John Trapp on Job 20:14

Verſe 14. Yet his meat in his bo[illegible: 1 letter]els is turned] Soure [illegible: 2 letters]uce he hath at length to his ſweet meats; viz. Gripes and throbs of conſcience, terrors and tortures inexpro[illegible: 2 letters]ble; a greedy Vulture feeding upon his entrails (as the Poets fained of Prometheus) thoſe Furies or hell-hags, (ſo much mentioned by them) as hanting evil-doers. In the tranſgreſſion of an evil man there is a ſnare, Prov. 29.6. There is a cord to ſtrangle his joyes with, to ma[illegible: 1 letter] his mirth. Did not Joſephs brethren experiment this? and Ahab in his houſe of ivory? and Belſhazzar amidſt his ſenſualities? Principium dulce eſt, ſed finis amoris amarus: La[illegible: 2 letters] venire Venas, triſtis abire ſolet. The ſinners cup of honey ends in the dregs of gall, even the gall of Aſps. Volupi[illegible: 1 letter] and Angorom went y[illegible: 1 letter]aled together among the Romans. Did men but forecaſt the ſaid iſſues of ſin, they durſt not but be innocent.

It is the gall of Aſps within him.] Gall of any ſort is bitter, but that of Aſps is moſt poiſonful and mortal. Pliny ſaith, that the poiſon of Aſps is nothing elſe but their gall. An Aſp is a kind of ſerpent, not know in theſe parts of the world. Ea[illegible: 3 letters]titeth, That the biting of an Aſp is uncurable; and others ſay, that it killeth without remedy with in four houres ſpace. Unto this kind of poiſon is ſinne fitly compared; for when an Aſp ſtingeth a man, it doth firſt tickle him ſo as it maketh him laugh, then it caſteth him into a ſleep, till the poiſon by little and little gets to the heart after which it paineth him more then ever before it delighted him: So doth wickedneſſe. [non-Latin text not transcribed] Duleacidum. It is a bitter-ſweet. Bernard compareth it to the itch, which firſt yeilded pleaſure, and afterwards ſmart. Auſtin ſaith, Many devour that on earth which they muſt digeſt in hell, where they ſhall have puniſhment without pity, miſery without mercy, ſorrow without ſuccour, miſchief without meaſure, torments without end, and paſt imagination. When therefore thou art making a covenant with ſin, ſay to thy ſoul, as Boaz ſaid to his kinſman, Ruth 4.4. What time thou buyeſt it, thou muſt [illegible: 1 word] Ruth with it. So, if thou wilt have the ſweet of ſin, thou muſt have the [illegible: 1 word] with it, and let thy ſoul anſwer, as he there doth, No, I may not do it, I ſhall [illegible: 1 span].