I Haue here chosen two Texts in one, intending to Preach of a couple of Preachers; one by vsurpation ▪ the other by assignation; the Worlds Chaplen, and the Lords Prophet. Where conceaue, 1. the Preachers: 2. their Texts: 3. their Sermons: 4. their Pulpits: 5. their Commissions.

1. The Preachers are two, the first hath a double name: Literally, here, the Harlot: Metaphorically, Sinne; the minde's Harlot; for between them is all spiritual adultry committed: Some vnderstand it more Sinecdochically, the Temptation to sinne; but (omne mauis includit minus) their interpretation is like that short bed, you cannot lay this Harlot at her ful length in it. Others conceaue an Antithesis here, and by conferring the 4. verse with the 16. collect an opposition of two sorts of Preachers; the sincere Prophets of Wisedome, and the corrupted Teachers of Traditions, errors, leasings. I cannot subscribe to this sense, as full enough: let it goe for a branch, call it not the body of the Tree. This first Preacher then▪ is the H • br. 11.25. delightfulnesse, or if you will, the Hebr. 3.13. dec • itf • lnesse of sinne. The second is Solomon; not erring, adulterating, idolatrising Solomon: but conuerted, confirmed Solomon ▪ A King and a Preacher.

2. Their Texts: 1. Sinnes Text is from Hels Scriptum est: taken out of the Deuils Spell; either Lucian his olde Testament, or Machiauell his new: lawes made in the court of damnation, enacted in the vault of darkenesse; like those vnder the Parliament-house; Gunpowder-lawes, fit for the Iustices of Hell. 2. Solomons Text is the Word of eternall Truth: with a Scriptum est, caelitus inspiratum; giuen from Heauen: this is Desuper, the other Desubter; this is all, 2 Tim. 3.16. Scripture is giuen by inspiratio • from God, profitable, &c. the former is the 2 Thes. • .11. Delusion of th • Deuill; that 1 King. 22.2 • . lying spirit in the mouth of Ahabs proph •• s, the diuinitie of Hell.

Verse 17.3. The Sermons differs as well as the Texts. 1. The Harlots dixit, verse 16. is thus amplified: Stollen waters are sweet, and the bread of Secrecies is pleasant. Tullius, nor Tertullus, nor Hermes, the speaker in the Parliament of the Heathen gods, neuer moued so eloquent a tongue: shee preaches (according to the palate of her audience) Placentia; nay, it is Placenta, a sweet Cake; whose floure is Sugar, and the humour that tempers it, Honey, sweet, pleasant. Shee cannot want auditours for such a Sermon: for as it is in Faires, the Pedler, and the Ballat-monger haue more throng, then the rich Merchant: Vanitie hath as many customers as shee can turne to, when Veritie hath but a colde market. 2. Solomons Sermon is opposed to it with a But: Verse 18. But he knoweth not that the dead are there, and that her gh • sts are in the depth of Hell. A crosse blow, that disarmes the Deuils Fencer: a flat conuiction or Non-plus, giuen to the arguments of sinne: a little Colliquintida, put into the swe • t-pot: that, as I haue obserued in some beguiling Pictures; looke on it one way, and it presents to you a beautifull D • mosell: goe on the aduerse side, and behold, it is a Deuill, or some mishapen Stigmaticke. Sinne shewes you a faire Picture: Stollen waters are sweet, &c. Suaue & delicio sum; Pleasure and delight. Solomon takes you on the other side, and shewes you the vgly visages of Death and Hell, the dead are there, &c. If Sinne open her Shop of delicacies, Solomon shewes the Trap-dore and the Vault: if she boast her Oliues, hee points to the Prickles: if she discouers the greene and gay flowers of delice, he cryes to the Ingredients, Latet anguis in herba, the Serpent lurkes there: Illa mouet, iste monet; she charmes, and he breakes her spels: as curious and proud as her House is, Solomon is bold to write, Lord haue mercy on vs, on the dores, and to tell vs, the plague is there; Stollen waters are sweet, &c. But the dead are there, &c.

4 Their Pulpits haue locall and ceremoniall difference. 1. The Harlot's is described verse 14. She sits at the dore of her house, on a seat, in the high places of the Citie. 1. Sedet; she sits: she is got into that inchaunted Psal. 1.1. Chaire, Psal. 1. 2. at her house: shee neede not stray farre for customers: in se turba ruunt luxuriosa, proci: they come in troupes to her: 3. at her dore: shee presents her selfe to the common eye, and would be notable, though not able to answere the shew: 4. on a Seat: nouit suum locum: Vice knowes her Seat; the Deuill is not without his Randeuous: what say you to a Tauerne, a Play-house, a Feast, a May-game? that I say not, an Ordinary: 5. in the Citie. Whoredome, scornes to liue obscurely in the Suburbs: Shee hath friends to admit her within the walles. 6. Nay, in the high places of the Citie: in the largest streetes, populous and popular houses; in excelsis vrbis: one of the most curious and • ta • ely edifices of the Citie.

Thus Sinne reades not a high-way lecture onely, as among Theeues; nor a Chamber-lecture onely, as among Courtezans; nor a Masse-lecture onely, as among Iesu • tes, nor a Vault-lecture onely, as among Traitours; nor a Table-lecture onely, as among Humorists; nor a Tap-house-Lecture o •• ly, as among Drunkards; that fetch authoritie from the pot, like Augustus Caesar, to taxe all the world: but a Citie-lecture, such a one as 1 Kin. 21.10 Iesabell read to Iezreell: a publike Preaching, her Pulpit being excelsa ciuitatis, top-gallant; filling eminent places, with emanant poisons. 2. Solomons Pulpit is yet transcendent and aboue it; for it is a • hrone; a 1 King. 10.18 Throne of Iuorie, ouerlaid with gold: such a Throne, as no Verse 20. Kingdome could follow it. The Preacher is a King, the Pulpit a Throne; nay, an Oracle: de Solio rex oracula fundit. 1 King 4.31. For God gaue him wisedome, yea, such a wisedome, that no man but his Antitype, God and man, did euer excell him.

5 Their Commissions. 1. The Deuill gaue Sinne her • rrand; guilded her tongue, and po • soned her heart: put a cup of damnation into her hand, and the Sugar of Temptation to sweeten it; allowed her for his Citie-Recorder, or his Towne- • la • ke; and sealed her a commission from Hel • ; as Act. 9.1. Saul had from the High-Priest ▪ to binde with snares (Filios T • rrae) the Sonnes of Men. 2. But God gaue Solomon a celestiall Ez • k. 2.9. roule to eate, as to Ez • kiel; and Esa. 6..6. touched his lips with a co • le from his owne Altar, as to Esay, putting into his mouth (documenta vitae) the ordinances of eternall life.

God hath set this day before you two diuers Pulpits, aduerse Preachers, dissonant Texts; declares, who speakes by his warrant, who besides it, against it. Behold, as Moses said, I haue set life and death before you, take your choyse.

The Dialogue of both the verses present vs with a Banket: (conuiuium, or conuitium rather) a Feast, but a Fast were better: a Banket worse then Iob 1.19. Iobs childrens; or the Iudg▪ 16.30. Dagonals, of the Philistins; (like the Bacchanals of the Moenades) when for the shutting vp of their stomachs, the house fell downe, and broke their neckes. You haue offered to your considerations,Verse 17. verse 17. (supplying but the immediatly precedent word, Dixit) 1. The Inviter: 2. the Cheare. Solomon comes after, (as with Salt and Vinegar) and tels you 3. the Guests: 4. and the Banketting-house, verse 18.Verse 18. But the dead are there, &c.

The Inviter: It is a woman, She saith to him: but that name is too good; for she hath recouered her credit: a woman, as she brought woe to man, so she brought forth a weale for ma • : causa d • licti, solatium relicti: an instrumentall cause of transgression,1 Tim. 2.14. Gal. 4.4. and no lesse of Saluation. If you say, she brought forth Sinne without man, so she brought forth a Sauiour without man: as the Gen. 3.4. Diuell tempted her to the one, so the Luke 1.35. Holy Ghost ouershadowed her to the other. This not a woman then, but a Harlot, meretricia mulier: a degenerate woman, vnwomaned ( • t pudore & pudicitia) of both, modestie and chastitie.

The feast is like to be good when an Harlot is the Hostice. And sure the Scriptures found some speciall parietie, if not ident • tie betweene these two:Iosh. 2.1. not making their names conuertible, which had beene much; but expressing by one word both of them, which is more; as if it concluded their professions and conditions, names and natures all one, which is most of all. Impleta in nostris haec est Scriptura diebus. Experience hath iustified this circumstance. A Harlot then, bids, and feasts, and kils: what other successe can be looked for? If Dalilah inuite Sampson, wa • e his lockes; shee will spoile the Nazarite of his hayres: there are many Dalilahs in these dayes.

I haue read of many Inviters in the holy Writ: some good, many indifferent, most euill, this worst of all. 1. Good, Matth. 22.1. Matth. 22. you haue the King of Heauen a Feast-maker:Can • . 5.1. Cant. 5. you haue the Kings sonne a Feast-maker: Iesus Christ bids, Eate oh friends, drinke abundantly, Reuel. 2 • .17. oh beloued, Reuel. 22. you haue the Spirit of glorie a Feast-maker, and an Inviter too: The Spirit and the Bride say, Come. To this Feast Luke 14.21. few come, but those that doe come, are welcome: well come in regard of themselues, for there is the best cheare: Reu. 19.9. Blessed are they that are called to the Mariage-Supper of the Lambe: welcome, in respect of God, who doth not grudge his mercies. 2. Many indifferent, and inclining to good. Gen. 21.8. Abrahams feast at Isaac's weaning: Iudg. 14.10. Sampsons at his marriage. The Wedding-feast in Cana, where the King of glory was a Ghest; and honoured it with a Miracle, with the Primum miracu • um a • firmatur; quod ex primis non dubitatur. first Miracle, that euer hee Ioh. 2.11. wrought. 3. Euill; 1 Sam. 25 36 Nabals feast at his Sheepe-shearing; a drunken feast: Dan. 5.2. Belshazzars feast to a thousand of his Lords, surfetting with full carouses from the sacred Boles; a sacrilegious Feast. The Iudg 16 23. Philistins feast to the honour of Dagon; an Idolatrous feast. Mark 6.28. Herods birthday-feast, when Iohn Baptists head was the last course of the seruice; a bloody feast. Luke 16.19. The rich Churles, a quotidian feast, a voluptuous surfet, all bad. 4. This yet worst of all, the Harlots feast, where (the Ghests at once, comedunt, & comeduntur:) their soules feast on euils, and are a feast to Deuils: for whiles men deuoure sins, sins deuoure them, as Actaeon was eaten vp of his owne dogs. This is a bloody Banket, where no ghest escapes without a wound, if with life: for if Sinne keepe the Reuels, Lusts are the Iunkets, Ebrietie drinkes the Wine, Blasphemie sayes the Grace, and Bloud is the conclusion.

But allegorically Sinne is heere shadowed by the Harlot; Voluptuousn • sse, (meretricum meretrix) the Harlot of Harlots; whose Bawde is Be • lsebub, and whose Bridewell is broad Hell. Wickednesse (foeminei generis dicitur) is compared to a Woman: and hath all her senses: Lust is her eye to see: Briberie her hands to feele: Sensualitie her palate to taste: Malice her eare to heare: Petulancy her nose to smell: and (because shee is of the foeminine sexe, we will allow her the sixtsense) tittle-tattle is h • r tongue to talke. This is the common Hostice of the world; Satans house-keeper, whose dores are neuer shut: noc • es atque dies patet, &c. There is no man in the world keepes such hospitalitie, for hee searcheth the ayre, earth, sea, nay, the Kitchen of Hell, to fit euery palate. Vitellius searched farre and wide for the rarities of nature; Birdes, Beasts, Fishes of inestimable price; which yet brought in, the bodies are scorned, and onely the eye of this Bird, the tongue of that Fish is taken: that the spoyles of many might bee sacrifices to one supper. The Emperour of (the low Countries) Hell, hath delicates of stranger varitie, curiositie. Doth Iudas stomach stand to treason? there it is; hee may feede liberally on that dish. Doth Nero thirst for homicides? the Deuill drinkes to him in • oles of bloud: is 1 Kin. 12.28. 2 Sam. 15. Ieroboam hungry of Idolatrie? behold a couple of Calues are set before him: hath Absolon the Court-appetite, Ambition? loe, a whole Kingdome is presented him for a messe, a shrewd baite: Machiau • ls position, faith-breach for Kingdomes is no sinne. The Deuill thought this Dish would please CHRIST himselfe,Matth. 4 9. and therefore offered him many kingdomes for a morsell; reseruing this to the last, as the strongest argument of his Sophistrie. Doth Herod affect Enuie? behold, a Banket • f Reuenge, furnished with the murdered corps of thousands, Matth. 2.16. Infants. Doth the rauening mawe of the Pope (1 King. 21.4 Ahab-like) forbeare meat, because he cannot get the Vineyard of a Kingdome? or hath hee bound himselfe with the spels of diuellish con • estations (like those Acts 23.14. in Ac • es) not to eat or drinke till he hath killed Paul? behold, here is wine set before him in a golden cup, (Reuel. 17.4. Wine of Abomination) wherewith whole nations reele: Locusts and Vipers, pestilent and serpentine poisons, whereof the world laughing dies. Is any Courtier p • oud? here are piles of Silkes: Is any Of • icer troub • ed with the itch in his hands? here is vnguentum aureum to cure it; a messe of bribes. Hath any Gentleman the hunger-worme of Couetousnesse? here is cheare for his diet: Vsuri • s, oppressions, exactions, enclosings, rackings, rakings, pleasing gobbets of auarice. Is any Trades-man light-fingered, and lighter-conscienced? here is whole feast of Fraudes, a table furnished with Trickes, conueyances, glossings, periuries, cheatings. Hath any Papist a superstitious Appetite? he is set downe in the chaire of Ignorance, and to him are serued in by Sorbonists, Iesuites, S • minaries, Loyolists; a large and lauish feast of Crucifixes, vnctions, scrapings, traditions, Re • iques, &c. And as Cheese to digest all the rest, yet it selfe neuer digested, Treason. For your route of Epicures, Ruffians, Roarers, Drunkards, Boone-companions, you may know the place easily where these Kas • rils light, euen at the carkase-feast. Sinne hath inuited them, and they scorne to be scornefull; hither they come, and euery man hath a dish by himselfe, eate whiles hee blow againe; except their appetites agree in the choise. You heare the Inviter.

Let it not passe vs without obseruation, Obseruat. Satan is not without his Factors abroad: he hath spirits enough of his owne, my name is Legion, Marke 5.9. Marke 5. but hee is not content, except he suborne man against man, till (homo be homini daemon) man a Iudas to his friend, woman an Eue to her husband. I confesse, he hath many Setters of this literall name and disposition; Harlots, scattring his Stewes (like the lice of Egipt) ouer all the world: but I will not restraine his Kingdome to these narrow limits onely, which is not bounded but with the Earth: he that compasseth it, Iob 2.2. and hath such dealings in all Kingdomes, is not without his plotters, and Intelligencers in euery corner.

Hee hath superstitious Seminaries in the Countrie, me • cenary periurers in the Hall, a long Lane for Brokers and Vsurers in the Citie, and sometimes a dangerous brood of Iesuites in forraigne Courts, croaking like Frogs, euen in their Phara • hs Chambers: whilest himselfe roaues on the Sea of this World, like a Pyrate, Cardinals and Iesuites are his Marriners,Psal. 105.30. and the Pope sits at the Sterne: Antichrist is his Steward, (strange, hee who cals himselfe Christs Vicar should be the Deuils Steward) and hath euer beene faithfull to his Kingdome. Many soules haue they successiuely sent to people his low world, whiles their owne went also for company. The wickednesse of some Popes haue beene monstrous, and almost forbidding all the O • ficers of Satan to match them. That if a score of the most prodigious reprobates should bee mustred out of Hell, it is likely enough, that nineteene of them would be Popes; and perhaps to make vp the twentieth, there would be some strife betweene a Iesuite and a Cardinall.

Rome, is this Harlots locall seate, her house, stiled by the Scripture, the Whore of Babilon; her Doctrine is heere expressed: Stollen waters are sweet, and the bread of Secrecies is pleasant. Waters of Heresie, stollen from the Ier. 2.13. Cisternes of Superstition. The bread of Deceipt, moulded by Errour, and baked in the Ouen of Tradition. Wee haue three commune Enemies; as wee are Men, the Diuell; as Christi • ns, the Turke; as professors of the Gospell, the Pope: the first hath the two last for h • s Factours: of whom, we pray▪ aut conuertantur, ne pereant: au • confundantur, ne noceant: eyther for their conuersion, to saue themselues; or for their confusion, not to hurt vs. Amongst vs, the Pope doth most present mischiefe: Luke 22.38. Peter tolde CHRIST, Behold, heere are two Swords; Matth. 16.19 CHRIST told Peter, Behold, here are the Keyes: Peter • ayes by his Swords, and takes the Keyes: the Pope now layes by his Keyes and fals to his Sword: Oh quantum hic Petrus ab illo? What difference betwixt the true Peter, and his false Successor? yet, as if he were Heau • ns Porter, men flocke to him: whom let me appose with that of the Poet: Ecquae tanta fuit Romam tibi causa videndi? What foolish winde blowes you to Rome?

He hath infinite petrie stales, to tempt men to sinne, whom he hath officed for Bidders to this Feast. Will you take a short muster of some of his Inviters, organa iniquitatis, enginers, bidders to this Banket of vanitie: they haue all their seuerall stands.

1. In the Court, he hath set Ambition, to watch for base mindes, that would stoope to any secure villanie for preferment; and to bring them to this Feast This attempt can tempt none but the base, the Noble spirit can not be so wrought vpon: this is a principall Bidder.

2. In Foro, at the Hall gates, hee sets Inviters, that becken contention to them, and fill the world with broiles. I meane neither the reuerend Iudges, nor the worthy Councellors, nor the good Atturneys; but the Labels of the Law: Solliciters indeed, for they are a sollicitation to our peace: Petty-foggers,Common Barr • tours. Satans fire-brands, and mortall things; which he casteth abroad, Prou. to make himselfe sport: but they do more hurt amongst the Barley, the Commons of this Land,Iudg. 15.5. then Sampsons Foxes with the fire at their tailes: Oh, that they were shipped out for Virginia; or (if they would trouble so good a Soile) into some desart, where they might set Beasts together by the eares, for they can not liue without making broiles.

3. Pride is another Bidder, and she keepes a shop in the Citie: You shall finde a description of her Shop, and take an Inuentory of her Wares, from the Prophet, Esa. 3. The tinckling ornaments, the Cawles, Esa. 3.18. &c. and the Moonetires, &c. Shee sits vpon the Stall, and courts the Passengers with a What lacke ye? Nay, besides her Person, she hangs out her Picture; a picture vnlike her selfe, though shee not vnlike her picture; all paint. Infinite traffique to her, but with the same lucke and successe, that the visitant beasts came to the sicke Lion: Vestigia nulla retrorsum: or at best, as the runners to Rome, that returne with shame and beggerie.

4. Ingrossing is another Inviter; and hath a large walke: sometimes he watcheth the landing of a Ship: somtimes he turnes whole loads of Corne besides the market. This Bidder preuailes with many a Citizen, Gentleman, Farmer, and brings in infinite guests: the Deuill giues him a letter of Mart for his Pyracie.

5. Briberie is an officious fellow, and a speciall bidder to this Feast. Hee inuites both forward and froward: the forward and yeelding, by promises of good cheare: secunda dies; that they shall haue a fair • day of it: the backward honest man, by terrours and menaces, that his cause shall else goe West-ward: (indeed it goes to Westminster.) Yea, with pretence of Commiseration and Pittie; as if the conscience of their right did animate them to their cause: thus with a shew of Sanctimoni • , they get a Saints money: but indeed (argentum foecundum, argumentum facund • m) there is no perswasion more patheticall, then the purses. Briberie stands at the staire-foot in the robes of an Officer, and helpes vp Iniurie to the place of Audience: thus Iudas his Bag is drawne with two strings, made of Silke and Siluer, Fauour and Reward.

All Officers belong not to one Court: their conditions alter with their places: there are some, that seeme so good, that they lament the vices, wherevpon they yet inflict but pecuniary punishments. Some of them are like the Israelites, with a Sword in one hand, and a Trowell in the other, with the motto of that old Embleme, In vtrumque paratus: as the one hand dawbes vp Iustice, so the other cuts breaches of diuision. They mourne for Trueth and Equitie, as the sonnes of Iacob for Ioseph, when themselues solde it: they exclaime against poenall transgressions. So Caius Gracchus defends the Treasurie from others violence, whiles himselfe robbed it: so the Pindar chafes and sweares to see Beastes in the Corne, yet will pull vp a stake, or cut a Teather, to finde supply for his pinfold: so Charles the fifth was sory for the Popes durance, and gaue orders of publike prayers for his release, yet held him in his owne hands prisoner.

6. Faction keepes the Church; and inuites some vaine glorious Priests to this Feast: Schisme and Separation, like a couple of thornes, pricke the Churches side, wound our Mother, till her heart bleedes: All Seminaries of Sedition are Sathans speciall 〈◊〉 .

7. Riot is his Inviter in a Tauerne▪ hee sits like a young Gallant at the vpper end of the Table; and drinkes so many and so deepe healthes to the absent, that the present haue no health left them. This is a frequented Inviting place, that I say not, the Feast it selfe. Coue • ousnesse often is the Host, Ebrietie drinkes the liquor, Swearing keepes th • reckoning, Lust holds the dore, and Beggery payes the shot.

8. Oppression hath a large circuit, and is a generall Bidder to this banket. This Factour hath abundance of the Diuels worke in hand: hee vntiles the houses of the poore, that whiles the stormes of Vsurie beate them out, hee may haue peaceable entrance: hee ioynes house to house, as if he was straitened of roome; tell him from mee, there is roome enough for him in hell.

There are infinite swarmes of Inviters besides, which runne like vagabonds on the Diuels errand, with Salutem's in their mouthes; as Iudas to Iesus, all haile; but it proued a ratling salutation, for Deaths storme followed it: all these declare to vs the bankets praeparation. Infinite among ourselues; Rome offers vs more helpe: but wee answere them, (as Octauian did of the Crowe: (Satis istarum a • ium habemus domi.) We haue enough of these brides at home: they are all Messengers of our wracke, Porkposes, premonishing a tempest; Vsurers, Brokers, Vagrants, Ruffians, Blasphemers, Tiplers, Churles, Wantons, Pedlers of pernicious wares; Seminaries, Incendiaries, Apostates, Humorists, seditious troublers of our peace: you may perceiue that our Winter's busie, by the flying abroad of these wild-geese. All are Bidders.

Vse. These Instruments of Tentation cannot hurt vs, except wee be enemies to our selues. They doe their worst:Rom. 8. Vertit que in meliora deus: God turnes all to our best. Like wandring Planets, they are caried with a double motion, (Suo & primo mobili:) with their owne, and a superiour mouer. By their owne, which though (non sine errore, tamen sine terrore) wandring, and stalking with bigge lookes, yet are not so feared as they expect. 2. By the First and Great Mouers, which ouer-rules them with a violent hand. Perhaps they exercise vs with tentat • ons,Esay. 10▪ 5. with Esay. 14.25. as Ashur did Israell; but the worke done, the rod is throwne into the fire: they are but • ubbish to scowre the vessels of Gods house; Apothicaries to minister vs bitter drugges, not able to put in one dram more then God our Physitian prescribes; Shepheards dogges with their teeth beaten short, to hunt vs to the sheepfolds of peace. In all their workes, the villanie is their owne, the vertue Gods: (as in Christs betraying, Opus dei redemptio, opus Iudae proditio.) If wee thinke,Iob. 21.17.30. Psal. 73.19. they flourish too long, let vs satisfie our selues, with Iob and Dauid; that (Subito ad Inferos) They goe suddenly downe into the pit. So the Poet propped vp his tottering • aesitations, with this conclusion. Abstulit hunc tandem Russini panatumultum, Claudian.Absoluit que deos. In the end, God cleares his Iustice from any imputation, by turning the workers of wickednesse into hell.

Doe not thinke, because I haue held you long with the Bidders, that I meane to forestall you of the Banket: behold, I haue brought you now to the Feast, such as it is: Stollen waters are sweet, and th • bread of secrecies is pleasant. Thus it is in grosse; to cut it vp, and serue it in, in seueral dishes; you haue. 1. A prescription. 2. A description. 3. An ascription. 1. A prescripon of their essences. 2. A description of their natures: 3. An ascription of their qualities. Quae, quanta, qualia. 1. The Iunkets are prescribed, quae sint, of what kinde they are: Waters, Bread. 2. They are described quanta sint, of what propertie, vertue, nature; Stollen, Secret. 3. They are ascribed to, qualia sint, of what operation, rellish, or qualitie; Sweet, Pleasant. Stollen waters, &c. Thus haue you their quidditie, their quantitie, their qualitie. This is the Banket (la •• um, l • tum) daintie and cherishing: ch • ape, for it is stollen; delightfull, for it is sweet. We will ascend to view this Feast (not to feed on it) by the stayres and degrees of my Text. You haue. 1. waters. 2. stollen. 3. sweet. So you haue. 1. Bread. 2. eaten in secret. 3. pleasant. Of them all first literally and morally, then doctrinally.

Waters: Not the Gen. 1.2. waters that the spirit moued on at the creation, the • irst waters; nor the waters Esay. 44.3. of Regeneration ▪ moued by the same spirit, sanctifying waters: nor the Ioh. 5.4. waters of Bethesda, stirred by an Angell, salutare and medicinall waters: nor the Ezek. 47.8. waters issuing from vnder the threshold of the Sanctuarie; preseruatiue waters. But the bitter waters of Exod. 15.25. Marah, without the sweet wood of Grace to season them. Psal. • 44.7. Waters of Trouble, from which Dauid prayes for deliuerie. Tumultuous waters: Exod. 7.17. Waters that turne into blood: bloodie waters. 2 Sam. 22 17. Waters of Tribulation, to them that digest it; though waters of Titillation, to them that tast it: much like our hote waters in these dayes; strange chimicall extractions, quintessences of distilled natures: Viscera, ne dicam, mysteria Terrae: The bowels, nay the mysteries of Earth, good and happy in their opportune and moderate vse; but wretched in our misapplied lustes; to turne the blood into fire, and to fill the bones with luxurie; not to make nature swimme in a riuer of delights, but euen to drowne it.

Waters; neither Succourie nor Endiue, &c. no refrigerating waters, to coole the Soules heate, but waters of inflamation: Spaines Rosasolis, water of Inquisition: Tyrones Vsquebah, water of Rebellion: Turkey's Aqua fortis, a violent and bloodie water: Romes aqua inferna, a superstitious water; stilled out of Sulphure and Brimstone, through the Lymbeck of Heresie. Oh! you wrong it: it is aquavitae, and aqua coelestis. Let the operation testifie it: it is aqua fortis, aqua mortis. Vinum Barathri: the wine of hell: no poysons are so banefull: It tastes like honey; but if Ionathan touch it, hee will endanger his life by it.1 Sam. 14.43. These are wretched waters, worse then the moorish and Fennie riuers, which (the Poets faine) runne with a dull and lazie course: tranquilla alta: streames, still at the top, but boyling like a Cauldron of moulten Lead at the bottome: Phlegeton, & Pyriphlegeton (ignitae et ••• mminiae vnde) were meere fables and toyes to these waters: they are truculent, virulent, obnoxious waters, deriued by some filthy guttures from the mare mortuum of Iniquitie.

The Pope hath waters, not much vnlike these of the Diuels Banket. Holy-waters; holy indeede, for they are con • ured with a holy exorcisme, saith their Massebooke. Of wonderfu • l effects; either sprinkled outwardly, they refresh the receiuer, as if his head was wrapped with a wet clowt in a colde morning; or drunke downe, they are powerfull to cleanse the heart, and scowre out the Diuell. Oh, you wrong Romes holy water, to thinke it the Diuels drinke; when the prouerbe sayes, the Diuell loues no holy water: yes, hee will runne from it, as a mendicant Fryer from an almes! To speake duely of it; it is a speciall riuer of hell, and drownes more,Exod. 14. then euer did the red Sea, when it swallowed an whole Armie of the Aegyptians. Why, but holy-water is a speciall ransome to free soules out of Purgatorie; and digged out of the fountaine of Scripture. Asperges me, Domine, Hysopo: Psal. 51.7. Thou shalt sprinkle me, oh Lord, with Hysope: (for so their translation hath it:) the sense of which place, is, saith the Romist; that the Priest must dash the graue with a holy-water-sprinkle: for you must suppose, that Dauid was dead and buried when he spake these words, and his soule in Purgatorie. It is added that Diues desired in hell, a drop of water to coole his tongue: Oh then,Luk. 16.24. how cooling and comfortable are the sprinklings of these waters on the graues of the dead. But if they can speake no bett • r for them, they will proue some of these waters, here serued in at Sinnes banket: for if Antichrist can make a man drunke with his holy-water, hee will swallow all the rest of his morsels with the lesse difficultie.

These then are the waters; not the water of Regeneration, wherein our Fathers and we haue beene baptised: nor the waters of Consolation, which make glad the Citie of God: nor the waters of Sanctification, wherein Christ once, the Spirit of Christ, still, washeth (the feete) the affections of the Saints. Not the Hyblaean Nectar of heauen, whereof, he that drinkes, shall neuer Ioh. 4.14. thirst againe: nor the Reuel. 22.1. waters of that pure Riuer of life, cleare as Christall, proceeding out of the Throne of God. But the lutulent, spumy, maculatorie waters of Sinne; either squeased from the spungie cloudes of our corrupt natures, or surging from the contagious (vaines of hell) springs of Temptation.

I might here blab to you the Diuels secrets, and tell you his riddles, his trickes, his pollicies; in that he calls Sinnes, Waters, and would make his guests beleeue, that they wondersully refresh; but I reserue it to a fitter place: the Sweetnesse shall carrie that note from the waters, I will contract all to these foure obseruations; as the Summe of that I would write of the waters, not De aquis, non sup • r aquas. on the waters; I haue better hope of your memories. 1. The preferment of waters at Sathans Banket. 2. The Diuels pollicie in calling Sinnes by the name of waters. 3. The similitude of Sinnes to Waters. 4. The pluralitie and abundance of these waters.

Obseruat. 1. Water is here preferre • to Bread; for lightly Sinnes guests are better drinkers then eaters; they eate by the • omer, Exodus 36. and drinke by the Epha: Indeede; a full belly is not of such dexte • itie for the Deuils imployment, as a full braine. Gluttonie would goe sleepe, and so doe neither good nor harme: Ebrietie hath some villanie in hand, and is then fitted with valour, the drunkard is an Hercules furens: he will kill and slay: how many doe that in a Tauerne, which they repent at a Tiburne? you will say, it is not wi • h drinking water: yes, the Harlots waters, (such as is serued in at the Deuils Banket;) mixt with rage and madnesse. Water is an Element, whence humiditie is deriued: the sap in the Vine, the iuyce in the Grape, the liquiditie in the Ale or Beere, is water: Indeede sometimes Neptune dwels too farre off from Bacchus dore; and the water is mastred with additions: yet it may (alienate the propertie) not annihilate the nature and essence of water: water it is still, though The foure mother-elements alter one into another: earth to water, water is ra • ified into ay • e: aire r • fined, &c and so backe ag •• ne: Inde r • tr • red • unt, idem que r ••• xitur ordo. Metam. 15. compounded water: compounded in our drinkes, but in wines, deriued, (à primis naturae per media) not extinguished in the being, not brought to a nullitie of waters. Drinke then, bibendum aliquid, though the Harlot giues it a modest and coole name, waters, is the first dish of the Deuils Banket. The first entertainement into this Appij forum, is with the three Tauernes;Act. 28.1 • . not so much a drunkennesse to the braine, as to the conscience. There is a Esa. 29.9. Drunkennesse, not with wine: there is a staggering not with strong drinke. The Deuill begins his Feast with a health,Dan. 5▪ as Belshazzar, whatsoeuer the vp-shot be. He propounds the water, and he propines it; hee will not giue them worse then he takes himselfe. As Iupiter is said, to haue at his Court-gate two great Tunnes; whereof they that enter must first drinke; and himselfe begins to them.

Intemperance is the first dish to be tasted of: Non principalis a Princip • ; • ed principalis a prin • ipio. it is (if not principalis, yet, si ita dicam, principialis) if not the prime dish, yet the first dish: Satan must first intoxicate the braynes, and extinguish the eye of reason; as the Thiefe that would rob the house, first puts out the Candle. Vnderstanding is first drowned in these waters: Acrasia praei • . Acrisia sequitur. Riot iustles, and the Wit is turned besides the Saddle. The Sonnes of the Earth would not so doate on Reuel. 17.2. the Whore of Babilon, if the wine of her Fornication had not made them drunke: the ghes • s heere Esay. 5.11. rise early to the wine: it is the first seruice; and are indeede (as the Apostles were slandered) Act. 2.13.15. nine-of-clocke Drunkards: Matth. 6.34. • The day would be without his su • ficient sorrow, actiue and passiue mischiefes, if the morning wine should not enflame them. They that are daily guests at the Deuils table, know the fashions of his Court; they must be drunke at the entrance. It is one of his lawes, and a Physicke-bill of hell, that they must not wash, till they haue drunke. These Waters are to be applied inwardly first, and once taken downe, they are fitted to swallow any morsell of damnation that shall afterwards be presented them.

Water was the first drinke in the world, Obseru. 2. and Water must be the first drinke at the Deuils Banket. There is more in it yet: The Deuill shewes a tricke of his wit in this title. Water is a good creature, and many coelestiall things are shadowed by it.Matth. 3.11. 1. It is the element, wherein wee were baptised. 2. And dignified to figure the grace of the holy Spirit. Yet this very • ame, must be giuen to Sinne. Indeede I know, the same things are often accepted in diuers senses, by the lang •• ge of Heauen. Leauen is est-soones taken for hypocri • ie, as in the Pharises: for Athei • me, as in the S • dduces: for Prof • nenesse, as in the H • rodians. And generally for 1 Cor 5 7. Sinne, by Paul, 1 Cor. 5. Y • t by Christ, for Luk. 13.21. Amos. 3.8. R • u • l. 5.5. grace. Luke. 13. God is compared to a Lyon: Amos. 3. And Christ is called the Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah. Apocal. 5. And the Deuill is called a Lyon. A roaring Lyon, &c. 1. Pet. 5.1 Pet. 5.8. Ioh. 3 14. 2 Cor. 11.3. Matth 3.9. 1 Pet. 2.5. Psal. 118.22. Christ was figured by a Serpent. Ioh. 3. And to a Serpent is Satan compared. 2 Cor. 11. Stones are taken in the worst sense, Matth. 3. God is able of these stones to raise, &c. Stones in the best sense: 1. Pet. 2. Liuing stones: and Christ himselfe, the headstone of the corner. Psal. 118. Be like children, saith Paul; and not like children: be children in simplicitie, not in knowle • ge. Graces are called Waters; so here vices; but the attribute makes the difference: Those are liuing Waters, these are the Waters of death. The Deuill in this playes the Machiauell; but I spare to follow this circumstance here, because I shall meete it againe, in the next branch; Bread of secrecies.

Sinnes may in some sense be likened to waters; yea, euen to waters in the Cup, Obseru. 3. for to waters in the Sea, they are most like; The one drownes not more bodies, then the other soules. They know the danger of the Sea, Psal. 108 23. that pro • ecute their businesse in great waters: they might know the hazards of Si • ne, that saile in the Deuils Barge of luxurie: I may say of them both with the Poet. —Digitis à morte r • moti quatuor, aut septem▪ si sit latissimataeda. They are within foure or seauen Inches of death: how many soules are thus shipwrackt? how many weepe out a De profundis, that would not sing the songs of Syon, in the Land of the liuing! they forgot Ierusalem in their mirth, and therefore sit downe and howle by the waters of 〈◊〉 : but these, here, are Festiuall, not Marinall wate • s.

1. Water is an enemie to digestion; so is Sinne, Similitudes of sinnes to waters. clogging the memorie (the soules stomach) with such crudit • es of vice, that no sober instructions can bee digested in it: especially Waters hurt digestion in these cold Countries, naturally cold, in regard of the Climate, but spiritually more cold in deuotion, Frosen vp in the dregs of Iniquitie. Surely many of our Auditours drinke too deepe of these Waters, before they come to Iacobs Well:Iohn 4. our Waters of heauenly doctrine will not downe with them. The Waters of sinne so put your mouths out of tast, that you cannot rellish the Waters of Life: they are Marah to your palates. It seemes, you haue beene at the Deuils Banket, Matth. 5. and therefore thirst not after righteousnesse. The Cup of the old Temptation hath filled you: you scorne the Cup of the New Testament. If you had not drunke too hard of these Waters, you would Ioh. 4.10. Iosh 7. aske Christ for his liuing Water: but Achan hath drunke cursed Gold, when hee should come before Io • uah: Geh •• i hath drunke Bribes, when hee should come to Elisha. 2 King. 5. No maruell if you sucke no Iuyce from the Waters of God, when you are so full and drunken with the Waters of Sathan.

2. Water duls the braine, and renders the spirits obtuse and heauie: It is an enemie to literature, saith Horace merrily: Who in a Rithme rehearses, That w • ter drinkers neuer make good Vearses.Carmina non scribun • ur aquae potoribus. Wee haue no skill in the himnes of the spirit, no alacritie to praise God, no wisedome to pray to him: why? wee haue drunke of these stollen waters. The chilling and killing colde of our Indeuotion, the morose and raw humours of our vncharitablenesse▪ the foggy, dull, stupid heauinesse of our inuincible ignorance, shew that wee haue beene too busie with these Waters, nothing will passe with vs, but rare and nouell matters, (Ieiunus rarò stomachus vulgaria temnit) and in these, Hor. Ser▪ 2. we study to admire the garbe, not to admit the profit.

3. Wee finde Grace compared to Fire, and gracelesnesse to water: the Spirit came downe on the Apostles in the likenesse of firie tongues, Acts 2.3. at the day of Pentecost: and Iohn Baptist testifies of CHRIST, that hee should Baptise with the Holy Ghost, and with Fire. The spirit of sinne falls on the heart like a cold deaw.Matth▪ 3.11. It is implied, Reuel. 3.15. that zeale is hote, wickednesse colde, neutrallitie luke-warme. Fire is hot (and drie) Water is cold (and moyst) praedominantly, and in regard of their habituall qualities: so zeale; is 1. hote; no incendiary, no praeter-naturall, but a supernaturall heate; equally mixed with Loue and Anger: such was Elias zeale for the Lord of Hostes;2 King. 2.11. he could not be cold in this life, that went vp in Fire to Heauen. 2. Drie: not like Ephraim, a Cake baked on the one side, but crude and raw on the other: no, the heate of zeale hath dried vp the moisture of prophanenesse. But wickednesse is 1. colde, a gelid nature, a numnesse in the Conscience: that, (as when the Ayre is hotest, the Springs are coldest, so) when the Sunne of Grace warmes the whole Church, is yet shaking of an Ague; nay, and will not creepe (like Simon Peter) to the fire. 2. Moist, not (succus & sanguinis plenum) full of iuyce and sappe; but sinne runnes like a colde rheume ouer the Conscience. This metaphor followes Saint Paul, Quench not the Spirit: 1 Thes. 5.19. wherein hee fully iustifies this circumstance, forbidding the water, of impietie, to quench the fire of Grace.

Here then see the impossibilitie of vniting the two contrary

Holinesse and Wickednesse.

2 Cor. 6.14.

SAtans guests are vnhappily come from the end of a Feast, to the beginning of a fray. As the Sodomites eate and drunke, till the fire was about their eares: so these are iouiall, and sing care away; but it seemes by the sequell, that the Deuill will not be pleased with a Song; as the Host in the Fable, with the singing guest. Hee cries out, as the Vsurer at his spawning houre, Giue mee my money: Arguments are held complements; perswasions, intreaties, promises of speedie satisfaction will doe no good on him that hath no good in him: hee is like the Cuckoe, alwaies in one tune, Giue mee my money. The Debter may intreat, this Creditour will not retreat; he will to warre, (you know the Vsurers warre) except he may haue his money. So the great Vsurer, the Deuill, (I hope Vsurers doe not scorne the comparison) when the Feast is done, lookes for a reckoning. The Vsurer, perhaps, will take securitie; so will the Deuill: Securitie and deadnesse of heart, will a great while please him. But when Diues hath dined, the Deuill takes away: Death is his knife, and Hell his voyder. Hee takes away one Dish more then he set downe; in stead of the reuersion, the Feasters themselues, nay the Feast-maker too: for Diues is the founder, and Sathan is the confounder: the one prouides meate for the belly, the other, by Gods sufferance,1 Cor. 6.13. destroyes them both. Sathan according to the tricks of some shifting Hostes, bids many friends to a Feast, and then beates them with the Spit. Dainty cheere,Eccles. 1. Phil. 3.19. but a sawcie reckoning. The Feast is vanitie, the Shot vexation. Thus they that worship their belly as God, temple themselues in Hell: and as their end is damnation, Amos. 6.7. so their damnation is without end. Therefore shall they goe captiue with the first, that goe captiue: and the banket of them that stretched themselues shall be remoued.

I would willingly lead you through some Suburbs, before I bring you to the maine Citie of Desolation; and shew you the wretched conclusion of this Banket, and confusion of these Guests. All which arise from the conterminate scituation, or (if I may so speake) from the respondent opposition of these two Sermons, Wisedomes and Follies, that is, Gods and Sathans. For this sad sequell is (if not a relatiue, yet) a redditiue demonstration of their miserie; for after the infection of sinne, followes the infliction of punishment. The turrets I would leade you by, are built, and consist of Farewels and Welcomes; of some things deposed, and some things imposed; positiue and priuatiue circumstances; valedictions and maledictions: they take their leaues of temporall and affected ioyes, and turne vpon eternall and cursed sorrowes. I will limit these generall obseruations into foure.

All sinfull ioyes are dammed (if not damned) vp with a But. They are troubled with a But-plague; Obser. 1. like a Bee with a sting in the taile. They haue a worme that crops them, nay gnawes asunder their very root; though they shoote vp more hastily, and spread more spatiously then Ionas gourd. There is great preparation of this Banket, properation to it, participation of it; all is carried with ioy and Iouisance: there is a correctiue But, a veruntamen, spoyles all in the vp-shot. A little Colliquintida, that embitters the Broath. A perillous, a pernicious, rocke, that splits the Ship in the Hauen. When all the prophecies of ill successe haue beene held as Cassandra's riddles; when all the contrarie windes of afflictions, all the threatned stormes of Gods wrath, could not disharten the Sinners voyage to these Netherlands; here is a But that shipwrackes all: the very mouth of a bottomlesse pit, not shallower then Hell it selfe.

It is obseruable that Salomons prouerbiall sayes, are so many select Aphorismes; contayning, for the most part, a paire of crosse and thwart sentences; handled rather by collation then relation; whose coniunction is disiunctiue. The Prouerbs are not ioyned with an Et, but an At: with a But, rather then with an And. Stollen waters are sweete, &c. But hee knoweth not, &c. It stands in the midst, like a Rudder or Oare, to turne the Boat another way.Eccles. 11.9. Reioyce oh yong man, &c. But know that for all these things, God wil bring thee to Iudgement, &c. All runnes smooth, and enclines to the byace of our owne affections, till it lights vpon this rub. The Babell of Iniquitie is built vp apace, till confusion steps in with a But. It is like the suddaine clap of a Serieant on a Gallants shoulder. He is following his lusts, full sent and full crie; the arrest strikes him with a But, and all's at a losse.

As in a faire Summers morning, when the Larke hath called vp the Sunne, and the S •• ne the Husbandman: when the earth had opened her Shop of perfumes, and a pleasant winde fannes coolenesse through the heated ayre: when euery creature is reioyced at the heart. On a sodaine the furious windes burst from their prisons, the thunder rends the clouds, and makes way for the lightning, and the spowtes of heauen streame downe showres; a hideous tempest sooner dampes all the former delight, then a mans tongue can well expresse it. With no lesse content doe these guests of sinne passe their life, they eate to eate, and drinke to drinke, often to sleepe, alwaies to surfet: they caroll, daunce, spend their present ioyes, and promise themselues infallible supply. On a sodaine, this But comes like an vnlooked for storme, and turnes all into mourning; and such mourning (as Rahell had for her Children) that will not be comforted, because their ioyes are not.

A wicked man runnes headlong in the night of his vnwaked securitie, after his wonted sports; and because hee keepes his old path, which neuer interrupted him with any obstacle, hee nothing doubts, but to speed as hee had wont: but his enemie hath digged a pit in his way, and in he topples, euen to the depth of Hell. Thus wicked ioyes haue wretched sorrowes: and as man hath his Sic, so God hath his Sed. If we will haue our will in sinne, it is fit, he should haue his will in punishing. To this sense, Solomon frequently in his Prouerbs. They will pursue wickednesse, But they shall bee plagued. I haue forbidden vsurie, adulterie, swearing, malice, as vncleane meates; you will feede on them: But you shall bee punished. There is a reckoning behinde, a But they neuer shot at: but they shot besides the But, the whiles. God hath prepared them as the miserable Iob. 7.20. markes, that shall receiue the arrowes of his vengeance, till they are drunke with blood. They shall suffer that in passion, which Iob spake in apprehension. Iob. 6.4. The arrowes of the Almightie shall be within them, the poyson whereof shall drinke vp their spirits, and the terrours of God shall set themselues in aray against them. So Moses sung in the person of God against the wicked. Deut. 32.42. I will make mine arrowes drunke with blood, and my sword shall eate flesh, &c. They forget, that when God shall rebuke them in his wrath, and Psal. 38.1.2. chasten them in his hot displeasure, his arrowes shall sticke fast in them, and his hand shall presse them sore. This is their sad Epilogue, or rather the breaking off their Scaene in the midst; The Banket of stollen waters and secret bread is pleasant: But the dead are there, and the guests be in the depth of Hell.

The Deuill doth but cozen the wicked with his cates; as before in the promise of Delicacie, Obseru. 2. so here of perpetuitie. Hee sets the countenance of continuance on them, which indeede are more fallible in their certaintie, then flourishable in their brauerie. Their banketting-house is very Psal. 73.18. slipperie; and the feast it selfe, a meere 20. dreame. Let the Guest preserue but reason, and he shall easily make the collection: that if for the present, Ga • dia plus aloes, quam sua mellis habent; To the compound of his ioyes, there goe more bitter then sweet simples; what will then the end be? euen such a one, as at once (consumit delicias, consummat miserias) makes an end of their short pleasures, and begins their lasting paines. This my Text salutes them, as the Mason was wont to salute the Emperour at his Coronation, with a lappe-full of stones: Elige ab his saxis, ex quo, Augustissime Caesar, Ipse tibi tumulum, me fabricare velis.

Chuse great Emperour, out of this whole heape, what stone thou best likest for thine owne Sepulcher. You that crowne your dayes with Rose-buds, and flatter your hearts with a kingdome ouer pleasures, thinke of a low graue for your bodies, and a lower roome for your soules. It is the subtiltie of our common enemie, to conceale this woe from vs so long, that wee might see it and feele it at once. For if we could but foresee it, we would feare it; if we truely feared it, we would make meanes not to feele it.

Our most fortified delights are like the childs castle, done downe with a fillop: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , nay 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a shadow, the very dreame of a shadow, a rotten post, slightly painted, a paper-tower, which the least puffe ouerturnes.

Time whirles about the world, and makes all inferiour things to trauell and spend themselues together with him. Sinfull and earthly delight is well called, amiabile, fragile, flebile, a thing soone loued, sooner ended, but long, very long lamented: a rotten nut, faire but hollow. Though Philosophy saith, there is no vacuitie in rerum natura, yet Diuinitie saith, there is nothing but vacuitie in naturae rebu • . Nature, as it is not onely corrupt of it selfe, but made more fowle in the euill mans vse, hath nothing in it, but vanitie: and vanitie is nothing: a meere emptinesse, a vacuitie. Hence, if Aristotle commends the nature of things, the better Philosopher Solomon, discommends the things of nature; especially in their base and bad vsage. Onely the Deuils Feast-house hath a faire bush at the dore, (yet if the wine were good, what needs the Iuie?) and Psal. 73.10. therefore his people turne in thither, and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them. But when they are once in, they finde themselues deceaued, for the dead are there, &c.

Then put no trust in so weake comforts, that will be vnto you, as Egypt to Israel, a Reed; which when you leane vpon, it will not onely faile you, but the splinters shall run into your hand. Esa. 30.5.6. You shall be ashamed of your weake confidence. The Burden of the beasts of the South. Into the land of trouble &c. I am no Prognosticator. Yet if Cosmographie affirme that wee liue in a Southerne Climate, and experience testifie that wee haue many beasts among vs; methinkes, these words lie as fit for vs, as if they were purposely made. How many in our land, by losse of Conscience are become Atheists, and by losse of Reason beasts? who run so fast to this Egiptian feast of wickednesse, that hee speakes easiest against them that speakes but of a Burden? These hauing found Sathans temptations true for the daintinesse, iudging by their owne lusts, dare also take his word for the continuance. But if the great Table of this Earth shall be ouerthrowne, what shall become of the dainties that the hand of nature hath set on it? To which purpose saith Ierome. Hier. lib. 2. Epist. ad Heliod. Oh si possemus in talem ascendere speculam, de qua vniuersam terram sub nostris pedibus cerneremus, iam ti • i ostenderem totius orbis ruinas, &c. If it could be granted vs to stand on some lofty Pinacle, from which wee might behold the whole earth vnder our feete; how easily perswasion would make these earthly pleasures seeme vile in thy opinion? You sa • , your pleasures are, for number manifold, for truth manifest, for dimension great: grant all, though all be false: yet they are for time short, for end sowre. Breue est, quod delectat: aeternum, quod cruciat. It is short, that pleaseth them; euerlasting, that plagueth them. Pleasure is a channell, and, Death the sea, whereinto it runs. Mellif • uus ingressus, f • llifluus regressus, yeeld your ioyes sweet at the Porch, so you grant them bitter at the Posterne. Securus et Securis must meete. Wickednesse and wretchednesse must be made acquainted. The lewd mans dinner, shall haue that rich mans Supper: Luk. 12 • 0. Thou foole, this night thy soule shall be required of thee. The Deuill then you see, is a crafty and cheating hoast, whose performance falls as short of his promise, as time doth of eternitie. Let then the Apostles caueat, be the vse of this obseruation. Ephes. 5.6. Let no man deceiue you with vaine words: for because of these things▪ commeth the wrath of God on the children of disobedience.

The punishments of the wick • d are most vsually in the like; Oser • . 3. proper and proportionable to their offences. 1. Solomon here opposeth the house of mourning to the house of feasting; as in expresse termes. Eccle • . 7. for as it is fit in the body,Eccles▪ • .2. that surfet should be followed with death: so these that greedily make themselues sicke with sinne, become iustly dead in soule. 2. They haue affected the workes of hell, therefore it is iust that hell should affect them, and that euerie one should be granted their Acts. 1.25. • wne place. 3. As they would not know what they did, till they had done it; so they fitly know not the place whither they shall goe, till they are in it. Nescit: hee knoweth not, &c. 4. For the high places, which their ambition climbed to, Ver. 14. They are cast downe, like L • cifer, to the lowest place, the depth of Hell. As Simon Magus would flye with arrogance, so he came dow • e with a vengeance, and broke his necke. See how fitly they are qu • ted. Prou. 4.17. They eate the bread of wickednesse, and drinke the wine of violence: now they are scanted of both, except they will eate the bread of gall, and drinke their owne teares.

Thus Pharaoh drownes the Hebrew males in a Riuer.Exod 1.22. Exod. 14.28. Exod. 1. therefore is drowned himselfe with his army in a sea. Exod. 14. He had laide insupportable burdens on Israell; God returnes them with full weight, number, measure. When Israell had cut off the thumbs and great toes of Iudg. 1.7. Adoni-bezek, heare the maimed King confesse the equitie of this Iudgment. Threescore and ten Kings, hauing their thumbs and great toes cut off, gathered their meate vnder my table: as I haue done, so God hath requited me. As proud Baiazeth threatned to serue Tamberlaine, being conquered; to imprison him in a cage of iron, and carry him about the world in triumph: so the Scithian hauing tooke that bragging Turke, put him to the punishment which hi • selfe had lesson'd; carrying and carting him through Asia, to be scorned of his owne people. Thus • s • h. 7.10. Haman is hanged on his owne gallowes. Perillus tries the tricke of his owne torment.

The Papists, that would haue fired vs in a house, were themselues fired out of a house. Gunpowder spoyled some of their eyes, Musket-shot killed others, the Engines of their owne conspiracie: and the rest were aduanced higher by the head, then the Parliament-house, that would haue lifted vs higher, of purpose to giue vs the more mortall • all. God hath • etaliated their workes into their owne bosomes. Psal 7.14. They trauelled with iniquitie, conceiued mischiefe: and loe the birth is their owne sorrow. 15. They haue digged a pit for vs, and that low, vnto Hell; and are falne into it themselues.

The order of Hell proceedes with the same degrees; though it giue a greater portion, yet the same proportion of torment. These wretched guests were too busie with the waters of sinne; behold now they are in the depth of a pit, where no water is. Diues, that wasted so many Tunnes of Wine, cannot now procure water, not a Pot of water, not a handfull of water, not a drop of water, to coole his tongue. A • g. hom. 7. Desiderauit guttam, qui non dedit micam. A iust recompence. Hee would not giue a crumme; he shall not haue a drop. Bread hath no smaller fragment, then a crumme; water no lesse fraction then a drop. As he denied the least comfort to Lazarus liuing, so Lazarus shall not bring him the least comfort dead. Thus the paine for sinne, answeres the pleasure of sinne. Where, now, are those delicate moisels, deepe carowses, loose laughters, proud po • t, midnight reuels, wanton songs? Why begins not his fellow-guest with a new health? or the Musicke of some rauishing note? or, if all faile, hath his foole-knauish Parasite no obscene iest, that may giue him delight? Alas! Hell is too melancholly a place for mirth. All the Musicke is round-ecchoing groanes: all the water is muddie with stench: all the food anguish.

Thus damnable sinnes shall haue semblable punishments: and as Augustine of the tongue, so wee may say of any member. Si non reddet Deo faciendo quae debet, redd • t ei patiendo quae debet. If it will not serue God in action, it shall serue him in passion. Where voluntarie obedience is denied, involuntarie anguish shall be suffered. Know this thou swearer, that as thy tongue spets abroad the flames of Hell, so the flames of Hell shall be powred on thy tongue. As the Drunkard will not now keepe the Cup of satietie from his mouth, so God shall one day hold the Cup of vengeance to it, and he shall drinke the dregges thereof. As the Vsurers are tormentors to the Common-wealth, on earth, so they shall meete with tormentors in Hell; that shall transcend them both in malice and subtiltie: and load them with bonds and executions; and (which is strangely possible) heauier then those, they haue so long traded in. The Church-robber, incloser, ingrosser, shall find worse prolling and pilling in Hell, then themselues vsed on earth; and as they haue beene the worst Deuils to their Countries wealth, so the worst of Deuils shall attend them. The vncleane adulterer shall haue fire added to his fire. And the couetous wretch, that neuer spake but in the Horse-leaches language, and carried a mouth more yawning, then the graues, is now quitted with his nunquam satis, and findes enough of fire in the depth of Hell.

The Deuill hath feasted the wicked, and now the wicked feast the Deuill: Obser • . 4. and that with a very chargeable Banket. For the Deuill is a daintie Prince, and more curious in his diet, then Vitellius. He feedes, like the Caniball, on no flesh, but mans flesh. He loues no Venison but the Hart, no fowle but the Breast, no fish but the Soule. As the Psal. 14.4. vngodly haue eaten up Gods people as bread; so themselues shall be eaten as bread: • t is iust, that they be deuoured by others, that haue deuoured others. As they haue beene Lyons to crash the bones of the poore; so a Lyon shall crash their bones: they are Satans Feast, 1 Pe • . 5.8. he shall deuoure them. Thus they that were the guests, are now the Banket: as they haue beene feasted with euils, so they feast the D • uils.

Make a little roome in your hea • ts, ye fearelesse and desperate wretches, for this meditation. Behold, now, as in aspeculatiue glasse, the Deuils hospitalitie. Once be wise: beleeue without triall, without feeling. Yeeld but to be Rom 6. • 1. ashamed of your sinnes, and then I (can with comfort) aske you, • hat fruit they euer brought you? Let me but appeale from Philip of Macedon, when hee is drunke, to Philip of Macedon, when he is sober; from your bewitched lusts, to your waked consciences; and you must needes say, that breuis haec, non vera voluptas. All Eph 5.11. the workes of darknesse are vnfruitfull, except in producing and procuring Matth. 8.12. vtter darknesse. Sinne is the Deuils earnest-peny on earth, in Hell he giues the Inheritance. Temptation is his presse-money: by rebellion, oppression, vsurie, blasphemie, the wicked like faithfull Souldiours fight his battels: When the field is wonne, or rather lost (for if he conquers, they are the spoile) in the dep • h of he • l hee giues them pay. Who then would march vnder his colours; who, though he promise Matth. 4.9. Kingdomes, cannot performe a Matth. 8.31. Hogge? Alas poore beggar! he hath nothing of his owne but sinne, and death, and hell, and torment. Nihil ad effectum, ad defectum satis. No posit • ue good, enough priuatiue euill.

Euen those, that passe their soules to him by a reall Couenant, he cannot enrich: they liue and dye most penurious beggars, as pernicious villaines. And they, vpon whom God suffers him to throw the riches of this world (as a s • are ouer their hearts) which he cannot doe, but at second hand; haue not enough to keepe either their heads from aking, or their consciences from despairing. Thus, though God permit him, • o helpe the Luk. 1 • . rich man to sill his Barnes, the Vsurer to swell his Coffers, the Luxurious to poyson his blood, the malicious to gnaw his bowels, the s • crilegious to amplifie his reuenewes, the ambitious with credit, yet ther • is neither will in God, nor willingnesse in the Deuill, that any of these should be a blessing vnto them. All is but borrowed ware, and the Customers shall pay for day: the longer they abuse them, the larger arrerages they must returne. Onely here, I may say, that bona sunt, quae dona sunt; they are goods, that are gifts. God giues his graces freely, the Deuill his Iunkets falsly: for the guests must pay; and that deerely; when the least Item in the bill, for paines, is beyond the greatest dish of the Feast, for pleasures.

Solomons Sermon spends it selfe vpon Tvvo Circumstances, the Persons. Tempting. Sh •• . • right Harlot: as appeares by her Prostitution. Prodition. Perdition. Tempted. The Dead. All death is from sinne, whether Corporall. Spirituall. Eternall. Attempted. He knoweth not. Whose ignorance is either Naturall. Inuincible. Affected. Arrogan • . Place. Where their misery is amplified, in part personally, in part locally. Per infirmitatem. By their • eaknes to resist▪ soone in. Per Inf • rnitatem In hell. Per profunditatem. In the depth of Hell.

The person tempting, or the Harlot, is Vice; vgly and deformed Vice; that with glazed eyes, surph • ld cheekes, pyed garments, and a Syrens tongue, winnes easie respect and admiration. When the heate of tentation shall glow vpon concupiscence, the heart quickly melts. The wisest Solomon was taken and snared by a woman: which foule adulterie bred as foule an issue, or rather progeniem vitiosiorem, a worse, Idolatrie. Satan therefore shapes his Temptation in the lineaments of an Harlot: as most fit and powerfull, to worke vpon mans affections. Certaine it is, that all delighted vice is a spirituall adulterie.

The couetous man couples his heart to his gold. The Gallant is incontinent with his pride. The corrupt Officer fornicates with briberie. The Vsurer sets continuall kisses on the cheeke of his securitie. The heart is set, where the hate should be. And euery such sinner spends his spirits, to breed and see the issue of his desires. Sinne, then, is the Deuils Harlot, which being tricked vp in tempting colours, drawes in visitants▪ praemittendo sua • ia, promittendo perpetua, giuing the kisses of pleasure, and promising them perpetuall. We may obserue in this Strumpet.

1. Prostitution. Pro. 7.13. Pro. 7.13. So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said vnto him, &c. Shame, now-a-dayes, begins to grow so stale, that many vices shall vie impudent speeches and gestures with the Harlot. Ver. 18. Come, let vs take our fill of loue: as Putiphars wife to Ioseph, without any ambagious or ambiguous circumlocutions or insinuations, come lye with me. Sinne neuer stands to vnty the knot of Gods interdiction, but bluntly breakes it; as the Deuill at first to the rootes of mankind, ye shall not die. The Vsurer neuer looseth so much time,Gen. 3. as to satisfie his conscience: it is enough to satisfie his concupiscence. A good Morgage lies sicke of a forfet, and at the Vsurers mercie. It is as surely damned, as the Vsurer himselfe will be, when he lyes at the mercie of the Deuill. These are so farre • rom that old Quare of Christians, quid faciemus, what shall wee doe? That they will not admit the nouell question of these toyte-headed times, What shall we thinke? They will not giue the co • science leaue, after a tedious and importunate sollicitation, to study of the matter. But are more iniurious and impenetrable to their owne soules, then that vniust Iudge to the Widdow.

A cheate is offred to a Trades-man, an Inclosure to a Landlord, an vnder-hand Fee clapt in the left hand of a Magistrate, if they be euill, and corruption hath first Marshalled the way, the field is wonne. They neuer treat with sinne for truce, or pawse on an answere, but presently yeeld the fort of their conscience. No wonder then, if the Deuils Harlot be so bold, when she is so sure of welcome. It is our weakenesse, that prompts the Deuill with encouragement: whom if we did resist, hee would desist. Our weake repulses harten and prouoke his fiercer assaults. He would not shew the Worldling his apparant hornes, if hee did not presume of his couetous desire to bee horsed on the backe of Mammon, and hurried to Hell. Hence sinne is so bold as to say in the wicked heart, Non est Deus, Psal. 14.1. there is no God: and so peremptorily to conclude to it selfe, Psal. 10.6. I shall not be moued; for I shall neuer be in adue • sitie. Hence euen Psal 49, 11. their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for euer, &c. This is presumptuous and whorish prostitution, to set out Iniquitie bare-faced, without the Maske of pretexts, to hide her vgly visage. An impetuous, an imperious Impudence, that not w • th a feminine rapture▪ but rather with a masculine rape, captiues the conscience. You see Follies prostitution.

2. Prodition is the ranckling tooth that followes her rauishing kisses. Iudas kissed his Maister with the same heart. Iniqu • tie hath an infectious breath, if a faire countenance. All her delights are like faire and sweet flowers, but full of Serpents. The tempted may giue a concluding groane, Sic violor, violis, oh violenta, tuis.

Thy soft flowers haue stung me to death. For indeede it is most true, Augustine. Nemo ipsum peccatum amat, sed male amando illud quod amat, illaqueatur peccato. No man loues sinne for it owne sake, but by an irregular and sinister loue, to that hee doth loue, hee is snared with sinne. The Deuill knowes, that his Ephesian Harlot, Vice, would want worshippers, if treason and death were written vp on the Temple-dore: therefore health and content are proclaimed, and as on the Theater pr • sented; but there is Hell vnder the Stage, there is treason in the vault.

Thus Temptation misleades the Nauigatours with a Pyrates light: deceiues the liuing fowles with a dead bird: a Syren, a Iudas, a Iebusite, a Iesuite. For were the Iesuite to play the Deuill, or the Deuill the I • suite on the stage of this world; it would be hard to iudge which was the Iesuite, which the Deuill; or which played the part most naturally. As Iniqu • ties are Sathans Harlots to corrupt the affections; so Iesuites are his E • gines to peruert the braines: for if the new guest here be heart-sicke, so their Pro • elite is braine-sicke. Both are made so dissolute, till they become desolate, robbed and destitute of all comfort.

Sinne deales with her guests, as that bloody Germane Prince, that hauing inuited many great States to a solemne Feast, flattered and singled them out one by one, and cut off all their heads. As fatall a successe attends on the flatteries of sinne. Oh then, fuge peccatum exulceratricem hanc: Fly this Harlot, that carries death about her. Goe aloofe from her dore, as they say, the Deuill doth by the Crosse: but (let that sauour of supposition, nay of superstition) doe thou in sincere deuotion flie from sinne, quasi à facie colubri, as from a Serpent. Shee hath a Syrens voyce, a Mermaides face, a Helens beautie to tempt thee: but a Leapers touch, a Serpents sting, a trayterous hand to wound thee. The best way to conquer Sinne, is by the Parthian warre, to runne away. So the Poet.

Tunc peccata fugantur, cum fugiantur. Wee then put sinne to a forced flight, when it puts vs to a voluntarie flight. That Poeticall amoris artifex et medicus, so counsels. Fuge conscia vestriconcubitus, &c. But beyond all exception, the holy Apostle giues the charge, flie Fornication. Shunne the place, suspect the appar • nce of euill. You see her Prodition.

Her perdition followes. Shee vndoes a man; not so much in the estate of his carkasse, as of his conscience. The guest is not so much damnified in respect of his goods, as damned in respect of his grace. Euery man is not vndone, that is beggered: many like Iob, Minime pereunt, cum maxime perire videntur, are indeede least vndone, when they seeme most vndone. Nay, some may say with the Philosopher, perieram, nisi peri • ssem, if I had not sustained losse, I had beene lost. So Dauids great trouble made him a good man. Naamans leaprous flesh, brought him a white and cleane spirit. But the perdition that vice brings, is not so visible, as it is miserable. The sequell of the Text will amplifie this: onely now I apply it to the Harlot. The Harlot destroyes a man many wayes.

1. In his goods. It is a costly sinne. Thamar would not yeeld to Iudah without a hire. The hire makes the Whore.

The old Prouerbe conioynes venery and beggerie. The Prodigall returned not from his Harlot without an empty Purse. Sinne doth no lesse vndoe a mans estate. It is a Purgatorie to his Patrimonie. It is obiected: It rather helps him to riches, and swels his purse. Doth not a bribed hand, asycophant-tong • e, a couetous and griping palme make men wealthie? Yeeld wealthie, not rich. He is rich, that possesseth what hee got iustly, and vs • th what he possesseth conscionably, other wealthy, are not vnlike either the Capuchines, or the Seculars. Some, like the former, professe beggerie, though they possesse the Indies: these had rather fill their eye then their belly, and will not breake a Summe, though they endanger their healths. The other sort, are like the Seculars, that will fare well, though with a hard farewell.P • o. 6.26. But (as the Harlot, so) often Vice brings a man to a morsell of bread. Prou. 6. Thus Tibi fit damne, vitio lucrosa voluptas: Pleasure is no lesse, then a losse to thee, then a gaine to Sinne. It is not amisse, to answere Sathans Inuiters to this Feast, as the vitious Poet his Cockatrice.

It is euen one reason, to disswade vs from sinne, that it is costly.

2. In his good name. No worldly vndoing is like this shipwrack. Goods may be redeemed, but this (semel amissa, postea nullus eris) once vtterly lost, thou art nobody. It is hard to recouer the Set, when a man is put to the after-game for his credit. Though many a ma • s reputation be but (hypemeni • m • vum) a rotten Egge; whiles he is a great dealer with other mens goods, and of himselfe no better then a begger. And though the most famous are but Astmatici, short-breathed men, and their reputation no better then Ephraims righteousnesse, but a morning dewe: yet actum est de homine, cum actum est de nomine, when a mans good name is done, himselfe is vndone.

A man, indeede, may loose his good name without cause; and be at once accused & abused; when slanders against him are maliciously excepted, & easily accepted. But Psal. 37.6. God shal bring forth his righteousnes as the light, and his Iudgment as the noone day. Contrarily, another man hides the vlcers of his sore conscience with the playsters of sound repute! But to be puffed vp with the wrongfull estimation of our selues, by the flattering breath of others blowne praises, is a ridiculous pride. Saepe flagellatur in corde proprio, qui laudatur in or • alieno. Many, that are commended in other mouthes, are secretly and iustly snibbed in their owne conscience. Such a one couzens his neighbours, they one another, and all himselfe. And as originally the deceit came from him, so euentually the shame will end in him. Hence they, whose fames haue beene carried furthest on the wings of report, haue beene after (by the manifestation of their hidden wickednesses) more deaded in mens thoughts, then in their owne carkasse. For Pro. 10.7. the name of the wicked shall rot.

This is the mischiefe, which sinne in generall, as whoredome in particular, works to the name; a rotten reputation, an infamous farne, a reproach for a report: that their silent memories are neuer coniured vp from the graue of obliuion, but as the Sonne of Neba • 's; for their owne disgrace; and for an intimation of terrour, to the imitation of their wickednesse. It were well for them, if Time, which vnnaturally deuoures his owne brood, could as well still their mention, as it hath staid their motion: or that their memoriall might not suruiue their funerall. Now, though it be no euident demonstration, yet it is a very ominous and suspitious thing, to haue an ill name. The Prouerbe saith, hee is halfe hanged. A thiefe before the Iudge speeds the worse for his notorious name. Is this all? no; but as he, whose breath is stifled with a cord, is wholly hanged: so he that hath strangled his owne reputation, which is the breath of his breath, with a lewd life, is at least halfe suspended. His Infamy hangs on the Gybbet of popular contempt, till it be recouered. He is halfe aliue, halfe a corps. It was the plaine meaning of the Prouerbe.

Now, that a bad name is a broad shame, it appeares; because no Stewes-haunter would be called a Whore-monger. No Papist an Idolater, no Vsurer an Vsurer. All sinners are ashamed to be accounted, what they haue assumed to be. But it is certaine that he that is ashamed of his name, his name may be ashamed of him. As thou louest thy reputation with men, seeke the testimonie of thine owne conscience. It is the best fame, that carries credit with God. Let men say, what they list, Oh Lord thou knowest mine innocence. Yet, because it is hard to do good, vnlesse a man be reputed good, therefore dare not to darken the light of thy name, by the grosse cloudes of thy Impieties. This is the second destruction that continued Vice brings her Louers. Pro. 6.33. A wound and dishonour shall he get, and his reproach shall not be wiped away. When hee hath done it, he is vndone by it. Perdit honorem, perdendo honestatem. The dishonestie in him, shall bring dishonour to him▪ he builds, Haman-like a gallowes for his owne credite.

3. In his health. The precepts of Wisedome, practised with obedience, Prou. 4.22. bring health to the flesh, & are life to those that find them. But sinne is rottonnesse to the bones. 1 Cor. 6.18. He that committeth fornication, saith Saint Paul, sinneth against his owne body. Let it be ineuitably true in this sin, it is (at least accidentally) true in all sinnes. For though God suffers some reprobates to keepe Psal. 73.4.5.7. Iob. 21.12. vere. 7 s • r • e health and to escape common Plagues: that they haue fat eyes and cleare lungs: merry hearts, and nimble loynes: and can stroke their gray haires: yet often hee either puts them on the racke of some terrible disease, or quite puts out their candle. Psal. 55.23. Bloudy and deceitfull men shall not liue out halfe their dayes. All sicknesse orignally proceeds from sinne, all weaknesse from wickednesse. As Mephibosheth caught his lamenesse by falling from his Nur • e; so all men their diseasednes by falling from their Christ. The euill disposition of the soule, marres the good composition of the body. There is no disaster to the members, but for disorder in the manners. All diseases are Gods reall sermons from heauen, whereby hee accuseth and punisheth man for his sins.

The Harlot is a plague to the flesh: she is worse then a feauer; more infectious then the pistilence. Euery Nation hath his seuerall disease. Irish the Ague, Spanyards the Pip, Dutch-men the dropsie, French their fatall and merited miserie; neither doe the English goe scot-free. All haue their speciall plagues somewhat proper to themselues, except whoredome and sinne communicate them. But the Harlot is an vniuersall plague, whereof no Nation is free. shee makes the strong man glad of po •• on, brings health acquainted with the Phisitian: and hee that stoutly denied the knowledge of his gate, now stands trembling at his study dore, with a bare head, a bending knee, and an humble phrase. She is the common sinke of all corruptions, both naturall and preternaturall, incident to the conscience or corpes: and hath more diseases attending on her then the Hospitall.

The Madianit • sh Harlot, Sinne, leads in a traine of no fewer nor weaker plagues,Deut. 28. Consumptions, Feauers, Inflammations, Botches, Emerods, Pestilences, are (peccati qedisehuae) the obseruant hand-maides of iniquitie. As it is, then, wicked to 1 Cor. 5.16. take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an Harlot; so it is wretched to diuorce the affections of the minde from God, and wed them to any impietie. Thus doe these paire of Harlots impaire the health.

4. They both concurre to spoyle a mans soule: whiles the Soule of the soule, Gods Spirit, (quo agitante calescimus) is by this bereaued vs. Act. 17.28. In him wee liue, moue, and haue our being. In illo viuimus: viuimus, per naturam, bene viuimus per gratiam. In illo mouemus, vel mouemur potius, ad humana, ad diuina opera suscipienda. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ; essentiam habemus, quoad esse, et quoad bene esse. In him all liue naturally, some graciously. In him wee moue, or rather are moued, to the performance, all of humane workes, some of diuine. In him wee haue our being; both that we are at all, and that we are well. This better life is the soule spoiled of, when sinne hath taken it captiue. Prou. 6.26. The Adultresse will hunt for the precious life. She is ambitious and would vsurpe Gods due and claime the heart, the soule. ver. 32. Hee that doth loue her destroyeth his owne soule. Which shee loues not for it selfe, but for the destruction of it: that all the blossomes of grace may dwindle and shrinke away, as bloomes in a nipping Frost: and all our comforts runne from vs, as flatterers from a falling Greatnesse, or as Vermine from an house on fire. Nay, euen both thy liues are endangered. The wicked man Prou. 7.23. go •• h after her, as a foole to the correction of the st • ckes; till a 〈◊〉 strike through his liuer, as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life. It is as ineuitably true of the spirituall Harlots mischiefe. For Prou. 1.32. the turning away of the simple shall slay them. Saue my life and take my goods, saith the prostrate and yeelding Traueller to the theefe. But there is no mercy with this enemie: the life must pay for it. She is worse then that inuincible Nauy, that threatned to cut the throates of all (Men, Women, Infants:) but I would to God, shee might goe hence againe without her errand, as they did; and haue as little cause to bragge of her conquests.

Thus haue wee discribed the Temptresse. The Tempted followes, who are here called the Dead. There be three kindes of death, corporall, spirituall, eternall. Corporall, when the body leaues this life. Spirituall, when the soule forsakes, and is forsaken of grace. Eternall, when both shall be throwne into hell. 1. is the seperation of the soule from the body. 2. is the seperation of body and soule from grace. 3. the seperation of them both from euerlasting happinesse. Man hath two parts, by which hee liues; and two places, wherein he might liue, if hee obayed God: Earth for a time, Heauen for euer. This Harlot Sin, depriues either part of man in either place of true life; and subiects him, both to the first and second death. Let vs therefore examine in these particulars, first, what this death is, and secondly, how Sathans guests, the wicked, may be said liable thereunto.

1. Corporall death is the departure of the soule from the body, whereby the body is left dead, without action, motion, sense. For the life of the body, is the vnion of the soule with it. For which essentiall dependance, the soule is often called and taken for the life. Ioh. 13.37· Peter said vnto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay downe my soule for thy sake. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , his soule, meaning as it i • translated, his life. And Math. 10.39. He that findeth his soule, shall loose it: but hee that looseth his soule for my sake, shall finde it. Here the Soule is taken for the Life. So that in this death there is the seperation of the soule and body, the dissolution of the person, the priuation of life, the continuance of death: for there is no possible regresse from the priuation to the habite, except by the supernaturall and miraculous hand of God. This is the first but not the worst death, which sinn • procureth. And though the speciall dea • nesse of the guests here be spirituall: yet this, which we call naturall, may be implied, may be applied: for when God threatned death to Adams sinne, in illo die m • ri • ris: in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die; yet Adam liued nine hundred and thirtie yeares after. There was, notwithstanding, no delay, no delusion of Gods decree: for in ipso die, in that very day death tooke hold on him; and so is the Hebrew phrase, Ge • . 2.17. dying, thou shalt dye; fall into a languishing, and incurable consumption, that shall neuer leaue thee, till it bring thee to thy graue. So that hee instantly dyed, not by present seperation of soule and body, but by mortallitie, mutabillitie, miserie, yea by sorrow and paine, as the instruments and agents of Death. Thus said that Father. Aug ci • it. d •• . Lib. 13. cap. 10. After a man beginneth to be in this body, (by reason of his sinne) he is euen in death.

The wicked then, are not onely called Dead, because the conscience is dead; but also in respect of Gods decree, whose inviolable substitution of Death to Sinne cannot be euaded, auoyded. It is the Satute-law decreed in the great Parliament of Heauen. Heb • . 9.27. Statutum omnibus se • el mori. It is appoynted vnto men once to die. T • is is one speciall kindnesse that sinne doth vs; one kisse of her lippes. Shee giues her louers three mortall kisses. The first kils the conscience: the second the carkase: the third body and soule for euer. Rom. 5.12. Death passed vpon all men, for that all haue sinned. So Paul schooles his Corinths. 1 Cor. 11.30. For this cause many are wea • e and sicke among you, and many sleepe. And conclusiuely, peccati stipendium mors. Rom. 6.23. The wages of sinne is Death. This Death is to the wicked, death indeed, euen as it is in it owne full nature, the curse of God; the suburbes of Hell. Neither is this vniust dealing with God, that man should incurre the death of his body, that had reiected the life of his soule. Fulgent. nisi praecessisset in peccato mors animae, numquam corporis mors in supplicio sequer • tur. If sinne had not first wounded the body, death could not haue killed the soule. Hence saith Augustine. De Trin. lib. 4· cap. 12 Men shunne the death of the flesh rather then the death of the spirit: that is, the punishment, rather then the cause of the punishment,

Indeed Death considered in Christ, and ioyned with a good life, is to Gods elect Phil. 1.21. an aduantage: nothing else, but a bridge ouer this tempestuous sea to Paradice. Gods mercy made it so, saith S. Augustine, De ciuit. lib▪ 13 chap. 4. Non qui • mors bonum aliquod sacta est, quam vi • ae constat esse contra • ium; • ed vt instrumentum fieret, per quod transiretur in vitam. Not by making death in it selfe good, but an instrument of good to his. This hee demonstrates by an instance. chap. 5. As the Law is not euill, when it increaseth the lust of sinners, s • death is not good, though it augm • nt the glory of su • ferers. The wicked vse the law ill, though the law be good. The good die well, though death be euill. Hence saith Solomon. Ecles. 7.1. The day of death is better then the day of ones birth. For our death is (not obitus, sed abitus) not a perishing but a parting. Non amittitur anima, praemittitur tantum. The soule is not lost to the body, but onely sent before it to ioy. Si duriùs seponitur, meliùs reponitur. If the soule be painfully laid off, it is ioyfully laid vp. Though euery man that hath his Genesis, must haue his Exodus; and they that are borne must dye. Yet saith Tertullian of the Saints: Profectio est, quam putas mo • tem. Our dying on earth, is but the taking our iourney to Heauen. Simeon departs, and that in peace. In pace, in pacem. Death cannot be euentually hurtfull to the good; for it no sooner takes away the temporall life, but Christ giues eternall in the roome of it.

Alas! 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 : Corpora, cadauera. Our graues shall as surely be Coffins to our bodies, as our bodies haue beene Coffins to our soules. The minde is but in bondage, whiles the body holds it on earth. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Ficin▪ in vitae Pla • onis. quasi 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , as Plato affirmes. Of whom saith an Anthony; that when hee saw one too indulgent to his flesh in high Diet, he asked him; What doe you meane to make your prison so strong? Thus, qui gloriatur in viribus corporis, gloriatur in viribus carceris: He that boasteth the strength of his body, doth but bragge, how strong the Prison is, wherein he is • ayled.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . The body is the disease, Ho • . the graue, the destinie, the necessitie and burden of the soule.

Epictet. qui tolerand as esse iniuria • , et abstinendum à voluptate d • cuit. It was a good obseruation, that fell from that Stoicke. Homo calamitatis fabula, infaelicitatis tabula. Man is a Storie of woe, and a map of miserie. So Mantuan.

It appeares then, that Death is, to the good, a procurer of good. Lactant. lib. 4.48. Mors intermittit vitam, non eripit. Venit iterum, qui nos in lucem r • ponat dies. Their Death is but like the taking in sunder of a Clocke, vvhich is pulled a pieces by the makers hand, that it may bee scowred, and repolished, and made goe more perfectly. But Death to the wicked is the second step to that infernall Vault, that shall breede either an innouation of their ioyes, or an addition to their sorrowes. Diues for his momentanie pleasures, hath insufferable paines. Iudas goes from the Gallowes to the Pit. Esau from his dissolution in earth, to his desolation in Hell. The dead are there. Though the dead in soule be meant literally, yet it fetcheth in the body also. For as originall sinne is the originall cause of Death, so actuall sinnes hasten it. Men speede out a Commission of Iniquities against their owne liues. So the enuious man rots his owne bones. The Glutton strangles, the Drunkard drownes himselfe▪ The male-content dryes vp his blood in fretting. The couetous, whiles he Italionates his conscience, and would Romanize his estate, starues himselfe in plaine English: and would hang himselfe, when the Market falls, but that hee is loath to be at the charges of a Halter. Thus it is a Feast of Death, both for the present sense, and future certaintie of it. The dead are there.

2. Spirituall death is called the death of the soule: which consisteth not in the losse of her vnderstanding and will (these she can neuer loose, no not in Hell) but of the truth and grace of God; wanting both the light of faith to direct her, and the strength of Loue to incite her to goodnesse. Rom. • .6. For to be carnally minded is death: but to be spiritually minded, is life and peace. The soule is the life of the body, God of the soule. The spirit gone vtterly from vs, wee are dead. And so especially, are the guests of Satan, dead. 〈1 paragraph〉 You hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sinnes. And 〈◊〉 5.6. the Widdow that liueth in plea • ure, is dead whiles she liueth. This diuorcement and seperation made betwixt God and the soule by sinne, is (mors animae) the death of the soule. Esa. 59.2. But your Iniquities haue seperated betweene you and your God. Heb 10 38. But we liue by faith: and that Ga • . 2.2 • . in the Sonne of God. Eph. 2▪ 5. His spirit quickens vs, as the soule doth a lumpe of flesh, when God infuseth it.

Now because these termes of spirituall death are communicated both to the elect and reprobates, it is not amisse to conceiue, that there is a double kinde of spirituall death. 1. In regard of the Subiect that dieth. 2. In regard of the Obiect whereunto it dieth. Spirituall death in the faithfull is three-fold.

1. They are dead to Sinne. Rom. 6. • . How shall wee that are dead to sinne, liue any longer therein? A dead nature cannot worke. He that is dead to sinne, cannot, as hee is dead, sinne. Wee sinne indeede, not because wee are dead to sinne, but because not dead enough. Would to God you were yet more dead, that you might yet more liue. This is called Mortification. What are mortified? Lustes. The wicked haue mortification too; but it is of grace. Matth. 8. They are both ioyntly expressed. Let the dead burie the dead. Matth. 8.22. Which Saint A • gustine expounds. De ciuit. lib. 20. cap. 6. Let the spiritually dead, bury those that are corporally dead. The faithfull are dead to sinne: the faithlesse are dead in sinne. It is true life to bee thus dead. Mortificatio concupiscentiae, vi • ificatio animae: so farre is the spirit quickened, as the flesh is mortified. So true is this Paradoxe; that a Christian so farre liues, as he is dead: so far • e he is a Conquerour, as he is conquered. Vincendo se, vincitur à se. By ouercomming himselfe, he is ouercome of himselfe. Whiles hee ouer-rules his lustes, his soule rules him. When the outward cold rageth with greatest violence, the inward heat is more and more effectuall. When Death hath killed and stilled concupiscence, the heart begins to liue. This warre makes our peace.

This life and death is wrought in vs by Christ: who at one blow slew our sinnes, and saued our soules. Vna eadem que manus vulnus opem que tulit. One and the same hand gaue the wound and the cure. Vulneratur concupiscentia, sanatur conscientia. The deadly blow to the concupiscence, hath reuiued the conscience. For Christ takes away as well (dominandi vim, as damnandi vim) the dominion of sinne, as the damnation of sinne. He died, that Rom. 6.12. sinne might not raigne in our mortall body, he came to 1 Ioh. 3.8. destroy, not onely the Deuill, but the workes of the Deuill. Hence if you would, with the spectacles of the Scriptures, reade your owne estates to God, Rom. 6.11. Reckon your selues to be dead indeede vnto sinne, but aliue vnto God through Iesus Christ our Lord. This triall consists not in being free from lusts, but in brideling them: not in scaping tentation, but in vanquishing it. It is enough, that Rom. 8.37. in all these things, wee are more then Conquerours, through him that loued vs.

2. They are dead to the Law. Gal. 2.19. For I through the Law, am dead to the Law, that I might liue vnto God. Wherein hee opposeth the Law against the Law, the new against the olde, the Lawe of Christ, against that of Moses. Luth. in Gal. This accuseth the accusing, condemneth the condemning Law. The Papists vnderstand this of the ceremoniall Law: but Paul plainely expresseth, that the Law morall, which would haue beene to vs a Law mor • all, is put vnder: wee are dead vnto it. As Christ at once came ouer death, and ouercame death, et super it, e • superat. So we, in him, are exempted from the condemning power and killing letter of the Law; and by being dead vnto it, are aliue ouer it. Indeede the Law still abides: as Christ when hee rose from the graue, the graue remained still. Pe • er freed from the Prison, the Palsey from his Bed, the young man from his Coffin, the Prison, Bed, Coffin remaine still; the persons are deliuered. So the Law abides to mortifie our lustes still more and more, but our conscience is freed from the bondage of it. Wee are dead vnto it.

3. They are dead to the world. This Death is double, Actiue and Passiue.

1. Actiue. The world is dead vnto vs. The vanitie of carnall ioyes, the varietie of vanities, are as bitter to vs, as pleasant to the Cosmopolite or worldling. And since wee must giue our voyces either to God or Mammon: when God asketh as Iehu, Who is on my side, who? We stand out for our God. Angustum est stratum pectoris humani, et vtrum que operire non potest. Mans heart is too narrow a bed, to lodge both God and the world in at once. Qui vtrum que ambit, in vtro que deficiet. The Hound that followes two Hares, will catch neither. Nemo potest duobus Dominis, neque dominijs, inseruire. No man can serve two Masters, with true seruice; especially when they command contrary things.Matth 6. Thus is the world dead to vs: For since the world is not so precious as the soule; wee leaue the world to keepe our soule: since both cannot well be affected at once. Therefore Philip. 3.8. we account all things drosse and losse for the excellent knowledge of Christ.

2. Passiue. Wee are dead to the world. As wee esteeme it drosse, it esteemes vs filth. 1 Cor. 4.13. Wee are made as the filth of the world, and as the off-scowring of all things vnto this day. As wee, in a holy contempt, tread it vnder in our workes, and vilefie it in our words, so it lookes vpon vs betwixt scorne and anger, and offers to set his foote on our neckes. But vicimus, wee haue conquered. 1 Ioh. 5.4. Whosoeuer is borne of God, ouercommeth the world: and this is the victorie that ouercommeth the world, euen our faith. Let vs reioyce, therefore, Gal. 6.14. in our Lord Iesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified to vs, and wee to the world.

These are good deaths! blessed soules, that are thus dead. Their death is Mortification, and like the Phoenix, they are no sooner dead, but they are new borne. Their old mans Autumne is their new mans Spring-tide. There are none thus dead at this Feast.

The dead, here, haue seared consciences, poisoned affections, warped, withered, rott • n soules. Twice dead, faith Saint Iude, and some without hope of growing, plucked vp by the rootes. Though the Pythegorean error, the transanimation or the departure of the soule from man to man, was brought to the Basilideon heresie: Nay, (which was more grosse) though the Poets fained, that the soules of men departed into beasts. Orpheus into the Swanne, Aiax into the Lyon, Agamemnon into the Eagle, Polititians into Bees and Ants, the luxurious into Hogges, tyrants into Wolues: which were positions for Machiauell, and Articles of Lucians faith. Yet they might rather, (and that more fauourably to their owne credites, speaking according to mens liues) haue affirmed that the spirits of beasts might rather seeme to haue entred men: if at leas • the beasts doe not preserue their nature better then men. They liue whiles they liue; men are dead euen liuing. Impiè viuere est diu mori. A wicked life is a continuall death. And we may say of an old wicked man, not that hee hath liued, but that hee hath beene long. Non diu vixit, sed diu suit. Deus vita, à qua qui distinguitur perit. God is the true life, without whom we cannot liue.

The heart of a wicked man thus becommeth dead. The Deuill workes by suggesting, man by consenting, God by forsaking. He forsakes thus. 1. By suffering a hard heart to grow harder. 2. By giuing successe to ill purposes, which hee could haue disappointed. 3. By not imparting the assistance of his spirit. Thus he leaues them in darknesse, that would not chuse the light; and finding their hearts vndisposed to beleeue, deliuers them vp to Infidelitie. Dei noc • e em • llir • , obdurar • est: nolle illuminare, &c. His not willing to soften, is enough to harden: his not willing to enlighten, is to darken. Dei claudare est clausis non aperire. God is then said to shut vp, when he doth not open to them that are shut vp. God is able to soften the hard heart, open the blinde eye, pierce the deafe eare: when hee doth, it is mercie; when not, it is Iustice. Onely our falling is from our selues. Hos. 13.9. Oh Israel, thou hast destroyed thy selfe, but in mee is thy helpe. For God is euer formost in loue, Deu • • rior in amore, posteri • r in odio. but last in hate. He loued vs, before we loued him: but wee hate him, before hee hates vs. Multi ne laberentur detenti, nulli vt laberentur impulsi. God preserues many from falling, Ab illo est quód statur: à nobu quòd r •• tur. but hee thrusteth none downe. By his strength we stand, by our owne weakenesse we fall.

As in the sicknesse of the body, so of the soule, there are criticall dayes, secret to our selues, but well knowne to God; whereby hee sees our recouerie vnlikely, and therefore turnes vs ouer to the danger of our sicknesse. That now too late Ierusalem knowes, what was offred her in the day of her visitation. God blindes the soule blinded before by Satan; and hardens againe Pharaohs selfe-hardned heart: Et quia non faciunt bona quae cognoscunt, non cognoscent mala quae faciunt. Because they would not doe the good they knew, they shall doe the euill they knew not. Thus is the soules death degreed vp. Sinne gathers strength by custome, and creepes like some contagious disease in the body from ioynt to ioynt; and because not timely spied and medicined, it threatens vniuersall hazard to the whole. It swels like the Sea: Vnda leuis, maiora volumina, sluctus ad coelum. An Egge, a Cockatrice, a Serpent, a fierie flying Serpent. Custome indeede kills the soule. The Curse that the Cretians vsed against their enemies, was not fire on their houses, nor rottennesse on their beasts, nor a sword at their hearts; but that, which would in time trebble to them all these mischiefes, Vt mala consuetudine • el • ctentur. that they might be delighted with an euill custome. Temptation assaults the heart: consent wounds it: it lyes sicke of action: it dies by delight in sinne: it is buried by custome. The Bell hath tolled for it, Gods word hath mourned: the Church hath prayed for it: but (quid valeant signa precesi • e?) What good can signes & prayers doe, when we voluntarily yeeld our heart to him that violently kils it? Thus God leaues the heart, and Satan ceaseth on it, whose gripes are not gentler then Death.

Thus the habite of sinne takes away the sense of sinne; and the conscience that was at first raw and bleeding, as newly wounded, is now 1 Tim. 4.2. seared vp with an hote iron. The conscience of a wicked man first speakes to him, as Peter t • Christ, Matth. 16.22. Master looke to thy selfe. But he stops her mouth with a violent hand. Yet shee would faine speake with him, like the importunate Widdow, to doe her iustice. Hee cannot well be rid of her, therefore he sets her a day of hearing, and when it is come, faileth her. Shee cries yet lowder for audience; and when all his corrupt and bribed affections cannot charme her silence, he drownes her complaints at a Tauerne, or laughes her out of countenance at a Theater. But if the pulse beates not, the body is most dangerously sicke, if the conscience pricke not, there is a dying soule. It is a lawlesse Schoole, where there is an awlesse Monitor. The Citie is easily surprised, where the watch cannot ring the alarmes. No maruell, if numnesse be in the heart; when there is drunkennesse in the conscience.

These are the dead guests. Dead to all goodnesse. Deafe eares, lame feete, blinde eyes, maimed hands, when there is any imployment for them in Gods seruice. Eyes full of lust, void of compassion. Eares deafe to the word, open to vanitie. Feete, swift to shed blood, slow to the Temple. Hands open to extortion, shut to charitie. To all religion the heart is a piece of dead flesh. No loue, no feare, no care, no paine can penetrate their senselesse and remorselesse hearts. I know, that according to the speech of the Philosopher, Nemo fit repente miser: This is no sodaine euill: they were borne sick, they haue made themselues dead. Custome hath inveterated the vlcer, rankled the conscience, and now sinne flowtes the Physitians cure, knowing the soule dead. Through many wounds they come to this death. At first they sinne and care not, now they sinne and know not: The often taken Potion neuer works. Euen the Physicke of reproofe turnes now to their hardning. Oh that our times vvere not full of this deadnesse! How many neuer take the maske of Religion but to serue their owne turnes! And when pietie becomes their aduantage, yet they at once counterfet and contemne it. If a wished successe answere the intention of their minds, and contention of their hands, God is not worthie of the praise; either the • r fortune or their wit hath the glory of the deede, and thankes for it. But if they be crossed, God shall be blasphemed vnder the name of destinie; and hee shall be blamed for their ill, to whom they will not be beholding for their good.

God is not thought of but in extremitie, not spoken of but in blasphemie. Oh dead hearts! whose funerall we may lament, whose reviuing wee may, almost, not hope. But what? will this deadnesse neuer be a little wak • ned? True it is, that God must miraculously raise vp the soule thus dead, and put the life of his grace into it, or it is d • sperate. The conscience, I confesse, will not euer lye quiet in these dead guests: but as they haue iayled vp that for a while in the darknesse of Securitie; so when God looseth it, it will rage as fast against them, and dogge them to their graues. For as there is a Heauen on earth, so a Hell on earth. The dead to sinne are heauen'd in this world: the dead in sinne are hell'd here, by the tormenting anguish of an vnappeaseable conscience. As Bishop Latimer, in a Sermon, told these guests of a Feast in Hell; which wil afford them little mirth: where weeping is serued in for the first course, gnashing of teeth for the second. So, after their Feast on Earth, which was no better then Numa's, where the Table swomme with delicate dishes, but they were swimming dishes, spectand • non gustandae dapes; Let them prepare for another Banket, where groanes shall be their bread, and teares their drinke, sighes and sorrowes all their Iunkets; which the Erynnis of conscience, and the Megaera of desperation shall serue in, and no euerlastingnesse of time shall take away.

But these spiritually dead guests doe not euermore scape so long: sometimes God giues them in this life a draught of that viall of his wrath which they shall after sup off to the bottome. The wicked man, that had no feare, now shall haue too much feare. Hee that begun with the wanton Comedie of presumption and profanenesse, ends with the Tragedie of horrour and despaire. Before he was so a-sleepe, that nothing could waken him: now hee is so waking, that nothing can bring him a-sleepe. Neither disport abroad, nor quiet at home can possesse him: hee cannot possesse himselfe. Sinne is not so smooth at setting forth, as turbulent at the iourneyes end. The wicked haue their day▪ wherein they runne from pleasure to pleasure, as Iobs children from banket to banket: their ioyes haue changes of varietie, little intermission, no cessation; neither come they faster, then their lusts call for them. So God hath his day: And Amo • 5.18. woe vnto you that desire the day of the Lord: to what end is it for you? the day of the Lord is darknesse and not light. 19. As if a man did flee from a Lyon, and a Beare met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the Wall, and a Serpent bit him. Such is the vnrest of a conscience brought to fret for his sinnes. So August. Aug. in Psal. 45. Fugit ab agro in ciuitatem, à publico ad domum, à domo in cubiculum. He runnes from the field into the Citie, from the Citie to his house, and in his house to the priuatest Chamber: but he cannot flie his enemie▪ that cannot flie himselfe.

At first the Deuils guest pursues pleasure so eagerly, that hee would breake downe the barres that shut it from him, and quarrell, with venture of his blood, for his delights, nay for the conditions of his owne sorrow and damnation. Now pleasure is offered him: no, it will not downe. Musicke stands at his Windore: it makes him as mad with discontent, as it did once with ioy. No • est can stirre his laughter, no companie can waken his vnreasonable and vnseasonable melancholy. Now hee that was madder then N • ro in his delights, fear • compasseth him on euerie side. Hee starts at his owne shaddow, and would change firmenesse with an Aspen leafe. He thinkes, like the Burgundians, euery Thistle a Launce, euery Tree a man, euery man a Deuill. They feare, where no feare was, saith the Psalmist. They thinke, they see, what they doe not see. This is the wicked mans alteration: time is, he will not be warned; time comes, hee will not be comforted. Then he is satisfied with lusts, that thought satisfaction impossible. Riches wearie him now to keepe them more then they wearied him once to get them; and that was enough. So I haue read the oppressers will. Lego omnia bona mea domino Regi, corpus sepulturae, animam diabolo. I bequeath all my goods to the King, my body to the graue, my soule to the Deuill. He that did wrong to all, would now seeme to doe right to some; in giuing his coyne to the Prince, whom he had deceiued; his soule to the Deuill, whom hee had se • ued. Wherein, as he had formerly iniured man, now he in • ures both God and himselfe too.

3. I haue dwelt the longer on this spirituall deadnesse, because the guests at this banket haue this death in present: the precedent and subsequent are both future; the one naturally incurred by sinne, the other iustly inflicted for vnrepented sinne. For all shall dye the corporall death, Eceles. 9.2. Hee that feareth an oath, as well as hee that sweareth, the • eligious as the profane. But this last, which is Eternall death, shall onely cease on them, that haue before hand with a spirituall death slaine themselues. This therefore is called the second death. Reuel. 20.6. Blessed and holy is hee, that hath part in the first resurrection, (which is the spirituall life by grace:) On such the second death hath no power. Hee that is by Christ raised from the first death, shall by Christ also scape the second. But hee that is dead spiritually, after hee hath died corporally, shall also dye eternally. This is that euerlasting seperation of body and soule from God, and consequently from all comfort. Matth. 10.28 Feare him, saith our Sauiour, that is able to destroy both body and soule in Hell. Dan. 12.2. And many of them, that sleepe in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to euerlasting life, and some to shame and euerlasting contempt. This is that death, that Ezek. 33.11. God delights not in. His goodnesse hath no pleasure in it, though his iustice must inflict it.

Man by sinne hath offended God an infinite Maiestie, and therefore deserues an infinite miserie. Now because he is a nature finite, hee cannot suffer a punishment infinite in greatnesse, simul et semel, together and at once: hee must therefore endure it (successiuè sine fine) successiuely without end. The punishment must be proportioned to the sinne; because not in present greatnesse, therefore in eternall continuance. Christ for his elect suffered in short time sufficient punishment for their sinnes: for it is all one, for one that is eternall to dye, and for one to dye eternally. But he for whom Christ suffered not in that short time, must suffer for himselfe beyond all times, euen for euer.

This is the last Death: a liuing death, or a dying life, what shall I tearme it? If it be life, how doth it kill? If death, how doth it liue? There is neither life nor death but hath some good in it. In life there is some ease: in death an end. But in this death neither ease nor end. Aust. de ciuit. 〈◊〉 . lib. 21. cap. 3. Prima • ors animam d • lentem pellet de c • rpore: secunda mors animam nolentem tenet in corpore. The first death driues the soule vnwillingly from the body; the second death holdes the soule vnwillingly in the body. Reu. 9.6. In those dayes shall men seeke death, and shall not finde it; and shall desire to dye, and death shall flye from them. Esay. 66.12. Their worme shall not dye. Thus saith the Scripture, morientur mortem, they shall dye the death. Yet their death hath much too much life in it. For there is a perfection giuen to the body and soule after this life; as in heauen to the stronger participation of comfort, so in hel to the more sensible receiuing of torment. The eye shall see more perspicuously, and the eare heare more quickly, and the sense feele more sharply, though all the obiects of these be sorrow and anguish. Vermis conscientiam corrodet, Aug. ignis carnem comburet, quia et corde et corpore deliquerunt. The worme shall gnaw the conscience, the fire burne the flesh, because both fle • h and conscience haue offended. This is the fearfull death, which these guests incurre: this is the Sho • at the Diuells Banket. God in his Iustice suffers him to reward his guests, as hee is rewarded himselfe, and (since they loued his worke) to giue them the stipend due to his seruice. These are the tempted guests: dead.

The vlgar Latine translation, I know not vpon what ground, hath interpreted here, for mortui, Gigantes: thus: hee knoweth not that the Gyants are there. Monstrous men, that would dart thunder at God himselfe; and raise vp mountaines of impietie against Heauen. As if they were onely great men that feasted at Sathans Banket, whose riches were able to minister matter to their pleasures. And surely such are in these dayes: of whose sinnes when we haue cast an inventory account, we might thus with the Poet sum vp themselues.

The Gyants, in the Scripture, Gen. 6.4. were men of a huge stature, of a fierce nature. The Poets fained their Gyants to be begotten and bred of the Sunne and the Earth, and to offer violence to the Gods: some of them hauing an hundred hands, as Briareiu was called centimanus: meaning, they were of great command; as Helen wrot to Paris of her husband Menelaus. An nescis longas regibus esse manus? This word Gyants, if the originall did afford it, must be referred, either to the guests; signifiing that monstrous men resorted to the Harlots table, & that it was Gigantoum conviuium, a tyrannous feast: or else (and that rather) to the tormentors; which are laid in ambush, to surprise all the commers in, and carry them as a pray to Hell. But because the best translations giue no such word, and it is farre fetched, I let it fall, as I tooke it vp.

The third person here inserted, is the Attempted: the new guest whom she striues to bring in to the rest. He is discribed by his ignorance, Nescit: Hee knoweth not what company is in the house, that the dead are there. It is the Deuils pollicie, when hee would ransacke and robbe the ho • se of our conscience, like a theefe to put out the candle of our knowledge. That wee might neither discerne his purposes, nor decline his mischeefes. Hee hath had his instruments in all ages, to darken the light of knowledge. Domitian turnes Philosophie into banishment. Iulian shuts vp the Schoole-doores. The barbarous souldiours vnder Clement the seauenth, burned that excellent Vatican library. Their reasons concurred with Iulians prohibition to the Christans. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 : least they kill vs with our owne weapons. For it is said euen of Gentile learning. Hic est Goliae gladius, quo ipse Goliah ingulandus est. Hic Herculis claua, qua rabidi inter Ethnicos canes percutiendi sunt. This is that Goliahs sword, whereby the Philistine himselfe is wounded. This is that Hercules clubbe, to smite the madde dogs amongst the heathen. Habadallus, Mahomets scholler, that Syrian Tyrant, forbad all Christian children in his dominions, to goe to schoole; that by ignorance hee might draw them to superstition. For 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . To be destitute of learning is to dance in the darke. These were all Sathans instruments; yet they come short of the Pope; whose pollicie to aduance his Hierarchie, is to oppresse mens consciences with ignorance: teaching that the fulnesse of zeale, doth arise from the emptinesse of knowledge: euen as fast as fire flasheth out of a fish-pond.

There are degrees in sin, so in ignorance. It is a sin to be ignorant of that we should know: but a greater sinne to be ignorant of that wee haue m • anes to know. Ignorance may • e distinguished into fiue kindes. Ignorantia humana, naturali • , affectata, inuincibilis, sup • rba. Humane, naturall, affected, inuincible, proud and puffed vp.

1 The first is humane. This is not sinfull, as in Adam, not to know his nakednesse, nor Sathans subtiltie. So in the Angels, yea euen in the head of Angels Christ himselfe, as man, not to know Mark. 13.32. the latter day. Cyril. Proprium est naturae humanae futura ignorare. It is a thing simply proper to the nature of man, to be ignorant of future things. No legall iniunction binds vs to it: no censure shall passe against vs for the want of it. This is called ignorantia iusta, an vnfaulty ignorance.

2 The second is naturall: called ignorantia in • irmitatis vel imperitiae: the ignorance of infirmitie, incident to mans nature since his fall. For desiring to know more, hee knew lesse. This is the effect of sinne, sinne in it selfe, and the ca • se of sinne. It was bred by transgression, it doth breed transgression, and is no lesse then transgression of it owne nature: for Gods law binds vs to the knowledge of his law. The blinde swallowes many a flye: the ignorant cannot be innocent. This is ignorantia simplex, inuoluntaria, priuatiuae, as the Schoole calls it. A sinne which the Papists generally, and I feare, many Protestants particularly, neuer repent of. Dauid doth. It is this, that makes vs aliants from God. Ephes. 4 1 • . Hauing the vnderstanding darkned, being alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in them, and through the blindnesse of their heart. Saint Paull cals his ignorance, the cause of his sinnes. Et nescius seru • s poenas luit, saith Christ:1 Tim. 1.13. euen the ignorant seruant shall be beaten with some stripes. Esa. 5.13. Therefore my people are gone into captiuitie, because they haue no knowledge. A Prophecie mistically fulfilled in these dayes, in respect of our spirituall bondage to Sathan; 2 Cor. 4.4. The God of this world hauing blinded the mindes of vnbeleeuers. This ignorance cannot excuse, for wee are bound to know. The breach of our Nationall statutes cannot goe impune by the plea of Ignorance. It may (a tanto not a toto) a little quallifie and allay our punishments, not annihilate them. This is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Folly; and hee that drinkes of • ollies cup, shall haue little cause to licke his lips after it. Nature is a common schoole-master; and the Gentiles sinning against that monitor, iustly perish. Rom. 1▪20. For the in •• sible things of God may be vnderstood by the things that are made: so that they are without excuse. Euen the errours of the Iewes had their sacrifices, and shall not the ignora • ces of the Christians cry God mercy? This ignorance is sinfull, yea euen in those that cannot haue • he meanes of knowledge.

3. The third is an a • fected ignorance. Io • 3.19. This is the conedmnation, that light is come into the world, and men loued darknesse rather then light, becaus • their deedes were euill. These shut their eares when God calleth; and being housed in their secu • itie, will not steppe to the dore, to see if the Sunne shines. This ignorance, if I may say so, doth reside rather in their affections then vnderstanding part. 2 Pet. 3.5. They wil • ully know not, saith S. Peter. They know, but will not know, and runne with broad eyes to distruction. Tell them that Christ is at Ierusalem: no, it is too • arre off. Nay, venit ad limina virtus, the ki • gdome of Heauen is among you: then if they must needs goe to Church, they will goe hooded. P • eiudice of affections shall muffle the eyes of knowledge. Thus the Deuill carryes them quietly to Hell; as the Falconer his hooded Hawke, which bare-fac'd would bayte, and be too wild to sit on his • ist. These sometimes haue gray haires, and greene affections. Like a man that being borne neere a great Citie, yet neuer trauelled to it: He can direct others the way, he neuer went. These to auoyd that • ault, which the Traueller found in England, horologia non benè ordinata, that our clockes were not well kept (he ment, our houres were ill spent) will haue no clocke at all in their house, to tell them how their time passeth; no informer of their erring wayes. And as if a candle would set their house on fire, they liue perpetually in the darke. Micah was glad, hee had got a Priest; these are glad they are got farre from a Priest: and had as liefe goe to Hell darkling, as with a torch.

4. There is an Inuincible Ignorance; when God hath naturally darkned the vnderstanding, by a sore punishment of originall sinne. Idioticum hoc. No art nor eloquence can put knowledge into that heart which nature hath not opened to receiue it: as no minde can be opened, which God hath locked vp. Reu. 3.7. Hee keepes the keyes: hee openeth and no man shutteth, he shutteth and no man openeth. The dore of this mind is so fast barred vp, that no helpe of man can open it. Neither can there be, in this, a complaint against Gods Iustice: since that our first sinne hath deserued a greater punishment.

5. The last, is a proud Ignorance; whereof there is no hope, saith Solomon. The other is inuincible, but indeed this more inuincible, Prou. 2 • . a foole is sooner taught. So Christ foyled the Pharises with their owne weapons; and proued their weakenes by their arguments for their owne strength. Ioh. 9.41. If you were blinde, you should haue no sinne; but now you say, w • e see; therefore your sinne remaineth. The Pharises, though blinde, will be Seers: Nicodemus a Ioh. 3.10. Master in Israell, and yet knew nothing of regeneration. Cl • m. Nihil grauius, quam si id, quod ignorat quis, scire se credat. There is nothing more grieuous then that a man should be perswaded hee knowes that soundly whereof hee is totally ignorant. Therefore saith Chrysostome. Chry • . in math. ho • . 76. Praestat proba ignoration • detineri, quam falsa opinione mancipari, It is better to be held in with an honest ignorance, then to runne out vpon a false opinion. It is hard plowing in the ground not stocked: ill writing in a paper full of lines. These flye from instruction as the Tyger from the trumpet. Others are comprehended of the light; Tenabrae, a •• nendo. these thinke they comprehend the light, when, as the Apostle saith, they are held of darknes.

Let vs now see which of these ignorances is here ment? I answere; exempting the first, Sathans Harlot, Vice hath guests of all these sorts. Many that Prou. 7.22. goe after her, as an Oxe to the slaughter, or as a foole to the correction of the stockes. Some • unne to the Banket, and know not: some know and runne: all are fooles, and destitute (if not of naturall, yet) of spirituall vnderstanding. To this purpose she apteth her speech here. ver. 16. Who so is simple, let him turne in hither; and as for him that wanteth vnderstanding, shee saith, &c. Knowledge is good, yet if disioyned from grace, 1 Cor. 13.2. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , it is nothing. Nihil in esse gratiae, quamuis aliquid in esse naturae. Nothing in grace, though somthing in nature: knowledge humane is a good stirrop to get vp by to preferment: Diuine a a good gale of winde to wast vs to Heauen. But charity is better. 1 Cor. 8.1. Knowledge often bloweth vp, but charitie buildeth vp. Aristotle calles knowledge the Soules eye: but then saith our Sauiour, if the light be darknesse, how great is that darknesse?

True it is, that knowledge without honesty doth more hurt. The Vnicornes horne, that in a wise mans hand is helpfull, is in the beasts head hurtfull. If a man be a beast in his affections, in his maners; the more skilful, the more illfull. Knowledge hath two pillars, Learning and Discreation. The greatest Scholler without his two eyes, of Discreation and Honestie, is like blinde Sampson, apt to no good, able to much mischiefe. Prudence is a vertue of the soule, nay the very • oule of vertue. The Mistresse to guide the life in goodnes. All morall vertues are beholding to wisedome. She directs Bounty what to giue, when to giue, where to giue. And Fortitude, with whom, for what, and how to sight. Knowledge is excellent, to preuent dangers imminent; and to keepe vs from the snares of this strange woman. But if the Deuill in our dayes should haue no guests, but those that are meerely ignorant, his roomes would be more emptie then they are; and his Ordinarie breake forwant of Customers. But now a-dayes (alas, when was it much better? and yet how can it be much worse?) we know sinne, yet affect it, act it. Time was, we were ignorant and blinde, now wee haue eyes and abuse them. Tyre and Sidon burne in Hell, and their smoake ascends for euermore, that had no preaching in their Cities: but our Country is sowne with mercies, and our • elues fatted with the doctrine of life, who shall excuse our lame, leane, and ill-fauoured liues? Let vs beware Bethsaida's woe. If the Heathen shall wring their hands for their Ignorance, then many Christians shall rend their harts for their disobedience. Heb. 10.28. He that despised Moses Law, died without mercie, vnder two or three witnesses. He that despiseth, not he that transgresseth; for so do all. He that reiected and departed from the Law & Church of Israel, died without mercy, eternally, for other transgressors died without mercie temporally. Ver. 29. Of how much sorer punishment shal he be thought worthy, &c. that treads vnder his foot, not Moses but Christ; & counts not the blood of Goats, but of Gods Son vnhely; and despiteth, which is more then despiseth, the spirit not of feare & bondage, but of grace? Lactant. All the learning of the Philosophers was without an head, because they were ignorant of God. Seeing, they were blinde, speaking, they were dumbe; hearing, they were deafe, like the Idol-Gods in the Psalme. We want not an head, but an heart: not the sense of knowledge, but the loue of obedience; wee heare, and see, and say, and know, but doe not.

If you know that Gods cheare is so infinitely better; why doe you enter commons at Satans Feast? The Schoole calls one kind of knowledge, Scientia contristans, a sorrowfull knowledge. Though they intend it in another sense, it may be true in this: for it is a wofull knowledge, when men with open eyes runne to Hell. This is Vriahs letter contayning his owne death. These tell Christ, Luk. 13.26. wee knew thee: Christ tels them, Math. 7.23. I know not you. These times are sicke of Adams disease, that had rather eate of the tree of knowledge, then of the tree of life: speculatiue Christians, not actiue & obedient Saints. You cannot plead, that you know not the dead are there; behold, wee haue told you. Quit your selues. But many mens Ignorance is disobedience: they will not know that the dead are there, and that her guests are in the depth of Hell. Which now presseth vpon vs to be considered.

Solomon hath described the persons feasting and feasted. The place remaines, the depth of Hell. This is the Banketing house. It amplifies the miserie of the guests in three circumstances. 1. their weaknesse, they are soone in, 2. the place, Hell. 3. the vnrecouerablenesse of it. The depth of Hell.

1. Per infirmitatem. In regard of their weaknesse. No sooner come to the Banket, but presently in the Pit: they are in: they are soone in. They would not resist the tentation, when it was offered: they cannot resist the tribulation, when it is to be suffered: They are in. No wrastling, no contending can keepe them from falling in. Into the pit they runne against their will, that ranne so volently, so violently to the brinkes of it. As a man that hath taken his careere, and runnes full fling to a place, cannot recoile himselfe, or recall his strength on the sodaine. Hee might haue refused to enter the race, or recollected himselfe in time, but at the last step he cannot stop, nor reuocare gradum, rescue himselfe from falling. The guests, that hasten themselues all their life to the feast of vanitie, and neither in the first step of their youth, nor in the middle race of their discreetest age, returne to God, doe at last (without Christs helpe) precipitate themselues into the depth of Hell. Thinke, oh thinke, ye gr • edie Dogges, that can neuer fast enough deuoure your sinfull pleasures, if in the pride of your strength, the May of your blood, the marrow and vertue of your life, when you are seconded with the gifts of nature, nay blest with the helps of heauen, you cannot resist the allurements of Satan; how vnable will you be to deale with him, when custome in sinne hath weakened your spirits, and God hath withdrawne his erst afforded comforts? They that runne so fiercely to the pit, are quickly in the pit. The guests are in the depth of Hell.

2. Per infernitatem. In regard of the place, it is Hell. The Prophet Esay thus describes it. Esa. 30.33. Topheth is ordained of old: hee hath made it deepe and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the Lord, like a streame of Brimstone doth kindle it. Topheth was a place which the children of Israell built in the valley of 2 King. 23.10 Hinnon, to burne their sonnes and daughters in the fire to Moloch. Which valley was neere to Iebusi, afterwards Ierusalem, as appeares Iosuah. 18.Iosu. 18.16. The Councell of Ierusalem, whiles their power lasted, vsed to punish certaine offenders in that valley, being neere their Citie: By this is Hell resembled. And that (in Peter Martyrs opinion) for three reasons. 1. Being a bottome, a low valley, it resembleth Hell, that is beleeued to be vnder the earth. 2. By reason of the fire, wherewith the wicked are tormented in Hell, as the children were in that valley burnt with fire. 3. Because the place was vncleane and detestable,Ier. 7.31.32. For they shall burie in Tophet, till there be no place. And the carka • ses, &c. Leg • . whither all vile and lothsome things were cast out of the Citie Ierusalem. So Hell is the place, where defiled and wicked soules are cast, as vnworthie of the holy and heauenly City.

This place shall begin to open her cursed iawes, when the Iudge of all men and Angels shall haue giuen his last sentence. At that day, when, Quaesitor scelerum veniet, vindex que reorum, the searcher of all, and punisher of wicked hearts, shall giue his double voyce of dread and ioy; when hauing spoken peace to his Saints, hee shall thunder out condemnation to the wicked, Goe ye into euerlasting fire.

And if here on earth, Seiudice, nemo nocens absoluitur, a mans owne conscience condemne him for his sinnes,1 Ioh. 3.20. how much greater shall be the iust condemnation of God? Then all murdering Cains, scoffing Chams, persecuting Sauls, theeuish and sacrilegious Achans, oppressing Ahabs, couetous Nabals, drunken H • lofernesses, cruell Herods, blasphemous Rabshaceh's, vniust Pilates, shall reape the seed in their eternall deaths, which they haue sowne in their temporall liues. There shall be scorching heate, and freezing cold: Ex vehementissimo calore ad vehementissimum frigus. Without either act of refreshing, or hope of releasing. Euery day hath beene their Holy-day on earth: euery day shall be their workie-day in Hell. The Poets fained three furies. —Scindet latus vna slagello. Altera tartareis sectos dabit anguibus artus: Tertia fumantes incoquet igne genas. One brings a Scorpion, which the Conscience eates: Another with yron whips the blacke flesh beates: Whiles the third boyles the soule in scalding heates. Nemo ad id sero venit, vnde nunquam, cum semel venit, Sen. poterit reuerti. No man can come too late to those sufferings, from whence, being once come, hee can neuer returne.

This is Hell: where darknesse shall be their prison, euerlastingnes their fetters, flames their torments, angry Angels their tormenters. Vbi nec tortores deficiant, Aug. nec torti miserimoriantur. Where the scourgers shal neuer be weary of afflicting, nor the scourged faile their suffering. But there shall be alwayes torments for the body, and a body for torments. Fire shall be the consummation of their plagues, not the consumption of their persons. Aug. Vbi per millia millia annorum cruciandi, nec in secula seculorum liberandi. Myriades of yeeres shall not accomplish, nor determine their punishments. Isidod. It shall be their miserie, (Semper velle quod nunquam erit, semper nolle quod nunquam non erit) to haue a will neuer satisfied, a nill neuer gratified.

3. Per profunditatem. The depth of Hell: The Scripture is frequent to testifie Hell a deepe place, and beneath vs. Luke. 10.15. Capernaum shall be cast downe to Hell. Solomon so speakes. Prou. 15.24. The way of life is aboue to the wise, that hee may depart from Hell beneath. And of this Harlot. chap. 7.27. Her house is the way to Hell, going downe to the chambers of death. chap. 5.5. Her feete goe downe to death, her steps take hold on Hell. Downe and beneath doe witnesse the depth of Hell. There are three places: Earth, Heauen, Hell. Earth wee all enioy, good and bad, promiscuously. Heauen is prepared for the good; and it is vpwards. Col. 3.1. If ye be risen with Christ, seeke the things that are aboue. Hell is ordained for the wicked; and it is downeward; called here, profundum, a depth. To define the locall place of Hell, it is too deepe for me: I leaue it to deeper iudgements. I doe not giue D • monax answere, being asked where Hell was. Era. aphor. lib. 8. Expecta simul ac illuc venero, et tibi per literas significabo. Tarry till I come thither, and I will send thee word by letters. No, I onely say this. There is one, wee are sure of it; let vs by a good life be as sure to scape it.

But to confine my speech to the bounds of my Text, I take it, that by Hell & the depth of it here, is ment the deepe bondage of the wicked soules; that they are in the depth of the power of Hell. Sathan hauing by sinne a full dominion ouer their consciences. For Hell is often allegorically taken in the Scriptures, So Ionas Ion. 2.2. cryes vnto God out of the belly of Hell. Dauid sung Psal. 130.1 de profundis: Out of the depth haue I cryed vnto thee oh Lord. So Christ speakes of the vnbeleeuer, that hee is Ioh. 3.18. already damned. And the reprobate are here affirmed in the depth of Hell. This exposition I esteeme more naturall to the words. For as the godly haue a Heauen, so the wicked a Hell, euen vpon Earth: though both in a spirituall, not a literall sence. The reprobates Hell on earth is double; or of two sorts.

1. In that the power of Hell rules in his conscience. Eph. 2.2. Hee walkes according to the course of this world, and according to the Prince of the power of the Ayre, the spirit, that now worketh in the children of disobedience. Hee is taken and ledde captiue of the Deuil • ; as hereafter in the chaines of damnation, so here in the bands of dominion: which Solomon cals funes peccatorum: as he hath Esa. 5.18. drawne iniquitie with the cords of vanitie, so hee Prou. 5.22. shall be holden with the cords of his sinnes.

2. There is a Hell in his conscience. So Saint Augustine; De verb. Dom. sec. Ioh. Serm. 42. Sunt duo tortores anime, Timor et Dolor. The soule hath two tormentors euen in this life, griefe for euill felt, feare of euill to be felt. Whereof the Poet.

These are the fearefull terrours whereof the guilty heart cannot be quitted, cannot be quieted; though pleasure it selfe were his phisitian, and the whole world his minstrell. Cyril. Domino priuante suo gaudio, quid esse potest in gaudium? when God withholds his musicke and peace, what can make the heart merry? Polidore Virgill thus writes of Richard the third's dreame the night before Bosworth-field. That hee thought all the Deuils in Hell pulled and haled him in most hideous and vgly shapes. And concludes of it at last. Id credo, non fuit somnium, sed conscientia scelerum. I doe not thinke it was so much his dreame, as his wicked conscience that brought those terrours. When this euill spirit comes on a wicked Saul, let him goe to his merriest good fellowes, beguile at once the time and himselfe with playes, and sports, feast away his cares at his owne table, or burie them together with his wits, at a Tauerne: alas these are pitteous shifts, weaker then wals of paper.

Sleepe cannot make his conscience sleepe: perhaps the very dreames are fearefull. It will not leaue thee, till it hath shewed thee thy Hell, no nor when it hath shewed thee it, will it leaue thee quiet. The more thou offerest to damme vp this current, the more ragingly it swels, and gusheth ouer the resisting banckes. This wounded Conscience runnes like the stricken Deare, with the arrow of death in the ribbes, from thicket to thicket, from shelter to shelter, but cannot change her paine with her place. The wound ranckles in the soule, and the longer it goes on, the worse still it festers. Thus sinne that spake thee so faire at her inuiting to the Banket, now presents to thy waked soule her true forme; and playes the make-bate betwixt God and thee, betwixt thee and thy selfe. So long as securitie hath kept thee sleeping in thy delighted impieties, this quarrell is not commenced. The mortallest enemies are not alwayes in pitched fields one against another.

This truce holds some till their death-beds; neither doe they euer complaine, till their complaints can doe them no good. For then at once, the sicke carkase, after many tossings and turnings to finde the easiest side, moanes his vnabated anguish: and the sicker conscience, after triall of many shifts, too late feeleth and confesseth her vnappeased torment. So Cain, Iudas, Nero, in vaine seeke for forraine helps, when their executioner is within them. The wicked man cannot want furies, so long as he hath himselfe. Indeede the soule may flye from the body, not sinne from the soule. An impatient Iudas may leape out of the priuate hell in himselfe, into the common pit below; as the boyling fishes out of the Caldron into the flame. But the gaine hath beene, the addition of a new hell without them, not the losse of the old hell within them. The worme of Conscience doth not then cease her office of gnawing, when the f • ends begin their office of torturing. Both ioyne their forces to make the dissolutely wicked, desolately wretched. If this man be not in the depth of Hell, deepely miserable, there is none.

Loe now the Shot at the Deuils Banket. A reckoning must be payd, and this is double. 1. the earnest in this life. 2. the full payment in the life to come. The earnest is, whiles Hell is cast into the wicked: the full satisfaction is, when the wicked shall be cast into Hell. Reuel. 20.15. Whosoeuer was not found written in the booke of life, was cast into the Lake of fire. I will take leaue to amplifie both these a little further.

1. The earnest is the horrour of an euill conscience; which sparkles with the beginnings of future torments. I know that some feele not this in the pride of their vanities; or at least will not seeme to feele it. Some Ier. 3.3. whorish for-heads can out-face their sinnes, and laugh them out of countenance. Wide gorges, that can swallow periuries, bloodynesse, adulteries, vsuries, extortions without trouble. But it may be, 2 Cor. 5.12. the heart doth not laugh with the looke. He dares be an hypocrite, that durst be a villaine. If hee would speake truth of hims • lfe he would testifie, that his thoughts will not affoord him sleepe, nor his sleepe affoord him rest: but whiles his senses are bound, his sinne is loose. No command of reason can quiet the tempest in his heart. No sonne of Sceua, no helpe of the world, can cast out this Deuill. The blood of the body, often being stopped in the issue at the nostrils, bursts out at the mouth, or finds way into the stomach. The conscience thus wounded, will bleed to death, if the blood of Iesus Christ doe not stanch it.

Thinke of this, Psal. 50.22: ye that forget God, and are onely indulgent to your selues: the time shall come, you shall remember God, neither to your thankes, nor ease; and would forget your selues. Happy were it for you, if you, hauing lost your God, could also loose your selues. But you cannot hide your selues from your selues. Conscience will neither be blinded in seeking, nor bribed in speaking. You shall say vnto it as that wicked Ahab to Elias, 1 King. 21.20. hast thou found me, oh thou mine enemie? yet alas, all this is but the earnest. A hell, I may call it▪ and a deepe hell; and, as I • ay say, a little smoake re • king out of that fiery pit: whereby the af • licted may giue a guesse at Hell, as Pythagoras guessed at the stature of Hercules by the length of his foote. But else, per nulla figura geh • nnae: nothing can truely resemble Hell.

2. The earnest is infinitly short of the totall summe. Math. 18.34. And his Lord was wroth, and deliuered him to the tormenters, till hee should pay all that was due vnto him. The guest must indure a death not dying, liue a life not liuing: no torment ends without the beginning of a worse. The sight afflicted with darknesse and vgly Deuills: the hearing with shrikes and horrible cries: the smelling with noysome stenches: the tast with rauenous hunger and bitter gall: the feeling with intollerable, yet vnquenchable fire. Thousands poynting at, not one among thousands pitying the distressed wre • ch. I know this Earth is a dungeon in regard of Heauen, yet a Heauen in respect of Hell, wee haue miserie enough here: it is mercie to what is there. Thinke of a gloomy, hideous, and deepe Lake, full of pestilent dampes and rotten vapours, as thicke as cloudes of pitch, more palpable then the fogs of Egipt; that the eye of the Sunne is too dull to peirce them, and his heate too weake to dissolue them. Adde hereunto a fire flashing in the reprobates face; which shall yeeld no more light then with a glimpse to shew him the torments of others, and others the torments of himselfe; yet withall, of so violent a burning that should it glow on mountaines of steele, it would melt them like mountaines of Snow.

This is the guests reckoning: a sore, a sowre payment, for a short and scarce sweet Banket. All his senses haue been pleased, now they are all plagued. In stead of perfumes & fragrant odors, a sulphurous stench shall strike vp into his nosthrils: In stead of his lasciuious Dalila's, that fadomed him in the armes of lust, behold Adders, Toades, Serpents, crawling on his bosome: In stead of the Dorian musicke charming his eares; Man-drakes and Night-rauens still shriking to them the reuerberating grones of euer and neuer dying companions, tolling their funerall (not finall) knels and yels round about him. In stead of wanton kisses, snakes euer sucking at his breath and galling his flesh with their neuer blunted stings.

Thinke of this feast, you riotous feasters in sinne. There is a place called Hell, whither after the generall and last assises, the condemned shall be sent, through a blacke way, (death is but a shadow to it) with many a sigh and sobbe, and grones, to those cursed fiends, that must be their tormentors, as they haue beene their tempters. Behold now a new feast, a fatall, a finall one. To suppe in the vault of darknesse, with the princes and subiects of horror, at the table of vengance, in the chaire of desperation. Where the difference on earth betwixt Master and Seruant, drudge and commander, shall be quite abolished: Except some Atheisticall Machiauell, or trayterous Seminary, or some bloody delegate of the Inquisition, be admitted the vpper-end of the table: But otherwise there is no regard of age, beauty, riches, valour, learning, birth. The vsurer hath not a cushion more then his broker. There is not the bredth of a bench betweene Herod and his Parasites. The Pope himselfe hath no easier a bed, then the poorest Masse-priest. Corinthian Lais speeds no better then her chambermaid. The Cardinall hath not the vpper hand of his Pander. There is no prioritie betweene the plotter and the intelligencer; betweene the vestall and the Nunne; betweene the proud Prodigall, and his vnconscionable Creditor.

Indeede the greatest sinner shall haue the greatest punishment. And hee that hath beene a principall guest to the Deuill on earth; shall (and that on earth were a strange priuiledge) hold his place in Hell. Reu. 18.6.7. Reward her, euen as she rewarded you: and double vnto her double, according to her workes: in the cup which shee hath filled, fill to her double. How much shee hath glorified her selfe, and liued deliciously, so much torment and sorrow giue her. Diues that fedde so hartily on this bread of Iniquitie, and drunke so deepe draughts of the waters of sinne, reserues his superioritie in torment, that hee had in pleasure. Behold,Luk. 16.25. hee craues with more floods of scalding teares, then euer Esau shed for the blessing, but one drop of water to coole his tongue, and could not be allowed it. But what if all the riuers in the South, all the waters in the Ocean had beene granted him, his tongue would still haue withered and smarted with heate, himselfe still crying in the language of Hell, a non sufficit, It is not enough. Or what if his tongue had beene eased, yet his heart, liuer, lungs, bowells, armes, legges should still haue fryed.

Thus hee that eate and dranke with superfluitie, the purest flower of the Wheate, the reddest blood of the Grape; his body kept as well from diseas •• , as soft linnen and fine rayment could preserue it: here findes a fearfull alteration. From the table of surfet, to the table of torment, from feeding on Iunkets, to gnaw his owne flesh: from bowles of wine to the want of cold water; from the soft foldes of fine silkes, to the winding lashes of furies: from chaines of gold for ornament, to chaines of yron for torment: from a bed of downe, to a bed of flames: from laughing among his companions, to howling with Deuils: from hauing the poore begging at his gates, to begge himselfe; and that as that Rich-man, for one drop of water. Who can expresse the horrour and miserie of this guest?

Now sorrowes meete at the Guests hart, as at a feast; all the furies of hell leape on the Table of his Conscience. Thought calls to Feare, Feare to Horrour, Horrour to Dispaire, Dispaire to Torment, Torment to Extremitie, all to Eternitie; Come and helpe to afflict this wretch. All the parts of his body and soule leaue their naturall and woonted vses, and spend their times in wretchednesse and confusion. Hee runnes through a thousand deaths and cannot dye. Heauie irons are locked on him: all his lights and delights are put out at once. Hee hath no soule capable of comfort. And though his eyes distill like fountaines, yet God is now inexorable: His Mittimus is without Bayle, and the Prison can neuer be broken. God will not heare now, that might not he heard before.

That you may conceiue things more spirituall and remote, by passions neerer to sense. Suppose that a man being gloriously roabed, deliciously feasted. Prince-like serued, attended, honoured, and set on the proudest height of pleasure that euer mortallitie boasted; should in one (vnsuspected) moment be tumbled downe to a bottome, more full of true miseries, then his promontory was of false delights: and there be ringed about with all the gory Mutherers, blacke Atheists, sacrilegious Church-robbers, and incestuous Rauishers, that haue euer disgorged their poyson on earth, to re-assume it in Hell: Nay adde further to this supposition, that this depth he is throwne into, was no better then a vast Charnell-house, hung round with lamps burning blew and dimme, set in hollow corners; whose glimmering serues to discouer the hideous torments: all the ground in stead of greene rushes, strewed with fun • rall rosemary and dead mens bones: some corpses standing vpright in their knotted winding-sheetes; others rotted in their Coffins, which yawne wide to vent their stench: there the bare ribs of a Father that begat him, heere the hollow skull of a Mother that bare him. How direfull and amazing are these things to sense!

Or if Imagination can giue being to a more fearefull place, that, or rather worse then that is Hell. If a poore man sodainely starting out of a golden slumber, should see his house flaming about him, his louing Wife and loued Infants brea • hing their spirits to heauen through the mercilesse fire, himselfe inringed with it, calling for despaired succour; the miserable Churle his next neighbour, not vouchsafeing • o answere, when the putting forth of an arme might • aue him: such shall be their miseries in Hell, and nor an Angell nor a Saint shall refresh them with any comfort. These are all but shadowes, nay not shadowes of the infernall depth here expressed. You heare it; feare it, fly it, scape it. Feare it by Repentance, flye it by your Faith, and you shall scape it by Gods mercie.

This is their (Po • na sensus) positiue punishmen • ▪ There is also (Poena damni) to be considered, their priuatiue punishment. They haue lost a place on earth, whose ioy w • s temporall; they haue missed a place in Heauen, whose ioy is eternall. Now they finde that Prou. 15. • 7. a dinner of greene hearbes with Gods loue, is better then a stalled Oxe, and his hatred withall. A feast of sallets, or Daniels pulse, is more cheris • ing with mercie, then Belshazzars Banket without it. Now they finde Solomon • Se • mon true; that though Prou. 20.17. the bread of deceit • e swe • t to a man, yet the time is come; that the mouth is filled with grauell. No, no: • he Prou. 18.25. blessing of God onely maketh fat, and hee addeth no sorrow vnto it. Waters, the wicked desired, and Bread, they lusted after; behold after their secure sleepe, and dreamed ioyes on earth, with what hungry soules doe they awake in Hell?

But what are the Bread and the Waters, they might haue enioyed with the Sain • s in Heauen?Esa. 58.11. Such as shall neuer be dryed vp. Psal. 1 • .11. Ie • thy presence is the fulnesse of ioy: and at thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore. Happy is the vndefiled soule, who is innocent from the great offence; all whose sinnes are washed as white as Snow, in that blood, which alone is able Hebr. 9.14. to purge the conscience from dead workes. Esa. 33.15.16. He that walketh righteously, &c. he shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rockes: Bread shall be giuen him; his Waters shall be sure. His ioyes are certaine and stable; no alteration, no alternation shall empaire them. The wicked for the slight breakfast of this world, loose the Reu. 19▪ 9. Lambs supper of glory. Where these foure things concurre, that make a perfect feast: Dies lectus, locus electus, coetus bene collectus, apparatus non neglectus. A good time, eternitie. A good place, Heauen. A good companie, the Saints. Good cheere, Glory.

1. God himselfe is the feast-maker: he is Land-lord of the world, and • illeth euery liuing thing with goodnesse. The Eagles and Lions seeke their meate at God. But though all the sonnes of Iacob haue good cheare from Ioseph yet Beniamins messe exceeds. Esau shall haue the prosperitie of the earth, but Iacob goes away with the blessing. Ismaell may haue outward fauours, but the inheritance belongs to Izhak ▪ The King fauoureth all his subiects, but they of his Court stand in his presence, & partake of his Princely graces. Gods bountie extends to the wicked also, but the Saints shall onely sit at his table in Heauen. This is that feaster, Aug. qui est super omnia, et sine quo nulla sunt omnia. Rom. 11.36. Of him, and through him, and to him are all things: to whom be glory for euer.

2. The cheare is beyond all sense, all science. 1 Cor. 2.9. Eye hath not seene, nor eare heard, nether haue entred into the heart of man, the things God hath prepared for them that loue him. The eye sees much, the eare heares more, the heart conceaues most, yet all short of apprehension, much more of comprehension of these pleasures. Therefore enter thou into thy Masters ioy, for it is too great to enter into thee.

3. The company is excellent: the glorious presence of the blessed Trinitie, the Father that made vs, the Sonne that bought vs, the Holy Ghost that brought vs to this place. The holy and vnspotted Angels, that reioyced at our conuersion on earth, much more at our consolation in Heauen. All the Patriarchs, Prophets, Saints; before the Law, in the Law, in the Gospell: the full Communion of Saints. Here, the more the mirrier, yea, and the better cheare to. Oh the sweet melodie of Halleluiahs, which so many glorified voyces shall sing to God in Heauen, the hoarcenesse of sinne, and the harshnesse of punishment being separated from vs with a bill of euerlasting diuorce.

4. Admirable is the Banketing place; the high Court of Heauen, where our apparell shall be such as beseemeth the attendants on the King of Kings; euen Phil. 3. the fashion of the glorious body of Christ. The purest things are placed highermost. The earth as grossest is put in the lowest roome: the water aboue the earth: the ayre aboue the water: the fire aboue the ayre: the sphaeres of Heauen aboue any of them: and yet th • place where this feast is kept, is aboue them all; the Heauen of Heauens. Take here a slight rellish of the cheare in Gods kingdome, where your welcome shall be answerable to all the rest. Can. 5.1. Eate oh my friends, and make you merry, oh well-beloued. And then (as those that haue tasted some delicate dish, finde other plaine meates but vnpleasant, so) you that haue tasted of heauenly things, cannot but contemne the best worldly pleasures. As therefore some dainty guest, knowing there is so pleasant fare to come, let vs reserue our appetites for that; and not suffer our selues to be cloyed with the course diet of the world. Thus as wee fast on the Eues, that we may feast on the Holy-dayes; let vs be sure, that after our abstinence from the surfets of sinne, we shall be euerlastingly fed and fatted with the mercies of God. Which resolution the Lord grant vs here; which Banket, the Lord giue vs hereafter. Amen.

THis is a world to make Phisitians rich; if men loued not their purse, better then their health. For the world waxeth old, and old age is weake and sickly. As when death begins to ceaze vpon a man, his braine by little and little groweth out of order; his minde becomes cloudy and troubled with fantasies; the channels of his blood, and the radicall moisture (the oyle that fe • ds the lampe of his life) beginne to dry vp: all his limbes loose their former agillitie. As the lit • le world thus decaies in the great, so the great decaies in it selfe: that Nature is faine to leane on the staffe of Art, • nd to be held vp by mans industrie. The signes, which Christ hath giuen to fore-run the worlds ruine, are called by a Father, Ambros. aegritudines Mundi: the diseases or sicknesses of the world, as sicknesse naturally goes before death. Warres dying the earth into a sanguine hew: dead carkases infecting the aires; and the infected aires breathing about plagues and pestilences, and sore contagions. Whereof, saith the same Father, null • magis quam nos testes sumus, quos mundi finis inuenit, none can be more certaine witnesses then wee vpon whom 1 Cor. 11.10 the ends of the world are come. That sometimes the influences of Heauen spoyle the fruits of the earth; and the fogs of earth soile the vertues of the Heauenly bodies: that neither Plannets aboue, nor plants below, yeeld vs expected comforts. So God, for our sinnes, brings the heauen, the earth, the ayre, and whatsoeuer was created for mans vse, to be his enemie, and to warre against him. And all because, Gregor. omnia quae ad vsum vitae accipimus, ad vsum vitij conuertimus: we turne all things to vices corruption, which were giuen for natures protection. Therefore, what we haue • iuerted to wickednesse, God hath reuerted to our reuenge. We are sicke of sinne, and therefore the world is sicke of vs.

Our liues shorten, as if the booke of our dayes were by Gods knife of Iudgement, cut lesse; and brought from Folio, as in the Patriarchs, before the flood, to Quarto in the Fathers after the flood; nay to Octauo, as with the Prophets of the Law, nay euen to Decimosexto, as with vs in the dayes of the Gospell. The Elements are more mixed, drossie, and confused: the ayres are infected: neither wants our intemperance to second all the rest. We hasten that we would not haue, Death; and runne so to riot in the Aprill of our early vanities, that our May shall not scape the fall of our l • afe. Our great Landlord hath let vs a faire house, and we suffer it quickly to runne to ruine. That whereas the Soule might dwell in the body, as a Pallace of delight, shee findes it a crazy, sickish, rotten cabinet, in danger, euery gust, of dropping downe.

How few shalt thou meete, if their tongues would be true to their griefes, without some disturbance or affliction? There lyes one groning of a sicke heart; another shakes his aking head: a third roares for the torments of his reines: a fourth for the racking of his gowty ioynts: a fift grouels with the Falling-sicknesse: a last lyes halfe dead of a Palsie. Here is worke for the Physitians. They ruffle in the roabes of preferment, and ride in the Foote-clothes of reuerence. Early and deuout suppliants stand at their study dores, quaking, with ready mony in their hands, and glad it will be accepted. The body, if it be sicke, is content sometimes to buy (vnguentum areum, with vnguentum aureum) leaden trash, with golden cash. But it is sicke, and needes Phisicke; let it haue it.

There is another Phisitian, that thriues well too, if not best; and that's the Lawyer. For men goe not to the Phisitian till their bodies be sicke; but to the Lawyer when they be well, to make them sicke. Thus whil • s they feare an Ague, they fall into a Consumption. He that scapes his disease, and fals into the hands of his Phisitian; or from his trouble of suites, lights into the fingers of his Lawyer, fulfils the old verse, Incidit in Scyllam, dum vult vitare Charibdim. Or is in the poore Birds case, that flying in feare from the Cuckooe, lighted into the tallon • of the Hawke. These are a couple of thriuing Phisitians: Alter tuetur a • gros, alter tuetur agros: One lookes to the state of the person; the other of the purse▪ so the old verse testifies. Dat Galenus opes, dat Iustinianus honores. Phisicke giues wealth, and Law Honour. I speake not against due reward, for iust deserts in both these faculties.

These Phisitians are both in request: but the third, the Phisitian of the soule (of whom, I am now occasioned to shew, there is most neede) may stand at the dore with Homer; and did hee speake with the voyce of Angels, not to be admitted. The sicke Rich man lyes patiently vnder his Phisitians hands; hee giues him golden words, reall thankes, nay (and often) flattering obseruance: If the state lye sicke of a Consumption; or if some contentious Emperick, by new suits, would lance the impostum'd swellings of it: or if (perhaps) it lye sullen-sicke of Naboths Vineyard: the Lawyer is (perchance) not sent for, but gone to; and his help implo • ed, not without a Royall sacrifice at least. But for the Minister of his Parish, if hee may not haue his head vnder his girdle, and his attendance as seruile as his Liuerie-groomes; hee thinkes himselfe indignified, and rages, like the Pope, that any Priest durst eate of his Peacocke. How short doth this Phisitians respect fall of both the others! Iohn 21.10. Let him feed his Sheepe, if hee will, 1 P • t. 2.2. with the Milke of the Word; his Sheepe will not feede him with the Milke of reward. He shall hardly get from his Patron the Milke of the Vicaredge: but if he lookes for the fleeces of the Parsonage, hee shall haue (after the Prouerbe) Lanam caprinam, Contempt and scorne.

Ester 3 5. Haman was not more madde for Mordecais Cap, then the great one is, that as much obseruance ariseth not to him, from the blacke coate, as from his owne blew coate. The Church is beholden to him, that hee will turne one of his cast Seruitours, out of his owne into her seruice: out of his Chamber into the Chancell; from the Buttry-hatch to the Pulpit. He that was not worthy enough to waite on his Worship, is good enough for God. Yeeld this sore almost healed; yet the honour of the Ministerie thriues like Trees in Autumne. Euen their best estimate is but a shadow, and that a preposterous one: for it goes backe faster then the shadow in the Esa. 38.8. Dyall of Ahaz. If a Rich man haue foure Sonnes, the youngest or contemnedst must be the Priest. Perhaps the Eldest shall be committed to his Lands; for if his Lands should be committed to him, his Father feares, hee would carie them all vp to London: hee dares not venture it, without binding it sure. For which purpose he makes his second Sonne a Lawyer: a good • ising profession; for a man may by that (which I neither enuie nor taxe) runne vp, like Ionas gourd, to preferment: and for wealth, a Clustre of Law is worth a whole Vintage of Gospell. If hee studie meanes for his third, loe Physicke smels well. That as the other may keepe the estate from running, so this the body from ruining. For his youngest Sonne, hee cares not, if he puts him into Gods seruice; and make him capable of the Church-goods, though not pliable to the Churches good. Thus hauing prouided for the estate of his Inheritance, of his Aduancement, of his Carkasse, he comes last to thinke of his Conscience.

I would to God, this were not too frequently the worlds fashion. Whereas heretofore, Primogeniti eo iure Sacerdotes, the first-borne had the right of Priesthood: now the younger Sonne, if he fit for nothing else, lights vpon that priuiledge. That as a reuerend Diuine saith. Younger Brothers are made Priests, and Priests are made younger Brothers. Yet, alas; for all diseases Nature prouideth, Art prepareth Medicines. He is fed in this Country, whom that refuseth: An estate lost by Shipwracke on Sea, may be recouered by good-speede on Land. And in ill health, for euery sore of the bodie, there is a salue; for euery maladie, a remedie: but for the Conscience, Nature hath no cure, as Lust no care. Hei mihi, quod nullis anima est medicabilis herbis! There is no hearbe, to heale the wounds of the soule, though you take the whole world for the Garden. All these professions are necessarie; that mens Ignorance might not preiudice them, either in wealth, health, or grace. God hath made men fit with qualities, and famous in their faculties, to preserue all these sound in vs. The Lawyer for thy wealth: the Physitian for thy health: the Diuine for thy soule. Physitians cure the body; Ministers the Conscience.