A20760:350
Four treatises tending to dissuade all Christians from four no less heinous then common…Foure treatises tending to disswade all Christians from foure no lesse hainous then common…
Four treatises tending to dissuade all Christians from four no less heinous then common sins; namely, the abuses of swearing, drunkenness, whoredom, and bribery. Wherein the greatness and odiousness of these vices is discovered; and the means and remedies, which may either preserve, or wean men from them, are propounded. Whereunto is annexed a treatise of anger. By John Downame Bachelor in Divinity, and preacher of Gods word.Foure treatises tending to disswade all Christians from foure no lesse hainous then common sinnes; namely, the abuses of swearing, drunkennesse, whoredome, and briberie. Wherein the greatnes and odiousnesse of these vices is discouered; and the meanes and remedies, which may either preserue, or weane men from them, are propounded. Whereunto is annexed a treatise of anger. By Iohn Dovvname Batcheler in Diuinitie, and preacher of Gods word.
London: printed by Felix Kyngston for William Welby, 1609
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
CHAP. XIII. Of the eternal punishments which God inflicteth upon fornicators.
CHAP. XIII. Of the eternall punishments which God inflicteth vpon fornicators.
And these are the temporal punishments which the Lord inflicteth both upon private persons,1 and whole common-wealths, for this sin of whoredom; the which although they are many and grievous, yet are they nothing in comparison of those eternal punishments which he hath prepared for those who are guilty of this crime in the life to come. For first, whereas our chief happiness shall then principally consist in the fruition of God, because he is infinite in all goodness and perfection, and in an unspeakable and unmeasurable degree, comprehendeth in himself alone all that virtue, excellence, delight, comfort, and whatsoever good thing may be desired, either for the inflaming of our love, or the perfecting of our joy; with which if we compare all the goodness and excellence of the creatures which either have been, are, or shall be, they are altogether incomparably less, then the least drop in respect of the main ocean, and then the smallest grain of sand in comparison of the whole globe of the earth: this sin of whoredom doth exclude us for ever out of his presence in which is fullness of joy, and casteth us into an everlasting banishment out of his heavenly kingdom. So the Apostle telleth us: That neither fornicators, 2nor Idolaters, nor adulterers, nor wantons, nor buggerers, &c. shall inherit the kingdom of God. And that dogs, enchanters, whoremongers, 3murderers and such outrageous sinners, shall be shut out of the gates of the new Jerusalem. If therefore banishment out of our earthly country be accounted such a heavy punishment, that every one carefully avoideth such faults as may deserve it, the which in truth in comparison, is but a temporary changing of the place of our exile, the whole world being but a place of banishment from our heavenly country; how much more carefully should we avoid