The crown & glory of Christianity, or, Holiness, the only way to happiness discovered…The crovvn & glory of Christianity, or, Holiness, the only way to happiness discovered…

Secondly, Consider that 'tis not sanctity, but impiety, 'tis not holiness,¹ but wickedness, that exposes men to the greatest poverty and misery; Prov. 6.26. For by the means of a whorish woman, a man is brought to a piece of bread. Whoredom is a very costly sin; the prodigal had quickly spent his portion among his Harlots.² Whoredom can't be a greater Paradise to the flesh, then 'tis a purgatory to the purse, and many great ones have found it so.³ Herod that old fornicator was so inflamed and bewitched with the immodest wanton dancing of his Damosel, that he swore he would give her to the half of his kingdom. And 'tis very observable, that whilst Solomon in his younger days kept holy,⁴ chaste, and pure, silver and gold was as plenteous at Jerusalem and at Court, as the stones of the street; but when Solomon had given himself up to his Concubines, they quickly exhausted his Treasuries, and brought him to so low an ebb, that he was forced to oppress his subjects with such heavy taxes,⁵ burdens and tributes, which occasioned the revolt of the ten Tribes. Josephus in his Antiquities, tells us of one Decius Mundus, that offered to give so many hundred thousand Drachmas that came to six thousand pound English money to satisfy his lusts one night with a whore, and yet could not obtain his desire. There is no sin that has brought more men, and greater men to beggary and misery then this has; it is a great misery to be brought to a piece of bread, to a scrap, a little bit of bread, but to be brought into so low a condition by Harlots, doubles the misery; for he that is by a whorish woman brought to a piece of bread on earth, shall be brought to a drop of water in hell, except there be sound repentance on his side, and pardoning mercy on Gods. Take another instance in that Prov. 23.20, 21.⁶