the good mans death but what is profitable and excellent In the third to the Philippians vers 21. the Apostle calleth this alteration by death not the losse of our body but the change of our vile body that it may bee facioned like to the glorious body of Christ And is there any thing in this but what is excellent and worthy if any thing be worthy our trauell best paines here Iohn speaking of the Saints glorified saith All teares shall be wiped from their eyes Apoc. 21.4 His meaning is that as soone as death shall let them out of the world they shall haue no more sorrow that is sorrow that causeth teares And the same Iohn saith Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord Apo. 14.13 that is they who hauing liued righteously die wel in him are in the hand by the helpe of death leade presently to blessednesse The Saints militant did alwaies with the eyes of faith in the Gospell behold this great honour and preferment by death in the happy ends of the righteous and therefore sighed desiring their house from Heauen 2. Cor. 5.2 for they knew that if it were an honour to be remoued from a base cote to a Princes court it could not but be a double that is singular honour to bee translated from the Cotes of the Earth to the Court of Heauen Therefore they sighed that is could not be merrie till that change should come Paul saith that to be losed to wit from the bonds of his corruptible bodie was best of all Philip. 1 23. which hee would not haue said if any preferment had beene better then that by death which is from basenes into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God The reasons And further that there is so much good in the godlie mans death which is his change may be and is euident First by the things to which that their happie and blessed change by death is compared as to a hauen that after they haue passed the troublesome waues of the sea of this world carrieth them to their owne key or backe in the which they ride safely to their iourneys end after which they come home to their owne house being strangers here 1. Pet. 2.11 to the medicine that cureth most perfectly the sicknesse of life to the messenger that biddeth them to the marriage dinner of their great King Mat. 22.2.3 to their returne from banishment into their owne countrey and naturall land to their deliuerance from the gaole of sorrow where they are taken with Ioseph out of prison to be set with Princes to the laying downe of their tabernacle and to the putting on of their house from Heauen to a deliuerance like that out of Egypt from the bondage of corruption to the libertie of saints from a land of darknesse to a land where the sunne neuer goeth downe and from a land of destruction to the land of the liuing Now what is there in all these that is not perfitly good and desirable Secondly death abolisheth in the faithfull departed all power of sinning and sting of sinne Thirdly the bodie feeleth no more paine nor shal euer againe be sensible but of that which is excellently good desireable and comfortable and for the soule it shall presently be glorified Luc. 16.22 Fourthly death is but the dore of the soule out of an earthly dungeon such as the bodie is that must be destroied before the wormes into an heauenly kingdome or passage from death to life from a short death to a long life Lastly God executeth his iudgements vpon the damned and purgeth his Church by death An instruction to correct all vnreasonable and faithlesse weeping for our godly friends and brethren departed in the faith of Christ Vse 1 The Apostle to the Thessalonians exhorteth Christians if they sorrow for such not to sorrow for them as men that haue no hope 1. Thes 4.13 When Hester was taken from Mardochay who had brought her vp as his owne daughter to be married to King Assuerus and to receaue the crowne of Queene in the kingdome did he either bewaile or enuie that her great preferment the faithfull are taken from sorrowfullmen to be espoused to Christ and to receaue the crowne of glorie and shall they that liue by such vnmeasurable sorrow and taking on as is too commonly vsed at the graues of their friends vnwish to them in a sort so great happinesse Will a father be sorrie or can he without imputation of enuie repine that his sonne or daughter is with Ioseph taken out of prison to be set with Princes when thou giuest forth thy child to nurse and shee hath kept it long inough should shee because thou takest it home againe complaine thou wilt say she hath no reason for it Then what reason hath any father to murmure against the owner of the child hee taketh for taking of his owne Parents that so lose their children if they may be called lost that are so found are but nurses to them in their absence from their owne fathers house to nurse them with the milke of the Gospel and religiously to nurture them for the Lord who by death sends for them home to himselfe when he seeth time and when he so doth haue they cause to complaine of wrong father mother sonne wife husband brother are but lent goods which we must restore when the creditor and hee that owneth them calleth for them And shall we count our selues spoiled or vndone because they are required If one should lend vs a thing of price or thing that is costly would wee for a recompence of the vse of it vpbraid the owner because he sendeth for it or if we should might not he who was the lender iustly say is this my thanks and shall I be recompenced with so great impatiencie for my so great good will So if God should lend vs tenne deare children as he did to Iob and we should be made to part with them all in one day would it become vs with rough words to receaue that supposed losse or would we complaine of wrong where none is offered and where our good is sought and our childrens gaine be vnthankfull if we should may not the Lord of them and of vs iustly taxe our vnthankfulnesse and complaine of wrong May he not say did Iob my seruant so from whom I tooke ten children in one day and in a few daies all the honour and substance that he had did he not rather confesse my vnquestionable right in such moueables and say the Lord giueth the Lord taketh away blessed be the name of the Lord. Iob 1.21 If a great Lord should call vs and our child promising to both much honour and great wealth would we weepe and take on because our child is gone before and we our selues must shortly follow after would we not rather with much ioy so order our iourney and affaires that we also might with as great dispatch as might be receaue such preferment as wee know
nor care that is care of man hath heard the like neither can they enter into our heart which yet hath a large mouth of capacitie to conceiue and vnderstand them if they were told vs which are reuealed by the spirit and but lisped of by Iohn in those earthly similitudes of gates of Pearle of walles of Iasper and of a streete whose pauement is gold Apoc. 21.18.19.20.21 1. Cor. 2.9 Dauid calleth them ioyes and fulnesse 〈◊〉 also pleasures and pleasures eternall Psal 16.11 that is blessednesse without end and the same without want Paul calleth them an eternall waight of glorie 2. Cor. 4.17 as if he should call them glorie endlesse and the glorie that waigheth downe there is such fulnesse in it And they are called the well and riuer of life Apoc. 22.1 as beeing alway full and hauing springs that come from God to feede them Or an inheritâ—nce immortall 1. Pet. 1.4 An inheritance and therefore a possession in the best tenure and an inheritance immortal therefore not for yeares but for euer Life in it selfe is good good life is better but eternitie maketh it excellent Obiect But in heauen some shall shine as the firmament some as the starres for euer Dan. 12.3 Now the firmament hath not so much light as the starres haue that lighten it and the starres haue lesse light then the Sun hath that lighteneth them It seemeth therefore that in heauen there should be to some rather some want then such fulnesse of heauenly glorie Ans I answere though in this condition of our heauenly life there may be degrees of glorie yet there shall be no want Some may bee like the skie some like the starres of the skie yet all shall shine Some vessels may hold more some lesse yet all bee full One may haue more ioy then another and there are sundry measures of more or lesse glorie in heauen but no measure shall lacke his fulnesse of life or glorie there He that hath least shall haue inough The reasons are Hell is contrarie to Heauen In hell there is a fulnesse of torment In he 〈◊〉 therefore there must be a perfection of glorie Secondly earthly kingdomes and the Kings thereof haue as great an absolutenesse as earth can giue them and shall we thinke that heauen which can giue an entire will giue an imperfect crowne of righteousnesse Will not the Kings of the earth dwel in base cottages but in royall courts And shal these Kings of a better kingdome want glorie where mortall Kings haue so great glorie and power Princes on earth dwell in royall palaces and sometimes in Cedar and Iuorie Apoc. 1.6 But they whom Christ hath made Kings Priests to God his Father who dwell in tabernacles not made with hands shall raigne in a citie whose twelue gates are twelue Pearles whose wall is of Iasper and building of Gold and whose streetes shine as cleare glasse Apoc. 21.18.19.21 So said he who saw all this glorie but darkely or as Moses saw the land of Canaan in a very short Map or Card a farre off Deu. 34.1.2.3.4 We see but the outward wall of this heauenly citie new Ierusalem yet how glorious is it and how decked with starres as with sparkling Diamonds What would we say if wee could see into it and behold though with Peter Iames and Iohn at a glance blush superficially the goodly pauement of heauen within whose floore is of gold and wall about is garnished with precious stones Apoc. 21.19 Thirdly if Adams paradise and garden was so pleasant and delightsome how pleasant and glorious is Gods owne garden and seat of his owne residence Hee spake of it with a wondering tongue whose finite heart could not comprehend so infinite an excellencie very glorious things are spoken of thee thou Citie of God Psal 87.3 For though in the letter this worthy Prophet spake of that earthly heauen which he confessed to bee in the materiall tabernacle because of Gods presence and the godly exercises of Gods people performed there yet his meaning was vnder the cloud of the phrase to direct Gods children to a higher tabernacle and house of greater glorie then that which was earthly and vnder the doome of time An instruction aboue all things Vse 1 to affect the things aboue and to draw our mindes with strong cordes of desire vnto them Col. 32. For what place haue we here but of trouble There wee shall haue our place of peace The joyes of our earthly life do much affect vs sometimes too much which yet haue their gall of bitternesse in them and crosse of short time For no sooner doe they begin but their end borders vpon their beginning and many times they rather seeme to begin then begin indeed being like to a false conception that comes not to bearing Many are vnwilling to leaue this world because of the acquaintance they haue in it and which when they die they must leaue behinde them in it And yet in this worldly fellowship there is much sowre ioined with sweet But if there be so great a portion of content in this worldly fellowship what pleasure is there and how perfect in the societie of glorified soules the ancient worthies of the old world and the flower of this when wee shall see but with other eyes and in a spirituall manner Abraham of whom we haue heard so much Isaac Iacob Iob Samuel and the Prophets whose names we haue loued When with Eliab we shall see Christ clothed with our flesh who hath immortalitie at his right hand and shall make vs raigne for euer Wee admire the building of Kings and hee was a Disciple who said to Christ speaking of the temple see what stones what buildings are here Mar. 13.1 But as Christ to him so let me say to all that wonder at these things are those the things ye looke upon Luk. 21.6 The sumptuous buildings of Kings and stately Nobilitie though all the rich entrals of the earth had conspired to giue them varnish and glories what are they but base Cotes compared to this frame not made with hands And doe we so much wonder at mortall lime and stone and so little care for our eternall house The three Disciples who in the transfiguration saw but a glimpse of this heauenly glorie shining vpon the face of their Sauiour would needs build taberbernacles in it what if we saw the whole Sunne of it and not some glimpses onely Math. 17.2.4 Moses saw God but a little in the mount and with mortall eyes and his face so show that the people were afraid to come neere him Exod. 34.30 How then shall they shine in roabes of perpetuall glorie who do behold not with these but with other cies the face of God for euer Lastly to draw our affections to the place where our life is and directly to God in whom we liue let vs consider the honour and pleasures of this Citie Whereâ—â— greater honour then in soueraignty and where are
where others meete with shadowes and shall liue in miferie that liue in vnrighteousnesse The reasons The things that cause errour in iudgement and accepting of persons are imperfect knowledge and respects in the world of good to our selues or of our bond to others But these are not in God whose knowledge is wonderfull who needeth no mans good and is no Mans debter Ps 139.3.4.5.6 16.2 Math. 20.15 Secondly God forbiddeth his Seruants who are the Iudges of the Earth to accept the persons of men and commandeth them to iudge indifferently not accepting faces 1. Sam. 16.7 2. Chr. 19.7 It was Iehosaphats charge to his Iudges or rather the Lords by him And so being Gods law to others and a law of great iustice will he himselfe breake it and will not the Iudge of the world doe iudgement Gen. 18.25 Thirdly God hath made many promises to those that walke before him and vprightly in his commandements The scriptures plentifully speake of this And will an honest man keepe his word and shall God falsifie his truth Ps 51.4 shall he say it and shall he not doe it God forbid wee should so thinke As Gods promises are generall to all that walke before him Vse 1 so they that endeuour so to please God and to walke in his truth must haue bands of particular faith to receaue them God is generall in his gifts and we must be particular in our receit and euerie man liue by his owne faith Habac 2.4 Anothers good life will not bee imputed to vs nor anothers faith saue vs. Therefore all that thine hand shall find to doe doe it saith Salomon with all thy power Eccles 9.10 He saith thine hand not anothers hand For he that will not doe good but by a deputie shall goe to heauen by a deputie and to hell in his owne person Some say let Ministers liue precisely and let Diuines walke before God but for themselues because they are not in that calling they take liberty and giue themselues leaue by a dispensation sealed by themselues to walke other wise as much as if they should say let Ministers be saued and diuines goe to God but for vs let vs perish if we must perish and because God will not haue vs let the diuell haue vs. This is fearefull and their case no lesse fearefull who post off goodnesse to others Let this confute superstitious poperie and carelesse Atheisme One saith well why art thou proud of another mans gift and thou giue nothing Euerie one that will haue peace must walke vpon his owne feete and worke with his owne hands Ephes 4.28 And Papists who with the foolish Virgins trust vnto the store of the wise shall receaue answere we haue not inough for our selues and for you Math. 25.9 But some feare too much as others feare too little who though they haue liued orderly and are sorrie with the sorrow of true repentance where they haue not yet are short-handed in receauing what God hath promised to those who walke before him But will a condemned malefactor at the barre not faile to apply the Kings generall pardon to himselfe for life and shall a iustified sinner feare to make the generall promise to all beleeuers particular to himselfe who is a beleeuer that be may liue Paul saith Christ came to saue sinners of whom I am chiefe 1. Tim. 1.15 He pleaded the Lords generall pardon though a sinner and the chiefe of sinners So the father of Iohn the Baptist Zacharias in his canticle putteth in for the horne of saluation Christ drawing that great redemption in him to himselfe as he applied it to others saying for vs that is for others in Israel and for Mee an Israelite Though in other cases a man cannot with good manners be importunate in matters and for things which concerne himselfe in commoditie or preserment yet here a godly man can neuer be too earnest nor lay too much vpon such a foundation Somtimes we wil applie hastily catch where we should not but if we wold be prouidently captious without offence let it bee here And as it is written of the seruants of Benhadad who were sent to the King of Israel that they tooke diligent heed if they cold catch any thing from him towit for his aduantage who sent them which made them when the King of Israel had said Is Ben-hadad yet aliue hee is my brother Presently to reply saying Thy brother Ben-hadad so let faith and hope our seruants confessing guilty with humbled necks and ropes about them watch what the King of the Kings of Israel hath spoken and set downe vnder his hand in his word concerning repentant sinners and we shall finde it written in the volume of the book concerning them Is he yet aliue he is my brother That is Doth the hungry soule pant for my saluation and the thirstie for my righteousnesse Doth it yet trust in God Doth it still beleeue Behold saith the mercifull King of Christendom Christ Iesus and hee that saueth vs from our sinnes I haue brought many brethren to my father and many sonnes to glorie and this is one Let vs now well obserue and diligently marke what hee saith Benhadad is the Kings brother Therefore say we thy brother Benhadad and catch him in his words that is God my father and Christ my elder brother The father will not cast away his penitent child nor one most kinde brother betray another to death 1. King 20.33 Indeed the deiected soule of man cannot alwaies being laden with troubles thus raise vp it self into confidence and some in the brunt haue complained that they haue been cut off from God whose voices in their feare haue been these or such as these Christ indeed came into the world to saue sinners but not such as we are and was appointed a Sauiour but not for vs singling out themselues Some in their hast haue said Here is the fire and wood but where is the Lamb for sacrifice Ge. 22.8 But let such remember that peace shall come to euery one that walketh before God or that would that is vnfainedly would walke before him We see not the Lambe for sacrifice but God will prouide nay God hath prouided it and open wee the eyes that blind distrust hath shut vp and wee shall see it Christ spake as one forsaken and a man would thinke that he had despaired when he twice said My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Math. 27.46 But if we dig through the bitter barke of the letter deeper into the words we shall finde an hony combe in them of perfect consolation Iudg. 14.8 For he calleth him yet his God and as if he wold adde another cord of faith to his first and make it a two-fold cord that cannot be broken he calleth him againe the second time his God that is the God in whom he trusted in whom hee will trust If God shall fashion any of vs to our head in the similitude of such a sorrow euer let
the meaning is that this diligent search of Gods power in the register of his noble workes is one excellent meane of godlinesse and signe of one that is godly But what shall we say of those who take liberty to doe euill because they are made great as if he that made them were not greater Psal 76.12 and who walke stubbornely in their sinnes because they may walke quietly in them without any mans checke not caring for nor dreading his iudgement of rebuke who hath power is strong to bring sinners to destruction To such I say Doe yee prouoke the Lord and are yee stronger then hee 1. Cor. 10.22 if hee touch the Mountaines they smoke and if he strike hard shall they not burne The Sorcerers who ascribed so much to the finger of God Exod. 8.19 what would they haue said of his whole hand what is stubble to fire and what are wee to God Our God is a consuming fire Heb. 12.19 But God is our Creator Doct. 2 therefore againe we are taught to shew our selues in knowledge and obedience yea by all meanes and waies such as are readie alwaies to glorifie this our Creator This moued the Apostle of the Gentils writing to the Romans to exhort them to offer vp to God as in a sacrifice by obedience First their bodies mortifying them that is sinne in them Rom. 12.1 And secondly their minde by renuing of it that is by seeking to make it of old new of fleshly spirituall of prophane noly and of euill good and acceptable to God in Christ ver 2. But was this written to them or for them onely or doth it not also concerne vs seeing that he who made them made vs and who saued them must be our Sauiour The same Apostle writing to the Collossians chargeth them and vs in them whatsoeuer they doe in word or deede whether they vse their tongues or labour with their hands to doe all in the name of the Lord Iesus that is thankefully to ascribe all to God the father of Christ and our father in Christ Col. 3.17 And wherefore so but because the Father hath made vs and the Sonne hath redeemed vs as hee also saith in another place glorifie God in your bodie and in your Spirit for they are Gods as all are his 1. Cor. 6.20 The reasons No tradesman but would haue all that hee deuiseth or maketh to haue some vse and that vse to his minde and liking and what Man of occupation can abide that the tooles and instruments by which he worketh should by one comming into his shop be vsed to a wrong end and will not hee who hath created all things for his glorie and seruice haue Man his principall worke more principally seruiceable to his will and glorie or can he abide that one of his chiefe tooles that which was made to be to his praise should turne to his dishonour becomming an instrument of vnrighteousnesse to sinne which was made a weapon of holinesse to God Secondly Mans body is called the Temple of God or House made by God 1. Cor. 6.15.19 and shall we not keepe Gods House cleane If a man hauing a faire dwelling-House whereinto he meaneth to receaue his Prince should conuert the same into a stie or stable would not men say that hee did greatly abuse both his House and Soueraigne So if we make that which should be a Palace to God by swearing lying drunkennesse adulterie and such vnclean pranks a stie of Hell and stable for the gouernour of this world would not good men say that we reproch our Creator and dishonest the House of Him that made vs An instruction to make conscience of euerie sinfull way Vse as wee would bee afraid to pollute and dishonest the Princes Court or House and if we would be ashamed to be fit for nothing let euerie thought and purpose make vs blush which doth manifest that we can be of no vse to God when we goe on in sin let vs reason against such proceedings and say Surely God made vs to another end and this is no good vse of our creation This is not to make our bodie a vessell for God but a stie for Diuels or heard or droue of swine for vncleane Spirits to enter into Math. 8.31 And surely the more filthie a mans bodie is the more fit it is to become a lodge hold for Diuels sinne Wee haue eyes to see the Heauens and the soule in Gods image hath other eyes to looke into heauen Al other creatures goe with their eyes and bodies depressed to the ground and where other creatures haue but foure muscles to turne their eies about Man hath a fifth to pull His vp to Heauen And what is this but to teach vs that howsoeuer we necessarily seeke other things yet wee should first and chiefly respect and respecting seeke the things of God in our saluation But at this day though Men goe vpright outwardly in face hypocritically in shewes yet looke into their liues and worke and they may as well goe on all foure Is this to remember thy Creator and remembring Him as thou oughtest in feare and with obedience to set thy heart to His commandements and to adorn thy creation with good works seruing God So much for the person to be remembred the tyme of remembring him followeth In the daies of thy youth c. As god is to bee remembred so wee must begin betimes to remember him For many make a shew and wil seem to walke with God who walke in no awe nor reuerence of His word and many also forgetting with the common Parents of the world that they who transgresse shall die be it in youth or age eate the forhidden tree of putting off from day to day to turne vnto the Lord Gen. 3.2.3.6 and so thinking it too soone to beginne in the flight age of youth or at Mans estate carefully to serue God turne all their termes into vacations and like bad borrowers when one day or terme of life is past craue a longer and alonger till they be staied by the arrest of death and sent to the prison of hell and their lie bound in fetters of long night and death eternall Therefore Salomon giueth his yong Man counsell earely to begin repentance that is in the prime and bud of his life while hee is fresh and gallant and not to tarrie till the dead winter of age cause his buds to fade and lease to fall or till the brawne of his strong armes fall away or till the keepers of the house the hands which defend the bodie tremble or till euery thing be a burthen seeing euen the grasse-hopper shall then be a burthen or till they waxe darke the eies that looke out at the windowes or till the grinders cease that is teeth fall out of his head or till the dore of his lips bee shut and â—awes fallen or till the daughters of singing the eares be abased being vnable any longer to heare the sounds of
ordered bring forth the greatest Masters of vice and Guides to wickednesse and as a weede if it grow in a ranke soile will grow out of measure noisome so the tender youth of great families brought vp in ease and pampered with the delights of gentry if they prooue weeds must needs riot most vnmeasurably and prooue most hurtfull members in the Commonwealth and not members but diseases in the Church Lastly to excite our gentry to traine vp their yong Gentlemen to the feare of God and to good sciences let them remember that a gentleman without vertue learning is like a darke heauen in the night without moone or starres and let them not forget that if they would haue the blessing of being blessed fathers of a blessed seed they must bring them within the couenant endeuouring to make their sonnes by nature the sons of God by grace The like for their daughters if they would haue their daughters by birth to become the daughters of Abraham by new birth and godlinesse An admonition to yong persons Vse 2 to striue against all impediments of godlinesse in yong yeeres For are parents bound to teach youth then are youth bound to learne of their parents or must al feare God yong then young and all must learne betimes to feare him and can none feare him but such as arme against the impediments of his feare then where are most as in youth and where most are hindered as tender youth there must this armor chiefly be put on The first impediment of early godlines in yong men is a reckoning but without their host that they shall liue to be old which causeth theÌ„ to say peace peace Iâ—r 8.11 til with Sisera they fal into their last sleep of destruction Iudg. 4.21 go from their house to graue Psal 49.14 But who can be ignorant that on the stage of this world some haue longer and some shorter parts and who knoweth not though some fruits fall from the tree by a full and naturall ripenes that all doe not so nay that more are pulled from it and wither vpon it in the tender bud or young fruit then are suffered to tarrie till they come to their perfect ripenes and mellowing so do not mo without comparison fall from the tree of time young either violently plucked from it by a hasty death or miserably withering vpon it by a long death perishing in the bud of childhood or beaten downe in the greene fruit of youth then come to their full age of ripenesse by a mellow and kindly death Further doth not God call home from his worke some in the morning some at noone and some at night For as his labourers enter into his vineyard so they goe out that is in such manner and at such houres Math. 20.1.2.3 c. Some dye in the dawning of their life who passe but from one graue to another Some dye in youth as in the third houre some at thirtie and some at fiftie as in the sixt and ninth and some very old as in the last houre of the day Yet more dye young then old and more before tenne then after threescore Besides all this the fresh life which the youngest haue here is cut off or continued by the same decree and finger of God that the oldest and most blasted life is prolonged or finished For say that a man had in his keeping sundrie brittle vessels as of glasse or stone some made fortie fiftie yea threescore yeares age and some but yesterday we will agree that that vessell wil soonest be broken not that is made first but which is first striken or first receiueth a knocke So for these brittle vessels of our earthly bodies they that soonest receiue the blow of death though but made yesterday first perish not that were first made and haue longest liued What then is our life and how vaine and false is our hope of long life seeing no man can tel who hee is that shall receiue the first stroke or knocke to the destroying of this his mortal tabernacle In a prison where are many condemned should some riot and forget death because they first are not drawne out to die or because one goes before another to execution shall he that comes last come forth pleasantly with Agag and say Surely the bitternes of death is past 1. Sam. 15.32 because we die not so soone as others and we shall not all die at once shall we therefore count our selues immortall If we be old wee may bee sure our turne is neere and if we be young it may be as neere for they that be old may trauell longer but we that are yong may haue a shorter way home Seeing then this hope of liuing till we be old is so vaine and deceitfull wee should make as great haste to God at twenty as at fourescore When we heare a solemne knell we say some bodie is departed and why should we not thinke that the feet of them who carried out that bodie is at the doore readie to cary vs out also Act. 5.9 He was not an old man and he had much peace in his dayes to whom it was said O foole this night they will fetch away thy soule Luc. 12.20 So death worketh in vs whether we prepare for it or no. a Mr. Perk. in his right way of dying well A certaine writer vseth this comparison A man pursued by an Vnicorne in his flight fals into a dungeon and in his fall hangs by the arme of a tree as he thus hangeth looking downeward he sees two wormes gnawing at the root of the tree and looking vpward he sees an hiue of sweet hony which makes him to climbe vp vnto it to sit by it and to feed vpon it While he thus feedeth himselfe and becommeth secure or carelesse of what may come the two wormes gnaw in sunder the root of the tree which done both man and tree fall into the bottome of that deepe pit This Vnicorne is swift Death the Man that flieth is euerie sonne of Adam the pit ouer which he hangeth is hell the arme of the tree is his short life the two wormes are day and night which without stay consume the same the hiue of honie is the pleasures of this world to which while men wholly deuote themselues not remembring their last end the root of the tree that is temporall life is spent and they fall without redemption into the pit and gulfe of hell Another impediment of godlinesse in a young man is his strong constitution which perswades him that he shall liue long that therefore he may at leasure inough turne to God hereafter but no constitution in man can enlarge his Charter of life one poore houre Indeed the good complexion of a man may be a signe of long life but he that prolongeth our daies on Earth he onely can make vs to liue long Exod. 20.12 A third impediment of godlinesse is parentage abused For some thinke that God neuer required
leasure to liue well but flit from sinne to sinne as the flye skippeth from dish to dish till they be taken with the sweet meate of sin in their mouth and there bee no place to repentanâ—â— Let such consider that the custome of sinne causeth a hardning in sin For so the Apostle speaketh thou after thine hardnesse and heart that cannot repent heapest vnto thy selfâ— wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2.5 and let them remember that custome will adde to nature and turne it vnto it selfe Which is the cause that a Preacher shall as soone take Nature from a man by his words as sinne to which hee is accustomed Besides Sathan is not easily cast our where hee hath long dwelt and if Sathan be in sinne will not be out if Sathan haue possession sinne that attends vpon him will not loose possession if one dwell in vs both as well as one wil and must dwell in vs. So much for the Wisemans exhortation his reasons follow Whiles the euill dayes come not c. These are the reasons for which Salomon would haue his young man not to put of in the age of youth which is most prime and teachable the remembrance spoken of And they are taken from the many infirmities and withdrawings that are to bee found in old age when youth is abused as much as if Salomon should haue said Well my sonne thou art now yong lustie and actiue of good apprehension and sharpe conceite indued with fresh and strong faculties of wit and remembrance thy feete are nimble thy sight is good and thy hearing perfect now therfore serue God whiles thou maist the time may come when thou wilt be old weake and sickely dull in apprehending and of bad capacitie and remembrance without a good legge to bring thee to church without a good eare to heare at Church and either without all eies or darke sighted and so not able to reade or not able to reade long nor a good letter but through spectacles then it will be too late to doe any good seruice to God thy Creator This I take to be the Wise 〈◊〉 meaning in these words and the doctrine from hence is Doctr. Old age is no fit time wherein to begin godlinesse when the gay and fresh age of youth hath beene consumed in vanities The Israelites are complained of by the Lord in Malachy That they offered the blind for sacrifice and the lame and sicke for aâ— hallowed thing Mal. 1.8 He that would not haue a beast that had no eyes in his seruice would haue theâ— whiles thou hast eyes to serue him The sicke and the lame were no good offerings then and bee they good ware now in the sicke and lame bodie of a man that hath desperately put off his turning to God till he can neither draw winde nor legge Moses knew this and therefore bore this burthen yong and while his legges were able to beare him For the Text saith That when he was come to age hee refused to be called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter that is would not liue in delicacies while he had strength to liue vnto God Heb. 11.24.25.26 Ioseph also in his beautie and faire person turned his back to his tempting Mistresse and his face to the Lord. Gen. 39.10.12 He would not put off to serue God till old age had made choppes to his beautifull face and till his skin was withered Iosiah a good King in the eight yeare of his raigne and sixteene of his age when he was yet a Child began to seeke after the God of Dauid his Father and in the twelfth yeare of his raigne and twentieth of his age made a famous reformation 2. Chro. 34.3.4.5.6 What so soone and so young So saith the Scripture and so it was without controuersie For Gods Children take the good daies of youth for good duties and not the euill of sickly and saplesse old age for them as commonly the worlds children doe Samuel serued God in his minoritie and grew in spirit as hee shotte vp in yeares Samuel was a good man and the better beâ—â—â—â— a good yong man The reasons Repentance as it can neuer come too soone where sinne is gone before so it must needes with much adoe and not without some speciall worke of God ouertake so many sinnes of youth and manhood so farre and much before it Secondly old age is full of wearinesse and trouble and where wee haue elbow-roome in youth we cannot turne vs in old age Perhaps wee shall neither heare nor see nor go nor sit without paine and torment in all parts and is this a fit condition of life and age of time to serue God in Or doe we thinke seeing wee will not know God in youth that he wil know vs at these yeares and in this case and state A reproofe therefore to those who bestow on Sathan the beauty Vse 1 strength and freshnesse of youth and offer to God the wrinckles weakenesse and foule hue of old age Or when they haue giuen away the flower of their yong yeeres to Gods enemie offer to God who will haue the first and deserues the best the dregges and leauings To such I say if thou wilt not know God in thy youth hee will neuer know thee for ought thou knowest when thou art gray-headed If as hath been said thou wilt not giue him the yong and sound and that which is without blemish he will neuer take in good part the old and sicke and euill fauoured which no man will giue to his friend nor dare offer to his Prince If thou wilt not when thou art quick-witted when thou art come to yeares of dotage hee will not If thou wilt not beare him in his day thou shalt cry in thy day that is in the euill day and not be heard Prou. 1.28 It is too late to sowe when thy fruit should be in and no time to leaue sinne when sinne must leaue thee An instruction Vse 2 not to trust to the broken staffe of old age for being holy as wee are called to holinesse 1. Thess 4.7 but in the daies of our youth as the yeares of plentie to prouide with Ioseph in Egypt for a famine of hearing a famine that may come by infirmitie of yeares Gen. 41.49 For holinesse is a gift and the grace of holinesse is the gift of God Psal 51.10 Now a gift must bee taken when it is offered It is offered to day to day if you will heare his voice Psal 95.7 And therefore we may not come for it many yeares hence being promised to day What folly is it to challenge it thirty or forty yeares hereafter But if men haue neglected in their youth thus to remember God it is high time in their age to remember him Which would bee considered of those who haue already put foot within the dores of that age in the which the Almond tree flourisheth the haires are turned white to the haruest of death Eccl. 12.5 For is it not time for
are reputed seruants in Egypt and strangers in the wildernesse being vnhappy to wit in the opinion of worldly men till they come into their happy land and receiue those mansions which are prepared for them The wicked because they serue sinne in their members and short time are happie till they die being for that Lords in Egypt and Citizens here Here in pleasures after death in torments Here Lords of the earth hereafter brands of hell No maruell then if short life trouble the wicked as it comforteth the godly That which is added by Iob to his time of attendance followeth All Iob saith that hee would waite all his daies because he knew not the day nor houre when God would command his apparence by death and send him to his dust As if he should haue said Of my departure hence I know not the day nor houre or I know not when I shall die 1. Pet. 1.17 and therefore euery day shal be as my dying day and I will liue in continuall expectation of that which will come I know not how soone Doctr. This is the meaning And the point taught is though there bee nothing more certaine then death yet nothing is more vncertaine to vs then the houre in which we shall die For this cause the day of the generall as likewise the day of our particular iudgement in death is said to come suddenly vpon worldlings as the snare vpon the bird which commeth when it is not looked for Luke 21.35 And Mathew to shew how little wee know the comming of it till it come compareth it to a Master from home who returneth to his house in a day that the seruants looke not for him and in an houre that they are not ware of Mat. 24.50 And in the 43. verse of the same Chapter he compareth it to a thiefe in the night For as a thiefe giueth no warning so no more doth stealing death He that keepeth the house knoweth not when the thiefe will come and hee that looketh for death knoweth not when he shall die 1. Thes 5.2 The reasons If we knew the day of our death we would put off all till the comming of that day Secondly as it is the glorie of a King to know some things that no man else can know so it is a part of Gods glorie to hide from men and Angels the particular houres of mans death and this worlds doome which hee hath closed vp with the seale of secrecie and put in his owne power Now God will giue no part of his glorie to 〈◊〉 Thirdly if we knew the houre or certaine time of our death it would giue vs too great boldnesse to wallow in sinne till that time or houre came The whorish woman because she knew the rust time when her husband would returne who went into a far countrie did by such a certaine knowledge of the appointed time of his comming backe the more liberally poure out her soule to vice wantonnesse Prou. 7.20 Therefore it is counsell to vs when wee shall die that all the dayes of our appointed time we may wait for this day and in all our time looke for this last time To make good vse of this point Vse we must account of euery presēt day as the day of our death so liue now as if we were now dying doe those good duties euery day that wee would bee found doing at our last houre of the day Death doth come suddenly to many so it may to vs and some who haue promised to themselues many yeeres and long life haue not had a minute of warning giuen them to cal for mercie The houses of their bodies were presently digged thorow when they iudged their time endlesse and when they thought to haue runne a long race of scores Iob. 21.23.24.25 their graues haue met them in their setting out and they haue ended their act before they had plaide one full part on their stage The consideration hereof should make vs carefull to doe good while we haue time seeing we are so vnsure of it Gal. 6.10 The time of making peace with our Aduersarie is while wee are in the way Math. 5.25 And because we know not the day we should watch by doing good euerie day sitting with Abraham in our Tent doore Gen. 18.1 And watching death that watcheth vs. One light before doth more good then many carried after So one fore-thought is better then twentie after wits Death looketh for vs euerie where therfore as one saith wee should euery where looke for him Luke 12.35.36 But further to incite vs to this Christian watch let vs remember that where the tree falleth there it lieth in the East of life or West of second death where the Sunne of peace setteth vpon reprobates for euer Eccles 11.3 As the last day of our life leaueth vs so shall that last day the day of Christs comming August finde vs. How good were it therefore before we runne into desperate arrierages to cast our billes of account the rather because wee shall bee warned out of our office we know not how soone Luke 16.2 Some Emperors among the Heathen were woont as bookes say to bee crowned ouer the sepulchers and graues of dead men to teach them by the certaine but vnknowne end of their short life to vse their great roomes as men that must one day be as they then were whose graues they trode vpon The old Saints who liued in a continuall meditation of their short and vncertaine time were wont alway like wise Merchants to thinke of their returne homeward And therefore tooke vp their treasure by billes of paiment not where they were but where they would bee and meant to make their long aboad that is meant to be for euer And the Philosophers who saw not beyond the clouds of humane reason when they perceiued how much men did decline by course of yeares and wastes of time were woont to say that the life of a wise man was nothing but a continuall meditation of death And were it no more but that it is enacted as by an euerlasting Parliament that all must once die Heb. 9.27 This were inough to cast a cloud yea a whol dark sky ouer the fairest day we see here and passe in our fairest pleasures But when we shall consider that after death commeth the iudgement it must needes moue vs to turne our laughter into mourning and to thinke how to liue and die well in so short and certaine but vncertain time of our expectation of such a day a day of such dread and tertour to carelesse liuers a black hideous and dismall day But carelesse persons like those officers in the Kings house who hauing their allowance of lights consume them in wantonnesse and goe to bed in the dark doe consume on their lusts those good graces as it were lights which they haue receiued for saluation from the father of lights Iam. 4.3 which is cause that when their bodies must goe to
our eyes bee vpon Christ and vpon those whom God hath scaled to be faithfull and we shall not be confounded in the perilous day Let vs but say with Isaac my father Gen. 22.7 And though we can say no more God will presently answere Here I am my sonne For this is a trne saying and worthy of all men to be receiued that Iesus Christ came into the world to saue sinners The Apostle saith it is worthy the marking and let us marke it well 1. Tim. 1 15. For it is as true as worthy to bee receiued and teacheth that though we be sinners and great sinners or chiefe of sinners yet if as repentant sinners we can beleeue the remission of sins by Christ not too popishly harpe vpon a satisfaction for sin by our owne doings our part is in his great saluation For Christ came to saue sinners and the chiefest sinner There wanteth not a hand to giue but wee want hands who should receiue his gift The bloud of Christ is able to cure as most soueraigne physick all infirmities and sinnes repented off If we be neuer so great sinners and haue a hand of faith in our harts to receiue that grace of God that hath brought saluation Tit. 2.11 neither wee nor our sinnes can disanull the promise of God which is that he will be mercifull to our sinnes Then let our sinnes be neuer so many and those many sinnes neuer so great being truely repented off God is greater who hath forgiuen vs all our sinnes The voice that saith to all come Apoc. 22.17 excludeth none and shall wee being bidden to the great Kings wedding by turning the point of crueltie vpon our selues strike our owne names out of the roule of the guests that are bidden to the Lambes feast Math. 22.4.5 Therefore sinne doth not simply hurt vs but impenitencie in sinne hurteth the wicked For Herod had rather loose Iohn then his brothers wife Mat. 14.3.5 And some had rather part with their preachers then with their sinnes So they hinder the effect of the physick which in mercie by good application is appointed to heale them Saluation is come to their houses and into their houses but they iudge themselues vnworthy of euerlasting life Act. 13.46 Thus the godly in temptation dare not apply Christ and the wicked in sinne cannot But Vse 2 doth not God accept mens persons Then his Magistrates on earth which are called Gods Psal 82.6 should not in causes be partiall betwixt man and man For they execute not the iudgements of man but of the Lord who is with them in the matter of iudgement 2. Chro. 19.6 The Magistrates seat must bee the throne that iudgeth right and when he giueth sentence in a matter he must lay iudgement to the rule and righteousnesse to the ballance Esay 28.17 as if hee would waigh out an equall euen proportion of iustice to rich and poore Deut. 1.17 And this measure must bee scaled at the Lords standard with testimonie of an vpright conscience Therefore one setteth forth a good Iudge with a sword in the one hand and a paire of scales in other The meaning is that hee must not strike by iudgement til the cause to bee iudged haue receiued an indifferent ballance in hearing Though a Noble man speake by a letter and a rich man intreat by a gift hee must not heare to peruert the straight steps of iustice To be short as God is no respecter of persons so these Gods should know no difference of person wher right is one nor bend their cares to credit a tale that first is d Prou. 18.7 told them nor corrupt their iudgement with their censure before they hear the cause nor seperate betweene their verdit and the truch of their knowledge which should goe together nor vse sudden resolutions nor be hastie in iudgement So shall iustice be free not partial nor hired which God detesteth A reproofe of those proud christians who grace religion in a veluet hood Vse 3 but scorne it in vile raiment hauing the faith of the Lord Iesus Christ in respect of persons Iam. 2.1.2.3 or who bid rich religion home vnto them but will not take poore religion by the hand for either they turne from it as strangers or against it as enemies So the poore is seperated from his neighbour Pro. 19.4 that is his carnall friends will not helpe him the godlie that are poore cannot And hence it is that they who want wealth and countenance though neuer so religious are despised as abiects They who haue riches and fauour though neuer so prophane are admired as Angels But it is a marke of the heire of life to respect the vertue not the riches or person of a man Ps 15.4 And he who is such an one will bee affected towards men as he perceiueth men to bee affected towards God if they contemne God hee will not regard them though neuer so honourable and if they feare God he will make much of them though neuer so vile This is to iudge righteous iudgement and not according to the appearance which iudgement Christ the Iudge hath forbidden Ioh. 7.24 So S. Paul chargeth Timothie in his ministrie to do his duetie without preferring one to another to wit for outward matters and to do nothing partially 1. Tim 5.21 that is not to spare to reproue for affection nor to rebuke bitterly for displeasure and euill will A good item for the partiall in the ministrie among our selues at this day who will scarce giue counsel but such as shal please where they loue and yet drawe out reproofs as salt as brine the same many times causelesse where they spleenishly hate Which what is it but to make God himselfe their officer to reuenge their quarel and to scrue their malicious humor To spare some for great faults and bitterly to inuey against others for no fault because they bee our carnall friends whom we spare and suspected foes whom we so fiercely prosecute and falsly reproue Is it not to make the word it selfe and the author of it God himselfe partiall and to prophane that which is holy Which may bee spoken of priuate persons as well as of publike ministers who in their enemy can see the mote of a small fault and haue no eyes to see the beame of a great one in their friend and louer Math. 7.3 If he offend whom we malice or like not it is horrible but if hee greatly offend whom for kindred or wealth or acquaintance wee esteeme of it is nothing What is this but to affect for respects not of vertue or vice but of kindred or person A comfort to the poore that bee godly Vse 4 For pouertie doth not make a man lesse accepted of God or of good men The Prophet Dauid saith That God hath chosen to himselfe a godly man Psal 4 3. he saith not a rich man if he be not godly And he further saith be sure of this as if hee should say beleeue it
be quite gone which out of temptation and in a calme time shineth wonderfully in our eyes Besides for these outward things whether they befall a man in life or death all things come alike to all Eccles 9.2 And so one may die like a lambe and goe to hell and another die in exceeding torments with lamentable vnquietnesse and shrikes of slesh and goe to heauen But you will say They both say and thinke that God hath cast them off And I say againe that it may be their speech and opinion and yet nothing to the preiudice of their saluation by Christ For when and why doe they so speake and thinke It is not then and because they are sicke of that despaire which ariseth either of the weakenesse of nature or of the conscience of sinne toward death And what maruell if then in that taking they vtter some distempered words and haue strange and vnquiet thoughts Therefore though they should thinke they are damned and speake it in such a disturbance and at such times it can be but the voice and opinion of their sicknesse and a sick mans iudgement of himselfe is not to be regarded So much for the act of walking the obiect before whom followeth Before him The obiect of our conuersation is God the righteous walk before him or haue him before them in all their life looking vpon him as vpon a God of glorious maiestie that wil not iustifie the wicked of gracious mercy that pardoneth sinners of speciall prouidence that numbreth our steppes and of infinite knowledge that seeth all our waies or they haue God before them in Christ and Christ in God beholding his iustice behind the skreene of his mercie and perceiuing his mercie through the darke cloud of his iustice And they who so doe Doctr. cannot but do that which is good in his sight The doctrine then is The best meane of a good conuersation is to set the Lord alway before vs. This hath beene partly spoken of in the first sermon and first doctrine The way to walke aright is to behold the Lord in all our waies So did Eliah who therefore saith to Ahab As the Lord lineth before whom I stand 1. King 17.2 Where hee confirmeth his speech with an oath and lest Ahab should thinke he made no conscience of what he said addeth this clause that he stood in the presence of God As if he should haue said I set God before me in my sayings and therefore make conscience of that I say Cornelius in like manner considering that hee was before God in Peters ministery prouoketh himselfe and others with him to a solemne hearing of what shold be spoken from God vnto them and therefore said Wee are all here present before God to heare all things that shall be commanded vs of God Act. 10.33 His meaning was as if he should haue said to Peter though wee much reuerence thee yet wee more reuerence a greater in place then thou art to wit that terrible God and consuming fire that speaketh by thee And indeed who is he that setting alway before him the God who is of pure eyes and cannot behold euill Habac. 1.13 will not loth the practising of iniquitie if he haue any sparke of grace in his heart or blood of shame in his face for what Subiect would dare to walke vndecently and not feare to doe euill in the eye of his Prince or would a man steale in the presence and before him that must iudge him for his theft And how then can we sinne presumptuously if we set him alway before vs Qnest who is iudge of quicke and dead But how shall we set the Lord before vs that we may liue so as is here required and bridle sinne that it haue not the head among vs I answere Answ We must set him before vs in his last assise remember him as our dreadfull iudge and this will much restraine vs from sinning against him The euill Steward when he remembred that hee had a Master who wold shortly take his office from him did wisely though not iustly in it Luc. 16.4.8 The contrary for getting of the iudgement to come and Iudge that will come is the cause why so many so much differre to knocke at the gate of Heauen with the hand of repentance and voice of their praiers putting off till there be no opening Math. 25.11 And therefore as riotous persons who hauing little in their purse doe in their Inne call for all sortes and varietie of Cates forgetting that a reckoning and shot will come so these gracelesse spenders in their Innes of ease forgetting or putting off the shot and doome of the last day doe nothing but bath themselues in the delights of sinne and put inough vpon the reckoning account to come that they may walke securely acording to the course of this world in all manner lusts and vnrighteousnesse contemning God Am. 6.3 Secondly we must set the Lord befóre vs in his word for so shall we doe wisely and not goe out of the good way till he come vnto vs in our death or at his great day Ps 101.2 Ios 1.8 and largely in the 119. Psalm throughout For this cause the word is called a treasure Mat. 13.44 A treasure which is to be found onely in the field of the scriptures of the old and new testament that we may hide it in our hearts as we safely lay vp a treasure Papists therefore who walke in their owne inuentions as in by-waies and Protestants that walke not in the way of Gods commandements but in the blind-way of their ignorant and foolish hearts that are full of darkenesse Rom. 1.21 Set not the Lord but all manner sinne and concupiscence before them to worke the same with all greedinesse Eph. 4.19 Thirdly we must set the Lord before vs in his mercies and louing kindnesse and this will bridle a good nature from sinning against him For the kindnesse of a father manie times ouercommeth a bad nature and then what is it not able to doe with a good nature Gods kindnesse to vs and tendernesse of vs is more then the kindnesse of any father and tendernesse of any mother to the child whom they dearely loue Esay 49.15 And if we doubt of this remember we the stories of Dauid and of the prodigall sonne For how did the fatherly compassion and motherly pitty of the Lord worke nay exceed toward both of them Dauid committed two great sinnes not repenting for them but lying in them and adding diuers other great euils vnto them The Lord did not for all this reiect him but had great care of him and when he sought not his pardon sent it home vnto him by Nathan in these words The Lord hath put away thy sinne thou shalt not die 2. Sam. 12.13 The prodigall sonne had run a long and wild course of errour yet did the pittifull father at his comming backe not driue him away but meete him in the way nor speake roughly to
already in the fourth verse should perish being fore-written to condemnation As if he should haue said God will giue iudgement to destruction against all vngodly men And of this number are these deceiuers Therefore they also shall perish and be damned This is the Apostles drift in the allegation of the prophecie Wherein to say nothing of the preface to it wee haue speech of the last generall iudgement ver 14. and of the ends of the Iudges comming ver 15. In the first the Apostle speaketh of the certaintie of the thing and with what solemnitie it shall be performed The ends of the Iudges comming are general surely as concerne the wicked first in their deeds whereof they shall be iudged and secondly in their words for which they shall giue answere In the certaintie of this last iudgement two things may bee considered as first who shall be Iudge the Lord and secondly the manner of propounding this iudgement in the word commeth Hee that is iudge is the Lord to wit the Lord Iesus Christ who shall hold the Court of assise in the clouds and cite all nations before him with the sound of the last trumpet Hee shall be iudge who is of pure eyes and cannot behold euill Habac. 1.13 Who iudgeth the world with righteousnesse and his people with equitie Psa 98 9. And who is gracious to his seruants and terrible to Sinners From whence this point is taught Doctr. that the day of the last iudgement is kept by Christ onely who will come both as a Sauiour and as a Iudge and in a day of as great ioy as may be and feare as euer was Christ himself saith the father iudgeth no man Ioh. 5.22 To wit directly but by the sonne to whom he hath committed all iudgement that is to whom onely he hath giuen the hearing of the last day Peter in his Sermon to Cornelius and his company saith as much saying that Christ is ordained of God a iudge of quicke and dead Act. 10.42 His meaning is it was the decree and will of God from eternitie that Christ properly should be iudge and that hee should condemne the world who was condemned in the world and saue his owne who died for his owne And the Apostle Paul charging Timothy by the charge of an adiuration to preach the word giueth him a commandement so to doe before God and before Iesus Christ whom he describeth by a proper effect which is that hee shall indge the quicke and dead at his appearing and in his kingdome that is in that day of his great glorie 2. Tim. 4.1 Also the same Apostle Paul telleth the men of Athens that God will iudge the world by that man to wit Christ God and Man whom hee hath appointed or whom by a decree elder then the world hee hath made iudge And hee saith the Apostle shall iudge the world in righteousnesse Act. 17.31 Others may sell iudgement but he wil giue true iudgement and execute iudgement with righteousnesse Quest You will say Must not the Father and holy Ghost be Iudges as well as Christ Answ I answere that iudgement is an action belonging to all the three persons in Trinitie but the execution of it is proper to the Sonne by whom the Father and holy Ghost doe iudge the world Quest But what say you to those places of Scripture where it is said that the Apostles shall sit vpon Thrones and iudge the tribes of Israel Mat. 19.28 and that the Saints shall iudge the world 1. Cor. 6.2 Answ I say that the authoritie of iudgement doth not belong either to Apostles or Saints and that in their manner of iudgement they resemble Iustices who at an assise are in a manner Iudges and yet giue no sentence but onely approue the sentence that is giuen The Iudges for the time haue the whole authoritie Iustices on the bench are but assistants and witnesses So here the definitiue iudgement is proper to Christ who is Iudge himselfe The Saints and Apostles are not Iudges but as Iudges hauing no voices of authoritie but of assent Thus it hath been shewed that Christ onely is iudge it must be further shewed that he is both a Sauiour and a Iudge Our conuersation saith the Apostle is in heauen He speaketh of himselfe and of the Saints whose conuersation and life is not carnall but spirituall And from thence we saith the same Apostle that is all the godly looke for the Sauiour meaning Christ the Lord who is a Sauiour to the righteous and a Iudge to the vngodly Phil. 3.20 Also the grace of God that hath appeared as the bright sunne-shine in our saluation teacheth vs to liue soberly righteously and godlily as they that looke for the appearing of their Sauiour Tit 2.13 that is for the comming of Christ who will saue his people and iudge the wicked and sinners So he is called the Sauiour of his bodie which is the church Ephes 5.23 because at the last day and at his last comming hee will come as a Sauiour to it as a Iudge to the enemies of it And that this will be a terrible day to the wicked and day of as great reiolcing to the righteous appeareth in Psal first verses 3. 4. Where that Prophet speaking of the different estates of the godly and sinners in their apparances at the great Sessions of the last iudgement saith that the leafe of the righteous shall not fade but the chaffe of the vngodly shall be driuen away Christ saith that it shall be a day of such tribulation to the vngodly men that their hearts shall faile them for feare when they thinke of it or looke after it Luke 21.26 But speaking of and to the righteous by shewing what manner day it shall bee to them hee biddeth them for the peace it bringeth and ioy it promiseth to all such to looke vp and to list vp their heads for it is the day of their redemption saith he draweth neere ver 28. And the Prophet Daniel aimeth at this where speaking of the diuers manners and ends of their rising who sleep in the dust of the earth saith that some shall awake to euerlasting life some to shame and perpetuall contempt Dan. 12.2 as if hee had said all the dead shall not haue a like resurrection for some shall be raised to life some to condemnation some shall haue a ioyfull some a dreadfull rising to some it shall be a bitter day to some their marriage day Ioh. 5.29 Thus the righteous shall reioice when hee seeth the vengeance Ps 58.10 But the strange children shall shrinke away and feare in their priuie chambers Ps 18.45 saying to the mountaines fall vpon vs and to the hils couer vs. The godly shall appeare with boldnesse comming before Christ who will be their aduocate not Iudge except to acquit them and to giue them the crowne of righteousnesse The wicked not so for the wicked shall not stand in iudgement nor sinners in the assemblie of the righteous
daies long continue wherein charity is waxen so cold and faith so scant In men there is not the mercy that hath beene No man almost will speake in a good cause without a fee and without a gift in the hand there is no hearing for it Sinne ranckleth in the bosome and ratleth in the bones of the inueterate adulterer The aged drunkard pleadeth vnto and prescribeth for his sinne wrong sentence is good iudgement in some earthly courts And men hold their peace of these things but will God doe so will not he speake will he keepe silence for euer will he not by the writ of his last great sessions remoue all these matters to his owne court of audience shortly Let vs not therefore too much presume or thinke that God is like vs because he holdeth his tongue while we doe such things for he will reproue vs and set them in order before vs. Ps 50.21 But must a iudgement bee Vse 3 Let vs then while we are here vse all good meanes for abating the edge and seueritie of this iudgement toward our selues And that we may not enter vpon the sharpe of it it shall bee good to practise that lesson of the Apostle where hee telleth vs that if wee would iudge our selues we should not be iudged 1. Cor. 11.31 As if he should haue said if we would examine our selues of our sinnes confesse them before God the Iudge giue sentence against them or as a iudge vpon the bench condemn them and our selues for them wee should not come into condemnation Or if we would iudge our selues God would not iudge vs and if wee would condemne our selues God would deliuer vs. For wee shall not receiue a double iudgement nor double sentence from him that iudgeth righteously When Dauid iudged himselfe God forgaue him 2. Sa. 12.13 When Iob confessed against himselfe God accepted him Iob. 42.6.8 and when the lost sonne came vnto himselfe the father presently receiued him Luk. 15.17.18.19 20. So shall it be with vs in the day of Christ if we will accordingly humble our selues in our day With earthly Iudges the more is confessed by a malefactor the worse it may be for him but so is it not with Christ the Iudge For the more wee aggrauate our faults the more will he lessen them the more wee lay vpon them the more will hee take from them the more wee mislike them the lesse will hee iudge them Let vs learne then to auoide the common fashion and errour of the world in lessening hiding excusing and iustifying of our faults because wee would not bee shamed nor condemned here For here we must be ashamed if hereafter wee would not take shame and here we must be condemned if hereafter we would not bee condemned of the Lord. And better now suffer a little that is in this life then after it suffer with sinners in torments and woe endlesse So much for the certaintie of the iudgement it followeth to shew with how great a traine and solemnitie it shall be performed With thousands of Saints c. Or with his holy thousands These thousands of Christ are the royall hoast of his Angels and the glorious company of his Saints all which shall attend their Lord vnto iudgement The meaning is that Christ shall bee brought with great glorie and attendance to the throne of his last Sessions The doctrine is Doctr. The second comming of Christ shall be manifest and will bee glorious Daniel the Prophet hath a singular place for this purpose where speaking of God the Father Christ his Sonne and of their state and magnificence which was that they sate in thrones shining bright like the flame of a fornace and therefore called thrones of fire the wheeles of which were as burning fire Dan. 7.9 He saith that the ancient of daies meaning Christ who is the same and his yeares shall not faile Heb. 1.12 sate on his throne where thousand thousands ministred vnto him and ten thousand thousands stood before him or attended vpon him ver 10. al which is spoken to shew with what a Court of attendance and traine of glorie Christ shall as it were bee brought to the hall and iudgement place at the last great day And further to make manifest so solemne a Session it is added that the bookes shall be opened meaning chiefely by these bookes as Saint Iohn doth Apoc. 20.12 the booke of Life which is the booke of the law written and the booke of conscience in euery mans heart The booke of the law sheweth what we should haue done and the booke of conscience what we haue done And against these there is no exception For the booke of the law is a booke of commandements that are all holy and righteous Psal 19.9 And the booke of conscience a booke of euidence that cannot lie He that is iudged by it is iudged by a booke that was euer in his owne keeping and is written with his own hand and how can that bee falsified For God will iudge no man by another mans conscience but by his own So manifest and glorious shall Christs comming be Saint Paul speaking of this second comming of Christ sheweth that it shall be manifest For hee saith it shall be with a shout 1. Thes 4.16 Meaning by it aloud and vehement crie such as Mariners nake who doing some businesse in the ship make a very strong and common shout And this is further shewed by that which followeth of the trumpet the shrillest and lowedest of all musicall instruments The Euangelists speaking of the same comming of Christ vnto iudgement say it shall bee glorious There words are The Sonne of Man shall come in his glorie and all the holy Angels with him Mat. 25.31 Mar. 8.38 Mat. 16 27. Or the Sonne of Man shall come in a cloud with power great glorie Luk. 21.27 Their meaning is that as at the setting forth of his Gospell all the hoast of heauen did assist him so comming to reuenge and visit for the contempt of that same Gospell all his Saints Angels and seruants shall attend vpon him As therfore earthly Iudges are brought with great pompe and terrour to the hall or place of sitting the Sheriffe the Iustices and many other gentlemen attending them to the court and the halbards going before So here the sonne of God the great Iudge is said to come with his holy thousands whose Sheriffe is powers principalities thrones and dominions whose followers are the Patriarkes and Prophets with the twelue Apostles and with Disciples innumerable whose guard are the Angels and not a few bil-men whose troupes are the blessed Martyrs the fourtie and foure thousand who haue his fathers name written in their forheads Apoc. 14.1 Whose throne is of fire and seate of burning Iasper whose garments are not of scarlet but of vengeance whose head is like wooll and feete like vnto sine brasse and voice as the sound of many waters Apoc. 1.13.14 15. Thus shall his comming be manifest and thus
Depart from mee I know you not Gen. 27.30.33.38 Mat. 7.23 It is a plague of all plagues and the very bottome of the viall of Gods wrath to bee separated from Christ For as in the presence of God is the fulnesse of all ioy Ps 16.11 So to depart from the Lord is the perfection of all miserie Absalon could say Let mee see the Kings face and if there bee any trespasse in mee let him kill me 2. Sa. 14.32 His meaning was rather let me not liue then liue in disgrace an exile from my fathers court and fauour And what will the wicked say who must in this rebuke of their euerlasting banishment from the face and saluation of Christ depart neuer to returne And if the comming of the Sunne to a place promise ioy and the againe departing of it from the same place cause sorrow and darkenesse what ioy must needs be lacking and sorrow abound where the Sunne and God of saluation shall neuer in the sunne-shine of his presence bee seene any more Where shall be no gleames of fauour but darke tempests of iustice raining snares vpon all the wofull inhabitants of the earth And yet this punishment is not all though insufferable For the damned Cains of hell shall not onely haue this cursed marke set vpon them to goe from the presence of the Lord Gen 4.16 but shall dwell for euer in the Tophet of damnation Esay 30.33 where besides their not endurable pain of losse they shall haue inflicted vpon them paines of sense that are intolerable For spirituall Tophet is a place wherin is fire and much burning Our ordinarie fire the hottest we make and greatest we kindle is but as painted fire to this fire indeede Yet a man would not be in it one quarter of an houre to gaine the world How much then and itolerably shall the wicked suffer who shal be tormented in this fierce fire not a quarter of an houre or yeare only but yeares vppon yeares yea millions of yeares world without end or if a little disease and that but in one part onely so troubled vs lying vpon a soft bed How shall we abide the rebuke of the Lord in all the parts of our body and tender powers of our mind and not vppon our pallats of ease but beds of glowing fire The rage of the fiercest enimy may be qualified or if it might not yet he shall perish and his wrath with him But in this large winepresse of the Lords indignation the worme dieth not and Gods anger endureth for euer as himselfe is eternal The couenant that God hath made with the day and night shall be broken But his iudgment of rebuke is inuiolable They whom he condemneth shall bee euer damned and whom he sendeth to hel shall neuer returne Some doe here idly aske how fire can euer burne the flesh of the damned and neuer consume it To this Ianswere materiall fire cannot but this fire appointed so to doe by the powere and will of the Creator shall The bush that Moses saw in the fire burned and consumed not Exod. 3.2 And it is saide of the Salamander that shee liueth in the fire and is not burnt So why may not these bushes of the curse ordained to burning and hellish Salamanders iudged to perpertuall fire be day and night tormented in a fornace of intollerable heat and yet their flesh neuer be diminished nor their bodie consumed in those flames Some are curious to know what manner fire that shall be Quest that is able to burne vpon not the bodies onely but soules of damned wretches To this curious question I only answere Answ God knoweth And let vs who haue the hope of the Saints endeuour rather neuer to feele it then to know it For as when a mans house is on fire we stand not to enquire how it came but doe our best to quench it so it should be our wisdome hearing that the Lord will rebuke the world with fire and sinners with hell fire rather to quench the matter of it in our so many increasings against God by the meanes of sinne that dwelleth in vs and to take from it the wood-pile that fedeth it then curiously to dispute or search how fire can fasten vpon a spirituall substance and with what kind of burning Thus haue we showed that the Lords comming at the last day shal be a putting of the wicked frō God and a putting of them into hell where they shall be tormented day and night for euer and that therefore it will be a day to all vngodly men of intolerable wrath from God and vexation from the effects of his comming The reasons All things which then they shall see and feele shall be if any thing may be terrible most terrible They shall see and feele sinne on their right hand and Satan on their left hell vnder their feet and an angry Iudge aboue their head the world full of destruction without and a worme gnawing the heart within Or to speake as b Anselme one sometimes fearefully spake Aboue them shall be their Iudge offended with them for their wickednesse beneath them hell open and that burning furnace wide gaping to receiue them on the right hand their sinnes accusing them on the left hand fierce diuels ready to execute this wrathfull sentence of the Lords rebuke vpon them within them their conscience gnawing without them all damned soules bewailing on euerie side the world burning Be not these sights terrible and will not these things worke terribly Secondly the wrath of a Lyon is terrible Am. 3.8 what then when the Lord shall roare from heauen and giue forth his voice and that a glorious voice who will not then be afraid or if the wrath of a King that is if a Kings anger or fire iust kindled burne to death vpon the offendours for Salomon saith The wrath of a King is as messengers of death Prou. 16.14 how terrible to eternall death shall the Lords anger be prouoked by sinners how insufferable to all those who haue by rebellious wickednesse offended him If the King passe sentence who will denie execution For where the word of the King is saith the Preacher there is power Eccles 8.4 And yet the King may command where the Subiect will not see done as when Saul would haue put Ionathan to death and the people would not let him die 1. Sam. 14.44.45 But if God once passe sentence who will stop it nay who will not be readie both good and bad Angels to execute it If Gods wrath be to be feared in man how fearefull is that wrath in the God of wrath Dauid saith if his wrath be kindled but a little blessed are they that trust in him then when it is all on fire how miserable are they who hauing trusted in themselues and prouoked him can haue no hope from him nor comfort from his comming Thirdly the signes that shall keepe company with or be ioined to the comming of the sonne of man to iudgement
time they are sorrie for the losse and confesse it And thus great difference is to be put betweene the fals of Gods children and the breake neckes of the wicked who fall into death A comfort to repentant sinners Vse 2 For though their sinnes haue hurt them their repentance may heale them Ier. 18 8. Though they haue beene great sinners as Saul and Manasses were Yet if they bee repentant sinners neither they nor their sinnes can change the new testament that God will be mercifull to their sinnes and blot out all their transgressions Though their sinnes were many the matter is not how many their sinnes are but how penitent they be that are sinners and the more they are the greater is his mercie who hath forgiuen them But is this for the worke of repentance No but because the repentant soule doth by faith apprehend Christ in his promises and beleeue that vpon his true conuersion or comming home God will receiue him and the father welcome home his straying sonne Luk 15.20.22.23 Quest Some will say My sinnes were committed vngodlily Answ and with purpose of heart Say they were so now that you are sorie for them it is not iudged so and your mercifull God will take you as you are not as you haue beene A repentant sinner you are and as a repentant sinner you shall haue mercie at Gods hands Onely look that your repentance be sound so you may haue confidence for pardon that God will bee mercifull to your vnrighteousnesse and forgiue you your sinnes Ezech. 18.21.22.23.32 Luc. 17.4 Though your conscience be full of wounds the Lord who is your Surgeon hath plaister inough of his tender mercie and long compassions to heale them Though the debts you owe bee great summes Gods mercie is not stinted to any number and he that is infinite in his pardons will as soone and doth as graciously pardon many as few sinnes yea when the summe of them is growne to a great reckoning and maine totall And though like a wretched subiect you haue raised against Christ many commotions in his owne kingdome yet the King of the Kings of Israel is a mercifull King and when you come to him with true submission as Benhadads seruants did to the King of Israel with signes of submission 1. King 20.31.32 he will be as readie to grant your pardon as you to aske it Of all their vngodly deedes c. Secondly where the vngodly shall be called to their answere for all that they haue done we learne that all the deeds of the wicked shall be rebuked to damnation So saith the Apostle S. Paul where he sheweth that in the day of wrath the wicked shall be rewarded according to their deeds meaning by their deeds their euill deeds Rom. 2.5.6.8 And the same Apostle saith we shall receiue according to that wee haue done the godly for the good they haue done in Christ the wicked out of Christ for the euill they haue done in their owne bodie 2. Cor. 5.10 And S. Mathew the Euangelist saith as much where speaking of the comming of the Sonne of Man he saith when the Sonne of Man commeth in his glorie he shall giue to enerie man according to his deedes His meaning is the godly shall beare vnto iudgement the good deeds of Christ imputed to them and the wicked bring into iudgement the bad deedes of sinne properly theirs Math. 16.27 The like we read in the booke of the Reuelation or rather the same where it is said that all the dead shall be iudged according to their works The good for Christs righteousnesse and by it shall liue the wicked shall be damned for their owne vnrighteousnesse Quest Apoc. 20.11.12 But some may say if euill deeds deserue damnation why should not good deeds merit life I answere Answ It followeth not seeing that here good and bad workes cannot be opposed directly For our good workes are imperfitly and faultily good but our bad deeds are perfitly naught our good deedes are Christs in vs our bad are our owne and Satans our bad deeds because perfectly bad iustly deserue hell our good because so mixed with infirmities cannot merit heauen And now that bad deedes shall be rebuked in iudgement may further appeare by the reasons which follow As first The deeds of the wicked more harme the Church then words doe or thoughts can but words and thoughts shall be iudged therefore deeds much more els why doth Christ say that God will auenge his elect that crie day and night vnto him Luc. 18.7 Secondly these things saith Amen now if Amen say it the same Amen who is faithfull will doe it Apoc. 3.14 Amen hath said by his Seruants and in the Scriptures that he will bring euery work vnto iudgement Eccles 12.14 And therefore euerie vngodly worke deed of euery vngodly man shall be ludged Thirdly for this cause as hath been said the Lord will stretch out his hand in the rebuke of the vngodly as one that swimmeth spreadeth his armes abroad to enclose all before him The meaning is God will enclose so in the fadome of his second comming euery work of wicked man that no one shall escape the seuerity of his throne Esa 25.11 Fourthly if any wicked worke should not be iudged it were either because God could not and then were he not almighty or would not iudge it and then should he loose his righteousnesse But none can stand before his great power Ier 49.19 And he that is Iudge of the world wil iudge it with righteousnesse Psal 98.9 An instruction to doe good deeds Vse 1 seeing bad deeds shall be iudged to hell For though good deeds may not sit in the chaire of merit yet we must giue them their proper place They are not merits of eternall life yet they must be witnesses of our being in Christ Good workes cannot saue vs and yet if we doe not good workes we cannot be saued I speake according to the ordinary rule and of persons able to doe good workes not of infants nor what God doth extraordinarily as when he saued the confessing thiefe at the last houre and yet he not onely had faith but shewed it by diuers testimonies and effects of grace Luc. 23.40.41.42 Therefore though good workes cannot saue vs yet bad workes and the want of good may damne vs. They be euidences of our saluation though not causes As therefore he who holdeth a peece of land holdeth it by his euidence his euidence was not that that procured it but his mony so the good euidence of our saluation is in our sanctified liues the cause of it in Christs merits no other coine either of gold or siluer could purchase it at the hands of Gods iustice in our redemption 1. Pet. 1.18 wherefore as S. Iames saith If thou hast faith shew it by thy workes Iam. 2.18 so with the Apostle S. Iames I say If thou hast this hope let me see it in that euidence of thy good conuersation in Christ A terrour
helper Let vs reuerence the godly and honour the Lord and we shall stand inuincible in all oppositions or as mount Sion that cannot bee remoued but remaineth for euer Psal 125 1. Our death shall bee comfortable and our iudgement without rebuke wee shall benefit Christs church haue praise of God to whom Father Sonne and holy Ghost three persons and one immortall and onely wise God be rendred all glorie power and thanksgiuing now and euer Amen All glorie to God FINIS POINTS of instuction for the ignorant With An examination before our comming to the LORDS TABLE And A short direction for spending of time well LONDON Printed by William Hall for Francis Burton and are to be sold at his Shop in Pauls Church-yeard at the signe of the Greene Dragon 1613. TO THE Christian Reader the sauing knowledge of that truth which is according to godlinesse Tit. 1.1 * ⎠* CHristian Reader this short Catechisme thus gathered and set downe for the helpe of the ignorant cannot bee called new but renewed for their sakes For I may say in thiâ— case as Salomon in his Ecclesiastes said in a like case What is that that hath beene that that shall be Eccles 1.9 And what is that that hath beene done that that shall be done and there is no new thing vnder the Sunne The portion of meate which is heere offered to the tasle of the simple is no other then that which he hath already tasted of if he haue tasted any thing of the things of God and it is but the substance of other Catechismes set before him in another kinde of seruice that is with some difference of Cookery and dressing which considering our too great distaste with one kinde of meate though neuer so wholsome if wee be continuallie fedde withit without diuersitie may not be without some good vse at least for some short time For the affections of men stand no lesse diuersly affected towards the variety of Gods gifts in deliuering one and the same matter then doth the stomacke towards the dressing of one and the same kinde of meate in a diuers maner by some alteration of forme and manner of doing it And yet it is no part of my meaning to hold vp the market of nouelty by any schey-seruice as tendeth rather to tikle the eare then to satisfie the sounder iudgement or to say any thing for those who make books like to the apparell which they weare and fashions that they are weary of when a newer comes Onlie hauing taught these Principles most of them to a few priuately and finding it more easie to print them then to write them for the surer keeping of them in their memories who had learned them and the good of some abroad that desired them I was not vnwilling thus to giue them content by the benefit of the Presse and of Printing Neither haue I done this far any want for there is store of Catechismes abroad to which this worme of mine is no way comparable and God hath dealt mercifully with our age for the meanes of knowledge but we famish spiritually at the full measure of these meanes either by not vsing them at all or not as wee should This mite of instructions I could haue made much larger but that I considered in my Cruse of store the vessels that I had to fill King 4.4.6 which could not well receiue more and so left pouring as I perceiued their filling Accept therefore Reader what is heere offered to thy gentlenesse and take it in as good part as it is meant vnto thee And so I command thee and thy grouth in godlinesse to the grace and assistance of Al-mighty God and rest Thine in all Christian good will ROBERT HORN POINTS of instuction for the ignorant WHat is true happinesse To know God Ioh. 17.3 Ier. 9.24 Luk 15.17 and to know my selfe Can you knowe God Not so plainely and fully heere as wee shall heereafter by face Exod 33.20 1. Cor. 13.12 but as hee hath reuealed himselfe vnto vs. How is that By his workes without vs and within vs Rom. 1.20 1.19 and by some description of his nature and effects in his word How doth the word describe him Generally thus â—xo 3.14 Ioh. 4.24 â—xo 34 6. Psa 90. 〈◊〉 1. Tim. 1 17. Isa 5.5 Psal 103 8 â—m 4.13 1 Pet. â— 19 Psal 99 1 2 â— Heb. 1 3 Act. 17 25 26 1 Iob. 5.7 Mat. 〈◊〉 16.17 2. Cor. 13 13. He is what he is And more particular thus a Spirit euery way infinite goodnesse it selfe Creatour Preseruer and Ruler of all things distinguished into three persons Father Sonne and holy Ghost So much for the knowledge of God What say you of the knowledge of your selfe It may bee considered before the fall or since What are you by creation in Adam before the fall A reasonable Creature Mat. 10.28 Ge. 1.27 Col 3 10 Ephes 4.24 consisting of soule and body made after the image of God in knowledge righteousnesse and true holinesse What are you since by Adams fall A sinner Rom. 3 9 10 Iob 14.4 Rom. 6 23 5.18.19 Gal. 3.10 and by sinne subiect to all kind of misery and punishments as to the death of my body and the death of my soule which is endlesse damnation What are your sinnes A guiltinesse in Adams first offence that is Rom. 5.12.18 7.18 Ier. 17.9 Gen. 6.5 Matth. 15.19 Rom. 7.5 a depriuation of all good thereby and a disposition of my whole heart to euery thing that is against the Lawe of God with innumerable corrupt fruits thereof in thought word and deede What doe you consider in Man thus falling His recouery to saluation and duty for it What say you of his recouery It may bee considered in the worker thereof or the meane of apprehending it What say you of the worker The worker or substance of it is Christ Iesus the Sonne of God 1. Iohn 2.1.2 Ioh. 1.14 Iohn 3.16 Philip 2.7.8 Galat. 4.4.2 Cor. 5.21 Iohn 1.12 who in Mans nature which hee tooke in the wombe suffered the death of the Crosse and fulfilled the Lawe for all that receiue him What is the meane wherby Christ is apprehended Faith Galat. 2.20 Acts 6.31 which is a speciall perswasion of Gods fauour in his word Ioh. 1.12 Luk. 2.29 Ephes 3.17 1. Cor. 1.30 Ioh 20.28 2. Tim. 1.12 wrought in my heart by the holy Ghost whereby I doe truely and in particular beleeue that Christ is made vnto me wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption When doth this faith beginne to breede and take place in your heart When by Gods grace I begin to be touched in conscience for my sinnes Psal 51.17 Isa 55.15 Math. 5.6 Phil. 3.7.8 Math. 15.25.27 Mark 9.24 to hunger and thirst after Christ and his merits aboue al things in the world and against all doubtings doe begin to beleeue By what meanes is this wrought It is begunne ordinarily
That they that are negligent or prophane commers to the Lords table doe detract from the perfection of Christs body and seuer themselues from the society of his Church So much for our guifts what doe we receiue at the Lords table That which wee receiue there concerneth our selues alone or our selues with others What is that that concerneth our selues alone The strengthning of our faith and memory by the reuerent and right vse of that holy action 1. Cor. 11.24 10.16.17 How is our faith strengthned memory holpen by it By seeing that in the Sacrament 1. Cor. 11.26 Galat. 3.1 1. Iohn 1.1 which we do but heare of in the word namely the particular offering and receiuing of Christ in his body and sauing blood by all beleeuing communicants Somuch for that which cōcerneth our selues alone what is that that concerneth our selues with others It concerneth our growing vp with Christ and our communion with our brethren How doe we receiue our growing vp with Christ Wee receiue it with Christ by spirituall eating and drinking 1. Cor. 10.3.4 and by a more full partaking with him and his graces through faith increased and that vse of his ordinance blessed vnto vs. How doe wee receiue our communion with our brethren By testifying our mutuall agreement 1. Cor. 10.17 inasmuch as wee eate all of one bread and drinke all of one cup. How else By feeding all of the same food bodily and spiritually 1. Cor. 10.4 12.13 Ephes 4.15 and by drawing all life from the same fountaine as the life of grace which heere we receiue and the life of glory which in heauen we shall be partakers of Amen So much for our examination before the Sacrament Prou. 23.1 When thou sittest to eat with a Ruler consider diligently what is before thee A short direction for spending of time well HOw doe you diuide the daies of mans life Into the daies of labour and daies of holinesse What say you of the daies of labour These concerne the workes of our calling or workes of helpe vnto them What be the works of our calling The workes of that trade of life in which God hath placed vs. 1. Cor. 7.10 Ephes 4.1 What must a man doe in these By offering them to God Coloss 3.17 Gen. 24.12.13.14.13 Ephes 4 28. Rom. 12.7 1. Thess 4.11 Genes 5.22 Hee must walke in them neither slackly nor deceitfully but with Christian diligence good conscience following his own businesse with quietnesse and walking with God Then euery one must haue some speciall calling and trade of life to liue in Yea verily Gen. 3 19. Matth. 20.6 2. Th. 3.10 11 12 Rom. 12 4 or he is no sound member of the Christian common wealth but a rotten member in the body of the same that deserueth a cutting off So much for the workes of our callings what say you of the workes of helpe vnto them They concerne duties to be done before the work or that day after What must we do in the morning before our worke Praise God for his mercy the night past Psal 59.16 88.13 Gen. 24 12. and pray vnto him for his further mercy and blessing the day present How shall we praise God By giuing him thanks Ephes 5.20 Coloss 1.10 and by shewing our thankefulnesse How is our thankefulnes shewed Inwardly or outwardly How inwardly By pleasing God in our vnderstanding thoughts desire Prou. 23 26 Col. 1 10 affections and will How outwardly By pleasing him in our words and deedes How in our words When they be gracious alway Col. 4 6. Ephes 4.29 What things hurt this grace of speech Lying Ephes 4.25 Jam. 5.12 Eph. 4.31 5.4 Coloss 3.8 Prou. 26.21 swearing brawling filthy speaking foolish talking iesting that is not comely wrath that causeth strife How in our deedes These are in the duties of our generall callings Rom. 12.4 as we are Christians or our particular trades of life wherein some are Magistrats some Masters and seruants some Marchants Artificers Husbandmen and the like What are our duties as wee bee Christians These concerne God Acts 24.16 or man What are they that concerne God They are in the foure commandements of the first Table Tit. 2.12 called godlinesse What are they that concerne Man They concerne our selues Tit. 2.12 or our neighbour What is that that concerneth our selues Sobriety which is inward Rom. 12.13 and and teacheth vs not to presume aboue that which is meete and outward in our apparell diet outward members and senses What must our apparell be Such as becommeth those that professe the feare of God 1. Tim. 2.10 What call you sobriety in diet That grace of temperance that consisteth in the moderate vse of meats drinkes sleepe Luke 21.34 Rom. 13 13 1. Thess 5.16 and such outward things What sobriety is that which you call sobriety of sense and the outward members Sobriety of sense is a watchfulnes in it 1. Tim. 4 16 Ioh. 31.1 1. Cor. 6.15 and sobriety of the members a chastitie in them So much for the generall duty that concerneth our selues called sobriety what is that that concerneth our neighbour It is contained in the sixe last commandements Rom. 13. ◠9 Matth. 19.18.19 Tit. 2.12 being commandements of the second Table called righteousnesse So much for our generall duties as we be Christians what say you of our particular duties or duties of our trade of life These reach vnto all callings in the Church and common wealth but to our purpose in a family they concerne the husband or wife Parents or their children the Master and his seruants What is the Husbands dutie To dwell with his wife 1. Pet. 3.7 Ephes 5.28.29 as a Man of knowledge by instructing her and by obseruing for her better incouragement the good parts that are in her and to loue her as his owne flesh What is the Wiues dutie To helpe her husband in the duties of the family Gen. 2 18. 1 Pet. 3.2 Ephes 5.22.24 also to feare and to be subiect to him What be the Parents duties They concerne the father and mother iointly or by themselues What bee their ioint duties to their children In their tender yeeres they must instruct them plainely Prou. 22 6 Ephes 6 4. Prou. 23 13 and season them with good things young giuing them due correction Genes 4.2 1. Cor. 7.36.37 2. Cor. 12.14 1. Cor. 7.39 and at more yeeres fit them for some honest calling and when time serues laying vp something for them giue them in Marriage onely in the Lord. So much for the Parents ioint duties what is the Fathers more speciall duty To prouide for his children 1. Tim. 5.2 specially to haue a speciall eye to the sons of his house as the mother must to her daughters What is the mothers special duty To nurse vp her children Gen. 21.7 1. Tim. 5.10 if God haue giuen