by day and by night at home and abroad in life and in death yea it will not onely guide thee as Moses did the children of Israel to the celestiall Canaan but as Iosua did will there take vp her habitation with thee for euer And as the starre led the Wise men till they came to Christ Mat. â— and then stood still so shall this light of ioy leade thee to the kingdome of heauen and there stand still in the firmament of thy soule world without end SECT 3. The third steppe to Heauen before the day of iudgement namely Ioy comfort at the day of death THe traueller that hath a long iourney to take though happely hee meete with many delights by the way yet is glad when he cometh within the kenne of his countrie but reioyceth exceedingly when hee hath attained the end of his iourney Behold the waies of righteousnesse are the steps we take in our trauaile the peace of conscience setteth before vs the ioy of the heauenly mansions but the day of death giueth vs fruition thereof and is therefore to be desired of all those that are trauelling the right way to the kingdome of heauen The heauenly bodies are best seene in the euening when the Sunne is set and the heauenly ioyes are most enioyed at the euening of our dayes when the Sunne of our life is set by reason that the soule is then deliuered from a masse of corruptions and both soule and bodie from a mixture of infinite miseries The godly may now especially be said to set foote into heauen in a twofold respect First because they are freed from the calamities of this life the bitternesse whereof doth greatly allay the sweetnesse of the heauenly ioyes Secondly Eccles 12 7 because their soules returning to God do actually possesse those eternall ioyes which the kingdome of heauen doth yeeld 1 Concerning this life what is it but a vale of miserie and what is the fruite thereof Psal 90.10 but labour and sorrow therefore doth the Oracle of heauen rightly pronounce Reu. 14 13. Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord because they cease from their labours The sea-faring man is glad when he meets with a pleasant gale of winde that will bring him to the hauen where he would bee Lo this world is the sea the bodie the shippe the soule the mariner and death the pleasant gale of wind that brings vs into the hauen of eternal blisse This the Apostle insinuates in an elegant Metaphor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 2.23 when he saith I long to be dissâ—lued and to bee with Christ. When Noah had bin tossed vp and downe in the floud almost a whole yeare was he not glad thinke you of mount Ararat whereupon he rested the Arke So the children of God hauing bene tossed vp and downe the waters of this wicked world peraduenture for many yeares haue they not reason to be glad of the day of death the mount Ararat that giues rest to the beaten barke of their turmoyled soules bodies Is the soule kept in the bodie as it were in a prison Seneca Tully c. and is not the day of death therefore to be desired as the day of deliuerance from imprisonment Surely yes and that makes Simeon to say Lord Luk 2.29 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou loosest now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word The dayes of man saith Iob are as the dayes of an hireling Iob. 7.2 And as the seruant longeth for the shadow and an hireling looketh for the end of his worke so do the godly looke and long for the euening Sun-set of their age because then the time of labour is past and the day of paiment comes in which causeth theÌ„ to pray Euen so Reu. 22.20 come Lord Iesus 2 As the faithfull are by death deliuered from the miseries of this life which hindred their felicitie so are they by it as it were by a gate led and let into the ioyes of heauen For the soules of the iust when by death they pay the old debt do receiue a new reward of ioy which they shall neuer repay Salomon saith comfortably Pro. 14.32 The righteous hath hope in his death but the Apostle more comfortably We know 2. Cor. 5.1 that if our earthly house of this tabernacle bee destroyed we haue a building giuen of God euen an house not made with hands but eternall in the heauens If the godly dyed doubtfully and with a staggering confidence there were some reason they should suffer a wonderfull conflict and reluctation in death but seeing they commit their soules into the hands of a faithfull Creator 1. Pet. 4.19 and their bodies to the ground with an assured confidence that at the last day they shall with the same eyes behold their Redeemer Iob. 19. who will send his Angels to fetch them and hath promised to glorifie them seeing that being dissolued they shall be with Christ Phil. 1.23 haue the reward of their workes following them to heauen Reu. 14.13 where their time shall bee spent in singing the hymnes of prayses to the harpe of glorie Reu. 5.8.9 haue they not reason to long for death to search for it more then for treasures and to reioyce when they finde it Dauid saith that the death of the Saints is precious in the sight of the Lord. Psa 116.15 And our Sauiour makes the day of death the Saints seede time for that happie haruest wherein the Angels shall be reapers to gather the good corne into the Lords barne the kingdome of heauen For except the wheate corne fall into the ground and dye Ioh. 12.24 it bideth alone but if it dye it bringeth foorth much fruite Seeing now that death is of such singular vse to the godly wee see that to bee a most false position of the Philosopher and an erroneous opinion of many Christians That death is the worst and most terrible thing that can happen to man For albeit that to the wicked it be so yet to the godly it is not to whome if either you respect their freedome from temporall miseries or the fruition of eternall felicitie The day of death is better Eccles 7.3 then the day that they are borne If the house wherein thou dwellest were rotten Cypr. de mortal sect 17. and readie to fall on thy head if the shippe wherein thou art carried leaked very daungerously and like to drowne thee wouldest thou not leaue thy house and desire the shore that might yeeld thee safetie Then maruell not that the godly desire to be freed from the crazed houses and leaking shippes of their mortall bodies and long for the houses hauens of euerlasting securitie What though death be a serpent and sting the wicked griping them at the heart yet to the elect Christ hath vanquished this serpent and plucked out his sting yea deaths sting being sinne
13.14 put on the Lord Iesus Christ Thus when thou art decked with these externall and internall robes of grace and with the inherent and imputed righteousnesse of Christ the same shal be as the cloake of Elias 2. Kin. 2.14 deuiding the waters of the Iordan of this troublesome world that thou mayst passe ouer to the beautifull Iericho of eternall ioy And as when Isaac smelled the sauour of Iacobs garments Gen. 27.27 he blessed him so when the Lord smelleth the sweet aire of these garments of grace he will assuredly blesse thee with the white robes of eternall glorie in his euerlasting kingdome Reu. 6.11 SECT 6. Of stately buildings and sumptuous furniture HE that will see the vanitie of stately buildings with the complemeÌ„ts thereunto belonging let him take a view of Salomons house 1. King 7.1 which was thirteene yeares in building vnder the hands of so many thousand workmen and heare him also what he saith of it Eccle. 2.4.5 I haue built me houses I haue planted me vineyards I haue made me gardens and orchards and planted in them trees of all fruite c. Whatsoeuer cost or art could do or deuise Salomon had it to beautifie his workes but marke his censure as well as his description Vers 11. I looked on all the workes that my hands had wrought and behold All is vanitie and vexation of the spirit What is the vsuall foundation of stately buildings but pride and ambition Did not this humor set the builders of the towers of Babylon on worke Gen. 11.4 For they will build them a citie and a tower whose top may reach vnto the heauen that they may get them a name And this is also euident in the arrogant brag of that loftie king many hundred yeares after Dan. 4.27 Is not this great Babel that I haue built for the house of the kingdome by the might of my power and for the honour of my maiestie Marke how the conceipt of the greatnesse makes him arrogant and in false assuming the honour of the worke he is very impudent But if the matter be well waighed there is no great reason that any one should be proud of his buildings for euery one hauing his due the honour of the worke rather belongs to the builder then to the owner nay many may haue cause to be ashamed of their stately houses being void of habitation and nothing but meere mock-beggers 2 As pride layeth the foundation so crueltie and oppression doe oft times finish the worke Are there not many to whom the Prophets commination doth iustly belong Ier. 22.13 Wo vnto him that buildeth his house by vnrighteousnesse and his chambers without equitie and this circumstance makes it more odious that such cost is bestowed and employed with neglect of the Lords house The Prophet Aggeus taxeth and taunteth the Iewes after their returne from the captiuitie in these words Is it time for your selues to dwell in your seeled houses Agge 1.4 and this house lie waste Doubtlesse there was neuer any age more culpable in this kinde then ours for euery one that hath enough for his owne house hath nothing to bestow in repayring the Church Yea there are manie wretched cormorants who doe not onely let the Lords house lie waste but doe their vttermost euen vtterly to ruinate it Yea some with the spoyles of the Church do purchase lands and build them goodly houses and yet these sacrilegious wretches would bee counted faithfull Christians Saint Iames willeth them to shew him their faith by their workes Iames 2.18 If their stately houses the fruite of their fraud and couetousnesse and the monuments of their pride and arrogancie may be demonstrations of faith the world shall witnesse with them that they are very good Christians but thus many do make their buildings worse then the buildings of Iericho Iosua 6.26 not laying the foundation thereof in the bloud of their bodies but in the bane of their soules And let such know that the curse of God is vpon their glorious houses and that the stones of the wall shall crie out for vengeance Hab. 2.11 and the beame out of the timber shall answer it with an eccho and say Amen 3 What becommeth of all these are the buildings perpetuall or permanent yea doth not time with sundry accidents as fire thunder lightening tempests earthquakes and the like consume them Câ—â—er Epist sa n. lib. 4. Ep. 5. The carkasâ—s of mighty townes and cities such as Aegina and Corinth are scarce to be seen Where is that goodly building of Ierusalem that rauished our Sauiours disciples with admiration and are not those Egyptian Pyramides which were reckoned amongst the wonders of the world exceedingly defaced and decayed Chrys in Ep. ad Coloss Hom. 2. medio Therfore doth Chrysostome verie well compare mens buildings to swallowes neasts which in winter do fall downe of themselues and wherein as he saith do we differ from litle children which in their sports doe build them houses saue that their building is with play and pleasure ours with labour and paine The like may be sayd of domesticall ornaments which hath bene said of the houses For what are they but baites for theeues care for seruants worke for rust foode for moaths and mice and other base creatures The garden may instruct vs rather then delight vs by shewing vs what we are euen a flower and it is a good place to set our sepulcher in with Ioseph of Arimathea that in the middest of our delights we may remeÌ„ber our death As for orchyards they may preach humiliation vnto vs by remembring vs of our common calamitie through the tasting of the forbidden fruite This being the due estimation of these momentanie vanities it may serue to abate the arrogancie of those who waxe proud and stately because of their stately buildings and rich furniture Such may remember that a little womb contained them at their birth and a small graue will serue them at their death and why then should they seeke for such pompous habitations in the time of their life Let vs rather imitate Noah Gene 8.20 who after the flood built an altar then Caine Genes 4.17 who after the Lords threatning built a citie Let vs seeke better habitations then those that may perish by sundrie meanes in the time of our life and must needs be forsaken at our death Heb. 11.10 Abraham being called of God was easily perswaded to forsake his house and his owne countrey because hee locked for a citie whose builder and maker is God so the children of God should remember that they haue a building giuen of God 1. Cor. 5.1 that is an house not made with hands but eternall in the heauens The remembrance whereof should make these earthly tabernacles vile in their eyes As for the wicked who are so besotted with the loue of this world that they endeuour to erect perpetuall habitations in this
thousand witnesses that which seemed doubtfull she proceedeth to pronounce sentence Then doth the prodigall child crye out Luk. 15.19 I am not worthie to be called thy sonne Then doth the Prophet censure himselfe and his people thus O Lord righteousnesse doth belong to thee Dan. 9.7 but to vs open shame and confusion of face 5. Lastly sentence being thus pronounced Quò enim cor meum fugeret à corde meo Aug. confes lib. 4. cap. 7. what is to be expected but execution to flie it is not possible a man may escape others but to flie from an euill conscience it is no lesse impossible then for a man to flie froÌ„ his shadow which the faster the bodie flyeth the faster it followeth then will the conscience inflict the punishment Thus when Dauid with diffidence of Gods assistance affiance in his own forces had numbred the people it is said that his heart smote him or scourged him Lo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Sa. 24.10 this is the fruite of sinne both to the vniust and to the Saints for in both of them the conscience watcheth accuseth witnesseth condemneth and punisheth but these proceedings of the conscience are to the elect like the Apostles power To edification not to destruction 2. Cor. 13.10 The godly being hereby schooled are sent to Christ Gal. 3.24 whereby peace is spoken to their soules and they are repriued and pardoned the wicked despaire and flie from him and so they are eternally tormented But some man will peraduenture obiect that all the wicked feele not these throbbes because some that haue wholy deuoted themselues to iniquitie and all abhomination do yet liue merily and are not vexed with such stormes of terror or remorse Whereunto I aunswer that many which seem to liue thus merily haue yet many inward gripings Pro. 14.10 when onely The heart knoweth the bitternesse of the soule Caligula that proude Atheist Qui deos tantoperè contemneret Sueton. in vita Cal. cap. 51. who did so scorn the Gods was wont to winke and wrappe the clothes about his head at the least flashes of lightening and at the greater would hide himselfe vnder his bed Did not his conscience terrifie him and tell him that there was a reuenging power But suppose they were alwaies exempted from these terrors as some no doubt are who haue senslesse hearts cauterised consciences 1. Tim. 4.2 yet is their condition no lesse miserable whilest this lethargie of their soules will not suffer them to seeke to the Physitian to be cured Poyson is poyson how plesantly soeuer it be confected and though these men bee led by Sathan Carion Chr. lib. 5. like Baiazeth by Tamberlaine in fetters of gold yet remember that they are speeding to hell Let me then for conclusion of this point propound vnto thee my Christian brother Rom. 6.21 the Apostles question to the Romanes What fruit had you of those things whereof you are now ashamed Consider the fruites of sinne and thou shalt finde them to be nothing but shame and sorrow and horror of conscience besides which if there were no other reason of restraint yet were this sufficient to withdraw any man not senslesse in his sinnes For what a miserable thing is it to be alwaies hanging ouer a dangerous and deepe water by some small bough and what a lamentable case is this to be euer fearefully looking for the dreadfull iudgment and violent fire Heb. 10.27 that shal deuoure the aduersarie Crucifie therefore thy affections with the lusts thereof and hold it not sufficient like the foolish Israelites to make them tributaries Ios 23.13 lest they proue worse then the Cananites not a whippe on thy side and thornes in thine eyes but a sword of sorrow wounding thy sinfull soule Indeuour also to embrace a holy conuersation and that will yeelde thee a quiet and good conscience and a good conscience will be a continuall feast Pro. 15.15 SECT 3. The third steppe of the wicked into hell in this life which is their dolefulll dying THe cuppe that yeeldes bitternesse in the first draught must needes be very bitter in the bottome If the life of a wretched sinner be so full of terror as hath bene shewed how terrible do we thinke his death shall bee Exod. 5. The Israelites were in great slauery in Aegypt but when they were readie to leaue the land their thraldome was much increased and so it fareth with incorrigible sinners in their liues they are Sathans slaues and their consciences are subiect to the scourges of remorse but at their death their miserie is augmented and their terrors trebled 1 It must needs be a great griefe to them to leaue the world with all the delights thereof which they haue loued so dearely Those that haue made this life their heauen it must needes bee a hell vnto them to lose it as it was a death vnto the children of Israell to leaue the flesh pots of Aegypt 2. They must part with their friends whether it be wife children or other associates no friendship can obtaine it no substance can procure it that the life may be prolonged Psal 49.7 For no man can by any meanes redeeme his brother he cannot giue his râ—nsome to God 3. They must leaue their friend Mammon the wealth and riches to which their soule cleaueth O death Eccles 41.1 how â—itter is the remembrance of thee to a man that liueth at rest in his possessions If onely the remembrance of future death be so bitter to a man in wealth prosperitie how irkesome shall it be to him when death it selfe standeth before his face readie to arrest him Well might Salomon say Eccles 5.15 this is an euill sicknesse But what should I speake of the losse of these toyes and trifles They must part with their liues Skinne for skinne and all that a man hath Iob. 2.4 will he giue for his life Life is sweet but not to be bought with all the wealth kingdomes of the world for death will claime his due and nature must be paid her tribute This is the way of all flesh but not the end of all flesh Happie were many if this were the tragicall catastrophe of their sinfull life that their sinnes might dye and be buried with them If the guest might take his meate and drinke and depart without paying any râ—ckoning it were well for him so if the wicked that hath taken his repast in sin might leaue the world and so an end their case were nothing lamentable but this is the death that after all this there is a reckoning to bee made Thus must a man part with his friends his pleasures his wealth yea and his life too The remembrance of his pleasures will possesse him with a double passion with griefe because he must leaue them with detestation because they haue bene the causes of his ruine the sight of friends shall vex him enuying
their prolonged life and cursing their societie who happely haue bene with him companions in iniquitie To forgoe his wealth it will be a death and to remember how that he hath damned his soule for scraping it together it will be a hell to him Now doth death lay siege to the castell of the bodie and dischargeth an hundred Canons of calamities vpon the same conuulsions feauers aches and infinite paines which disquiet the bodie distract the minde vexe the patient and grieue the beholders making the one to burst foorth many times into blasphemies causing the other in compassion to shed plentie of teares and at last it dischargeth a volley of pangs which euen breake the heart strings and separate those old friends the Soule and the Bodie Then comes in the conscience with her book of accompts and she shewes many old reckonings and arrerages she will tell the sicke man of his sinnes which he hath committed of the commandements which he hath contemned of the time that he hath vainely consumed of the dishonors done to God the wrongs to men and iniuries to himselfe the frailty of his youth the folly of his riper yeares and the iniquitie of his whole life then would hee keepe the commaundements of God but it is not permitted then would he redeeme the time mis-spent but hee cannot be suffered then would he faine deferre the time of his accounts but it will not bee graunted Iob. 13.26 Thou writest bitter things against me saith Iob and makest me possâ—sse the sinnes of my youth The Lord by his chastisements will shew that he remembreth sinne and by inflicting the same will bring mens sinnes to their cogitations and make the remembraunce thereof more bitter vnto them then gall and wormewood their sinnes which were their companions to play with them will now be an enemie to plague theÌ„ that which was a foxe to deceiue them will become a wolfe to deuoure them that which was like an angell to tempt them will now be as a diuell to torment them Now to aggrauate these calamities doth Sathan set in foote for when death layeth siege to the bodie then doth he most eagerly assault the soule and his manner is to bestirre himselfe exceedingly Reu. 12.12 when hee sees that he hath but a short time He will make heauie sinne seem light that so he may bring men to presumption or the light sinnes heauie that soe hee may driue them to desperation In the middest of all these dolours and distractions the distressed soule thinkes vpon the nearenesse of his accompt to be made Greg. mor. lib. 24. c. 17 and by how much nearer the iudgement approcheth by so much the more is it feared because a man shall then finde within a short time that which he cannot forgo throughout all eternitie Miserable man that thou art whose condition this is whither wilt thou flie for comfort in the middest of this distresse If thou looke vpon thy wealth it will be a corasiue to thy soule if thou behold thy friendes they stand weeping about thee if thou haue recourse to thy conscience it is tormenting within thee life that thou louedst so well biddes thee farewel and death that thou hatedst most extreamely salutes thee yea hell it selfe gapeth for thee and the diuels are readie to torment thee The onely refuge to a poore soule in this distresse is the recourse to Gods mercie but what hope can the wicked haue therein at the day of their death Rom. 2.4 who haue despised the riches of his bountifulnesse and patience and long suffering in the time of their life Now thinkes the dying man Oh if I might liue still how would I bestirre my selfe in working forward my saluation What cost what paines and care would I bestow and take to escape this horror of soul But all these good motions come too late Cum vult improbus c. Aug. For the wicked when he would he cannot because that when he might he would not Now is it too late to crie Oh that I might dye the death of the righteous Num. 23. when a man hath neglected to liue the life of the righteous This is the true president of a wicked mans will and testament consisting of three principall points his goods he bequeathes to his Executors because he cannot carie them with him his bodie and bones he leaues to the wormes and rottennesse and they will consume them his soule goes to the diuell and he will torment it This indeed he would not haue so but it is his will against his will Behold here then we see a maine difference between the godly and the wicked in that the day of death is a comicall Catastrophe to the one but a tragicall conclusion to the other In this life there is the same condition to the godly the wicked Eccles 9.2 yea happely worse to the godly then the wicked but at their death it fareth with them as it doth with the dogge and the dere For as the dogge which in his life time is cherrished at his death is cast to the crowes but the dere which is chased and pursued in the time of his life when he dyeth is carefully brought home and dressed so the wicked which liue pleasantly in their life are at their death cast foorth into the place of darkenesse but the godly who are pursued and persecuted in their life are caried at the day of their death by the blessed Angels into Abrahams bofome Luk. 16.22 This being the fruite of sinne it should be a reason to restraine vs from the same It is straunge to see how preposterous our courses are the most presume of Gods mercie in their life time that they may sinne the more securely and in death they feare his iustice lest they be condemned but they should feare his iudgements in the time of their life and then may they reioyce in his mercie at the day of their death To conclude then the conclusion of mans life let all the wicked that celebrate their birth dayes with mirth and festiuitie celebrate the day of their death with feare and sorrow for a wo belongs to them that haue had their consolation in this world Luk. 6. And if it happen also that there be no bands in their death neither in the paines of the bodie nor the vexatioÌ„ of soule their case is yet the more lamentable because there remaines the more punishment hereafter But let the wicked forsake his waies Esa 55.8 and the vngodly his owne imaginations and turne to the Lord in true and heartie repentance and let all those that would haue comfort in the day of their death be carefull to leade a sanctified life alwaies remeÌ„bring that commonly such a life such a death Qualis vita finis ita Aug ad Dioscor and as death leaues a man so the last iudgement shall find him CHAP. 2. SECT I. The first steppe of the wicked into hell at the day
shall lose their light and vttâ—rly cease to measure time by their motion leauing the same to passe on without end or intermission till the Lord be fully auenged vpon all the wicked in hell Therfore are all the torments of the reprobate noted with the Epithets of Eternity and perpetuitie The shame that shall couer their face Dan. 12.2 Mar. 9.44 is perpetuall the worme that gnaweth their conscience neuer dyeth Mat. 25.46 the pain which they shall go into is endles the fire that shall deuoure them Iude. 7. is eternall the torments of the fierie lake last for euer Reu. 20.10 the perdition which shall punish them from the throne of the Lord 2. Thes 1.9 and the glorie of his power is euerlasting and the death which they suffer is an euerlasting death It goeth hard with a man that would faine dye but cannot and such shall be the conditioÌ„ of the damned as Saint Iohn speaketh of certaine men Reu. 9.6 They shall seeke death but shall not find it and shall desire to die but death shall flie from them And it is a iust recompence that they which might haue found life but would not seeke it should now seeke for death and not find it Thus shall they be like to a man that lyes with many waights vpon him to bee pressed to death crying and calling for more waights to dispatch him but alas hee cannot get them so shall they wish euen an increase of torments to end their liues but it shall not bee graunted That is a fearefull iudgement which the Lord threateneth to the Iewes Behold Ier. 8.17 I will send Serpents and Cockatrices among you which will not be charmed but this is a farre greater iudgement that the Lord will cast men into the euerlasting fire Mat. 3.12 that shall neuer be quenched If those who are shut vp in the dungeon of hell had so many thousand yeares to endure there as there bee sands on the shore fishes in the sea stars in the firmament or grasse in the field there were some hope and comfort though God knowes it were very small but when so many millions of ages and worlds are passed ouer their torments alas for pitie are as fresh and new to beginne againe as euer they were according to that of Gregory They poore wretches haue a death without a death Mor. lib. 9. cap. 48. an end without an end a defect without a defect for the death liueth the end alway beginneth and the defect neuer faileth Is it possible for Almightie God not to be eternall neither is it possible for the punishment of the wicked in hell to be temporall offences against an infinite Maiestie require an infinite punishment Many to embolden themselues to sinne in this life are willing to remember that Gods mercie endureth for euer but such shall in the life to come receiue the reward of their sinnes and prooue against their willes that the arme of his iustice is as large as the arme of his mercie and that his wrath and indignation also endureth for euer Dauid hath a dolefull complaint Will the Lord absent himselfe for euer Psal 77.7 and will hee shew no more fauour is his mercie cleane gone for euer hath God forgotten to be gracious and hath he shut vp his tender mercies in displeasure Alas this were a pitifull case indeed he hath not dealt thus with Dauid but hee will deale so with all the damned Of many things in the world me thinkes this is most admirable That men perswading and assuring themselues there are such pains prepared for the wicked do yet liue as though they feared no such thing some making but a iest of sin Prou. 14.9 Iob. 15.16 others drinking it vp like water Oh God is mercifull thou wilt say not desiring the death of a sinner and that giues them hope I but to whom is God mercifull to all nay shall not the greatest part of the world tast of his heauie indignation Mat. 7. What to euery man how lewd so euer he bee nay hee hath threatened that to a man going presumptuously on in his lewdnesse without remorse Deut. 29.20 he will not be mercifull If it were bruted for certaine that in a citie where there are thousands the Prince would shortly vse some strange and seuere execution vpon an hundred but vpon whom it were vncertaine would it not cause euerie man to tremble If it were told ten going ouer a bridge that one of them should fall into the water would it not make euery one looke to his feete lest he should be the man If a skilfull Phisitian should assure a towne that many in it were infected with some daungerous disease what running and riding would there be to Phisitians to preuent the same Behold now men do heare that the King of Kings will shortly come to execute his fierce wrath vpon many Rev. 22.12 Iude. 13. they know that not one of ten but rather nine of ten are in danger of falling from the bridge of iniquitie into the pit of eternall destruction Mat. 7. and see that in euery towne many are infected with those daungerous diseases which bring eternall death yet how few are found that tremble looke to theÌ„selues or seeke to the Phisitian of their soules that they may escape these daungers Who would for thousands of goldly burning in the fire for only one dayes space who is so mad that he would for one houres pleasure be racked a whole yeare together and yet alas how many are there that for trifles doe damne themselues to the fire of hell and how many that for foolish and sottish sinnes such as are odious in the sight of God hatefull to men and hurtfull to their owne health do bring them selues to the racke and torments which endure not for an howre or a yeare but for euer and euer and if it were possible for euer and after If euer it please God to visite thee with sicknes thinke with thy selfe deare Christian as thou sittest or lyest in thy bed how irkesome it would bee to thee if thou shouldest lye alwayes in that small paine without comfort or company of friends and if that seeme tedious to thee bethinke thy selfe how gieuous it will bee to lye in the vnspeakeable torments of hell without all comfort and companie saue of the terrible fiends and miserable soules of hell and that world without end and this meditation must needes mollifie thy heart and humble thy soule But alas men do not remember or else do onely superficially consider these things But I beseech thee for Gods sake who created thee like himselfe for Christs sake who shed his bloud and dyed to redeeme thee and for thy soules sake which should be more precious to thee then ten thousand worlds let not these infinite torments bee passed ouer with a short or shallow consideration but engraue the remembrance thereof in the most sensible and secret part of
Tirpsi initio who at the birth of any child vsed to sit downe and weepe recounting the calamities that were by it to be encountred but when any one dyed they sported and reioyced rehearsing the miseries from which he was deliuered But what is this to the spirituall calamitie and miserie of sin which is increased by old age and the debts of our transgressions which are augmented by long life It is a worthie question of Ierome Hieron ad Heliador What difference is there betweene him that hath liued ten yeares and him that hath liued a thousand years sauing that when death comes hee that is the oldest goeth to the graue loaden with the greatest burthen of sinnes If a man grow dayly in debt and behind hand we say he hath a good turne when God hath taken him soorth of the world how much more should we thinke him happie who is by death deliuered from running further into the debts of sin Rom. 3.19 whereby he is brought into the Lords danger These euils are great which long life bringeth vpon vs but besides it keepeth good things from vs and vs from good things For we know that whilest we are at home in the body 2. Cor. 5.6 we are absent from the Lord. The desire of long life makes vs forget eternall life and the hope thereof causeth the neglect of our preparation to death for whilest euery one thinks he may liue yet a little longer hee perswades himselfe that hee hath time enough to repent Is not he a foolish souldier that would haue the warres rather prolonged then ended that he may haue the trophees of victorie Now our life being a warfare and the day of our death the day of honour and triumph is there not iust cause that they which haue receiued the first fruite of the spirit Rom. 8. should sigh for their ful and final redemption But this being the vanitie of long life all those world-louers are iustly taxed who like the Israelites would make a Canaan of Aegypt and heauenly mansions of this earthly habitation being loth to forsake it though they be subiect to a thousand inconueniences in it But as those that are much giuen to wine will not stick to drinke the lees so those that loue this world and life too well will rather embrace old age with all the preiudices thereof then leaue it What is there in this life to be desired and if there were any thing yet what is that to the life to come To say the most for long life say that the Lord offereth vs two iewels the one base and temporall the other excellent and eternall is it not extreame folly to preferre the temporall before the eternall And such is the folly of those which preferre long life in this world before eternall life in the world to come But what is it not lawfull to desire long life surely yes with that condition implyed in Dauids prayer Psal 30.9 Shall the dust giue thanks vnto thee If thou desire to glorifie God by liuing long then mayest thou desire it and so doing mayest haue great hope to obtaine it CHAP. 3. SEC 1. A view of those externall vanities which are called the goods of Fortune and first of Nobilitie WHen Dalilah would betray Sampson into the hands of the Philistims Iudg. 16.6 shee intreateth him to tell her wherein his great strength lay knowing that if once the same were weakened hee might easily be vanquished Euery souldier that can approch to the standard or come neare the Generall will preasse hard and aduenture with daunger to encounter them considering that the one being the eye the other the voyce of the armie in their victorie consisteth the glorie of the conquest The like course haue I thought good to take in this spiritual warfare for being to encounter the combined forces of the minde the bodie and of Fortune I first assayed to set vpon the ornaments of the minde afterwards assaulted the armado of the bodie which being like the lockes of Sampson and the Captaine and standard-bearer of the armie thou shalt finde foyled and slaine except thy heart yeeld balme to cure them and their fires quenched vnlesse thy affections send foorth oyle to kindle them And now by Gods grace I will encounter the stragling and vnranged forces of Fortune And first I wil beginne with Nobilitie a meere externall good which happeneth vnto men in their birth onely through their auncestors worthinesse Those that are stict in the decyphering and blazing of gentrie account none noble but such as are remoued a third degree froÌ„ ignobilitie Nam genus proauos quae non fecâ—mus ipsi Viâ—ea nostra voco Ouâ—â— Met. lib. 13. holding absurdly that the auncestors can giue that they haue not and decking fondly the naked and new borne babe with the plumes of his progenitors If descents make nobilitie how cometh it to passe then that many of most ancient families haue lost their generositie by antiquitie whilest wealth the nurse of Nobilitie hath fayled But thus indeed they make Nobilitie like the shippe that brought home the youth of Greece which was peeced with sundrie plankes that at last it had nothing of that matter whereof it was made I haue read a pleasant storie of a great Prince who standing much vpon these vanities was perswaded by one which knew how to fit his humor that his noble pedegree might be deduced from Noahs arke wherewith when he being much affected did wholly addict himselfe to the searching foorth of that his ieaster told him that his endeuour therein would be nothing honourable to him for if you fetch your pedegree from Noahs ark quoth he my selfe and other such simple fellowes as I am who now reuerence you as a god shall prooue your poore kinsmen a worthy reproofe of a proud conceit and a fond enterprise If there be any that stand vpon these tearmes it will not be hard to fetch his originall sixteene hundred yeares beyond the time of the floud euen from Adam but with like inglorious successe for in him through a trecherous rebellion against his God hee shall finde his bloud so stained that all the men and Angels in heauen and earth are not able to restore it If vertue were deriued by propagation as vice is and if parents could as well impart vnto their children their prowesse as their pollution Nobility were an ornament of most honourable respect but seeing that as the deadly hemlocke groweth in the fertile ground and rich ore is digged foorth of the barren soyle so vertuous and honourable children many times proceed from meane parentage and base and ignoble descend from honorable progenitors And seeing that vertue the onely foundation of true Nobilitie is an acquisit and diuinely instilled habit Nobilitas sola est atque vnica virtus there is no reason that noblenesse of birth should be so priced as it is It is not the descent in birth but the liuing vertuously
then the great kings of Tyrus and BabyloÌ„ that conquering Lord of Bezeck or that mightie Monarch of Greece Behold they are all gone and haue lost left their pompe behind them yea their honourable memoriall is perished with them Almost euery one saith with Saul honour me amongst the people 1. Sam. 15. and that is the limit of their base conceipt Many stand gloriously vpon their honor and reputation but fewe haue due regard of honestie and religion But our blessed Sauiour when he came into the world taught vs to despise worldy pompe and credite both by his birth life and death In his birth he disrobed himselfe of diuine honour Phil. 2.7 and tooke vpon him the shape of a seruant In his life he refused the dignitie of a king and sought not his owne glorie Ioh. 8.18 And in his death he suffered himselfe to be stript of all externall reputation when he was buffetted by the rascall souldiers Mat. 27.30 35.39 crucified on the reprochfull crosse and derided by the base passengers Christians therefore should learne his precept and imitate his practise according to that Learne of me Mat. 11.32 for I am meeke and lowlie of heart If we suffer with him we shall be glorified with him Rom. 8.17 and if we be humbled with him we shall bee exalted with him Let your light so shine before men Mat. 5. that they may see your good workes and glorifie your father which is in heauen saith our Sauiour Let your conscience be vpright and your conuersation holy so shall you glorifie God and haue praise with God tenne thousand times more woorth then all the vaine and momentanie applauses of men yea if thou desire to be truly honorable in the eyes of men do this Worldly honour and estimation is not vnfitly compared to the Crocodile which flyeth being pursued but pursueth a man when he flieth For those that contemne this transitorie honor and seeke the aduancement of Gods glorie shall vndoubtedly haue true honour pursuing them though they lose it in their fathers house with Ioseph yet shall they find it in Egypt though they leaue it in Pharoos Court with Moses they shall meete with it in the wildernesse and forsaking it in their owne countrey with Abraham shall finde it in Canaan For those that honour the Lord he will honour them 1. Sam. 2.30 The womans cost and kindnesse in honouring our blessed Sauior with the box of oyntment shall neuer be forgotten Mat. 26.13 But wheresoeuer the Gospell shall be preached throughout the world there shall also this that shee hath done be spoken of for a memoriall of her And when as the vnworthie honor of the wicked shal be buried in obliuion or be turned into reproch Psal 112.6 the righteous euen in this life shall be had in euerlasting remembrance and in the life to come shall enioy a glorious kingdome thrones of maiestie and the neuer-fading crownes of eternall glorie Lo thus shall be done to the man whome the Lord will honour SECT 9. Of Pleasures VVE are now entring into the garden of Adonis as it is in the Prouerbe which the world makes her garden of Eden The flowers that grow therin are the vaine plants of pleasure which albeit they make a glorious shew to the eye yet is their root bitternesse their glosse vanitie and their fruite deadly poyson What is pleasure but a delightfull motion seated in the senses Cic. defiâ— bon lib. 2. so that the fiue senses are as so many rootes foorth of the which pleasures doe spring and grow Beautifull obiects delight the eye sweete sounds doe please the eares fragrant aires affect the nose delicate substances content the branched nerues daintie viands satisfie the tongue and what hath man in all this which is not common to him with the bruite beasts 2. Pet. 2.12 In regard whereof Saint Peter calleth those that are led with sensualitie bruite beasts And are not these senses so many faire windowes by the which pleasures giue sinne passage and entrance into the heart and soule of men The serpent was more subtile then any beast of the field Gen. 3.1 and so was a daungerous snare vnto Eue but alas when she gaue entertainement to pleasure she was assaulted by a more dangerous beast For pleasure directed her eye and guided her hand to the forbidden fruite brought it to her mouth and perswaded her to take and tast it Now as pleasures are brutish so are they exceeding momentanie like the fierie Comets which last no longer then their exhaled matter indureth and that cannot be long So that euen now you may see Baltasar quaffing in great iolitie Dan. 5. and by and by behold his countenance chaunged his knees beat together and his pleasure turned into horrour To day you may see the Israelites stretch themselues vpon their beds of Iuorie Amos. 6.4 eate the lambes of the flocke drinke wine in bowles and sing to the sound of the Violl and to morrowe behold them in great misery and thraldome by the Assyrians and Babylonians If a man will not leaue his pleasures when he is young they will assuredly leaue him when he is old and theâ—fore Salomon I sought in my heart to dâ—aw foorth c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eccles 2.3.11 when he had drawne out the threede of delight and stretched the webbe of pleasures on the largest tenter of varietie saith he found nothing in it but vanitie and vexation of spirit The learned both heathen and Christians haue compared pleasures to the anglers baite Plato Cice. Ambr. de bon mort cap. 6. which hath a hooke hid vnder it wherewith those that are inconsiderate are caught and killed The golden cuppe in the spiritual whores hands is a goodly cup Reu. 17.4 but it is full of abhominations so is pleasures cup a very faire one but it is full of deadly poyson The Bee hath honie and waxe but she hath a sting withall so hath pleasure the honie to intice and the waxe to enflame but take heed of the deadly sting wherewith shee strikes The best fruite that can grow from pleasures is Repentance and remorse of conscience For sweet meate must haue sower sauce and the soule that tooke pleasure in sinning must needes suffer paine in sorrowing So shall it befall the soule giuen to pleasures Esa 13.22 as Esay threateneth to Babylon Iim shall cry in their pallaces and dragons in their pleasant places those soules and bodies that should haue bene the temples of the holy Ghost 1. Cor. 6.19 but haue bene made the pallaces of worldly pleasures shall haue the Fairies Furies of anguish and horror lodging and liuing there 2 Are not pleasures the occasions of sicknesse and weaknesse Chrys ad pop Antio hom 55. in ipso initio for as the course of waters doe weare weaken the banke and at last carie it cleane away so doe pleasures diminish
wake with the little tender babe And as children grow in age and stature so doth the cost and care of parents grow and increase The health the honestie the credite and good estate of the children is the continuall meditation of the parents and if they prooue towardly impes yet is the future hope conceiued of theÌ„ very doubtfull and the comfort variable but the care most certaine and infallible Children should be like the oliue plants Psal 128.3 yeelding the oyle of gladnesse chearefulnesse vnto their parents faces but many by their vngracious behauiours doe make their faces shine with teares and doe couer them with shame They should be as arrowes of protection in the hands of the strong Psal 127.4 but they become swords and darts of sorrow and anguish to pierce their pareÌ„ts hearts What a heart-breake was that vnto Adam Gen. 4.8 that hauing but two sonnes the one of them should murther his owne and onely brother And what a thing was it that when as Isaac had but two children the one of them married with wiues that were a griefe of mind to his mother Gen. 26.35.27.46 and made her wearie of her life But thus doe parents often hatch such filthie egges as proue vgly serpents Sometime it happeneth that contrarie to the course of nature the parents performe the funerall rites to their children and the fame is exceeding grieuous to them 2. King 4. How is the Shunamite distracted for the death of her sonne and how doth Dauid fast and lye on the ground 2. Sam. 12. vpon the sicknesse of his child and if that nature be not extreame in this respect they haply liue to their farther discomfort He that hath married his daughter saith a wise man hath performed a waightie worke Eccles 7.25 but I may say truly howsoeuer passion may crosse reason that he which hath buried his child in the feare of God hath perfourmed a waightier worke For much care and feare is thereby escaped I am not ignorant that the death of Children hath brought the graye heads of some parents with sorrow to the graue but who knoweth not which is worse that the life of children doth often bring their gray heads with sorrow and â—hame to their sepulchers In such a case there is iust cause of wering a mourning weede The most sort of parents I confesse through their folly do turne this temporall blessing into a curse and this comfort into a corrasiue and make it both vanitie and vexation of spirit Such are they that bring vp their children too nicely tenderly or else doe vtterly neglect their education to their owne discomfort and their childrens ouerthrow This was the fault of Dauid who loued his sonne Absolon too tenderly 2. Sam. 14. and would neuer displease Adoniah froÌ„ his childhood 1. Râ—g 1.6 The fruite of which indulgence appeared afterwards when the one attempted to depose his father the other sought to disinherite his brother But the iudgement of God was very grieuous vpon old Eli 1. Sa. 2.24 4. cap. a remisse man who when his sonnes deserued seuere chastisements for their notorious wickednesse onely rebuked them with a verbal reproofe Most parents are very prouident for their childrens profits and those things that belong to their bodies but few haue care of the things that appertain to their soules they decke them in braue apparell build them faire houses and purchase theÌ„ goodly lands but do litle regard their vertuous and godly education Thus as if it were enough for the husbandman to sow his corne but neuer weede it and the gardener to plant a tree and neuer prune it so they thinke it enough to haue children though they neuer haue care of their good bringing vp whereby they peruert the principall ends of marriage and procreation For whereas they should haue endeuoured to haue had of so many childreÌ„ so many heires of the kingdome of heauen they haue alas for pitie prepared so many firebrands for hell This may be a warning to al parents who doe fondly dote vpon their children and a reason to moderate their affections that their hearts be no more set vpon them then is expedient that the current of their loue runne the right way that they doe not cocker and nuzle them vp in vanity and vice but breede them vp in the instruction and information of the Lord. Eph. 6.4 That howsoeuer they prouide for their outward estate they indeuour to make them rich in faith and gracious in their conuersation for this shall tend to the fathers credite the childrens comfort and Gods glorie Psal 127.5 Happie is that man that hath his quiuer full of such arrowes he shall not be ashamed when he speaketh with his enemie in the gates SECT 14. Of Recreations THe estate and conditioÌ„ of mankinde is such both in respect of his bodie and his minde that neither the one nor the other is able substantially to performe prosecute those offices that belong vnto them if they shall be conuersant in continuall agitatioÌ„ and motion The reason hereof is because the vitall and animall spirits are to the bodie and the minde like the oyle to the lampe which if it be not sometimes repaired will be quickly extinguished Now as nature challengeth some intermission for her better refreshing so hath Almightie God herein condescended to mans necessitie permitting to him some libertie for the relaxation both of minde and bodie by Recreations consonant to them both and not dissonant froÌ„ that holy profession which becommeth a Christian For the bodie 2. Sa. 1.18 such exercises as shooting and slinging which were practised for recreations in peace and were necessarie also for defence in the time of warre and the praises of men exquisite in that skill are mentioned in the booke of Iudges Jud. 20.16 as the seuen hundred Beniamites that could sling at a haires breadth meaning by an extensiue kind of speech very neare For the mind some such as ingenious sober riddles are as that of Sampsons Iud. 14.14 Out of the eater came meate and out of the strong came sweetnesse And such no doubt were diuerse of the Queene of Shebaes questions 1. Kin. 10.3 wherewith she prooued Salomon To this purpose serueth Musicke 2. Chro. 9.1 by meanes whereof Dauid that excellent Musitian did calme and pacifie the minde of Saul 1. Sam. 16.24 vexed and disquieted with a melancholicke humour stirred vp by an euill spirit Yet are these and the like recreations and exercises nothing else but meere vanities Amongst all the recreations that haue bene deuised there is in my conceit none comparable to that heaueÌ„ly science of Musicke which causeth Salomon to single it out from the rest Eccles 2.8 Yet behold his censure of it When he had prouided him men-singers and women-singers the delights of the sonnes of men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vide Tremel in hunc locuÌ„ harmonie and harmonies that
vanities with the ingrediences of his fauour that they may bee holesome or at the least harmelesse receipts vnto his children so doth he season and sauce them to the reprobate with the powder of his curses that they may become their bane and poisoÌ„ they are cursed in the towne and in the field Deut. 28. cursed in their comming in and going out cursed in their goods and in their grounds cursed in their soules and in their bodies So that herein they resemble miserable Ierusalem Esa 1. which from the sole of the foote to the crowne of the head had nothing whole For in euery place euery time euery action and in euery respect they are accursed and this accursed estate is an entrance to that dreadfull curse which shall be cast vpon them at the last day Mat. 25.41 Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire 2 When the prodigall child went astray he was brought to this extremitie that he fed vpon Acornes with the hogges and being pinched with penurie said How many hired seruants at my fathers house haue bread enough Luk. 15. and I dye for hunger Lo this is the condition of euery dissolute sinner when he goeth astray and hath spent his patrimonie of grace in lewd liuing Sathan giues him the husks of sinne to feede vpon and he taketh repast with those base creatures whose beastly life he doth imitate and though he liue a natural life yet being a stranger froÌ„ the life of God Ephes 4.18 his life is but a miserable death In this respect was the Lords threatning to Adam fulfilled Gen. 2.17 In that day thou eatest of the tree of knowledge thou shalt dye the death For Adam in the day of his disobedience entred into the gates of eternall death which had opened receiued and swallowed him had not the most blessed seede of the blessed woman rescued him 1 Tim. 5.6 And the Apostle saith that she which liueth in pleasures is dead while she liueth like a man conuicted and condemned though his execution be deferred For he that beleeueth not is condemned alreadie Ioh. 3.18 So that it may be said to euery impenitent sinner as the Lord said to Abimelech Gen. 20.3 Thou art but a dead man And this death is an earnest-penny of the second death Reu. 10.6 3 The wicked and vngodly are not onely the Lords laughing stocke Psal 2. but sinnes slaues and Sathans drudges also For they are in the snare of the diuell 2. Tim. 2.26 of whom they are taken prisoner at his pleasure Rom. 6.16 Know you not that to whomsouer you giue your selues seruants to obey his seruants ye are to whom ye obey whether it be of sin vnto death or of obedience vnto righteousnesse Io. 8.33.34 When our Sauiour perswaded the Iewes to sticke to the truth whereby they might be made free they poore soules stood vppon their supposed priuiledges of being the children of Abraham when they were the seruants of sinne and Sathan And how many thousands are there in the world which weare the diuels liuerie yet professe theÌ„selues the Lords seruants which exercise their toungs in speaking of heauen but haue their feete standing in hell Doe wee not pitie the Israelites when we reade of their thraldome vnder Pharao Alas this thraldome and slauerie of men vnder Sathan is much more lameÌ„table and may iustly cause the seruants of God to wish that their head were a fountaine of teares to bewaile the slauerie of seduced souls Saint Paul cals the day of temptation the euill day Ephes 6.13 Oh how many euill dayes haue many in the world whose whole life is nothing but impietie and profanenesse Iacob said to Pharao Few and euill haue the dayes of my pilgrimage bene Gen. 47. but they may say Many and euill haue the dayes of our slauerie bene whilest they haue bene Sathans seruants who will taske them in his workes of wickednesse like Pharao the tyrant and giue them no libertie to worship and serue their God 4 The wayes of the wicked are darknesse saith Salomon Prou. 4.19 and in this respect doth their life also consort with hell the kingdome of darknesse Mat. 8.12 and Sathan the Prince of darknesse And in this kingdome of darknesse their estate is miserable like theirs of whom the Prophet Dauid speaketh Psa 107.10 They dwell in darknesse and in the shadow of death being fast bound in miserie and iron For the bands of Sathan and the darknesse of their hellish life do farre exceede the miserie of all corporall bands and darkenesse whatsoeuer Thus whilest the wicked are straungers from the life of God and exposed to his curse whilest they are the slaues of Sathan and prisoners of the infernall kingdome of darkenesse whilest their words and deeds and thoughts do all sauour of hell they haue in part taken possession of that habitatioÌ„ which they shall one day fully fearefully and finally enioy Loe then this is the estate and condition of all those that haue sold themselues to work wickednesse though in the world they haue a name that they liue yet are they dead Reu. 3.1 like the Church of Sardis though they thinke themselues in Dothan yet if they had grace to lift vp their eyes they should perceiue themselues in the midst of Samaria 1. King 6. and thogh in the outward view they seeme with Capernaum to be lifted vp to heauen Mat. 11 22 yet behold they are in the confines of hell and whereas the godly haue their liues hid with Christ in God Col. 3.3 they haue their liues locked vp in Sathans custodie Psal 37.1 Fret nâ—t thy selfe because of the vngodly neither be thou enuious for the euill doers saith the Psalmist Me thinkes it should be an easie matter to disswade any man from enuying them who are rather to be pitied because they are set in slipperie places for they stand as it were on the pit brinke of hell readie euery hower to slip into it and to be swallowed vp of it Consider then deare Christian thy estate wherein thou standest if thou be giuen ouer to sinne and iniquitie remember that thou art the diuels slaue and thy foote standeth at the mouth of hell Now is the Prophets exhortation needfull Turne you Ezec. 33.11 Rom. 6.12 turne you for why will you dye Let not sinne raigne in thy mortall bodie but if thou haue striken handes with sinne shake hands with it for a farewell shunne it and abhorre it as thou wouldest flie from a serpent indeuour to amend thy estate that thou mayest be no longer a slaue of sinne a captiue to Sathan nor a companion with the damned but that by bâ—eaking off thy sinnes by righteousnesse Dan. 4.24 thou mayest be a fellow Citizen with the Saints and one of the houshold of faith and loe the holy Angels shall reioyce at thy conuersion SECT 2. The second steppe into hell which is
of iudgemen namely their amazednesse in the resurrection THe princely Prophet hauing deciphered the vaine indeuours of wicked and couetous carnall men labouring to establish perpetuall habitations to them and their posteritie concludeth thus of them Psa 49.14 They lye in the graue like sheepe and death gnaweth vpon them If this were all their miserie it were lesse to be maruelled at but behold whilest death is feeding vpon their bodies and turning them to rottennesse hell fire seizeth vpon their soules and vexeth theÌ„ with torments neither is this the finall conclusion of their wretchednesse For as it is appointed to all men once to dye Heb. 9 27. So after that commeth the iudgement wheÌ„ both soule and bodie must be reunited that they may bee tormented together Thus the life of the vngodly is spent in wickednesse their death is with horror â—oel 2.2 Zeph. 1.15 Diuerse mistake these places of the Prophets applying them to the day of â—udgement whereunto they cannot agree except â—y the way of illusion and their rising againe shall be with much terror The Prophets do describe the day of Gods vengeance vpon the Iewes and the terrors of their enemies insultings by diuerse dreadfull speeches calling it a day of darknesse and blacknesse a day of cloudes and obscurity a day of wrath and a day of trouble and heauinesse a day of destruction and desolation If the comming of the enemie and the Lords approching with temporall afflictions bee thus terrible blacke cloudy and desolate oh how dreadfull shall the comming of Christ and the day of spirituall vengeance bee to â—he wicked For they shall bee wonderfully amazed in their resurrection exceedingly terrified at their arraignement and dolefully astonied at the sentence of condemnation 1 Their resurrection shall be with much amazednesse by reason of the sodainnes The sodaine comming of the day of iudgement is set foorth by sundry similitudes in the holy Scriptures 1. Thes 5. Mat. 24. Luk. 21. Eccles 9. it shall come like an enemie a theefe and a snare it shall speedily assault like an enemie slily breake in like a theefe and suddenly entrap men like a snare If a man should suddenly wake forth of his sleepe and see his house on fire and his friends wailing and weeping about him wold it not amaze him Lo death is but a sleepe and the graue is the bedde when a wicked man awaketh and shall behold on the one side his sinnes accusing him and on the other side the hellish feends and furies readie to vexe him a troubled conscience burning within him the frame of the heauens the earth flaming without him vnder his feete the fearefull pit of hell readie to deuoure him ouer his head the axe of Gods iudgment lifted vp to strike him and many of his friends wailing and howling about him because of the instant desolation and destruction oh how do we thinke that this miserable man shall be amazed A sudden thunder-clappe awaking a man will make him start and quake and will not the sudden showt and sounding of the Archangell and trumpet of God cause men to tremble 1. Thes 4.16 When Adoniah heard the trumpets sounding at Salomons coronation he was much dismayed 1 King 1. and fearing the presence of Salomon arose and went and tooke hold on the hornes of the altar When the vngodly which now sleepe in the dust of the earth shall heare the Archangell and the trumpet ratling at our Sauiours coronation it must needes dismay them much and so much the more because they shall find no sanctuarie but must be brought before him that is greater then Salomon to receiue their fatall doome 2 As the sodainenesse of this dreadfull day rowzing them from death is terrible so the end thereof also is lamentable their resurrection being to destructioÌ„ Joh. 5.29 For they that haue done euill shall come foorth to the resurrection of condemnation yea they shall rise to perpetuall shame and contempt Dan. 12.2 The prisoner though he come forth of the filthie and darksome dungeon into the sweet and wholsome aire yet when he must goe to his triall in some desperate case had rather if he might remaine there still The graue is a prison of filthie rottennesse and darknesse yet happie were the wicked man if he might haue an eternall habitation therein and not be brought to iudgment WheÌ„ Dalilah cryed suddenly to Sampson Jud. 16.20 The Philistims are vpon thee Sampson he awaked thinking to shew his strength as at other times but the Lord was departed from him Therefore the Philistims tooke him put out his eyes brought him to Azzah bound him with fetters and made him to grind in the prison house Lo thus shall the wicked be awaked at the day of iudgement when because the Lord is not with them the eyes of consolation shall be put out they shall bee brought to the iudgement seate of Christ who shall cause them to bee bound in fetters and to bee cast into the prison house of hell there to bee tormented world without end Act. 23.8 Now shall the wicked Sadduces which say there is no resurrection nor spirit find that there is both a resurrection for their shame and contempt and spirites for their torments and confusion The Diuels said to our Sauiour that hee came to torment them before their time Mat. 8.29 so shall these wretched men thinke they are raised to iudgment before their time but it may be said to them in the Prophets words Wo be to them for their day is come Ier. 50.27 and the time of their visitatioÌ„ Seeing now my Christian brother that the day of Christs comming shall bee thus speedie and the resurrection of the vngodly so full of miserie and amazednesse let the remembraunce therof cause thee so to leade thy life that thou maiest bee fitly prepared for the one and happily escape the other Reu. 20.6 Blessed are they that haue part in the first resurrection for on such the second death hath no power Yea happie and thrise happie is he who by the power of Gods spirit is in this life raised from the death of sinne to the life of righteousnesse for behold he shall assuredly in the life to come enioy a resurrection to eternall life and saluation SECT 2. The second steppe of the wicked into hel at the day of iudgment namely their terror in beholding Christ and appearing before his throne of iudgment WHen Adam had takeÌ„ of the forbidden fruite Gen. 3.8 being naked he would faine haue hid himselfe from God walking in the garden in the coole of the day the poore sinner naked both in body and soule would faine hide himselfe from the presence of Christ comming to iudgement in the euening of the world but it may not be For as it is intollerable to abide his presence so is it impossible to auoid it Euery eye must see him Reu. 1.7 Mat. 25.32 and all the
5.20 and light darkenesse and all those who haue loued darkenesse rather then light Iob. 3.19 Mar. 9.44 6 This torment is called the Worme that neuer dieth alluding to that of Isaiah Esa 66.24 And they shall goe foorth and looke vpon the carkases of them that haue trespassed against me for their worme shall not dye As of the putrifaction of the bodie there breedeth a worme which eates and consumes the bodie so from the corruption of the soule tainted with sinne there ariseth the worm of conscience which gnaweth and vexeth the soule with continuall anguish Rom. 2.9 So saith the Apostle Tribulation and anguish shall be vpon the soule of euery one that doth euill 7 The torments of hell are called a death because that as by the separation of the bodie from the soule the bodie dieth so the soule and bodie being separated from God Vita vita meae Aug. Con. lib. 7. b. who is the life of their life do dye the second death Also death being the most terrible bitter thing in this life Arist Eth. lib. 3. cap. 6. as the Philosopher saith it may very fitly giue denomination to that condition which is most bitter and miserable in the life to come Now when the estate of the damned is called death we must not vnderstand it as of men alreadie dead but readie to dye when the veines of the bodie and the strings of the heart being ready to breake the dying man is possessed with intolerable anguish by reason of death-pangs Of this death Bernard spake when he said Bâ—rn de Consid ad Eugen. li. 5. Horreo in manus incidere mortis viuentis vitae morientis calling it very fitly A liuing death and a dying life These are the dolefull agents The miserable patients subiects to these torments are together with the diuels the wicked and vngodly who shall bee tormented both in bodie and soule the bodie shall bee tormented because it would not obey the soule the soule because it would follow the rebellious bodie both soule and bodie because they obeyed the instigations of Sathan and left the directions of Gods holy Spirit 2. Cor. 5.10 We must all appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ that euery one may receiue the things that he hath done in his bodie whether they be good or euill For as the bodie hath sinned with all the senses and parts thereof so shall they all receiue a condigne and correspondent punishment The eyes that were delighted with beholding nothing but vanitie shall now bee frighted with beholding of vgly diuels the eares that tooke pleasure in hearing slanders and filthie talking shall be troubled with the howlings and blasphemies of hellish spirits the nose that disdained any smell but sweete perfumes shall feele the lothsome stinch of fire and brimstone the fine and daintie bodie that with the rich man was wont to bee clothed in fine linnen shall with him be tormented in the flames of vnquenchable fire the mouth that offered the sacrifices of deliciousnes to the deuouring belly and tooke such pleasure in quaffing and carousing shall drinke of the pure wine of the wrath of God Reu. 14.10 In a word all that bodie which should haue bene the temple for Gods spirit but was made a cage for vncleane spirits shall be tormented in euery part without mitigation and intermission Neither shal the bodie be thus vexed alone but as the soule hath bene to the bodie like Simeon to Leui a brother in iniquitie so shall it also partake with the bodie of the same punishments The memorie shall call to mind that which is past and the vnderstanding coÌ„sider that which is present and both ioyne together to disquiet themselues Now shall it bee thought vpon how many good motions haue bene neglected how without fruite pardon and remission of sinnes hath bene offered what sweet ioyes are lost and what grieuous torments are found for what trifling foolish and filthie sins these intolerable infinit and endlesse punishments haue bene bought how easily these miseries might haue bene auoyded but now how impossible it is to obtaine euen the least mitigation thereof Thus whilest these faculties are busied in vexing of them selues the Lord shall powre downe vpon them the vials of his wrath so that the affections being set on fire with the exhalations of furie and burning with the wicked zeale of reuenge shall grow mad and rage cast out blasphemies both against heauen and earth 3 Lo these are the lamentable fruits of these intolerable torments vpon these miserable patients For how can the heauie wrath of God the irksome societie with the diuels the mercilesse fire of hell the filthie tormeÌ„ting prison the dolefull place of darkenesse the neuer dying worme and the dreadfull second death vexing the soule with terrors and the bodie with flames how can they I say but yeeld that which our Sauior doth so oft inculcate Mat. 8.13.22 Luk. 13. There shall be wailing and weeping and gnashing of teeth Therefore is hell from these effects not vnfitly compared to Topheth in the valley of Benhinnom 2. Chr. 28.3 which hath the name from the noise that they made with their instruments that the scriching of their children which they sacrificed to Moloch might not be heard For so shall hel yeeld most hideous horror with extreame dolefull noises curses shall be their hymnes and howling their tunes blasphemie shall be their ditties and lachrymae thâ—ir notes lamentation shall be their songs and scriching their straines yea cursing blasphemie scriching and howling shall be their daily morning and euening song sighs sobs and gnashing of teeth shall be their dolefull descant and diuisioÌ„ But what shall all the damned be tormeÌ„ted alike Surely no for albeit the least torment in hell doth farre exceede the greatest torture on the earth yet are there very different degrees of punishment Luk. 12.47 The seruant that knew his maisters will did it not shall be beaten with many stripes Mat. 11.22 But it shall be easier for Tyrus and Sidon at the day of iudgement then for Corazin and Bethsaida As many liue vnder the same Sunne yet all feele not the like heate from it Greg. mor. lib. 4. cap. 43. so many may bee subiect to the same torments of hell in the same manner though not in the same measure But miserable and most accursed shall his condition be who shall tast euen the least measure and degree thereof And are the torments of hell so dreadfull is the state of the damned so dolefull Who can thinke vpon the one without feare or consider the other without pitie Well might our Sauiour say concerning Iudas Mat. 26.24 It had bin good for him if he had neuer bene borne And happie indeed had he and other castawaies bene if they had neuer seene the light or bene created some loathsome toades or hatefull serpents that so they might neuer haue bene partakers of hels
thy soule with the diamond of a deepe meditation and let it not passe thence till it haue wrought and perfected the worke of true repentance in mortifying thy corrupt affections and rectifying thy profane conuersation Otherwise assure thy selfe that if thou wilt not breake off thine iniquities by repentance and make an end of sinning thou shalt surely meet with a correspondent recompence for there shall be no end of thy torments The third part Of the ioyes of Heauen in generall WHEN Cyrus sought to win the hearts of the Persians to him Iustin lib. 1. he caused them to be assembled and to toyle and take great paines in cutting downe a wood and the next day after he feasted them and then demaunded whether they had rather liue as they did that day or the day before and when they all chose as no maruell to liue in mirth and feasting he told them that if they would follow Astyages their life should be as the day of toyling but promised that if they would sticke to him and be his followers it should be like the day of feasting The like is here propounded to thee my Christian brother in these Meditations If thou wilt follow the world and Satan the god of the world behold thou seest there is nothing to be got thereby but infinite toyle in this life and eternall torments in the life to come but if thou wilt take vp our Sauiours crosse and follow him Mat. 19.28 thou shalt surely haue the reward of euerlasting happinesse So that I may say to thee as Moses said to the Israelites Deu. 30.15 Behold I haue set before thee this day Life and good death and euill Onely in this I differ Ioh. 2.10 that as our Sauiour aâ— Cana in Galile reserued the best wine last so haue I first set before thee death and euill and now am to offer thee life and good that if it may be through the view of hels torments the kingdome of heauen may suffer violence Mat. 11. The eye of man is not able to behold the brightnesse of the heauens in a foggie mist neither can the eyes of our vnderstanding pierce thorough the mists of earthly vanities to that exceeding glory which shineth in the heauens If thou belong to the kingdome of God thou shalt in the Treatise following meet with the riches of that inheritance which doth belong to thee so that thou mayest reade it to thy exceeding comfort being the mappe and modell of that heauenly possession and habitation which Christ Iesus hath purchased for thee And if the same affect thee with ioy know this for thy further comfort that all this is infinitely lesse then that celestiall blisse whereof thou shalt one day be partaker CHAP. 1. SECT 1. The first steppe of the godly into heauen before the day of iudgement namely Sanctimonie of life WHilest the children of Israel were yet trauelling in the wildernes the Lord appointed Moses the man of God Deut. 34.1 to goe to the toppe of mount Nebo from whence he shewed him the spacious region of the pleasant laÌ„d of Canaan which afterwards the Israelites shold possesse so deales Almightie God with his seruants euen whilest they are trauelling in the wildernesse of this troublesome world he doth from the high tower of a sanctified speculation shew them an excellent prospect of the celestiall Canaan the kingdome of heauen the fruition and fee-simple whereof he will afterwards bestow vpon them And therefore one saith well Bern. Serm. super Ver. 10. cap. â—0 Sap. The kingdome of heauen is graunted promised shewed and receiued it is graunted in Predestination promised in Vocation shewed in Iustification and receiued in Glorification When Adam was in his innocencie hee had his habitation in the terrestriall Paradise so when the sonnes of Adam are in some measure restored by regeneration to that holinesse which they lost by their fathers fal they do enter into the celestiall Paradise Whereby those visions are fulfilled Reu. 3.12 that New Ierusalem is come downe out of heauen The tabernacle of God is with men and he is their God 21.3 and they are his people and God himselfe is their God with them This will be euident if we consider the heauenly priuiledges wherewith the Saints and seruants of God are indowed euen in this life To let passe the PatriciaÌ„ robes of the blessed Sacraments 1. They obtaine pardon and remission of their sinnes Psa 32.1 Blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered saith the Prophet Dauid Lo this blessednesse do the children of God obtaine in the remission of their sinnes And to this forgiuing of sin being the foundation of felicitie there is added the giuing of grace for the reformation of their liues for where sinne is pardoned there it is purged so that they are no more strangers from the life of God Eph. 2. but it is their meate and drinke to do the will of their heauenly father their thoughts and meditations are lifted aboue earthly cogitations their words are gracious as becommeth the heauenly citizens and their conuersation holy while they are clothed with the white robes of righteousnesse like the companie of our Sauiours blessed attendants in the kingdome of heauen Reu. 7.9 Thus are they by grace vnited vnto Almightie God obtaine his gracious protection Ioh. 17.22 according to our Sauiours heauenly petition as the Psalmist saith Psal 5.12 For the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Crowne implyeth more then a simple protection as Psal 84.11 1. Pet. 4.14 For thou Lord wilt blesse the righteous and with fauour wilt crowne and compasse him as with a shield So that the Lord doth euen in this life crowne his childreÌ„ with grace and glorie they may boldly come in the presence of God and talke with him in their prayers and they haue the benefite of his Angels attendance Psal 91. 2 Againe as they are vnited vnto God by grace so are they ingrafted into Christ who is the fountain of all heauenly happinesse and can say with the Apostle Gal. 2.20 I liue not any more but Christ liueth in me And a man thus established by faith in Christ may truly bee said to be in heauen as Saint Iohn saith Iohn 5.24 He hath euerlasting life and is alreadie passed from death to life There are many wretches which scorn the godly count their pietie folly Psal 4.2 and turne their glory into shame esteeming â—hem for the most base abiects of the world whereas their condition is most happie for though they be vnder the persecution of wicked Esau yet are they euen then with Iacob in Bethel Gen. 28.17 the house of God and the gate of heauen 3 Hereunto wee may adde the communion of Saints and fellowship with the elect Angels whereof the Apostle speaketh when he saith Phil. 3.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We are free
not onely recouer her former beautie but obtaineth a farre more excellent glorie Num. 17.8 The budding of Aarons rod was verie admirable and the resurrection of our bodies is more wonderfull but it is the Lords doing and is maruellous in our eyes 1 The resurrection is comfortable in regard of the chaunge of the bodie which shall then in beautie asmuch exceede the former estate thereof as the bright Sunne doth excell the least Starre in glorie 1. Cor. 15.41.44 For the bodie which is sowne in corruption is raised in incorruption it is sowne in dishonour and is raised in glorie it is sowne in weakâ—nesse and is raised in power it is sowne a naturall bodie and is raised a spirituall bodie Thus shall the bodie become more excellent in foure principall respects It shall be immortall and so freed from corruption it shall bee glorious and so deliuered from dishonour it shall not neede the helpes of foode Phisicke sleepe or clothing and so bee exempted from weaknesse it shall bee bright pure and nimble and so shall differ from the naturall bodie For as birds being hatched doe flie lightly vp into the skies which being egges were a heauie and slimie matter so man which by nature is a massie substance being hatched by the resurâ—ection Zanch. de â—per Dei is made pure and nimble and able to mount vp into the heauens The sinne of our first parents in Paradise added shame to their nakednesse but in the resurrectioâ— this shame shall be abolished and in stead thereof the bodie shall in euerie part become glorious and beautifull If the Creeple which lay at the temple gate being restored to his lims by Peter and Iohn did come into thâ— temple walking leaping Act. 3.8 and praising God oh how much greater cause of reioycing and glorifying God shall the godly haue when all deformâ—ties and infirmities of the bodie shall bee taken away Aug de Ciu. lib. 22. c. 19 and they made not onely whole and sound but euen beautifull and glorious 2 As the beautie of the bodie doth of it selfe commend the felicitie of the resurrection so shall the reuniting of the soule with the bodie much enlarge the â—xcellencie thereof Two old friends that haue bene a long time and with great distance of place separated each froÌ„ other how glad and ioyfull are they when they meet together and embrace one another how doth the kinde father salute his sonne returning home Luk. â—5 20 and shall not the soule and bodie two old friends knit together in the nearest league be exceeding ioyfull and glad at their renewed vnion in the resurrection This cannot otherwise bee if either the forme or end of this reuniting bee considered The forme is glorious and angelicall Luk 20.36 for the godly are equall vnto the Angels and the sonnes of God since they are the children of the resurrection of life The end is blessed and happie for they that haue done good Ioh. 5.29 shall come foorth to the resurrection of life Thus in respect of the glorie and beautie bestowed on the bodie and the felicitie imparted both to soule and bodie vpon the vnion in the Resurrection the godly may well bee said to enioy a great measure of heauenly felicitie The consideration hereof may serue to asswage and sweeten the bittternesse of those miseries which happen to the childreÌ„ of God in this life This was Iobs comfort in the middest of his grieuous triall I am sure that my redeemer liueth Iob. 19.25 and that I shall rise againe out of the dust at the last day This was Dauids ioy in the dayes of his wonderfull afflictions Psal 16.9 My heart is glad and my tongue reioyceth my flesh also shall rest in hope for thou wilt not leaue my soule in the graue neither will thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption Yea the remembrance hereof hath made many to submit themselues willingly to martyrdome and to sticke to the truth to the death Heb. 11.35 For diuerse haue bene racked and would not accept of deliuerance that they might obtaine a better resurrection Though the redemption from the racke were a thing much to bee desired yet the redemption from hell and the resurrection to eternall life was much more to be sought for without which condition they wold not be deliuered For what though the racke should rent their flesh and disioynt their limmes they were assured that at the resurrection all should bee conioyned and perfected Here then wee may learne not to care for any ignominie that can bee done vnto vs nor bee much troubled for any infirmities that can befall our bodies knowing that the same must one day be eaten with wormes and consumed with rottennesse but especially being assured that the same shall be reformed and refined in the Resurrection SECT 2. The second steppe into heauen at the day of iudgement namely The ioyfull appearing before Christ AT the birth of our blessed Sauiour though it were base the heauenly quire chaunted it ioyfully Luk. 2. In his infancie when he lay swadled in a cratch in stead of a cradle Mat. 2. and tooke his Inne in a stable in stead of a stately pallace yet the Wise men came from the East to adore him In his riper years albeit he came attended only with poore fishermen Mar. 10. yet Rulers kneeled to him and when he rode meekely to Ierusalem vpon an Asse Mâ—t. 21. the people cutte downe boughes and strewed their garments in the way to honour him at his passion the Centurion acknowledged him to be the Son of God Mat. 27. and Ioseph of Arimathea after his death honoured his corpes with a seemely funerall If our Sauiour in his birth life and death being the dayes of his weaknesse and infirmitie was thus honoured by men and Angels how glorious shall hee be in the day of power and maiestie when he shall appeare in the clouds sit vpon a glorious throne and bee attended by blessed Angels and decked with a Crowne of glorie Now shall the godly meete him in the ayre with great ioy and sing Hosanna in excelsis Blessed is the king that commeth in the name of the Lord. The Saints happinesse doth now consist in three principall points First in beholding the glorie of Christ secondly in being vnder his iudgement thirdly in being themselues honored with the dignitie of Iudges 1 When Iacob heard of the honour of his sonne Ioseph in Aegypt his heart failed him through distrust yet when he beheld the chariots which he had sent for him his spirit reuiued but when he saw him hee said vnto him Now let me dye Gen. 46.30 since I haue seene thy face So fareth it with the children of God in this life being hindred through their infirmities from the comfortable considerations of Christs exaltation yet when they shall see his chariots the blessed Angels whom hee shall send to gather the elect from the foure
a recompence as thou mayest lift vp pure hands with comfort in this life so shall Christ take thee by the hand at the day of iudgement Mat. 25. and say to thee Enter into thy maisters ioy When the kings daughter is all glorious within Psal 45. and her clothing of wrought gold shee shall be brought vnto the king with ioy and gladnesse and shall enter into the kings Pallace and so shall it bee done to euery sanctified Christian at the last day he shall bee brought by the blessed Angels to Christ the most blessed king with great ioy hauing heard his gracious sentence Come yee blessed shall enter into his glorious pallace the kingdome of heauen and possesse the same for euer and euer CHAP. 3. SECT 1. The first steppe into heauen after the last iudgement namely Freedome from miserie EXperience teacheth that the consideration of passed miserie doth giue a sweet rellish to future felicitie Olim haec meminisse iuuabit Virg Aened 1. the remembrance of the fierce assaults sharpe conflicts and deadly fights is ioyfull to the souldier the cogitation of escape from the deuouring gulfes perilous rockes and dangerous streights yeeld delight vnto the mariner and is not the sicke man glad when the extremitie of his fit is past though he be not as yet restored to his perfect health So fareth it with the children of God at the last day the consideration of their deliuerance from the dangerous combats with sinne and Sathan their escaping the perilous sayling in the seas of this troublesome world and freedome from the sicke fits of their inward corruptions doth adde abundantly to their euerlasting happines in the world to come and the greater their troubles or daungers haue bene the more is their comfort Now to the end that this happinesse of the children of God may the better appeare the mappe of escaped miseries is to bee considered of vs as that blessed Captaine and Pilot Christ Iesus with his seruants and souldiers haue described the same in the sacred Scriptures 1 The soule is deliuered from disordered passions as hope and feare ioy and sorrow which contending like so manie contrarie disordered elements and humors in the bodie and strugling like the hote exhalation in a cold cloud do distract the mind and rent the soule like a cloud When man was at vnitie with God there was a sweet harmonie friendship betweene all the faculties of his soule but when man rebelled against his God as al the external creatures opposed themselues against him to worke his ruine so did his internall cogitations conspire against him to be reuenged on him for his sinne and now that man is reconciled and acquited by the finall sentence of the great Iudge all his vnruly and rebellious perturbations are brought into subiection 2 The godly are deliuered from sundrie outward calamities as sicknes pains labour reproch c. to the which the dearest seruants of God are subiect yea froÌ„ the which the Son of God in the dayes of his infirmitie was not exempted for Dauid had a Doeg to accuse him a Shimei to reuile him 1. Sam. 22.9 2. Sam. 16.7 1. Sam. 24. c. a Saul to persecute him But now Ioh. 16. the sorrowes of the godly shall be turned into ioy Reu. 21.4 and Christ will wipe all teares from their eyes Euen as tender hearted mothers do wipe from the eyes of their little babes the teares which they shedde through the sense of some calamitie so will the Lord with the handkerchiffe of compassion drie vp the streames of his childrens teares that issued from the springs of dolour 3 They are deliuered froÌ„ the prouocations allurements of the wicked world which is the fanne and firebrand of iniquitie Reu. 19.20 For the beast and that false Prophet which wrought miracles whereby hee deceiued the world shall now be cast into a lake that burnes with fire and brimstone there to bee tormented for euer and all the vngodly shall bee destroyed with an euerlasting perdition 2. Thes 1.9 and so shall neuer haue power any more to tempt or torment the children of God That was a gracious petition of our blessed Sauiour I pray not Ioh. 17.15 that thou shouldest take them out of the world but that thou shouldst keepe them from euill But forasmuch as the most sanctified seruants of God whilst they are in the world are not free from all prouocations of euill happie is he that is freed from dwelling any longer in Mesech and hauing his habitation amongst the tents of vngodlinesse 4 They are deliuered from the power of the diuel who now goeth about like a roaring Lyon 1. Pet. 5.8 seeking whom he may deuoure Christ came to loose the workes of the Diuell 1. Ioh. 3.8 and albeit hee hath not as yet vtterly crushed his power Rom 16.20 yet is hee the God of peace that will shortly treade downe Sathan vnder our feet and cast him into the lake of fire and brimstone Reu. 20.10 Saint Iohn hauing related a victorie ouer Sathan Reu. 12.12 bids Reioyce therefore you heauens and yee that dwell therein and shall not the seruants of God haue great cause to reioyce now when not onely Sathans power is weakened his fierce darts quenched but himselfe vtterly subdued and fettered in the infernall lake for euer 5 They are deliuered froÌ„ the slauerie of sinne which is grieuous to all those that desire to liue godly The sense hâ—reof made Saint Paule crye out Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee from the bodie of this death Lo here is the deliuerance that the holy Apostle did so earnestly desire For the cause ceassing the effects must needes follow mans corruptions being conquered the worlds allurements abolished and Sathans darts quenched the soule and bodie of man being reformed and refined there shall neither remaine any cause of sinne or if there did any fit subiect for sinne to worke vpon And now is the time when the spouse of Christ shall bee washed and cleansed Eph. 5.26.27 that shee may bee without spot or wrinkle 6 They are deliuered from death as Saint Iohn saith There shall bee no more death Reu. 21.14 And no maruell for as light expelleth darknesse so eternall life putteth death to flight Rom. 6.23 Death is the reward of sinne so that sinne being abandoned death must needs be abolished Can that which is immortall dye to affirme that were to vtter a senslesse coÌ„tradiction Therfore when this corruptible 1. Co. 15.54 hath put on incorruption and this mortall hath put on immortalitie then shall bee brought to passe that saying that is written Death is swallowed vp into victorie If our first parents had kept themselues vpright they could not haue died for their state was angelicall neither can the Saints of God dye now because they are like to the Angels Luk. 20.36 7 Lastly they are deliuered
so bee partakers of a threefold blessednesse mentioned by our Sauiour and his seruants Blessâ—d are they that dwell in thy house Psal 84.4 they shall euer be praising of thee there is the blessed habitation Mat. 5.8 Blessed are they that are pure in heart for they shall see God there is the glorious vision Reue. 19.9 Blessed are they that are bidden to the Lambes supper there is the happie fruition Yea the godly being thus happie in heauen do enioy ioye without sadnesse health without sicknesse light without darknes life without death ease without labour wealth without want and in a word an Ocean of all felicitie without the least droppe of miserie 3 Lastly this should causâ— euery one to embrace ouâ— Sauiours exhortation Mat. 6. First seeke the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof Euery one would willingly enioy the kingdome but it will not be except they also do embrace the righteousnesse thereof Num. 23. Balaâ—m may cry Oh that I might dye the death of the righteouâ— but all in vaine except he indeuour to liue the life of the righteous Dauids question should be the demaund of euery Christian Psal 15.1 Lord who shall dwell in thy tabernacle who shall rest vpon thy holy hill And behold there is an answer as it were an eccho froÌ„ heauen Those that walke vprightly and worke righteousnesse and speake the truth in their heart Heauen is a glorious place and it is reserued for gracious men the ioyes thereof are the crowne of righteousnesse which shall not be set vpon the head of those that haue made themselues the base vassalles and slaues to sinne and Sathan Shall the prophane carnall and licentious that do sinke and soake in their sinnes haue any place there no no 1. Co. 15.50 flesh and bloud cannot inherite the kingdome of heauen Our Sauiour said well Mat. 15. It is not meet to giue the childrens bread to dogges neither shall the damned spirits haue any portion in the heauenly Manna Reu. 2.17 the foode of holy men and Angels The earthly Paradise was no place for Adam when he had defiled himselfe with sinne Gen. 3.23 and the heuenly Paradise will giue entrance and entertainement to no vncleane thing Reu. 21.27 Hee that will be caried into Abrahams bosome must walk in the pathes of Abrahams faith and obedience Doest thou hope to attaine to this kingdome then remember that euery one which hath this hope 1. Ioh. 3.3 purgeth himselfe And to a man that is of such a sanctified life I may say with our Sauiour Reâ— 22.14 Blâ—ssed are they that do his commâ—undements that their right may be in the tree of life SECT 3. The third and last degree of happinesse after the last iudgement namely The eternitie of celestiall glorie THe Prophet Dauid hath one petition to make to God aboue all other whatsoeuer Psal 27.4 One thing haue I desired of the Lord which I will require That I may dwell alwaies in the house of the Lord to behold the beautie of the Lord and to visit his temple And if the blessed estate in heauen before mentioned be duly considered wee must needes acknowledge that the same should be the principall prayer of euerie Christian euen To dwell alwaies in the Lords house and to behold his beautie without ceassing When the disciples heard our Sauiour speake of the heauenly nature of the bread of life they presently fell to this prayer Lord Ioh. 6.34 euermore giue vs this bread so when a man heares and reades of these vnspeakeable ioyes of heauen his prayer should be Lord euermore giue me these ioyes And if this be thy desire my Christian brother I may say to thee as the Lord said to Lot Gen. 19.21 Thy request is also receiued concerning this For he that is once partaker of these ioyes shall neuer lose them hee that is possessed of this inheritance shall neuer be dispossessed of it and he that once dwels in the Lords house shall dwell therein for euer Now for the enlargement of our comfort and the increase of our industrie it will be very expedient to meditate vpon this eternitie of ioy Greg. mor. li. 26. ca. 27. When man reasoneth of eternitie a blind man speaketh of light for how can those meditations or cogitations that are bounded within their limites of finitenesse comprehend that which is infinit and eternal Yet Cic. de leg lib. 1. as the Heathen know that there is a God though they know not what a one he is so may our hearts be able to conceiue that the ioyes of heauen are infinite and eternall though they be not able to comprehend the nature of this infinitenesse and eternitie And this we know that the word of God which propoundeth and promiseth life glory ioy a crowne saluation an inheritance an habitation to the godly Mat. 19.29 2. Cor. 4.17 Ioh. 16 22. 1. Pet. 5.4 telleth vs that this life is euerlasting this glorie is eternall this ioy is permanent the crowne neuer fadeth the saluation is perdurable the inheritance immortall Esa 45.17 1 Pet. 1.4 Luk. 16.9 the habitation perpetuall Behold what a cloud of witnesses here are to strengthen the perpetuity of this heauenly inheritance Hâ—b 12.28 For him I hold to be the vndoubted author of that Epistle Vide Bezâ— super inscr Piscat prolegom Iun. paralel l. 3. Saint Paule saith We receiue a kingdome which cannot be shaken There was neuer any kingdome or monarchie so surely established vpon the earth but it hath bene shaken and shiuered in peeces also but of this kingdome there shall neuer be an end Ierusalem was a glorious citie yet was it so battered that there was not left a stone vpon a stone according to our Sauiours threatning Mat. 24. but the celestiall IerusaleÌ„ shal neuer be destroyed but be a blessed habitation for the Saints of God world without end Therefore as Christ saith that the righteous shall shine in the kingdome of their Father Dan. 12.3 so Daniel saith that they shall shine for euer and euer The Stars of the firmament shall fall from heauen at the day of iudgement but the godly shall shine like bright stars in the glorious heauens and neuer lose the light or brightnesse of their glorie As the Moone and Starres do receiue their light from the Sunne so do we both our light of grace and glorie from Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse And this is our happinesse that albeit in this life we do often labour in obscuritie yet in the life to come wee shall neuer be eclipsed because all earthly interpositions shall then be vtterly abolished Gen. 3. When Adam had made himselfe miserable by eating of the tree of Knowledge of good and euill hee might not eate of the tree of life lest he should liue for euer but now the children of God being deliuered froÌ„ this miserie Reu. 22.2 shall eate of
that tree of life which hath twelue kinds of fruites and beareth fruite euerie moneth and so shall liue for euer to enioy those ioyes that are infinite and permanent and they shall drinke of the Christall water that springs in Paradise being an Ocean without brimme or bottome which can neuer be dryed but floweth with her siluer streames to euerlasting life Ioh. 4 Therefore as Saint Paule saith that the ioyes of heauen are so great that no tongue is able to expresse or vtter them so may I say they are so permanent that no time can consume or end them This Meditation hath three principall vses 1 It may cause vs to beare patiently and take thankefully the crosses and calamities of this life considering that they being short and momentanie 2. Cor. 4.17 do procure vnto vs an euerlasting weight of glorie For who would not indure much miserie to enioy eternall felicitie If we be killed all the day long Psa 44.22 yea if we were tortured all our life long what were that to the endlesse ioy and blisse of the kingdome of heauen God forbid therefore that tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword or any or all the distresses and calamities in the world should cause vs to neglect our euerlasting inheritance Saint Paul hauing shewed that we shall be taken vp by Christ at his second comming 1. Thes 4.17 18. and be with him for euer concludeth thereupon Comfort your selues with these words A coÌ„fort indeed fit to counterpoise a greater miserie then death can yeeld But if the Apostles exhortation perswade not yet should Christs example preuaile with vs Heb. 12.2 Who for the ioy that was set before him endured the crosse despised the sham and is set at the right hand of the throne of God If then either sicknesse or pouertie persecution or any such affliction befall thee doe but thinke with Christ Iesus vpon the eternall glorie that is prepared in the kingdome of heauen and the meditation thereof will be as sugar to sweeten thy calamities 2 Seeing the ioyes of heauen are eternall it is our part with paines and perseuerance to labour for them Balaam was rauished with the ioyes of heauen Num. 23. yet did he not enioy them The Ruler that kneeled to our Sauiour Mar. 10.17 and said Good maister what shall I do to possesse eternall life had a good conceit of this blessednesse but this was his fault that he would not do what hee was commaunded to obtaine it And is not that the fault and folly of most people who though they seeme to be much affected with the ioyes of heauen will not yet take paines to attaine vnto them In them is our Sauiours saying verified Luk. 13.24 Many shall seeke to enter into heauen but shall not be able And why Doubtlesse because they take not paines with perseuerance in well doing And therefore hee bids Striue to enter into it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vsing a Metaphor drawne from Champions who bend all their forces and employ their best indeuors to attaine the price and the trophies of triumph When the spies which Iosua sent to view the land of Canaan returned they said Num. 13.28 Surely the land floweth with milke and honie and here is of the fruite of it neuerthelesse the people be strong that dwell in the land and the cities are walled and exceeding great and moreouer we saw the sons of Anak there Nu. 14.1.2 Thus were the children of Israel discouraged And so fareth it with many in the consideration of the kingdome of heauen They will confesse that it is a place which floweth with the milke and honie of vnspeakable ioy and yeeldeth the excellent fruite of eternall glorie yet because they must contend with many daungers and difficulties they must subdue their corrupt affections Rom. 7.5.23 which are like strong men and conquer the spirituall wickednesses which are in the high places Eph. 6.12 who resemble the Anakims they are dismayed and so do lose the blessed land euen the land of the liuing To such I may say with the children of Dan Iud. 18.9.10 Seeing the land is good and a place that lacketh nothing in the world let vs not sit still and be slouthfull to go and enter to possesse the land yea seeing the kingdome of heauen is a blessed place and lacketh no good thing that the tongue can expresse or heart imagine let vs not be carelesse and negligent in seeking to possâ—sse it which if we be our desire thereunto shall be fruitlesse for excellent things are difficult No paines seeme too great for the attaining of temporall pleasures and dignities which are very short and temporarie yea diuerse of the Philosophers haue exposed themselues not onely to daungers but euen to death it selfe for the attaining of a little vaine transitorie glorie how much more then should wee bâ— willing to spend our paines wit wealth strength yea and life it selfe for the obtaining of those pleasures and that glorie which are without measure and shall neuer haue an end 3 To conclude are the ioyes of heauen so exquisite is the felicitie permanent and the glorie eternall Where then is that audacious man liuing that dares say he hath merited them Ambros in Serm. 16 in Psal 119. yea or the least of them Who is able to match such excellent benefits of saluation with correspondent seruice If any thing were meritorious then were persecutions and afflictions But the Apostle iudgeth Rom. 8.18 that the afflictions of this present time are not worthie of the glorie that shalâ— be reuealed vnto vs and elsewhere he giueth this reason of his iudgement 2. Cor. 4.17 Our afflictions are light the glorie is weightie our afflictions are but for a moment the glorie is eternall In so great a disproportion of value and estimation though there be a most certaine reward of mercie yet where is the recompence that should rise vpon merit Let vs learne therefore to confesse with Iacob I am vnworthie Lord Gen. 32.10 the least of all thy mercies much more of this eternall weight of glorie Let vs cast downe our crownes of glorie at the feet of Christ with the Elders in the ReuelatioÌ„ Reu. 4.10 and say with the blessed Apostle Vnto the God of all grace 1. Pet. 5.10 11. who hath called vs vnto his eternall glorie by Christ Iesus be glorie and dominion for euer and euer Amen FINIS