18. Of old time there were also those that _were at ease in Zion, that lay upon beds of ivory, and stretched themselves upon their couches, that ♦ate the lambs out of the flock, and calves out of the stall_. But how inelegant were these ancient _epicures! Lambs out of the flock, and calves out of the stall!_ Were these the best dainties they could procure? How have we improved, since _Jeroboam_’s time? Who can number the varieties of our tables; or the arts we have “To enlarge the pleasure of tasting?” And what are their couches, or beds of ivory, to the furniture of our apartments? Or their _chains and bracelets, and mantles and changeable suits of apparel_, to the ornaments of our persons? What comparison is there between their diversions and ours? Look at _Solomon_ in all his glory; and yet may we not question, whether he was not an utter stranger to _the pleasures of the chase_? And notwithstanding his 40,000 horses, did he ever see a _race_ in his life? He _made gardens and orchards, and pools of water; he planted vineyards and built houses_. But had he one _theatre_ among them all? No. * This is the glory of later times. Or had he any conception of a _ball_, an _assembly_, a _masquerade_, or a _ridotto_? And who imagines that all his instruments of musick put together, were any more to be compared to ours, than his or his father’s rumbling _Hebrew_ verses,
“To the soft sing song of _Italian_ lays.”
In all these points our pre-eminence over the _Jews_, is much every way.
♦ “eat” replaced with “ate” per Errata
* Yea, and over our own ancestors, as well as theirs. But is this our glory, or our shame? Were _Edward_ the third, or _Henry_ the fifth to come among us now, what would they think of the change in their people? Would they applaud the elegant variety at the _old Baron_’s table? Or the costly delicacy of his furniture and apparel? Would they listen to these instruments of musick? Or find pleasure in those diversions? Would they rejoice to see the nobles and gentry of the land, lying _at ease, stretching themselves on beds_ of down? Too delicate to use their own limbs, even in the streets of the city; to bear the touch of the people, the blowing of the wind, or the shining of the sun! O how would their hearts burn within them! What indignation, sorrow, shame must they feel, to see the ancient hardiness lost, the _British_ temperance, patience and scorn of superfluities, the rough, indefatigable industry, exchanged for softness, _idleness and fulness of bread_! Well for them, that they were gathered unto their fathers, before this exchange was made!
19. To prove at large, that the luxury and sensuality, the sloth and indolence, the softness and idleness, the effeminacy and false delicacy of our nation are without a parallel, would be but lost labour. I fear, we may say, the _lewdness_ too; for if the _Jews_, as the prophet speaks, _assembled themselves by troops in the harlots houses_, so do the _English_, and much more abundantly. Indeed, where is _male chastity_ to be found? Among the nobility? Among the gentry? Among the tradesmen? Or among the common people of _England_? How few lay any claim to it at all? How few desire so much as the reputation of it? Would you yourself account it an honour or a reproach, to be ranked among those of whom it is said, _These are they which are not defiled with women: for they are virgins_? And how numerous are they now, even among such as are accounted men of honour and probity, _who are fed as horses, every one neighing after his neighbour’s wife_?
But as if this were not enough, is not the sin of _Sodom_ too, more common among us than ever it was in _Jerusalem_? Are not our streets beset with those monsters of uncleanness, who _burn in their lust one toward another_, whom God hath _given up to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient_? O Lord, thy compassions fail not: therefore we are not consumed.