See the Citations in CHAP. XV I. of the present finfull and miserable state of this World. T Hough all men may know all this before said to be their duty, and fin to be fo evil, and to deferve fuch punishment, yet none do live perfecily without edio fimus habituri': fin, according to the Law of Nature. Bias in Laert, inquit, Plurimos enim effe malos: And though Cicero in Lel. Jay, fapiente plane indig. That it is a Sentence na, it is his mistake I have heard but of few that pretend to fuch perfection, and thofe few have confuted their own pretenfes, and been the furtheft from it of many others: And therefore this I have no need to prove. 1.2. The greatest part of the World do bend their mindes of the fenfe of it. For and lives to the fatisfying of their flesh, and live in ungodliness, it is true, that in well- intemperance, and unrighteousness, neglecting God and future grounded Friendship. we must avoid fufpi- happiness, and that Holy life which is the way thereto. cion, (which is all This being a matter of publick or common fact, doth need that Cicero pleads no other proof, than acquaintance with the people of the for): but yet we must World. know Men to be Men, and mutable: and all 1. 3. Yea, there is an averfn fs and enmity in them, to the juft Love is not life which God in Nature doth prescribe them; and a strong inwell grounded inti- clination to a fleshly Life. mate Friendship. There needeth no other proof of this, than the wonderfull difficulty which we find in perfwading men to change their Lives, to live to God, and to forfake their fenfuality and worldlinefs, and the abundance of Reafon and labour that is loft upon them, when we cannot fo much as inake them willing. 6.4. It is evident in the effect, that much of this cometh with us into the World. 1. How elfe should it be so univerfal as it is? How should it be found in all forts of Conftitutions and Complexions? and in every Countrey and Age till now? 2. How fhould it work fo early in Children as commonly it doth? 3. How cometh it to prevail against the belt Education, Helps and Means? Certainly all of us feel from our childhood too much of the truth of this? 1.5. This 5. This natural pravity is quickly encreased, by the advan- In uno annulo omnes tage of fenfuality, which is active before Reafon cometh to any funt infculpi, inquit boni principes pofpower of resistance, and fo getteth stronger poffeffion by Custom, quidam in Vopife. and groweth to a confirmed habit. . 6. And if vicious Education by vicious Parents be added, and bad company fecond that, and the vulgar course, or Rulers countenance concurr, the corrupt inclination is quickly. more radicated,and next to a Nature. 0.7. Many fo furr prevail against the light and law of Nature, as to grow strange to God and to themselves, to their end, and their work. Even to doubt whether there be a God, or whether they have any other life to live, and whether Holiness be good and necessary, and fin be bad and deferve any punishment. . 8. There is a great deal of fottish unteachableness on the minds and wills of men, which bindereth their conviction and reformation. 9. 9. There is a great deal of fenfelefs ftupidity and hardbeartedness on men, which maketh them fleepily neglect the greatest things which they are convinced of. 6. 10. There is in most a marvelous Inconfiderateness, as if they had not their Reafon awake to use, fo that they will not foberly and feriorfly think of the things which deeplyest concern them. . 11. Moft men are fo taken up with the concernments of their Bodies, that their Minds are pre-occupyed and made unfit for higher things. All this is proved if we walk but in the World with open eyes. . 12. The Love of the World and flefly pleafure, is fo powerfull in the moft, that they love not the Holy Law of God, which forbiddeth them that fenfuality, and commandeth them a holy and temperate life. Aurel. Seneca faith, That a good man is a Phoenix, dred years. Ep. 4*, born once in five bun Lucian. in Tim.inquit, Boni poffeflio cft, quæ haud facile inveniri poteft; ut quæ jamdudum è vita con cefferit: Adeo obscu vel Lynceus vix dua ra & pufilla, ut illam inveniat. homines adeftel when Diogenes crying, O a crowd came about bim, drove them away, faying, Homines vocavi,non fterquilinia. They are like Children that cry for what they love, and Ariftippus being ask, will not be reftrained by telling them that its unwholfom: ed, Quid eflet adReafon fignifieth nothing with them, as long as Senfe and mirandum in vita? Appetite gainfay it: They are angry with all that croffeth answered, Vir probus their Appetites, though it be to fave their Lives: The Senfe & moderatus quois become the predominant power in them, and Reafon is tos improbos agat, dethroned, and hath left its power: Therefore Gods Law non tamen perverti is tur. Stob. A a niam etfi inter mul Hence was Diogenes is unacceptable and hatefull to these bruitish people; becaufe it is quite against their inclination, and that which the Flesh doth call their Intereft and Good. . 13. Therefore they love not those who press them to the Obedience of this Law, which is fo ungratefull to them; and who condemn their fin by the holiness of their lives; and that awaken their grilly Confciences by the ferious mention of the Retri- . butions of the life to come. All this is bitter to the tafte, and the Reasonablencfs, incbis fearching Athens ceflity and future benefits, are things that they are much inwith a Lanthorn to fenfible of. fiade a man. cles had a Farm to 14. Therefore they love not God himself, as he is Holy, and Governeth them by a Holy Law, which is fo much against their inclinations; as he forbiddeth them all their finfull pleasure, And when Themisto- and threatneth damnation to them if they rebell: Especially fell, he bid the Cryer as his Fustice will execute this: Indeed their averfation from tell it as its great God in the fe refpects, is no less than a Hating Him as God. commendation, that . 15. Thefe Vices working continually in mens hearts, do there was an honest fill them with deceiving thoughts, and distracting paffions, and Neighbour dwelt neer it, intimating the pau- unquietness, and engage them in felf-troubling wayes, and decity of fuch. prive them of the Comforts of the Love of God, and of a Holy life, and of the well-grounded hope of future blessedness. It Scarabzi & vul- Though they have fuch a prefent pleasure as prevaileth tures unguentis of- with them, it bringeth speedy smart and trouble: Just like fenduntur, ita non the pleasure of fcratching to a man that hath the Itch, which omnibus placent op is quickly recompenfed with fmart if he go deep: Or like the pleasure of drinking cold water to a man in a Feaver, or a Vir bonus & fapiens Dropfie, which increafth the difeafe. Sin is their fickness, qualem vix repperit and corrupteth their appetites, and though it have its proper Millibus è cun&tis pleasure, it depriveth them of the pleafures and benefits of health. tima, Plutarch. unum. hominum confultus Apollo. &c. Virg. 1.16.Thefe vices also fo deprave fometimes,making every wickVitio noftra quae a- ed man to be principally for HIMSELF and for his LUSTS, mamus defendimus; that they are commonly distracted with envy, malice, contention, & malumus ea excu- perfecutions, the fruits of Pride, and Covetousness and fenfuality, and thefe diseases are still troubling them, till they work their ruine where they do prevail. fare quam excutere. Sen. Ep. 117. .17. The fame vices fet Kingdoms and other Commonwealths tog ther in bloody Warrs, and caufe men to study to destroy one another, and glory in the fuccefs, and fill the World with rapine and violence by Sea and Land, and make it feem as neceffary to their own prefervation, to kill one another as their enemies, as to kill Toads and Serpents, Wolves and Tygers, and much more; and with much more care, and cost, and industry is it done. Abfurdum eft puta lus fuerit fa&us, eun 5.18. If any wife and charital le perfons would heal thefe vices, re cum qui ab aliand reconcile thefe contentions, and perfwade perfons and Nations quibus ex bono mato a boly, fober, peaceable course, they are commonly hated and per- dem ab illis iterum fecuted,they feldom fucceed, nor can their counsel be heard,through ex malo bonum fieri the multitude and fury of the vicious, whofe foliy and violence poffe. Dion. Ha!, 1 1. beareth down all. Ubi divitiæ honori . 19. And God himself doth give the finfull World a taste funt, & eas gloria, of his displeasure by painfull ficknesses, confuming, Plagues, Fa- imperium, potentia, mines, Poverty, and many the like Calamities, which fall upon hebefcere virtus, paumankinde. pertas probro haberi 5.20. But his forest Judgements are the forfaking of Mens innocentia pro malevolentia duci incipit. fouls, and leaving them in all this folly and disorder, this fin and Saluft. in Cattilin. mifery, to destroy themselves. Ælian.var. hift.l. 13. The principal Mercies and Punishments of this Life, are faith, that Theodata found on the Souls of men themfelves. The greateft prefent a whore told Socrates, Reward of Obedience, is when God doth more illuminate that be could draw the mind, and fend in more of his celeftial beams, and fhed away none of her folabroad his Love upon the heart, and fill it with the Love lowers, but she could draw away his at her of Goodness, and delight it in himself, and confirm the will pleasure; and be an against temptations: And the greatest punishment is when wered, Non mirum: God in difpleasure for mens difobedience, doth withdraw Tu fiquidem ad decli this grace, and leave men to themselves, that they that love vem tramitem omnes rapis; ego vero ad not his grace fhould be without it, and follow their foolish virtutem cogo, ad felf-destroying lufts. quam arduus plerif0.21. God cannot pardon an uncapalle subject, nor any but que infolitus est afon terms confiftent with the honour of his Justice, Laws, and cenfus. Government! Nor is there any that can deliver a finner from bis punishment, upon any other terms whatsoever. . 22. The conclufion is, that the fin and mifery of Mankinde in Generall is great and lamentable, and their recovery a work of exceeding difficulty. "Obj. All this fheweth, that mans Nature was not "made for a Holy life, nor for a World to come: "Elfe their averfnefs to it would not be fo great and com "mon. Animi morbi funt cu- Anfw. This is fully answered before: It is proved, that piditates immenfæ, Nature and Reafon do fully bear witness against his wicinanes, divitiarum, kednefs and declare his obligations, to a better life, and his gloriæ dominationis, libidinofarum etiam capacity of higher things: and that all this is his rebellion Voluptatum accedunt againft Nature and Reafon! And it no more proveth your ægritudines,moleftiæ, Conclufion, than your Children, or Servants averfness to merores, quæ animos obedience, peace and labour, proveth that these are not exedunt conficiuntq; Curis. Cic. 1. de finib. their duty, or Subjects rebellion proveth that they are not obliged to be loyal. In naturalibus defideriis pauci non peccant. Arift. 3. Eib. "Obj. But it is incredible that God should thus far forfake «his own Creation. Anf. 1. There is no difputing against the light of the Sun, and the experience of all the World: It is a thing visible and undenyable that this cafe they are de facio in, and therefore that thus farr they are forlaken: It is no Wisdom to fay, that is not, which all the World feeth to be fo, because we think it unmeet that it should be fo. 2. Is it incredible that God doth further than this forfake the wicked in the World of punishment? If he may further forfake Hell, he may thus far forfake Earth, upon their great provocations. We have no certainty of it, but it is not at all unlikely, that the innumerable fixed Starrs and Planets are inhabited Orbs, who have dwellers anfwerable to their nature and preeminence: And if God do totally forfake Hell, as to his Mercy; God only can recover and next to Hell, do much forfake a finfull Earth that is lapfed man? Nemo magnus fine likeft and neereft unto Hell, and do glorifie his more abunaliquo afflatu Divi dant Mercy upon the more holy and happy inhabitants of no unquam fuit.Cicer. all, or almoft all the other Orbs, what matter of difcontent should this be to us. 3. But God hath not left even this Of the Paucity of the dark and wicked Earth it felf, without all remedy, as fhall be good, and the abound- further fhewed. ing of wickedness, almoft all Poets, Orators, Philofophers and Hiflorians openly com. de Nat. Deor. 2. plain. Read Cicero's third Book de Nat. Deor. and you will fee in Cotta's fpeech, that the notoriously depraved Reafon of man, and the prevalency and profperity of wickedness, was the great argument of the Atheifts, against God and Providence; which they thought unanswerable, because they Pauci quos æquus a looked no further than this life, and did not forefee the time of Jupiter aut ardens full univerfal Juftice. And whereas Cotta faith, that if there be evexit ad æthera vir. a God, he should have made moft men good, and prevented all the evil in the World, and not only punish men when mavit. |