The deuills banket described in foure sermons [brace], 1. The banket propounded, begunne, 2. The second seruice, 3. The breaking vp of the feast, 4. The shot or reckoning, [and] The sinners passing-bell, together with Phisicke from heauen / published by Thomas Adams ...

TO THE VERY VVORTHY GENTLEMAN, M^r. FRANCIS CRAVVLEY: sauing Health.

SYR:

There are foure sorts of Bankets, which I may thus distinguish: Laetum, letiferum; bel∣lum, belluinum. The first is a ioyfull Feast: Such was the Breake-fast of the World, in the Law, or the Dinner, in the Gospell, or (yet the future more fully, the Lambes Supper of Glory: this is a delicate Feast. Yet not more, then the next is deadly; the blacke Banket, which is prepared for the wicked in Hell. Which consists of two Dishes, sayth the Schoole: Poena damni, and poena

sensus; or as the Philosopher distinguisheth all miserie, into copiam & inopiam: copia tri∣bulationis, inopia consolationis. Or after some, of three: amissio coeli, priuatio terrae, positio inferni: the missing of that they might haue had, the priuation of that they had, the position of that they haue, and would not haue, torment: or according to others, of foure: Mercilesse miserie, extremitie, vniuersallity, eternitie of anguish. Our Sa∣uiour abridgeth all into two, or rather one, (for they are homogenea) weeping and gnashing of teeth. This is a bloody Ban∣ket, where (crosse to the festiuall prouerbe, the more the merrier) the multitude of guests shall adde to the horror of miseries; so afflicting one another with their ecchoing and reciprocall grones, that it shall be no ease socios habuisse doloris. This is a lamen∣table, but the third a laudeable Feast. It is that the Christian maketh, eyther to man (which is a Feast of Charitie) or to God, (which is a Feast of Grace.) Whereunto God hath promised to be a Guest,* 1.1 and to suppe

with him. The last is a beastiall Banke••▪ wherein either man is the Symposiast, and the Deuill the discumbent; or Sathan the Feastmaker, and man the Guest. Sinne is the food in both. The dye•• is not varied, but the Host. Sathan feasts the wicked, whiles they feed on his temptations to surfet. The wicked feast Satan, whiles their accustomed sinnes nourish his power in their hearts. S•• S••. Hierome, Daemonum cibus ebrietas, lux∣uria, fornicatio & vniuersa vitia. Our ini∣quities are the very dyet & dainties of the De∣uils. With this last onely haue I medled, en∣deuouring to declare it, to disswade it; (accor∣ding to the dichotomiz'd carriage of all our Sermons,) by explication, by application. Sin is the white (or rather the blacke marke) my arrow flies at. I trust, he that gaue ayme to my tongue, will also direct, leuell, and keepe my Penne from swaruing. But since reproofes are as Goads, and Beasts will kicke when they are touched to the quicke; and he that speaks in Thunder, shall bee answered with Light∣ning; by which consequence, I may suspect

stormes, that haue menaced stormes: there∣fore, behold, it runnes to you for shelter; not to instruct your knowledge, who can giue so ex∣quisite counsell to others in the Law, to your selfe in the Gospell; being qualified, as that perfect Rhetorician should be, vir bonus, dicendi peritus: but that through your Name, I might offer (and adde) this poore Mite into the treasurie of the Church: ascribing the Patronage to your selfe, the vse to the world, the successe to God. Accept then this poore testimonie of my gratitude, who haue vowed my selfe

Your VVorships in all faithfull seruice THOMAS ADAMS.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Reuel. 3 20.