and practice, to use them with comfort, without sin. In food it teacheth us tim…, and measure; to eat in season, to refreshing, and not to surfeting, Eccl. 10.17. to quicken, not damp our spirits; to whet not dull them for our work. It apparrels us neither garishly, nor gaudily; not slovenly, nor curiously; but fitts the matter, and manner to the person, sex and calling. In marriage it teaches them that have wives to be as if they had …one, 1 Cor. 7.29. to rejoice with the wife of his youth, not ravished with a stranger; to be satisfied, (not consumed) with her love, Prov… 5.19, 20. In sleep it allowes renewing, not slugging; recovering of strength, not mispending time. It is the special direction of Gods Spirit to keep in the middle way, and not to turn to the right hand, or to the left, Deut. 5.32. This is that middle path, the strait way to felicitie: studie to find it, and strive to walk in it.
There are two by-paths which Temperance (above the rest) loudly warns you to decline. They are very broad, much beaten, strongly alluring, in which many thousands every day perish. The first is Rioting, and drunkenness; the second Chambering, and wantonness, Rom. 13.13. Of the former we may now complain as did once that holy Bishop (August. epist. 48. Vincentio) This pestilence (of drunkenness) farr and neer, so wasts mens souls, and with so much Licentiousness reigns, and tyrannises, that I should much marvel if it did not infect your little flock. How fi…ly doth he call it a Pestilence? Never was any plague so infectious, spreading, and dangerous: hardly, and seldom cured; deadly, destroying soul, and body. We hear God damming it, (1 Cor. 6.9. Gal. 5.21.) heathens branding it, all (even drunkards) deriding it, none but ashamed to own it, and yet see the most, most shamefully practising it. Look on it in the fruits, (Prov. 23.29. to the end) Woe, sorrow, strife, babbling, causless wounds, sore eyes, poyson, death, lust, perverse speaking, security, hardness, and lastly, an incurable habit of swilling, and following wicked company; consequently beggery, (ver. 21.) and sudden perdition, Luk. 21.34.
There was never such a monster bred in Africk as the Drunkard makes himself. He hath a Crabbs foot, (that cannot sett one step forward) a Swines belly (swell'd with swill, a very hog-trough) the heart of Leviathan, (hard as the neither milstone, Job. 4.24.) a Goats eye, (fired with lust;) and a Divels mouth flaming in hellish blasphemie: His flesh is nothing but a Q…agmire, and the whole lump a breathing swiltub, and (as one fitly speaks a walking, (and steaming) dunghill. But sottish men will ordinarily (by way of excusing) further accuse, and indict themselves.
Oh (say they) it is not so much the drink I respect, as good company. Good company! how much better might'st thou find in a Pest-house? and what worse in hell? It is the company of which we are specially warned; Be not among wine-bibbers, Prov. 23.20. To be drunken, and to sit, and drink with the drunken is the same in the holy Ghosts expression. (Compare, Matth. 24.49 with Luk. 12.45.) The good Lord keep you out of this quick-sand. For it is with drunkards as with drunken sands. It swallowes up irrecoverably, and drinks down into the belly of hell who…soever strikes upon it.
Neither is uncleanness, or wantonness less dangerous, or loathsome. The more ye grow up to youth, the more closely cleave to the guide of your youth, (Prov. 2.17.) See, Psal. 119.9. Lay neer to heart, nay lock up in the midst of your heart, all those precious counsels of that Eternal wisdom, and your heavenly Father. My Son give me thy heart, and let thine eyes observe my wayes: for a whore is … deep ditch, and a strange woman a narrow pitt, Prov. 23.26, 27. Read, and even get by heart, Prov. 2.23. to the end, and 7. ch.
Were it possible to cut off your arm, and to graft it into a Bear, and the Bears leg into your shoulder, how would your soul abhorr such an exchange? How much worse is it to take the members of Christ, and make them members of an harlot? 1 Cor. 6.15. Be careful also, and very watchful, (with all instance I charge you) to avoid all single uncleanness; (Onans sin, Gen. 38.) which is the more dangerous, as it is less regarded. Give up your hearts day, and night (in prayer) to God, and put them into his hand: importunately beseech him (who keeps his Israel) to watch over you, and to fence you from tentation; and looking up unto his gracious providence, timely (as God shall provide for you) retire unto his Ordinance of marriage, if the Lord endow you not with the gift of continence. Remember your bo…dies, and souls are espoused to Christ; and the wife hath not power over her own body but t…e husband, 1 Cor. 7.4. Offer up therefore your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, (Rom. 12.1.) and glorifie him both in your bodies, and spi…its for they are Gods, 1 Cor. 6.20.
Lastly in your estate, this virtue will …each you to pray as Agur: Give me neither …overtie, nor riches, …eed me with food convenient for me, lest I be full, and deny thee, and …ay who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, …d take the name of my God in vain, Prov. …0.8, 9. A great sayl to a little boat is more …angerous than helpful. That Philosopher in …is Poetrie will teach you,
Boetius. Libr. 2. Metr. 4.
If safe thou wouldst, and quiet dwell,
Re…use a Palace, chuse a cell.
Wouldst thou burn out thy fenced light
In peace, when winds, storms, tempests fight?
Wouldst thou despise the curl'd-head waves,
And laugh, when gaping Neptune raves?
Let not thy house on mountains soar,
Trust not the swilling, spewing shore.
There envious winds, and spiteful blasts
Reign, rage, and tear: there nothing lasts.
Here sinking earth, and bibbing sands
B…tray the weight: here nothing stands.
Climb not aloft to seek f…esh ayer,
Or pleasant seat: build sure, not fair.
The lowly Rock make thy foundation;
A strong, a lasting situ…ation.
When thundring storms with ruins fill
The pleasant shore, and mounting hill,
Lodgd in thy trenches, safely lying,
Fierce winds, and …oming seas defying,
Safe maist thou mock the angry skie,
And quiet live, and quiet dy.
This was the first branch of holiness, Sobrietie.