Thomas Adams
There bee some that professe an utter abdication of the world, as if it and they were not cater-cosins; ignorant Votaries, and patch’d Cistertians; who doe so want holinesse, that they place holinesse in want. Yet the receivers of their rents, revenues, and in-comes, know full well they are no beggars. Iesuites indeed professe no wilfull poverty; yea their maine end is, next being mischievous, to bee rich. Insomuch that one of their owne Church adviseth the good Capuchine, whensoever he is to carry a Iesuite over a brooke, to examine his pockets before hee take him on his backe, lest hee breake his rule in carrying coine about him; and bee forced against the charity that was in Saint Francis; for saving his vow, to slip him downe into the water. It is their indignation, that they cannot perswade all men to abjure all earthly felicity, that they might engrosse it to themselves. They have gulled many rich men out of their estates, many Nobles out of their honours, many wise men out of their wits; yea they have attempted to perswade Princes out of their royalties; they would bee kings themselves: but they have not yet prevailed with them. Greatly may Religion sway a Prince, yet not so as to leave a Crowne. Wee read of divers that have transgress’d, yea left all Religion for a Crowne; but of very few that have left a Crowne for Religion. Yea most Princes hold it a point of Religion, never to leave a Crowne, till a Crowne leaves them. Such devout beggars bee these mortified Papists, that they would beggar all the world.
Intangled and overcome,] put them both together. It is the depth of misery to fall under the curse of Cham, a servant of servants. Divitis servi, maximè servi. Wee remember how Israel blessed Issachar; comparing him to a Gen. 49.15. strong Asse. When one wished the child like the father; Cato replied, is this a blessing, or a curse? So was this of Iacob, a blessing or a curse? Some Hebrewes understand it of their great 1 Chron. 12.32. labour and study in the Law: but we finde few such asses among our Lawyers. Others thus, they saw they dwelt in a fat soile, without lack of pleasures, and therefore like Asses onely plyed with provender, without minding their burdens. Such Asses bee they that are overcome with the world; they refuse no burden that Satan can lay on their backes, not the most unreasonable sinnes, so hee doe not abridge them of their provender, the unbounded swinge of their sensuall appetites. It is true indeed, that Satan doth too often even winne the godly to commit sinne, but never to love sinne: and when hee hath done but that, hee may put all his gaines in his eye. For their very fals make them afterward stand the surer: and their yeelding to one assault, for scorne and indignation of the foile, redoubles their valour to the resisting of a thousand: so that at once, he is growne weaker, and they stronger. That which was sent and suborned by our spirituall adversaries to betray us, in an happy change fights for us; and is driven rather to rebell, than wrong us. Rom. 8.2• All things worke for our good; and through our Makers grace, wee come to gaine by our sinnes. That which while wee were a repenting, wee would have expiated with our blood, now after our repentance wee finde matter of comfort; the fruit of unhappy sinne, happy repentance. 1 Ioh. 5.4. This is the victory that overcommeth the world, even our faith. There is no overcomming but this way, and this is a way that shall never faile. Faith is our buckler: Satan, the world, sinne, death are in the field; their shafts are fire; yet this shield shall quench them. Let mee conclude this argument, with some motives to resist the world, and meanes to overcome it.
1. When a man is bidden to some excellent cheare, hee were an uncivill and ingratefull guest, if hee should fill his stomach before-hand with offensive garlicke; Concilians & sibi fastidium, & aliis nauseam. Wee are invited to the heavenly banquet, the Manna of blessednesse: shall wee first gorge our selves with the garlicke and onions of Aegypt, the unwholesome lusts of this world? Neither can these things satisfie us: if a man eat and drinke, and thrive not with it, hee must confesse some errour and defect in nature, and should consult the Physitian for remedy. Let the covetous feed, devoure, swallow, and ravine all; this neither improves his content, nor satisfies his appetite: yet this man doth not feele himselfe sicke of a foolish dropsie, or canine stomach, or to stand in any need of physicke. But reason saith, hee that labours of such an unnaturall griefe, non repletione, sed purgatione opus habet: there is no way to cure him, but by letting him blood of his ranke and superfluous veines. Plato could advise such an one to take care, non augere possessionem, sed minuere cupiditatem.
2. If a man should dreame of flying with waxen wings, would hee attempt this project waking? Chrysost. Would he not rather bee ashamed of so fond an impossibility? It is easier for the body of a man to fly over the seas with artificiall wings, than for his soule to mount up to heaven by the strength of temporall riches. Trees, beasts, men grow up to their full stature and measure, and then sticke till they decline: onely worldlinesse growes alwayes, and most at last. Therefore is covetousnesse called the root of all evill: because when the branches grow old and seare for want of moisture, and there is nothing but drinesse in the armes, yet there is sap in the root: that lives, till they both die together: one grave must hold them: there onely they shall be sure to finde enough.
3. In vaine doe they flatter themselves with the name of Gods servants. When we see two men walking in the way, and one Dog following them, wee cannot tell which is his master while they keepe together: but when they part, then the Dog discovers his master, by forsaking the stranger. Piety and prosperity sometimes walke together like friendly neighbours, and then you cannot tell to whether the follower of them both belongs. But when these two fall out; when persecution separates them, then farewell piety, the worldling will after prosperity. The good man scornes such basenesse: though Dan. 3.5. Nebuchadnezzars Image bee made of gold; though it bee attended with Instruments of musicke, a consort of wealth, honour, pleasure and prosperity, which bewitch the soule; all this cannot move the servants of God. They have vowed in an heroicall disposition with Abraham, Gen. 14.22. that the king of Sodome shall not make them rich; no crooked or indirect meanes shall bring them in profit: they will not bee beholding to the king of hell for a shooe-tie. Stilicus the tyrant was slaine by the souldiers for his avarice; and when they had fastened his head and right hand to the point of a speare, they caused a cryer to proclaime in the Army, [Date] eleemosynam homini insatiabilis avaritiae, Give this poore man a peny.
4. Love not the world; Nolite diligere, saith Saint Iohn, not Nolite habere. Wealth may bee a palace of pleasure for our offspring, a fortresse of defence for our posterity: and it may be a tower for the records of vengeance, a library for that Zech. 5.4. flying booke, which is threatned to destroy men and houses. I should thinke my selfe blest in this dayes errand, if every man would vouchsafe by the tryall of his heart, to try the foundations of his house, whether they totter upon sand neere unto destruction; or rest upon the Rocke, able to withstand the tempest of Gods indignation. The danger of my profession, a burden under which the shoulders of Angels may justly shrinke, cals upon mee to call upon you for this examination; whether the world hath overcome you, or you can say with Christ, Ioh. 16.33. I have overcome the world.
5. Hee that directs an awfull eye toward his last account, will by many degrees bee more carefull of the manner, than of the matter of his gaines; how he gets, than what it is hee gets. The matter of his unjust profit hee shall leave behinde, perhaps to those that will never thanke him for it; an instrument of their sinne, and an occasion of their ruine. But the unlawfull manner will either bring a judgement home to his doores here, or at least follow him to judgement hereafter. Most men are too forward admirers of them that swell with riches, and swimme in pleasures; as if they were the onely darlings of heaven: who are the happy men but they? But as Paul saith of his shipwracke, Act. 27.21. We should not have gained this losse: so wee lose by our gaines, when those gaines come from wickednesse, wherein a good conscience suffers shipwracke.
6. Yea worse: for a temporall losse a man grieves but once: but for his unlawfull gaines he must grieve for ever. It seemed to be a lesse matter for which that worldling forfeited Luk. 12.20. his soule. Therefore as you tender your barnes and dearest dwelling places; as you would not have the stones and timber destroyed: alas, what hath timber and stones deserved? yet because the vulture hath caried al to her nest, nest and al must be set on fire? As you tender the fruit of your loines, and would not consult shame to your owne house, nor wrappe up your posteritie in the same destruction with your selves; be not entangled, be not overcome with this world. We abhorre the beast that kills her young ones with too much indulgence: let not us then destroy a child in the gaine of a childs portion, as if a man should sell his horse to buy him provender.
7. Alas, they know not the price of a soule, that chaffer it away in the market of this world; they beare that rich treasure in their bodies, as a toad doth a pretious stone in his head, and knowes it not. O then lay not up your hearts there, where riches abound and multiply: lay not up riches there, where theeves breake through and steale: lay not up theeves there, where vengeance may breake in and consume: lay not up vengeance there, where is no hope of redemption for ever.
8. There be other riches, if our hearts could light on them: as Augustine distinguisheth of Pauper in animo, and Pauper in sacculo; poore in mind and in purse. So may wee of the rich; there is a spirituall wealth as well as a secular: and so true and precious is the spirituall, that the secular wealth is but starke beggary to it. The Cabinet of it is the Soule, and the treasure in it God himselfe. Aug. O happy resolution of that blessed Father; Omnis mihi copia, quae Deus meus non est, egestas est: all my wealth, besides my God, is penury. Let them seeke after the earth, that have no right to heaven: let them desire the present, which beleeve not the future. The Christians wealth is his Saviour: can he complaine the lacke of any thing, that hath the Author of all? Psal. 23.1. The Lord is my Shepheard, I shall not want. Hee is rich in God, and may well sing that contented ditty, Fines ceciderunt mihi in praeclaris; Psal. 16.6. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places, I have a goodly heritage. God gave the water to fishes, the aire to fowles, to beasts the earth, the heaven to Angels; but he gave Himselfe to man: Whom have I in heaven but thee? and I desire none on earth besides thee. Let us give our selves to God, and God will give himself to us, and nothing shall be wanting to our blessednesse.
The latter end is worse with them than the beginning. Where two states are compared, and one of them preferred, they both must bee considered. Wee must see how bad the beginning is, before wee can perceive the latter end to be worse than it.
The beginning is a state of sin, and that’s bad enough: let us a litle perpend the infelicitie of it. Rectum est index sui & obliqui: the warpes and crookednesse of a table are discerned by the Rule: sin is carentia rectitudinis, and must be brought to the rule for demonstration. Good is honest, profitable, pleasant. Some things are honest, not profitable, nor pleasant: as to be simple as a Dove, and not wise as a Serpent, is honest; but there is both losse and displeasure in it. Some things are profitable, not honest, nor pleasant; as the gaines of unrighteousnesse; which both make a dishonest soule and a melancholy conscience. Other things are pleasant, not profitable, nor honest: as wanton and luxurious mirth; which neither becomes the person, nor is commodious to the estate. A bitter medicinall potion though it be not pleasant, puts on the name of goodnesse, because it benefits the health. Good is all these, and sinne is contrary to all these; which discovers the unhappy condition of it.
1. It is vile and dishonorable, therefore quarit angulos & latebras: it is so conscious of the owne deformitie, that it is loth to be seene; as the woman that hath a blemish on her face, would still be hiding it. Adam was ashamed as soone as he had sinned; when there was yet none to looke upon him, but onely shee that was in the same predicament. How did David seeke to palliate his sinne: first with a tawny cloke; the husband must shelter his dishonesty with the wife: when that would not serve, then with a scarlet cloke; through the bloud of the husband making way to the bed of his wife. Why did he put himself to these shifts? was he not a King? who durst accuse him? who durst whisper against him? O but the sinne of greatnesse is the greatnesse of sinne, and hath evermore a proportionable shame.
2. Sinne is grievous and irkesome, Ier. 2.19. an evill thing and bitter: like some wine that pleaseth the palate, but hath a harsh farewell. That which tasted pleasant to concupiscence, lies bitter on the stomach of conscience. For this monitor is left behind when all the rest miscarry. As the devill spared one of Iob’s servants on purpose to affright him with the newes, and torment him with the relation; Iob 1.15. Ego solus aufugi: so conscience is reserved to afflict the heart of a sinner, when the other faculties are suspended from executing their functions; I alone am escaped to tell thee. There is also in it a guilty feare; Peccatum carnifex peccatoris: as a malefactor changeth countenance before the Iudge. Fugit impius, & nemo persequitur. The Seminary suspects every traveller for a Pursuivant; the theefe, every man for an officer. Adde to all this the servilitie of a sinner, that dares not displease his slave. For quem admisit famulum, invenit tyrannum; those rude and barbarous retainers whom hee hath fed with indulgence, are ready to cut his throat. Poyson hath beene put in a cup of gold; yet you may wash it so cleane, that you shall drinke out of it without danger. But sinne so infects the vessell, body and soule, that nothing but the blood of Christ can clense it. The Viper, the Basiliske, or whatsoever serpent, is not killed with the own proper venime: but sinne destroyes the subject wherein it is bred. This is bad enough, but not the worst of it.
3. Besides all this, it is deadly and damnable. It repells God himselfe; non ut fortior debilem, vel excellentior minorem; sed ut foeditas domus habitatorem: it does not bid him goe, but so offends him that he will not stay. When the wife that hath a noble and kind husband, shall admit a base mishapen groome to her bed, and give him those conjugall rights which she owes to the other; yea doth her endevour to make her Lord wait upon his slave: this cannot command his separation, but gives just cause of a divorce. If a man sojournes with his tenant, and findes by his wilfull neglect of him; the unwholesomenesse of his dyet, unhandsomenesse of his lodging, and sluttish carelesnesse of all service to him, that hee would be glad to be rid of him; it is time to be gone. Iacob left Laban when hee saw his Gen. 31.5. countenance change upon him. How grievous is it upon such termes to lose our makers society? Every sinnefull hand is ready to wrong the widow, because she wants a friend to defend and plead her cause: her husband is gone. All our malicious enemies let drive at us with deadly violence, when God (our Husband and head) hath forsaken us: They presently conclude, Psal. 71.11. God hath forsaken him, persecute him and take him, for there is none to deliver him. The haires of a mans face or head doe grace him; for etiam hac excrementa, ornamenta: but when they are clip’d off, they are troden under feete. Hee that is joyned to God, is so long honoured; but when a separation is made, there is nothing more contemptible than that man.
Now lay all this together, and we shall find the former condition wofull enough: can there be a worse? Yes, there is a worse. Ioh. 15.22. If I had not spoken to them, saith our Saviour, they had had no sinne. That is, No sinne respectively, or in comparison of that sinne whereof they are now guilty. God made us able to continue holy and happie, but wee soone forfeited all: hee did put us in a faire way by nature; but wee went out of it, at the Townes end. Againe, hee calls us in Christ; (for wee were anothers, and are Gods but at the second hand) if after this wee fall away, our latter end is worse than our beginning. Worse in divers respects.
1. Their sinnes are worse now than they were at first, therefore their estates must needes be so. As nothing can make a man bad, but sinne: so nothing can make him worse, but the greater measure of sinne. When is a reprobate at the best? onely when hee is borne: then as his sinnes be fewest, so his Iudgement were easiest. Ier 9.3. They proceed from evill to evill, saith the Prophet: yea, 2 Tim. 3.13. they waxe worse and worse, saith the Apostle: as a River is small and fordable at the head, but greatens as it runnes on, by the accession of new waters. It had beene best for them not to have beene at all: or if they must have a being, to be abortive: or if they must be borne, not to live to know that they are borne: but to bate of those moneths in the world, which they had in the wombe: or if they must live, never to die: for death, that ends others miseries, begins theirs. Augustus and Severus did much mischiefe in their beginnings of raigne, much good towards their ends: therefore it was said of them; That it was pittie, quod eis vel nasci, vel mori contigerit: And it had beene good for the Commonwealth, that either they had never beene borne, or never died. So it had beene lesse unhappie for these Apostates, if either they had had no beginning, or no end, whose end is worse than their beginning. Nor be their sinnes onely worse, because of their number, as two evils are worse than one: but worse for the nature; more malicious, and full of venime, than the other were. An old Serpent casts forth the more deadly poison; an old Dog bites sore, and rankles the flesh; an old Foxe hath the more odious stinke; a bloudied robber is more mercilesse; a long festered Vlcer is almost uncapable of cure; an inveterate sinner commits the more execrable villanie.
Paritie of sinnes is an idle dreame, fit for those old Stoikes and Iovinian heretikes. It were superfluous to say, That God will reward sinners according to their workes, if all their workes were equall: as if Iudas had not done a fouler act than Pilate. There be two-fold worse; as the Pharise made his Proselyte Mat. 23.15. two-fold more the child of Hell than himselfe. There be three-fold, foure-fold worse; Am. 1. & 2. For three transgressions, and for foure. There be seven-fold worse: such was Mary Magdalen, before the seven devils came out of her: and such was that other sinner when the Mat. 12.4•. seven fresh devils entred into him. There be ten-fold worse They have provoked me ten times: every provocation made them worse than they were, because it was a worse sinne than the former. Yea, reprobates aged in sinne, die a thousand-fold worse than they were borne. Saint Iude speakes of some that are Twice dead: and we say of the cheating Bankerout, that dies without repentance, or any conscience of satisfaction, that he is five times dead. First, dead in honestie and conscience; that was long before putrified flesh. Secondly, dead in estate; which is either drowned in riot, or smothered in coozenage. Thirdly, dead in credit; his name stinkes worse than a new-opened Grave. Fourthly, dead in body, the common debt of nature. Fifthly, and lastly, dead in soule, and that for ever; the worst death of all. Thus their state, like their sinne, is worse in the end than the beginning.
2. Besides all their other sinnes, they have the sinne of unthankfulnesse to answere for. While they were bond-men, God contented himselfe with such workes from them, as became bond-men: if they neglected their service, it was but according to the nature of slaves, who will doe nothing without blowes. But when they are emancipated, and by Gods grace taken into the number of his free servants, from the bondage of Satan; now their rebellion becomes treason. Before, their opposition to God was but hostilitie, now it is treacherie. And their and is accordingly, worse; because the Lord fights against them, not as against enemies, but against rebels. One enemie may find mercie of another, but destruction is the due meed of a traitor. A man is poore, and cannot subsist: a rich friend lends him money to stocke himselfe, and drive a Trade: hee mis-spends this Portion in riot: so loseth both his fortune, and his friend; and becomes of a poore beginner, a wretched beggar. Wee had nothing to set up withall, were not worth the ground wee trod on; our whole estate being forfeited in Adam: God, who is rich in mercie, tooke pittie on us, forgave that infinite debt wee ought him, souldered up our broken subsistence, trusted us with a new Talent of grace, trying whether wee would thrive better with that. And when we could put him in no Securitie for it, hee tooke Bond of his owne Sonne for us; who sealed the Covenant with his owne precious bloud. If after all this favour, we shall either burie our Talent in the darke earth of supine carelesnesse, or wast it in overchargeable licentiousnesse; we worthily againe become Bankerouts, and lose all hope of reparation. Then will our Almighty Creditor begin to call in our Debts, both Principall and Interest, together with the former Arrerages: and when it is found, that we have neither wherewith to pay, nor whereof to live; what will follow but miserable imprisonment, till wee have payed the uttermost farthing, that have not one farthing towards it?
Here is indeed a latter end worse than the beginning: for then we had some credit, now God will trust us no farther. Mat. 13.12. To him that hath, shall be given: but from him that hath not, shall be taken away, even that he hath. Then we had a Suretie, now we have no body to undertake for us: Heb. 10.26. There remaines no more sacrifice for their sinnes. Before there was possibilitie of recovering our selves, by repentance; Heb. 6.6. now we cannot be renewed by repentance. Now come those old sinnes to be required, which before wee thought pardoned; and that God had as fully buried them in remission, as we had in oblivion. But remember that unmercifull Mat. 18.32. servant, who had his pardon cancell’d, because hee would not forgive his fellow. This new sinne calls all the rest to remembrance, and the Booke is found uncrossed: so he that yesterday thought his estate good, sufficient to pay every man his owne, and to live on besides; is to day worse than naught. So severely doth God plague ingratitude; yea, in effect he plagues men for nothing else. He doth not condemne Christians for sinne, but for the habite and obduratenesse in sinne: not for impuritie, but for impenitencie: not so much because they have sinned, but because they have not repented. Rev. 2.21. I gave her space to repent, and she repented not This is the Indictment that shall Cast her at the great Assises. A man may be pardoned, that wants innocence; but he can never be pardoned, that wants penitence. Not the weakenesse of faith, (for Christ will not quench the smoaking Flaxe; but the want of faith, excludes from Heaven. The world shall be convinced of sinne, Ioh. 16.9. because they beleeve not on me; saith our Redeemer. The soule is not without sinne, that beleeves on Christ; but the soule shall not perish for sinne, that beleeves on Christ. Not because they have done opera tenebrarum, some workes of darkenesse, are they condemned; sed quia dilexerunt tenebras, and potius quam lucem: but because they Ioh. 3.19. have loved darkenesse more than the light; this is the condemnation. The Tenants are put out of the Vineyard, not so much for non-payment of their Rent, as for abusing their Landlords Mat. 21.34. servants, and killing his Sonne; for their unthankfulnesse they are displaced. It is not one breach of charitie that sends men to Hell; but it is uncharitablenesse, that is turned away with that malediction, Mat. 25.41. Goe ye cursed. The wise Iudge at once pardons him that hath done a great Robberie, and condemnes another for cutting a Purse of small value; and both with equitie. The former is spared, because it was his first offence, and there is hope of amendment: the other hath made it his Trade and desperate disease; not to be cured, but by the Halter. Seeing therefore that the mercie of God doth not condemne us for our faults, but for our impenitencie in those faults: not for contracting spots, but because being spotted, wee will not make our selves cleane: not for casuall wandrings, but wilfull declining the way: not for sometimes leaving off our innocencie, but for never wearing it, yea wearing nocence in stead of it: therefore let us say with that good old Hermite, Though I cannot hinder birds from flying over my head, yet I will keepe them from making their nests in my haire: though we cannot avoid all sinnes, we will be truely sorrowfull for the sinnes wee have not avoided, and hereafter strive against the sinnes for which we have sorrowed.
An ungracious soule may bee burdened with many sinnes; but shee never makes up her full load, till shee hath added the sinne of unthankfulnesse. Hee leaves out no evill in a man, Qui ingratum dixerit, that cals him unthankfull. Ingratitude totius orbis compagem solvit, dissolves the joints of the whole world. A barren ground is lesse blamed, because it hath not been dressed. But till it with the plough, trust it with seed; let the clouds blesse it with their raine, the Sunne with his heat, the heavens with their influence: and then if it bee infertile, the condition is worse: before it was contemned, Heb. 6.8. now it is cursed. Take an offending servant, chide him, chastise him: then second this with encouragements to goodnesse, the promise of favour, honour, reward: Chrysost. Hom. 5. in 2 Tim. if after all this he mend not, turne him out of doores, let his end be worse than his beginning. No wonder, if God that is not praised for so much, hold his hand from giving more: if when his good is requited with evill, hee proportion his reward to that evill. The dunghill will stinke worse after it is heated with the beames of the Sunne: the wicked are the worse for all Gods favours: and the worse they grow toward the end, the worse it shall be for them in the end.
3 Because custome in sinne hath deaded all remorse for sinne. Man first goes into sinne, as a young swimmer into the water; not plunging himselfe over head and cares at the first dash; but by degrees: till he come in profundum, and then contemnit. Samson is bound with greene withs, they will not hold him: with new ropes, they will not hold him: with the woofe of his owne haires, Aug. none of these can hold him. But he was fetter’d with the invisible chaines of an harlots love; and these hold him. She cuts off his lockes, deprives him of God, enervates his strength, pluckes out his eyes, makes him a scorne to boyes, casts him into prison, and damnes him to a perpetuall mill. Thus doth sinne (insensibly) weaken grace, darken knowledge, dishonour abilites, cast into the dungeon of hell, and binde to the mill of everlasting paines. When a man comes first to dwell by a Pewterer or hammer-Smith, the beating mallet upon the brawling metall so disquiets him, that hee can neither take his rest by night, nor enjoy his thoughts by day. After a while hee is so used to it, that he findes no trouble in it; but can snort supinely in the midst of those thundring peales: yea even that harsh musicke of Tubal-cain rockes him asleepe. As wee say when his master knockes loudest, the Smiths Dog sleepes soundest. This pejorates his last condition: before hee committed foule acts but sometimes; and had his lucida intervalla, sober thoughts and modest recollections. That hammerer within him, who is alwayes knowne by her tongue, Conscience, was like the Prophet to David, or the Cocke to Peter; disturbing his unjust peace. But now either she speakes not, or she speakes and he heares not, or he heares and cares not. So his end is worse, God giving him over, as the Physician does a desperate patient. Before his wounds were greene and smarted: now they are all dead flesh; insensible therefore incurable.
4. Because their hypocrisie prevents all waies of remedy. For knowne diseases there be knowne medicines: hee that tels his griefe, is not alwaies cured; but he can never be cured that tels it not. When Winter comes, the Viper vomites out her poison, and hides it in the earth: but in the Spring, Plin. nat. Hist. lib. 8. cap. 39. there is bred in her a new and more pernicious venime than the former. In some foule weather or sharpe storme of affliction, hypocrites seeme to lay aside their rancour: but the Summer of prosperity breeds a worse in them. Now God abhorres all sinne as we doe venime; and where he findes it worse than it seemes, hee leaves it worse than it is. They are like men that walking the streets of a city in the night, and hearing the Bell that warnes all to lay by their weapons; leave their swords with some friend for a time, as if they (of all men) meant no harme: but they know when to fetch them againe. They can make a shift to fast, and pray, and weepe for the season, or at least dissemble these, that they may assume the more unsuspected liberty to their sinnes. As you have seene a company of children dividing themselves (as it were) into two armies, whereof one is held the others enemie: they make a shew of fighting, and running, and wrastling, and contending for the victory: but when the play is done, they goe home hand in hand, and laugh at their bickerments. Or as Advocates, that wrangle bitterly in the Courts, and embrace one another friendly in their chambers; all their quarrell was but to get their Clients purses. So these hypocrites loudly contest against those sinnes, which they secretly imbrace with all their hearts. Their beginning was onely sinne, which is a single iniquity: their end is hypocrisie, which is a double iniquity. Simulata sanctitas, duplex iniquitas. Therefore their latter end is worse.
5. Because they wilfully destroy themselves, by forsaking and renouncing all gracious remedies. They are so much the worse, as they might have been better. Relapses are held by Physicians to be our owne faults; imputed to our selves, as occasioned by some disorder in us: and so we are not onely passive, but active in our owne ruine. For their bad beginning they may thanke their parents; for their worse ending they must blame themselves. They were borne sinners, they have made themselves rebels. They doe not onely stand under a falling house, but pull it downe on their owne heads. They are not onely executed, that implies guiltinesse: but executioners, and that implies dishonour: and executioners of themselves, and that implies impiety. To be borne in sinne, is bad; but there were some noble faculties of the soule left: to deface these, is worse; yet Christ is offered to recover all; to reject him, this is worst of all. In their first estate there was some comfort derived from the universality; All men are sinners: and it is some degree of comfort to be but in the state common to all. But by this recidivation they fall from that comfort into selfe-condemning despaire; charging themselves with unprovident carelesnesse, and unthankfull wickednesse, in destroying that with their owne hands, which the hand of God offered to preserve. Many a one loseth his life, but these cast it away: and who can helpe him that will needs perish?
Ioh. 5.14. Thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee. There is then a worse thing behind; and yet the former evill was sore enough, even a sicknesse of thirty eight yeeres long. Ne pecces ulterius, ne sentias deterius. But what is a diseased body to a damned soule? What is the lying in rags, to being wrapped in torments? There was a Poole or Bath of healing; some hope of recovery; with an Angell to move the water. But in hell there is no Angell, no Poole, not a drop of water: nec ingressus medici, nec spes remedii. Therefore Serva praescriptum, ne ruas in postscriptum: if thou sinne againe, there is a worse evill to come. Ier. 51.9. Languor prolixus gravat medicum: a tedious sicknesse tires the physician; especially when the patient will not observe his prescribed dyet. It hath beene said, that in sicknesse there be three things materiall: the Physician, the Patient, the Disease. When any two of these joyne, they have the victory; the third cannot prevaile. If the physician and the disease joyne, downe then goes the patient: if the cure be mistaken, the very medicine advanceth the maladie. If the patient and the disease joyne, then downe goes the physician; for he is discredited, though hee could not helpe it. But if the physician and the patient joyne, then downe goes the disease; for the sicke person recovers. Sinne is the soules sicknesse, whereof every man is a Patient and God the Physician. Now if the Physician for the Patients frowardnesse, joyne with the disease; justly punishing sinne with sinne; the soule is lost. If the patient joyne with the disease; if the sinner make much of his sinne, and will by no meanes forgoe it; here the Physician is dishonoured so farre as in man lies: not because God is not skilfull, but the patient is wilfull: non deficit medicus, sed fastidit aegrotus. Mat. 8.2. Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me cleane: he can, but the other will not. But if the Physician and the patient joyne; if Christ preaches, and Mary Magdalen repents: if Christ promises, and the sinner beleeves: here out goes the disease though it were as strong as seven divels; and the Patient is restored. Some thing lies in the Patient: if we take our sinnes part against Christ, we perish: but if we take Christs part against our sinnes, we shall be saved.
6. Because a relapse is ever more dangerous than the first sicknesse: more soone incurr’d, more hardly cured.
1. Sooner incurred, and that for divers reasons: First, As when the body is recovered of a disease, there still remaine some embers, and coales, and fewell of that disease: the branches are cut downe by proper physicke, the root and occasion is left behinde. So ruinous a farme did man take, when hee tooke himselfe; all the ground being overspread with weeds: every turfe, every stone, every muscle of the flesh, and bone of the body, hath some infirmity belonging to it: not a tooth in the head is priviledged: so that the house is still ready to fall down. Yet the soule is in worse case; not a facultie, not an affection without distemper. To undertake the cure of it, man being the Physician, were but to perfume dung; to draine, not a marish where earth is mingled with water, but a mote where all is water: where sinne hath not invaded a part, but possessed the whole substance: yea even to raise the dead, for we are naturally dead in sinnes. To cure the accidents, even actuall sinnes is a great worke; yet civill education and goodnesse of disposition may doe something to that. To cure the strength of sinne is greater, yet the grace of Christ doth that. But to cure the roote of sinne, is the greatest worke, reserved only for that great physitian; and hee doth it by a strange medicine, even by death. By death he gives this perfect life; so that the body of death is onely helped by the death of the body. Till then, the action of sinne may be restrained, and the Body of it mortified, but the roote remaines. Wee are laid as it were upon a pile of faggots, and our selves (if there were no other) are the bellowes. Ignorance blowes this coale: for even for sinnes of ignorance was a Numb. 15.24. sacrifice required, therefore a sinne imputed. Knowledge much more blowes this fire. Rom. 1.32. They know the Iudgement of God awarding death to such things, yet they doe them. Nature blowes this coale; that disposeth us to sinne: and the Law blowes it. Rom. 7.11. Sinne tooke occasion by the commandement; as if wee did some things because they are forbidden. Originall sinne is another bellowes, whereby that first imprinted seed infuseth a spring of sinne into us: and wee have done worse than Ier. 7.26. our fathers. Temptation is another bellowes; that continually blowes this sparke: and as though we yet wanted wind, wee tempt our selves, and blow it with our own lusts. Not yet satisfied, Iam. 1.14. as if wee were not cunning and able enough to undermine and demolish our selves, we suffer others to bee our bellowes, and even sinne for their sakes. So Adam sinned for Eves sake, and Salomon to gratifie his wives; which was an uxorious sinne. The Iudges sinned for Iezabels sake, and Ioab to please David in the losse of Vriah, which was a slavish and bloody sinne. Pilate sinned to humour the people, and Act. 12.3. Herod to give further contentment to the Iewes; which was a popular sinne. So easie it it to sinne upon sinne, to sinne upon the recovery of a sinne.
When a man is a little restored from a grievous fit, he thinkes the danger past; that he is able to eate and walke; and therefore will bee going abroad into the aire, whiles his weaknesse is to penetrable; and chuseth repast not easily digestible: hereupon hee relapseth. Thus the soule rising from a sinne, presumes too much of the owne strength; and does not feed upon those delicate cordialls whereby the heart may be fortified: but falls to grosse meates, unexamined actions; dangerous courses. The Israelites were so flesh’d with two or three victories, that they let flie upon Iosh. 7.3. Ai; as confident of the victory, and contemning the enemy; but they were beaten for their labour. It was a good preparation of mind; Si modo victus eras, ad crastina bella parato. Si modo victor eras, ad crastina bella paveto. The counsell is good; Eccl. 5.5. De propitiato peccato noli esse sine metu: After propitiation, yet bee not without feare of sinne.
If the recovered patient, besides the choice of his dyet, doe not also addict himselfe to moderate exercise, a worse disease may breed on him; as the Iaundise follow an Ague, and the Gowt becomes the effect of a Surfet. So speeds the soule, that doth not exercise it selfe in good workes and religious duties. So the uncleane spirit returning found his house. Scopis mundatam, sed fide & operibus vacuam; Mat. 12.44. swept indeed, but empty of faith and good workes. Alas, what is sweeping only? The beesome cannot get up the dirt that is baked on the floore; it cannot reach the cobwebs in the roofe: here is worke for the paring shovell; Repentance must clense the bottome, humility must rectifie the foundation: and prayer, that is of an ascending quality, must purge the roofe, the higher faculties of the soule. And when all this is done, if the roomes be left empty of positive goodnesse; there is entertainement for seven worse spirits. Thus is a Relapse sooner procured.
2. It is more hardly cured. Among the many weights that aggravate a relapse, this is one; that it proceeds with a more violent dispatch, and gives an irremediable wound, because it meets with no defence nor prevention. When a disease first invades a strong constitution, it finds something to wrastle withall; and as it weakens the body, so the body weakens it: both their forces spend together, one upon another: and here is a battell fought hand to hand, upon some termes of equalitie. Suppose the body gets the victory, and the disease yeelds and departs; yet being as it were left breathlesse, if a new adversary, a new sickenesse sets upon it; here is great ods: for the one is fresh, the other quite out of heart. Before it could endure the opening of a veine, the correction of proud humours, and expulsion of superfluous matter. Now it is so weake, that it lies at the diseases mercie, and hath changed all resistance into patience. In the former estate, the soule did grapple with sinne: and if it were foiled, yet not without reluctation: sometimes it got the better, never willingly the worse. It could then beare the correction of pride by discipline: the evacuation of tough humours, stubborne affections: all which might bring it low, but not take away the life of it; yea indeed rather quicken life in it. But being thus farre hopefully restored, if it againe willfully admit a habite of sinne; this will so enervate all the strength and vertue, that it resists no more, but yeelds patiently to so pleasing a captivity. The enemie comes upon it, and is not withstood; as upon a Countrey that was weakned and depopulated before. Now it quite disarmes the soule of all weapons, and munition, and possibilitie of resistance. As Iphicrates the Athenian, when hee treated with the Lacedemonians for peace, stood so hard upon securitie of performing the articles agreed, that hee refused any but this: that the Lacedemonians should yeeld up to them all those things whereby it might bee manifest, not that they would not hurt them though they could, but that they could not hurt them though they would. Thus the Relapse is more dangerous, Non solum propter morbi potentiam, sed propter subiecti impotentiam; because sinne is stronger, and man is weaker.
Lastly, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning; ex parte Ecclesia, ex parte sua, ex parte Dei, ex parte Diaboli.
1. In respect of the Church. While they carried a face of respect to the Church, they were wrapped up in the generall prayers of the Church; and seemed to be of that number, for whom, as the friends of God, there was a continuall remembrance in good mens intercessions. 1 Ioh. 5.16. There is a sinne unto death: I doe not say that thou shalt pray for it. Samuel will pray for Saul, till he perceive that he hath given over the Lord, and the Lord him. 1 Sam. 16.1. How long wilt thou mourne for Saul, seeing I have rejected him? If Samuel mourne, because Saul hath cast away God by his sinne; yet Samuel must cease mourning, because God hath cast away Saul by his just punishment. To be deprived of the benefit of good mens prayers, is a heavie losse. Such a one is singled out for one of Gods enemies, and his judgement hastened, by the entreatie of Gods servants. Iudg. 5.31. So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord: this is the prayer for him. They that despise the chast love of their Saviours Spouse, and are bewitch’d with the painted, but ill-favoured Strumpet of Rome, are no longer reputed friends, but adversaries, and Apostates. The Church may lament for them, not because she feares she shall misse them, but for that shee knowes they shall want her. They have her compassion, they have lost her benediction. And if any sparkes of goodnesse lye covered under their cold ashes, it shall but shew them a glimmering, of how happie they might have beene, how wretched they are. But as those that are suddenly come from a bright Candle into a darke Roome, are so much the more blind as their Light was clearer; or as the purest Ivorie turnes with fire into the deepest black: so at once their eyes are taken away, with their hearts; and those soules that seemed white, as rinsed in the bloud of the Lambe, become as blacke as Hell, or the blacke Prince that rules it. Before they sate in the congregation of Saints; now neither Sermons, Sacraments, nor prayers shall do them more good, than a meale of meat put into a dead mans mouth.
2. In respect of themselves. They were at first stated in sinne, then put into a faire way of deliverance: if after this, they goe backe to their first durance, Seipsos pessundederunt. This is done three wayes: First, they have steeled their forheads. When a man for his first Theft is cast into prison, he becomes disconsolate and melancholy; he lookes upon his friends with shame, upon his accusers with feare, upon the Iudge with awe and trembling: but through frequent imprisoning, pudorem carceris deponit, he blusheth not for his foule facts, nor is sensible of his bondage; but drinkes, riots, blasphemes, as if his Iayle were a Taverne; and that without thought of calling, or being called to the Barre for a reckoning. Ier. 3.3. Thou hast a Whores forhead, refusing to be ashamed; Renuisti pudore suffundi. Secondly, they have putrified their hearts, that ordinarie stripes will not reach to the quicke. Esa. 1.5. Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more. Their long tugging at Satans Oares, and wearing his shackles, hath so brawned their flesh, that they are not sensible of the servitude. Eccl. 3.26. A stubborne heart shall fare evill at last; and he that loveth danger, shall perish therein: not he that runnes into danger, that’s every mans case; but if men love dangers, it is fit they should perish. A garment may be so old and neere worne, that being rent, it cannot againe be sowed together; it is not capable of the needle and thred. No compunction can enter into such a heart, nor make way for the thred of comfort, to heale the breaches. They have need to beg for, not with David, Cor mundum, but Cor novum, a new heart; for the old one is quite past mending. Dan. 3.25. Wee did cast three men bound into the fire, said that Tyrant; and loe, I see foure men loose, walking without hurt, and the forme of the fourth is like the Sonne of God. Other sinners have but three enemies to deale withall, the Devill, the world, and the flesh; but these have a fourth foe, idque infestissimum, a hard heart: and the forme of the fourth is like the Sonne of perdition. Thirdly, they have stupified their conscience, disgraced it as a Scold, and condemned it for a common Barretor. Before they carried their Clocke about with them; now they have left it off, that they might not know how their time passeth. But at last God shall set it a going, and to their horror on their death-bed, they shall heare it strike their last houre, with a dismall sound and heavie knell: When Satan, that long held them in the pleasant Gallerie of hope, shall take them aside, and shew them the darke dungeon of despaire. If their old fester’d Vlcers come but to a new incision, they shall confesse their end worse than their beginning.
3. In respect of God: who will no longer acknowledge them for his people, that have rejected him for their God. Rom. 10.19. I will provoke you to jealousie by them that are no people, and by a foolish Nation I will anger you. The Iewes counted the Gentiles Dogs; such as would be glad of their crums: now, for the others Apostacie, the Gentiles are come to their full Tables, and the Iewes are turned out of doores. As a Mother sometimes, for a fault done by her little one, thrusts it from her, and saith it shall be her child no longer; withall taking up a strangers child into her bosome. This she does not seriously; but God did so indeed, rejecting the Iewes, and embracing the Gentiles. Or as a man divorceth his Wife for adultery, and before her face marries her handmaid, clothing her with the rich robes and jewels of his forsaken Spouse; saying to her, You have chosen another Lover, I will chuse me another Wife. So the Lord to Israel: You have taken another god, even your Idols; I, another people, even the Gentiles. You have angred me, by giving my honour to Idols: I will anger you, by giving your prerogatives to strangers.
The bondage of this Land was lamentable, under the tyrannie of Antichrist; when we were driven to eate the Bread of Superstition, and to drinke the Wine of Fornication, or fast. God hath delivered and confirmed us under the hands of three gracious Princes; if wee shall now apostate and revolt from the integritie of his service, our latter end will be worse than our beginning. In stead of Poperie, we shall find Turcisme, yea Atheisme, and infidelitie; till wee can onely say, Here was the Church of God. Why should we wonder, that God forgets Shiloh, when Shiloh hath forgotten God? Indeed, hic locus est lacrymis: to see the Turke casting our, not onely Christians, but Christ; and placing his Mahomet in the roome: proudly blaspheming, That his Law is above either Moses, or Christs; as being after them both, and none (say they) to come after it. Not unlike the Iesuites, who interpret the Puneisme of their Societie to be an honour above the Ancientie of all other Orders. To see the prevailing Papists not onely casting out the true professors of the Gospel, but even the Gospel it selfe; and setting up their Idoll, the Masse, in Gods Temple! Remember old Eli sitting by the way side, and seeing a messenger comming with his clothes rent, ashes on his head, all his face blubber’d with teares; so that he might read the heavie newes in his countenance: yet hee had strength to aske him, 1 Sam. 4.17. What is there done, my sonne? He answeres; Israel is fled before the Philistines: that troubled him; yet he sate still: what more? There hath beene a great slaughter among the people: that came neerer him; yet he sate still: what more? Thy two sonnes, Hophni and Phinehas are slaine: that made a deepe gash in the heart of (so kind) a father; yet he sate still: what more? Can there be any worse than this? Yes, saith the messenger, the worst of all is behind; The Arke of God is taken: that word strucke him dead. He that had power to heare all the rest; Israel turning their backes before their enemies, the people massacred, his owne sonnes slaine: yet no sooner heard this, but his strength forsooke him, hee expires with a groane, he fell downe and died. The report comes to his daughter in law, being great with child, and neere her travaile: shee heares the newes of so many deaths; of the people, of her brother in law, of her father in law, of her owne husband, with the surprisall of the Arke of God: these griefes were above the griefes of child-birth; she presently falls in labour, and yeelds out a sonne. The women about her, cheare her with this comfort; Feare not, thou hast borne a sonne: Ioh. 16.21. which digests the sorrowes of the former paines. But she answered not, nor regarded it, but cryed out; The glory is departed from Israel, because the Arke of God is taken, and because of her father in law and her husband. And lest the standers by should think, that her griefe for al these losses was alike; she as it were corrected her self, and insisted onely in lamenting the losse of the Arke, and dyed with that in her mouth: these were her last words, 1 Sam. 4.22. The glory is departed from Israel, for the Arke of God is taken: and so she dyed. In the cause of Christ we have lost much people; perhaps some of us our fathers, some our brothers, some our sonnes, other their husbands and friends; many worthy souldiers, whose funeralls wee bedeaw with our just teares. But if the Arke of God should be taken, our Candlesticke removed, the Gospell darkened, wee have too wofull cause of weeping out our very eyes, and crying, Our latter end is worse than our first.
4. In respect of the Devill, who losing a soule which hee deemed his owne, rageth, Mat. 12.43. and walkes through dry places, seeking rest but findeth none. Non quia nusquam alibi consistere potest, sed quia nusquam alibi consistere cupit. But when hee recovers it, tanquam pradam è manibus, vel bonum è faucibus ereptum, he hampers it with greater cruelty. A prisoner for his faire and noble carriage, and round paiment, hath the favour to bee allowed the liberty of the prison; to have those chaines and fetters forborne him, wherewith other malefactors are bound. But through their negligence or indulgence, hee breakes prison: now let him looke well to himselfe; if ever the Iaylor catch him againe, he will make him fast enough. Taken he is, and now what can he looke for but cruell usage? Before hee had no shackle, now he is bound with two chaines for failing. Before he had the freedome of the prison, now he is cast into the dungeon. Before hee might sleepe in the night, and not be disturbed; now day and night he is watched. Before one locke was thought enough to hold him, now many doores, and locks and barres are shut upon him. Before he had but one keeper, now he hath seven worse to inthrall and vexe him: so farre is this last durance worse than the former. They that have escaped the servitude of Satan, by the revelation of the Gospell of Christ, and adhere to a new Master, their Maker; are safe under his almighty protection. But if they shall againe revolt, and forgoe the bounds of obedience, till they be re-apprehended by their old Iaylor, how grievous is their misery? Now will he blind the eyes of their soules, stop their eares from hearing Sermons, feed them with nothing but temptations, harden their hearts, seare up their consciences, and at last hale their soules to everlasting torments. For where the sorrowes of this world end, the paines of hell begin, and (which is most fearefull) shall never end. O then the latter end with them is worse than the beginning.
If this be their end, that relapse from God to the world: then the contrary holds in them that are wholly recovered from the world to God; The latter end with them shall be better than the beginning. Better in regard of holinesse; good ever, and best at last. Prov. 4.18. The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. Better in regard of happinesse, Psal. 37.37. Marke the upright man, and behold the just, for the end of that man is peace. The wicked begin pleasantly, and goe on without interruption; but the end payes for all. Eccl. 11.9. Reioyce in thy youth, follow thy delights; spare for no cost, want no jovialtie; but when the Host comes in with the reckoning, all is dash’d; For all these God will bring thee to Iudgement. So Abner to Ioab concerning that unkindly warre; 2 Sam. 2.26. knowest thou not that it will be bitternesse in the latter end? Yea, such a warre had bitternesse enough in the beginning. Lazarus began with paines, and the rich man went on with pleasures; but now Luk. 16.25. the one is comforted, and the other tormented. Sinne and punishment are like Hippocrates twins they are borne together, they go together, and they grow together: but they neither laugh together, nor cry together: for sinne rejoyceth while misery weepes to see it, and misery will Pro. 1.26. laugh at sinne while it weeps to feele it. As Naomi said to her two young daughters; Ruth. 1.12. leave mee, my daughters, leave me: whereupon Orpah kisses and parts, but Ruth clave to her. So the soule in distresse, dismisseth her two children, Pleasure and Paine; let me alone, forsake me: Pleasure will be gone; yea, even leave her, without taking leave of her: Bern. but Paine stickes by her: for where sinne is let in, punishment will not be kept out. Sinne hath a fore-noones face, and an after-noones face. It lookes lovely to ill-affected eyes, painted with glorious colours, decked with Roses and Lilies, all the day. But it changeth countenance in the evening; like a plaister’d Strumpet, that when she washeth off her Complexion, lookes full of horror. Amos 6.4. To lye upon Beds of Ivorie, and to tumble upon soft Couches; to eate the Lambes out of the flocke, and Calves out of the Stall, to sing and dance to the Viols, and drinke Wine in Boules; this is the fore-noones countenance of sinne. Matth. 25.30. Cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkenesse, where is weeping and gnashing of teeth; that’s the evening face.
But to the children of God there is first sorrow, then joy: ultimum, optimum. There is Ruth 3.10. more kindenesse in the latter end, than at the beginning. The Christian beginnes in crying, and goes on in mourning, but this shall bring him peace at the last. Psal. 126.5. They that sow in teares, shall reape in joy. The Israelites were first brought to the bitter waters of Marah, before they might taste the pleasant fountaines, the milke and hony of Canaan. In vaine doe we expect the river of Gods pleasures, before wee have pledged Christ in the cup of bitternesse. There must goe 1 King. 19.11. a winde before us, blustering persecutions; and an earthquake, strong temptations: and a fire, even a fiery triall; before wee heare that still voice of comfort. Ioseph dealt roughly with his brethren at the first; he bound one, hee sent for another, hee troubled them all: but at last hee breakes forth in compassion, I am Ioseph, feare not, I am Ioseph your brother. So Christ first layes his crosse on our shoulders, to see how we will move under it with patience; he chastiseth us with scourges, to prove our obedience: and when wee begin to thinke him angry with us, hee appeares to our soules in another face, in another voice; I am Iesus, feare not, I am Iesus your brother. When wee have pledged him in his gall and vineger, then he will drinke to us in the new wine of his kingdome. He that is the Doore and the Way; hath taught us that there is but one way, but one doore, but one passage to heaven; and that a straight one: though with much pressure and tugging wee get through, leaving our superfluous ragges behinde, as torne from us in the crowd, wee are happy. Hee that made heaven, did on purpose make it thus; narrow and hard in the entrance; when wee are entred, wide and glorious; that after our paine, our joy might bee the sweeter. Through many tribulations wee enter into heaven, but wee shall enter, and into no worse a place than heaven. Not unlike the way by which Ionathan and his armour-bearer ascended to the garrison of the Philistines; betweene two rockes, Bozez and Seneh, Folue and Thorny: but when they were got up, they obtained victory. By what hard shifts soever we climbe up to heaven, we have abundant recompence in the triumph and glory. After the roaring of waters, flashes of lightening, and noise of thunder, comes the delightfull musicke of Rev. 14.2. Harpies and songs.
The devill serves men, as Iael did Sisera: shee speakes peaceably to him, Iudg. 4.18. Turne in my Lord, turne in: he askes her water, shee gives him milk: she covers him with a mantle, keepes him close and warme; gets him asleepe, and then shee kils him. So Satan gives sinners the kisses and language of peace; Turne into me, I will secure you: Psal. 73.10. vers. 7. Therefore his people turne in thither, and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them. He surpasseth their desires in kindnesse; They have more than heart could wish. Hee wraps them up in riches and sinnes together; that they know not whether they are more safe or secret: luls them asleepe with mirth and prosperity: but when all is done, hee cuts their throats: But Christ chuseth us, as the Israelite was to chuse a captive woman: first hee sets her a mourning forty daies, cuts her haires and nailes, prepares her with humiliation, then takes her home, and makes her his wife. Christ first taxeth us with severe repentance, exerciseth our patience, and shaves off our superfluous lusts; which though they were but the excretions of the soule, wee held deare as the virall parts: but when this is done, he takes our soules home to his owne kingdome, and marries us to himselfe in eternall blessednesse. At the marriage in Cana of Galile, he turned their water into wine: much more at his owne royall wedding will hee turne all the water of our teares, into the wine of endlesse comforts. The weeping soule shall never goe to the place of weeping: but what then shall become Luk. 6.25. of the laughing? There is provided for them a dismall place of weeping, howling, and gnashing of teeth. Weepe heere, and weepe never: mourne not here, and mourne for ever. Thus while the Beginning of the ungodly doth seeme a Paradise, and their End is Hell: our Beginning might be a kinde of Purgatory, but our latter end is Heaven.
