A Precious Mithridate for the Soul, Chapter 4
CHAP. 4.
ANd ſo you have three Chapters, taken out of the prevention of poverty. In Gods goodneſſe and Englands unthankfulneſſe by the ſame Authour? I find this enſuing Character of a Prodigall or Looſe Libertine: it is in Chapter the 9th. where he is appointed to lead the Troop, of Ignorant, unbeleiving, Ingrateful and wicked perſons; as Judas led the Souldiers. It begins, and goes on as followeth.
Thou that art Openly profane; doſt ſomanifeſtly prove, and profeſs thy ſelf to be one of thoſe ignorant, unbelieving, ingrateful, and wicked wretches herein concern'd: yea, to be one of the children of diſobedience whom Satan hath blinded: that in reſpect of others, I ſhould think it needleſſe to ſpend time in further proof thereof: yet I would gladly ſay ſomething to ſhame thee out of thy ſelf: wherefore briefly thus: Thou are kept by the Devil in a ſnare, and taken captive of him at his will: he ruleth, and worketh his pleaſure in thee, as being thy God and father, and Prince, and Maſter, 2 Tim. 2.26. Joh. 8.44. and 14.30. 2 Cor. 4.4. Thy odious qualities are theſe and the like: thou doeſt baniſh all civility, and give thy ſelf over to ſenſuality: and art neither afraid nor aſhamed; to let thy wickedeſt thoughts break forth into actions. Yea, thou thinkeſt thy ſelf the honeſter man for it: and boaſteſt thou art none of thoſe diſſembling Hypocrites that ſeem to be what they are not. Thou art a common Drunkard: in ſtead of quenching thy thirſt, thou drowneſt thy ſenſes.
Thou deſireſt not the reputation of honeſty, but of good fellowſhip: Thou art a continual ſwearer, and that of bloody oaths. One of our Ruffians, or ſons of Belial: who when thou art diſpleaſed with others, wilt flie in thy Makers face, and tear thy Saviours Name in peices: even ſwearing away thy part in that blood, which muſt ſave thee it ever thou beeſt ſaved. Yea, if thou art never ſo little provoked, curſes with thee, ſtrive for number with oaths, and lewd ſpeeches with both. Thou knoweſt no other dialect, then roaring, ſwearing, and banning: and in caſe thou art reproved for it, thou wilt ſay, We take too much upon us: as Corah and his complices twitted Moſes, Numb. 16 3. not knowing how ſtrictly God commands, and requires it, Levit. 19.17. Heb. 3.11. 2 Tim. 2.25.Ezek. 3.18, to 22. 2 Pet. 2.7, 8. Whence as the Chief Prieſts anſwered Judas; What is that to us? ſo thou wilt blaſpheme God, tear Chriſt in pieces, and more then betray, even ſhed his innocent blood, digging into hit ſide with oaths and ſay, when told of it, What is that to us? When thou mighteſt as well ſay; What is Chriſt to us? What is Heaven to us? or what is ſalvation to us? For to us the one cannot be without the other. We ſhal never inherit part of his glory in Heaven, if we do not take his glories part upon earth. And with God it is much about one; whether we be doers of evil, or no hinderers. For if we muſt not ſee our neighbours Oxe not Sheep aſtray, or fall into a pit; but we muſt reduce him, and help him out of it, Deut. 22.1. We are much more bound to help our Neighbour himſelf, from dropping into the bottomleſſe pit of Hell. And what know we? but we may win our brother, and ſo ſave his ſoul? Matth. 18.15 Again, thou art an uſual companion of Harlots, thy ſummum bonum is a Punk: and thou wilt rather burn in Hell, then marry.
Thou are one of thoſe that St. Peter ſpeaks of: thou haſt eyes full of adultery, and that cannot ceaſe to ſin. Thou gazeſt upon every fair face; and luſteſt after every beautiful woman: I hy ſpeech is lewd and obſcene: thy diſcourſe ſcurrility, laſcivious thy behaviour. Thou art a frequent ſlanderer of thy Neigbour: an open Sabbath-breaker: Canſt boaſt of ſin and miſchief, and if need be defend it.
Like the Salamander, thou art never well, but in the fire of contention. And art apt to quarrel, yea, kill a man for every fooliſh trifle; be it but for the wall, or refuſing to pledge thee; as it thy honour were of more worth then thy ſoul. Yea, the Devil h th ſo blinded, and bewitcht thee: that thou thinkeſt every wrong, or diſgraceful word quarrel juſt enough, to ſhed blood, that true valour conſiſts only in a brave revenge and being implacable: that patience is but an argument of baſeneſſe; and therefore thou wilt ra her ſuffer a ſword in thy bowels, then a lye in thy throat. I confeſſe, thou wile fight in no quarrel but a bad one, and ſooner in thy Miſtreſſes defence, then in thy Makers.
Thou art of a reprobate judgment touching actions and perſons: eſteeming good evil, and evil good, Prov, 17.15. and 29.27. Iſa. 20. Thou doeſt ſtifle thy conſcience, and wouldſt force thy ſelf to bel eve if it were poſſible, that in caſe men will not ſwear, drink drunk, conform to thy lewd cuſtomes, and the like, th y are over-preciſe; and to forbear evil, is quarrel ſufficient for thee. Thou ſpeakeſt evil of all, that will not run with thee to the ſame exceſſe of riot, 1 Pet. 4.4. making them a by-word to the people, Job 17.6. and a ſong amongſt thy fellow Drunkards, Pſal. 69.12. Thou art ſo deſperately wicked, that thou wilt mock thy admoniſher, ſcoffe at the means to be ſaved; and make thy ſelf merry wi th thy own damnation.
In ſtead of hating the evil thou doſt, and thy ſelf for doing it: thou art glad of it, rejoyceſt in it, boaſteſt of it; yea, pleadeſt for it, and applaudeſt thy ſelf for thy wickedneſſe: God is not in all thy thoughts, except to blaſpheme him, and to ſpend his days in the Devils ſervice; And rather then abridge thy pleaſure, thou wilt hazard the diſpleaſure of God. Thou doeſt not honour but are ſtubborn, and diſobedient to thy parents; a Rioter, &c. If they ſtand in need of thee; thou wilt not nouriſh or maintain them, as they did thee in thy need. Thou takeſt no care to provide for thy own family, but drinkeſt the very blood of thy Wife, Children, and Servants: and art therein worſe then an Infidel. Thy greateſt delight is in devilliſh cruelty: as to ſee the poor innocent Creatures fight, pick out one anothers Eyes, and tear each others fleſh. Yea, to ſee two men fight, and kill one another, thou accounteſt but a ſport or playing, 2 Sam. 2.14. to 17. Thou wilt borrow, or run in debt with every one; but never careſt to pay, or to ſatisfie any one: except it be thy Hoſteſſe for drink, leſt ſhe ſhould never more truſt thee.
As good men by their godly admonition, and vertuous example, draw all they can to Heaven: ſo by thy ſubtile allurements, and vicious example, thou draweſt all thou canſt to hell. For as if it were too little to damnthy own foul, or as if thine own ſins would not preſſe thee deep enough into hell; thou doeſt all that poſſibly thou canſt, to entice and enforce others to ſin with thee: for thou doeſt envy, hate, ſcoff at, nick-name, rail on, and ſlander the godly; that thou mayeſt flout them out of their faith, damp, or quench the ſpirit where thou perceiveſt it is kindled; diſcourage them in there way to heaven, to make them aſhamed of their holy converſation, and religious courſe: pull them back to the World, that ſo thou mayeſt have their company here in ſin, and hereafter in torment.
Thou feareſt a Gaol more then thou feareſt hell: and ſtandeſt more upon thy ſides ſmarting, then upon thy ſoul. Thou regardeſt more the blaſts of mens breath, then the fire of Gods wrath: and trembleſt more at the thought of a Serjeant or Bailiff, then of Satan, and everlaſting perdition. Thou takeſt incouragement from the Saints falls, and ſins of Gods people to do the like: when they ſhould ſerve thee as Sea-marks, to make thee beware. Yea, thou doeſt moſt ſordidly, take liberty, and incouragement to go on more ſecurely in thy evil courſes: becauſe God is merciful and forbears to execute judgement ſpeedily: and to defer thy repentance, becauſe the Theif upon the Croſſe, was heard at the laſt hour. Thou wilt boldly do what God forbids; and yet confidently hope to eſcape what he threatens.
Thus I could go on, to tell thee a thouſand more of theſe thy wicked thoughts, words, and actions; had I not already done it. But becauſe I would not preſent my other Readers with Cole-worts twice ſod: be perſwaded to take view of them, in my other ſmall Tract, entituled, The odious, deſpicable, and dreadful condition of Drunkard, drawn to the Life: though indeed even a Tyth of theſe are ſufficient evidences to prove and to make thee confeſſe that thou art in a moſt damnable condition. But ſtand thou by, and let the civil Juſticiary, and formall Hypocrite hold up their hands, and hear their charge.
Here ends the Prodigals Character with which I will conclude.
FINIS.
They that pleaſe, may have the whole (Library conſiſting of thirty ſeven Books) at James Crumps, a Stationer in Little Bartholomews Well-yard, and at Henry Cripps his Shop in Popes-head-Alley. 1661.
End of the text · Richard Younge, A Precious Mithridate for the Soul (1661)