of the East who saw Herod in all his Royalty and Glory worshipped not him yet they fell down before Christ No doubt but that by divine instinct they knew the divinity of Christ hence they worshipped him not only with civil worship as one born King of the Jews but with divine worship which was it 's like the outward gesture of reverence and kneeling and falling down for so the Greek words signifie Is it probable that they would worship a young babe that by reason of his infancy understands nothing except they did believe some divine thing to be in him and therefore not the Chrysostom childhood but the divinity in the child was worshipped by them certainly if Christ had been no more than a natural child they would never have undertaken so long so tedious and so perillous a journey to have found him out principally considering as some conceive they themselves were little inferiour to the Kings of the Jews It is uncertain what these wise men who were Gentiles knew particularly concerning the mystery of the Messias but certainly they knew that he was something more than a man by the internal Revelation of the spirit of God who by faith taught them to believe that he was a King though in a cottage and a God though in a cradle and therefore as unto a God they fell down and worshipped him c. But Fifthly when Jesus Christ was declared to the world God did command even the most glorious Angels to worship him as his natural any coessential son who was begotten from the days of Eternity in the unity of the God-head for when he brought in his first-begotten and only-begotten son into the world he said And let all the Angels of God worship him Heb. 6. The glorious Angels who refuse divine honour to be given to themselves see thou do it not saith the Angel to John wen John fell Rev. 19. 10. cap. 22. 9. at his feet to worship him I am thy fellow servant c. yet they give and must give divine honour unto Christ Phil. 2. 9. The Manhood of it self could not be thus adored because it is a creature but as it is received into unity of person with the Deity and hath a partner agency therewith according to its measure in the work of Redemption and Mediation All the honour due to Christ according to his divine nature was due from all eternity and there is no divine honour due to him from and by reason of his humane nature or any perfection which doth truly and properly belong to Christ as man He who was born of Mary is to be adored with divine worship but not for that reason because he was born of Mary but because he is God the coessential and eternal Son of God From what has been said we may thus argue He to whom Religious worship is truly exhibited is the most high God But religious worship is truly exhibited unto Christ Ergo Christ is the most high God But Seventhly Christ's Eternal Deity may be demonstrated 7. Neveâ— did any mere creature challenge to himself the honour due to God but miscarried and were confounded witness the Angels that God cast out of heaven 2 Pet. 2. 4. And Adam that he cast out of Paradise â—â—n 3. 22 23 24. And Herâ—d whom the Angel smote with a fatal blow Act. 12. 23. And those several Popes that we reaâ— of in Ecclesiastical stories therefore had Jesus Christ been but a mere creature divine justice woâ—â—d have confounded 〈◊〉 for making himself a God from Christ's oneness with the Father and from that claim that Jesus Christ doth lay to all that belongs to the father as God Now certainly if Jesus Christ were not very God he would never have laid claim to all that is the father's as God The Ancients insist much upon that Joh. 16. 15. All things that the father hath as God are mine the father hath an eternal God-head and that is mine the Father hath infinite power and wisdom and that is mine the father hath infinite majesty and glory and that is mine the father hath infinite happiness and blessedness in himself and that is mine saith Christ The words are very emphatical having in them a double Universality 1. All things there is one note of Universality 2. Whatsoever there is another note of Universality we saith Christ there is nothing in the father as God but is mine All that the father hath is mine the father is God and I am God the father is life and I am life for whatsoever the father hath is mine John 10. 30. I and my father are one we are one eternal God we are one in consent will essence nature power dominion glory c. I and my father are one two persons but one God he speaketh this as he is God one in substance being and Deity c. As God he saith I and my father are one but secundum formam servi in respect of the form of a servant his assumed humanity he saith John 14. 28. My father is greater than I John 10. 37. If I do not the works of my father believe me not vers 38. But if I do though ye believe not me believe the works c. The Argument of it self is plain No man can of himself and by his own power do divine works unless he be truly God I do divine works by my own power yea I do the works of my father not only the like and equal but the same with the father Therefore I am truly God neither deserve I to be called a Blasphemer because I said I was one with the father 1 John 5. 7. And these three are one one in nature and essence one in power and will and one in the act of producing all such actions as without themselves any of them is said to perform Look as three Lamps are lighted in one chamber albeit the Lamps be divers yet the lights cannot be severed so in the Godhead as there is a distinction of persons so a simplicity of nature From the Scriptures last cited we may safely and confidently conclude that Christ hath the same divine nature and Godhead with the father they both have the same divine and essential Titles and Attributes and perform the same inward operations in reference to all creatures whatsoever To make it yet more plain compare John 17. 10. with John 16. 15. All things that the father hath are mine John 16. 15. Father all mine are thine and thine are mine John 17. 10. That is whatsoever doth belong to the father as God doth belong to Christ for we speak not of personal but Essential Properties Christ doth lay claim to all that is natural to all that belongs to the father as God not to any thing which belongs to him as the father as the first person of the blessed Trinity All things that the father hath are mine This he speaketh John 1. 16. v. in the person
giver or the taker the inconstancy and slipperiness of it is discernable in the instances last cited It hath raised some but hath ruined more and those commonly whom it hath most raised it hath most ruined Sir if there be any thing glorious in the world 't is a mind that divinely contemns that glory and such a mind I judge and hope God hath given you I have hinted a little at the vanity of worldly glory because happily this Treatise passing up and down the world may fall into the hands of such as may be troubled with that Itch and if so who can tell but that that little that I have said may prove a soveraign salve to cure that Egyptian Botch and if so I have my end Sir Let nothing lye so near your heart in all the world as these eight things 1. Your sins to humble you and abase you at the foot of God 2. Free and rich and soveraign grace to soften and mâ—lt you down Col. 1. 10 11 12 13. Phil. 4. 12 13 14. â—al 2. 20. 1 Cor. 15. 10. 2 Cor. 12. 10. Psal 119. 105. Amos 6. 3 4 5 6. â—â—â— 1. 1 2 3 4 5. into the will of God 3. The Lord Jesus Christ to assist help strengthen and influence you to all the duties and services that are incumbent upon you 4. The blessed Scriptues to guide you and lead you and o be a lamp unto you feet and a light unto your paths 5. The afflictions of Joseph to draw out your charity mercy pity sympathy and campassion to men in misery 6. The glory and happiness of another world to arm you and steel you against all the sins snares and temptations that your high places offices and circumstances may lye you open to 7. The grand points in this Treatise which being laid upon your heart by the warm hand of the spirit are able to make you wise unto salvation and to secure your precious and immortal soul against those pernicious and most dangerous may I not say damnable errours and opinions 2 Pet. 2. 1. that are preached printed and cryed up in the vain world 8. The interest of Christ and his people which will be your honour whilst you live your joy and comfort when you come to die and your Crown of 1 Thess 1. 19. 20. rejoycing in the great day of our Lord. Sir I shall not so far disgust you as to tell the world how many several score pounds of your money hath passed through my hands towards the relief refreshment support and preservation of such who for their piety and extreme poverty and necessity were proper objects of your charity but shall take this opportunity to tell you and all others into whose hands this Treatise may fall that of all the duties of Religion there are none 1. More commanded than this of charity pity compassion Prov. 3. 9 10. Eccles 11. 1 2. Gal. 6. 10. 2 Cor. 8. 3 4 5. cap. 9. 1 2. Isa 58. 7. to the 13. ponder upon it Mat. 25. 34 to vers 41. and mercy to men in misery especially to those of the houshold of faith 2. There is no one duty more highly commended and extolled than this 3. There is no one duty that hath more choice and precious promises annexed to it than this 4. There is no one duty that hath greater rewards attending it than this Evagrius a rich man being importuned by Sinesius a Bishop to give something to charitable uses he yielded at last to give three hundred pounds but first took bond of the Bishop that it should be repayed him in another world according to the promise of our Saviour Mat. 19. 29. with a hundred-fold advantage Before he had been one day dead he is said to have appeared to the Bishop delivering in the bond cancelled as thereby acknowledging that what was promised was made good It is certain that one days being in heaven will make a sufficient recompence for whatsoever a man has given on earth Neither shall I acquaint the world with those particular favours and respects which you have shewed to my self but treasure them up in an awakened breast and be your remembrancer at the throne of grace Only I must let the world know that I owe you more than an Epistle and if you please to accept of this mite in part of payment and improve it for your souls advantage you will put a farther obligation upon me to study how I may farther serve the interest of your immortal soul Let the lustre of your prudence wisdom charity fidelity generosity and humility of spirit shine gloriously through all your places offices abilities riches employments and enjoyments for this is the height of all true excellency and that it may be so remember for ever that the eyes of God of Christ of Angels of Jer. 16. 17. Job 34 21. Prov. 5. 21. Jer. 32. 19. Heb. 4. 13. 'T is a saying of the School-men quic quid est in deo est in deo est ipse deus Devils of Sinners of Saints of Good of Bad are always fixed upon you God is all ear to hear all hand to punish all power to protect all wisdom to direct all goodness to relieve all grace to pardon and he is Totus Oculus all eye to observe the thoughts hearts words ways and walkings of the children of men As the eyes of a well drawn picture are fastned on us which way soever we turn so are the eyes of the Lord. Zeno a wise Heathen affirmeth that God behold even the very thoughts of men Athenodorus another Heathen saith that all men ought to be careful of the actions of their life because God was every where and behold all that was done Of all men on earth Magistrates and Ministers had need pray with David Teach us thy â—sal 27. 1. way O Lord and lead us in a plain path because of our enemies or nearer the Hebrew because of our observers in all the Ages of the world there have been Sauls and Doegs who have looked upon God's Davids with an evil Jer 20. 10. eye and watched for their halting there are multitudes that will be still eyeing and prying into the practices offices carriages and conversations of Magistrates and Ministers the more it concerns them to watch pray act and walk like so many earthly Angels in the midst of a crooked perverse and froward Generation Phil. 2. 15. Wise and prudent Governours are an unspeakable mercy to a Kingdom or Commonwealth which Jethro well understood when he gave Moses that good counsel To make choice out of the people of grave and able men such as feared God men of trath hating covetousness Exâ—d 18. 21 22. 〈◊〉 tirum in â—â—a is a maximas true as old and to make them rulers over thousands and rulers over hundreds over fifties and over tens But in the Nations round how rare is it to find Magistrates qualified suitable to Jethro's counsel Alphonsus
is a Toad hates every Toad and he who hates a Godly man because he is Godly he hates every Godly man and so he who hates sin because 't is sin he hates every sin Rom. 7. 15. What I hate that do I. Thirdly Every Godly man would fain have his sins not only pardoned but destroyed his heart is alienated from his sins and therefore nothing will serve him or satisfie him but the blood and death of his sins Isa 2. 20 chap. 30. 22. Hos 14. 8. Rom. 8. 24. Saul hated David and sought his life and Haman hated Mordâ—cat and sought his destruction and Absalom hated Amnon and kill'd him Julian the Apostate hated the Christians and put many thousands of them to death The great thing that a Christian has in his eye in all the duties he performs and in all the Ordinances that he attends is the blood and death and ruine of his sins Fourthly Every Godly man groans under the burden of sin 2 Cor. 5. 4. For we that are in this Tabernacle do groan being burdened Never did any Porter groan more to be delivered from his heavy burden than a Christian groans to be delivered from the burden of sin the burden of affliction the burden of temptation the burden of desertion the burden of opposition the burden of persecution the burden of scorn and contempt is nothing to the burden of sin ponder upon that Psal 38. 4. and Psal 40. 12. ver and Rom. 7. 24 ver Fifthly Every Godly man combats and conflicts with all known sin In every gracious Soul there is a constant and perpetual conflict The flesh will be still a lusting against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh Gal 5. 17 Rom. 7. 22 23. â— King 14. 30. 31. Though sin and grace were not born together and though sin and grace shall never die together yet whiles a Believer lives in this world they must live together and whilst sin and grace do cohabit together they will still be opposing and conflicting one with another Sixthly Every gracious heart is still a crying out against his sins he crys out to God to subdue them he crys out to Christ to crucifie them he crys out to the Spirit to mortifie them he crys out to faithful Ministers to arm him against them and he crys out to sincere Christians that they would pray hard that he may be made Victorious over them Now certainly it is a most sure sign that sin has not gained a mans heart a mans love nor his consent but committed a Rape upon his Soul when he crys out bitterly against his sin It is observable That if the Ravished Virgin under the Law cryed out she was guiltless Deut. 22. 25 26 27. certainly such as cry out of their sins and that would not for all the world indulge themselves in a way of sin such are guiltless before the Lord. That which a Christian does not indulge himself in that he do's not do in divine account But Seventhly The fixed purposes and designs of a Godly man is not to sin Psal 17. 3. I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress that is I have laid my design so as not to sin Though may have many perticular failings yet my general purpose is not to sin Psal 39. 1. I said I will take heed to my ways that I sin not with my tongue I will keep my mouth with a Bridle while the wicked is before me When ever a Godly man sins he sins against the general purpose of his Soul David laid a Law upon his tongue he uses three words in the first and second verses to the same purpose which is as if he should say in plain English I was silent I was silent I was silent and all this to express how he kept in his passion that he might not offend with his tongue Though a Godly man sins yet he doth not purpose to sin for his purposes are fixt against sin Holiness is his high-way and as sin is it self a by-way so it is besides his way The honest Traveller purposes to keep straight on his way so that if at any time he misse his way he misses his purpose Though Peter denyed Christ yet he did not purpose to deny Christ yea the setled purpose of his Soul was rather to die with Christ than to deny Christ Math. 26. 35. Peter said unto him Though I should dye with thee yet will I not deny thee Interpreters agree that Peter meant as he speak But Eighthly The setled Resolutions of a gracious heart is not to sin Psal 119. 106. I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep thy Righteous Judgments Neh. 10. 28 29 30 31. dwell on it Job 31. 1. c. Micha 4. 5. For all people will walk every one in the name of his God and we walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever So Daniel and the 3 Children Blessed Hooper resolves rather to be discharged of his Bishoprick than yield to certain Ceremonies Jerom writes of a brave Woman who being upon the wrack bid her Persecutors do their worst for she was resolved that she would rather die then lye The Prince of Conde being taken Prisoner by Charles the Nineth of France and put to his choyce first whether he would go to Mass or second be put to Death or thirdly suffer perpetual Imprisonment Answered as for the first I will never do by the assistance of Gods grace and as for the other two let the King do with me what he pleaseth for I am very well assured that God will turn all to the best The Heavens shall as soon fall said William Flower to the Bishop that perswaded him to save his life by retracting as I will forsake the Opinion and Faith I am in God assisting of me So Marchus Arethusius chose rather to suffer a most cruel Death than to give one half-penny towards the Building of an Idol Temple So Cyprian when the Emperour in the the way to his Execution said Now I give thee space to consider whether thou wilt obey me in casting a grain of Frankincens into the fire or be thus miserably slain Nay saith he there needs no deliberation in the case There are many thousands of such instances scattered up and down in History Ninethly There is a real willingness in every gracious Soul to be rid of all sin Rom. 7. 24. Hos 14. 2. 8. Job 7. 21. Saving grace makes a Christian as willing to leave his sin as a Slave is willing to leave his Galley or a Prisoner his Dungeon or a Thief his Bolts or a Beggar his Rags Many a day have I sought Death with â—cars saith blessed Cooper not out of impatience dist ust or perturbation but because I am weary of sin and fearful of falling into it Look as the Daughters of Heath even made Rebeccah weary of her life Gen. 27. 46. so Corruptions within makes a gracious Soul even weary of his life
reckonings between God and us Therefore it is said That in his blood we have Redemption even the forgiveness of sins Eph. 1. 7. Quest Whether it were not against the justice of God that Q. Christ who was in himself innocent without all sin a Lamb without a spot should bear and endure all thâ—se punishments for us who were the offending and guilty and obnoxious persons only Or if you please thus Whether God was not unjust to give his Son Jesus Christ Q. to be our Surety and Mediator and Redeemer and Saviour for as much as Christ could not be any one of these for and unto us but by a willing susception of our sins upon himself to be for them responsible unto the justice of God in suffering those punishments which were due for our sins I shall speak a few words to this main Question I say then that it is not always and in all cases unjust but it is somtimes and in some cases very just to punish one who is himself Innocent for him or those who are the â—nocent and guilty Grotius in his Book de satisfactione gives divers instances but I shall mention only two First In case of Conjunction where the innocent party and the nocent party do become legally one party and therefore if a Man Marries a Woman indebted he thereupon becomes obnoxious to pay her debts although absolutely considered he was not obnoxious thereunto But Secondly In case of Surety-ship where a person knowing the weak and insufficient condition of another doth yet voluntarily put forth himself and will be bound to the Creditor for him as his Surety to answer for him by reason of which Surety-ship the Creditor may come upon him and deal with him as he might have dealt with the principal Debtor himself and this course we do ordinarily take with Sureties for the recovery of our right without any violation of justice Now both these are exactly applicable to the business in hand for Jesus Christ was pleased to Marry our Nature unto himself he did partake of our flesh and blood and became man and one with us And besides that he did both by the Will of his Father and his own free consent become our Surety and was content to stand in our stead or room so as to be made sin and curse for us that is to have all our debts and sorrows all our sins and punishments laid upon him and did engage himself to satisfie God by bearing and suffering what we should have born and suffered And therefore although Jesus Christ absolutely considered in himself was innocent and had no sin inherent in himself which therefore might make him lyable to Death and Wrath and Curse yet by becoming one with us and sustaining the office of our Surety our sins were laid on him and our sins being laid upon him he made himself therefore obnoxious and that justly to all those punishments which he did suffer for our sins I do confess that had Christ been unwilling and forced into this Surety-ship or had any detriment or prejudice risen to any party concerned in this transaction than some complaint might have been made concerning the Justice of God But First There was a willingness on all sides for the passive work of Christ First God the Father who was the offended party he was willing which Christ assures us of when he said Thy Will be done Math. 26. 42. Act. 4. 25 26 27 28. Secondly We poor Sinners who are the offending party are willing We accept of this gracious and wonderful Redemption and bless the Lord who so loved us as to give his Son for us And thirdly Jesus Christ was willing to suffer for us Behold I come Psal 40. 7. And shall I not drink of the Cup which my Father hath given me to drink Joh. 18. 11. I have a Baptisme to be Baptised with and how am I straitned till it be accomplished Luk. 12. 50. He calls the death of his Cross a Baptisme partly because it was a certain immersion into extream calamities into which he was cast and partly because in the Cross He was so to be sprinkled in his own Blood as if he had been drowned and Baptised in it the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is here rendred strained signifies to be pained pressed or pent up not with such a grief as made him unwilling to come to it but with such as made him desire that it were once over There seems saith Grotius to be a similitude implyed in the Original word taken from a Woman with Child which is so afraid of her bringing forth that yet she would fain be eased of her burden Joh. 10. 11. I am the good Shepherd The good Shepherd giveth his life for the Sheep Christ is that good Shepherd by an excellency that held not his life dear for his Sheeps safety ver 15. I lay down my life for the Sheep vers 17. Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life vers 18. No man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self A necessity there was of our Saviours death but it was a necessity of immutability because God had decreed it Act. 2. 23. not of coaction He laid down his life freely He dyed willingly But Secondly No parties whatsoever were prejudiced or lost by it we lost nothing by it for we are saved by his death and reconciled by his death and Christ lost nothing by it ought not Christ to have suffered these things and enter into his glory Luk. 24. 26. The Captain of our Salvation is made perfect through sufferings Heb. 2. 10. You may see Christs glorious Rewards for his sufferings in that Isa 53. 10 11 12. And God the Father lost nothing by it for he is glorified by it I have glorified thee on Earth I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do Joh. 17. 4. Yea he is fully satisfied and repaired again in all the honour which he lost by our sinning I say he is now fully repaired again by the sufferings of Christ in which he found a price sufficient and a Ransom and enough to make peace for ever In the day of account a Christians great plea is that Christ has been his Surety and paid his debts and made up his accounts for him Now from what has been said last a Christian may Eccles 11. 9. cap. 12 14. Math. 12. 1â— cap. 18. 23. Luk. 16. 3. Rom. 14. 10. 2 Cor. 6. 10. Heb. 9. 27 cap. 13. 17. 1 Pet 4. 5. form up this second plea to the ten Scriptures in the Margent that refer either to the general Judgment or to the particular Judgment that will pass upon every Christian immediately after death O blessed Lord upon my first believing and closing with Jesus Christ thou didst justifie me in the Court of glory from all my sins both as to guilt and punishment Upon my first act of believing thou didst pardon all my sins
High-Court of the Jews But The third kind of secret Murder is an open reviling and reproaching of a Brother in these words But whosoever shall say thou Fool shall be in danger of Hell-fire Thou Fool this is a word of greater disgrace than the former 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies unsavory or without rellish a Fool here is by a metaphor called insipid Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sote which we call Sot shall be in danger of Hell-fire or to be cast into Gehenna Gehenna comes from the Hebrew word Gettinnom that is the Valley of Hinnom lying near the City of Jerusalem in which Valley in former times the Itolatrous Josh 15. 8. Jews caused their Children to be burned alive between the glowing arms of the brazen Image of Moloch imitating vide 2. King 23 10. Jer. 7. 31. Jer. 32. 35. Jer. 19. 4 5 6. the Abominations of the Heathen And hence the Scripture often makes use of that word to signifie the place of eternal punishment where the damned must abide under the wrath of God for ever There were four kinds of punishments exercised among the Jews First Stranglings 2. The Sword 3. Stoning 4. The Fire Now this last they always judged the worst as Beza affirms upon this very place In these words Shall be in danger of Hell-fire Christ alludes to the great Sanhedrim and the highest degree of punishment that was inflicted by them namely to be burned in the Valley of Hinnom which by a known Metaphor is transferred to Hell it self and the inexpressible torments thereof For as those poor wretches being inclosed in a brazen Idol-heat with fire were miserably tormented in this Valley of Hinnom So the wicked being cast into Hell the Prison of the damn'd shall be eternally tormented in unquenchable fire This Valley of Hinnom by reason of the pollution of it with slaughter blood and stencth of Carkasses did become so execrable that Hell it self did afterwards inherit the same Name and was called Gehenna of this very place And that 1. In respect of the hollowness and depth thereof being a low and deep Valley 2. This Valley of Hinnom was a place of misery in regard of those many slaughters that were committed in it through their barbarous Idolatry So Hell is a place of misery and infelicity wherein there is nothing but sorrow 3. Thirdly By the bitter and lamentable crys of poor Infants in this Valley is shadowed out the crys and lamentable torments of the damned in Hell 4. In this Valley of Hinnom was another fire which was kept continually burning for the consuming of dead Carkasses and filth and the garbidge that came out of the City Now our Saviour by the fire of Gehenna in this Mat. 5. 22. hath reference principally to this fire signifying hereby the perpetuity and everlastingness of Hellish pains To this last judgment of the Sanhedrim viz. Burning Doth Christ appropriate that kind of Murder which is by open reviling of a Brother that he might notifie the heynousness of this sin marke in this Scripture Judgment Councel and Hell fire do but signifie three degrees of the same punishment c. See also Matth. 5. 29 30. And if thy right Eye offend thee pluck it out and cast it from thee for it is profitable for thee that one of thy Members should perish and not that thy whole body should be cast into Hell And if thy right hand offend thee cut it off and cast it from thee for it is profitable for thee that one of thy Members should perish and not that thy whole body should be cast into Hell-fire Julian taking these commands literally mockt at Christian Religion as foolish cruel and vain because they require men to maim their members He mockt at Christians because no man did it and he mockt at Christ because no man obeyed him but this Apostate might have seen from the scope that these words were not to be taken literally but figuratively Some of the Antients by the right hand and the right eye do understand Relations Friends or any other dear enjoyments which draws the heart from God Others of them by the right eye and the right hand do understand such darling sins that are as dear to men as their right eyes and right hands That this Hell here spoken of is not meant of the Grave into which the body shall be laid is most evident because those Christians who do pull out their right eyes and cut off their right hands that is mortifie those special sins which are as dear and near to them as the very members of their bodies shall be secured and delivered from this Hell whereas none shall be exempted from the Grave though they are the choycest persons on Earth for grace and holiness Death like the Duke of Parma's Sword knows no difference twixt Robes and Raggs twixt Prince and Peasant All flesh is grass The Isa 40. 6. flesh of Princes Nobles Counsellors Generals c. is grass as well as the flesh of the meanest Beggar that walks the Streets The mortal Sythe saith one is master Hâ—rat l. 1. Oct. 28. of the Royal Scepter it mows down the Lillies of the Crown as well as the Grass of the Field Never was there Oratour so Eloquent nor Monarch so Potent that could either Dâ—aths Motto is Nulli cedo perswade or withstand the stroak of death when it came It is one of Solomons sacred Aphorisms The Rich and the Poor meet together somtimes in the same Bed somtimes Prov. 22. 2. at the same Board and somtimes in the same Grave Death is the common Inne of all Man-kind There is no defence against the stroak of death nor no discharge in that Hâ—b 9. 27. Eccles 8. 8. War Death is that only King against whom there is no rising up If your Houses be fired by good help they Prov. 30. 31. may be quenched if the Sea break out by art and industry it may be repaired If Princes Invade by power and policy they may be repulsed If Devils from Hell shall tempt by assistance from Heaven they may be resisted But Death comes into Royal Pallaces and into the meanest Cottages and there is not a man to be found that can make resistance against this King of terrors and terrour of Kings Deaths Motto is Nemini parco I spare none Thus you see that by Hell in Math. 5. 29 30. You may not you cannot understand the Grave and therefore by it you must understand the place of the damned But if you please you may cast your eye upon another Scripture viz. Math. 10. 28. Fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell The word rather is not a comparative but an adversative We should not fear man at all when he stands in competition with God So Victorian the Pro-Consul of Carthage being sollicited to Arrianism
Lake And Hell with all her furies quake And Trismegistus affirms concerning the souls going out of the body defiled that 't is tost too and fro with eternal punishments nor was Virgil ignorant thereof when he said Dent ocyus omnes Quas mervere patisic stat sententia poenas They all shall pack Sentence once past to their deserved rack The horror of which place he acknowledgeth he could not express Non mihi si centum linguae sint oraque centum Omnia paenarum percurrere nomina possum No heart of man can think no tongue can tell The direful pains ordain'd and felt in Hell It was the common opinion among the poor Heathen that the wicked were held in chains by Pluto so they called Alcoran Mahom c. 14. p. 160. and c. 20 p. 198. the Prince of Devils in chains which cannot be loosed To conclude the very Turks speak of the House of Perdition and affirm that they who have turned the grace of God into impiety shall abide eternally in the fire of Hell and there be eternally tormented I might have spent much more time upon this head but that I don't Judge it expedient considering the persons for whose sakes and satisfaction I have sent this piece into the world But Fourthly The secret checks gripes stings and the amazing horrors and terrors of Conscience that do sometimes Suae quemque ex agitant fuâ—iae Every man is tormented with his own fury that is his Conscience saith the Philosopher Dan. 5. 5 6. astonish affright and even distract Sinful wretches do clearly and abundantly evidence that there is a Hell that there is a place of Torments prepared and appointed for ungodly Sinners Doubtless it was not meerly the dissolution of Nature but the sad consequent that so startled and terrified Belshazzar when he saw the hand-writing on the wall Guilty Man when Conscience is awakned fears an after-reckoning when he shall be paid the wages of his crying sins proportionable to his demerits Wolsius tells you of one John Hufmeister that fell Sick Wolf lect Memor Tom. 2. c. in his Inn as he was Travelling towards Auspurg in Germany and grew to that horror that they were fain to bind him in his Bed with Chains where he cryed out That he was for ever cast off from before the Face of God and should perish for ever he having greatly wounded his Conscience by Sin c. James Abyes who suffered Martyrdom for Christs sake and the Gospels as he was going along to Execution he gave all his Money and his Cloaths away to one and another to his Shirt upon which one of the Sheriffs Attendants scoffingly said That he was a mand man and a Heretick But as soon as the good man was Executed this Wretch was struck Mad and threw away his Cloaths and cryed out That James Abyes was a good man and gone to Heaven but he was a wicked man and was damn'd and thus he continued crying out until his death Dionysius was so troubled with fear and horrour of Conscience Cicero that not daring to trust his best Friends with a Razor he used to sindge his Beard with burning coals Bossus having slain his Father and being afterwards Plut. de sera vindict Banquetting with several Nobles arose from the Table and beat down a Swallows Nest which was in the Chimney saying They Lyed to say that he slew his Father for his guilty Conscience made him think that the Swallows when they chattered proclaimed his Parricide to the world Theodoricus the King having slain Boetius and Symmachus Sigonius de occid Imper. and being afterwards at Dinner began to change Countenance his guilty Conscience so blinding his eyes that he thought the head of a Fish which stood before him to have been the head of his Cozen Symmachus who bit his lip at him and threatned him the horrour whereof did so amaze him that he presently dyed Nero that Monster of Nature having once slain his Mother had never-more any peace within but was astonished with Horrours Fears Visions and Clamours which his guilty Conscience set before him and suggested unto him Imo latens in praedio familiares suspectos habuit Xiphil in Nerone c. vocem humanam horruit ad 〈…〉 latratum galli cantumi rami exvento motum terrâ—batur loqui non ausus ne audiretur He suspected his nearest and dearest Friends and Favourites he trembled at the barking of a Puppy and the crowing of a Cock yea the wagging of a Leaf and neither durst speak unto others nor could endure others to speak to him when he was retired into a private House lest the noise should be heard by some who lay in wait for his life Now were there not a Hell were there not a place of torment where God will certainly inflict unspeakable miseries and intollerable torments upon wicked and ungodly men Why should their Consciences thus amaze torture and torment them Yea the very Heathen had so much light in their natural Consciences as made such a discovery of that place of darkness that some of them have been terrified with their own inventions concerning it and distracted with the very sense of those very torments which their own persons have described As Pigmalion doted on his own picture so were they amazed with their own Comments The very flashes of Hell-fire which Sinners do daily experience in their own Consciences in this world may be an argument sufficient to satisfie them that there is a Hell a place of torment provided for them in another world Fifthly Those matchless easeless and endless torments that God will certainly inflict upon the bodys and souls of all wicked and ungodly men after the Resurrection does sufficiently evidence that there is a Hell that there is a place of torment provided prepared and fitted by God Wherein he will pour forth all the Vials of his Wrath upon wicked and ungodly men Isa 30. 33. For Tophet is ordained of old yea for the King it is prepared he hath made it deep and large the pile thereof is fire and much wood the breath of the Lord like a stream of Brimstone doth kindle it This place that was so famous for Judgment and Vengeance is used to express the torments of Hell the place of the damned Tophet was a place in the Valley of Hinnom it was the place where the Angel of the Lord destroyed the Host of Sennacherib Isa 30. 31 33. King of Assyria and this was the place where the Idolatrous Jews were slain and massacred by the Babylonian Armies when their City was taken and their Carkasses Jer. 7. 31 32 33. and chap. 19. 4 5 6. left for want of room for Burial for meat to the Fowls of Heaven and Beasts of the Field according to the word of the Lord by the Prophet Jeremy And this was the place where the Children of Israel committed that abominable Idolatry in making their Children pass through the fire to