I. Wherein the vncertainty of Mans life is expres­sed, and of the feare­full end of the Wicked.

WHen I behold the Heavens & the earth, the worke­manship of the Almighty, and see in [...] all Creatures both for [Page 2]commodity and pleasure, which as a store-house, pre­serue all things for the be­hoofe and benefit of Man: I cannot but vse to my selfe, the saying of the Prophet DAVID; Psalm. 8. Lord! what is Man, that thou shouldest thinke on him; or the Sonne of man, that thou shouldest be mindfull of him, thou hast made him but a little lower then the Angels; thou hast crowned him with honour and worship; by reason of which, I thinke him to be onely happy and a God vp­on earth; and that there is no blessednes beyond this: but looking into him with more deliberation; I find [Page 3]his breath is in his nostrils, and that hee is as the Beast that perisheth; Eccles. 3. I find his wife to be but a span, and the perpetuity of his Hap­pinesse, no better then a flower, which flourish­eth to day, and to morrow is out downe and withe­reth; and that his habita­tion is but a Pilgrimage, hee hath no certaine abi­ding, I perceiue there is no building of Taberna­cles heere, this is no place of rest. I remember the foole, that sayd to his soule, Luke, 12. There was much laid up for many yeares, but that night his soule was taken from him, and how that after Death hee must [Page 4]give an account of his Stewardship, for they are not his, but lent him of the Lord; neyther to abuse through excesse, nor nig­gerdice, but to put them foorth to the best vse, and to the glory of him who is the giver of all good things.

For it is true, that a Phi­losopher sayth; Hee that seeketh for true Happines in this world, followeth a shaddow, which when hee thinketh hee is surest of, vanisheth and is nothing; and the Apostle PAVL sayth; If in this life wee were onely happie, wee were of all men most mise­rable.

Seeing then it is so, Iob. 14. That man which is borne of a woman hath but a short time to liue, and that few and euill are the dayes of his Pilgrimage, pointed out but to Threescore and tenne, and if Nature be­friend him so farre, as to affoord him life till Foure­score, yet is it so full of infirmities, that it becomes a burthen to him, Life be­ing a briitle and miserable fetter, which chaineth the pure and everlasting soule, to the vile, sinfull, and cor­ruptible body.

Yet where is hee, that takes the Wise mans counsell, Eccles. 12. To remember his Creator in the dayes of [Page 6]his Youth, before the e­vill day comes, and the time approach, in the which, he shall say; I have no pleasure in them; for if a man live many yeares and rejoyce in them all, yet let him remember the dayes of Darknes, for they are many; the Sun sets and riseth againe; but thou a­las, when thy glasse is run, and the short gleame of thy Summers Sun is spent, shall never returne againe. How soone alas, is thy span grasped, thy minute wa­sted, thy flower dead, thy vapor of life gone; with­out thought, without dread eyther of sinnes past, or accompts to come? [Page 7]Where is there one, that lookes into the estate of his Soule, with a seri­ous eye; that examines his conscience, unvayleth his heart, and considereth his wayes, and how that he is every day of his life, a dayes journey nearer his end, and nothing is wanting for the expiration thereof, but the stroke of death, which com­meth in a moment; and then thou art gone, ey­ther to unexpressable end lesse Ioyes, or caselesse and endlesse miseries. For no sooner art thou borne to possesse this World, but death issueth forth incon­tinently out of his Sepul­cher, to finde thy life; ney­ther [Page 8]doth he alwayes send his harbinger before to ac­quaint thee with his com­ming, but many times en­treth unexpected, unloo­ked for; and yet darest thou rest in security, me thinkes it should make thee tremble, were not thy conscience seared; to think of the divinenesse of that Iustice, before whom, thou art to stand, being in the day of his Wrath, and at the barre of his Iudgment: canst thou thinke then, to bee able to indure his an­gry eye, whose sight will pierce to the very centure of thy heart and soule, and rip up every fe­stred corner of thy consci­ence? [Page 9]O then! bethinke thy selfe in time, before that gloomy day comes, that day of Cloudes and thicke darkenesse, that day of desolation and confusion approach; when all the Inhabitants of the Earth shall mourne and lament, and all faces shall gather blacknesse. Joel. 2. Because, the time of their Iudgment is come; alas! with what a fearefull hart and weeping eyes, and sorrowfull coun­tenance, & trēbling loynes, wilt thou at that last and great assize looke upon CHRIST IESVS, when he shall most gloriously ap­peare, with innumerable Angels in flaming fire, to [Page 10]render vengeance on them that know him not? What a cold dampe will seaze upon thy soule, when thou shalt behold him, whom thou hast all thy life long, reiected in his ordi­nances, despised in his members, and neglected in his love: what horror and terror of spirit will possesse thee; how wilt thou cry to the Rockes and Moun­taines to fall upon thee, and cover thee from the fierce­nes of his Wrath; when thou shalt behold, the Hea­vens burning, the Elements melting, the Earth trem­bling, the Sea roaring, the Sunne turne into darknes, and the Moone incobloud: [Page 11]how will thy numberlesse sinnes in hideous formes appeare before thee, every one of them bearing the Ensignes of Gods heavie displeasure, dipped in a bloudy coloured dye; and crying out, for vengeance against thee: alas! if thy faultring tongue should go about to faine some see­ming shew of a colourable excuse, how soone would it be stopped, all thy acti­ons both for thoughts, words, and deeds, being registred in a booke, and kept within the Court of Heaven. Oh remember! how terrible his voyce was when he gave his Law to his chosen people, and thin­kest [Page 12]thou it will bee lesse terrible, when he shall de­mand an account of that Law, which thou hast so many times carelesly bro­ken. Oh then, whether will his wrath carry thee, where will the blast of his breath hurry thee, it was thy sins that inflamed his wrath, & his wrath will inflame that fire which will never goe out: Oh then alas, whil'st thou hast time, become thy own friend, looke into thy selfe, and by a serious exa­mination, prove the Pilot of thy owne Ship, which now lyeth floating on the Seas of this troublesome World, ballanc'd onely with cares, and disquieting pleasures of this life, and [Page 13]how thou sayl'st with a full course, towards the ha­ven of endlesse Happines; yet one blast of unprepared death will turne thy sayles, and plunge thee irrecovera­bly into that bottomlesse Guife, where one houres torment, will infinitely ex­ceed all the pleasures thy whole life contained: and wilt thou now standing up­on the very brim of Hell, melt in thy delights: Alas, slippery is thy footing, and thy hold but by the thread of life, which stretched to the length, soone crackes: yet how triflingly spendest thou thy pretious time, ty­ring out thy spirits, and robbing thine eyes of their [Page 14]beloved sleepe, for those things, to the which, the time will come, that the ve­ry remembrance of them will be bitter, and to the which, thou must bid an e­verlasting farewell.

Yet not considering these things? how many are there, that only spend their time in jollity, and sodainly goe downe to the Grave; they cry to themselves; Peace, peace, when so­daine Destruction over­takes them, not once thin­king of IEREMIA'S la­mentation for Jernsalem; wherein hee complaines, That shee remembred not her last end. Lamen. 1.

Would they but consi­der, [Page 15]that as the Tree fal­leth so it lyeth; and as Death leaves them, so shall Iudgement finde them; they would not draw Ini­quity with cords of vani­ty, nor sinne as with cart­ropes; did they thinke upon the reward of Sinne; did they consider how full of griefe and misery, how short and transitorious this present life is, and the vaine Pleasures thereof: how on every side, theyr enemies compasse them, and that Death lyeth in wayte against them, every where catching them so­dainly and unawares. Did that saying often sound in theyr eares, Arise and [Page 16]come to Judgement, they would not deferre theyr Repentance to theyr last end, or their old-age; when it can not be sayd, that they leave Sin, but sinne them. Shall they offer to the Di­vell, the World, and their owne flesh, the flower and strength of theyr yeares, and serve God with the lees and dregs: [...]al. 1. when the Prophet MALACHY com­playned of the peoples e­vill Offerings, hee sayd; Offer it now unto thy Governour, will hee be pleased with thee or ac­cept thy person: and can they thinke, this great GOD will bee pleased with them. King. 18 If RABSHE­CHA [Page 17]and HOLOFERNES, Iudith. 5. but Messengers for theyr Lords, tooke it so ill; that the Iewes came not forth to make theyr peace with them, that they threatned nothing should pacifie their furie but theyr De­struction: How much more, shall this King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, whose wrath is so kindled for theyr wickednesse, condemne them into ut­ter Darknesse, where shall bee wayling and gnashing of teeth, (for no dead car­rion so lothsomly stinketh in the nostrils of an earth­ly man, as doth the wic­ked, abhominable unre­pentant man, in the pre­sence [Page 18]of God;) yet not considering this, they goe on in a carelesse security, heaping one sinne upon another, till the burthen become unsupportable, and the vials of Gods wrath ready to bee powred on them, not once calling them, to theyr remem­brance; or if they doe, it is so farre from Contrition, that it is rather a delight to them, often glorying in the often cōmittings ther­of; they neyther thinking of theyr account, nor their end, wherein yet they might haue some happines; if death were the dissolving both of their body & soule.

For being rid of their [Page 19]bodies, they should also be rid of theyr Soules and Sinnes; But forasmuch, as it is evident, that the Soule is immortall, there is left no comfort for the wicked to trust in. Therfore, let such remem­ber ESAV, Who hauing once rejected the Blessing, Gen. 27. could not after obtayne it, though he sought it with teares; when it is too late, with the fiue Foolish Vir­gins, they may cry; Lord, Math. 25 Lord, open to vs; but the gates of Mercy will bee shut, and it will be answe­red, I know you not.

Then woe bee to the sinfull wicked men, that haue not power to turne [Page 20]from the filthy workes of this finfull and wretched World, that hindereth them from the blissfull state, and keepeth backe theyr Soules from the pre­sence of God: For when Gods Serjeant Death, shall arrest them, and they shall bee summon'd to appeare before the Tribunall of the Almighty, with what terrible feare will that Soule be shaken and smit­ten, and with how many speares of a piercing Con­science, is hee gored and thrust through; he will thē begin to thinke of the time past, present, and that to come; the time past, he may behold with asto­nishment, [Page 21]to perceiue how fast it fleeted, and the mul­titude of sinnes therein committed, the which were accounted pleasures, but are now terrors, for e­very one of which, he must answere; for as saith a Phi­losopher: An accusing Conscience is the secret, & most terrible thing that can bee, at the approaching and cōming of Death, and infinit & vnspeakable are the feares and griefes it will bring with it; for then hee will grieve, that the time of Repentance hath beene so ill & lewdly past, he seeth the divine Cōman­dements which he hath contemned: he is aflicted, [Page 22]because he seeth the inevi­table houre approach, of rendring an account, & of the divine just vengance; he would tarry still, but he is constrained to depart; he would recover that is past, but time is not gran­ted? if he looke behind him, he seeth the course and race of his whole life led, as a moment of time; if he looke before, he be­holdeth the infinit space of Eternity which expecteth him, he sorroweth and sobbeth, because he hath lost the joy of euerla­sting Eternity, which hee might haue obtained in so short a time; hee tormen­teth himselfe, because he [Page 23]hath lost the ineffable sweetnesse of perpetuall delight, for one sensuall, carnall, and momentany pleasure; he blusheth, con­sidering, that for that sub­stance which is Wormes-meat, he hath dispised that which Angels prize so highly; and weighing the glory of those immor­tall riches, hee is confoun­ded, that he hath changed them for the basenesse and vildenesse of Temporall things; but when he cast­eth his eyes upon things below, and seeth the darke and obscure valley of this world, and beholdeth a­bove it, the shining bright­nesse of eternall Light, [Page 24]then he confesseth, that all that he loved in this world, was blacke night and ugly darknesse.

To behold the time pre­sent, is as ill; for there hee can finde nothing but weakenesse and paines; his friends eyther mourning by him, or else not able to stay with him, to see his torments, which in this life, God hath begun to let him taste; having painefull Limbes, darke Eyes, a faultering Tongue, hard browes, short breath, and a panting heart, hasting to appeare before God, whō he must behold; not as his Father, but a most feirce Iudge, whose pure eyes [Page 25]beheld all his actions, and that through all his life saw nothing but wicked­nesse, no sorrowing teares to wash away those pollu­tions; and therefore that leporous life must receiue a heauie condemnation: there will not be any to speake for him, neyther will he be able to answere one word for a thousand; all those pleasures now stand up to accuse him, and his owne Conscience giues in evidence against him, saying to himselfe the words of SALOMON; Pro. 5. How haue I hated instruction, and my heart despised re­proofe, and I haue not o­beyed the voyce of my tea­chers, [Page 26]nor enclined mine eare to them that instruct­ed me; woe is me poore wretch, into what a labo­rinth haue my sinnes led me, how suddenly, and thinking nothing lesse, hath this houre intrapped me, how hath it rushed vp­on me, I never dreamed of it; what doe now my Honours profit me, what doe now all my Dignities helpe me, what doe all my friends for me, what profit doe now my servants bring mee, what fruit doe I now reape of all my rich­es and goods which I was wont to possesse; for now a small piece of ground of seaven foot will containe [Page 27]me, and I must be content with a dwelling in a nar­row Coffin, and with a lodging in a poore Win­ding sheet; my riches, shall remaine here behind mee, which I scraped together with so great toyle, and sweating, others shall en­joy them, and shall spend them on theyr pleasures, onely my sinnes, which I haue committed in gathe­ring them, wayte upon me, that I may suffer deserved punishment for them; what can I make now of all my Pleasures and De­lights, seeing they are all over-past, onely theyr dregges are my Potion, which are scruples and [Page 28]bytings of Conscience, which like Thornes doe pierce me, and runne thorough my miserable heart.

In what taking is this poore Soule; if time were now againe, with what an austere kinde of life would hee passe it, how would hee shun all those alluring Syrens, sower sauce findes he for his sweetes, and for a minute of Pleasures, must possesse a world of Woes; nay, woes without end, soone ended those delights, end­lesse are those miseries.

O thou wretched man! thou that didst chose, ra­ther to sit by the Flesh­pots [Page 29]of Aegypt, then by induring a little weari­some travailes, to enter into the promised Land, which floweth with Milk and Honey; See! O see now, what a long chayne of Miseries, those thy short Pleasures have wrought thee. O thou foolish and sencelesse! hadst thou no respect to the death of CHRIST, who dyed to redeeme thee, but that by thy sinnes, thou must anew Crucifie him, and make his Wounds to bleed a­fresh? Thou hast againe, nayled him to the Crosse by thy pollutions! thou hast againe, pierc'd his side, not with one, but many [Page 30]speares of Blasphemy, and as it were piece-meale, tea­ring him from Heaven! thou hast grinded him, by thy oppressions, which thou didst to maintaine thy superfluous delights.

It was his love, that cau­sed him to undergoe his Fathers wrath, for thy sake; but what one sinne, hast thou left for his? Canst thou say, and that truly, that thou hast spared one dish from thy Belly, to feed his hungry Members; or one Garment from thy excessive apparell, to cloth the naked; or one houres sleepe, to meditate on his miseries: a poore requi­tall of such infinite Love! [Page 31]Was CHRIST stretched on the Crosse, and couldest thou recount it nothing to stretch thy selfe vpon thy downy Beds of sinne? Did CHRIST suck downe Vineger and Gall for thee, and couldest thou without pricke of Conscience, sur­feit with overflowne Boles? Was CHRIST crowned with Thornes, and couldest thou crowne thy selfe with ease and pleasure? Then now be­hold, (O thou rich Glut­ton!) thou, who wouldest never cast up thine eyes to behold the true happines, till it was too late, and consider what the allure­ments of the Flesh now [Page 32]profit you, which you then so much delighted in? What is become of your Riches? where are your Honours? where are your Treasures? where are your Delights? were are your Ioyes; the seaven yeares of Plenty are past, and other seaven yeares of Dearth and scarcity are come, which have devou­red up all your Plenty, no memory or footsteps being left of it. Ioh. 24. As it is in IOB, Drought and heate, con­sume the Snow waters; so doth the Grave, those that have Sinned; your Glory is now perished, and your Felicity is drowned in the sea of Sorrowes, not one­ly [Page 33]your delights have not profited you, which you injoyed in this World; but they shall bee the causes of greater Torments: wit­nesse the Glutton in the Gospell, who fared delici­ously every day, being in Hell; was not that mem­ber his Tongue, most tor­mented, which gave him the greatest delight in Sin.

Nay, speedily and unex­pected, this horror rusheth upon them; for, as everla­sting Felicity, doth quick­ly follow the Godly, in the short race of theyr Mi­sery; so everlasting Mise­ry, quickly followeth the ungodly, in the short race of theyr worldly Felicity.

It were better therefore, for a man to live poorely, being assured of the bliste of Heaven, then to be de­prived thereof, though during life hee possesse all worldly riches; for intol­lerable, are the burthens they bring with them, see­ing that the Scripture sayth; Where much is given, much is againe re­quired: besides, the me­mory of the ungodly shall perish, as saith IOB; The pitifull man, Ioh, 24. shall forget him, the Worme shall feele his sweetnesse, he shall bee no more remembred, and the Wicked shall bee bro­ken like a Tree.

II. Motives and Induce­ments to true Godli­nesse.

HAving already spoken of the un­stability of Mans life, & the wret­ched estate the Wicked is in, at the houre of his Death; I will now also set downe, some Motives for incouragements to true Godlinesse, wherin it shall easily bee discerned, that Godlinesse excelleth Wic­kednesse, as farre as Light excelleth Darknesse; It is a thing, both usuall and la­mentable, [Page 36]to see how men goe on in wickednesse, and can neyther bee drawne, to thinke of theyr end by the dayly examples of Morta­lity; nor wonne to re­member, the infinitnesse of Gods Love by their dayly preservations; they call not once to theyr remem­brance, the saying of the Apostle PAVL, wherein hee admonisheth them, to worke out theyr Salvation with feare and trembling; by which, hee depriveth them of all kind of securi­ty; and the Prophet IE­REMIAH cryeth unto them and sayth; Jerem. 22. O earth! earth! earth! heare the Word of the Lord.

Shewing thereby, that howsoever they esteeme of themselves, yet, they are but dust; whose glory is but for a moment, and all theyr Pleasures, but Decep­tio visus; For that there is no Peace (saith the Lord) of the Wicked. Esa. 48.

Wherefore, consider this yee that forget GOD, least he teare you in pieces, and there bee none to deliver you; feare this God, for he is iust; love this God, Psal. 4. for hee is Mercifull; stand in awe and Sinne not, com­mune with your hearts, consider your wayes, make your Peace with him, seeke the Lord, Psal. 2. whilest he may bee found; If his [Page 38]wrath be kindled, yea but a little, blessed are all those that puts theyr trust in him.

O taste, and see! how good GOD is, he is a God of Mercies, and delights not in the Death of a Sin­ner, as hee sayth; Have I any pleasure at all, Ezech. 18. that the Wicked should dye, sayth the Lord; and not that hee should returne from his wayes and live: hee will bee found of them that seeke him, hee hath inga­ged his word for it, and a­gaine he saith; Those that come to mee, I will not cast away; nay, hee calleth with aboundance of love: Come unto mee, Math. 11. all yee [Page 39]that are wearie and heavie laden with the burthen of your sinnes, and I will ease you; hee is that good Sa­maritaine, he may powre in Wine to make those wounds of your Sinnes to smart, but hee will againe refresh you with the oyle of his Mercies: O then! prostrate thy selfe at his feete, creepe under the wing of his compassi­on; for he is slow to wrath, Ioel. 2. and of much mercy, and re­penteth him of the euill: a­las! it was thy weakenesse that made thee sinfull, and thy sins haue made the mi­serable, & thy miserie must now sue to his mercie; if thy misery were without [Page 40]sinne, then thou mightest pleade before his Iustice, and his Iustice would re­leeue thee; but for that it proceedeth from sinne, ap­proach the barre of his mercy, and thou shalt finde the lustre thereof to shine through all his workes; remember Christs owne words were: Math. 15. I am not sent, but to the lost sheepe of the house of Js­rael; what, though with the woman in the Gospell, he call thee dogge, wilt thou therefore leaue off thy sute; consider, that the ten­der mother many times for faults committed by her childe, hideth her louing countenance and as it were [Page 41]altogether reiecteth it, not for any hatred she beareth to the childe, but thereby to indere the obtaining of his favour, and to cause the greater feare of offending; if then, thou seasing thy sute goeth without mercy, whome wilt thou accuse: Christ sayd to Ierusalem, Thy destruction is of thy selfe, O Jerusalem! but in me, is thy saluation. Christ came not, to call the righte­ous, but sinners to repen­tance.

Hee is infinitely good, and hurteth no man, vnlesse the blame be in himselfe, through his owne default; for, as the Sunne beame, is cleare and comfortable in [Page 42]it self, and so is it to the eye that is sound, yet to a sore eye, it is very grieuous, not through any default in the sunne, but by the diseased disposition of the eye; so albeit, he in himselfe, be perfectly good, and doth nothing but good; yet to an vnrepentant sinner he is grievous and terrible, but if he returne to him by unfai­ned repentance, he soone inclineth to mercy; as is e­uident in that wo man, whom Christ so called; up­on her humiliation and acknowledging her selfe to be no better, she recei­ueth this gracious answer; Be it vnto the euen as thou wilt; and againe, in the Ne­nivites; [Page 43]though his decree was gone out against them, that yet forty dayes, and Ninivie should be destroy­ed, Ionah. 3. upon their unfained re­pentance, he also repented of that euill, and with a­boundance of mercy revo­ked that sentence; For the eyes of the Lord, [...] Chro. 16 beholds all the earth, to strengthen them, that with a perfect heart beleeve, and hope in him; and againe, it is sayd; O how good is the Lord unto them, Lament. 3 that put theyr trust in him, and to the Soule that seeketh after him; never was there any forsaken, that put theyr trust in him: and though the hand of your Faith, be [Page 44]not strong enough to lay fast hold on him, as IA­COB did, who sayd; I will not let thee goe, unlesse thou blesse mee; Gen. 32. yet, if hee perceiue thee creeping af­ter him, hee will imbrace thee, for hee hath sayd; The bruised Reede, Math. 12. I will not breake, and the smoa­king Flaxe, I will not quench; that is, hee will not reiect the desires of the heart, though in weake measure, if unfeyned, and what he hath promised, is Truth.

Hee loveth not, as man loveth; for they in prospe­rity will regard vs, but if Afflictions or wants come, they regard us not; but [Page 45]so farre is our good God from this, that his belo­ved Sonne CHRIST IE­SVS, tooke our shape up­on him, suffering Hunger, Cold, Nakednesse, Con­tempt, and Scornings; for his owne mouth testified, That the Foxes had Holes, and the Birds of the Ayre had Nests, but the Sonne of Man, had not whereon to lay his head; showing thereby to us, how farre hee was from contemning our Povertie, or refusing us for our wants; let us therefore, flie to this God, who will not fayle us nor forsake us: let us cast our care upon him, for hee careth for us, and set us first [Page 46]seek the Kingdome of hea­ven, and the righteousnesse thereof, and all things else shall bee ministred unto us.

How many haue beene knowne, which have gay­ned to themselves, Riches, or Honours, by unlawfull meanes, that have prospe­red, but if for a time they have seemed to doe well, their Posteritie have come to ruine, and theyr owne ill-gathered treasure, like a dilating Gangrene, hath rotted theyr owne memo­ry, and consumed every part of theyr heyres pos­session; seeming as it were, a Curse and doome, intay­led with the land upon the [Page 47]successour, and so proveth, not a Blessing, but the bane of him that Injoy­ed it.

They may for a time, flourish like a Bay Tree, but suddainely they fade and their place is no where to bee found. Oh therefore! that they would consider, what great evils, and how ma­ny inconveniences, this small prosperity bringeth with it, they should find this love of Riches, more to afflict, by desire, then to delight, by use: for it in­wrappeth the Soule, in di­vers temptatiōs, & bindeth it in infinit cares, it allureth it with sundry delights, [Page 48]provoketh it to sinne, and disturbeth the quiet, no lesse of the body then of the Soule, and that which is greater; Riches are ne­ver gotten, without trou­bles, nor possessed, with­out care, nor lost, without griefe; but that which is worst, they are seldome gathered, without sinne and offence to GOD? Why then, should man bee so greedy of this Worlds pelfe, life beeing so short, and death following at our heeles? What neede is there of so great Provision, for so short a Iourney? What would man doe with so great Riches; es­pecially, seeing that the [Page 49]lesse he hath, the more lightly and freely hee may walke, and when hee shall come to the end of his Pilgrimage, if he be poore, his estate shall not be wor­ser then rich mens, who are loden with much gold; the Grave shall both alike containe them, as sayth IOB; Iob. 3. The small and great are there, and the Servant is free from his Master.

Nay, it is better with the poore, then with the rich; for they shall feele lesse griefe in parting with this trash and pelfe of the World, and a smaller ac­compt is to be rendred be­fore GOD; whereas on the other side, Rich men [Page 50]leaves theyr Mountaines of Gold, with great griefe of heart, which they adored as GOD; neyther are they, without exceeding gerat hazard and danger, in rendring an accompt for them: Besides, as hee came forth of his Mothers Wombe, Eccles. 5. so naked shall he returne, to goe as hee came; and shall take no­thing of his labour which he may carry away in his hand. Psalm. 7. Therefore a little that a Righteous man hath, is better then the Riches of many wicked. I have seene sayth DAVID, in the same Psalme; The wicked in great power, and sprea­ding himselfe like a greene [Page 51]Bay tree, yet hee passed a­way, and loe hee was not; I sought him but hee could not bee found, the trans­gressours shall be destroyed together, the end of the Wicked shall bee cut off; but marke the upright man, and behold the Iust, for the end of that man is Peace.

Thrice blessed then is that man, that feareth God, and they whose God the Lord is, and he that sots his feare alwayes be­fore his eyes; Iob. 5. For they shall bee delivered out of sixe troubles, and in the seaventh, no evils shall touch them, in Famine, he shall redeeme them from [Page 52]Death, and in Warre, from the power of the sword, they shall come to the Grave in a full age, like as a shocke of Corne com­meth in, in his season: They may for a time bee bungry, but they shall be filld, for God himselfe will feed them with blessings from aboue and from be­neath. Even naturall rea­son will not suffer them to doubt, for he that giveth meate in due season, to Ants and Wormes of the Earth, will he suffer Man to famish, who night and day, serve and obey him, as CHRIST himselfe saith in MATTHEVV; Math. 6. Behold the Fowles of the heaven, [Page 53]for they sow not, neyther reape nor cary into Barnes, yet your heavenly Father feedeth them, are yee not much better then they; This happines moved DA­VID to invite us to serve the Lord, saying; O feare the Lord! yee that be his Saints, Psalm 34 for they that feare the Lord lack nothing, the Lyons doe lacke and suffer hunger, but they that feeke the Lord, shall want no manner of thing that is good.

The ungodly man, when he is full of wealth dyeth for hunger, and when they sit even up to the lips in water, yet they are slaine with thirst, as the Poets [Page 54]in times past, fabled of TANTALVS. But though many and great be the troubles of the Righteous, yet the Lord delivereth them out of all. For the eyes of the Lord is over the Righteous, and his Eare is open to theyr cry, but the Face of the Lord is against them that do evill, Psalm. 3 4 to cut off theyr Remem­brance from the Eatth.

Who would be unwil­ling then, to suffer ignomi­nies and scornings, rather then with the wicked, to injoy the pleasures of Sin for a season; Revel. 2 [...]. God himselfe will wipe all teares from theyr eyes, hee will give them Ioyes for theyr Sor­rowes, [Page 55]as hee sayth; Bles­sed are yee that now Weepe, for yee shall Re­joyce, troubles in this life, are badges of Gods Chil­dren, Whom the Lord lo­veth, Prov. 3. hee chastiseth, and correcteth every Sonne that he chuseth with Pati­ence; Luke, 21. Therefore, possesse your Soules, Iohn, 15. and remem­ber who it is, that sayd; You are not of the World, as I am not of the World, the world hateth you, be­cause it hated mee first, if you were of the world, the world would love you.

Oh, blessed Sufferings! that makes us like to God himselfe, if wee had the Wisedome of SALOMON, [Page 56]the Treasure of CRoeSVS, and the long life of ME­THVSALEM, and out of the favour and love of God, our Wisedome were Foolishnesse, for to know him, is perfect wisedome, our Riches were drosse; for riches will not avayle in the day of Wrath, and that life, so long and wic­kedly led, no better, then a man that dreames hee is a King, honoured of all and wanting nothing, when waking, hee findes him­selfe hated of all, and wan­ting all things.

III. Of the Peace of a good Conscience, and the Ioyfull end of the God­ly.

SALOMON, having set himselfe to behold all things that were under the Sun, & ha­ving taken to himselfe, all that could bee delightfull, for what can he doe more that commeth after the King, at last concludeth; Eccles. 2. That all the dayes of Man, are sorrowes, and his tra­vailes, griefe; therefore sayth he; I hated life, for all is Vanity and vexation [Page 58]of Spirit; and perceiving how apt men were, to fol­low what delights this world could affoord them, scoffes at theyr folly, and by way of derision sayth: Rejoyce O young man in thy Youth, Eccles. 11 & let thy heart cheare thee in the dayes of thy youth, and walke in the wayes of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes, yet would hee not let them goe on thus, but gives them an Jtem, say­ing; But know, that for all these things, God will bring thee to Iudgement, for though, sayth hee: A Sinner doe evill an hun­dred times, and his dayes bee prolonged; yet surely [Page 59]I know, that it shal be well with them, that feare God.

These Caveats, the god­ly man placeth before his remembrance, least hee should fall into errors, and making his life of no value to him, hee despiseth all things, onely ayming at that, may make him hap­py, which is, a good Con­science, for that will bring him peace at the last; death being to a godly man, the ending of Sorrowes, and the beginning of Ioyes; he doth then begin to live with God, when hee dyes to the World, Eccles. [...]. as it is sayd in Ecclesiastes; Who so feareth the Lord, it shall goe well with him at the [Page 60]last, and in the day of his Death, hee shall be blessed.

And St. IOHN, was com­manded to Write: Blessed are the Dead, Revel. 14. that dye in the Lord, even so sayth the Spirit; that they may rest from theyr labours, & their works follow them. How can that man bee discoura­ged, that heareth this of the Lord, in the houre of his Death, when he findeth himselfe hasting thither, where hee shall receive that, which he hath all his life-time desired.

And Saint AVGVSTINS, speaking of the Death of a Good man, sayth; He that desireth to bee dissolved, & be with Christ, dyeth not Patiently, but liveth Pati­ently, [Page 61]and dyeth delight­somely, and it may be sayd; That like a Swan, he dyeth singing, yeilding the glory to God which calleth him. With what joy, doth that Soule behold his end, who hath all his Life-time pos­sessed a good Conscience, nothing fearefull, can pre­sent it selfe before him, he sees all his sinnes, not of a Crimson die, but White as wooll, washed by the blood of Christ; he beholds him, not as his Iudge, but his Sauiour and Mediatour, his Iudge is, his Brother, God in Christ is become his Father, hee hath no debts to pay, Christ Iesus on the Crosse hath Can­celled [Page 62]the hand writing that was against him, and hath not onely made him free, but also an heyre of the Kingdome of Heaven. The presence of Death, is not terrible to him, for he feareth not Death, be­cause hee feared GOD, and hee that feareth him need feare none other: hee feareth not Death, because he feared Life, but feare of Death, are the effects of an evill Life; hee feareth not Death, because through all his life hee learned to dye, and prepared himselfe to dye; but a man prepared and provident, need not feare his Enemy; he fea­reth not Death, because so [Page 63]long as he lived, he sought for those things that might helpe him, that is, for Vertues and good Workes; hee feareth not Death, because to a Righ­teous man, Death is not death, but a sleepe, it is not Death, but an end of all la­bours, it is not Death but away unto life, and a Lad­der unto Paradice; for hee knoweth, that Death; hath lost all the bitternesse of Death, after it hath passed through the veynes of Life, and that it hath recei­ved the sweetnesse of life: hee feareth not the pre­sence of Divels, because he hath CHRIST his defen­der and Captaine: he fea­reth [Page 64]not the horror of the grave, because he knoweth that his body is sowne a corrup tible body, but shall rise againe, in incor­ruptible body, often boa­sting in the strength hee hath gained by Christ, say­ing with cheerefulnesse of spirit; O Death, where is thy sting? 2. Cor. 15. O Grave, where is thy victory? The strong man, death comes not upon him una­wares; for hee hath layd up in store for himselfe a good foundation against this time, 1. Tim. 6. which was to come, that hee might lay hold on Eternall life.

Even the brest-plate of righteousnesse, Ephes. 5. the shield [Page 65]of Faith, the Helmet of Salvation, and the Sword of the Spirit, having his loynes girt about with ve­rity, and his feete shod with the preparation of the Gospell of Peace, what hope now hath his enemy of any advantage, though helped by the weakenesse of his owne flesh: Death was ever expected, and therefore provided for: he alwayes lived as in the presence of GOD, having a strict eye over all his actions, and though now Satan bend all his Forces against him, because hee hath but a small time, be­fore his siege must bee ray­sed, and therefore presents [Page 66]that before him which he dearest loued, his Wife, Children, Father, and Friends, with his whole Estate, Honour, Riches, Youth, Health, Strength, and Life it selfe, thereby thinking to shake his hold; for this subtill ene­my knoweth, they are not lost without griefe, which are possessed with Love; yet fayles he of his pur­pose, for it is certaine, hee that in this life knoweth of fewest delights, least of all other, feareth Death, so he having never prized them otherwayes then they were in themselves, parteth from them with the lesse trouble, yet weake [Page 67]nature strugling with him, may a little dazle him, but calling to minde the Words of his Saviour, who sayth: Mark. 10. He that forsa­keth Father, Mother, Wife, Children, house and lands, for my sake, shall receive an hundred fold, hee gaines strength, and with the greater joy his Soule answers? Oh sweet IESVS I shall I not willing­ly forgoe all these, who for my sake, suffered the Viols of thy Fathers wrath due to me for sinne, to be powred out upon thee, and in thy body indured that, which I deserved? It was for my sake, thou wast borne in a Stable, and layd [Page 68]in a Cratch; for me, thou flying into Egypt, livedst seaven yeares in banish­ment; for me, thou didst fast, thou didst watch, thou didst run hither & thither, thou didst sweate Water and Bloud, thou didst Weepe, and thou didst prove by experience, those miseries which my sinnes deserved; and yet thou wast without sinne, ney­ther was there guile found in thy mouth, neyther hadst thou offended, but wast offended; for me, thou wast taken, forsaken of thine, denyed, sold, bea­ten with fists, spet upon, mocked, whipped, crow­ned with Thornes, reviled [Page 69]with blasphemies, hanged upon the Crosse, Dead, and Buried, thou wert not onely forsaken of all ex­ternall things, but also of the Divine comfort, as thy owne Mouth testified, when thou cryedst out, My God, my God, Math. 27. why bast thou forsaken mee; Oh the height of Loved Oh the depth of unmeasurable humility! Oh the great­nesse of Mercy! Oh the bottomlesse Pit of incom­prehensible Goodnes: Oh Lord! if I be so greatly in­debted to thee, because thou hast redeemed mee, what doe I not owe thee, for the manner by which thou hast redeemed mee: [Page 70]thou hast redeemed mee with most great dolours! with contumelies, and ig­nominies, not to be borne; insomuch, that thou wast made a reproach of men, and the scorne of the whole world; through thy reproaches, thou hast honoured me; through thy accusations, thou hast de­fended me; through thy bloud, thou hast washed me; through thy death, thou hast raysed me; and through thy teares, thou hast freed me, from ever­lasting weeping and gna­shing of teeth: thine were the Wounds, that healed my sores: thine was the backe, that bare [Page 71]my sorrowes; thine was the prize, that quit my scores: thou assumedst my flesh, to redeeme me here, and thou raignest as King, to crowne me here­after. Thus by those mise­rable Torments, thou didst free me from all evill; and shall I be unwilling to suf­fer the deprivation of a lit­tle happinesse, and the in­during of a few paines to come unto thee, who hast thus dearely purchased me for thy selfe: these Medi­tations so ravished his soule, that with aint PAVL he thinkes himselfe in the third Heaven, hee hath drunke so freely of the Ri­ver of Paradice, one drop [Page 72]of which is greater then the Ocean, which alone is able to quench the thirst of the whole World, that he loatheth these puddell Waters, accounting all things but drosse and dung in respect of Christ, all is to him in comparison, no more then the light of a Candle, is to the glorious beames of the Sunne, he is now so farre from estee­ming eyther them, or life, that he desires to be dis­solved and be with Christ, he longs for the day of his dissolution, life being to him a Prison, and with often groanes and sighes, cryoth, Come Lord Jesus, come quickly; and with [Page 73]DAVID hee sayth: O how I long to appeare before GOD. If life were offe­red him, with all the plea­sures thereof, hee would despise it, for hee is fitted for God, he is no man for the World, his Soule hath too exactly looked into the worth of it, to be de­ceived with all the glithe­ring shewes thereof, the which hee findes to bee vayne and fleeting, and nothing permanent in this Life.

IIII. Of the deferring of Re­pentance, how dange­rous it is, and of the deceiveablenesse of worldly Pleasures.

HAving now seen the quiet Hap­pinesse, and hap­pie Blessednesse of the Godly, at the houre of his Death, mee thinkes it should incourage every man to prepare himselfe for his end in the time of Prosperity, least when the time of changing shall come, they bee found na­ked and bare, and so lye [Page 75]open to all the assaults and batteries of Sathan, many there, bee to whom the Day of Iudgement seemes terrible, not remembring the day of theyr Death, which is the first Iudge­ment, the which whosoe­ver passeth, on such the se­cond shall have no power; as Saint IOHN sayth in the Revelation: The defer­ring of Repentance proves dangerous. Yet some in­religious man will say; When I am come to old Age, I will runne to the remedy of Repentance: Dare mans frailtie presume thus much of himselfe, seeing hee hath not one day of all his Life, in his [Page 76]owne power, for though God hath promised Par­don to the Penitent; yet he hath not promised to morrow to a sinner: there­fore, whilst it is called to day, Hebr. 5. heare his voyce and hearden not your hearts, least you enter into temp­tation. Follow the coun­sell of that Kingly Prea­cher, make no tarrying to turne unto the Lord; Eccles. 5. and put not off from day to day, for soda nly shall his wrath come, and in the time of vengeance he shall destroy thee: besides, there is another evill; sinne ha­ving no restraint, but free liberty, to runne on in his owne current; how [Page 77]dangerous doth it proove, and how hard is it to stop the course thereof, being once growne to a custome: Is it not usually knowne, that hee that driveth a Nayle into a Post, fasteneth it at the first stroke that he giveth it, but more firme­ly at the second stroke, but so fast at the third, that it can hardly bee pul­led out againe; and the oftner he striketh it, the faster it sticketh, and is pulled out againe, with the greater difficulty: So in every one of mans wic­ked actions, vice is driuen deepely into their soules, as if it were with a Mallet, and there it sticketh so [Page 78]fast, that it can by no meanes be pulled foorth, but by the bitter teares of Repentance, which are seldome and very hardly found; this same thing our Saviour shewed in the raysing of LAZARVS, be­ing foure dayes dead; whom he called foorth, Ioh. 1. with groaning of spirit: whereas he raysed others that were dead, with farre easier tokens of difficulty; signifying to us thereby, how great a myracle it is, that God should convert one buried in the custome of sinning; yet, not consi­dering these things, how doth time passe on, and what numberlesse sinnes [Page 79]are committed without feare to offend, or care to provoke him to anger; through whose Gates thou must enter, before whose feet thou must lye pro­strate, will thou nill thou; whose mercy thou must sue and deplore; Thou art piunged in the Gulfe of sinne, he onely must rayse theee? thou art wounded, he onely can healt thee? thou art sicke to the death, hee onely can give thee life? Oh then, feare to of­fend him! of whose helpe thou standest in need every moment, Isa. 30. tremble to pro­voke him to anger, who hath for unrepentant sin­ness, prepared a deepe and [Page 80]large pit, the Piller there­of is fire and much wood, the breath of the Lord, like a streame of brimstone doth kindle it; beware of going on in delights, with­out remembring your end, lest you be like the Fishes, that sports themselves so long in the delightsome streames of the River Jor­dan; that unawares they plunge themselves in Ma­re mertuum, from whence there is no Redemption; many are the baytes and snares, which are layd for man in this life, cove­red over with glittering wealth, and delightsome Pleasures, but bare these deceits, and cause them to [Page 81]appeare in their own like­nesse, and thou shalt finde this World to bee a Cas­ket of sorrowes and grie­vances, a Schoole of Vani­ty, a laborinth of Errors, a dungeon of Darknesse, a Market-place of Couso­nages, a way beset with Theeves, a ditch full of mud, and a Sea continual­ly tost and troubled with stormes and Tempests: what other thing is the world, but a barren Land, a field full of Thistles and Weeds, a Wood full of Thornes, a flourishing Garden, but bringing forth no fruit, a River of Teares, a Fountaine of Cares, a sweet poyson; A Tragedy [Page 82]pleasantly framed, a de­lightfull Phrenzie; the Worlds rest hath labour, the Security of it without ground, the feare of it is without cause, the Labour of it without fruit, the Teares without purpose, and the purposes without successe, the Hope of it is vayne, the joy feyned, and the Sorrow true, the Glo­ry of this World, is but the singing of Syrens, sweet, but a deadly Potion, a Vi­per, artificially painted without, but within full of venemous poyson: If the World fawne upon thee, it doth it that it may deceive thee; if it Exalt thee, it doth it that thy fall [Page 83]may bee the greater; if it [...] thee merry, it doth it that it afterwards with sorrow may breake thy heart; it giveth all her goods with a mixture of incomparable heavinesse and griefes, and that with the greatest usurie: if a Sonne bee borne to thee and soone after dye, thy sorrow will be seaven fold greater then was thy Ioy, the thing lost, more afflic­teth, then found joyeth; Sicknesse more excrucia­teth, then Health glad­deth; Injury more tormen­teth, then Honour contenteth; to conclude, what good things are found in the World, which are not [Page 84]counterfeit, and what [...] vill which are not [...] deed; If these things he so indeed as they are, where­fore should man desire to stay any longer in this land of Aegypt to gather stub­ble, who would not flye out of this Babilon, who would not desire to be de­livered from this fire of Sodome and Gomorrah: see­ing therefore, that the World is beset with so many snares, and that so many downfals and break­neckes are in the way, and the flame of Vices doe so burne us, who at any time can bee secure and safe, as the Wise man sayth; Prov. 6. Can a man take fire in his bo­some, [Page 85]and his cloathes not be burnt, or can a man goe upon Coales, Eccles. 13. and his feet not burnt; he that toucheth Pitch, shall be defiled with the same; estrange then thy minde from these ycie Vanities; listen and thou shalt heare CHRIST, who seeth the danger thou art falling into, calling unto thee, that hee may teach thee a way to prevent thy hurt, and saying; Behold, I stand at the doore and knocke, runne and open to this Physitian of thy Soule. O refuse him not, neyther delay his entrance, for thou art sicke, and he will give thee to drinke of the water of Life, neyther [Page 86]for money, nor by mea­sure, but freely, and taking thy fill, without limitation, and freely too, being of his owne Grace and Mercy.

Can you then, knowing to whom you are to open; stand with delayes; as I cannot yet, I will anon, but this I cannot yet, I will a­non; is deferred so long, that this heavenly ghest goeth away without a Lodging, by reason of which, he will hardly bee brought againe, without many teares: Oh then I be ready at the first knock to open; I meane the first good motion, so shall you receive a ghest, whose [Page 87]company is sweeter, then the honey and the honey Combe; On heart! more hard then stone, that can refuse him; if considered who it is, it is CHRIST, the well-beloved Sonne of his Father, it is hee, in whom, God the Father is so well pleased, that all thy sinnes are forgiven, being covered with the robe of his Righteousnesse; it is he, that suffered Rebukes, Buffetings, Scornings, Spit­tings on, and at the last, death; I, and that, the most cursedst death, even the death of the Crosse, as it is written: Cursed are eve­ry one that hang on a Tree. Galat. 3.

These things being so, [Page 88]have you not hearts harder then an Adamant, thus to oppose his entrance: Oh doe not deferre this pur­chase to the time to come, for one minute of this time (which now vainely sly­deth from thee) is more precious, then the Treasure of the whole world.

Be like unto a wise Mar­chant, Math. 13. that having found a precious Pearle, goes and sels all he hath to pur­chase it; what thing more precious then the Sonne of God, which heere offereth himselfe unto thee? why art thou so slacke in giving him entertainement, thin­kest thou him not worthy, because thou beholdest [Page 89]him in his Humility, poore and despised, or doth thy flesh puffe thee up with a conceit beyond thy me­rites, if it doe, cast thy eyes upon thy selfe, and consider what thou wast before thou wast borne, what thou art now, being borne, and what thou shalt bee after Death: before thou wast borne, thou wast filthy and obsceane mat­ter, not worthy to be na­med; now thou art dung, covered over with snow, and a while after thou shalt be meat for Wormes: why then, shouldest thou bee proud, seeing thy Na­tivity is sinne, thy Life mi­sery, and thy End putrifac­tion [Page 90]and corruption.

Having considered thus with thy selfe, tell mee if thou hast not the greater reason to open with the more celerity, Semel. hee of him­selfe, being willing to passe by these thy Infir­mities, wouldest thou not account that man most heathenish, who having a Friend, that had indured seaven yeares imprison­ment to keepe him from that bondage, & at the last payed his Ransome, at so deare a rate, as thereby his estate were for ever rui­ned, otherwise hee him­selfe to indure perpetuall Slavery: if this man, I say, should come and knocke [Page 91]at the doore of his Friend desiring admittance, and acquainting him, with who it was, and hee for this his love, should seeme not to know him, but bid him be gone and barre the doore against him; I know thou wouldest account him most inhumane and ungratefull, Isa. 5 3. and yet how farre short comes this of CHRIST'S love and boun­ty to thee, for the cha­stisement of thy Peace, was layd upon him, and with his stripes thou wast healed.

O wretched Soule! to loose such a Friend, Oh un­happie man! by this op­position, to deprive thy [Page 92]selfe of all Happines: for what greater Happinesse canst thou have, then to injoy that Fatherly provi­dence by which God pre­serveth his, what swee­ter Delights, then the Di­vine Grace, the Light of wisedome, the consolations of the holy Ghost, the Ioy and Peace of a good Con­science, the good event of Hope, the true liberty of the Soule, the inward peace of the Heart, to bee heard in Prayer, to be hel­ped in Tribulations, to be provided for temporall ne­cessities, and to bee ayded and to taste of Heaven­ly Comforts in death: whilst I seriously me­ditate [Page 93]upon these things, my Soule is as in a Rapture, me thinkes I see CHRIST IESVS comming in the Clouds, with thousand of Angels about him, the Heavens and Earth flying away at his presence, mil­lions of damned Soules, yelling and crying to the Rocks and Mountaines, to fall upon them, and to co­ver them, from the fierce­nesse of his sight; The Di­vels quaking and trembling expecting the denouncing of their Torments; and the Ioyes the Godly have at that houre: For as it is a day of horror and terror to the Wicked, so is it a day of joy and gladnesse to the [Page 94]godly; for as the body of the one rests in the earth, without taste of those miseries it hath de­served; even so the Righ­teous, by this sleepe of Death, is deprived of this blessednesse in their body, untill corruption hath put on incorruption, and mor­tality hath put on immor­tality; and that they are wakened by the sound of the Trumpet; which sūmo­neth them to appeare be­fore CHRIST; when then their soules become againe reunited to their bodyes, and both with Ioy, beholds the face of God, not as their Iudge, for he is their Brother; and therefore [Page 95]can expect from him, no­thing but mercy; he hath purchased them for him­selfe, with no meaner a [...] price, then his owne precious bloud; and there fore, must needs bee to him acceptable, this is theyr yeare of Iubilee, this is the Marriage of the Lambe, with him they enter, Revel. 21. and he is theyr God, and they are his Sonnes; they now behold his face, and his Name is in theyr fore­heads; They now, receive the fulnesse of theyr Ioy, Revel. 22. they now, possesse that hap­pinesse theyr Soules thir­sted for; they now, injoy the reward of all theyr la­bours: this blessednesse [Page 96]truly considered on, af­foordeth more pleasures then the tongue of Man can utter, or his Soule re­mayning in the Prison of his flesh, is able to receive, without crying out with the Spouse in the Canticles: Cant. 2. I am sicke of Love. It is no marvell, that the Church cryeth; Come Lord IE­SVS, come quickly: for in this his comming, con­sisteth all happinesse. Here is the finall end of all mise­ries and sinnes; it onely, prooveth the waters of Mara to the ungodly; it is terrible to none, but the unrepentant, even they who had their eyes sealed from beholding any other [Page 97]Happines, then what ten­ded to their pleasures; They which tooke to them the Timbrell and the Harp, and rejoyced in the sound of the Organs, they spend theyr dayes in wealth, and were of them that sayd: Speake no more to us in the name of the Lord; they sayd to God, depart from us, for wee desire not the knowledge of thy wayes. What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit shall wee haue, if we pray unto him? Now alas! but too late, they see theyr owne follyes; now without hope of re­dresse, they behold theyr owne miseries; no marvell, [Page 98]though the mentioning of the day of Iudgement, be terrible to such a man; who by his wickednesse, deprives himselfe of all those Blessednesses; for ill will it prove, if the day of Death, be not alwayes in his remembrance; which is the first judgement, and wherein he must stand ey­ther convicted, or acquit­ted; eyther condemned for his bad workes, or justified for his good, whereof he can have little hope, un­lesse hee meet his Iudge in the way, and make his peace with him, whilst he may be found; yet, there is time to furnish thy lamp with Oyle, yet the Gates [Page 99]of Mercy are not shut, yet thou mayest so cry, as thou mayest bee satisfied with this gracious answer; Come yee blessed of my Fa­ther; Whereas, if thou de­ferre thy Repentance from time to time, putting farre from thee the evill day, if thou doe not expect the comming of thy Lord, but become drunken, and fall to smiting thy fellow Ser­vants, if thou hide thy Ta­lent in the Earth, which God in his goodnesse hath bestowed on thee to better uses: Thy Lord will come when he is not looked for, Math. 21. and in a time when thou art not aware of, and cast thee into utter Darknesse, [Page 100]where shall bee wayling and gnashing of Teeth, gi­ving thee a just hyre for thy carelesse security: It is not thy pleasures, that can deferre thy calamities; it is not the inlarging thy Barnes, that can resist thy misery; the greatnesse of Friends will not availe; thy Iudge is blinde to Bribery, and deafe to all but Iustice, if his wrath be not appea­sed before he come to give sentence, it will then be too late to expect mercy.

V. Comforts for the weake Christian; and to beware of Backe­sliding.

OVR most subtle malicious Enemy retayning still the hatred hee bare our first Parents at the be­ginning, seeketh to bring us into ever lasting Perditi­on, and so to gaine us to himselfe by one meanes or other; to a man nouzeled in Sinne, hee useth no o­ther wayes, then the lul­ling him still the faster [Page 102]asleepe in worldly plea­sures; the Miser he perswa­deth still to covet Riches, thereby making his Gold his God; by which meanes hee filleth up the measure of Wrath against the day of Iudgement: the Adulte­rer hee draweth on more easily, by the delightsom­nesse of the sinne, telling him that stolne bread is sweet, Prov. 5. and hid waters pleasant: the Proud man, hee hath hud-wincked, not to thinke of time, but to account all loft, but what is spent in decking and setting himselfe foorth in the Divels Feathers: Thus all sinnes he lessens, that so he may cause man to defer [Page 103]his repentance till the last, then the which, there is nothing more dangerous: but when he meets a child in religion, who is glad to suck milke from the sweet paps of Gods word, him he so to sceth & shaketh, with telling him of his owne unworthines, and the seve­rity of Gods Iustice, that the poore Soule is ready to leave his hold and to fall into desperation, not da­ring scarce to looke up to Gods Mercy; but if his weaknes become strength and he be raysed by Faith, then hee strives to cause him to become weary and backward in well doing,

Therefore, thou O man I [Page 104]that wouldest doe the good thou doest not, but through the deceiveable­nesse. of thy flesh standeth loytering, and with SA­LOMONS fluggard cryeth; Yet a little sleepe, a little slumber; a wake and behold CHRIST comming in the Clouds. Stand up and gird thy selfe like a man, lift up thy eye of Faith and behold thy Saviour, whose merits plead for thee? See him dying for thee, and thereby paying thy debts? See thy Iudge a just one, and there­fore will not require that againe, which Christ hath already satisfied, hee hath beheld the thoughts of thine heart, and found thy [Page 105]desires, are to serve him concerning, the inward Man, and though thou didst fall into sinnes most offensive to the eyes of his Divine Maiesty, yet hee knowes, that the evill thou didst hate, that thou didst: But it was a Law in thy Members that ledde thee captive to the Law of sin: Rom. 7. then if as a Captive forc't, it was no longer thou, but sinne that dwelled in thee.

Let the remembrances of these Mercies, waken thy Soule from the drow­sinesse of Sinne, and re­member who hath sayd: Awake, Ephes. 5. thou that sleepest and arise from the Dead, and CHRIST shall give [Page 106]thee light? Hee calleth thee? Hee biddeth thee awake, let not these sweet calles, strike thee dead, Math. 20. as his presence did the Kee­pers, who became astonish­ed, and were as dead men; but rather let that voyce bee of as great power to thee, as it was to LAZA­RVS; not onely to rayse thee from the sleepe, Iohn. 11. but also from the death of Sin. And bee as ready to enter­taine this love as THOMAS was, who no sooner tou­ched his Saviour, but cry­ed out: Iohn. 20. My Lord, and my God: Neyther deceive thy selfe, with a soothing conceit of what is not in thee; I [...]th. 7. For, the Tree is [Page 107]knowne by the fruit; for men cannot gather Grapes of Thornes, nor Figs of Thistles: A good man, out of the good Treasure of his Heart, Math. 7. bringeth forth good things, and an evill man, out of the evill Trea­sure of his heart, bringeth forth evill things; so that howsoever thou mayst seeme to the World, yet as a shadow doth alwayes follow the body, so feare and desperation will at all times, and in all places, wayte upon an evill Con­seience.

Let not thy Faith be as a House built upon the Sands, which will shake with every blast of Temp­tations, [Page 106] [...] [Page 107] [...] [Page 108]or Afflictions, but found it upon the Rocke CHRIST IESVS; against which, whatsoever bea­teth shall returne with a greater repulse to it selfe, as not being able to move it; and having once at­tayned this perfection, take heed of recoyling, for CHRIST sayth; He that layeth hand upon the Plough and looketh backe, is not meet for the Kingdome of Heaven. Luke. 9.

What though the way to Heaven be narrow, and full of Difficulties? Wilt thou not therefore, bee­ing entred, perseuere? Who would wish or de­sire to walke in a way [Page 109]strowed with Roses, and planted with divers fra­grant Flowers, if the assured end of it be death; and who would refuse a rough and difficult path, that leadeth unto life; is it not commonly seene, that many men to attaine to Preferment, run into most apparent dangers, and hazard the losse of theyr life; (nay I know thou wouldest doe it thy selfe) and shall it bee trouble­some and grievous to thee, to doe that for thy Soule, which thou refuseth not to doe for thy Body? Shall it seeme a great thing un­to thee, to suffer a little trouble heere, that here­after [Page 110]thou mayst escape eternall torment? What would not the rich cove­tous man buryed in Hell, willingly doe, if he might have licence to come into the World againe, that he might amend his errors? Is it meet that thou shoul­dest doe lesse now, then he would doe; seeing, that if thou dost persever in thy wickednesse, the same tor­ments remaine for thee.

He that runneth a Race leaveth not till hee come to the Gole; So run as you may obtaine: Remember LOTS Wife, who looking backe became a Piller of Salt; so take heed, lest thou by looking backe upon the [Page 111]vanities of this life, forget the care of thy Soule, com­manded thee by God; & so of his child, become not a Piller of Salt, but a child of Perdition; a man ha­ving much riches, is still [...]vetous of more, and what wealth to be compa­red to the Soule? A thing so great in it selfe; that what gayneth hee, that getteth the whole world, and looseth his Soule; even as great a purchase, as hee, who having with much Labour and great charge, obtayned a preci­ous lewell, straight giueth it for a trifle.

Nay, were it so, it were the lesse, for that were but [Page 112]the undoing of the body, this the losse of the Soule; that friends againe may rayse, this is a losse irre­coverable: Wherefore, thinke no paynes weari­some, no labours irksome, nor any troubles grievous, to attaine true happinesse; For our light afflictions, 2. Cor. 4. which is but for a moment, worketh for us a farre more exceeding & eternall weight of Glory, while we looke not at the things which are seene, but at the things which are not seene; for the things which are seene, are Tem­porall, but the things which are not seene, are Eternall: wherefore set­ting [Page 113]all hinderances apart, with cheerefulnesse of spirit, take up the Crosse of CHRIST, and incou­rage thy feeble spirit, with the saying of the Apostle PAVL: The trou­bles of this Life, are not comparable to the joyes that shall bee heereafter: 2. Cor. 6. having therefore these promises, cleanse your selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit, per­fecting Holinesse in the feare of GOD.

VI. That Man ought to bee wonne to follow Godli­nesse, in respect of the Eternall Happinesse.

HAving now set before thee, Deut. 30. Life and good. Death and evill: I de­fire thee, to choose Life, that both thou and thy seed mayest live, for having beheld, the deceiveablenes of worldly pleasures, and how this momentany feli­city is attended on, by sor­row and her Confederates, me thinks thou shouldest [Page 115]be weary of this house of Clay, scituated in a Wil­dernes of miseries, which hourely produceth Mon­sters, that ravenously see­keth to prey on thy de­struction: and withdraw­ing thy mind from these fleeting delights, elevate thy thoughts to Heaven, and contemplate with thy selfe, of those Coelestiall pleasures; note the beauty of the place, the glorious­nesse of the company, and the durablenesse of that Happinesse, which is E­ternity; for the beautie of this place, this Heaven­ly Ierusalem, looke into the Revelation, Revel. 21. and thou shalt finde; It hath the [Page 116]glory of GOD, the light thereof to be like a Iasper stone, cleere as Chrystall; glorious must it needs bee, when the Wall is of Ias­per, and the City of pure gold, cleare like glasse, and the Foundations of the Wall garnished with all manner of precious stones; the twelve Gates were twelve Pearles; eve­ry severall gate, was of one pearle; Revel. 15 for the company, there are Angels, and Martyrs, with the foure and twenty Elders, that offer up golden Vials full of odours, which are the Prayers of Saints; but, which is chiefe of all de­lights, there will be GOD [Page 117]himselfe who will bee a Looking-Glasse to the eyes of his Elect, Musicke to theyr eares, Nectar and Ambrosia to their Palates, odoriferous Balsamum to theyr Smelling; There thou shalt see, the variety and beauty of the seasons, the pleasantnesse of the Spring, the brightnesse of Summer, the fruitfulnesse of Autumne, and the qui­et of Winter, and there shall bee whatsoever may delight thy sences, and e­very faculty of thy Soule; there will be, the fulnesse of light to thy understanding, the aboundance of Peace to thy will, and the conti­tinuance of Eternity to [Page 118]thy memory; there, the Wisedome of SALOMON, shall seeme ignorance; there, the beauty of AB­SASOM shall seeme defor­mity; there, the strength of SAMPSOM, shall seeme weakenesse; there, the long life of METHV­SALEM, shall seeme a span; there, the Riches of CRoeSVS, shall seeme drosse: for there, thou mayst worthily call the treasures of all Emperors and Kings, starke poverty and beggery.

These things beeing thus? Why shouldest thou O man! delight to begge, and live of Almes, when thou shalt finde such a­boundance [Page 119]in Heaven, looke upon thy selfe and consider, how the Lord hath bestowed upon thee a countenance of Majesty, with thy face erected to­wards Heaven, and thy eye-lids to move upwards, thereby to teach thee, that thou wert not formed, to spend thy dayes in the moi­ling cares of this trouble­some world, but to aspire to that true Happines, that maketh all the other Mise­ry.

Marke the Sea-mans Needle, whose nature of that Iron is, that in what part it hath touched the Loadstone, that part al­wayes looketh towards [Page 120]the North, and remaineth unsetled, till it hath found the Pole: even so hath God created Man, and hath infu­sed into him a naturall in­clination and readinesse, that hee should alwayes looke to his Maker, as to the Pole and onely true happines.

When the Children of Jsrael in the Wildernesse, were stung by fiery Ser­pents, none could live, but those, that looked up to that brazen Serpent, which MOSES erected; so no man beeing stung by those fiery Serpents of sin, can live; but those, that by the eye of Faith looke up to CHRIST IESVS, [Page 121]beholding him, dying upon the Crosse, and applying his death and merits, to their otherwise deadly-wounded Soule, whereby that Vlcer is cured and they assured of life.

After ADAM had sin­ned in eating the forbid­den fruit, Gen. 3. GOD sent him to Till the Earth, out of which he was taken; but the soule of man was in­fused into him by the breath of God; Gen. 2. let there­fore the cogitations of thy heart and Soule bee turned towards him, from whence it had the beeing, seeing, as sayth Saint AVGVSTINE: There is nothing more blessed, than [Page 120] [...] [Page 121] [...] [Page 122]this life, where there is no feare of Poverty, no in­firmity of Sicknesse, no deceipts of the Divell, ney­ther Death of body or Soule, but, a pleasant life through the guift of Im­mortality, then there shall be no mischiefes, no dis­cords, but all agreement; because there shall be one concord, of all the Saints, peace and joy imbrace all things.

What is it, that thou canst desire heere upon Earth, that thou shalt not there freely possesse? If thou defirest pleasures, lift up thy heart and see how delightfull that Good is, that contayneth in it, the [Page 123]delight and pleasure of all good things? If this life created doth please thee, how much more shall that life please thee, which hath created all things? If health given make thee merry, how much more shall he make thee merry, that giveth all health? If the knowledge of the Creatures bee sweet, how much more sweeter shall the Creator himselfe be? if beauty bee acceptable unto thee, it is he, at whose beauty, the Sunne and Moone admire; the glory of which, was so great, that when MOSES went up to the Mount, though he saw but the hinder part [Page 124]thereof, his Face became so bright and shining, that the Israelites could not behold him; what should I stand longer to set forth the beauty of that, which if I had the tongue of Men and Angels, I could not doe; for as the Apostle fayth; 1. Cor. 2. Eye hath not seene, Eare hath not heard, neyther hath it entred in­to the heart of Man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

Wilt thou then choose with the Prodigall Sonne, to eate Huskes with the Swine, rather than to re­turne home to thy Hea­venly Father, will not all [Page 125]these delights move thee, nor cause thee to desire it; it may bee thou art time­rous, knowing thy owne unworthinesse; but bee in­couraged by the words of thy Saviour, who seeing thy faint heartednesse, sayth: Feare not little flocke, Luke. 15. for it is your fathers pleasure to give you a Kingdome. Thou art one of the flocke, and this Kingdome is prepared for thee; why dost thou not long to take possession of thy owne, pu chased for thee by CHRIST, who though hee be thy Elder brother; yet thou shalt bee co-heyre with him, whose love, thou mayst [Page 126]see expressed, by his in­finite care; for in his Pray­er to his Father for his Disciples, he remembred thee, when he sayd, I pray not for these alone, Iohn. 117. but for those that shall beleeve on me, that they may all be one as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, and the glory which thou hast given mee, I have given them, that they may bee one even as wee are one, I will also, that those thou hast given mee, bee with me.

Canst thou now have any doubts or waverings in thy Mind? Repayre unto him, and in true hu­mility of Soule confesse [Page 127]thy selfe unto him, and say; Father I have sinned against Heaven and against thee, and I am no more worthy to bee called thy Sonne: This done, doubt not but hee will imbrace thee in the Armes of his Mercy, the Ring and Robe shall be brought, and the fatted Calfe shall be kild: for there is more joy in Heaven, over one sinner that repenteth, than of ninety and nine just per­sons: It is a place prepa­red for thee, before the Foundations of the World were layd. O happy Soule! that art made possessor of this blessednesse! How art thou able to behold any [Page 128]thing in this life, with true contentment, having se­riously beheld this; though thou didst dayly suffer torments, if for a long time thou didst indure Hell it selfe, so that at the length thou mightest see CHRIST in his glory, and injoy this blessednesse, and haue society with the Saints; were it not wor­thy all Sufferings? All Bitternes? and all Crosses, that thou mightest be par­taker of all this good. At last, what though the world account not of thee, but deride thee for thy vertuous living? Re­member ELIZEVS the Prophet of the Lord, who [Page 129]was mocked and called Bald-head, in contempt; Resolve with thy selfe, no sooner to enter into the path of Godlinesse, but such is the malitiousnesse of thy Mortall Enemie, that hee will set his mem­bers in the way agaiust thee; that if it bee possible, they may hinder thy pro­ceedings, and turne thee backe againe into the broad way of Errors, that leadeth to destruction.

No sooner did SAVL Prophesie, but the wicked and the men of BELIAL, had him in derision, who better affected, then PAVL the Apostle, whilst he re­mayned a Persecutor of [Page 130]CHRIST in his members, and carried with him the authority of the High Priests, to strengthen his proceedings; but no soo­ner was he converted, but how many enimies had he, which streight sought his destruction, hayling him to Prisons, to Scour­ging, and to Stonings to death. Yet so farre were they from being disheart­ned by this, as that they re­ioyced that they were counted worthy to suffer for the name of CHRIST.

When we enter into Bap­tisme, we professe to be­come CHRISTS souldiers, and to fight vnder his ban­ner; and is it the part of a [Page 131]Souldier, to flye at the first onset, he that indureth to the end, gaineth not onely the honour, but the reward; nay, the fiercer the assault is, the more we ought to oppose our selues against it, and though through the roughnes of the incounter, we may thinke we haue the worst, yet if with patience wee striue to perseuer, our Cap­taine CHRIST IESVS will be at hand to helpe vs, for carefull is he of his owne, as his owne mouth testifi­eth; when he saith, to his Father, All thou hast giuen me, I haue kept, and none of them is lost. Let all these proofes arme thy [Page 132]minde, to be resolute in go­ing on in goodnes, till thou attaine the end where thou shalt gaine the reward of thy abours, and take with theel, the Counsell of the Philosopher HERMES, who sayth, It is better, to suffer shame for vertuous dealing, then to win ho­nour by vicious living.

When SALOMON had builded the Teinple and sanctified it, none might enter into Sanctum Sancto­rum, the holiest of all, but the Priest onely. So none can enter into this Kingdome, which is the true Sanctum Sanctorum; but those who haue by a Religious course of life, [Page 133]put off the vanities of this world, and cloathed them­selves with the Robe of CHRISTS Righteousnesse, whereby they are Conse­crated & made fit to enter.

When the Children of Jsraell were in the Wil­dernes, they were com­manded every day to ga­ther. Manna, but on the Sabboth they that went to gather, found none for that they were on the E­ven to provide for that day: so fayle not thou e­uery day of thy life, to ga­ther this Manna, the food of thy soule, and to lay vp in store against this day of thy rest, least when thou hopest to find, thou become [Page 134]frustrate, and so thy soule starue with want thereof, feede not thy selfe with hopes of entertainement, vnlesse thou haue furni­shed thy selfe with the wedding garment, neither thinke to passe with one that is counterfeit, though neuer so neare the colour; for if it be not found the right one, thou shalt be ta­ken and bound hand and foot, and cast into utter darkenesse; therefore it is that the Apostle sayth, Examine your selves whi­ther yee be in the Faith, 2. Cor. 13. prove your selves.

There are many, nay most that vnderstanding the infinitnesee of the happi­nes [Page 135]of this place, that with BALAAM will desire to dye the death of the Righ­teous, Numb. 33 but they will not liue the life of the Righte­ous: because they exempt themselves from many things, in the which the wicked place theyr whole felicity, they accounting this world theyr Heauen, shall therefore finde none other hereafter, as in the parable, Abraham sayd to the rich man in Hell; Son remember that thou in thy life-time, received thy good things; they were his, becausein them consi­sted all his happines: there­fore possessing of them here, he could not expect [Page 136]a future: For as the Apo­stle saith, Be not deceiued, God is not mocked, for what a man soweth, that shall he reape; for he that soweth to the flesh, shall of the flesh reape corrup­tion: but he that soweth to the spirit, shall of the spi­rit, reape life euerlasting. For true blessednes, consi­steth not in meat or drink, or in richnesse of apparell, but in Righteousnes and Peace, and Ioy in the Holy Ghost.

A man who hath beene long kept from his father and mother, wife or chil­dren, by imprisonment, be­ing once at liberty, and en­tred on his lourney toward [Page 137]thē, regardeth not neither the length of the way, the wearisomnes of his owne steps, nor the dangerousnes of the places he is to passe, but goeth on with cheare­fulnesse and longings, till he attaine the end, and as a spurre to whet on his speed, placeth before the eye of his remembrance the sweete content hee shall finde at meeting, can these earthly delights cause a man to vndergoe so many difficulties, and shall not the delights which God hath prepared for his and whereof I haue giuen thee a glimpse, cause thee with much more feruen­cie, to long to attaine to [Page 138]this place of happinesse, and setting a part all hin­derances whatsoever, six thy eye of Faith vpon those vnspeakeable plea­sures which thy soule shall then gayne, & in Ioy when thou shalt meete with God thy Father, Christ Iesus thy Brother and Sauiour, who hath by the infinite­nes of his love espoused thee vnto himselfe; and made the possessor of Hea­uen, where thou shalt as sayth Saint AVGVST. im­brace a certaine imbracing aboue all imbracings.

Thou shalt find a sweet­nes aboue all sweetnesse, thou shalt see alight aboue all lights, thou shalt smell [Page 139]a sauour aboue all savours, most delectable, thou shalt heare a voyce aboue all voyces for rarenes, for that voyce doth sound where no ayre doth moue it, this light doth shine, where no place doth receiue it, this savour doth smell where no blast doth carry it, and this imbrace is there touched, where it is not sundred; to conclude if thou desirest to inioy all blessednesse, and to escape all kinde of punishments, tribulations, and miseries, there thou shalt find liber­tie & freedome from them all. The God of our Lord IESVS CHRIST, the Father of Glory, give vn­to [Page 140]vs, the spirit of wisdome & knowledge of him, that the eyes of our vnderstan­ding being inlightned, we may know, what is the hope of his calling, and what the Riches of the Glory of the inheritance of his Saints, Amen.