brought me with my great credit her great shame to high preferment and now am I free from all troubles and liue like a king in heauen as sometime I was a ruler in Aegypt Aske Dauid and he will tell thee that when he could say vnto God With my whole heart I haue sought thee then could he most boldly call vpon God and say Let me not wander from thy commandements Aske Saint Paule and he will tell thee that he would not presume to craue for the prayers of the Church but when he could also certifie them that he had a good conscience in all things and desired to liue honestly Againe Paule speaking of himselfe and his fellow labourers saith thus We are not as many which make marchandize of the word of God but as of sinceritie but as of God in the sight of God we speake in Christ. We walke not in craftinesse neither handle we the word of God deceitfully but in declaration of the truth we approoue our selues to euerie mans conscience in the sight of God And what hast thou gotten Paule for thy labour In how many dangers hast thou bene both by sea and by land By thy owne confession thou hast bene whipped and beaten with roddes cast into prison stoned and laied for dead hunted from one place to another and at the last lost thy head hadst not thou beene better to haue pleased thy honest neighbours by preaching Christ after their fashion No no sayth Paule neuer tell me of these matters I was crucified to the world and the world to me that is I cared no more for the world then the world did for me the power of God did appeare in my weaknesses when I was in prison I was at liberty when I went from the whip to the dungeon I sung Psalmes yea all this was an honour vnto me that I was not worthie of From all my daungers the Lord deliuered me And where I lost my life there I found it againe euen euerlasting life In a word I haue fought a good fight and haue finished my course I haue kept the faith For henceforth is layed vp for me the crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue me at that day and not to me onely but to all them that loue his appearing Aske King Hezechiah what was most comfortable to him in his sicknesse when he looked for nothing but death Oh sayth he I payed and sayd I beseech thee ô Lord remember how that I haue walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart that is a sound and vpright heart without dissembling and haue done that which is good in thy sight to shew that when all faile yet sincerity and truth of heart shall comfort vs like a good keeper and kind nurse at the houre of death Now then what remaineth for this point but that we gather vp the summe of all that hath bene sayd of it and make the conclusion and that is this Seeing that sinceritie shall be rewarded by our heauenly father both in this life with sound comfort in time of trouble with courage and boldnesse in time of prayer with the prayers of the Saints in time of neede with a continuall feast in the time of affliction with heauenly consolation in the time of death and in the world to come with the kingdome of heauen let euery man confesse that the reward of sincerity is a great reward And seeing as it is so great for quantitie and so good for qualitie that all the world cannot affoord so much as a shadow thereof nor tell how to commend it let euery one of vs be more moued therey to embrace sinceritie and to seeke praise at Gods hand rather then all the vaine praises of the world And seeing as sinceritie is of all vertues the chiefest and that which graceth all our vertues before God and man let vs aboue all looke in all our affaires that nothing be done without it Lastly seeing as both Enoch and Ioseph and Dauid and Hezechiah and Paule besides many else haue giuen such testimonie thereof let no man doubt to beleeue nor feare to follow it for out of all doubt those that are approued in Gods sight shall be well rewarded of their heauenly father And so much for the reward of sinceritie THE IIII. SERMON MATH 6.2 As hypocrites do in the Synagogues and streetes to be seene of men WE haue heard heretofore the excellent nature and heauenly reward of sinceritie now brethren that we may be as much out of loue with hypocrisie as we are in loue I hope with sinceritie let vs see the nature and reward of hypocrisie because contraries being layed together do the better appeare And first of the nature of of hypocrisie vpon these wordes as the hypocrites do c. Of the second branch when we come to the next words Verily I say vnto you they haue their reward At this time onely of these wordes as hypocrites do wherein our Sauior Christ doth giue vs to vnderstand two things First that whosoeuer professeth a shew of that which he is not is an hypocrite secondly that the doings of hypocrites are to be made knowne that euery one seeing the hypocrite laid out in his colours with his reward that belongeth to him may take heede that he play not the hypocrite or if he hath played that part to be ashamed thereof and repent and follow the Lord euer after in sinceritie and truth of heart Now seeing as our Sauiour Christ would haue hypocrites knowne by their doings I will endeuour my selfe at this time by Gods helpe to vncase the hypocrite who hath plaid his part so long so impudently and so vncontrolledly carying away all the credit of the world euen to the vndermining of the house of God endangering the whole estate of Christian Religion And call this Sermon if you list the vncasing of the hypocrite for I will if God will do my best endeuour to vncase him Wherein perhaps I shall not behaue my selfe so handsomly and finely to please all parties as some could do but yet I hope both soundly and plainly I shall go to worke You know brethren that plaine dealing is my profession though it be counted a iewell for beggers flattery and curiositie and hypocrisie I leaue to them that will dye rich men and therefore I speed accordingly and I must needes confesse that I am wellinough serued to be so well belaboured as I am with the strife of tongues Well if I could handle this matter more learnedly then I can yet I would of purpose deceiue all such itching eares as come rather to haue their humours fed then their liues reformed A peece of worke both thanklesse and dangerous yea a most vnpleasant argument haue I taken in hand especially as the case standeth now when most men come to catch and to cauill and quot homines tot sententiae euery mans head swarming with as many odde
SERMON Of the reward of Hypocrisie MAT. 6.2 Verily I say vnto you they haue their reward OF the nature of hypocrisie we haue heard sufficiently in the three former Sermons and as sinceritie graceth all our good actions before God so on the contrarie side we haue seene that hypocrisie disgraceth and shameth vs yea maketh euen our best deedes to stinke as most loathsome filth before his heauenly Maiestie yea and before men too when once it breaketh out And this might serue sufficiently to perswade vs to take heed of hypocrisie and counterfeiting in Gods religion or any religious duties commaunded by God but because the hypocrite dreameth of some great reward whereby he shall become some great man both in this world and in the world to come imagining that as he is liked of men so he cannot chuse but be loued of God therefore our Sauiour Christ affirmeth most constantly and in earnest manner that hypocrites haue all the reward that they shall haue For the praise of men haue they hunted for and that they haue more then that they shall not haue to reward them but to punish them a portion they shall haue with the Diuell and his Angels in hell The praise of men what is it surely euen as men are themselues as they are affected men are but men when they are at the best and at the highest Whether it be in wisedome or in authoritie or in goodwill or in abilitie or whatsoeuer else that is vaine and vanishing mutable and inconstant blind and partiall A simple reward then is the praise of men euen fit for such vaine fooles as seeke for nothing else The hypocrite taketh great paines for the obtaining notwithstanding of this vaine reward as fooles which hunt after a fether blowne vp and down in the wind they cannot get it vnlesse they will sweate and almost runne themselues out of breath and when they haue gotten it it is but a fether and nothing lighter The praise of men what is it surely but words proceeding from inconstant minds false hearts and from those whose hands cannot accomplish the deuises of their hearts And what are such wordes but wind and what is more inconstant then the wind He that obserueth the praises of men is like him that obserueth the wind and is fitly resembled to a Windmill that whirleth about apace so long as the wind bloweth a main but when the wind slacketh his gale then he slacketh his pace and as the Windmill is turned with the wind so the hypocrite also turneth with the time If he may be praised for well doing then he will do well still but if he be reproched or threatned or not highly esteemed then he altereth his course and is gone But here perhaps it will be obiected by some that the Scripture commendeth a good name in many places and thereby admonisheth men to get a good name and to keepe it being gotten And what is that but to be praised of men and to get the good opinion and estimation of men Indeede this is true a good report is to be sought for amongst men and carefully to be kept too when it is obtained But this must be propter aliud non propter se for some other end then simply for it selfe But the meaning and drift of our Sauiour Christ here is that we should not make that the end and scope of our well doing as if that were our summum bonum that is our felicitie and happinesse as hypocrites do that looke no further and desire no better thing then the praise of men To get and keepe a good name there be many reasons to perswade vs but to make the praise of men the end of our well doing we haue no one reason to perswade vs but diuerse to disswade vs as we shall see anone For the getting of a good report amongst men we haue reason for Salomon preferreth it before riches and before precious oyntment that is before all pleasures and profites whatsoeuer Before riches he preferreth a good name and saith that it is better then riches and that for three causes For first few riches are hardly obtained without much euill a good name is not obtained without some good deedes Secondly riches are meanes by reason of our corruption to call vs from God They that will be rich fall into temptations and snares and many foolish and noisome lusts which drowne men in perdition and destruction saith Saint Paule A good name prouoketh vnto golinesse Your zeale saith Paule to the Corinthians hath prouoked many Meaning that the good report which he made of them to others where he came did through the blessing of God prouoke many to the like zeale Thirdly riches are vncertaine here to day and gone to morrow Trauell not too much to be rich saith Salomon for riches take them to their wings like an Eagle but a good name is more permanent then life for it liueth after death As a good name is better then riches so is it also better then a precious ointment For first the best ointment that is may be purchased for money as appeareth by that which Mary a meane woman bought for our Sauiour Christ but a good name cannot be bought for thousands Secondly precious ointment onely suppleth the outward parts and is soueraigne for outward wounds but a good name doth comfort the heart The light of the eye reioyceth the heart and a good name maketh the bones fat saith Salomon Thirdly a good ointment onely profiteth the annointed but a good name is profitable to others Nobis necessaria vita nostra alijs fama nostra saith S. Augustine our life is necessarie for our selues and our good report for others to encourage them to godlinesse as we haue heard Lastly ointment is pleasant in smell onely to those that are nigh The house was filled saith the Euangelist with the smel of that ointment which Mary bestowed vpon Christ but a good name flieth farre and neare And this brute went of Christ saith the Euangelist Mathew through the land Againe a good name is in part a reward of righteousnesse All these saith the Apostle to the Hebrewes speaking of the faithfull whom he nameth and commendeth in that place through faith haue obtained a good report All which commendations of a good name do serue not onely to perswade vs to get it and keepe it for the glorifying of Gods name and encouraging of our brethren but also they do greatly condemne two sorts of men in the world First those that so they do well care not what men say of them but so farre as we can we must with doing well keepe a good name for the causes before alleadged Secondly those that make no conscience of detracting a mans good name being so excellent but make a continuall practise of slaundering and backbiting their brethren And these are worse then theeues for a theefe may make
all manner of euill saying against them falsly for his sake And such as Dauid was shall not want Zibaes enough in Court and countrey and citie and euery where euery great man yea euery one that is in authority hath such hangbies too many about him to hurt honest men in their credite if they take not heede of them Surely at another time Dauid did passing well when he forbad the publishing of Sauls death amongst the vncircumcised at Gath and Askalon lest they should insult reioyce at the death of the Lords annointed the king of Gods people to shew that if we must not alwaies publish euen true things that are notoriously and famously knowne when the concealment of thē may be more for Gods glory much lesse ought we to deuise or to publish or to credit false rumours slaunderous reports against the Lords annointed or any of the Lords people which tend to no other end but to the dishonor of God in defacing of his seruants In the 2. of Ruth ver 11. there is a notable pattern or exāple for newes mongers All is told me saith Booz vnto Ruth that thou hast done vnto thy mother in law since the death of thy husband how thou hast left thy father and thy mother and the land where thou wast borne and art come vnto a people which thou knewest not in times past By which relation of Booz vnto Ruth we may learn that the vertuous acts of good men are to be spoken of to their cōmendation comfort to the drawing on of others aboue all in all to the glory of God And that if we will needs be discouering of mens liues doings we should speak of their good deeds and vertuous acts not stand raking still in their corruptions and infirmities as the maner of most men is in reporting not to eclipse their vertues but to shew all to the full as he did that told Booz of Ruth but so will Belial neuer do The 2. way which the man of Belial taketh for the raising of contētions is a wilfull peeuish taking all things in euill part construing them to a wrong sense like the malicious Iewes who alwaies drew the heauenly words of our blessed Sauiour frō the right meaning when he spake of the temple of his body shewing how that shold be destroied within 3. daies builded again they maliciously construed his words to be meant of the temple of Ierusalem When he spake of going to a place whither they could not come vnto him they presently asked if he wold go kill himself Whē the blind man being restored to his sight by our Sauiour Christ did but answer the Iewes vnto their question shewing how he came by his sight maintained the deed of our Sauiour Christ they captiously tooke him at the worst as though he went about to teach them Iohn 9.34 So do all wicked lawlesse Belials Answer their demands questions with some reasons that they cannot gainsay then we go about to teach them and then to a braule Speake merrily and familiarly thinking no harme against any man they take it as a deriding and scoffing at them and then to a braule Do but a little reuerence vnto them then they thinke that they are despised Do much reuerence them and then they take it as if we mocked them Admonish them counsell them reprehend them they are aloft straight and take it that we command them that we iudge them that we condemne them they will not endure it Their felicity is great that they take in descanting vpon the Princes lawes vpon the Preachers liues and doctrine and the doings of all men In a word say what you will do what you can meane as well as may be meant be familiar or be strange eate or eate not pipe or mourne all is one nothing is well taken at the wicked Belials hands and so long what can be looked for but contention The third way whereby he raiseth vp contention is by busying and medling in other mens matters which belong not vnto him and that before he is called thereunto whereof some be women some be men Of contentious and busie bodied women the Apostle speaketh thus Being idle they learne to go about from house to house yea they are not onely idle but also pratlers and busie bodies speaking things that are not comely Salomon speaking of contentious women saith It is better to dwell in a corner of the house top then with a contentious woman in a wide house To shew that there is small ease or rest to be looked for with a contentious woman And in the 19. verse he saith it is better to dwel in the wildernesse then with a contentious and angry woman To shew that there is more comfort and rest to be looked for amongst the wild beasts then among contentions women Of busie headed men some are intermendlers in Church matters and some in common-wealth matters Of the first sort are such as Vzzah was who put his hand vnto the Arke of the Lord to hold it vp from falling when he had no calling thereunto The Lord was very wrath with him for it and in his iust vengeance stroke him downe for it euen in the very place with present death If the Lord were so angrie with Vzzah who in feare and of a good intent did but touch the Arke of God then what must they looke for who of a wicked intent to carpe and cauill maliciously and proudly meddle with the holy things of God and matters of Gods Church without any calling too The sacrifice of the wicked is an abhomination sayth Salomon how much more when he bringeth it with an euill mind Euen so the medling of the wicked in Gods matters which belong not vnto them is an abhomination much more when they meddle with a wicked mind and that also to do hurt thereby When Peter of meere curiosity was inquisitiue to know what should become of Iohn Christ gaue him a very round checke for his labour saying What is that to thee follow thou me To shew that it is a foule fault to neglect our owne callings and to be curious and inquisitiue about other mens affaires which pertaine not vnto vs and God will surely rebuke such curious persons Yet how many at this day do imitate Peter in his vaine curiositie or curious veine not fearing or regarding the rebuke that they shall haue from God for their labour What thinke you of Bishops their calling say some of this mans gifts and that mans teaching say other Euery cobler and pedler or tinker and prentise must know these things and haue an oare in the Church gouernours boate and hereof arise contentions and schismes and factions and rents in the Church of Christ. In the meane time examine them how they haue followed Christ themselues a thing indeede whereunto they are called alas they can say
that thou dash not thy foote against a stone therefore watch and feare not Christ himselfe both God and man thy Mediator doth plead for thee doth pray for thee doth pay for thee therefore watch and feare not Christs Ministers without are readie to awaken thee with their siluer trumpets of knowledge and wholesome doctrine if thou chaunce to fall asleepe therefore watch and feare not Gods spirit within thee as Lord deputie for Christ Iesus is ready to do all his offices for thy sanctification and consolation here and for thy saluation and glorification hereafter therefore watch and feare not As Lord priuie seale he is readie to set vpon thee the stampes of regeneration and marks of mortification as dying to sinne liuing to vertue with increase of faith and charitie and patience and temperance c. These are his markes by which thou shalt know that thou art sealed vp to the day of redemption As Lord comforter of Gods elect he shall speake peace vnto thy soule when thou art cast downe vnder thy sinnes and say Sonne be of good comfort thy sinnes are forgiuen thee If thou receiue any wounds in thy inward man whereby thy zeale and faith and repentance c. may grow into a consumption yet watch stil and feare not for he with his quickening vertue and soueraigne oyle of heauenly assurance shall restore vnto thee againe the ioy of thy saluation creating in thee still a cleane heart and renewing a right spirit within thee and therefore keepe thy watch and feare not And if thou dye he shall chaunge thy death into life and thy mortalitie into immortalitie yea if the boisterous windes of persecution and trouble chaunce to arise and driue thee either into prison or to the stake or to the gallowes or to banishment or to the vncomfortable coasts of contempt reproch or any other crosse whatsoeuer he can quench the fire or stoppe the lions mouthes or open the prison doores or raise thee vp new friends or take away thy hunger or giue thee strength to beare all if he will or else make all these as meanes to driue thee sooner into heauen then thou wouldest be and therefore take heede watch and feare not But now thou must take heede that those things which are spoken for thy consolation and encouragement do not make thee carelesse and remisse but be admonished in standing vpon thy watch to take heede of two things First that thou post not off thy watching vnto other men Secondly that thou driue it not off vnto another time If thou post off this dutie to other men thou deceiuest thy selfe for thou hast no more priuiledge then other men haue thou art in no lesse danger then other men are thou art subiect to the same passions the same corruptions the same lawes the same iudgements that other men are subiect vnto and therefore if other men must take heede and watch ouer their affections thou must if some must all must and therefore lest any man should thinke he were more priuiledged then all men Christ saith That which I say vnto one I say vnto all watch It is a subtiltie of Sathan to make men beleeue that they are exempted but others are not that ministers had neede watch ouer their affections and looke to their waies but not other men as in Poperie they say that Friers and Monkes and Nunnes must be more holy and more deuout then other men And therefore we say as the disciples said when they heard Christ say one should betray him Is it I Is this to me Doth this doctrine concerne me Whom doth he meane As though Christ had said here but one of you must take heede and watch And when we see or heare of any other man that is come to reape the shame of his vaine-glorious and ambitious attempts or of others their lasciuious or couetous attempts what is our saying Alas it is pittie this was for want of heede taking but yet we take no more heede then they for we think it concernes vs not But this is our great folly Other men that haue fallen before vs are like ships that are sunke before our eyes and cry out vnto vs looke you to your selues and come not after vs for if you do you shall all likewise perish Let other men be our warnings and not our deputies in these cases For do man shall go to hell by his deputie but euery man that hath bene carelesse in his watch without repentance shall in his owne person die the death Secondly thou that art to beginne if thou wilt keepe thy watch wel post it not off vntill another time for that is another of the diuels sleights but remember what Christ saith in the Text When thou doest thine alms take heede He doth not say when thou hast done it for then it commeth too late because that action is past with a theeuish affection alreadie Take heede after the euill is committed is like shut the doore when the horse is stolen If thou wilt take the theefe with the manner thou must watch him euen at the very same instant when thou art doing of thy good deeds for then he commeth and doth his feate and afterward he lurketh in a corner of thy heart where thou canst not so well find him and there he both watcheth his time for the like bootie another time and in the meane time he doth as it were laugh thee to scorne for that thou wert so foolish as to let him rob both God of his honour and thee of his fauour while he tickled thee and flattered thee with faire words As Nehemiah that couragious magistrate dealt with the Sabbath-breakers so must we deale with our vaineglorius thoughts He watched them when the Sabbath day came and then he found them hauing found them he shewed them the law when that whould not serue he threatned them when threatening would not serue he apprehended them and punished them and then they came no more vpon the Sabbath day So let vs watch our thoughts and affections when we are about to do or are in the doing of our good workes and then we shall find those theeuish and peeuish thoughts that go about to rob God of his honour hauing found them lay the law of God before them if that will not serue threaten them with the iudgements of God if that will not serue then lay hands not vpon thy selfe but vpon them and take a more straight examination of thy heart where they are euen before the Lord chiefe Iustice of heauen and earth then imprison them by restraining them of their libertie and refraining of thy selfe from such obiects and sights and places and company as would animate them against thee Hauing thus restrained them feede them with fasting as it were with the bread of affliction and with weeping mingled among as it were the water of affliction and then with the spirit of feruent prayer correct them zealously and continually and spare them not accuse
most impiously vpon them that worship that is due to God and professe that they cannot honour them inough when in the meane time by their raging against the faithfull which follow their steppes and doctrine they do plainely shew howe they would vse the Apostles and Martyrs if they were now aliue againe and did performe that dutie which they did when they were on earth For why else do they with such rage burne and flame out against vs but because we desire to haue that doctrine to be receiued and to flourish which the Apostles and Martyrs haue sealed with their bloud Let them then a dorne the images of the Saints with their frankensence candels flowers and all kind of pompe as long as they list saith Caluin if Peter were now aliue they would surely pull him in peeces if Paule were amongst them they would certainely stone him if Christ himselfe were aliue and amongst thē they wold rost him to death with a softfire And do not diuerse Protestants play the same part who will seeme to make much of some Preachers and giue them good entertainment as Herod did Iohn Baptist and yet persecute with might and maine their owne Pastors for teaching the same doctrine which they do Or for the couering and cloking of their speciall and beloued sinnes will seeme to the world to be religious by hearing the preaching and entertaining of the persons of Preachers at their houses thinking themselues then safe as Micah did when he had a Leuite in his house when in their harts they do vtterly loth and detest the sinceritie of that truth and the strictnesse of those courses as puritanisme and too much precisenesse which they vrge And what is the religion of all such but a play to be seene of men In the 33. verse of the former 23. Chapter Christ being about to conclude his Sermon doth more plainly vncase these hypocrites and layeth them wide open to all the world telling what they are what they must looke for and what his seruants must look for at their hands What they are he sheweth when he saith O Serpents and generation of vipers to shew that they were not only enemies to the doctrine of the Prophets but most pestilent enemies to the whole church of God and like vipers will not sticke to eate out the very bowels of the Church their mother to maintaine their owne state and pride What they must trust vnto if they truly repent not he sheweth when he saith how should ye escape the damnation of hell As if it were a thing almost impossible for professed hypocrites to repent and be saued So hypocrites we see by Christs example are to be handled though they be the great maisters of Israel their vizards are to be plucked off and they are to be laid open to the view of the world and to be haled by force as it were before the tribunall seate of Gods iudgement What Gods seruants must looke for at hypocrites hands when time shall serue howsoeuer they seeme now to heare them and to entertaine them our Sauiour Christ sheweth when he saith he will send Prophets and wise men and Scribes among them that is men endued with all manner of learning and qualified with aboundance of Gods graces but they shal scourge them and persecute them from citie to citie yea euen in Ierusalem the Lords Prophets shall be killed and the messengers of the most high shall be stoned to death In times past their rage was such against the holy Prophets that neither the holinesse of the Temple nor reuerence of the Altar whereupon the sacrifices were offered could stay them from shedding of innocent bloud As for example the bloud of Zacharias the sonne of Barachias meaning indeede him that was the son of Iehoiada the priest whom Christ calleth Barachias that is the blessed of the Lord of Barach and ias which is the blessed of the Lord as M. Caluin noteth because he had spent his whole life in the worship and seruice of God And this is vsuall in Scripture to giue vnto men besides their proper names other names of speciall signification either for their consolation or for their humiliation So Iacob was called Israel that is preuailing with God and Salomon Iedidah that is beloued of the Lord and Iames and Iohn Boanerges that is sonnes of thunder and Iehoiada Barachias that is the blessed of the Lord. So terroris gratia to terrifie him Bashur that misused Ieremy was called Magor Misabib that is feare on euery side And Naoim in the bitternesse of her soule would be called Marah that is bitternesse But now to the matter of Zacharias the sonne of Iehoiada Barachias the blessed of the Lord. Of whose martyrdome and the cause thereof we may reade sufficiently in the second of Chronicles the 24. chapter from the 17. verse vnto the 23. So likewise in time to come they which now boasted of the Prophets Tombes amongst them and of learned Preachers in their sinagogues should through the iust vengeance of God be giuen vp to such a reprobate mind that they should shew all kind of raging crueltie against the same Prophets whom they so much seemed to reuerence God graunt this prophesie may neuer take place amongst vs if it be his will but surely it is much to be feared that if time should turne and religion alter which our sinnes haue iustly deserued it will proue too true For hypocrites will play the hypocrites and shew them selues in their colours when all is done euen as the Blackmoore will be blacke if all the water in the sea were spent in washing him For they that are so forward now in colour of their office and pretence of lawe to abuse Gods Ministers as many be what would they do if they had Prince and Prelates and lawe and all to backe them They that now in the publike and authorized profession of the Gospell and vnder the gouernment of so gracious and Christian a Prince as we haue who esteemeth of the true Ministers of Christ in the Church as of the soule in the bodie the Lord long preserue her amongst vs are not ashamed to contriue wicked plots and diuellish deuises to call their Ministers names into question by suggesting vnto great persons most impudent lyes and shamefull slaunders and that vnder pretence of their office and vpon the credite of their oath They that now so abound in malice against their Minister for speaking but the truth that when they can find no matter against him at home can send an hundred miles for matters obiected and answered ended and finished ten yeares ago and to reuiue matters whith haue bene dead and buried so long time like those that in Queene Maries time digged vp Bucers bones out of the graue to endite them and burne them what cruell persecutors would these become if time did serue What would not these men do against the poore seruants of Christ if Queene Maries time shold come againe
except God did giue them repentance and work a strange alteration God deliuer me out of their handes and giue them better minds if it be his will It were a strange alteration to see some that now bring Bibles to the Church and turne to places after the Preacher one day to be instruments to burne so many Bibles as they can come by It were strange to see such as are now most attentiue in hearing the preacher and most kind in giuing him entertainment one day to throw a faggot at his head or to be a witnesse against his doctrine or to helpe to burne him Well such times haue bene and such times may come again for our sinnes and then shall the approued be knowne as the Apostle speaketh and hypocrites with their light and chaffie profession shall then be discouered blowne away with the wind Many now would answer as Hazael did to the Prophet if any should say to them as the Prophet said to him I weepe saith the Prophet to remember what thou shalt do to the children of Israel when thou art king of Aram how thou shalt burne their cities and put their young men to the sword and dash their infants in peeces and rent their women with child What said Hazael is thy seruant a dogge that I should do this great thing So would many answere now no doubt Are we dogges that we should so vse God seruants c No doubt of it in King Edwards daies he that should haue warned some persons of such things that were hearers of those reuerend Martyrs and Bishops Hooper Latimer Ridley Cranmer other faithfull Ministers D. Taylor Bradford and others they would haue bene at defiance with thē yet for al that they when time serued stood foorth to accuse these godly Fathers to persecute them to death that a man wold litle haue thought of be actors in such ttagedies Wel God blesse vs all my brethren keep vs in his holy feare and make vs vpright harted constant in the profession of religiō for I do feare greatly else that if euer time should serue which God for his mercies sake forbid if it be his will too too many would play Hazaels part though they make a faire shew now and stand at open defiance for such matters Well let no man bragge of his own strength that he will do this and he will not do that for manie good men euen sincere Christians may promise and vowe a standing for the truth with Peter and because they rely vppon their owne strength may fall with Peter but I trust God will giue them mercie and repentance to rise againe with Peter but as for hypocrites and time-seruers whose hearts are best knowne vnto God out of question they will then shew themselues in their colours Let them now pretend with Iudas neuer so much care for the poore or loue to Christ they will one day proue theeues to the poore and traytors to Christ as Iudas did and if they once fall with Iudas let them take heed that they hang not themselues with Iudas for betraying and persecuting innocent bloud For it is not the approbation of the Elders that will iustifie Iudas nor his officious kisse that will couer him nor the law of the land that will warrant him nor the siluer bribe that will enrich him nor the praise of men that wil comfort him nor his forced restitution that wil restore him nor his constrained confession that will conuert him nor his faithlesse repentance that will saue him when his money his friends his owne tongue and heart hand conscience as a thousand witnesses and God himselfe shall be against him God grant that all counterfeits and hypocrites and dissemblers in religion may in time take heede by his example There be many both honest and godly religious Christans whose desire is with all their harts to please God by doing those things which his word requireth of them And these for the loue that they beare vnto the truth and their hatred that they carry against wickednesse are by an odious name called Puritanes and if they fall at any time through occasion as oftētimes they do through some infirmity against their wils then are they condemned as hypocrites but most vniustly For though all our actions smell of hypocrisie as maister Bradford well perceiued when he desired the Lord to forgiue him all his hypocrisies and confessed a little before his death that all his prayers and all his best seruing of God were but hypocrisie meaning in comparison of that sinceritie that is required of euerie Christian yet notwithstanding are none to be tearmed hypocrites which fall by occasion through infirmitie and are onely stained with the dust of it and infected with the contagion thereof as men that draw in one and the same aire with hypocrites but onely such are to be counted for hypocrites which make a shew of that which they are not nor meane to be but with their tongues can hold men cunningly with a faire tale of religion and godlinesse while their hearts are resolued to practise all kind of mischiefe and iniquitie of such I speake and not of simple harted and well meaning Christians who haue no doubt their faults as well as other men though they make not an art of sinning as hypocrites do This secret hypocrisie of Gods children doth not a litle trouble many of them neither can many be perswaded but that all that they do is done in hypocrisie as maister Bradford writing to one of his friends in most of his letters condemneth himselfe for a painted hypocrite and being thus troubled in their tender consciences they are still afraide of that woe that our Sauiour Christ pronounceth against hypocrites But for the comforting of such tender consciences whose feare is euer that they shall not deale vprightly and sincerely inough in Gods sight we are to distinguish of hypocrisie for some hypocrisie respecteth men onely seeking only praise of men and not of God and some hypocrie there is that respecteth God also yea most of all and that stealeth in this fort vpon vs. A Christian that feareth God goeth in priuate by himselfe to call vpon God by prayer Now in his priuate prayer somtime his mind is drawne away into a nūber of by-thoughts and wandering imaginations insomuch as he oftentimes thinkes least of God when he calleth vpon him neither is throughly moued with an inward desire of obtaining those things that he prayeth for nor with a hartie loathing of those sins that he prayeth against then commeth Sathan and suggesteth thus Surely thou art an hypocrite for thou hast not prayed with all thy heart nor with all thy soule nor with all thy might Againe sometime the Christian soule prayeth earnestly with great feeling and groning of spirite and hath his mind wholy intent and bent vpon God that he is euen rauished as it were in prayer thinking of nothing but heauenly things when
lawlesse behauiour This shall be a great comfort to the godly to remember how they haue striuen against their headstrong affections and being foiled and cast downe somtime haue risen againe by Gods renewing grace and walked afterward more circumspectly when the wicked shall find nothing but horrour and horrible desperation because they haue made a continual practise art as it were of swimming giuing themselues ouer wholy like slaues vnto sinne as vnto a cruell tyrant whose crueltie neuer appeareth vntill the day of reckning cometh to pay men their wages The fruit of this tree is faire in shew but in tast most bitter for what else is it but feare shame and death eternall Rom. 6. And indeede the custome of any sinne is very dangerous the continuall driuing at the wedges at length driue them home to the head and so the great oke is spoiled and broken in peeces by continuall dropping of raine the hard flint is worne hollow by continuall blowing the fire is made to flame out by continuall going great iournies are gone and a great way is to be gone backe againe by continuall leaking the shippe is sunke at the length by continuall wooing the suter speedeth at length by continuall walking in the Sunne the face is Sun-burnt at the length by continuall digging Castles are vndermined great pits are made and high mountaines are cast vp Yea what should I say more nothing but vse and custome doth make men perfect and expert in any thing they go about Custome and vse hath made euen those fashions which at the first seemed very vgly and abhominable to become in account very good and commendable And if a man doth accustome himselfe to any thing which is hard and against the mind at the first at last by long vse and custome he shall find a certaine easinesse yea a felicity and dexterity in it how much more shall we find the like in any sinne which we do accustome our selues vnto the pleasures and allurements whereof be so fitting vnto our natures and dispositions yea doubtlesse he that hath accustomed himselfe vnto any sinne whether it be of swearing or whoredome or drunkennesse or hastinesse or whatsoeuer else he shall in time find it as easie a matter to be perswaded to cut his throate or to cut off his right hand or to pull out his eyes or to be nailed vnto a post or to haue his bowels pulled out of his belly as to be perswaded to leaue that sinne whereunto he hath accustomed himselfe as soone shall he cease to desire drinke when he is in extremity of thirst as to cease from that sinne and sinfull path wherein he hath vsed to walke Can a blacke Moore change his skin or a Leapord his spots saith Ieremy No more can this people do well which haue accustomed themselues all dayes of their life to do euill The former is a thing impossible in nature and so is the latter too and therefore let no man accustome himselfe to do euill nor to walke in any lewd path but returne betimes or else at last the way will seeme so long and the iourney so tedious that must be gone backe againe that he will rather sit downe or go on still desperatly then go backe againe yea custome is another nature and taketh away the very sence and feeling of sinne But if any man hath walked in any dangerous custome and would be rid of such a haunting spirite and dangerous customer let him resolue with himself to endure much striuing and fighting and much paine and many blowes and buffetings of Sathan and therefore must be very earnest with God by continuall prayer for the creating of a new heart and renewing of a right spirite within him But most wretched are those fooles and monstrous is the folly of them who instead of fearing the custome of sinne and praying vnto God for grace against it do take it as a sufficient plea and defence for themselues being admonished to leaue their sin to say Sir it is my custome you must beare with me yea accompt it a grace vnto them to do as the custome hath beene of their forefathers though it be neuer so wicked Againe further we are to note that euen in outward shew there is great difference between the wicked and the godly least we condemne the iust and the innocent causelesse The godly seem sometime to speak frowardly when it is indeede earnestly and zealously for Gods glorie The wicked for the most part are crosse when they speak most faire and vtter words most smooth which formally they can do at their pleasure per artem adulandi by the art of flattering then are they most dangerous like Ioab who in saluting and embracing slue his brother Abner and like Iudas the traitour who with a kind kisse in shew betraied his Maister Christ. The godly are most moued for the glorie of God the wicked are most moued for their owne glorie like Naman who was in a chafe because the Prophet came not out vnto him And as touching the Minister of the word who many times hath iust occasion to thunder out the iudgements of God against obstinate sinners he seemeth vnto men of peruerse and froward conditions who list not to see others otherwise then they are themselues nor to muse but as they vse to such I say the Minister of Gods word seemeth to speake of malice and bitternesse and by way of reuenge for some old grudge as they say and to deale frowardly with his people when in zeale and earnestnesse he crieth aloud to awake men out of their dead sleepe and cutteth and launceth them to cut out their festered corruption but surely they are deceiued Reprehension indeed hath a sting as the saying is which is not very toothsome but it is very wholesome and it is not doctrine but wholesome doctrine saith Paule to Timothy which men cannot endure The father seemeth to be out of patience with his child when he seuerely rebuketh and correcteth him but then is he most tender ouer him and carefull for his good So the fathers of our soules seeme to be our enemies when they sharply rebuke vs for our sinnes but then they loue vs most and are most desirous or at least should be that we might be saued Am I Paule become your enemie because I tell you the truth saith the Apostle to the Galathians to shew that if we tell men the truth without flattery we shall be counted their enemies The more I loue saith the same Apostle to the same people the lesse am I loued to shew that true spirituall loue will procure vs hatred And what other account will the world make of vs if we deale plainly with them for their soules health but as of babling fooles and mad men Ieremy was counted a contentious person Ezechiâ—ls Sermons we reckned of but as of a fidlers song What will this babler say sayd some of
will not come yet saith the wicked to himselfe I may liue and repent when I am old or when I lie a dying Indeed so the wicked mockers and deriders of Gods iudgements vse to speak as S. Peter sheweth Where is the promise of his comming all things continue still at one stay but the Lord is not slacke saith the Apostle as men count slacknesse when the sinne is full ripe then wil the Lord cut it downe yea and such wretched speeches and vngodly conceipts of the Lords long suffering do ripen the sinne of the wicked blasphemer and hasten the comming of the Lords hand vpon them as a blow to a sicke man doth increase his paine and also hasten his death Indeede the wicked do promise vnto themselues a long time but God sayth they shall not liue out halfe their dayes Psal. 55.23 That is not halfe the time that they haue appointed or that they dreame of for when they shall say to themselues Soule be at rest thou hast goods inough for many yeares the Lord shall deny it and say Thou foole this night shall thy soule be fetched away from thee c. Luke 12.19.20 And in the booke of Iob it is said by Zophar one of Iobs friends that the reioycing of the wicked is short and the ioy of hypocrites is but a moment though his excellencie mount vp to the heauen and his head reach vnto the clondes yet shall he perish for euer like his dung and they which haue seene him shall say Where is he He shall flie away as a dreame and they shall not find him and shall passe away as a vision of the night so that the eye that had seene him shal do so no more and his place shall see him no more A destruction shall come speedily so also shall it come suddenly when the wicked looke not for it The fall of the house vpon the Philistins was sodem to them when they looked not for it The fall of fire vpon the Sodomites was sodaine to them when they looked not for it Death came sodeinly vpon Ananias and his wife euen when they lied to the holy Ghost and looked not for it Did Zimri and Cozbi look to haue bene pierced through with Phineas his speare when they played the open naughtie-packes together Or did Corah Dathan and Abiram looke for the opening of the earth vnder them when they were swallowed vp for their rebellion against Moses Aaron Or did Ieroboam looke for a leporous hand when he put it forth against the Prophet of God Or did Sisera looke for death when Iael tooke him napping and knocked a naile into his head All these are gone before vs and crie vnto vs that we must be alwayes in a readines because the Lord wil strike down his trees no man can tel when and they that are not readie for the Lord wheÌ„ his axe cometh shal be cut down and cast into the fire This is Christs caueat Be ye ready for ye know not when the houre is how we shal be made ready he sheweth when he saith Take heâ—d watch pray lest that day come vpoÌ„ you vnawares to teach vs that if we be careles look not for Gods visitatioÌ„ it wil take vs vnprouided This circumstance of sodainnesse or iudgement vnexpected doth make the destruction of the wicked the more fearefull Do not men start and feare when of a sodaine they meete with their friends as oftentimes we do in the darke or at short turnings and sometimes haue them ouertake vs and speake sodainely vnto vs doth it not amaze vs insomuch as many will say You made me start my hart doth yet shake in my bodie my haire began to stand right vp on my head much more are men amazed when their enemies sodainly set vpon them but most of all when some officer commeth sodainly vpon them from the Magistrate if their cause be not the better But oh what vnspeakeable feare and horrible amazednesse of thoughts and senses wil there be vnto the wicked when the Lords hand shall on a sodaine be layd vpon them they not once dreaming of any such matter as it fell out with Balthashar King of Babylon when in the middest of his cups and meriments he saw a hand writing vpon the wall against him But may we conclude of euery one that is sodainly taken away that he died a wicked man in the number of such as this text speaketh of Surely no such kind of reasoning is not good the argument followeth not God wil destroy suddenly the wicked men of Belial that is before they look for any such thing ergo whosoeuer dieth suddeÌ„ly is a maÌ„ of Belial it followeth not for many times God taketh away his children on a sodain in the accouÌ„t of the world but not before they be ready for him therfore though they be sodainly affrighted yea and smitten down yet they recouer againe by Christ in them for it is not possible for any to perish that is in Christ or hath Christ the Sauior in him but of the wicked it is said they shall neuer recouer themselues againe The conuersation of the godly being in heauen as S. Paul sheweth they do stil waite and looke for the comming of the Lord Iesus from thence therfore the comming of Christ is not sodaine vnto them but to the wicked and reprobates which will take no warning but still put off the euil day saying as it is in Esai Though a plague come it shal not come at vs all is sodaine to them and not so sadaine as fearefull Lots wife was suddenly taken yet who shall conclude that she is damned seeing as God exempted her from those that should perish but rather let vs think that she was made a piller of salt to season vs withall Enoch was translated Elias was taken vp by a whirlewind into heauen and yet here was no sodaine comming vnto them The Prophet was deuoured of a Lion by the way as he returned because he had made a stay contrarie to Gods commaundement and yet is he called the man of God and might be saued There were eighteene persons at one time sodainly slaine with the fall of a tower in Silo yet Chrisâ— saith they were not greater sinners then they which escaped One reason of Gods sodaine comming vpon his children to their feare and astonishments is to shew the wicked what they for certain may look for for If iudgement beginneth at the house of God saith Peter where shall the sinners vngodly stand 1. Pet. 4.17 And if they do thus vnto the green tree saith Christ what shal be done to the dry tree But Salomon hath well decided this controuersie in his book of the Preacher By no outward thing saith he can a man know loue or hatred speaking of the loue and hatred of God for all things come alike to all and the
the way of God truly there is the baite then comes the hooke Is it lawfull to pay tribute to Caesar or no Now Christ knowing their subtiltie gaue them no thankes for their commendation but called them tempting hypocrites saying Why tempt ye me ye hypocrites And will the wicked deale better with the members then they did with the head These men are the seruants of the liuing God saith the cunning maid to Paul and Silas or rather the diuell by whom she wrought and they bring vnto vs the way of saluation This was not for the good of Paul and Silas but to haue them apprehended the more speedily and handled the more seuerely It was a cunning sleight of Sathan and therfore Paule and Silas rebuked her for her labour being grieued to be commended by such a one and commaunded the spirite in the name of Christ to come out of her In a word the cōmendatiōs of the wicked are but traps their tables but snares as the prophet Dauid calleth thē And for all this seeing that it cannot be denied but that loue and commendation amongst men is a good blessing in which sense it is sayd that both Christ and Iohn Baptist and others were in fauour both with God and man and godlinesse hath the promises both of this life and of the life to come that is the blessings of God both temporall and eternall belong vnto godlinesse it must also be granted that euen the godly themselues which are so much hated and scorned in the world by the wicked of the world haue had haue and shall haue their part in that blessing of renowne fame and commendation yea a good name shall follow them to their graue and liue after them too in the world to the high glorie and praise of God who doth so honour his seruants which haue honoured him and to the comfort of their friends the encouragement of the weake and to the shame of the wicked They shall haue praise indeede but as the brother whom Paule commended to the Corinthians had whose praise sayth he is in the Gospell that is in embracing the Gospell or else in setting foorth of the Gospell as Luke did whereby his loue and zeale and godlinesse towards Christ were manifested to his great praise and commendation for vertue and piety is worthy of praise as vice deserueth the contrary therefore Peter sayth to seruants This is praise worthy if a man for consciēce toward God endure grief suffering wrōgfully And the Apostle Paul saith Whatsoeuer things are of good report if there be any vertue or any praise that is if there be any thing indeed praise worthy thinke on these things And God forbid seeing as God hath giuen such a blessing to his seruants and their vertues amongst the godly but that we should giue vnto vertuous men and fearing God their due praise and commendation When poore Mary shewed her loue to the person of Christ in annointing his body with sweete and precious ointment and her humility in wiping his feete with the haire of her head Christ told her that wheresoeuer his Gospell should be preached that deede of hers also should be published for a memoriall of her to shew that the vertuous acts of the Saints are not to be curied in obliuion but to be had in a thankfull remembrance vnto God The Lord in his word hath crowned his seruants with fame and renowne which neuer sought it but fled from it both according to his promise and also his gracious and wonted manner of dealing Those that honour me shall be honored of me saith the Lord. 1. Sam 2. there is his promise his manner is to giue his seruants more then they seeke for or desire as when Salomon desired not riches but wisedome to gouerne Gods people well God gaue him both riches and wisedome too so when the godly desire that only Gods name may be hallowed and cry with Dauid Not vnto vs not vnto vs ô Lord but to thy name giue the praise then doth the Lord giue them that thing which they desire and that also which they craued not and that is commendation from his owne mouth and a part in his owne ioy Wel done good and faithful seruant there is their commendation Enter into thy masters ioy there is their ful reward And thus is Moses become famous for being Gods Embassadour to King Pharao and his Captaine generall ouer the Lords army from Aegypt to the land of promise Thus Ioseph is famous for his chastity and faithfull seruice and the midwiues of Aegypt are renowned for sauing the childrens liues against the Kings commandement How famous is Deborah for iudging of Israel and Iael for nailing of Sisera Captaine of King Iabins host vnto the ground How famous is Dauid for conquering of Goliah and for his zealous courage in fetching home of the Arke Now is Eliah famous for reprouing King Achab and the widow of Sarepta for nourishing the Prophet Salomon is famous for building of the Temple the three children for contemning the Kings displeasure and Daniel is famous for his being cast into the Lions den Now Iohn Baptist is renowned for telling the King of his fault and loosing of his head for the same Peter for his sound confession Paul for his heauenly conuersion be both famous and renowned by the holy Ghost whose praises are in the word spread throughout the whole world So are all the holy Martyrs which suffered for the testimony of the truth and all Christian benefactours with the streames of whose loue and liberality many Churches Christians Vniuersities and schooles of good learning and nurseries of good arts and sciences haue bene watered and refreshed most famous and renowned in the Church of God And all these hauing shunned as much as they might all worldly praise and glorie in the world haue found most high praise and renowne with God and all the godly in the word of God and their praise is not of men but of God As for wicked hypocrites it is not so with them but as the godly are crowned with perpetuall fame and renowne so the wicked are and shall be crowned with euerlasting shame and reproch Cain is infamous and his name doth stinke for murthering his brother Abel Putiphars wife is infamous and her name doth stinke for her lewd tempting and false accusing of Ioseph Pharaoh is infamous and his name doth stinke for his cruel handling of the Israelites Doeg the Edomite is infamous and his name doth stinke for accusing and killing the Lords holy Priests Micol is infamous and her name doth stinke for scoffing at the zeale of Dauid her Lord and husband Iezabel for her whoredomes and murthering of Naboth for his vineyard is infamous and her name doth stinke Hanun is infamous for misusing of Dauids messengers and Ammon doth stinke before all the Israel of God vnto this day Sanballat and Tobiah for hindering the
building of the Lords Temple and holy Citie Haman for seeking the death of the Lords people Herod for murthering the young children Ananiah and Saphira for dissembling with Peter and lying to the holy Ghost Simon Magus for his offer of mony for the gifts of the holy Ghost Elimas for withstanding of Paul Tertullus for his accusing of Paule Iudas for betraying of his Lord and maister The Gadarens for preferring their swine before Christs doctrine All these and euery one of them are become infamous and do stinke before God and man and their reproch and shame shall neuer be blotted out For the word sayth The memoriall of the iust shall be blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot And in the 13. of the Prouerbes 9 verse The light of the righteous reioyceth but the candle of the wicked shall be put out To shew that the name of the wicked is no better then rotten carrion at the stinke whereof euery one that passeth by shall stop his nose and the discoursing of their liues shal be as noysome in hearing as the stinking snuffe of a candle burning low in the socket that euery man shall say put it out fie vpon it away withall And this is the righteous iudgement of God vpon the wicked which regarded not to glorifie God but themselues therefore to giue them vp to such vile affections and lewd actions as can breede nothing in the end but a rotten and stinking name But wicked hypocrites will take a good order for that they can haue such as themselues to perfume their doings while they liue with braue commendations to whom they say as Saul sayd to Samuel Honour me before this people And when they dye there are inough that will for a small reward be hired to commend them in a Sermon to the skies and then we can haue Pamphlets printed and Epitaphes engrauen vpon our tombes which will keepe our names from rotting Besides all this we will giue some gownes and money to the poore which we can no longer keepe and may well spare and all this put together will cast a most sweete smell Surely for the godly that liued well and died in the Lord it will for their life is like a waxe candle made and compounded of sweete matter which men are content it should burne out because when it is our it will cast a most fragrant and sweete smell but the life of the wicked is like a candle made of filthy stuffe which men will not suffer to burne out because it is no sooner out but it stinketh all the house ouer Although you commend it neuer so much yet men will not beleeue you that it was like that of waxe nay if you praise it wil they not laugh you to scorne and think you mad or drunken or senslesse Euen so is it with him that praiseth a wicked man either liuing or dead what doth such a preacher but play the foolish Herald and go about to perswade men that a stinking snuffe is as good as a sweete waxe candle or that filthie puddle water is as wholesome and as sweete as rose water Many such there are in the world who while they so preach the auditors that haue indgement and knew the life of such a man as well as he if not better sit and smile to themselues and wonder that any man either for money or monies-worth should be hired to become so voide of sense And whereunto shall we compare such Sermons and Epitaphs better then vnto flowers and herbes that are strawed and pricked vpon dead corpses buried only in a winding sheet Those flowers may well be laid vpon the dead corpes for a shew or to keepe men from smelling ill aires and may go with him to the graue but to keepe it from rotting and putrifying from corruption wormes and stinke they cannot So such high commendations bestowed vppon vnworthy persons as Papists Atheists drunkards whoremongers and such as liued most prophanely and irreligiously and so died for ought that any man can tell without repentance or any life of Gods Spirit in them are sweete herbes and faire flowers bestowed vpō them for ornament sake to please their friends but to preserue their name from rotting stinking they cannot by any meanes for God is iust who hath sayd Those that dishonor me I will dishonour as for that stinking and rotten cōmendations that they haue bestowed vpon thē by such as theēselues who also hunt after the like things it is all For they haue their reward are they not then in a miserable case But yet this is not all for when the hypocrites reward is come to an end which soone it doth like a thing of naught that is soone ripe and soone rotten and when the date of his good deedes or rather glorious sinnes is expired then must he come to a new reckning for all his hypocrisies and trecherous robberies committed against the glory of God while he hath abused the name of God and taken vnto himselfe all that praise which was due vnto God onely like those kind of fellowes which come to men in the Princes name to take vp their goods as it were to the Princes vse and then appropriate them wholly to themselues And for that they haue both robbed God of his glory and made his most glorious name and sacred religion their cloake and couering while they haue most profanely played their parts therewith to the great dishonour of his Maiesty and the spoile of the Church and oppression of their brethren And seeing as in their best deedes they haue made more account of mens praise then of commendation at Gods hand their iudgement is from euerlasting decreed and already is sentence gone foorth against them which can neuer be reuoked and that is to haue their part and portion with the diuell and his Angels in hell torments for euer where they shall not onely be depriued of Gods gracious presence which is true felicity and fulnesse of ioy for euer but also ly languishing not for a yere or two nor yet for a 100. nor a 1000. nor 10000. nor a 100000. nor a milliō of thousands of yeares for thē there were some hope that their paine would one day end though it were long before and intollerable in the meane time but for euer euer perhaps with many of those also whose vaine praises they haue in their life time so much hunted after where the one shall curse each other and their rewards yea the persence of each other and remembrance of their mutuall folly and vanity of the one in giuing of the other in seeking and taking the glory from God euen the remembrance I say of this their former vanity folly misery madnesse and impiety shall like an euer gnawing and tormenting Serpent sting wound and torment their consciences for euermore Yea if there be any paines or torments in hell greater then other they shall surely fall to the hypocrites lot