A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

AFFLICTED CONSCIENCES. 67all he can to have them thrive and prosper by oppression,usury, simony, sacrilege, bribery, covetousness, cozening,Machiavelian tricks, 6cc., that so his service may seernmore sweet and gainful unto them. To the effecting whereofhe receives notable assistance and special advantage fromthe corruptions of the times and conscientious simplicity ofthe saints. For the first, these worst and ulcerous times,.wherein so many vines, olive trees, and fig trees witheraway in obscurity, and so many brambles brave it abroadin the world, tumbling themselves in the pleasures, splendour,and glory of the present; wherein so many brave''princes are walking as servants upon the earth;" andtoo many servants of luxury and pride are mounted onhorseback ; 1 say, they are the only season for Satan togratify all his graceless ones, and to hoist them up by thecommon but accursed stairs and stirrups of bribing, baseness,temporizing, ill offices to humour greatness, and othersuch vile means and accommodations, into eminency inthe world, and high rooms, where he keeps them in agolden captivity with great contentment, and locks themfull fast in the scorner's chair, with much security to theirown sensual hearts, and notorious service to himself.Whereas, in deed and truth, to men that have eyes in theirheads, the ascent is slippery, the top shaking, the downfaldesperate. For the second, it is incredible to consider whata deal of advantage in worldly dealings the covetous devil,in a cruel and crafty worldling, doth suck out of the singleheartedness,plain dealing, and unsuspiciousness of conscientiousmen, for their rising and enriching, if God crossit not.(2.) He draws them, by all the baits he can devise, toall the incentives and preservatives of carnal contentment,as to taverns, ale-houses, play-houses, brothels, gaminghouses, to May- games, morrice dances, to cards, to dice,to dancing, to feasts, wakes, misrules, drinking matches,revellings, and a world of such sinful haunts, bedlam fooleries,and good-fellow meetings, wherein he is mightilyfurthered by wicked men's impatience of solitariness, andtheir enraged eagerness of carrying with them to hell asmany as may be. For the first, " Though a good man,"as Solomon saith, " be satisfied from himself," dare fullwell, and desires full often to be alone, because the bird ofthe bosom sings sweetly to his soul in solitariness, yet allthe sons and daughters of pleasure have no pleasure at all,nay ordinarily are most loth to be by themselves. Solitariness puts them in gloomy fear, makes them extremelymelancholy and weary of themselves. They would ratherbe anywhere, in any company,^ any ways employed