when this subject was lesse beleeved or lesse beloved Certainly if Chrysostome were according to his then fancy to preach to the whole world he would leave his old text of Psal 4. 2. How long will you love vanity and preach Christs judiciary power and proceedings against carnall formall and hypocriticall Gospellers it were very needfull to preach on this subject every Sermon to print every Sermon that is preached to fill Churches shops stalls houses holes with them to dog cursed miscreants as that good man did his Atheistical son Junius with Bibles untill they are apprehended with this Hue and Cry But to close and conclude there is enough in that text to answer all cavills and scruples Act. 10. 42. And he commanded us to preach unto the people and to testifie that it is he which was ordeined of God to be the Judge of quicke and dead If Christs coming be so nigh as 1656. as was strongly though strangely asserted by an admired Rabbi at Pauls not long since as you may finde it quoted in the Atheist Bible I meane in Lillyes Almanacke then surely it is high time to alarum dead and drowsie sinners by the Gospels Trumpet before they are summoned by the Archangels Trumpet Inform. 2. That few persons will be found judgement-proof when they hold up their hands at the Bar before this so rigid and so righteous a Judge Most men and women will not know as Bellizarius Procop. once told the proud Embassadors of the Goths where to hide their heads Hear that dreadfull and direfull text able to strike you dead for fear which I take with learned Diodate to be understood of this Judge and judgement Rev. 6. 12 13 14 15 16 17. And I beheld when he had opened the sixth Seal and lo there was a great Earth-quake and the Sun became black as Sackcloth of haire and the Moon became as blood And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth even as a Fig-tree casteth her untimely Figs when she is shaken of a mighty wind And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together And every Mountain and Island were moved out of their places And the Kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men and the chief Captains and the mighty men and every bond-man and every free-man hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains and said to the mountains and rocks Fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne and from the face of the Lamb. For the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand Those men that when on earth were not afraid of the noyse of a Lion are now affrigted at the voice of a Lamb. Those before whose wrath none were able to stand themselves now are not able to stand before the wrath of Christ But not to insist on generals to descend to particular Generalia non pungunt persons as they are expressed and implied in this text 1. To begin with Ministers that you may see I am not partiall do we make such full proof of our Ministery as 2 Tim. 4. 5. that we may be judgement-proof How few of us that are able Ministers of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3. 6. That study to approve our selves to God workmen that need not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth 2 Tim. 2. 15. That preach Christ crucified 1 Cor. 1. 23. that make manifest the mystery of Christ as we ought to speak Col. 4. 4. not with enticing words of mans wisdom but in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power 1 Cor. 2. 4. that cry aloud and spare not and lift up our voyces like trumpets and shew the people their transgression and the house of Jacob their sins Isai 58. 1. That make a difference and distinction in our praying and preaching and take forth the pretious from the vile Jerem. 15. 19. that will not give the childrens bread to doggs In a word that can wade through honour and dishonour evill report and good report 2 Cor. 68. not puft up with the one nor dejected by the other But to use Pompey's verses Non me videre superbum Prospera fatorum nec fractum adversa videbunt Proh dolor How few Luthers shall you find that weigh Satanas sit Lutherus modo Christus regnet nor value not their names Ridleies that repent of spending too much of their time at Chesse-playing Ignatius's so studious and yet so pious that every time they hear the clock strike say there is one hour more for them to answer for Chrysostom's that had rather have their bodies torn asunder with wild beasts than give Christs body to be torn asunder by men worse than wild beasts Augustin's that desire God may finde them preaching or praying in that day Cyprians whose thoughts of the day of judgement make them forget the day of their martyrdome Nazianzens whose thoughts of their last accounts dry up their marrow and wast their bones Though I would not make that doubt which Chrysostome did in a Sermon of his to the Ministers Whether any of them could possibly be saved yet this I may safely say that every one of us have great cause to fear who have not preached to others or not preached to others as we ought that we shall be found cast-awayes 1 Cor. 9 27. 2. Kings and supream Magistrates who are mentioned in the text how few of them are Patres Patriae as the Heathen called them and as the holy Ghost explains it Isai 4 23. Nursing-fathers whose care of and compassion to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their people is the same with Fathers to their children that impoverish them not by taxes excises oppressions but endeavour to enrich them counting their peoples wealth their best treasury as King James gives advice to his son Prince Henry in his book called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hinc illae lachrymae Most of supream Rulers are as Pliny spake of the Roman Emperours Nomine Dii natura Diaboli monsters not men murtherers not Magistrates witness Saul who when he had forfeited his Kingdome by sparing Agag how doth he hunt David as a Partridge in the mountains slayes the innocent Priests runs to a Witch at Endor Witness Herod who preferred one Coranto of that Minion Herodias daughter before the pretious life of John Baptist of whose godlinesse he was convinced in his own conscience Besides this our English Chronicles afford us too much sad matter for this subject witness Henry 4. and Richard 3 I profess I have often admired at the madness and folly of many who will jeopardize their estates lives and souls for such persons who came to their places by unjust deposings poysonings perjuries murder incest who carried themselves in their places with pride prophaness lust and luxury tyranny oppression exaction their lives being the best comment on that text Dan. 4. 17. God setteth
THE Lord JESUS HIS COMMISSION Under the Broad Seal of his HIGHNES THE Royal Real Lord PROTECTOR of Heaven and Earth as MAN to be the alone JUDGE of Life and Death in the Great and General ASSIZE of the WORLD Proved and Improved before the Reverend Judges AT THE Assize holden at Maidstone March 17 1655. FOR THE COUNTY of KENT By HENRY SYMONS M. A. and Minister of the Gospel at Southfleet in KENT John 5. 22. 27. For the Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgment to the Son and hath given him Authority to execute judgement also because he is the Son of man Hîc ostendit quòd in ea carne venit judicaturus in qua venerat judicandus Aug. de Civ Dei lib. 20. c. 6. Bene terrena declinat qui propter divina descenderat nec judex dignatur esse litium arbiter facultatum vivorum habens mortuorumque judicium Amb. Tom. 3. lib. 7. in Lue. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sybil. Eryth Vat. ut Euseb London Printed by J. H. are to be sold by H. Crips in Popes-head alley 1657. To the Truly Honourable HIS Deservedly Honoured Friend Sr MICHAEL LIVESEY Baronet High Sheriff of the COUNTY of KENT Noble SIR IT is my ambition to put not my Sermon but my Service in Print so much I stand ingaged to your Honour that it 's not the Dedication of my Sermon but of my self that will satisfie you nor that neither I know this Criticall or rather Hypercriticall I had almost said Hypocriticall age will censure and slander me for pride and presumption in appearing so publickly but the Orator hath made my Sen. de Ben. lib. 2. cap. 23. Apology Furtivè gratias agunt qui in angulo in aurem They that give private thanks for publick favours commit a theft for which they deserve though not to be burned in the hand yet to be branded in their name for ingratitude This hath caused me to proclaim my indearments and indebtments upon the house top It was my fear once what was Furnius to Augustus Caesar Ne morerer ingratus I have laid hold Erasm Apoth lib. 7. therefore on this lock of opportunity to publish to the world what ground I had to render such a Testimony of Gratitude When I designed my self and Ministerial service for Bristol and to banish my self from mine own native Country by a perpetual Ostracism and to say that which was written upon the Tomb-stone of Scipio Africanus Ingrata patria ne ossa quidem Val. Max. lib. 5. cap. 3. mea habes unsought to unsent to on my part you Barracado'd up my way with Southfleet Living Since which time I have fallen fato nescio quo iniquo between the two Mil-stones of this age Cavaliers and Cavellers I mean prophane sinners and proud Sectaries who endeavoured to grinde me to powder you alwaies interposed your self to keep me from the malice of the one and the malignancy of the other These storms alaid perceiving that most mens consciences were so festered with corruptions that they hate him who rebuketh in the gate and abhorre him that speaketh uprightly Amos 5. 10. I resolved to silence my self because it was an evil time ver 13. and to observe that rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to hide my self in some dark cloud or corner and never to have appeared in publick any more but to have concluded with Luther's Vadat mundus sicut vadit nam vult vadere sicut vadit You then sued me with a Latitat and caused my personal appearance before the Judges to answer se defendendo Sir that such a broken potsheard who did as little desire as deserve to act any part on such a publick Theater should be cull'd and call'd out by you must needs publish your judgement was very weak or your affection was very strong And because there is a Noverint universi upon your judgement for the solidness of it I must acknowledge it was the vail of your Love that covered my many defects and deficiencies for such an imployment You have been a fast and faithfull friend to me at all turns and times You are none of those Glow-worm Amico's with which this age more abounds than Nilus with Crocodiles who promise and pretend much light and heat of love and affection but being touched and tried have neither but only the squalid and noisom matter of Your servant Sir You stood by me when it was little less than Treason to own a Minister who had sincerely begun with the Parliament-Cause and did seriously endeavour to keep the Parliament-Covenant Wherefore having more reason than ever Aeschines had to Socrates I Dedicate and Devote my self wholly to your service This acknowledgement had come out sooner but that you were so serious and sedulous to do your Country service that you could not but have returned Antipaters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But now hoping you shall have leave and leasure for soul-affairs I present that to you in whole which you heard but in part Time was by the Judges command not Executor to but Executioner of my Text the glass was the fatall Atropos to cut asunder the life-thred of my Sermon so that I was Autor operis imperfecti I therefore here lay it forth in the true method it was composed I preached it to you then to be a Star to guide you in your present place I present it to you now to be a fiery Pillar to lead and lighten you in your future pilgrimage Sir be pleased to let this Sermon be another Jerom's Trumpet to sound Judgements Alarum alwaies in your ears I can assure you it will be of serious consequence to you in your life and of sweet consolation to you in your death But not to create further trouble verbum sapienti I shall winde up all upon the quill of those words which were Pauls Prayer for good Onesiphorus The Lord grant unto you that you may finde mercy of the Lord in that day 2 Tim. 1. 18. Which is the daily Prayer of Your obliged Chaplain HENRY SYMONS From my Study in Southfleet Nov. 1. 1657. Reader The absence of the Author and his inconvenient distance from London hath occasioned some lesser mistakes in this Sermon which thou art desired to amend Thus Errata Page 2. line 9. for prophane read profound p. 3. l. 9. r. superficiem p. 11. l. 15. r. principall p. 16. l. 30. r. Sysamnes p. 24. l. 27. r. qui. p. 25. l. 19. r. taken in adultery p. 26. l. 38. r. faith p. 27. l. 22. r. center p. 31. l. 5. r. Psal 50. v. 21. p. 32. l. 9. r. Arithusa p. 34. l. 16. r. generall The Text. ACTS 17. 31. Because he hath appointed a Day in the which he will Judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom he hath ordained PAul being persecuted by the envious Jews from Thessalonica v. 5. and prosecuted by them to Berea v. 13. is carried by providence
and be content with their wages How are these Rules inverted by most Souldiers they offer violence to every man acccuse any man falsly are not content with their pay but will have plunder and free quarter into the bargain How hard a matter would it be to answer one that should ask this question Cui bono do Souldiers serve I know some will be ready to answer to fight the Lords battails to withstand forraign invasions to subdue intestine rebellions and to preserve Princes in their Royalties Parliaments in their Priviledges and people in their Liberties I cannot deny but that they may do such things and must do or else cannot be able to justifie the lawfulness of their calling Yet for the most part they serve for nothing else but to maintaine Princes in their Tyranny and oppression Parliaments in feare and subjection people in vassalage and slavery I read of Xerxes that viewing almost an innumerable Army of men fell on weeping saying Where will all these men be within an hundred yeares If he thought that for his sake or rather sin they should be in hell it might well make him weepe 6. Rich men How few of them that are rich towards God Luk. 12. 21. Rich in faith James 2. 5. Rich in good works 1 Tim. 6. 18. Inopem sua copia fecit Their plenty in temporalls and poverty in spiritualls Riches for the most part are not ladders to lift mens souls to heaven but to let them downe to hell Riches to most men are as wind and quill to bladders puff them and swell them with prophaneness they make gold their God and worship that in the stamp which they abhor to do in the statue These are such as the Apostle could not mention with dry eyes Phil. 3. 18 19. Their minds are so taken up with earth as they have no leisure nor love to looke after heaven As the Duke d' Alva told H. 4. of France asking him whither he had observed the late great Ecclipse they are so taken up with minding their Hawks and hounds and worse employments that they have no time to mind God Christ grace poore nor their own immortall soules See an instance in that rich man Luk. 16. 19. Here is minding back and belly no praying reading singing or releiving Lazarus c. Oh that all rich men would but seriously weigh two places of Scripture they are able to make their hearts tremble Math. 19. 23 24. Then said Jesus unto his Disciples verily I say unto you that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdome of heaven And again I say unto you It is easier for a Camel to goe thorow the eye of a needle then for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of God Philip was wont to say An Asse laden with gold would enter any City-gates I say not enter the City-gates of heaven Luk 6. 14. Woe unto you that are rich for you have received your consolation Rich men usually have their heaven on earth Consolation here and desolation hereafter Luk. 16. 25. 7. The ordinary and Common sort of people bond and Praeter paucissimos quosdam qui mala fugiunt quid est aliud penè caetus Christi norum quà m sentina vitiorum free as in the Text who live more like Bruits then men Cretians then Christians We may say of most of them as Plato said of the Argentines they live as if they should never dye and come to judgement for all their oathes whoredomes cosenages c. Heu vivunt homines tanquam mors nulla sequatur Seu velut infernus fabula vana foret Salv. de Pro. They call and count judgement a bug-beare to scare children They have made a Covenant with death and with hell are they at agreement Isa 28. 15. Tell them of an Assize on earth wherein they are much concerned either for land or life they like the Devills believe and tremble James 2. 19. But tell them of an Assize in the aire wherein they are most concern'd for their eternall life they little believe it and less tremble at it David in Psal 14. 1 2 3. The fool hath said in his heart There is no God they are corrupt they have done abominable works there is none that doth good The Lord looked downe from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any that did understand and seeke God They are all gone aside they are all together become filthy there is none that doth good no not one And Paul Rom. 3. 13 14 15 16 17 18. Their throat is an open sepulchre with their tongues they have used deceit the poyson of Asps is under their lips whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness Their feet are swift to shed blood Destruction and misery are in their wayes And the way of peace have they not known There is no feare of God before their eyes joyned together give a most exact description of such persons as these are It is as true of our time as true in the time Multis annis jam transactis Nulla fides est in pactis Mel in ore verba lactis Fel in corde fraus in factis I may partly English it in our Singing Psalms Help Lord for good and godly men Doe perish and decay And faith and truth from worldly men Is parted clean away Who so doth with his neighbour talk His talk is all but vaine For every man bethinketh how To flatter lye and faine Luk. 13. 24. Strive to enter into the strait gate most are so far from striving to get into heaven that they strive to get into hell they ride post to get thither first for feare there should be no roome for them in hell the only place of honour and happiness in their opinion Alas whose faces blush not eyes weep not hearts bleed not if any sparks of good in them to see the most of poor people like the country about Eugubium Quo magis aliena divitijs eò magis exuberat vitijs the more poore the more profane the more barren the more base If they John 7. 49. did condemne the rabble to be accursed because they did not know the Law then may we safely mistrust them that neither know the Law nor believe or obey the Gospel Inform. 3. The reason why godly men and Ministers are so much discontented yea * 2 Cor. 5. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 insanimus Beza mad when they see any injury or indignity offered to the person offices government of the Lord Jesus Christ Oh how say they shall we be able to look the Lord Jesus Christ in the face when he comes as a Judge if we suffer or endure it For Christ to have just occasion to say to any of them as Absolom to Hushai about 2 Sam. 16. 17. David Is this thy kindness to thy Friend would be a torment as bad as hell and therefore they cannot beare the least wrong to Christ Servetus condemned Zwinglius for