Meditations vppon the mysteries of our holy faith with the practise of mental praier touching the same composed in Spanish by the R.F. Luys de la Puente ... ; and translated into English by F. Rich. Gibbons ...

The seconde Pointe.

1. SEcondly, I will consider three other fortes of Punishments correspondent to luxurie, as be∣fore wee haue said of gluttonie; but much greater, for that it is a greater sinne. The first punishment is, innumerable miseries which this vice draweth with it; our Lord permitting that the Angell of fathan, who with the pricke of the fleshe ouerthroweth sinners, should likewise giue them cruell buffets, tor∣menting theyr bodies with a thousand Crosses, * 1.1 with painefull, lothsome, and shamefull diseases, with infamies, and a thousand other Torments, vntill they haue consumed their wealthe, theire healthe, their content, and their life. And as S. * 1.2 Paul deliuered ouer to sathan an incestious christian to bee bodily tormented, so whosoeuer geueth himselfe ouer to this vice, deliuereth both his bodye and soule to this cruell Tormentour, * 1.3 who though bee begin with pleasure, yet finally hee stingeth like an adder, and like a basiliske disperseth his poison.

2. Besides this, God to shewe the hatred hee bea∣reth to this Vice, * 1.4 hath inflicted vpon it terrible cha∣stizements: for this vice principally, came the deluge that drowned the worlde: and the fier that burned Sodome, and the greate slaughter that Moyses made of his Israelites, putting in one day 24. thousande to the sworde. And when as Phinees full of greate

zeale publikely slewe a publike Fornicatour, God was so much pleased with this chastisemēt, that hee forth with ceased the slaughter. For the finne of pol∣lutiō God killed a grādchild of the partriarch Iacob: and the sonnes of Hels the high prieste, * 1.5 for their car∣nallities died desastrously. It is at well knowne how deare it cost Sampson his sinning with Dalida: and Dauid his adulterie with Bethsabee: and Solomon his ouergreate affection to strange women. Then if such men were vanquished by Luxurie, and suffred for that cause so terrible punishments, how is it that thou flyest not from it? Art thou peraduenture more strong then Sampson, or more wise then Salomon, or more holy then Dauid, or more priuiledged then they, that thou shouldest not fall as they fell, nor bee chastized as they were?

3. But in hell the luxurious shall suffer excessiue torments, the fier of hell with speciall torment bur∣ning those partes of the bodye, which were the in∣struments of sinne. The imagination which was delighted in thinking vpon these carnallities, shall suffer horrid representations: and the fiue senses which were fiue fountaines of delight, shall bee fiue pooles of incredible torment. Finally from head to foote, they shall bee drenched in the lake of fier and brimstone, because during their life they ye∣alded to the odours, and blandissements of the fle∣she. * 1.6 O my soule to eschue the flames of this eternal fire, consider vvell the flames of hell fire. As one naile dri∣ueth out another: so the feare of the one fier shall expell out of thee, the loue of the other. From hence am I to drawe so firme a resolution to flye this vice (which is not vāquished but by flying) that I may flye also to take in my mouth the name therof, * 1.7 acording to that of S. Paule to the Ephesians, speaking of vncleānesse, and fornication. Nec nominetur in vobis. Let it not so much as bee named among you, least the name bring

to your remembrance, the thing that is signified. And for that there are two wayes to vanquish this vice, one by contenting himselfe with the lauful de∣lightes of matrimonie. The other much more per∣fect, abstaining also from them: the pointe that ensueth shall bee principally touching this second waye.

Notes

• * 1.1

  2. Cor. 12.7.
• * 1.2

  1. Cor. 5.5.
• * 1.3

  Pro. 23.32.
• * 1.4

  Genes. 6.12 & 19. & 24.
• * 1.5

  Genes. 38.7. 1. Reg. 2.22. & 4.17. Iudic. 16 21. 2. Reg. 12 3. Reg. 11 11. D. Hier. in regu. monas. c. de castit.
• * 1.6

  Colloquie
• * 1.7

  1. Corin. 6.18. Ad Ephe. 5.3.