A view of the threats and punishments recorded in the Scriptures, alphabetically composed with some briefe observations upon severall texts / by Zachary Bogan ...

Intemperance.* 1.1

This will seeme to have had a great stroke, (at least) in occasioning the destruction of the world; if we take the interpretation gi∣ven by divers, to those words of God in

Genesis, Ch. 6. 3. thus translated by us, My spirit shal not alwaies strive with man, for that he also is flesh. Which I know no reason, but we may very well doe: especially if in∣steed of following Arias,a 1.2 and Symmachus; and translating My spirit shall not alwaies strive, &c. we follow either Pagninb 1.3; or the Septuagint* 1.4 Chald: Par:* 1.5, and the Vulgar* 1.6, and translate thus, My spirit shall no longer remaine in man, because they are flesh. For so it will very well beare this paraphrase, viz: because I see they are altogether for their bo∣dies, to pleasure their flesh by gluttony, and la∣s••iviousnesse, and care not for their soules; I am resolved to resume againe that breath, which I put into them and not to suffer my spi∣rit any longer to lodge in such filthy car∣casses. Our Saviour himselfe may seeme to have seconded this interpretation, when he spake of this punishment, and the security of the people in sinning, before it was infli∣cted, in this manner, For as in the daies that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, &c. Mat. 24. 38. not as if eating, and drin∣king were a sin; but either intemperance in ea∣ting and drinking, or doing that, & nothing else. So▪ speaking of the destruction of So∣dom, and the security of the people in sinning before the inflicting of it, he saies in the

first place, they did eat they dranke &c. Luk. 17. 28. And in the like security, he told the Jewes, that many should be surprized by the day of judgement, (either Generall, that which shall be to all; or particular, that which hath beene to them; take it how you will,) Even thus shall it be in the day, when the sonne of man is revealed, Luk. 17. 30. See chap. 12. 45. Mat. 24. 49. And therefore Paul, speaking to the Thessalonians, to pre∣pare for the day of the Lord, bids them in especiall manner to be sober and temperate, Epist. 1. 5. 6.

The intemperate man, both his danger & his hurt, must needs be great, especially from the Divell, •• (for men usually spare him, out of pity, or scorne:) and therefore the Apostle saith, Be sober, be vigilant, because your adver∣sary the Divell as a roaring Lion walketh a∣bout, seeking whom he may devoure: 1. Pet. 5. 8.

1 Because, even while he is well, he is not carefull to prevent it; only sober men will be carefull, to gird up the* 1.7 Loynes of their mind, 1. Pet. 1. 13. or put on the brestplate of faith, and love,* 1.8 1 Thess. 5. 6. or watch unto prayer, * 1. Pet. 4. 7. Sober (in the Epistles) may be meant also of being Sober-minded (as we render it in Tit. 2. 6.) or Grave, Humble, quiet, serious, circumspect, as it is in Rom. 12.

3. 1. Tim. 3. 11. Tit. 2. 2. 4. But yet in these places the word in the original is different, viz. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: and in those which I have quoted, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: which in the place first quoted v. 12. 1. Thess. 5. 6. seemes cleerly to be meant of Temperance properly so called; because in the following verse there is mention made of sleeping, and being drunken, as of things opposed to watch, and be sober: For they that sleep, sleep in the night, & they that are drunk, are drunk in the night.

2. Because, when he hath ••urfeited, he is not able to avoid it, or receive it. Receive it he cannot, for want of strength; of which he hath as litle in minde, as he hath in Body. & avoid it he cannot, because he is seldome so much as awake to foresee it. Only the sober man can be watchfull. and therefore the A∣postle in the place above quoted, viz: Thes. 5▪ 6. knowing that a man cānot be watchfull, unlesse he be sober; assoone as he had nam'd the former, presently added the latter; Let us watch and be sober. Peter, in the place above quoted, puts them as neere together, though not in the same order. He must needs be taken napping, that cannot keep himselfe waking.

But the greatest of these causes, (as being the cause of the latter) I take to be the for∣mer, viz: Security. All sinnes, wherein men

are secure, must needs be dangerous: and therefore there is no sin so dangerous, as In∣temperance, because there is none, wherein men are so secure. You have had three no∣table examples hereof. But of all the three, the first is the most notable: in regard that the people of the old world; if they had not that time told them, (which God had limi∣ted for their continuance) viz: of a hundred and twenty yeares: yet had they all that time given them (after notice of the flood) wherein the Arke was in preparing: which could be no small time, as Peter seemes to intimate; When once the long suffering of God waited in the daies of Noah, while the Arke was a preparing, 1. Pet. 3. 20. Besides the time, wherein the creatures were a gathering, which were to be put into the Arke. If the time allotted them had been never so short; unlesse they had been worse then beasts, they must needs have bethought themselves a litle, and not have still continued in that manner, as our Saviour saies they did, eating and devouring, till the very Day, that Noah went into the Arke (for then they believed certainly he was not in jest.) Nay he saies, They knew not, till the flood came, and tooke them all away. Beza observes how the word * 1.9 in that place used for eating, is by the Grā∣marians said to be properly used of beasts,

adding Ʋt etiam videatur magnae esse hu∣jus verbi emphasis; quo significatur, homines brutorum instar fore ventri deditos.

There is one thing more, that aggravates the security of those gluttons before the flood; viz: that although for those hundred and twenty yeares (as it is probable) they had had Noah 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 (as Peter calls him, 2. Pet. 2. 5.) a preacher of righteous∣nesse, or a publisher of that righteous judge∣ment of God, intended by him in the de∣struction of the world: (so that by knew not, must be meant, as Beza translates, acknow∣ledged not, or did not considera 1.10) yet notwith∣standing all this, they repented not, but re∣mained 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 (as the Apostl's▪ word is) i. e. disobedient, or not perswaded to believe what Noah told them. If you observe it, you shall finde that the Intemperate man (his pleasure is so bewitching, and seeming∣ly harmelesseb 1.11) is the hardest to be per∣swaded; and the worst to be made, either to believe a threat, or feare a punishment, or to leave his sinnec 1.12, of any in the world. You may see more of this sin in the Chapters of Gluttony, Whoredome, Drunkennesse, Adul∣tery.

Notes

• * 1.1

  See Glut∣tony.
• a 1.2

  Who read the Hebrew Jadon (frō Dun) shall strive
• b 1.3

  Who read Jiddon from Na∣dan•• shall be sheathd
• * 1.4

  VVho translate, as if they had read Jalon (frō Lun) shall lodge, or remain.
• * 1.5

  VVho translate, as if they had read Jalon (frō Lun) shall lodge, or remain.
• * 1.6

  VVho translate, as if they had read Jalon (frō Lun) shall lodge, or remain.
• * 1.7

  Gird up the loynes of your minde and be Sober.
• * 1.8

  Let us who are of the day be sober, put∣ting on the brest∣plate of faith and love, ver. 8. 1 But the end of all things is at hand; be yee therefore Sober, and watch unto prayer.
• * 1.9

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• a 1.10

  The He∣brew word for know is likewise thus used: it hath set him on fire round a∣bout, yet he knew not. Isa, 42. 25.
• b 1.11

  It is u∣sually said of drun∣kards, Hee is no bo∣dies foe but his owne.
• c 1.12

  See the wickednes of this sin, set forth by Aristotle Eth. l. 7. c▪ 6▪ where he compares lust and anger to∣gether.