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But it is never so dangerous as when it turneth to the love of drink. The pleasing of the throat, and the pleasing of the brain by mirth, going together, do so much corrupt the appetite and fantasy, that their thoughts run after it, and reason hath no power to shut their mouths, nor keep them from the house of sin. Some sin against an accusing conscience, and under their convictions and terrors do drink on; which yet they could forbear, if they knew there were poison in the cup. Some are more miserable, and have sinned themselves into searedness of conscience and past feeling, and perhaps into infidelity and a blinded mind, persuading them that there is no great harm or danger in the sin, and that it is but some precise people that make so great a matter of it. And some, that have purposes to forsake the sin when the appetite stirs, forget it all; and when company enticeth, and when they see the cup, they have no power to forbear. O what a pitiful sight it is to see men in the flower of youth and strength, when they should most rejoice in God and holiness, to be still thirsty after a fobidden pleasure, and hasting to the tavern or alehouse, as a bird to the snare of the fowler, and sweetly and greedily swallowing the poisonous cup which God forbiddeth! And that false repentance to which conscience and experience force them sometimes, is forgotten next day when the temptation is renewed: yea, the throat-madness, and the merry and belly-devils are within them a continual temptation, which the miserable slaves cannot resist.

(3.) And these beastly, fleshly sins do usually make them weary of their callings, and of any honest labour: the devil hath by this time got possession of their thoughts, by the bias of delight and sinful lust; and they are thinking of meat or drink, or play, or merry company, when they should be diligently at work: and so idleness becomes the nursery of temptation, and of all other vices, as well as a constant sin of omission and loss of hasty, precious time. And custom increaseth the habit, and maketh them good for nothing, and like dead men to all for which life is given them, and only alive to prepare by sin for endless misery.

(4.) And usually pride also takes its part, to make the sin of Sodom in them complete. (Ezek. xvi. 49.) "Pride, fulness, and idleness." They that must be in their jovial company, must not seem despicable among them, but must

be in the mode and fashion, whatever it cost. When they make themselves odious in the sight of God, and the pity of all wise men, and a terror to themselves, yet they must be somebody to their sottish companions, especially of the female sex; lest the image of the devil, and his victory over them should not be perfect, if pride were left out, how unreasonable soever.

(5.) And by this time they have (usually here amongst the rich and idle,) a further step towards hell to go, and yet a deep gulf to fall into; fleshly lust next entangleth them in converse with women, and thence into filthy fornication. The devil will seldom lose a soul for want of a temptation: either he will provide them one abroad, among their lewd companions, or at home some daughter or servant of the house, where they can oft get opportunity. And if they have sinned once, they are usually like the bird that is fast in the lime-twigs: conscience may struggle, but lust holds them fast, and the devil saith, If once may be pardoned, why not twice, and if twice, why not thrice?' (Prov. xii. 21—23.)“ And so they go on as the ox to the slaughter, and a fool to the correction of the stocks, and know not that it is for their lives." (Prov. v. 12-14.) "Till they mourn at last (perhaps) when flesh and body are consumed, and say, how have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof, and have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined my ears to them that instructed me! I was almost in all evil," &c. And it is well for the wretches if this repentance be true and in time, that though the flesh be destroyed, the spirit may be saved: for Solomon saith, (Prov. ii. 18, 19.) "Her house inclineth to death, and her paths to the dead: none that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the path of life."

God, I doubt not, recovereth some, but the case is dangerous. For though age and sickness cure lust, usually before that time the conscience is seared and debauched, and "they being past feeling, work uncleanness with greediness," and, forsaking God, are so forsaken by him that all other sin, sensuality, and enmity against a holy life, prevail against them, and the unclean devil lets in many more. Most debauched drunkards, gluttons, and fornicators, are so enslaved to Satan, that they think, say, and do what he would have them, and become the enemies and persecutors of

those that are against their sin; and the blinded Sodomites go on to grope for the door of Lot, as one that reproveth them, till the flames of justice stop the rage.

(6.) And when all these sins have enslaved sensual youths, they must have money to maintain them; and if they have it not of their own, and be not the sons of great men, who will maintain them in the service of the flesh, they must steal to get it, which usually is either by thievish borrowing which they cannot pay, or by robbing their parents or masters. If all the masters in London knew what thieves the vices of their apprentices are, for their own sakes they would take greater care to watch over them, and keep them from ill company, drunkenness and plays, and would teach them to seek pleasure in good books, good company, and serving God. I had not known it myself if the confessions and restitution of many penitent converts had not made me know it. I thank God that he recovereth any, yea, so many; but I must tell foolish youth, that repentance itself, especially when it must have restitution, is so bitter, that they would prevent that need of it, if they had but the use of reason and foresight. O what heart-tearing confessions and sad letters have I had from many young apprentices in this city! Much ado to escape utter despair they had, when conscience was awakened to remember all their sin and danger! And when they knew that they must restore (if possible) all that ever they had obtained by deceiving or robbing their masters or any others, O what difficulties hath it put them to, both as to the shame of confession and the actual restitution! Some have not money; and to go and confess the sin and debt, and promise to pay it if ever they are able, seemeth hard, but must be done. Some have rough masters, that will disgrace them when they confess it. Some have parents that paid dear to put them out as apprentices, and would be inclined to cast them off if they knew their case. Some marry after, and it will grieve their wives to know what they have been, and how much they must restore. Wisdom might have prevented this; but if the thorn be got into the conscience it must come out, and if the poison be swallowed it must what gripes soever the vomit cost. There is no playing with hell-fire, nor jesting with the justice of the most holy God. One penitent review of fleshly lust and sinful pleasure, of falsehood and deceit, (though wholesome, if true

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and timely,) will turn it all into gall and wormwood: For the end of sinful mirth is sorrow.'

(7.) And too many there be who escape the gross and disgraceful part of the foresaid sensuality and unrighteousness, that yet do but choose another idol, and set themselves wholly to rise in the world; and riches, preferment, and honour have almost all their hearts and care. They have no delight in God and holiness; nor doth the state of their souls, or the thought of their everlasting state, affect them in any measure according to its unspeakable weight, nor so much as these shadows which they pursue. When great travellers that have seen much of the world, and old and dying men that have had all that it can do, are forced by experience to call all vanity and vexation, unexperienced youth that are taken up with the hopes of long prosperity, and provision for all that the flesh desireth, have other thoughts of it, and will not know that it is deceitful vanity till it hath deceived them of their chief hope and treasure. And when they have overtaken the shadow which they pursue so greedily, they find it (what others have done before them,) the sweeter the more dangerous, and the parting will be the more bitter. Whereas had they sought first God's kingdom and its righteousness, and had six days laboured in obedience to God, and referred all corporal blessings to spiritual uses and everlasting ends, taking them as from God to serve him by them, they might then have had enough as an overplus to their satisfying treasure.

CHAP. V.

How sad a Case it is that I have described.

I HAVE told

very

you the lamentable case of too many young men, especially rich men's sons, and apprentices in this city: I told you before of what concern the state of youth is to themselves and others. From thence (and, alas! from sad experience,) it is easy to gather the dolefulness of the case of those that are drowned in fleshly lust, and have

ed themselves into the guilt and danger which I have

described. But I will name some parts of the misery more particularly again.

Review the second chapter, and think what a doleful case this is to yourselves.

1. Do you not know that you are not beasts, but men who have reason given them to know, and love, and serve their Maker? And how sad is it to see a man forget all this, and wilfully brutify himself! Were the poets' fictions true of men turned into trees, and birds, and beasts, how small were the misery in comparison of yours! It is no sin in brutes to lust, or to eat and drink too much. They have not reason to restrain and rule them; but lest they should kill themselves by excess, God hath made reasonable man their governor, and moderateth their appetite in the temper of their natures. But for a reasonable creature to subject himself to fleshly appetite, and wilfully degrade his soul to the rank of brutes, is worse than if he had been made with the body and the unreasonableness of brutes. Are you capable of no better things than these?

2. And what an odious thing is it,-when God hath chosen you out of the world to be members of his visible church, and given you the great privilege of early entrance into his holy covenant, and washed you in the laver of visible regeneration, and you are vowed to Christ, renouncing the lusts of the flesh, of the world and the devil, that you might follow a crucified Christ in the way of holiness to everlasting life, that you should so soon prove false, perfidious traitors and rebels against him that is your only hope, and, by wickedness and covenant-breaking, make your sin greater than that of Infidels, Turks and Heathens, who never were taken into the church and covenant of Christ, nor ever broke the vows which you have broken, nor so cast away the mercies which you had received!

3. And what a doleful case is it, that so much of your minds, of your love and delight, which were all made for God, should be so misemployed, even in your strength, when they should be most vigorous; and all worse than cast away on filth and folly! If your souls be more worth than your money, it is more folly and loss to misemploy and abuse your souls, your reason, love, and your delight, than to abuse or cast away your money. And what a traitor or murderer deserveth, that would give his money to hire one

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