in some to receive but others to depart this must needs be a disgracefull vexation so when the glory of heaven and those unvaluable treasures shall be opened and dealt about to the faithfull what horrour will it be to the reprobates to be cast off with a depart no share accrues to them no not so much as one glimpse of glory must chear their dejected countenances but as ill-meriting followers they are thrust from the gates with this watch-word to be gone Depart But whence there is the losse from me and if from me then from all that is mine my mercy my glory my salvation Here is an universall spoil of all things of God in whom is all goodnesse of the Saints in whom is all solace of the Angels in whom is all happinesse of heaven wherein all pleasures live ever and ever Whither O Lord shall the cursed go that depart from thee into what haven shall they arrive what Master shall they serve is it thought so great a punishment to be banished from our native soils what then is this to be banished from Almighty God and whither but into a place of horrour to whom but to a cursed crew of howling reprobates Depart from me Who are they Ye cursed Christ hath before invited you with blessings but these refused now take you the curse to your despight Psal 109.17 the wicked man saith the Prophet as he hath loved cursing so let it come unto him hath he loved it let him take his love as he hath cloathed himself with cursing as with a garment so let it come into his bowels like water and like oyl into his bones Psal 109.18 Psal 109.18 No sooner our Saviour cursed the Fig-tree but leaves and boughs body and root all wither away and never any more fruit grows thereon and thus shall the wicked have a curse like the Ax which put to the root of the tree Matth. 3.10 shall hew it down and cast it into the fire Go ye cursed But whither must they go into everlasting fire O what a bed is this for delicate and daintie persons no feathers but fire no friends but furies no ease but fetters no light but smoak no Chimes nor Clock to passe away the night but timelesse eternitie A fire intollerable a fire burning never dying O immortall pains Esai 33.14 which of you saith the Prophet is able to dwell in the burning fire who can endure the everlasting flames it shall not be quenched night nor day the smoak thereof shall go up evermore the pile is fire and much wood Esai 30.33 and the breath of the Lord like a river of brimstone kindles it What torment what calamitie can be compared with the shadow of this the wicked must be crowded together like brick in a fiery Furnace there is no servant to fanne cold air on their tormented parts not so much as a chink where the least puff of wind might enter in to cool them it is a fire an everlasting fire For whom prepared for the Devil and his Angels heavy companie for distressed souls the Serpents policie could not escape hell nor can the craft of our age so deal with this Serpent as thereby to prevent this fire it was sure prepared for some as some have prepared themselves for it burning in lust in malice in revenge untill themselves their lust malice revenge and all burn together in hell Tophet is prepared of old Esai 30.33 whither that day-starre as fallen from heaven and a black crew of Angels guard him round in that lake of hell there must these howling reprobates keep their residence the last sentence that never is recalled is now pronounced what Go Who ye cursed Whither into everlasting fire to what companie to a crew of Devils and their Angels O take heed that ye live in Gods fear least that leaving his service he give you this reward Depart ye cursed Vse And is not this worthy your meditation Consider I pray you what fearfull tremblings seiz on their souls that have their sentence for eternall flames If a Lord have Mercy on thee Take him away Jaylour will cause such shedding of tears folding of arms and wringing of hands what will this sentence do Go ye cursed c. O which way will they turn or how will they escape the Almighties wrath to go backward is impossible to go forwards intolerable whose help will they crave God is their Judge heaven their fo the Saints deride them Angels hate them all creatures cry for vengeance on them God Lord what a world of misery hath seized on these miserable souls their Executioners are Devils the Dungeon Hell the earth stands open and the cruell Furnace ready-boyling to receive them into what a shaking fit of distractions will these terrours drive them every part shall bear a part in this dolefull ditie eyes weep hands wring breasts beat hearts ake voyces cry horrour dread terrour confusion are lively equipages of this tragick Scene Now O man of earth what will all thy wealth avail thee what can all thy pleasures profit thee one drop of water to cool thy fiery tongue in hell is more worth then a world of treasures all the gold and precious stones the world affords will not buy one bottle of water all thy golden gods and silver plates cannot prevail one drammme of comfort but rather as they were thy bane on Earth so they will aggravate thy pain in Hel. Who pities not the vilest creature to see it suffer torments and no way to release it who then will not pitie this end of the wicked when they must suffer and suffer yet never feel ease of pain nor end of torments A sentence not to be revoked yet unsufferably to be endured torment on torment anguish on anguish fire upon fire and though a River nay a sea of tears drop from their eyes yet cannot one spark be quenched the worm never dies Mark 9.44 the fire never goes out Go ye into everlasting fire not piled of consuming wood or the black moulds turning to white ashes but kindled by the Judges breath of pitch and sulphure Rivers of boyling Brimstone runne from everlasting springs in these hot Bathes was that Dives dived when those fierie words came flaming from his mouth as spitting fire Luke 16.24 Let Lazarus dip the tip of his finger in water to cool my tongue Alas what should a drop of water do on a finger when rivers cannot quench the tip of his tongue he lies on a bed of never-dying flames where brimstone is the fuel devills the kindlers the breath of an offended God the bellows and hell the furnace where bodie and soul must ever lie and frie in scorching torments O let the heat of these flames quench the heat of our sinne if once the sentence passe there is no reprieve to be hoped for this is the last Day of Doom when our sinns must be revealed our Reward proportioned and as we have
soul the object is too clear for our weak eyes our eyes are but earthly the soul of an heavenly nature O divine being not onely heavenly but heaven it self as God and man met both in Christ so heaven and earth met both in man would you see this earth that is the body Out of it wast thou taken and into it must thou return Gen. 4.19 Gen. 4.19 would you see this heaven that is the soul the God of heaven gave it and to the God of heaven returns it Eccles 12.7 Eccles 12.7 The body is but a lump but the soul is that breath of life of earth came the body of God was the soul thus earth and heaven met in the creation and the man was made a living soul Gen. 2.7 Gen. 2.7 the sanctified soul is an heaven upon earth Est coelum sancta anima habens solem intellectum lunam fidem astra virtutet Bern super Cantic where the sun is understanding the moon is faith and the stars gracious affections what heaven is in that body which lives and moves by such a soul yet so wonderfull is Gods mercy to mankinde that as reason doth possesse the soul so the soul must possesse this body Here is that union of things visible and invisible as the light is spirituall incorruptible indivisible and so united to the air that of these two is made one without confusion of either in like manner is the soul united to this body one together distinguished asunder onely here 's the difference the light is most visible the soul is invisible she is the breath of God the beauty of man the wonder of Angels the envie of devils that immortall splendor which never eye hath seen never eye must see And yet we must up another step it is fourthly incorporeall as not seen with a mortall eye so neither clogg'd with a bodily shape I say not but the soul hath a body for his organ to which it is so knit and tyed that they cannot be severed without much sorrow or strugling yet is it not a body but a spirit dwelling in it the body is an house and the soul the inhabitant every one knows the house is not the inhabitant and yet O wonder there is no roome in the house where the inhabitant lives not would you please to see the roomes the eye is her window the head is her tower the heart is her closet the mouth is her hall the lungs her presence chamber the senses her cinque-ports the common-sense her custome-house the phantasie her mint the memory her treasury the lips are her two leav'd doores that shut and open and all these and all the rest as the motions in a Watch are acted and mooved by this spring the Soul See here a composition without confusion the soul is in the body yet it is not bodily as in the greatest world the earth is more solid the water less the ayr yet lesser the fire least of all so in this little world of man the meaner parts are of grosser substance and the soul by how much more excellent by so much more spirituall and wholly with-drawn from all bodily being And yet a little higher it is fiftly immortall It was the errour of many Fathers Scaliger notae in nov Test That bodies and souls must both die till doomes-day and then the bodies being raised the souls must be revived Were that true why then cryes Stephen Lord Iesu receive my spirit or why should Paul be dissolved that he might be with Christ Act. 7.59 Philip. 1.23 Blessed men are but men and therefore no wonder if subject to some errour Others more absolutely deny the souls immortality We are born say they at all adventures and we shall be hereafter as though we had never been Why so for the breath is a smoke in our nostrils and the words as a spark raised out of our hearts Wisd 2.2 3. which being extinguished the body is turned into ashes and the spirit vanisheth as soft ayre What is the soul a smoak and the spirit no better then the soft vanishing ayre Matth. 22.32 wretched men Have you not read what is spoken of God saying I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob now God saith Christ is not the God of the dead but of the living Abraham Isaac Iacob they are not dead then in the better part their souls but passed indeed from the valley of death unto the land of the living Whosoever liveth and believeth in mee saith our Saviour shall never die Iohn 11.26 John 11.26 Not die against some never die against others what can we more onely live and believe in him that redeemed us and be sure his promises shall never fail us our souls must live live for ever Sweet soul blessed with the felicity of eternall life here 's a joy unspeakable that this soul now clogged with cares vexations griefs passions shall one day enjoy those joyes immortall not for a day or two Nullus erit defectus nullus terminus though this were more then we can imagine but through all eternity There shall be no defect nor end after millions of ages the soul must still live in her happiness it is not of a perishing but an everlasting substance And yet the perfection of the soul goes higher it is most like to God so far it transcends all earthly happiness I cannot say but in some sort all creatures have this likeness every effect hath at least some similitude with its cause but with a difference some onely have a being as stones others being and life as plants but man above all hath a being life and reason and therefore of all other the most like unto his Creatour Can we any more yes one step higher and we are at the top of Jacobs ladder The soul is not onely like God but the image of God I cannot denie but there is some apparance of it in the outward man and therefore the bodie in some measure partakes of this image of the Deity it was man and whole man that was corrupted by sin and by the law of contraries it was man and whole man that was beautified with this image Please you to look at the body is it not a little world wherein every thing that God made was good as therefore all goodness comes from him so was he the pattern of all goodness that being in him perfectly which onely is in us partly This is that Idaea whereby God is said to be the exemplar of the world man then in his body being as the worlds map what is he but that image in which the builder of the world is manifest but if you look at the parts of his body how often are they attributed though in a metaphor yet in resemblance to his Maker our eyes are the image of his wisdome our hands are the image of his power our heart is the image of his
all eyes dry here is the eye of the world weeps it self blind to see this dissolution Is man bereft of compassion for whom the Sun it self undergoes this passion think on those times when darkness that may be felt shall spread over all the earth how should plants but whither or beasts of the field but waste how should men but die when they stumble at noon-day their eyes shall fail them the light forsake them miserable men the Sun shill not shine on them because God will judg them But this not all Then shall the moon not give her light Matth. 24.29 as the day and night are both alike with God so the day and night shall be alike with man the Sun will not lend his lustre nor can the Moon borrow any more light but what strange warr makes this confusion of nature the Sun shall look black Ioel 2.31 and the Moon be turned into bloud Here is a new Moon and such a change as before was never seen there is no encrease no full no wane Gen. 1.14 but all the light is at once exstinguished unhappy creatures that depend upon her influence how should they live when she her self wades in bloud God made these Lights for signes and for seasons for daies and for years but now signs are out seasons past daies are done years abolished The Angels hath sworn by him that lives for ever that time shall be no longer Rev. 10.6 Who will not believe that hears this sacred oath was it a man no an Angel did he say it no he swore it how by himself no it was by him that lives for ever and what that time must be little nay it must be no longer time shall be no more How shall it be any more the Sun is disfigured the Moon disrobed both eclipsed But this not all Then shall the stars be shaken the powers of Heaven shall move and the Lamps of Heaven shall tremble these were Gods threats against the Babylonians Esay 13.10 Esay 13.10 For the stars of Heaven and the Planets thereof shall not give their light Against the Egyptians Ezek. 32.7 Ezek. 32.7 I will cover the heaven and make the stars dark over thee Against all his enemies Ioel 3.15 Joel 3.15 The Sun and Moon shall be darkned but not they alone for and the starrs themselves shall withdraw their shining But what speak we of darkness or the starrs not shining they shall not onely dimme Mark 13.15 but down In those days saith our Saviour after that tribulation the Sun and Moon shall darken and the stars of heaven shall fall Tymne c. how fall so thick say Expositors that the Firmament shall seem to be without all light I cannot say these signs shall be reall whether it is by substraction of their light or the conceit of brain-troubled sinners or the fall of some inflamed vapours or the Apostacy of some enlightned persons for certain to speak literally there shall be some change in the whole order of Nature Sun and Moon Starrs and Planets all must lose their lights and by all likely-hood it is the glory of the Judge that will dazel those Candles Neither is this all Then shall the Elements melt the fire shall fall down from heaven the air turn it self into vapours the Sea swell above all Clouds the earth be full of yawning Cliffes and violent tremblings 2 Pet. 3.18 Elementaris subtiliando terrestris consumendo infernalis puniendo Ioh. de Combis A fire shall first usher the Judge and such a fire as shall have the property of all fires that fire in its sphear this fire on earth the fearfull fire which torments in hell all shall meet in one and according to their severall qualities produce their severall effects the just shall be refined by one the wicked shall be tormented by another the earth be consumed by a third There is no creature but it must be fuell for this fire as the first world was destroyed with water to quench the heate of their lust so must this be destroyed with fire to warm the cold of our charity But not the fire alone Then shall the aire breed wonders what shall be seen but lightnings whirle-winds coruscations blazing starrs flashing thunders here a Comet runns round in a circuit there a Crown compaseth that Comet near them a fiery Dragon fums in flames every where appears a shooting fire as if all above us were nothing but inflamed ayr Yet not the air alone Then shall the waters roare Rivers shall wax dry Luke 21.25 the Sea froth and foame and fume those that dwell near shall wonder at the swelling tides others a far off shall tremble at the roaring noise what threats are those which the Surges murmur war is proclaimed by noise set on by blasts continued by storms the floods and tides shall run over all the plaines the the Sea and waves shall mount up to the very skyes now would they warr with Heaven then overwhelme the earth anone will they sinke to hell and thus shall they rove and rage as if they would threat all the world with a second inundation Nay yet again Then shall the earth be shaken in divers places saith Matthew in all places saith Joel for all the earth shall tremble before him here is an Earth-quake indeed Matth. 24.7 Joel 1.10 not some part of the land by reason of some cloystered wind but the Rocks Mountains Castles Cities Countreys some shall remove others be ruined thus all the earth shall be as a swallowing gulf that all things here situated may be then devoured What can I more Then shall Plants cease their growth Beasts want their sence men loose their reason were this but little you may wonder more The Sibylls could affirm that Nature should both cease and change her being the Trees in stead of growth should sweat out blood the Beasts should bellow up down the fields then want their sence Men should have disfigured faces astonished hearts affrighted looks then lose their reason nay what marvail then if at the worlds end they be at their wits end O fearful signes enough to move flintie stones if this be the Term what is the Suit the Bill the Doom the Execution a Trump shall summon Death will arrest God must have appearance and Then is the day Then he shall reward every man according to his works What a Chaos is here when the world must be thus turned topsie torvie the Sun the Moon the Starrs come yet lower the Fire the Air the Sea the Earth nay Trees and Beasts and Men all must be out of order in the whole course of Nature Vse 1 Who can read or hear this Prognostication of Dooms-day and not wonder at the signes which shall hang over our heads we see by experience when any out-ragious storm happens on Sea or Land how wonderfully men are dismayed how strangely astonished now then when the Heavens the Earth the Sea the
done so we must be sentenced for then he shall reward every man according to his works Thus you have heard the sentence of the just and wicked and now is the Judge rising from his glorious seat the Saints that were invited guard him along and the sentenced prisoners are delivered to the Jaylers to be bound in burning Steel and Iron the reward of Execution The sentence being past in all prescribed order the Execution must needs follow but as there is a double sentence so a double retribution first for the wicked who immediately after the sentence shall be chased into hell the Execution being speedily and fearfully done upon them with all horrour and haste by the Angels O what a scriech of horrour will be heard what woes and lamentations will be uttered when Devils and Reprobates and all the damned crew of hell shall be driven into hell whereunto they shall be thrust with violence never to return again How desperate is their case when none will comfort them the Saints deride them Angels mock them their own friends scoffe them devils hate them the earth groans under them and hell will swallow them Down they go howling and shrieking and gnashing their teeth the effect of a most impatient fury The world leavs them the earth forsakes them hell entertains them there must they live and die and yet not live nor die but dying live and living die death in life life in death miserable ever If the drowning of the old world swallowing up of Korah and his complices burning up of Sodom with brimstone were attended with such terrours and hideous out-cryes how infinitely transcendent to all possibilitie of conceit expression or belief will the confusions and tremblings of that red-dread-fiery day be It is not a few but many nor many onely but all the wicked of the earth being many millions of men shall be dragged down with all the Devils of hell to torments without end or ease or past imagination then to speak it again that I may the deeper imprint it in your minds and memories sure there was horrible shrieking when those five filthy Cities first felt fire and brimstone drop down upon their heads when those Rebels saw the ground cleave asunder and themselves and all theirs Go down quick into the pit Num. 16.33 when all the sonnes and daughters of Adam found the floud rising and ready to over-flow them all at once But the most horrid cry that ever was heard or ever shall be heard in Heaven or in Earth in this world or in the world to come will be then when all the forlorn condemned reprobates upon sentence given shall be violently and unresistably haled down to hel neither shall any tears or prayers or promises or suits or cryes or yellings or calling upon Rocks and Mountains or wishes never to have been or now to be made nothing be then heard or prevail in their behalf nay yet more to encrease their torments there is not one in Earth or Heaven that will speak one word in their behalf but without mercy without stay without any farewell at all they shall be immediately and irrecoverably cast down into the bottomless pit of easeless endless and remediless torments Oh! what then will be the gnawings of the never-dying worm what rage of guilty consciences what furious despair what horrour of mind what distractions and fears what tearing their hair and gnashing of teeth In a word what wailing weeping roaring yelling filling heaven and earth and hell O miserable Caitiffs catcht and wrapt in the snares of Sathan What need we more this is the Judges charge the Sheriffs Commission Matth. 22.13 the sinners execution Take them away cast them into utter darknesse there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth A darknesse indeed that must ever be debarred from the sight of heaven no sunne-shine ever peeps within those Walls no light no fire no candle alas nothing is there but Clouds and darknesse thick smoak and fierie sulphure and such is the portion of sinners the Reward of the wicked Vse What faith or fear have the wicked that go dancing and leaping to this fire as it were to a Banquet or like Solomons fool that runneth and swiftly runneth to the stocks Prov. 7.22 is this our pleasure to sinne a while and burn for ever for one small spark of silly joy to suffer universall and perpetuall pains Who buyes at so dear a rate Fear and the pit and the snare are upon thee O inhabitant of the Earth and he that fleeth from the noyse of the fear shall fall into the pit and he that cometh up out of the pit shall be taken in the snare for the windows from an high are open and the foundations of the earth do shake the earth is utterly broken down the earth is clean dissolved the earth is moved exceedingly the earth shall reel to and fro like a drunken man and shall be removed like a Tent and the iniquity thereof shall be heavy upon it so that it shall fall and rise no more Esay 24.17 Esay 24.17 18 19 20 22. O miserable fear to the wicked If the Earth fall how shall the sinners stand Nay They shall be gathered together as prisoners in the pit and they shall be shut up in the prison never more to be visited released or comforted Be forewarn'd then beloved least you also come into this place of torment Luke 16.28 It is a fearfull prison and God give us grace so to arraigne judge cast and condemne our selves here that we may escape this execution of the damned hereafter I have no will to end with terrour Then to sweeten your thoughts with the joy of Saints look upwards and you may see a blessed company After the wicked are cast down into hell Christ and the blessed Saints ascend into heaven From the Tribunall Seat of Judgement Christ shall arise and with all the glorious companie of Heaven march towards the Heaven of Heavens O what comely march is this what songs of triumph are here sung and warbled The voice of thy Watchmen shall be heard they shall lift up their voice and shout together for they shall see eie to eie when the Lord shall bring again Zion Esay 52.8 Esay 52.8 Here is a victorie indeed the souldiers in arrayed order both Marching and Triumphing Christ leads the way the Cherubims attend the Seraphims burn in love Angels Archangels Principalities Powers Patriarchs Prophets Priests Evangelists Martyrs Professours and Confessours of Gods Law and Gospel following attend the Judge and King of glory singing with melody as never ear hath heard shining with Majestie as never eye hath seen rejoycing without measure as never heart conceived O blessed train of souldiers goodly troop of Captains each one doth bear a palm of victory in his hands each one must wear a Crown of glory on his head the Church Militant is now Triumphant with a finall overthrow have they conquered Devills and now must
eternitie eternity lest you also come into this place of eternity eternity of torment it is the doom of Tares wo to them whosoever that are of the number for they they must be gathered and bound and bundled and burned We have now done our task and ended the harvest if you please to cast back your eie upon the particulars delivered they amount to this summe Whatsoever a man sowes that shall he reap Gal. 6.7 Gal. 6.7 If the enemy sow Tares and we nourish the seed what think you is the Harvest Gather ye together first the Tares saith our Saviour to the Angels they are branded in their name Tares sped in the time first curst in their doom gathered but worst in the hands of their executioners it is by Angels and yet what is all this to the latter work in hand If the Tares weeded up might rot in the furrows the punishment were lesse but as they are gathered so they must be bound Is that all nay as they are bound so they must be bundled Is that all nay as they are bound and bundled so they must be burned Bind them in bundles to burn them I must end this Text yet am loath to leave you where it ends As there is an harvest of Tares so there is a better harvest of Wheat Psal 126.5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy if we repent us of our sinns we shall have a blessed harvest indeed how fourty grains for one nay by the promise of our Saviour an hundred fold A measure heapen and shaken and thrust together Luke 6.38 and yet running over Every Saint shall have joy and glory fountains of pleasure and rivers of delight where they may swim and bathe their souls for ever and ever what though Tares must to the fire the Wheat is gathered into Heaven Pray you then with me that we may be Wheat not Tares and God so blesse the seed that every soul of us may have a joyfull harvest in the kingdome of Heaven AMEN FINIS Right Purgatorie HEB. 1.3 When he had by himself purged our sins THe point is not full but to make it up the Text stands compast with words of wonder concerning the word our Saviour he that is the Sonne of God heir of all things creatour of the world the brightnesse of his glory the image of his person and upholder of all things by the word of his power stands here as the subject of humilitie and glory he purged our sins and sits on the right hand of the majesty on high He purged our sins by his suffering on the crosse he sits on Gods right hand by obtaining the crown he purged our sinnes by dying for them he sits on Gods right hand by ruling with him what need we more here is his passion and session in the same order he performed them for then he sate down on the right hand of his Father when he had by himself purged our sins But to come nearer the words they are as the drugs of an Apothecary and we will examine the ingredients O I am sick of love saith the Church in Canticles Cant. 5.8 Cant. 5.8 Sick indeed not of love onely but of sinne also a disease that infatuates the mind gripes the conscience distempers the humours disturbs the passions corrupts the body indangers the soul Is not he blessed that can help this maladie Come then ye that labour of sin and to your endlesse comfort see here the manner of the cure there is a Physitian he the patient himself the physick administred when he had purged the ill humours evacuated when he had purged our sinnes Or to gather up the crumbs lest in this costly receit or physick any thing be lost see here the remedie girt and compast with each necessary circumstance the time when the person he the matter purged the manner by himself the disease sinne the extent of it ours Observe all and you find no time more dismall then this when no person more humbled then this he no physick more operative then this purge no disease more dangerous no plague more spreading then sinne our sinne for which he suffered When he by himself had purged our sins We have opened the body of the Text now look on the parts and you may see the Anatomie of our Saviour in every member of it When Ne sedendo videatur purgare Annot. Erasm in text THe Text begins with the time When he had purged and this time saith Erasmus according to the originall denotes the time past lest that we had thought he had purged our sinnes by his sitting him down at the right hand of God First therefore saith the Apostle he purged and then sate he first purged by his death and when that was done he sate at the right hand of the Majesty in the highest places Whence observe Doctrine The time that Christ purged was in the dayes of his humiliation Then was he born Matth. 1.18 Matth. 1.18 then was he tempted Matth. 4.1 Matth. 4.1 then was he circumcised Luke 2.21 Luke 2.21 then was he traduced Matth. 11.19 Matth. 11.19 then was he persecuted John 8.59 John 8.59 then was he betrayed Matth. 26.16 Matth. 26.16.50 then was he apprehended Matth. 26.50 then was he mocked Matth. 27.29 Matth. 27.29 35. then was he crucified Matth. 27.35 But all his life was full of infirmitie so according to the nature of all infirmities he had those four times mentioned by Physitians in his life the beginning the increase the Akmen or state and declination Give me leave but to prosecute these times and by that time we have done the hour I know will summon us to a conclusion First then he had his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his beginning and that was the first time of his purging even at his birth then took he our infirmities upon him and in some measure evacuated the brightnesse of his glory to become for us a poor a weak a silly babe on earth Mark I pray how this purge works with him at his first entrance into the world it brings him into so poor and low estate that heaven and earth stand amazed at so great a change where was he born but at Bethlehem a little citie where did the shepherds find him but in a poor sory cottage and there if we look after majestie we find no guard but Joseph no attendants but Mary no heralds but Shepherds none of the bed-chamber but beasts and oxen and howsoever he is styled King of the Jews yet the Jews cry out They have no King but Cesar His mother indeed descended of kings and he himself gives crowns to others of victory of life of glory but for his own head no crown is prepared but a crown of thorns Rev. 4.10 anon you may see him clothed in purple anointed with spittle but for the crown we speak of they can afford him no richer then of the hedge no easier
Physician he needs no physick no Purge no Physician at all but for us he is become a Physician himself for us he became Physician and Patient for us he was sick for us he purged that we through him might escape that danger of eternall fire But how purged he By himself Was there none to associate him in this misery no he purged by himself onely and that without a Partner Comforter First without a partner there was none that laid a finger in the burthen of his Crosse to ease him why Blessed Saviour thou hast Myriads of Angels waiting on Thee and can they not a little lighten thy heavie yoke No the Angels are blessed but they are finite and limited and therefore unable to this expiation of sinne But what say we of the Saints if you will believe the Rhemists Rem Coll. 1. sec 4. they can tell you that the sufferings of Saints sanctified in Christs bloud have not onely a forcible satisfaction for the Church and its members but withall they are the accomplishments of the wants of Christs passion an horrible blasphemy as if Christs were not sufficient in it self but his wants must be supplyed by the satisfaction of others my Text tels me Christ purged by himself therefore not by any other but sufficiently in his own person and as for that Text they urge against us Coloss 1.24 Col. 1.24 Now rejoyce I in my sufferings for you and fulfill the rest of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his bodies sake which is the Church whence they argue these two points first the want of Christs sufferings and secondly the abounding of Saints sufferings for the satisfaction of others To the first we answer that the afflictions of Christ which the Apostle saith I fulfill are not meant of the afflictions which Christ suffered in his Person August tract in Joh. 108. but in his members thus Augustine Non dixit pressurarum mearum sed Christi quia membrum erat Christi The Apostle saith not my afflictions but Christs because he was a member of Christ who is usually said to suffer both with and in his members To the second we answer that Pauls sufferings for his body which is the Church served not for satisfaction but for confirmation of their faith Christi passio nobis sufficit ad salutem Petri Pauli contulit ad exemplum Ambr. serm 66. thus Ambrose Christs passion sufficeth to salvation Peter and Pauls passion serve onely for example so then if you will have the true sense of the words they run thus Now rejoyce I in my sufferings for you whereby I fulfill the measure of those tribulations which remain yet to be indured of Christ in his mysticall body which I do for the bodies sake not to satisfie for it but to confirm it or strengthen it in the Gospel of Christ and good reason have we to admit of this comment otherwise how is Christ a perfect Saviour if any act of our redemption be left to the performance of any Saint or Angell no it is Christ and onely Christ Jesus and onely Jesus nor is there salvation in any other for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved Acts 4.12 Acts 4.12 But if not Angels or Saints what say we of good Works Cannot they expiate sinne yea say our adversaries they are meritorious and applicatory and expiatorie so here is a threefold use of them what hath Christ purged by himself and is there any other means whatsoever to expiate sinne no saith the Apostle so incompatible are these two his grace and our works that if it be of grace it is no more of works Rom. 11.6 or else grace were no more grace and if it be of works it is no more grace or else works were no more works By grace then ye are saved not of works lest any man should boast himself Ephes 2.8 9. Ephes 2.8 9. But if no purging by Angels Saints nor good works what say we to purgatory it self we say it is a fable or were it an Article of Faith as the Pontificians affirm let us have Scripture for it yes saith Roffensis We went through fire and water Roffen contra Luther art 37. Psal 66.12 Psal 66.12 and Sir Thomas Moor will have more Scripture yet I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water Zach. 9.11 Zach. 9.11 here are two places for Purgatory and one saith there is water the other saith there is no water but to say truth of both the Catholick faith Aug. hypog l. 5. tom 7. resting upon divine authoritie believes heaven and hell but third place saith Augustine we know none neither find we in holy Scripture that there is any such place neither speaks he onely of places eternall that are to continue for ever for he purposely disputes against Limbus puerorum and rejects all places temporary yea elsewhere he acknowledgeth there is no middle place at all Aug. de pec merit remiss l. 1. c. 28. Juel def Apol. 2. part but he must needs be with the Devil that is not with Christ away then with those paper walls and painted fires a bug could Harding once say meet onely to fray children God will have no rivall in sinnes purge no Angel in Heaven no Saints no works on earth no purgatory under earth it is he himself will purge it by himself my text affirms it and who dares gainsay it that he by himself by no other hath purged our sinnes Thus farre you have seen Christ purging without a partner Esay 63.3 he trod the winepresse alone and there was none to help him but ô the bitternesse of this purge that admits of no help no ease as he had no partner to help him so no Comforter to chear him in his so lamentable sufferings Some ease it is to have one or other touched with the sense of our miseries and if they cannot help us Solamen miseriis socios c. yet to do what they can be it onely to condole us it were a comfortable refreshing ay but our Saviour finds no refreshing at all he purged by himself without a Partner without a Comforter not any one one earth or in heaven that afforded his poor heart any cure or cordiall First look on earth for to them doth he address that speech in Lamentations Lament 1.12 is it nothing to you all ye that pass by the most grievous torments find some mitigation in the supply of friends and what friends hath our Saviour to comfort him in his torments If you say the Gentiles I must confess he found faith in some and a seeming favour from others the Centurion is witness of the one of whom our Saviour himself confessed I have not found so great faith no not in Israel Matth. 8.10 Matth. 8.10 and Pilate gives a token of the other when he took water and
motive and incouragement to bring you in yet not so much as one drop of all that bottomless depth of Christs mercie and bountie doth as yet belong unto any that lie in the state of unregeneratenesse or in any kind of hypocrisie whatsoever Away then with this presumption bethink you what a grievous and fearfull sin you commit time after time and day after day in neglecting so great salvation by chusing upon a free offer of his soul saving bloud to cleave rather to a lust O horrible indignity then to Christ Jesus blessed for ever what height and perfection of madnesse is this that whereas a man but renouncing his base rotten transitorie pleasures might have Christ Jesus and with him a full and free discharge of hell pains a sure and known right to heavens joys yet should in cold bloud most wickedly and willingly after so many intreaties invitations and offers refuse this mighty change Heaven and Earth may be astonished Angels and all creatures may justly be amazed at this prodigious sottishnesse and monstrous madnesse of such miserable men they are the words of a late Divine The World saith he is wont to call Gods people precise fools because they are willing to sell all they have for that one Pearl of great price to part with profits pleasures preferments their right hand their right eye every thing any thing rather then to leave Jesus Christ but who do you think now are the true and great fools of the world and who are likeliest one day to groan for anguish of spirit and say within themselves Wisd 5.3 4. This was he whom we had sometimes in derision and a proverb of reproach we fools accounted his life madnesse and his end to be without honour now is he numbered amongst the Children of God and his lot is among the Saints Nay if it once come to this with what infinite horrour and restlesse anguish will this conceit rent a mans heart in pieces and gnaw upon his conscience when he considers in hell that he hath lost heaven for a lust and whereas he might at every Sermon had even the Son of God his husband for the very taking and have lived with him for ever in unspeakable blisse yet neglecting so great salvation must now lie in unquenchable flames without all ease or end Sure it is the highest honour that can be imagined that the Sonne of God should make suit unto sinfull souls to be their husband Rev. 3.20 and yet so it is he stands at the door and knocks if you will give him entrance he will bring himself and heaven into your hearts 2 Cor. 5.20 We are Christs Embassadours saith the Apostle as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead to be reconciled to God We are Christs spokes-men that I may so speak to woo you and winne you unto him now what can you say for your selves that you stand out why come you not in if the Devil would give you leave to speak out and in plain tearms one would say I had rather be damned then leave my drunkennesse another I love the world better then Jesus Christ a third I will not part with my easie and gainfull trade of Vsury for the treasure hid in the field and so on so that upon the matter you must needs all confesse that you hereby judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life that you are wilfull bloudy murtherers of your own souls nay and if you go on without repentance you may exspect that the hellish gnawing of Conscience for this one sinne of refusing Christ may perhaps hold scale with the united horrours of all the rest whatsoever O then make haste out of sinne and come come to Christ so freely offered unto you Heark how he calls Come unto me all sinners see my arms spread my heart open O how gladly would I entertain you if you would come unto me here is a generall invitation indeed all men all sinners of all estates of all kindes of all conditions whosoever you are he keeps open house for you Come and welcome Secondly they offend on the other side who after invitation come not through a kind of unmannerly modestie or a bashfull despair Some there are that may perhaps go so farre as to acknowledge their sinnes and to confesse that without Christ they are utterly undone and everlastingly damned that may be ravisht with the thoughts and apprehensions of this invitation of Christ and would ever think themselves happie if they had their hungrie souls filled with Christ Jesus but yet so it is that considering their manifold grievous sinnes sinnes of a scarlet die of an horrid strain against knowledge against conscience and that which troubles them most for all these sinnes their sorrow being so little and poor and scant and in no proportion answerable to them they cannot dare not will not meddle with any mercy or believe that Christ Jesus in any wayes belongs unto them To these I speak or rather let them hear our Saviour himself speak to them Revel 21. Whosoever will saith he let him come and drink of this water of Life freely yea those that think themselves furthest off he bids them come Matt. 11.28 Come all that are weary and heavy laden if they find sinne a burthen then Christ invites them they whosoever they are that stand at the staffs end he desires them to lay aside their weapons and come in or if they will not do it he layes his charge on them for this is his Commandment 1 John 3.23 that we should believe on the Name of his Sonne Jesus Christ nay he counts it a sinne worse then the sinne of Sodom a crying sinne not to come in when the Gospel is proclaimed and therefore let them never pretend their sinnes are great and many but rather because of his offer invitation and command it being without any restraint of person or sinne except that against the holy Ghost if they will not come in and cast themselves upon Christ let them say it is not the greatnesse of their sinne but a willingnesse to be still in their sinnes which hinders them or otherwise let them know that sinnes when men are truly sensible of them should be the greatest incouragement rather then discouragement to bring them in to our Saviour Matt. 9.12 Those that be whole need not a Physician but they that are sick is it not for the honour of a Physician to cure great diseases a mighty God and Saviour loves to do mighty things therefore in any case let them come in and the greater sinners they are no question the greater glory shall Christ have by their coming And indeed to take away all scruple it is a Maxime most true That he which is truly wearie of his sinnes hath a sound seasonable and comfortable calling to lay hold upon Christ Do they feel the heavie load of their sin just then is Christ ready to take
this be his case who will not say with Balaam Let me die the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his Num. 23 10. O let us I beseech you present unto our souls the blessed condition to come and this will be effectuall to stir us up to every good duty and to comfort us in all conditions whatsoever what will a man care for crosses and losses and disgraces in the world that thinks of an heavenly Kingdome What will a man care for ill usage in his Pilgrimâ—ge when he knows he is a King at home we are all in this time of our abâ—ence from God but even strangers upon â—â—rth here then must we suffer in dignities yet here is the comfort we have a better estate to come and all this in the mean time is nothing but a fitting of us to that heavenly Kingdome â—s Davids time between his anointing and investing was a very preparing of him that he might know himself and that he might learn fitnesse for to govern aright so we are anointed Kings as soon as we believe we have the same blessed anointing that is poured on our head and runnes down about us but we must be humbled and fitted before we are invested 〈◊〉 time and but a 〈◊〉 we have yet here to spend and let this be our comfort howsoever we 〈◊〉 here it is not long ere we inherit Alas the 〈◊〉 of this life are not worthy of the glory that shall be shewed us Rom. 8.18 Rom. 8.18 and therefore Igâ—â—â—â—â— iâ— a burnâ—â—g 〈…〉 say 〈…〉 gallows Hieron in catalogo beasts breaking of my bones quartering of â—y 〈…〉 â—â—â—â—sâ—â—ng of my body all the torments of devils let them come upon me so I may enjoy the treasure of Heaven and well â—â—gâ—â— he say it that knew what a châ—nge would be one day 〈◊〉 never was cold shadow so pleasant 〈◊〉 hot Summer never was 〈◊〉 so delightfull after â—â—â—our as shall be this â—eâ—t of heaven to an afflicted â—our coming thither out of this valley of tears O then what service should we do what pain should we suffer to attain this â—est were it to runne through fire and water were it as Augustine said to suffer every day torments you Aug. serm 31. de sanct the very torments of Hell yet should we be conâ—enâ— to aâ—â—â—e it and how much more when we may buy it without money or money-worth we need not to part with any thing for it but sin This Thief now a blessed Saint in glory * I speak of suffering and repenting as means not as the cause for a dayes suffering an half dayes repenting was thus welcomed to Heaven imitate we him in his repentance not in his delay he indeed had mercy at the last cast but this priviledge of one inferres not a common law for all one finde mercie at the last that none should despair and but one that none should presume Be then your sins as red as Scarlet you need not despair if you will but repent and lest your repentance be too late let this be the day of your conversion now abhorre sinnes past sue out a pardon call upon Christ with this Thief on the Crosse Lord remember me remember me now thou art in thy Kingdome thus would we do how blessedly should we die our consciences comforting us in deaths pangs and Christ Jesus saying to us at our last day here our day of death our day of dissolution To day shalt thou be with me in paradise We have dispatcht with expedition this dispatch this expedition to day the next day you shall hear the happinesse of this grant which is the societie of our Saviour thou shalt be with whom with me in paradise With me ANd is he of the Societie of Jesus yes though no Jesuite neither for they were not then hatcht but what noble order is this where the Saints sing Angels minister Archangels rule Principalities triumph Powers rejoyce Dominations govern Virtues shine Thrones glitter Cherubims give light Seraphins burn in love and all that heavenly company ascribe and ever give all laud and praises unto God their Maker here is a Societie indeed I mean not of Babylon but Jerusalem whither Jesus our Saviour admits all his servants and whereto this Thief on the Crosse was invited and welcomed thou shalt be with me in paradise For if with me then with all that is with me and thus comes in that blessed company of Heaven we will onely take a view of them and in some scantling or other you may guesse at Heavens happinesse With me and therefore with my Saints blessed man that from a crew of thieves by one houres repentance became a companion of Saints and now he is a Saint amongst them what joy is that he enjoys with them O my soul couldst thou so steal Heaven by remorse for sinne then mightst thou see what all those millions of Saints that ever lived on earth and are in Heaven Heb. 12.22 there are those holy Patriarchs Adam Noah Abraham and the rest not now in their pilgrimage tossed to and fro on earth but abiding for ever on Mount Sion the City of the living God there are those goodly Prophets Esay Jeremy Ezekiel and the rest not now subject to the torments of their cruell adversaries but wearing Palms and Crowns and all other glorious Ensigneâ— of their victorious triumphs there live those glorious Apostles Peter Andrew James John and the rest not now in danger of persecution or death but arrayed in long robes washed and made white in the bloud of the Lamb Revel 7.14 there live those women-Saints Mary Martha and that Virgin-mother not now weeping at our Saviours death but singing unto him those heavenly songs of praise glory world without end there are those tender infants an hundred forty four thousand Revel 14.1 Revel 14.1 3 4. not now under Herods knife bleeding unto death but harping on their harps and following the Lamb whithersoever he goeth there lives that noble armie of Martyrs they that were slain upon the earth Revel 18.24 Revel 18.24 not now under the mercilesse hands of cruell tyrants but singing and saying their Hallelujahs salvation and glory and honour Revel 19.1 and power be unto the Lord our God tâ—ere dwell all the Saints and servants of God both small and great Revel 19.5 Revel 19.5 not now sighing in this vale of tears but singing sweet songs that eccho through the Heavens as the voice of many waters as the voice of mighty thunderings so is their voice saying Hellelujah Revel 19.6 for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth And is not here a goodly troop a sweet company a blessed societie and fellowship of Saints O my soul how happie wer't thou to be with them yea how happie will that day be to thee when thou shalt meet all the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Disciples Innocents Martyrs the Saints and servants of the King of Heaven why thus happie
both give their lights that Lambe that was slain from the beginning of the world that body of his once crucified now brighter then ten thousand Suns O how infinitely glorious doth it make this Paradise this Citie of God His countenance is as the Sun that shineth in his strength saith Iohn Revel 1.16 Revel 1.16 But what starres are those in his hands and his feet Where the nayls pierced now it sparkleth where the spear entred now it glittereth gloriously if we look all over him Ibid. v. 14 15. his head and his hairs are as white as snow his eyes are as a flame of fire his feet like unto fine brasse as if they burned in a furnace no wonder then if such beams come from this Sun the Sun of righteousnesse that all heaven shines with it from the one end to the other And yet again the Lambe and the Saints all give their lights for we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him 1. Joh. 3.2 1. John 3.2 how like why he shall change our vile bodies that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body Phil. 3.21 Phil. 3.21 In what like even in this very quality for they that be wise shall shine Dan. 12.3 Dan. 12.3 How shine as the brightnesse of the Firmament nay more as the starres saith Daniel nay more as the Sun saith our Saviour nay yet more saith Chrysostome howsoever the righteous in heaven Heaven are compared to the Sun Matth. 13.43 Matth. 13.43 Chrysost in Matth. Hom. 6 It is not because they shall not surpasse the brightnesse of it but the Sun being the most glittering thing in this world he takes a resemblance thence onely towards the expressing of their glory Now then what a masse of light will arise in Paradise where so many millions of Sunns appear all at once If one Sunne make the morning sky so glorious what a bright shining and glorious day is there where 's not a body but 't is a Sunn Sure it is Revel 21.23 There shall be no night there no need of candle no need of Sunne or Moon or Star O that this clay of ours should be partakers of such glory what am I O Lord that being a worm on earth thou wilt make me a Saint in heaven this body of earth and dust shall shine in heaven like those glorious spangles in the firmament this body that shall rot in dust and fall more vile then a Carrion shall arise in glory and shine like the glorious body of our Saviour in the mount of Tabor To come neer my Text See here a Saint-Thief shining gloriously he that was crucified with our Saviour at whose death the Sun hid her face with a veil now he reigns in glory without need of Sunn for he is a Sunn himself shining more clearly then the Sun at noon he that one day was fastened to a Crosse now walks at liberty through the streets of Paradise and all the joyes all the riches all the glory that can be is poured upon him What else He is in Paradise and what is Paradise but a place of pleasure where sorrow is never felt complaint is never heard matter of sadness is never seen evil success is never feared but in stead thereof there is all good without any evil life that never endeth beauty that never fadeth love that never cooleth health that never impaireth joy that never ceaseth what more could this penitent wish then to hear him speak that promised Paradise and perâ—â—â—â—â—ed his promise To day thou shalt 〈…〉 with me in Paradise And thus in a Map have I 〈…〉 Paradise for quantitie great for quality glorâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 better when you shall walk through the 〈◊〉 observe the towers fully contemplate the glory 〈◊〉 that you may not wâ—â—â— of application before I 〈◊〉 Vse 1 Meditate then with what sweet delight everyâ—â—â— servant of God may bath himself before hand even in this valley of tears Did we but think on this gloriâ—â—â— place 〈…〉 â—hose heavenly mansions prepared for us did we spend many thoughts upon it and ever and anon sigh and seek after it until we came to the fingering and possession of it O how would these heavenly meditations ravish our souls as if Heaven 〈…〉 before we entred into Heaven Consider of this in what â—â—se soever we are whether we are vexed or injured or oppressed or persecuted for the name of Christ there is nothing so imbittered that a thought of heaven will not sweeten Yet I say not that wâ— are onely to think of it withall let us strive and strain to get into this golden Citie where streâ—â—◠〈◊〉 â—â—teâ— â—nd all is gold and pearl nay where pearl 〈…〉 noâ—hing worth in comparison of those things which shall be revealed unto 〈◊〉 faithfull soul Vse 2 On the other side Consider with your selves what fools are they who deprive themselves willingly of this endlesse glory who bereave themselves of a room in this City of Pearl for a few carnall pleasures what Bedlams and humane beasts are they who shut themselves out of Paradise for 〈…〉 rie pelf What sots and senselesse wretches are they who wittingly and wilfully bar themselves out of this Palace for the short fruition of wordly trash and 〈◊〉 As for you of whom I hope better things let me advise you for the love of God for the love of Christ for the love that you bâ—â—â— to your own soule that you will settle your affections or things above and not on things beneath and then you shall find oâ—â— lâ—y the comfort of it when leaving this world the Spirit of Gâ—â—st shall whisper to your souls this happy tidings To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Here is an end Shall I now cast up the accounts of what I have delivered you The Total is this Every sinner that repents and believes shall be saved you need no other instance then this Thief on the Crosse at one hearty tear one penitent prayer Lord remember me in thy Kingdome the Lord gives him his desire see here the fiat thou shalt be the expedition to day his admission with me the place whither he is inducted it is into Paradise and there now he officiates doing service to God without ceasing world without end O Lord give me grace so to repent and believe that whensoever I go hence that day I may be with thee in Paradise AMEN SOâ—â— DEO â—Lâ— Printed for Nath. Webb and William Grantham at the Grey-hound in Pauls Church-yard MDCL
life been This is the Lease and now you have it let us see what use you will make of it Vse 1 It is a bad life some live Come say they and let us enjoy the pleasures that are present Wisd 2.6 7. and let us cheerfully use the creatures as in youth let us fill our selves with costly wine and oyntments and let not the flower of life passe by us What a life is here Can it be that pleasures wine and oyntments should have any durance in this vale of miserie Suppose thy life a continued scene of pleasures hadst thou Dives fare Solomons robes Davids throne Croesus wealth livedst thou many years without any cares yet at last comes death and takes away thy soul in the midst of her pleasures alas what is all thy glory but a snuff that goes out in a stench Couldst thou not have made death more welcome if he had found thee lying on a pad of straw feeding on crusts and crums Is not thy pain more grievous because thou wast more happie Do not thy joys more afflict thee then if they had never been O deceitfull world that grievest if thou crossest and yet to whom thou art best they are most unhappie Vse 2 But to speak to you who have passed the pikes and pangs of the new birth would you have life indeed and enjoy that joy of life which is immortall then hear revive watch and awake from sinne were you sometimes dead in sinne O but now live in Christ Christ is the life Iohn 14.6 John 14.6 Were you sometimes dumb in your dying pangs O but now abide in Christ Christ is the word of life Iohn 1.1 John 1.1 Are you as yet babes in Christ feeble and but weak through lifes infirmities why then use all good means eat and be strong Christ is the bread of life Iohn 6.48 John 6.48 Here is a life indeed would you not thus live for ever then believe in God and in Iesus Christ whom he hath sent and this is life eternal Iohn 17.3 John 17.3 O happy life which many a man never dreams of So much they strive to protract this brittle life which but adds more grief that they forget Christ nay they forget their Creed which begins with true life God and ends with life never-ending Life everlasting Others that hope for heaven fix not their thoughts on earth if you be Gods servants lift up your hearts above for there is life and the God of life the Tree of life and the Well of life the life of Angels and the Life everlasting One sand is run and the Text is lessened but as you have the lease so you may now exspect to know the date the lease is but a life the date lasts but dayes Dayes NOt weeks nor moneths nor years or if a year the best Arithmatick is to reduce or break it into Dayes so we have it in the last translations The dayes of the year Here then is the Summe a Year Fraction Dayes First a Year in the Spring is the youthfull spring of our age in the Summer is the aged time of our youth in the Autumn is the high noon or middle of our age when the Sun which is our soul rules in the Equinoctiall line of our life in the Winter we grow old and cold the nips of frost strip the tree of our life we fall into the grave and the earth that nourished us will then consume us See what is man a Spring of tears a Summers dust an Autumns care a Winters wo Read but this map and you need travell no further to enquire of life The first quarter is our Spring and that is full of sinne and miserie the infant no sooner breathes but he sucks the poyson of his parents in Adam all sinned and since his time all were defiled by his sinne Is it not Natures rule that every man begets one like himself And is it not Gods rule that every sinner begets another no better then himself How may a foul vessell keep sweet water or how may an earthy sinner beget an heavenly Saint we are all in the same state of sinne and so we fall into the same plunge of sorrow the child in his cradle sleeps not so secure but now he wakes and then he weeps cold starves him hunger pines him sores trouble him sicknesse gripes him there is some punishment which without sinne had never been inflicted It is wonderfull to consider how Nature hath provided for all creatures birds with feathers beasts with hides fishes with scales all with some defence onely man is born stark naked without either weapon in his hand or the least thought of defence in his heart birds can flie beasts can go fishes can swim but infant-man as he knows nothing so neither is he able to do any thing indeed he can weep as soon as born but not laugh as some observe till fortie dayes old so ready are we born to wo but so farre from the least spark of joy O meer madnesse of men that from so poor naked and base beginnings can perswade our selves we are born to be proud And if this be our Spring what think ye is our Summer Remember not the sinnes of this time prayes David Psalme 25.7 Psal 25.7 and why their remembrance is bitter saith Job Job 13.26 Job 13.26 If mirth and melody should never meet with end this were an happy life Rejoyce O young man in thy youth let thine heart chear thee in the dayes of thy youth walk in the wayes of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes but remember for all these things God will bring thee to judgement Eccles 11.9 Eccles 11.9 This judgement is the damp that puts out all the lights of comfort could not Solomon have given the rains but he must pull again at curb Must youth rejoyce But for all this remember what a barre stands here in the very door of joy alas that we should trifle thus with toyes which no sooner we enjoy but in grievous sadnesse we repent our follies The wise man that gave libertie to his wayes what cries he but vanitie and after vanitie of vanities and at last all is vanitie what was the wisdome of Achitophel a vain thing what the swiftnesse of Hazael a vain thing what the strength of Goliah a vain thing what the pleasures of Nebuchadnezzar a vain thing what the honour of Haman a vain thing what the beautie of Absolon a vain thing Thus if we see but the fruit that grows of sin we may boldly say of laughter thou art mad and of joy what is this thou doest Eccles 2.2 Eccles 2.2 And if this be our Summer what may be our Autumn an hour of joy a world of sorrow if you look about you how many miseries lie in wait to ensnare you there is no place secure no state sufficient no pleasure permanent whither will you go The chamber hath its care the house hath
are disposed to all kind of infirmities man cannot carrie himself but he must needs carry about with him many forms of his own destruction De ipso corpore tot exsistunt morborum mala ut nec libris Medicorum cuncta comprehensa Aug. de Civ Dei l. 22. cap. 22. The books of the Physicians tell us of many diseases and yet many are the diseases which their books cannot tell of we see in our own dayes most labour of new sicknesses unknown to our fathers or if any of us be free from any of these yet everie ones bodie nourisheth the causes and may be a receptacle of a thousand diseases How evil is sinne that incurs so many evils of punishment But as if all were too little because our sinnes are so many if you will number any more here is yet another reckoning evils originall and eâ—â—ls adventitious evils of necessitie Quid de innumeris casibus qui forinsecus corpori formidantur Aug. ibid. and evils of chance Austin saith What shall we say of those innumerable accidents that befall a man as heat and cold and thunder and rain and storms and earthquakes and poysons and treasons and robberies and wars and tumults and what not go whither you will and everie place is full of some of these evils if you go on sea every wave threatens you every wind fears you Quae mala patiuntur navigantes quae terrena itinera gradientes every rock and sand is enough to drown you if you go on land everie step dangers you everie wild beast scares you everie stone or tree is enough to kill you if you go no whither you cannot be without danger Eli was sitting and what more secure yet at the news of Gods Ark 1. Sam. 4.17 that it was taken by the Philistims he falls down backwards and his neck was broken Korah was standing what more sure yet as soon as Moses had made an end of speaking the earth opened her mouth Num. 16.32 and swallowed him and his family and all the men that were with him Indeed Absalon was riding vvhat vvay more readie to escape the enemy yet as the mule carried him under a great thick oak 2. Sam. 18.9 his head caught hold of the oak he was taken up between the heaven and the earth and the mule that was under him went away Whatsoever vve do or vvhithersoever vve go so long as vve do evil these evils vvill meet us Go into the ship there is but a board betvvixt thee and the vvaters vvalk on the ground there is but a shoe-sole betvvixt thee and thy grave take a turn in the streets and so many perills hang over thee as there are tiles on the houses travell in the countrey and so many enemies are about thee as thou meetest beasts in the fields if all these places be so dangerous then retire to thy house and yet that is subject to fire or water or if it escape both it may fall on thy head whithersoever we turn us all things about us seem to threaten our death Our dayes are evil indeed and who is it that is exempted from everie of these evils Sinners are corrected good men are chastened there is none escapes free To see a little the state of Gods own friends and children Was not Abel murdered by his brother Noah mocked by his sonne Job scoffed by his wife Eli slain for his sons will you all at once take one for all and see Jacob our Patriarch a notable example of extream infelicity he is threatned by his brother banished from his father abused â—y his uncle defrauded of his wife was not here miserie enough to break one heart But after this for another wives sake see him enter into a new service Gen. 31.40 In the day he is consumed with heat in the night with frost an hard service sure nay after this that he got his Rachel see then a division betwixt her and Leah two sisters brawling for one husband yet neither content after both enjoyed him Blessed Saint how wast thou haunted with afflictions yet after this he agrees his wives and they all run from their father and now see a fresh pursuit behind him Laban follows which an Hue and Cry before him Esau meets him with 400 men to go forwards intolerable to go backwards unavailable which way then It was an Angel of God nay the God of Angels that now must comfort him And yet again after his first entry into his own countrey his wife Rachel dies his daughter Dinah is ravished his sonne Reuben lies with his concubine and if the defiling of a wife be so great a grief to the husband what sorrow and shame when the wickednesse is committed by a mans own son what can we more If ye his heart be unbroken here 's another grief great enough to match all the rest his sonne his Joseph they report is lost and what news hears he of him but that he is torn with wild beasts and now see a man of miseries indeed Gen. 37.34 35. He rends his clothes he puts sackcloth about his loyns he will not be comforted but surely saith he I will go down into the grave unto my sonne mourning Alas poor Jacob what can they say to comfort him To comfort said I nay yet hear the tidings of a new misfortune a famine is begun and another of his sonnes is kept in prison What a grief is here Another in prison and nothing to redeem him but his onely Benjamin Gen. 42.36 here is the losse of sonne after sonne Ioseph is not and Simeon is not and now ye will take Benjamin all these things are against me We need no more if Iacob thus number how many are the miseries he did dayly suffer would you have the summe He himself the best witnesse of himself affirms it to Pharaoh Evil Evil Few and Evil have the dayes of the years of my life been So miserable is our life that no man can take his breath before some evil or other do seiz on his person if you would that we knit up all in one bundell there be evils originall evils adventitious evils of the mind evils of the body evils that are common evils of the chosen we had need pray again Deliver us from evil What so many evils of suffering Now the Lord deliver us Vse 1 What is sweet in this life which so many miseries will not imbitter If this be a vale of rears where is thy place to pleasure If this life be a nest of cares Psal 4 2. how canst thou settle so great a vanity as sinne in a field of such misery as the world O ye sonnes of men how long will ye blaspheme mine honour and have such pleasure in vanity and seek after leasing Were men not mad in their wayes or utterly besotted in their imaginations well might these miseries of our life breed their neglect of the world Can we chuse
but wonder to see how busily thou heapest up riches yet knowest not who shall eat the grapes of thy planted vineyard God gave thee a countenance erected towards heaven and must it ever be groveling and poring on the earth God gave thee a soul to live with his blessed Angels and wilt thou make it a companion fitter for no other then brute beasts Eccles 5.12 There is an evil sicknesse saith Solomon that I have seen under the Sunne and what is that but riches reserved to the owners for their evil See here the just judgement of a righteous God to this end is thy riches thou wouldest live at ease and outlast many years therefore thy life is but miserable and thy death must be sudden thy dayes are but few and thy few dayes are evil Vse 2 But to comfort all you that live in the fear of God it may be your dayes are evil and what then this is to make tryall of your love to God and a tryall it is of Gods love to you First it makes a tryall of your love to God Certainly if you have but a spark of this love your dayes cannot be so evil but in the midst of those evils you shall find some inward consolations that will sweeten all Gen. 29.20 It is memorable how Iacob for Rachel serves Laban seven years but yet saith the Text they seemed to him but a few dayes for the love he had to her Nay after Laban had deceived him in giving him blear-eyed Leah in stead of beautifull Rachel Iacob then serves him another seven years prentiship love makes the heart chearfull in the worst of sufferings though Iacob was consumed with drought in the day and frost in the night Gen. 31.40 which many and many a time made his rest and sleep to depart from his eyes yet his love of fair Rachel sweetens all his labours Why thus thus will it be with you that wait on the Lord your God what though miseries come upon you as thick as hail-storms in a sharp winters day you may remember you have a better master then Laban a better service then Iacobs a fairer prize then Rachel who is your master but such an one as will surely keep his covenant even the Lord your God what is your service but such a one as is most glorious and honourable even a light burden a perfect freedome what is your prize but such a one as surpasseth all prizes whatsoever even the beauty of heaven the beatificall vision of our blessed God If then you but love God as Iacob did Rachel what matters it how evil your few dayes be nay be they never so evil and were your dayes never so many yet an hundred a thousand years spent in Gods service they would seem but a few dayes for the love you bear to him O Lord work in us this love and then command what thou wilt persecution affliction the Crosse or death no service so hard but we shall readily obey thee Secondly as your evils of sufferings try your love to God so they are a tryall or token of Gods love to you 2 Cor. 4.17 Our light affliction which is but for a moment causeth unto us a farre more excellent and an eternall weight of glory and if this be the end who would not endure the means O divine mercy therefore the dugs of this life taste bitter that thereby God may wean us from the love of this world to attain a better Certainly God is good unto us in tempering these so fitly bitternesse attends this life that thou maist sigh continually for the true life Wouldst thou not run through dangers for a kingdome wouldst thou not fetch a crown for fear of a thorn nay who would not go to heaven although it were with Eliah in a whirlwind I count saith Paul that the afflictions of this life are not worthy of the glory which shall be shewed unto us Rom. 8.18 Come then ye that thirst for long life believe in God and you shall have life eternall All is well that ends well though a while we sink in miseries yet at last the joys of heaven will refresh us then shall we live in love rejoyce in hymns sing forth in praises the wonderfull works of our Creatour and Redeemer this is that life of heaven and when our life ends here Lord grant us life everlasting Thus farre have you seen the state of our life this lease breeds sorrow but the reversion is our joy no sooner shall this life exspire but God will give us the purchase of his Son that inheritance of heaven comfort then thy soul that wades through this sea of miseries and the Lord so assist us in all our troubles that he lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil Amen Have been OUr life is but dayes our dayes are but few our few dayes but evil and now when all is done we find all is out of date Few and evil have the dayes of my life been This last word is the leases exspiration and why have been If you will needs know the reason The time that is past is best known to Jacob. And the life of Iacob is but as the time that is past First the time that is past is best known to Iacob Olim meminisse juvabit Virg. old men can tell old stories and something it delights them to remember the storms gone over them We all know how Many years we have lived Great miseries we have suffered Iacob tells you as you may tell each other our years have been few our few years have been evil To make this good Have they not been few Let me ask some old man whose hairs are dipt in snow Eccles 12.6 whose golden ewer is broken whose silver cord is lengthened how many be thy years It may be thou wilt answer Psal 90.10 as Moses gives the number a matter of threescore years and ten or fourscore years I cannot say but it is a long time to come but alas what are these fourscore years now they are gone Tell me you that have seen the many changes both of Moon and Sun are they not swiftly runne away you may remember your manhood childhood and I pray what think ye was it not yesterday is it not a while since who will not wonder to see how quickly it is gone and yet how long it was a coming The time to come seems tedious especially to a man in hope of blisse the time now past is a very nothing especially to a man in fear of danger go down to those cast-away souls that now suffer in hell flames and what say they of their life but as soon as we were born we began to draw to our end Wisd 5.13 Wisd 5.13 go down to those putrified bodies and find amongst them the dusts of Adam Seth Enosh Kenan Mahalaleel Jered Enoch Methushalem every one of whom lived near to the number of a thousand years are
man never so great in power and spreading himself like a green bay tree a tree most durable a bay tree most flourishing a green bay tree that is most in prime if any thing will stand at a stay what is more likely yet he passed away saith the Psalmist and lo he was gone I sought him but be could not be found Psalme 37.35 36. Psal 37.35 36 We cannot stay time present how should we recall time past See here the man on whom the eyes of the world are fixt with admiration yet for all this he passeth without stay he is gone without recall I sought him but to find him is without all recovery Time was that Adam lived in paradise Noah built an Ark David slew Goliah Alexander overcame the world where be these men that are the wonder of us living we all know they are long since dead and the times they saw shall never come again How fond was that fiction of Plato Annus Platonicus that after the revolution of his tedious year then he must live again and teach his Schollers in the same chair he sate in our faith is above his reason for the heavens shall passe away the elements shall melt with heat and the earth with the works therein shall be burnt up 2 Pet. 3.10 2 Pet. 3.10 Where then is the life of Plato when all these things shall turn to nothing we may now for his learning praise him where he is not and he may then for his errour be damned and tormented where he is Is there any man with skill or power can call back but yesterday once onely we read of such a miracle but it was onely by the hand of God Almighty Hezekiah was sick 2 Kings 20. 2 Kings 20. and to confirm the news that he must recover he requires a sign What shall be the sign that the Lord will heal me and that I shall go up into the house of the Lord the third day this was no temptation for you see how the Prophet gives him satisfaction This sign shalt thou have of the Lord wilt thou that the shadow go forward tenn degrees or go back tenn degrees Hezekiah thinks of death and the Prophet restores his life not onely a time of fifteen years to come but of ten degrees now gone and thus it was observed in the diall of Ahaz This was a miracle that but once happened since the beginning of the world he then that sleeps away his time in exspectation of Hezekiahs sunne may sleep till his death and then not recall one minute of his life as the time so our life if once past it is irrevocable irrecoverable 2. And as it cannot be recalled again so suddenly it is vanished Longitudinem hujus vitae sentiri non facit nisi spes vivendi nam nihil videtur esse celerius quâm quicquid in ea jam praeteritum est Aug. in Psal 6. Certè videres vitam tuam non fuisse diuturnam Aug. in Psal 36. Nothing makes life long but our hope to live long take away those thoughts of the time to come and there is nothing swifter then the life that is gone Suppose then thou hadst lived so long as from Adam to this time as Austin saith Certainly thou wouldest think thy life but short and if that were short which we think so long how long is our life which in comparison of that is so extreamly short The time once past we think it suddenly past and so is life gone in a moment in the twinckling of an eye so soon indeed before it can be said This it is In every one of us death hath ten thousand times as much as life the life that is gone is deaths and the life yet to come is deaths our now is but an instant yet this is all that belongs to life and all the life which any of us all is at once possessed of here is a life indeed that so soon is vanished before it can be numbered or measured it is no time but now yet staies not till the syllable now may be written or spoken what can I say the life that I had when I began to speak this word it is now gone since I began to speak this word May we call this life that is ever posting towards death Do we what we can could we do yet more all we do and all we could do were to no purpose to prolong our life see how vve shore this ruinous house of our body vvith food vvith raiment vvith exercise vvith sleep yet nothing can preserve it from returning to its earth vve go and vve go suddenly vvitnesse those tvvo Cesars vvho put off themselves vvhilest they put on their shoes Fabius styled Maximus for his exploits and Cunctator for his delaying yet could not delay death till notice might be taken he vvas sick but hovv manie examples in this kind have vve daily amongst us you knovv how some lately have gone safe to bed and yet in the morning were found dead and cold others in health and mirth laid down by their wives and yet ere mid-night found breathless by their sides What need we further instances You see how we go before we know where we are the life that we had what is it but a nothing the life that we have what is it but a moment and all that we can have what is it but a fleeting wind begun and done in a trice of time before we can imagine it In a word our Sunne now sets our day is done ask Jacob the Clock-keeper of our time this Text tells the hour and now struck you hear the sound our dayes are gone few and evil they have been The Conlusion Occasioned by the death of CHARLES BRIDGEMAN who deceased about the age of twelve in the yeare of our Lord 1632. he was a most pious sonne of a most pious mother both now with God HEre I thought to have finished my Text and Sermon But here is a sad accident to confirm my saying and whilest I speak of him what can I say of his state his person his birth his life of all he had and of all he was but that they have been Sweet rose cropt in its blossome no sooner budded but blasted how shall we remember his daies to forget our sorrows no sooner had he learnt to speak but contrary to our custome he betook him to his prayers so soon had grace quelled the corruption of his nature that being yet an infant you might see his proneness to learn nay sometimes to teach them this dutie who waited on to teach him his devotion not long after he was set to school where he learned by book what before he had learned by heart the sweet care good disposition sincere religion which were in this child all may remember which cast but their eyes upon him O God hovv hast thou bereaved us of this Gem Sure it is as it was said of another for this cause onely
that it might shine in heaven But this was but the beginning of his dayes now they are past they have been Go a little further we left him at school but how learned he Christ 1. Cor. 2.2 Psal 8.2 and him crucified this was the knowledge taught him by the Spirit of God in a wonderfull manner Out of the mouthes of babes and sucklings hast thou O God ordained strength To consider again his religious words his upright actions his hearty devotions his fear of God all then concluded as they did of John Luke 1.66 What manner of child shall this be No question the grace of God was with him If I should instance in any of these his frequencie in prayer his reading of Scripture his reasoning with others to get knowledge to himself we may wonder at Gods power in this childs poor weakness Excuse me whiles I tell nothing but truths and I hope they will tend to our own instruction In the morning he would not stir out of doors before he had poured out his prayers at noon he would not eat any meat before he had given the Lord thanks at night he would not lie down on his bed before he had kneeled down on his knees we may remember those times when sometimes that he had forgotten this dutie no sooner had he been in bed but up he would have got again and so kneeling down on his bare knees covered with no garment but his linens he would ask God forgiveness for that sinne of forgetfulness neither have his brothers escaped without his reprehension for had they eat any meal or meat without a grace his check was usuall Dare you do thus unless God be mercifull unto us this bit of bread might choke us The wise sentences the religious words which often dropt from his mouth like honey can we remember them and not grieve at the death of him that spake them What comfort had we in those dayes What sorrow have we to think those dayes are done Surely we cannot speak it without bitterness of soul they are gone they have been Thus he lived will you know how he died First a lingring sickness seized upon him against which to comfort him one tells him of possessions that must fall to his portion And what are they said he I had rather have the Kingdome of Heaven then a thousand such inheritances Thus he minds Heaven and God so minding him presently sent him his sickness that should summon him thither And now how should I repeat his words with the life that he spake them dying No sooner had God struck his body with that fatall sickness but he asks and needs would know his souls estate I have heard of the soul said he but what is the soul the mind he questions and questioning answers better I fear then many too many gray headed amongst us but the answer given how the soul consisted of the Will and the Understanding he sayes he is satisfied and now understands better then he did before Another comes to him and then he begins another question now he knows the soul he desires yet to know further How his soul may be saved O blessed soul how wisely couldst thou question for thine own souls good The answer given by faith applying Christs merits he heard it and had it anon telling them who before had taught it him Resolved in these questions he questions no further but will now answer them that go about to question him One asks him whether he had rather live or die he gives the answer and not without Pauls reason I desire to die said he that I might go to my Saviour O blessed Spirit bow didst thou inspire into this child thy wisdome and goodnesse This done his pain begins again to afflict him and this occasions another thus to question him whether he would rather still endure those pains or forsake his Christ Alas said he I know not what to say as a child for these pains might stagger a strong man but I will strive to endure the best I can Upon this he presently calls to mind that Martyr who being in prison Thom. Bilney the night before his burning put his finger in the candle to know how he could endure the fire O said he had I lived then I would have runne through the fire to have gone to Christ Sweet resolution of a silly child who can hear and not wonder wonder and not desire to hear that he may wonder still Blessed child hadst thou lived that we might have wondred at thy wisdome but his daies were determined and now is the number turned to this poor cypher they are not they have been I cannot leave him yet his sicknesse lasts long and at least three dayes before his death he prophesies his departure and how strange a prophecie not onely that he must die but fore-telling the very day On the Lords day said he look to me Neither was this a word of course which you may guesse by his often repetition every day asking till the day came indeed What is Sunday come At last the lookt-for day came on and no sooner had the Sun beautified that morning with his light but he falls into a trance What think ye meant his blessed soul whilest the body it self used such an action his eyes were fixed his face chearfull his lips smiling his hands and arms clasping in a bow as if he would have received some blessed Angel that there was at hand to receive his soul but he comes to himself and tells them how he saw the sweetest boy that ever eyes beheld and bids them Be of good chear for he must presently go with him One standing near as now suspecting his time of dissolution bids him say Lord into thy hands I commend my spirit Psal 31.5 Yes said he Into thy hands Lord I commit my spirit which is thy due for why thou hast redeemed it O Lord my God most true Who will not believe this child now sings in Heaven that so soon had learned this Davids Psalm on earth I cannot hold my self nor will I hold you long but how may I omit his heavenly ejaculations Beloved I beseech you pardon me whilest I speak his words and I will promise you to speak no word but the very same formally which were his own Pray pray pray nay yet pray and the more prayers the better all prospers God is the best Physician into his hands I commend my spirit O Lord Jesus receive my soul Now close mine eyes forgive me father mother brothers sister all the world Now I am well my pain is almost gone my joy is at hand Lord have mercy on me O Lord receive my soul unto thee Where am I whilest I speak these words Blessed Saint now thou singest in Heaven God hath bid thee welcome the Angels are hugging thee the Saints rejoyce with thee this day is the Crown set on thy head this day is the Palm of victory in thy hand
Ayr shall be wholly distempered and disordered when the Sun shall threaten with mourning the Moon with blood the Stars with their falling yea when all the heavens shall shrink and pass away as a paper scroule who then dares eat or drink or sleep or take a minutes rest Be sure these dayes shall come and the signes shall pass Ioel 1.5 13 15. Awake yee Drunkards and weep all ye drinkers of Wine because of the new wine for it shall be pulled from your mouthes Gird your selves and lament ye Priests howle ye Ministers of the Altar alas for the day for the day of the Lord is at hand and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come What are ye insensible of these signes the imprisoned thiefe fears at the news of the assize and is the sinner so impudent that he fears nothing The day shall come when the men of earth shall fear and be full of fear every sign shall breed a wonder and ever sight shall breed a wondrous terrour men shall hide themselves in the caves of beasts and the beasts seek shall to save themselves in the houses of men where then shal the wicked stand when all the world shal be thus in uprore Vse 2 Yet a word for us all we have all warning and we had best to provide yet the weather is fair we may frame an Ark to save us from the flood yet are the Angels at the gates of Sodom yet is Jonas in the streets of Nineveh yet the Prophet wooes Hos 6.4 O Iudah how should I entreat thee yet the Apostle prayes nay we pray you in Christs stead that yee will be reconciled unto God 2 Cor. 5.20 to conclude yet the Bride-groom stayes the Virgins leisure Lord that they would make speed seeing the joyes of heaven tarry for them This Tearm is at hand and is it not time to petition to the Judg of heaven what a dangerous course is it never to call to minde that Time of Times until we see the Earth flaming the Heavens melting the Iudgment hastning the Iudg with all his Angels comming in the Clouds to denounce the last doom upon all flesh which shall be unto some Woe woe when they shall call to the mountains to cover them and for shame of their sins hide themselves if it were possible in hell fire if we have any fear this should move fear if we have any care this should move us all to be carefull indeed We have not two souls that we may hazard one neither have we two lives that we may trust to another but as thy last day leaves thee so will this Doomes-day finde thee Who would not but axcept the fatherly fore-warning of Christ our Saviour See you not how many signes as the Heralds and fore runners of his glorious comming Matth. 24.7 12. The abounding of iniquity the waxing cold of charity the rising up of Nation against Nation Was there ever lesse love was there ever more hatred Where is that Jonathan that loves David as his own soul nay where is not that Joab that can imbrace friendly but carryes a malicious heart towards Abner sure we are near the end indeed when charity is grown thus cold You then that would have the comfort of the day take these signs for warnings provide for him who hath thus long waited for you 2 Pet. 3.14 and seeing you look for such things be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blamless Who would indanger their souls for a little sin busie Clients heed nothing but their cause and if you would recover heaven be sure that ye mark this Tearm The time draws on now the Writs are out anon comes the Iudge and Then is the day Then he shall reward every man according to his work You see the Tearm and now you may exspect to view the Judge the Tearm is Then the Judge is He. Stay a while and the next time you shall see him in his judgment seat He. HE who if you look at the fore-going words you may see who he is The son of man shall come in the glory of his father and it is he that shall reward us according to our works hoc facit ut ad infimam se sortem hominum abjiciat Musculus in Matth. cap. 8. Psal 8.4 This title of the Son of man denotes unto us the humility of the Son of God what is the Son of man but man and this tels us how humble he was for us that being God was made man or the Son of Man which is as all one according to that Psal 8.4 What is man that thou art mindful of him or the Son of man that visitest him It is true God is the Judg of all Heb. 12.23 Heb. 12.23 and yet it is as true this God is man Acts 17.31 Acts 17.31 God saith Paul will judge the world but it is by that man whom he hath ordained God hath the power but God as man hath onely the Commission He who is God hath given him Authority to execute judgment And would you know the reason it is onely because he is the Son of man Joh 5.27 Iohn 5.27 In a word God shall judg the whole Trinity by prescription Christ onely in execution the Father judgeth but by the Son or as the Evangelist John the Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgment to the Son Iohn 5.22 Iohn 5.22 But because as man there appears in him a double form as humbled as glorified wee 'l discusse these questions which resolve all doubts 1. Whether Christ as man shall appear unto us when he will reward us 2. Whether man as glorified shall appear unto us when he will reward us To the first we say that onely as man he will appear our judge who as man appeared when himself was judged what better reason to express the benefit of our redemption then so to judg us as he did redeem us Tunc manifestus veniet inter justos judicaturus qui occultè venerat judicandus ab injustis August de civit dei was he not man that suffered died and was buried and is he not man that one day shall come to judg both the quick and dead he that came obscurely to be judged by the unjust shall then appear openly to judg all the just the same man who is God and man shall be our judge in his humane nature by his divine power Thus we say God who is the ancient of daies hath the power originall but man who is the Son of God hath the power traduced and therefore saith Daniel One like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven and came to the ancient of days and they brought him here before him Dan. 7.13 14. and there was given him dominion and glory and a kingdome Vse Consider this yee that are going to the Bar what a sight will this be to the faithless
Iewes stuborn Gentiles wicked Christians when every eye shall see him and they also which pierced him This is the man shall they say that was crucified for us Apoc. 1.7 and again crucified by us why alas every sin is a Cross every oath is a Spear and when that day is come you must behold the man whom thus you do crucifie by your daily sins Sure this will be a fearfull fight where is the bloudy swearer that can tear his wounds and heart and bloud and all at this day of Doom * Sic Aug. habet suum fortasse de Christ martyrum vulneribus et quod non sit deformitas iis sed dignitas novi quod quaeritur an cicatrices remaneant in corpore perfecto et glorificato attamen Christus apparuit Thomae cum cicatricibus ad fidem ejus confirmandam Ioh. 20.27 Matth. 26.24 those wounds shall appear that heart be visible that body and bloud be seen both of good and bad and then shall that fearfull voice proceed from his Throne this was the heart thou piercedst these are the wounds thou racedst and this is the bloud thou spilledst Here is the fearfull judgment when thou that art the murtherer shall see the slain man sit thy Judge what favour canst thou exspect at his hands whom thou hast so vilely abused by thy daily sins be sure the Son of man will come as it is written of him but woe be unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed it had been good for that man if he had not been born Matth. 26.24 To the second question we answer that as Christ shall appear in the form of man so this man shall appear in a glorious form he that is a Mediatour betwixt God and man must both intercede for man to God and communicate those things which are of God to man to this purpose both these offices are agreeable to him in that he participates of both extreams he is man to abide the judgments due from God hee is God to convey all his benefits unto man as then in his first coming he pleased God by taking the infirmities of man upon him so in his second coming will he judg us men by appearing in that glory which he derives from God But look about you who is this Iudg arrayed in such a majesty Ioel. 2.3 6. A fire devoures before him and behind him a flame burns up on every side the people tremble and all faces shall gather blackness here is a change indeed he that was in a cratch now sits on a Throne then Christ stood like a Lamb before Pilate now Pilate stands like a malefactour before Christ he that was once made the foot-stool of his enemies Psal 110.1 must now judge till he hath made all his enemies his foot-stool Where shall they run and how shall they seek the clifts of the rocks and hollow places the glory of his Majesty kindles a flame while the heaven and earth shall fly from the presence of this Iudge Revel 21.17 O yee heavens why do ye fly away what have ye done why are ye afraid it is the Majesty of the Iudge that will amaze the innocent the greatness of whose indignation will be able to strike all the heavens with terror and admiration when the Sea is out-ragious and tempestuous he that stands on the shoar will be struck into a kinde of fear or when the Father goes like a Lyon about his house in punishing his bond-slave the innocent son stands in great fear and trouble and how then shall the wicked tremble when the very heavens shall be affraid Greg. in Mor. If the goodly Cedars of Lebanon be shaken what shall become of the tender twiggs in the Desart if the sturdy Rams stoop and tremble how will the bleating Lambes cry and run away 1 Pet. 4.18 and if the just and righteous scarcely be saved where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear The mountains and heavens shall melt before the Lord and what stony hearts have we that for all this are nothing at all yet moved But may be I prevent you exspectation if here be a Judge where is the guard behold him coming from above with great power and glory would you know this habit he is cloathed with Majesty seek you the colour 't is the brightness of his Father would you view his attendants they are an hoast of Angels look you for the guard they are a troope of shining Cherubims nay yet see a longer train a further company the souls of Saints descend from their imperiall seats and attend the Lambe with great glory and glorious majesty never was any Iudge Lord of such a circuit his footstool are the Clouds his seat the Rain-bow his justices Saints his officers Angels and the Arch-Angels Trump proclaims a silence whilest a just sentence comes from his mouth on all the world Thus are the Assizes begun to be solemnized the thrones as Daniel saw in in his vision were set up and the ancient of days sate down his garments white as snow Dan. 7.9 and the hair of his head like pure wooll his Throne like the fiery flame and his wheeles as burning fire Dan. 7.9 Dan. 7.9 This is the Iudge whose coming is so fearfull ushered by a fiery flood apparelled in snowy white carried in his circuit on burning wheeles and attended with the number of thousand thousands O yee Iewes behold the man whom before you crucified like a Malefactor behold him in his Throne whom you said his Disciples had stollen by night out of his grave behold him in his Majesty Matth. 28.13 Greg. sup ill Matth. 24. in nubibus coeli whom you would not deigne to look upon in his humility the baser you esteemed his weakness the heavier must you find and feel his mightiness The Son of man appears and the kindred of the earth must mourn such a shout of fury followes the sight of his Majesty that the vaults shall eccho the hills resound the earth shake the heavens change their situation and all be turned to a confusion then shall the wicked weep and wail and yet their tears not serve their turn their sins past betray them their shame present condemns them and their torment to come confounds them thus shall they bewail their miserable hap their unfortunate birth and their cursed end O fearfull Iudge Cant. 6.4 5. terrible as an Army with Banners turn away thine eyes from us which overcome the proudest Potentates the Kings of the earth shall be astonished and the Nations of the Isles shall fear from farr Every eye shall see him whom they have pierced and tremble at the presence of his sight Conceive the guilty prisoner coming to his tryall will not the red robes of his Judge make his heart bleed for his blood-shed doth not that scarlet Cloath present a monstrous hew before his eyes O then what sight is this when the man slain sits in the
judgment seat the rosie wounds of our Saviour still bleeding as it were in the prisoners presence These are the wounds not as tokens of infirmity but victory Aquin. supplem Q. 90. A. 2. ad secundum and these now shall appear not as if he must suffer but to shew us he hath suffered See here an object full of glory splendor majesty excellency and this is He the man the judg the rewarder of every man according to his works The Judge we have set in his Throne and before we appear let us practice our repentance that we answer the better Vse 1 Think but O sinner what shall be thy reward when thou shalt meet this Iudge The adultery for a while may flatter beauty the Swearer grace his words with oathes the Drunkard kiss his cups and drink his bodies-health till he bring his soul to ruine but remember for all these things God will bring thee to judgment Eccles 11.9 Cold comfort in the end the Adulterer shall fatisfie his lust when he lies on a bed of fire all hugged and embraced with those flames the swearer shall have enough of wounds and blood when Devils torture his body and rack his soul in hell the Drunkard shall have plenty of his Cups when scalding lead shall be poured down his throat and his breath draw flames of fire in stead of air as is thy sin so is the nature of thy punishment the just Iudge shall give just measure and the ballance of his wrath poize in a just porportion Vse 2 Yet I will not discomfort you who are these Iudges dearest favorites Now is the day if you are Gods servants that Sathan shall be trod under your feet and you with your Lord and Master Christ shall be carried into the holiest of holies You may remember how all the men of God in their greatest anguishes here below have fetcht comfort by the eye of faith at this mountain Iob rejoyced being cast on the Dung-hill that his Redeemer lived and that he should see him at the last day stand on the earth Iohn longed and cried Come Lord Iesus come quickly and had we the same precious faith we have the same precious promises why then are we not ravished at the remembrance of these things certainly there is an happy faith wheresoever it shall be found that shall not be ashamed at that day Now therefore little children abide in him 1 Joh. 2.28 that when he shall appear we may have confidence Confidence what else I will see you again saith our Saviour-Iudge and your heart shall rejoyce Joh. 16.22 and your joy no man taketh from you O blessed mercy that so triumphes against judgment our hearts must joy our joyes endure and all this occasioned by the sight of our Saviour for Hee shall reward every man according to his works We have prepared the Iudge for sentence he hath rid his circuit in the Clouds and made the Rain-bow his chair of state for his judgment seat his Sheriffes are the Saints that now rise from the Dust to meet their Iudge whom long they have exspected the summons is sent out by a shout from heaven the cry no sooner made but the graves flie open and the dead arise stay a while till I ready them you have seen the Iudge and now we prepare the judged He is the Iudge every man the judged and He shall reward every man according to his works Every man THe persons to be judged are a world of men all men of the world good and bad elect and reprobates but in a different manner To give you a full view of them I must lead your attentions orderly through these passages there must be a Citation Resurrection Collection Separation follow me in these pathes and you may see both the men and their difference before they come to their judgments First there is a summons and Every man must hear it it is performed by a shout from heaven and the voice of the last Trump Surgite mortui venite ad judicium Jeronymus super Mathaeum Verc vox tubae terribilis cui omnia obediunt elementa petras scindit inferos c. Chrysost 1. ad Corin. 15. the clangor of this Trump could ever sound in Ieroms eares Arisr yee dead and come to judgment the clangor of this Trump will sound in all mens eares it shall wake the dead out of their drouzy sleep and change the living from their mortall state make devils tremble and the whole world shake with terrour A terrible voice a Trumpet shall sound that shall shake the world rend the rocks break the mountains dissolve the bonds of death burst down the gates of hell and unite all spirits to their own bodies What say you to this Trump that can make the whole Universe to tremble no sooner shall it sound but the the earth shall shake the mountains skip like Ramms and the little hills like young sheep it shall pierce the waters and fetch from the bottome of the Sea the dust of Adams seed it shall tear the rocky Tombes of earthly Princes and make their haughty minds to stoop before the King of heaven it shall remove the center and tear the bowels of the earth open the graves of all the dead and fetch their souls from heaven or hell to reunite them to their bodies A dreadfull summons of the wicked whom this suddain noise will no less astonish then confound the dark pitchy walls of that infernall pit of hell shall be shaken with the shout when the dreadfull soul shall leave its place of terrour and once more re-enter into her stinking Carrion to receive a greater condemnation what terrour will this be to the wicked wretch what wofull salutations will there be between that body and soul which living together in the height of iniquity must now be re-united to enjoy the fulness of their misery Joh. 5.28 29. The voice of Christ is powerfull the dead shall hear his voice and they shall come forth they that have done good unto the resurrection of life and they that have done evill unto the resurrection of condemnation You hear the summons and the next is your appearance death the Goaler brings all his prisoners from the grave and they must stand and appear before the Judge of heaven The summons is given and every man must appear Death must now give back all their spoils and restore again all that she hath took from the world What a gastly sight will this be to see all the Sepulchers open to see dead men rise out of their graves and the scattered dust to flie on the wings of the wind till it meet together in one compacted body Ezekiels dry bones shall live thus saith the Lord I will lay sinewes upon you and make flesh grow upon you and cover you with skin and put breath in you and you shall know that I am the Lord Ezek. 37.6 Ezek. 37.6 This dust of ours shall be
the sentence follows which is to reward every man according to his works This reward is nothing in effect but a retaliation if we live well here God will then crown his own gifts but if we sinne without repentance we may not escape without punishment There is a God that sits and sees and anon will reward us But to unfold this Reward there lies in it a Doom and Execution God speaks it in the first effects it in the second he gives it in our doom and we receive it in the execution The doom is of two sorts according to the parties that receive it One is an absolution which is the doom of Saints the other is a condemnation which is the doom of reprobates there is a reward on the right hand bestowed on the blessed and an heavie judgement which falls on the left hand upon the heads of the wicked To begin with that in our meditation which our Saviour begins with in action Imagine what a blessed day will this be to the godly when standing on the right hand of the Judge they shall hear the heavenly musick of their happy sentence Come ye blessed of my Father Matth. 25.34 inherit the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world In which gracious speech we may observe four gradations First a gentle invitation Come Secondly a sweet benediction Ye blessed of my Father Thirdly heavens possession inherit the Kingdome Fourthly a glorious ordination to felicitie prepared for you from the beginning of the world First you have Come It is the sweet voice of Christ inviting the Saints before and now giving their welcome to his heavenly Canaan he hath called often Come all that labour Come all that travell Matth. 11.28 Rev. 22.17 The Spirit and the Bride say Come and let him that heareth say Come and let him that is a thirst Come Thus he calls all men to his grace but onely the elect to his glory now he desires every man to Come but the righteous alone shall have this Wel-come O how leaps that soul with joy that hears this voice of her sweet Saviour all the musick of Angels cannot so ravish the mind as this voice of our Saviour glads the soul now are the gates of heaven open and the Judge who is Master of the feast bids the guests Come and Wel-come But who are they Ye blessed of my Father a word able to make them blessed when pronounced Down on your knees rebellious sonnes and so long as you live on earth beg pray sue for the blessing of your Father in heaven They that are Gods servants are no lesse his sonns therefore every morn night and noon ask blessing boldly and God will bestow it liberally The first Sermon that ever Christ preached was full of blessings Matth. 5. Matth. 5. Blessed are the poor in spirit Blessed are they that mourn Blessed are the meek Blessed are the mercifull And as he begun so he concludes Come ye blessed ye blessed of my Father Must they come for what to inherit the kingdome Of all tenures inheritance is best of all inheritances a kingdome is most excellent Sic aeterna sine successione distributa sine diminutione communis sine invidia beata sine omni miseria but that all shall inherit and that there is no scantling this is heavens wonder and the Angels blisse An heavenly inheritance sure that is cintinued without succession divided without diminution common without envie for ever happy and without all misery This is the inheritance of the just the possession whereof makes every Saint no lesse glorious then a King Kings are they indeed whose dominions are not limited nor their borders bounded nor their people numbred nor the time of their reigne prescribed Such glorious things are spoken of thee O thou City of God Is this your inheritance but upon what right it is prepared for you from the beginning of the world Had the Lord such care to provide for his children before they were how may his sonnes triumph born to such dignitie God will so certain their salvation that he hath prepared it for them from before the foundation of the world O blessed souls if you be Gods servants though a while you suffer sorrow and tribulation yet here is the hope of Saints Luke 12.32 it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the kingdome Heaven is prepared of old there is the place of Gods majestie and there the Saints of God shall receive the crown the reward of victory Vse I cannot expresse what this joy affords to the one half of it Come blessed souls bathed in repenting tears here is a sentence able to revive the dead much more the afflicted Are you now sorrowing for your sinnes leave it a while and meditate with me on this ensuing melodie Hear yonder a quire of Angels a song of Sion an heavenly consort sounding to the Judge whilest he is pronouncing of thy sentence Blessed souls how pant you dances at the uttering of each syllable Come saith our Saviour and if he but say Come joy happinesse glory felicity all come on heaps into the indeared soul Ye blessed saith our Saviour and if he but say Blessed the Angels Archangels Cherubims Seraphims all joy at the injoying of this blessed company Inherit the kingdome saith our Saviour and if he but say inherit crowns scepters garlands diadems all these are the inheritance of Gods adopted children Prepared for you saith our Saviour and if he but say Prepared the love mercy election compassion of our Lord will shine forth to the soul to her everlasting comfort O ravishing voice Cantic 5.8 I charge you O daughters of Jerusalem if you find my welbeloved thâ—â— you tell him I am sick of love What else you that are Gods servants are no lesse his spouse your soul is the bride and when the day is come this day of doom God give you joy the joy of heaven for ever and ever But I must turn to the left hand and shew you another crew prepared for another sentence And what a terrible sentence will that be which at first hearing will make all ears glow and tingle His lips saith the Prophet are full of indignation and his tongue like a consuming fire Matt. 4.25 41. Esay 30.27 Esa 30.27 What fire so hot as that fierie sentence Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels Here is every particular full of horrour gradually inhancing their judgement First a grievous refusall Depart Secondly the losse of salvation from me Thirdly that deserved malediction ye cursed Fourthly the horrour of pains into everlasting fire Fifthly the preordinance of their torments prepared for the devil and his angels First they must depart This seems nothing to the wicked now depart why they are contented to be gone much more delight have they in sinne then in Gods service But as when a gracious Prince opening his long locked up treasury bids
spit fire from their mouthes and Wolves all devour mens souls and Lions roar for the prey and Vipers sting and strike with their Tayls O fearfull Jailers what strange kind of furies live in hell You see the Jailer now turn your eyes from so bad a spectacle and let us view the Den where this Monster lies The Hebrews call it Sheol a great Ditch or Dungeon the Greeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even darkness it self the Latins Infernus a place under ground all agree it is a Dungeon under earth containing these two properties Deepness Darkness 1. It is deep as heaven is high so most probable it is that hell is deep Iohn calls it a bottomless pit Revel 9 1. Revel 9.1 as if Reprobates were alwaies falling yet never could find bottome where to rest or howsoever this be a Metaphor yet without question heaven and hell are as opposite as may be and whether the Center be the place of torment or as others think all the gulfes of the Sea Kecker Syst Theo. de inferno and hollows of the earth as being more capable to contain the damned I leave it to the Schools as for the Pulpit I think this prayer more fit Lord shew us what it is but never where Secondly the deepness is yoaked with darkness such a dungeon fits the Tares they committed works of darkness and are cast into utter darkness a darkness that may be felt thick Clouds that may be handled dampes and mists that strike at their hearts with sensible griefs This is that bottomless pit in the heart of the earth there shines no Sun no Moon nor Stars there is no light of Candle Torch or Taper shine the Sun never so fair it is still night there the Dungeon is dark and this makes the place more sad more uncomfortable Let Poets faign of Tantalus tortures Prometheus Vultures Ixions Wheel and Charons rowing these come far short to express the pains of those that rage in hell there plagues have no ease cryes have no help time has no end place no redemption it is the dark prison where the Tares are chained and the wicked bound in fetters of fire and darkness Could men have a sight of hell whiles they live on earth I doubt not their hearts would tremble in their bosomes yet view it in a way of meditation and see what you find are there not wonderfull engines sharpe and sore instruments of revenge fiery Brimstone pitchy Sulphur red hot chains flaming whips scorching darkness will you any more the worm is immortall cold intolerable stench indurable fire unquenchable darkness palpable This is that prison of the damned then whose eyes dare behold such amazing objects but if not see yet listen with your eares is there any charm in hell to conjure away Devils or to ravish souls what musick affords the place but roaring and crying and houling cursing their Hymnes wailing their tunes blasphemies their ditties lachrymae their notes lamentations their songs scrieching their streins these are their evening and their morning songs Moab shall cry against Moab one against another all against God O fearfull Prison what torments have the Tares that lye here fettered their feet are chained in the stocks and the Iron pierceth their souls it is a Dungeon where the light never shined but the walls are as black as pitch the vaults are smoaked as Chimneys the roof as dark as hell nay the Dungeon is hell where the Tares lie bound and fettered Think of this Iayle yee offenders of Gods Law and Majesty the Angels see our doings the Judge now exspects our returning the Tares grow till the harvest and if still they offend death apprehends them God will judge them the Iayler take them Hell imprison them there are they bound You hear the Evidence brought in and the sentence gone out Take them Binde them binde them in bundles to burn them And if this be the Iaylers Goal what then be the Bonds or Chains The Angles which kept not their first estate saith Iude God hath reserved in everlasting Chains Iude 6. and God spared not the Angels that sinned saith Peter but cast them down to hell 2 Pet. 2.4 and delivered them into Chains of darknes Thus Christ doomed him that had not on his wedding garment Binde him hand and foot Matth. 13.22 and what may these Chains and Bonds insinuate but that the Tares are tyed to their torments might they but remove from place to place this would afford some ease might they but stir a foot or but turn about or have any little motion to refresh their tormented parts this would yield some comfort but here is an universall binding hand and foot body and soul all must be bound with everlasting Chains The Reprobates are packt and crowded together like Bricks in a fiery furnace having not so much as a Chink where any winde may enter in to cool them O yee that live in the sinfull wealth of this world consider but this one punishment of hell and be afraid if a man injoying quietment of mind and health of body should lie chained on a soft Down-bed for a month or a year how would he abide it but this is nothing If a man should lye sick of a Fever swoln in a Dropsie pained with the Gout and though it were for the recovery of his health without any turning tossing stirring this were a great torture sure and a question it were whether the disease or the physick were more intollerable Vermis conscientiam ignis comburet carnem witnesse poor Patients who change their sides wish other beds seek other rooms and all these shifts but to mitigate their pains how wretched then are the Tares bound in Chains they are not in health nor bound for a month nor sick of a Fever nor lye for a year their pain is grievous their bonds heavy their torments durable their restlesse rest eternall The worm shall gnaw their spirit the fire torture their flesh were these nothing yet small sorrows grow great with continuance the fire shall torture yet never cease worms gnaw the heart yet never gnaw in sunder the strings wretched souls are bound indeed whose bonds are never out of date A seven years prentiship would ere long exspire but what are seven years to a world of ages the reprobates must serve years ages even to a million of millions and yet are never free O bondage not to be uttered yet must be endured Is it not a Bedlam fury that must have such bonds a little to express their torments by our sufferings which yet are nothing nothing in comparison what means these Chains and whips and links and scourges Iron Chains whips of steel fiery linkes knotty scourges furies shake their bolts to afrighten souls the Irons strike through their eares and the hooked Engines tear their Bowels as if the torment of Tares were the delight of Devils Here is a prison indeed where is nothing heard but yells and
grones and suddain cryes the fire slakes not the worm dies not the chains loose not the links wear not revenge tyres not but for ever are the torments fresh and the fetters on fire as they came first from their Forge What a strange kind of torture falls upon the wicked they are bound to fiery pillars and Devils lash at them with their fiery whips Is there any part of man scapes free in such a fray the flesh shall fâ—â— the blood boil the veins be scorcht the sinews rackt Serpents shall eat the body furies tear the soul this is that wofull plight of Tares which he bound in Hell The sick man at Sea may go from his ship to his boat and from his boat to his ship again the sick man in his bed may tumble from his right side to his left and from his left to his right again onely the Tares are tied hand and foot bound limme and joynt their feet walk not their fingers move not their eyes must no more wander as before loe all his bound O these manacles that rot the flesh and pierce the inward parts O unmatchable torments yet most fit for Tares sin made them furious hell must tame their Phrensie the Judge thus commands and the Executioners must dispatch fetter them fire them Bind them in bundles to burn them I have lead you through the Dungeon let this fight serve for a terrour that you never come nearer To that purpose for exhortation consider Alas all hangs on life ther 's but a twine thread betwixt the soul of a sinner and the scorching flames who then would so live as to run his soul into hazard the Judge threatens us Devils hate us the bonds exspect us it is onely our conscience must clear us or condemn us Search then thy waies and stir up thy remembrance to her Items hast thou dishonoured God blasphemed his name decayed his image subduing thy soul to sin that was created for heaven repent these courses ask God forgiveness and he will turn away thy punishments I know your sins are grievous and my soul grieves at the knowledge many evills have possessed too many drunkenness and oathes and malice and revenge are not these guests entertained into all houses banish them your hearts that the King of glory may come in Ezek. 33.11 As I live saith the Lord I desire not the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live Would God bestow mercy and should we refuse his bounty as you love heaven your souls your selves leave your sins Vse 2 And then here is a word of consolation the penitent needs not fear hell Gods servant is freed from bonds yea if we love him who hath first loved us Ephes 5.2 all the chains and pains of hell can neither hold nor hurt us Vse 3 O then ye Sons of Adam suffer a reproof what do ye that ye do not repent you of your sins is it not a madness above admiration that men who are reasonable creatures having eyes in their heads hearts in their bodies understanding like the Angels and consciences capable of unspeakable horrour never will be warned untill the fire of that infernall Lake flash and flame about their eares Let the Angels blush heaven and earth be amazed all the Creatures stand astonished at it I am sure a time wil come when the Tares shal feel what now they may justly fear you hear enough such weed must be bound thus straight is the Lords command Binde them in bundles to burn them But all is not done Chains have their links and we must bring all together Sinners are coupled in hell as Tares in Bundles But of these when we next meet in the mean while let this we have heard Binde us all to our duties that we hear attentively remember carefully practice conscionably that so God may reward accordingly and at last crown us with his glory The tares must be bound up in bundles but Lord make us free in Heaven to sit with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in thy blessed kingdome In bundles THe command is out what Bind whom them how in bundles The tares must on heaps which gives us a double observation Generall Speciall In the generall it intimates these two points the gathering of the weed and its severing from the wheat both are bound in bundles but the wheat by it self and the tares by themselves as at that doom when all the world must be gathered and severed some stand at the right hand others at the left so at this execution some are for the fire and others for the barn they are bundled together yet according to the difference of the severall parties each from the other Observ 1 First the tares must together Woe is me saith David that I am constrained to dwell with Mesech Psal 120.4 and if David think it wofull to converse with his living enemies then what punishment have the wicked whom the Devill and damned the black angels and everlasting horrour must accompany for ever The tares must be gathered and bundled and the more bundles the more and more miseries Company yields no comfort in hell fire nay what greater discomfort then to see thy friends in flames thy fellowes in torments the fiends with flaming whips revenging each others malice on thy self and enemy It was the rich mans last petition when he had so many repulses for his own ease to make one suit for his living brethren he knew their company would encrease his torment to prevent which he cries out I pray thee father Abraham Luk. 16.27 28. that thou wouldest send Lazarus to my fathers house for I have five brethren that he may testifie unto them lest they also come into this place of torment Why it may be God will hear him for them especially making such a reasonable request as this was that Lazarus might onely warn his brethren of future judgment no but to teach you if you sell your souls to sin to leave a rich posterity on earth you shall not onely your selves without all remorse and pity be damned in hell but your posterity shall be a torment to you whilest they live and a greater torment if they come to you when they are dead To converse with Devils is fearfull but altogether to accompany each other is a plague fit for tares In this life they flourished amongst the wheat Let them grow both together corn and tares untill the harvest But the harvest come God will now separate them both asunder and as in heaven there are none but Saints so in hell there are none but reprobates to encrease this torment as they grow together so all their conference is to curse each other Moab shall cry against Moab father against son son against father what comfort in this company The Devill that was authour of such mischiefs appears in most grisly forms his angels the black guard of hell torture poor souls in flames there live swearers
with their flaming tongues usurers with talent hands drunkards with scorched throats all these tares like fiery faggots burning together in hell flames this is the first punishment all the tares must meet they are bundled together Observ 2 Secondly as the tares must together so they must together by themselves thus are they bundled and severed bundled all together but from the wheat all asunder Quia damni poenam infert Basil Ascer in c. 2. p. 255. Chrysost in Matth. Hom. 24. Bern. de inter domo cap. 38. Hell is called damnation Because it brings Heavens losse and this by consent of most Divines is the more horrible part of hell so Basil To be alienated or separated from the presence of God his Saints and Angels is farre more grievous then the pains of hell So Chrysostome The pain of hell is intolerable indeed yet a thousand hels are nothing to the losse of that most glorious kingdome So Bernard It is a pain far surpassing all the tortures in hel not to see God and those joyes immortall which are prepared for his children O then what hels are in hell when besides the pains of sense there is a pain of losse the losse of God losse of Saints losse of Angels losse of Heaven losse of that beatificall vision of the most Sovereigne Good our ever-blessed Maker Consider with your selves if at the parting of the soul and body there be such pangs and gripes and stings and sorrows what grief then will it be to be severed for ever from the Highest and supreamest Good Suppose your bodies as some Martyrs have been used should be torn in sunder and that wild horses driven contrary wayes should rack and pul your arms and legs and heart and bowels one piece froÌ„ another what an horrible kind of death would this be think you and yet a thousand rentings of this member from that or of the soul from the body are infinitely lesse then this one separation of the soul from God When Jacob got rhe blessing from his brother Esau Gen. 27.31 it is said in the Text that he roared with a great cry and bitter saying to his father Hast thou not reserved one blessing for me also Imagine then when the wheat must have the blessing how will the tares figured in Esau roar and crie and yell and howl again and yet notwithstanding this unspeakable rage all the tears of hell shall never be sufficient to bewail the losse of heaven Hence breeds that worm that is alwayes gnawing at the conscience a worâ—â— saith our Saviour that dies not Mark 9.44 Mark 9.44 It shall lie day and night biting and gnawing and feeding upon the bowels of the damned persons O the stings of this worm no sooner shall the damned consider the cause of their miserie to wit the mis-spending of their time the greatnesse of their sinne the many oportunities lost when they might have gotten Heaven for a tear or a sigh or groan from a penitent heart but this worm or remorse shall at every consideration give them a deadly bite and then shall they roar it out Miserable wretch what have I done I had a time to have wrought out the salvation of my soul many a powerfull searching Sermon have I heard any one passage whereof had I not wickedly and wilfully forsook mine own mercie might have been unto me the beginning of the new birth but those golden dayes are gone and for want of a little sorrow a little repentance a little faith now am I burning in hell fire O precious time O dayes moneths years how are ye vanished that you will never come again And have I thus miserably undone my self Come Furies tear me into as many pieces as there are moats in the Sun rip up my breast dig into my bowels pull out my heart leave me not an hair on my head but let all burn in these flames till I moulder into nothing O madnesse of men that never think on this all the dayes of your visitation and then when the bottomlesse pit hath shut her self upon you thus will this worm gnaw your hearts with unconceivable griefs Be amazed O ye Heavens tremble thou Earth let all creatures stand astonished whilst the Tares are thus sentenced Bundle them and burn them Thus farre of the word in generall but if we look on it with a more narrow eye it gives to our hands this speciall observation The tares must have chains proportionable to their sinns Observ Bind them in bundles saith my Text not in one but in many faggots an Adulterer with an Adulteresse a Drunkard with a Drunkard a Traytor with a Traytor as there be severall sins so severall Bundles all are punished in the same fire but all are not punished in the same degree some have heavier chains and some have lighter but all in just weight and measure The Proud shall be trod under foot the Glutton suffer inestimable hunger the Drunkard feel a burning thirst the Covetous pine in wants the Adulterer lie with Serpents Dragons Scorpions Give me leave to bind these in bundles and so leave them for the fire they are first bundled then burned Where is Lady Pride and her followers see them piled for the furnace Esay 3. you that jet it with your bals and bracelets tyres and tablets rings and jewels and changeable suits think but what a change will come when all you like birds of a feather must together to be bound in bundles What then will your pride avail or your riches profit or your gold do good or your treasures help Job 20.26 when you must be constrained to vomit up again your riches the increase of your house departing away and a fire not blown utterly consuming you and them The rich man in the Gospel could for a time go richly fare sumptuously and that not onely on Sabbaths or Holy-dayes but as the text every day yet no sooner had death seized on his body but he was fain to alter both his suit and diet hear him how he begs for water that had plentie of wines and see him that was cloathed in purple now apparrelled in another suit yet of the same colour too even in purple flames O that his delicate morsels must want a drop of water and that his fine apparrell must cost him so dear as the high price of his soul why rich man is it come to this the time was that purple and fine linnen was thy usuall apparrell that banquets of sumptuous dishes were thy ordinarie fare but now not the poorest beggar even Lazarus himself that would change estate with thee Change said I marrie no Remember saith old Abraham that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things and likewise Lazarus evil things but now he is comforted and thou art tormented Luke 16.25 Luke 16.25 But there are other Bundles where is Gluttonie and her surfetters Do we not see how the earth is plowed the sea furrowed and all to
Reapers at the generall harvest Vse O then having yet a little time how should we labour to escape Hels horrour let the Proud be humbled the Epicure fast the Drunkard pray the Adulterer chastise himself to pull down his body and for the Covetous wretch let him with all holy greedinesse lay out his bags for the eternal good of his soul Alas one foot in heaven is better then all your lands on earth I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God Psal 84.10 then to dwell in the Tents in the houses in the Palaces of the wicked Now then in the fear of God reform your lives and your harvest without question shall be the joy of heaven or if Tares will be Tares what remains but Binding and Bundling Bind them Bundle them Burn them The harvest is done and the Angels sing and shout for their ended task the Tares are reaped the furrows cleansed the sickles laid aside the sheaves Bundled and to shut up all they must be Burned But stay we them a while and at our next meeting we will set them on fire God make us better seed that we may receive a better crop even that Crown of glory in the highest heavens To burn them VVE have followed the Prisoners from the Barre and brought them to the stake what remains further but to kindle the Faggots and so to shut up all with the burning Hell-fire at the first naming makes my soul to tremble and would the bouldest courage but enter into a serious meditation what it were to lie everlastingly in a red hot scorching fire how could he chuse but stand astonished at the consideration it is a furious fire Rouze up beloved for either this or nothing will awake you from the sleep of sin wherein you snort too securely Some differences there are about this fire many think it a Metaphoricall others a materiall fire be it whether it will it is every way fearfull and farre above the reach either of humane or Angelicall thoughts to conceive If it be Metaphoricall as Gregory and Calvine are of mind then is it either more or nothing lesse terrible when the Holy Ghost shadows unto us the joys of heaven by gold and pearls and precious stones Revel 21. Rev. 21. there is no one thinks but those joys do farre surpasse these shadows and if the pains of hell are set out by fire and flames and brimstone and burning what pains are those to which these are nothing but dumb shows or types Or if hell fire be materiall as Austine and Bullenger do conjecture yet is it farre beyond any fire on earth mark but the difference our fire is made for comfort hell-fire is created for nothing else but torment our fire is blown with some ayrie breath of man but hell fire is blown with the angry breath of God our fire is fed with the fuell of Wood or Cole but hell fire is tempered with all the terrible torturing ingredients of Sulphur and Brimstone or to cut the way nearer I will reduce all the differences to some of these four and so proceed in their order they differ first in heat secondly in light thirdly in their object fourthly in durance First in heat The pile thereof is fire and much wood and the breath of the Lord like a stream of brimstone doth kindle it Esai 30.33 Esai 30.33 This fire is not made by the hand of man nor blown from the bellows of some forge nor fed with any fuell of combustible matter no it is the arm of God and the breath of God and the anger of God that kindles it sharply and continues it everlastingly and I pray if the breath that kindles it be like a stream of brimstone what is the fire it self you know there is a great difference betwixt the heat of our breath and the fire in our chimnies now then if the breath of God that kindles hell fire be dissolved into brimstone What a fearfull fire is that which a great torrent of burning Brimstone doth ever mightily blow A torrent of Brimstone said I no it is not Brimstone but like Brimstone like to our capacity although for the nature this like is not like nay could we know exactly what this breath were you would say I warrant you it were far more hotter then ten thousand Rivers of Brimstone were they all put together Our God saith the Apostle is a consuming fire Heb. 12.29 Heb. 12.29 And if God be a fire what then is hell fire kindled by the breath God O my soul how canst thou but tremble at the thought of this fire at which the very Devils themselves do quake and shiver Pause a while and consider wert thou arraigned at some earthly bar thy doom past the execution at hand and thy body now ready to be cast as many a Martyrs was into some burning fire or boyling Caldron O how wouldest thou shout and roar and cry through the extremity of torment but what is a boyling Caldron to that boyling sea of fire and brimstone pitch and sulphur boyl altogether were not this enough see there the perplexing properties of such heats they burn as Brimstone darkly to grieve the sight sharply to afflict the sense loathsomly to perplexe the smell it is a fire that needs no bellows to kindle it nor admits of the least air to cool it the fuell wasts not the smoke vents not the chimnies are but Reprobate credits where they lie scorching burning houling their lullabies and their nurses furies The flames of Nebuchadnezzars fire could ascend forty nine Cubits but if hell be a bottomless pit sure these flames have an endless height how hot then is that glowing Oven where the fire burns lively the blasts go strongly the wheeles turn roundly and the darkned fuell are those damned souls that burn in an heat surpassing ours unspeakable of us here is one difference Secondly as hell fire differs from ours in heat so in light Cast that unprofitable servant saith our Saviour into utter darkness Mat. 25.30 Matth. 25.30 Vtter to perplexe the mind Darkness to confound the eye Consider but the terrour of this circumstance if a man alone in darkness should suddenly hear a noise of ghosts and spirits coming towards him how would his hair bristle his tongue faulter his blood run to the heart yea I dare say although he felt never a lash from them on his body yet the onely houling of devils would make his very inmost heart to shake and shudder O then what horrour is that when darkness must surround thee and devills hollow to thee and reprobates shrick at the lashing of their bodies and all hell be filled with the cries and ecchoes of Woe woe woâ— for their torments and the darkness May be you will object if there be fire there is assuredly light nay without question this fire hath heat no light it is a dark smoaky flame that burns dimm to the eye yet sharp to the
Peter what doest thou Is not he the beauty of the heavens the Paradise of Angels the brightness of God the Redeemer of men and wilt thou notwithstanding all this let him wash thy feet no leave O Lord leave this base office for thy servants lay down the towell put on thy apparell see Peter is resolute Lord doest thou wash my feet no Lord thou shalt never do it Yes Peter thus it must be to leave thee and us a memoriall of his humility I have given you an example saith Christ that ye should do as I have done unto you Vers 15. and what hath he done but for our sakes is become a servant yea his servants servant washing and wiping not their hands or heads but the very meanest lowest parts their feet And yet there is a lower fall How many hired servants said the Prodigall at my fathers house have bread enough Luk. 15.17 and I die for hunger and as if our Saviours case were like the Prodigals you may see him little lower then a servant yea little better then a beggar Yee know saith the Apostle the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ that though he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor 2 Cor. 8.9 2 Cor. 8.9 poor indeed and so poor that he was not worth a penny to pay tribute till he had borrowed it of a fish Mat. 17.27 Matth. 17.27 See him in his birth in his life in his death and what was he but a pilgrim that never had house to harbour in a while he lodges in an oxen-stall thence he flies into Aegypt back he comes into Galilee anon he travels to Jerusalem within a while as if all his life were but a wandring you may see him on mount Calvary hanging on the cross was ever any beggars life more miserable he hath no house no money no friends no lands and howsoever he was God the disposer of all yet for us he became man a poor man a mean man yea the meanest of all men and this another step downwards But this now low enough men are the image of God ay but the Son of God is not used as a man but rather as a poor dumb beast appointed to the slaughter what was he but a sleep said Esay of him Esai 53.7 Esay 53.7 a sheep indeed and that more especially in these two qualities First as a sheep before the shearer is dumb so he openeth not his mouth and to this purpose was that silence of our Saviour when all those evidences came against him he would not so much as drop one syllable to defend his cause if the high Priests question him What is the matter that these men witness against thee Matthew tells us that Iesus held his peace Mat. 26.63 Matth. 26.63 If Pilate say unto him Behold how many things they witness against thee Mark tells us that Iesus answered him nothing Mark 15.5 Mark 15.5 If Herod question with him in many words because he had heard many things of him Luke tells us that he answered him nothing Luk. 23.9 Luk. 23.9 As a poor sheep in the hands of the shearer he is dumb before his Judges and accusers whence briefly we may observe Christ came not to defend but to suffer condemnation Secondly as a sheep he is dumb and as a sheep he is slain Esa ibid. He was led saith the Prophet as a sheep to the slaughter O Jesu art thou come to this to be a man who art God a sheep who art man and so for our sakes far inferiour to our selves nay worse a sheep how not free as one that is leaping on the mountains or skipping on the hills no but a sheep that is led led whether not thither as David was who could say of his Shepherd that he fed him in green pastures and led him forth besides the waters of comfort no but led to the slaughter He is a sheep a sheep led Psal 23.2 a sheep led to the slaughter and such a slaughter that were he a dumb creature yet great ruth it were to see him so handled as he was by the Jewes And yet will his humility descend a little lower as he was the poorest of men so the least of sheep like a lamb saith the Apostle Act. 8.32 Act. 8.32 and Behold the Lamb said Iohn the Baptist even the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world Joh. 1.29 Joh. 1.29 This was that Lamb which the Paschall Lamb prefigured Your Lamb saith God to the Israelites shall be a Lamb without blemish and the bloud shall be a token for you that I will pass over you Exod. 12.13 Exod. 12.5 and 13. But was ever lamb like the Lamb of God he is without blemish saith Pilate I find no fault in him Luk. 23.4 Luk. 23.4 and the sprinkling of his bloud saith Peter is the right token of election 1 Pet. 1.2 1 Pet. 1.2 Such a lamb was this Lamb without blemish in his life and whose bloud was sprinkled at his death in life and death ever suffering for us who had he not done so should for ever and ever have suffered our selves Tell me O thou whom my soul loveth where thou feedest saith the Church in Canticles tell me yes If thou knowest not saith our Saviour go thy way forth by the foot-steps of the flock Cant. 1.8 Cant. 1.8 Our Saviour is become a man a sheep a lamb or if this be not humility enough he will yet take a leap lower What is he but a worm and no man yea the very scorn of men and the outcast of the people Psal 22.6 Psal 22.6 Did you ever think we could have brought our Saviour to thus low a degree what beneath a lamb and no better then a worm Heaven and earth may well ring of this as being the greatest wonder that ever was there is any bitter potion due to man which the Son of God will not partake of to the utmost dregs and thereforâ— if Iob say to the worm Iob 17.14 Iob. 25.6 thou art my sister and mother nay if Bildad say Man is a worm and the son of man is but a worm which is more then kindred behold our Saviour stooping thus low himself what is he but a man nay as if that were too much a worm and not a man as sung the Psalmist of him I am so low that unless we think him no body we can down no lower and yet here is one leap more that if we take a view of it we may suppose him to be nothing in esteem a No-body indeed Look we at every man in respect of God and the Prophet tells us All nations before him are as nothing Esai 40.17 Esai 40.17 And if man be thus why sure the son of man will be no lesse see then to the wondrous astonishment of men and Angels how greatness it self Ex omni seipsum ad nihil redegit
Beza in loc Tert. ad Mar. l. 5. to bring man from nothing Exinanivit se hath made himself nothing or of no reputation Phil. 2.7 Phil. 2.7 How nothing yes saith Beza He that was all in all hath reduced himself to that which is nothing at all and Tertullian little less Exhausit se He hath emptied himself or as our translation gives it He hath made himself not of little but of no reputation Lo here those steps the Scripture lighting us all the way by which our Saviour descended he that is God for us became an Angell a man a Serving-man a poor man a sheep a lamb a worm a nothing in esteem a man of no reputation Vse 1 Let every soul learn his duty from hence what should we do for him who hath done all this for us There is a crew of unbelievers that hear and heed not all the sufferings of our Saviour cannot move them a jot either towards God or from sin and is not this a wofull lamentable case I remember a passage in Cyprian how he brings in the Devill triumphing over Christ in this manner As for my followers I never dyed for them as Christ did for his I never promised them so great a reward as Christ hath done to his and yet I have more followers then he and they do more for me then his doe for him hear O heaven and hearken O earth Was ever the like phrensie The Devill like a roaring Lion seeks ever and anon to devour our souls and how many thousands and millions of souls yield themselves to his service though he never died for them nor will ever do for them the poorest favour whatsoever but pay them everlastingly with pains and pangs death and damnation On the other side see our Saviour God Almighty take on him the nature of a man a poor man a sheep a lamh a worm a nothing in esteem and why all this but onely to save our souls and to give them heaven and salvation yet such is the condition of a stubborn heart that to choose it will spurn at heavens crown and run upon hell and be a slave to Satan and scoffe at Christs suffering yea and let out his bloud and pull out his heart and bring him a degree lower then very beelzebub himself rather then it will submit to his will and march under his banner to the kingdome of heaven Hence it is that the Devill so triumphs over Christ As for my followers saith he I never died for them as Christ did for his no Devill thou never diedst for them but thou will put them to a death without all ease or end Think of this yee unbelievers me thinks like a thunderbolt it might shake all your hearts and dash them into pieces But a word more to you of whom I hope better things let me exhort the Saints that you for your parts will ever love and serve and honour and obey and praise the Lord of glory for this so wonderfull a mercy I pray have you not cause had your Saviour onely sent his creatures to serve you or some Prophets to advise you in the way of salvation had he onely sent his Angels to attend you and to minister unto you or had he come down in his glory like a King that would not onely send to the prison but come himself to the dungeon and ask saying Is such a man here or had he onely come and wept over you saying Oh that you had never sinned all these had been great mercies But that Christ himself should come and strive with you in mercy and patience that he should be so fond of a company of Rebels and Hel-hounds and yet we are not at the lowest that he would for us become a man a mean man a lamb a worm a nothing in esteem O all ye stubborn hearts too much stubborn are we all if judgement and the hammer cannot break your hearts yet let this mercy break you and let every one say O Iesu hast thou done all this for me certainly I will love thee and praise thee and serve thee and obey thee as long as I live Say so and the Lord say Amen to the good desires of your hearts To whet this on the more remember still it is you that should have suffered but to prevent this it is he that was humbled it is he that was crucified it is he that was purged what needs more John 18.5 I am he said Christ to the Iews when they apprehended him He what he I know not what but be he what he will he it is our Saviour Redeemer Physician Patient VVho had by himself purged our sinnes Thus far we have measured his steps downwards and should we go up again the same stairs we might bring him as high as vve have placed him lovv but his asscent belongs rather to the words following my Text for after he had purged then he sate down on Gods right hand on high Come we then to the next words and as you have seen the Person so let us look for a companion This may in miserie yield some comfort if but any society bears a share in his misery But me thinks I hear you say to me as the Athenians said 〈◊〉 32. to Paul We wil hear thee again of this matter another time By himself THe Time and Physician have prepared a Purge but who is the Patient to receive it it is man is sick and it is man must purge or otherwise he dies without all remedie or recoverie but alas what Purge what Purgatory must that be which can evacuate sinne Should man take all the virtue of herbs and mineralls and distill them into one sublime and purest quintessence yet impossible were it to wash away sinne or the least dregs of its corruption Not Galen nor Hippocrates nor all the Artists or Naturalists that ever lived on earth could find out or invent any remedie for sinne this must be a work of Grace and not of Nature yea and such a grace as neither man nor Angel could afford Behold then who it is that both administers and takes the receipt prepared it is man that sinned and God is become man that so being both he might administer it as God and receive it as man the same Person being Physician and Patient Compounder and Purger But what a wonder is this Are we a-dying and must he purge for it can Physick given to the sound heal the party that is sick It was the saying of our Saviour Matth. 9.12 The whole need not the Physician but they that are sick and Christ Jesus for his part is whole indeed No fault in this man saith Pilate Luke 23.14 Matth. 27.19 and he is a just man said Pilates wife of him to what end then should he purge that is whole and we escape it that are sick O this is to manifest the dearest love of our Soul-Physician our endeared Saviour the whole indeed need not the
fast asleep on the edge of a Rock he dreams merrily of Crowns and Kingdomes and will not off it but on a sudden starting for joy he tumbles into the bottome of the Sea and there lies drowned in the deep that assurance which is ever secure is but a dream whereas the testimony of Gods Spirit is sometimes mixed with doubts and sometimes to our unspeakable comfort with a secret still heart-ravishing voice thus speaks to our consciences thou shalt be thou shalt be with me in paradise You see the testimonie of Gods Spirit how it works in us and how it is discerned by us it works in us by a particular application of the promises in the Gospel and is discerned by us by the word by our love our prayers our fears our joys at some times while we are a doing our duties Vse O blessed man that feels in his soul this blessed testimonie what is here comparable to it riches are deceitfull pleasure is a toy the world is but a bubble onely our assurance of Heaven is the onely reall comfort that we have on earth who then would not studie to make this certain if we purchase an inheritance on earth we make it as sure and our tenure as strong as the brawn of the Law or the brain of Lawyers can devise we have conveyance and bonds and fines no strength too much and shall we not be more curious in the setling our eternall inheritâ—nce in Paradise a man can never be too sure of going to Heaven and therefore in Gods fear let us examine the testimonie of our spirits by the inward tokens and by the outward fruits let us examine the testimonie of Gods Spirit by the means and the difference and if we find both these testimonies to accord within us how blessed are we in this vale of tears it is an heaven upon earth a Paradise in a wildernesse in a word a comfort in all miseries be they never so embittered See a Thief hanging on the Crosse an Engine of most grievous torture but who can tell the joy that entred into him before he entred into Heaven you may guesse it by his desire to be remembred of Christ when he came into his Kingdome he begs not for life nor pleasure nor riches nor honour no there is one thing necessary give him Heaven and he cares for nothing to this purpose doth he addresse himself to our blessed Saviour Luke 23.37 39. and he asks what if thou be Christ save thy self said the Jews in derision and if thou be Christ save thy self and us said the other Thief to him but this was onely for the bodies safetie and here is a man quite of another mind let the Jews rack him tear him break all his bones and pull him into atomes if our Saviour will but do so much as remember him in his kingdome he desires nothing more O blessed Christ speak comfortably to his soul that begs it thus vehemently at thy hands but why do I prevent the bowels of our Saviour yearn to hear him remember him yes he will remember him and he shall be with him comfortable news how leaps his heart at these so blessed words his desire is granted and Heaven is assured and the Spirit of God yea the God of Spirits thus testifies it to him to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Thus farre of the certainty of his salvation thou shalt be but as the grant is sweet that is certain so is it yet more acceptable if done with expedition and here is both the certainty and expedition thou shalt be when to day with me in paradise To day OUr Saviour deferres not that he promises but as he quickly hears and quickly grants so he quickly gives him Paradise and a kingdome This sudden unexspected joy makes all more gratefull to tell us of Crowns and Kingdomes that we must inherit and then to put us off with delayes abates the sweetnesse of the promise men that go to suits for lands and livings though Lawyers feed them with hopes yet one order after another spinning out time to a multitude of Terms makes them weary of the businesse it is the happinesse of this suitour that he comes to an hearing but the highest degree of his happiness was the expedition of his suit no sooner he motions Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdome but the Lord gives him that he asks upon his first motion to day ere the Sun be down the Kingdome shall be thine thou shalt be with me in Paradise But you may object Was there no Limbus Patrum no Purgatory to run through but the very same day he died he must then go to Paradise no unlesse Limbus or Purgatorie be Paradise it self there is no such thing at all Some there are that rather then say nothing speak thus Christ giving up the ghost Mox ut Deus exspiravit ipse secundum animam ad infernos descendit Guliel Paris cap. 21. secundum verbum his soul descended into hel and the very same day was this Malefactour partaker of Christs beatificall vision with the other Patriarchs in Limbus But of how great difference is Paradise and Limbus we shall hear another time sure it is Christ promised not a Dungeon in stead of a Kingdome nor is Paradise a place of pleasure of any such imaginary melancholy nature we conclude then To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise it is all one as to say To day thy day of death thou shalt be with me in Heaven and there enjoy me in my Kingdome But again you may object That Christ rather that day descended into hel then ascended into heaven The Creed teacheth that after he was crucified dead and buried he descended into hell To answer the objection some go about thus by hel say they is meant Paradise where the soul of Christ was all the time that his body lay in the grave If this be not a misconstruction I am sure it is no literall Exposition and me thinks a very strange kind of figure it is to expresse Christs ascent into Paradise by his descent into hell Others more probably understand Christs abode in the grave for the space of three dayes Aug. Epist 57. Austin after some turns and wrenches concludeth thus Est autem sensus multò expeditior c. It is a farre easier sense and freer from all ambiguity if we take Christ to speak thesc words This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise not of his Manhood but of his Godhead for the man Christ was that day in the grave according to the flesh and in hell as touching his soul but the same Christ as God is alwayes every where Thus he But this will not satisfie all Perkins on the Creed and therefore they argue thus against it These words say they must be understood of his Manhood not his God-head and why so For they are an answer unto a demand and unto it they must be
sutable Now the Thief seeing that Christ was first of all crucified and therefore in all likelihood should first of all die makes his request to this effect Lord thou shalt shortly enter into thy Kingdome remember me then to which Christs answer as the very words import is thus much I shall enter into Paradise this day and there shalt thou be with me but the God-head which is at all times in all places cannot be said properly to enter into a place and therefore not into Paradise Again When Christ saith Thou shalt be with me in Paradise he doth intimate a resemblance between the first and second Adam the first Adam sinned against God and was presently cast out of Paradise the second having made a satisfaction for sinne must presently enter into Paradise Now there is no entrance but in regard of the soul or man-hood and therefore to apply it to the God-head were to abolish this analogy betwixt the first and second Adam These reasons are weighty but should we say with Austin That Christ in his soul went down into hell one of our Worthies can tell us R. Clerk D. in D. Serm. that Christs soul united to his God-head might do all that and yet be that day in Paradise God works not lazily like man Satan could shew Christ all the Kingdoms of the world in the twinkling of an eye and Gods expedition exceeds his To this agrees another that we have no warrant in Gods Word so to fasten Christs soul unto hell for all the time of his death B. Bilson l. of the power of Hel destroyed fol. 219. Rom. 10.7 but that it might be in Paradise before it descended into hel That he was in Paradise must be received because himself doth affirm it and that he descended into the deep must be received also for the Apostle doth avouch it but how he descended or what time he descended as also what manner of triumph he brought thence cannot be limited by any mortall man To conclude I will not denie but that according to the Creed he descended into Hell yet howsoever we expound it Metaphorically or literally it hinders not this truth but that immediately after death his soul went into Paradise The objections thus solved now come we to the Thief thus comforted by Christ to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise What to day without all doubts or delayes here 's a blessed dispatch if we either consider the misery endured or the joy to be received First in regard of his miseries he was a Thief condemned and crucified we read of foure kinds of deaths in use amongst the Jews strangling stoning fire and the sword the Crosse was a death whether for the pain the shame the curse farre above all other we may see it in that gradation of the Apostle He became obedient to death even to the death of the Crosse Phil. 2.8 Phil. 2.8 What engine of torture was that it spins out pain it slowes his death yet a little and a little till it be more then any man can think see his hands bored his feet nayled his legs broken every part full of pain from top to toe and thus hangs this Thief the poyz of his body every moment increasing his pain and his own weight becoming his own affliction in this case were not a quick riddance his best remedie were not the news of death better then a lingring life Lo then to his eternall comfort Christ our Saviour in the same condemnation grants him his desire What would he have a dispatch of pain he shall have it this day as Samuels appearance said to Saul To morrow yea to day thou shalt be with me 1 Sam. 28.19 But secondly here 's a greater comfort his miseries have an end and his joys are at hand while he is even gasping in deaths pangs he is carried on a sudden from earth to heaven from his Crosse to Paradise from a world of wo to a kingdome of happiness and eternall blisse O how blessed is the change when in the very moment of misery joy enters Suppose you a poor man in the night time out of his way wandring alone upon the mountains far from companie destitute of money beaten with rain terrified with thunder stiff with cold wearied with labour famished with hunger and near brought to despair with the multitude of miseries if this man upon a sudden in the twinkling of an eye should be placed in a goodly large and rich palace furnished with all kind of clear lights warm fire sweet smels dainty meats soft beds pleasant musick fine apparell honourable company and all these prepared for him to serve him honour him and to anoint and crown him a King for ever what would this poor man do what could he say surely nothing but rather in silence weep for joy Such nay far happier was the case of this poor malefactour he was like the man wandring on the mountains full of as much pain as the crosse could make him but on a sudden he and our Saviour crucified with him both meet in his Kingdome and now Lord what a joy enters into him when he entred into heaven on Calvary he had nothing about him but the Iews at his feet and the nails in his hands and the Crosse at his back in stead whereof no sooner comes he to Paradise but the Angels Archangels Cherubims Seraphims all hug him and embrace him imagine with your selves how was he astonished and as it were besides himself at this sudden mutation and excessive honour done unto him Imagine with your selves what joy was that when he met our Saviour in his glorie whom that very day he had seen buffeted scourged crowned crucified blessed day that could ever bring forth such a change Beloved I know not how to express it but let your souls in some meditation flie up from Calvarie to Heaven in the morning you might have seen Christ and this Thief hanging on two Crosses their bodies stretched their veins opened their hands and feet bleeding in abundance the one desiring to be remembred of the other and the other complaining that he was forgotten of his Father Matth. 27.46 in this dolefull case both leaving the world ere night they meet again and now what hugs what kisses are betwixt them When Joseph met with Iacob Gen. 46.26 he fell on his neck saith Moses and wept on his neck a good while but never was any meeting on earth like this in Heaven here we have a Ioseph lift out of the dungeon to the Throne where no sooner set but our Saviour performs his promise of meeting him in Paradise at which meeting the Angels sing the Saints rejoyce all Harps warble all Hands clap for joy and the poor soul of this penitent Thief ravished with delight what does it or what can it do but even weep for joy if any weeping were in heaven to see on a sudden so great a change as this Vse And if
and blessed is this penitent Thief no sooner entred he into the gates of Heaven but there meets him with musick and dancing Luke 15.25 all the quire of Heaven and Lord what a joy entred into his soul when his soul entred into his masters joy Tell me could I speak with thee that dwellest in the Heavens what a day was that when stepping from the Crosse and conducted to Paradise thou wast there received with all honourable companies and troops above there did the Patriarchs meet thee and the Prophets hug thee and the Martyrs struck up their Harps to bid thee welcome to the Tabernacle of Heaven Such honour have all his Saints that attain the fellowship of the Saints in glory But more then so thou shalt be with me and therefore with my Angels Lo here a blessed companie indeed these are the heavenly Choristers eternally singing Jehovahs praise The Seraphims cry aloud Esay 6.3 Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of Hosts an Army answer to the antheme Glory to God on high The whole Quire of heaven add the burthen Revel 4.11 Thou art wortby O Lord to receive honour and glory and power for thou hast created all things and for thy sake they are and were creâ—â—â—d O heavenly harmony consisting of ten thousand times ten thousand various sorts of Musick Revel 5.11 I heard saith John the Divine that 〈◊〉 of many Angels round about the throne and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand thousand of thousands these are the shining and singing Starres of which God told his servant Job Job 38.7 The morning starres sing together and the serâ—â—â—â—â— of God shout for joy These are the winged Châ—risters of 〈◊〉 whom John the Divine heard singing their song of Hallelujah and Hosanna Revel 19.6 I heard saith he the voice of a great multitude as the voice of many waters the voice of â—any Angels singing and saying Hallelujah and again Hallelujah these are the nimble Posts of heaven Gen. 28.12 whom Jacob sayâ— thing 〈◊〉 and down the Ladder these are the Protectours of the godly whose aid God promised the Israelites Exod. 23.20 Behold I send an Angel before thee to keep thee in the way and to bring thee to the place which I have prepared These are the Guardians of sucking Infants of whom our Saviour told his Disciples that in Matth. 18.10 Heaven their Angels alwayes behold the face of his Father these are the armies of God who meeting Jacob in his journey Gen. 32.2 he said this is Gods Hosts these are the Spirits and Ministers of God whom David describing by the purity of their substance and readinesse of their obedience he calls the Angels spirits and his Ministers a flame of fire Psal 104.4 They are shining and singing stars winged choristers nimble Posts of heaven Protectours of the godly guardians of children the armies of the Almighty the Spirits and Ministers of the great Jehovah What blessed companie is this we shall enjoy in heaven there is nothing in them but is amiable nothing in them but is admirable O that this clay of ours should come to dwell with thâ—se incorporeall spirits and yet see here a man a thief 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of men by his confession and contrition and faith in Christ is now become a companion with Angels Nor is that all thou shalt be with me not onely with my Saints and Angels but with me with my soul in Paradise His soul indeed was there though his body at that time was in the grave and if the soul be it that makes us men what a passing great joy is that when men standing amongst the Angels shall see their Lord the Lord of heaven not to be an Angel but a man Here is the solace of Saints when they shal see say who is yond that rules on the Throne of heaven who is yond that sits on the right hand of God the Father and they shal answer themselves again it is he that for us became man for the salvation it is he that of our souls hath took upon him a body soul And think now with thy self whosoever thou art that readst if thou wilt but spend thy few evil dayes in his fear so die in his favour what a comfort will it be unto thee to see that Lamb sitting on his seat of state If the wise men of the East came so far and so rejoyced to see him in the Manger what will it be to thee to see him sitting and glittering in his glory If John Baptist did leap at his presence in his mothers belly what shall his presence do in his royall and eternall Kingdome It passeth all other glories saith Austin to be admitted to the inestimable sight of Christ his face August and to receive the beams of glory from the brightnesse of his Majestie nay should we suffer torments every day or for a time the very pains of hell it self thereby to gain the sight of Christ and of his Saints it were nothing in comparison No wonder then Phil. 1.23 if Paul desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ Alas who would not be so O most sweet Saviour saith one devoutly when shall this joyfull day come when shall I appear before thy face when shall I be filled with thy excellent beautie when shall I see that countenance of thine which the very Angels themselves are so desirous to behold an happie time sure will it be to each faithfull soul And thus happie was this man he parted sorrowfully with our Saviour on the Crosse but he met him joyfully in his Kingdome those sweet souls that both left the world at one time no sooner had heaven gates opened unto them but with mutuall kisses they embraced each other in unspeakable manner Nor was this all thou shalt be with me not onely with my soul but with my God-head this indeed was the height of blisse the very soul of heavens joy it self set aside this and crown a man with the Empire of all the earth the splendour of heaven the royall endowments of a glorified soul the sweetest company of Saints and Angels yet still would his soul be full of emptinesse and utterly to seek for the surest Sanctuary whereon to rest onely once admit him to the face of God and then presently and never before his infinite desire exspires in the bosome of his Maker I denie not but the other joyes in heaven are transcendent and ravishing but they are all no better then accessories to this principall drops to this Ocean glimpses to this Sunne If you ask how can our souls enjoy this God-head I answer two wayes first by the understanding secondly by the will The understanding is filled by a clear glorious sight of God 1 Cor. 12.12 called Beatificall vision we shall see him face to face saith Paul 1 Cor. 13.12 We shall see him as he is saith John 1 John 3.2 1 John
3.2 For as the Sunne by his beams and brightnesse illightens the eye and the air that we may see not onely all other things but also his own glorious face so God blessed for ever in whose presence ten thousand of our suns would vanish away as a darksome mote doth by the light of his Majestie so irradiate the minds of all the blessed that they behold in him not onely the beautie of all his Creatures but of himself and thus shall we see and know that glorious mystery of the Trinitie the goodnesse of the Father the wisdome of the Sonne the love and comfortable fellowship of the holy Spirit nothing that can be known but in him we shall know it in most ample manner Secondly the will is for ever satisfied with a perfect inward and eternall communion with God himself Christ that is God and man by his Man-hood assumed uniteth us unto God and by his God-head assuming uniteth God unto us so that by this secret and sacred communion we are made partakers and as it were possessours of God himself O bottomlesse depth and dearest confluence of joyes and pleasures everlasting here is the perfection of all good things the Crown of glory the very life of Life everlasting And well may it be so for what can the soul desire God will not be unto her It is he that is eminently in himself beauty to our eyes musick to our ears honey to our mouthes perfume to our nostrils light to our understanding delight to our will continuation of eternitie to our memorie in him shall we enjoy all the varieties of times all the beautie of creatures all the pleasures of Paradise Blessed Thief what a glory was this to be admitted to the societie of Christ in his Deitie thou shalt be with me how then should he be but happie Where could he be ill with him Vbi malè poterat esse cum illo ubi bene poterat esse sine illo Aug. Psal 16.11 where could he be well without him In thy presence there is fulnesse of joy and at thy right hand there are pleasures evermore joy and fulnesse of joy pleasures and everlasting pleasures Blessed are all they that live in thy house O Lord for they shall praise thee eternally world without end Psal 84.4 Psal 84.4 You see now Heavens societie they are Saints and Angels and Christ and God blessed for ever and ever Vse 1 Who then would not forsake Father and Mother the dearest fellowship of this world to be with Christ in his Kingdome You that love one another in the deepest bonds who cannot part out of this life but with the survivours grief and hearts break tell me what a merry day will that be when you shall not onely meet again never more to part asunder but when Christ our Saviour shall gladly welcome you every one of you into his societie thou shalt be with me and let me speak to the joy of us all I mean all broken-hearted Christians as for you that are profane ones you have your portion here therefore stand you by and let the Children come to their share a day will come I trust in the Lord when I shall meet you and you me in the Kingdome of heaven a day will come I trust in the Lord when you and I shall be all admitted into the societie of God and of Christ and of his Saints and of the Aagels a day will come I trust in the Lord when with these eyes we shall behold our Redeemer together with that Thief that was crucified with him a day will come I trust in the Lord when we shall meet again with all the Saints that are gone afore us and is not this a comfort what shall we say when we see our Saviour in his Throne waited on with Mary his Mother and Magdalen and Martha and Lazarus and Paul and Peter and all the Apostles and Disciples of our Lord and Saviour yea when this Thief shall be presented to our view the wounds in his hands and his feet shining like Starres and Pearls and Rubies all his body glittering in glory and his soul magnifying the Lord for his conversion and salvation world without end Vse 2 But stay least we be lead too forward there is no such thing for us if now we are not in the Covenant of grace heaven is both happie and holy and if we would enjoy heaven then we must fit our selves to that estate to which God hath preserved us to this purpose saith the Apostle Our conversation is in heaven from whence we look for the Saviour Phil. 3.20 Phil. 3.20 He was assured of heaven and therefore he conversed as a Citizen of heaven before he came there every way he â—â—rried himself as much as earth would suffer him like them that live in heaven and thus must we if ever we go to heaven become like to those that are in that place Deceive not your selves neither Whoremongers no Adulterers nor Extortioners nor the like shall enter into the Kingdome of God 1 Cor. 6.9 1 Cor. 6.9 Do men who live in these sinnes without all remorse or repentance ever think to go to heaven is it possible that ever any flesh should go out of the puddle into Paradise Matt. 25.41 no no Away ye workers of iniquitie I know you not saith our Saviour let no man cherish presumptions of an heavenly Kingdome except he abstain from all sinnes against Conscience What then but so live we here as becomes his servants and thus when we part it is but for better companie we lose a few friends but we shall find him that welcomes all his with this heavenly harmonie thou shalt be with whom with me in Paradise Hitherto of the Society The last thing considerable is the place or Vbi where his soul arrived but of that hereafter as the Lord shall inable me God give us all grace â—o to live here that howsoever we go hence one after another yet at last we may all meet together with our Lord and Saviour in his heavenly Paradise In Paradise ANd where was that our Adversaries say in Limbus and yet to give them their due Bellarmine so means not as that Limbus was Paradise Illa enim verè Paradisus deliciarum est non corporalis aut localis sed spiritualis coelestis Bellar. de 7. verbis Domini l. 1. cap. 4. but that in Limbus this thief had his Paradise to wit the vision of God The vision of God saith Bellarmine is a true Paradise indeed not locall but spirituall But with Bellarmines leave we have no such sense of Paradise in any part of holy Writ In the old Testament we read of an earthly Paradise wherein Adam lived in the new Testament we read of an Heavenly Paradise whither Paul was caught yet both these were locall for the one saith Moses was a garden Eastward in Eden Gen 2.8 Gen. 2.8 and the other saith Paul was in heaven
which he calls the third heaven 2. Cor. 12.2 1. Cor. 12.2 4 and that Paradise in my Text must be understood of Heaven this resemblance confirms the first Adam sinned against God and was presently cast out of that Paradise on earth the second Adam made satisfaction for sinne and so must presently enter into this Paradise of heaven because of the sinn of the first Adam both he and all his posterity were thrust out of Eden because of the sufferings of the second Adam both he and we this Thief and all believers are to go into heaven So then this Paradise whither Christ is gone and this Thief went with him what is it but as Paul calls it the third heaven or as the Thief himself styled it in his prayer to our Saviour Remember me where in thy Kingdome And if this be it we call Paradise what can we say of it It is not for us saith Bernard in these earthly bodies to mount into the Clouds Bern. super Cant. serm 38. to pierce this fulnesse of light to break into this bottomlesse depth of glory this is reserved to the last day when Christ Iesus shall present us glorious and pure to his Father without spot or wrinkle And yet because God in his Word doth here give us a taste of heaven by comparing it with the most precious things that are on earth let us follow him so far as he hath revealed it and no further In the midst of Paradise is a Tree of Life Rev. 2.7 Revel 2.7 and this Tree bears twelve manner of fruits yielding her fruit every Moneth Rev. 22.2 Rev. 22.2 What more pleasant then life and what life better then where is variety of pleasure here is a tree of life and the life of the tree a Tree of life that renews life to the eaters and the life of the tree bearing fruit every moneth and as many moneths so many fruits such are the varieties of heavens joyes where youth flourisheth that never waxeth old change of delights and choise too entreth that never knoweth end But look we a little further Iohn that calls this place Paradise Revel 2. calls this Paradise a City Rev. 21. Rev. 21. from the 10 verse to 24. and hereof he gives us the quantitie and quality the bignesse and beauty first for the greatnesse of it An Angel with a golden Reed meaâ—ures it and and he finds the length and the breadth and the height of it are equall Secondly for the beautie of it The Walls saith he are of Iasper and the foundation of the Walls garnished with all manner of precious stones the twelve gates are of pearls and the streets paved with pure gold there is no need of Sun or Moon for the glory of God lightens it and the Lamb Christ Iesus is the light thereof See here the excellency of this City on which words to give you a short Comment Wee 'l begin first with the Greatness of it The Angel sets it down twelve hundred Furlongs vers 16. Yet that we may know this certain number it is but figuratively taken you may ghesse at the measurable magnitude of this Citie by those many Mansions spoken of by Christ John 14.2 John 14.2 In my Fathers house are many Mansions How many so many saith one as would suffice infinitis mundis Rolloc in Joh cap. 14. a thousand worlds of men and though all the men in this one world attain not to it it is not for want of room but of will They believe not in him who hath prepared these seats for them And ghesse it you may by that incredible distance betwixt Heaven and Earth Some Astronomers compute that betwixt us onely and the starrie Frmament there is no lesse then seventy four Millions Casman 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seven hundred three thousand one hundred eighty miles and if the Empyreall Heaven as many say be two or three Orbs above the Starrie firmament how many more miles is it then beyond and the further it is distant we all know well enough the heavens being Orb-wise and one comprehending another that which is furthest or highest must needs be the greatest hence is it that Scriptures compare the height of Heaven and consequently the magnitude to the perfection of God past finding out Canst thou by searching find out God it is as high as heaven what canst thou do Job 11.8 Job 11.8 Secondly If such be the immensity what think you is the beauty It is a most glorious Citie whose walls are of Iasper whose building is of gold whose gates are of pearls whose foundation of precious stones and if such be the gates and streets what then are the inner rooms what are the dining Chambers what are the lodging rooms O how unspeakable is the glory of this Citie Kings shall throw down their Crowns before it and count all their pomp and glory but as dust in comparison and well they may for what is an earthly Kingdome to this heavenly Paradise where is mirth without sadness health without sorrow life without labour light without darknesse where every Saint is a King adorned with light as with a garment and clad in the richest robes that God bestows upon a creature But that which more especially commends the beauty of this Citie is the lustre of it There is saith Iohn no need of Sun or Moon it is verus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wholly light it self Zanch. de Coelo beatorum cap. 4. not like the starrie firmament bespangled here and there with glittering spots It is all as it were one great one glorious Sun from every point it pours out abundantly whole rivers of purest light and then what a light is this Nor is this all for the glorie of God lightens it and the Lamb is the light thereof besides the native lustre there is the glorie of God the glory of all glories this is it for which Moses prayed O Lord I beseech thee shew me thy glory to whom God answered thou canst not see my face and live but I will put thee in a cleft of the rock Exod. 33.18 20 21 22 23. and will cover thee with my hand while my glory passeth by then will I take away my hand and thou shalt see my back parts but my face shall not be seen And if Moses face shone so bright with seeing Gods back-parts that the Israelites were afraid to come nigh him and that he was fain to cover his face with a veil while he spake unto them Exod. 34.30 33. how bright then is Paradise not onely lightened with the back-parts of God but with his own divine glory From the majestie of God saith a modern there goes out a created light Zanch. de Coelo beat l. 1. c. 4. that makes the whole Citie glitter and this being communicated to the Saints God thereby causeth that they see him fully face to face Again The glory of God and the Lambe of God