Sunne shall set Beautie Riches Glory shall decay as by the inuiolable law of Nature night succeedes day so by the eternall law of God Death Sinne. If you could indent with the Sunne to stand still as in the dayes of Ioshua or to goe backe ten degrees as to Hezekiah or with his Orbe to mooue slowly yet it shall sette Be the day neuer so long yet at last comes euening-song The Sonne of God himselfe in this condition of mortall descent was equall to his Breathren That great Sunne of Righteousnesse had his rising and his setting Wee must all walke into the West as well as he and be our Day longer or shorter Night must come our Priuiledges are not beyonde others Heare this yee Edomites that floute our presagings of a Night you speake of a Night and houre of Iudgement When comes it We tell you againe The Morning commeth and also the Night You haue had a time of Light and delight and what your heartes could wish you shall haue a time of Sorrow and Darknesse Your Noone shall be turned to Midnight Tender and delicate Babilon that boasted her selfe a Queene and free from mourning shall weepe in the wydow-hood of her glory and heare at last Aduenit sinis tuus thy end is come You that will not set your mindes to these thinges nor remember the latter end miseries shall come on you in their perfection so absolute as the Iustice of God the Malice of Sathan can make them So Salomon schooles the art-les heart-les supine courses of vaine Youth Reioyce O Youngman c. Reioyce in your day of Pride let Pleasure rocke you on her indulgent knee you shall be brought to the night of Iudgement The Surfets of the old World the Mirth of the Philistins when Sampson was their laughing stocke the carowsinges of that Caldean Monarch in the sacred Bowles of Ierusalem had their Night Salomon with his 1000. Wiues and Concubines Belshazzar with his 1000. Princes Ahashiuerosh with his 127. Prouinces had their Night High-looked Honour and pursie Riches the one diseased in his Eyes the other in his Lunges shall haue their Night The fauour of Noble men is the fauour of moueable men the Ignis fatuus of Riches is long ingendring soone extinct let Ioab and Iob be our precedentes in both these the first was great and euill the chiefest Captaine about Dauid yet by Dauid designed to execution The second was great and good yet behold the mightiest man of the East is poore to a Prouerbe What euer florished and had not this night The rich Churle enlarging his Barnes proportionably to his desires had his Night hee heard that soule knell Thou foole this Night shall they fetch away thy soule The World it selfe shall haue this Euening the Morning was in the dayes of the Patriarches Christ boore the heate and Noone of the day and wee are those vpon Whom the latter endes of the world are come The World groweth old and we grow old with it the bodyes of men in old age waxe cold and want the heate of Nature the soules of men in this decrepite age grow cold in zeale Deficiente feruore charitatis the nourishment of old age turnes into cruditie through want of heate to concoct digest and driue it into the Vaines the nourishment of our soules turnes into Vanitie because we want the heate of Grace to digest it By all these symptones you see the Sunne of this World ready to sette and the Night drawing on the declination of Goodnes the fainting of Religion sayes that the World lyes bedrid drawing on looking for the good houre to some and fetching a thicke sicke and short breath I am no Prophet or what if I were yet vnable to define the time but this I conclude though more particularly from the rule of my text Wee had our Morning at the first preaching of the Gospell it now flourisheth with vs as at high Noone Who shall say the Euening will not follow or our Sunne is without setting 3 That it shall come you heare heare shortly the qualitie of it when it is come A Night Miserie is not fitlyer shadowed then vnder the name of a Night Sorrow lastes for a Night sayes the Psalmist but ioy comes in the Morning A sadde heauie and disconsolate time full of horrour and amazement when there is no obiect to withdraw the eye thereby to diuert the minde from the thought and meditation of bitternesse Sathan himselfe is not sayd to be bound with any other Chaines but these of Darknesse as the Ioyes of Heauen are described by that eternall daylight of glory and Sun-shine of the Lambe and it is added in expresse wordes There shall be no Night there So the tormentes of Hell are called by Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vtter Darknesse No maruell if there ensue weeping and gnashing of teeth when miserie shal be extreame and no day-hole of hope to afford one glimpse of comfort this is that Night of nightes worse then the palpable Darknesse of Egipt as full of intollerable horrour as Caliginous blacknesse I find not onely the time of Iudgement generall but of temporall and particular calamities tearmed by the Night of horrour the downefall of Dumah a Night the destruction of Israel A season of blacknesse darknesse cloudes and obscurities Therefore as Christ to the Iewes Pray that your flight be not in the Night pray that your departure out of this life be not in the Night of your securitie and ignorance and then feare not this Night for you are redeemed from the land of eternall Darkenesse It was the foolish pride of that Romane Emperour hauing made a Bridge of grappled Ships ouer a narrow Arme of the Sea and triumphing at midnight with innumerable torches to boast that he had wrough two Miracles made the Sea dry Land and the Night Day but our Emperour of Heauen and Earth did performe it indeed when he dryed vp the Redde sea of his Fathers wrath and changed our present Night of Ignonaunce and future of torment into the eternall day-light of his Grace and Glory 4 The last part to this Suruey is the inuerting of this vpon the Righteous Where behold the different beginnings and endes of both Holy and Vnholy to the children of Disobedience the Morning is before the Euening and this is Dumahs woe at Sun-set Fuisse faelicem that she had her Day To the Faythfull the Euening is before the Morning as at the Creation The Euening and the Morning were the first day The Iewes were commaunded to begin their Feast of Reconciliation at Euen and From Euening to Euening shall you celebrate your Sabboth It was Christes comfortable Answere to his Church intending the date when the prophanation of the Temple should cease to set the Morning of their peace after the Euening of their troubles by a sweete and mysticall allusion Vnto the Euening and the Morning two
of Iudgement by lessening the Burden of Sinne Euery repentant Teare that falles washeth a Talent from this Burden euery remorcefull sigh and faythfull Prayer diminisheth the Load that which remaines may presse shall not oppresse Christ will put vnder his shoulder Come all ye laden exonerate animas vnload your soules he bore them on his Crosse and our beleeuing soules shall neuer feele the weight of them the Crosse onely is left heauy to blood and flesh but to a heart made spirituall Thy yoake Oh Lord is easie and thy burden light our owne heauy but thine light Wee haue perused the Mappe to the end of the Inscription the Description standes next to our speach where we haue an Edomite standing on Mount Seir and calling to the Watchman with the voyce of derision What he saw in the night c. a proude Edomite securing himselfe the strength of his owne armes deriding the Prophet of God which came against him with the burden of Warres this is the sense I fasten on I haue read other Expositions as if it was a question of feare I approue and dwell on the former from the perswasion then of immunitie impunitie and safe standing out of the reach of Earth of Hell of Heauen proceedes this Question Edom hath shaken off the yoake of Israel and begins to crowne his dayes with the Rose buddes of Peace and not to feare the Sword of Egipt nor Ashur nor Gods himselfe in Heauen their conceite was though faignedly as strong of this Mount Seir as the promise of God was really true to Mount Syon neuer to be moued though the battlementes of Heauen shotte Thunder and the pillars of the Earth quaked There is question about the name of this Seir some affirme it deriued from Esau as being the place where he and his generation dwelt Indeed the nature of Esau and the name of Seir agrees fitly for both signifie Brisseled or Hairy but it had the name of Seir before Esau came thither Some Hebrewes thinke the Mountaine was called Seir from the apparition of Deuils who shewed themselues in the shapes of hayrie men such as the Fawnes were imagined to be But most like to take denomination from Seir the Horite Gen. 36. 20. who inhabited there long before Esau And the Horites in their mount Seir vnto the plaine of Paran it being the Countrie of the Hoâ—iâ—s or Horites Esau was drawen hither for many reasons 1. because that corner of Canaan about Hebron where he and his brother Iacob dwelt were too scant for their Flockes 2. because Mount Seir fitted Esau's minde being a place of excellent hunting 3. his Wiues were of that Countrie 4. Gods prouidence so disposed of Esau's remouall that Iacob might liue in safetie And euen in this God wrought Esau's good by putting him out of Canaan for then with the rest of the Canaanites they had been destroyed by Israel but God made good that temporall blessing vpon Esau and his seed which his father Ishâ—c gaue him Indeed the Amalekites though deriued from Esau were destroyed by Israel but the reason may be thus gathered because Amalek was the Sonne of Eliphaz the sonne of Esau by a Concubine the Idumaeans that were legitimate successors were preserued such was the different respects to the tight and to the bastard seed for God is sayd to giue Mount Seir to Esau I gaue vnto Esau mount Seir to possesse it therefore the Israelites among their spoyles of Canaan were expressely forbidden to destroy it Yee shall not prouoke them for I will not giue you of their Land so much as a foote breadth because I haue giuen mount Seir to Esau for a possession Such was Gods mercie to Esau for his Fathers sake that his posteritie was made great and honourable But if the Horites first inhabited Mount Seir how comes the posteritie of Esau to enioy it It is answered in the 2. of Deutr. The Horims dwelt in mount Seir before-time whom the children of Esau chased out and destroyed them before them and dwelt in their stead So doth Sinne quench the very cinders of naturall affection after it hath put out the flames of Religion that the children of Esau ceased not till they had extinguished their owne kindred the respect of blood must giue way to Rapine and Malice too weake is Nature to restraine the furie of Sinne when it is stung by that fiery Serpent the Deuill The Romish Mountaine doth claime some kin of this Mount Seir at least in the opinion of the Iewes There is one place in Edom called Magdiell this the Rabbines take for Rome and say that of the Idumeans came the Romans it is not so locally it may be well spiritually For for persecution of the Saintes there is no such Edome in the world as Rome But Magdiell signifies Praysing God Oh blessed were Rome if in this she could be called Magdiell This Seir was a Mountaine of great strength not infertile and as great probabilitie giues it graced with either one or many goodly Cities Who will bring me into Edom who will lead me into the strong Citie Neither may we thinke that the offspring of Edom when once made Dukes nay Kinges contented themselues to dwell in Tentes But what if a Mountaine what if a Citie or the strength of Edom is it able to grapple with the Wrath of God or buckle with his Iudgementes If any peece of the broad Earth were shot proofe against the Anger of God as they faine the â—arden of Hisperides against the Planets it would not be vnsought vnbought there haue been Mountaines and Cities before and after Seir prouder and stronger then shee that haue measured their length on the ground and been dissolued to dust and rubbish and Edom her selfe hath daunced the same measure The world hath gloried in her seuerall ages of many goodly Cities 〈◊〉 the pride of Assyria Troy the pillar of Asia Babilon more a Region then a Citie Carthage graced with 17. tributarie Kingdomes and let not Ierusalem be shut from both the glory and sadnesse of this relation may we not say of them all now Etiam periere ruinae That litle of them is dissolued to nothing Thus God cooles and dampes the glory of Israel Goe you vnto Calneh and see and from-thence goe vnto Hamath the great then goe downe to Gath of the Philistines be they better then these Kingdomes or the border of their land greater then your bâ—rder Constantius spake of old Rome that Nature had emptied all her forces on that one Citie the time came she was ouerthrowne and her Walles made euen with the ground The titles of new Rome are greater not her Priuiledges shee is called Vrbs aeterna yet that Eternall Babilon shall fall and her honour be layde in the Dust her doome is past and in the decree of Heauen she is already fallen for the more surenesse and all her Marchants petty Leases
Powder-treason haue been if the matter had hit right as horred as the thought of it is to an honest minde the hoysting vp of Buildinges shiuering of Bodyes tearing vp of Monuments dissipation massacre murder of olde young Prince people Senators and Senate drawne to the life by the art of a Painter would haue been a contenting spectacle for so holy an eye to contemplate sure there is honesty in Hell if this be Religion if the Deuill can deuise more execrable stratagems let him change Seates with the Pope Christ medled with neither Herod nor Emperour King nor Cesar no Emperours held his Stirrop no Kings kissed his blessed feete hee onely fought with the weapons of the Spirit against Sinne and Satan This is a Watch-man indeed but he watcheth to inuade beseidge enter and spoyle the Citie of God hee liath other Watch-men vnder him Vncleane birdes fluttring from that Vulture of Babilon and flying like Battes and Owles vnder the eues of night to vomite the poysons of Heresie and Treasons from their swolne gorges Watch-men like the Chaplens of Mars at Rome in the dayes of Idolatry that practised to tosse Fire-brandes from Campe to Campe to inflame euill affections that care not whose blood they sacrifice to their Romane God without distinction of Troian of Tyrian nor out of whose Sepulchers they digge themselues an estate They watch indeed for they keepe a Register of all our proceedinges against them in these ltaleyon dayes of ours and if euer the Sâ—nne of Alteration shine on their faces they will repay vs tenne blowes for one vpon our Burgonets meane time our Prayses to Heauen they watch their owne bane and as one writes of Parry so I may of the end of them all Itala gens sceleri te dedit Angla cruâ—â— Italy giues them their villanie England their Gallowes this is their malus but meritus sinis the euill but deserued end of them all England is sinfull enough but she professeth not her selfe a Schoole-mistris of Sinne as Rome doth of Treason there it is professed taught learned and as on the sandy Theator exercised before it come to the fatall execution The Priestes of peruerted Israel were but shadows of these of apostate Rome As Theeues waite for a man so the company of Priestes murder in the way by consent Hence that Prouerbe carryes no lesse trueth then antiquitie with it An Englishman Italianate is a Deuill incarnate these are those Iesuites Iebusites Incendiaries Traytors and not lesse then Deuils but that they haue bodyes God blesse vs from such Watch-men if these be Watch-men who are enemies We see then the vanitie of their laboures that would vndertake to bring vs to a composition if Heresie can be made Sinceritie Idolatrie true Religion Treason Obedience we may be vnited but it is a sure rule Contraries in the abstract can neuer be reconciled God put an vn-appeasable Contention betwixt the two Seedes of the Woman and Serpent when hee put Enmity betweene them for an Enemy may be made a Friend but Enmitie can neuer be made Frendship the Ayre that is darke may be made Light but Darknesse cannot be made Brightnesse a Papist may be conuerted to a Christian but Papistry can neuer be made Christianitie no more then Antichrist can become Christ our strife with them is not for the extention of Limits but for the possession of the Inheritaunce whether Grace or Nature the Popes Law or Gods shall take place in the Conscience So I haue read of that audacious and sottish Hermite that would vndertake to make God and the Deuill friendes the impossibilitie of which attempt the Deuill could tell him God is all Light and I am all Darknesse that my foule nature can not be hidden our affections seates persons are so opposed that I haue no hope of peace They will not we may not yeeld except the Sheepe shall compound with the Wolfe or the Mise with the Catte which the old tale forbids though the Catte gette on a Monks Cowle cries demurely through the creuices Quod fueram non suw fraâ—er caput aspice tonsum Good brothâ—r Mouse creepe out thy house come foorth let vs chat Behold my Crowne is shauen downe I 'm now a Priest â—o Cat. When Cats say Masse the Myse alas must pray against their will Kind Pusâ—e your pate is smoth of late your heart is rugged sâ—â—ll Experience would teach vs the answere of the verse though we had neuer read it Vâ—x tiâ—i â—raesto fidem cor tibi restat idâ—m To leaue the incorrigible Watch-men of Rome since we would haue cured Babel and she would not be cured let vs looke home to our selues The Wolues of Rome haue not more honour then the Watch-men of England scorne the Edomites of the world can not abide Ministers the best is they are but Edemites heires of Esau and as prophane as their Father that make Religion their Minstrell to giue them sport and sleepe no iest in such laughter as that which is broken on a Priest the proofe is plaine on euery Tauerne and Theater We serue indeed contrary Maisters wee Christ they Lust and Sathan and Hinc illae rixae of theirs hinc illae laechrimae of ours hence their flowts our teares we bite them with the salt of Reproofe hence they storme we cast Incke and Gall on their Tetters hence they startle Veritatem lucentem multi diligunt arguentem reijciunt dum sâ— ostendit columus dum nos ostendit odio habemus The trueth shining many loue reprouing they reiect whiles it shewes it selfe we imbrace it whiles it shewes vs we can not endure it euen in this consistes at once our Happinesse their Damnation our Happinesse Blessed are yee when for me porsecuted their Damnation That Light being in the world they imbrace and are gladde of Darknesse though their wronges done vs be against the Law of Armes and Nature for an Ambassadour should be Inter hostium tela incolumis safe among the Weapons of the Enemies But doe the Edomites onely take up these Weapons of scorne against vs No I speake it betwixt shame and griefe euen the Israelites scorne the Prophets There are some sicke of a wantonnes in Religion so hot about the question De modo that the Deuill steales the matter of Religion from their heartes if we cannot wrangle with Formes and Shadowes and shew our selues refractarie to established Orders we shall Malè audire our Sermons shall be slighted our persons derided thus this is the mischiefe men of name professors of note when they speake bitterly of vs their credite carries it strong with our scandals one Arrow of these Israelites wounds deeper then a hundred Cannon-shot of the Edomites I confesse I speake Stones but if they hitte as they are intended they shall heale some hurt none Dicatur veritas rumpatur inuidia Let Trueth be spoken and Enuie burst her Gall let all these Scorners remember that the contempt done to vs redowndes to God himselfe Hee
that despiseth vs despiseth men hee that Christ despiseth his Sauiour Is all this nothing But hee that dâ—spiseth mee and you despiseth him thot sent mee and you It comes to somewhat then and more then euer mortall man shal be able to answere is it not enough for them that they haue drawne out the life-blood of our Liuinges but they must expose our persons to contempt So the Iewes spoyled Christ of his Vestmentes and then mocked him with basenesse Our pouertie of flouted by them that haue our Liuinges surely if repentance and restitution preuent it not they shall haue a Tith one day which they haue more right to the tenth Sheafe of that Haruest which is reserued for Reprobates in Hell The Turkes lay it is an imputation on our Religion that we spoyle our Gods for shame doe not the Turkes and shall the Christians Dauid would not haue Areunah's Threshing-floore without money if these men should haue no roome in the Church but what they pay for I thinke they would quietly suffer themselues to be turned foorth of dores The last branch of the Mappe and first of the Morall are not vnfitly conioyned the Edomite and his Question the Question then calles mee from the Watch-man What is in the nighâ— And to make the Derision fuller and fowler it is doubled like Pharaâ—hs Dreame What is in the night Did they seeke for some prodegie or portent Some diuine Reuelation which should be receiued by Vision Were the like Israel of whom Christ thus testifies This adulterous generation seekes for a Signe Thus Diues despayred of his brethrens beliefe except one rose from the dead I confesse wee haue some in the world sicke of this disease a Iewish infection The Iewes require a signe c. Plus ocuâ—o quam oraculo miseries shall worke more on them then misteries palpable actions of Gods mercie iustice power shall conuince them the contemplation of them all in the theory of the word mooues them not astonish them with wonders heale their diseased open their blinde eyes raise their dead and they will beleeue Are there none among vs that couch a willing close eare to the charmes of Rome in admiration of their feigned miracles lying Apostles that worke strange things by exorcismes but our Church now is not in the Cradle of her infancie One cuppe of wine brought by Christ is worth all the cuppes of cold water by Moses as S. Augustine alluding to that Marriage in Galile sayes All the adumbrations tipes figures signes were but that cuppe of cold Water Christ reserued the good Wine of the Gospell till he came him selfe and they that will not beleeue without a Signe without a Signe must perish But I trauell no further in this least it bring me out of my way It was no Signe they inquire for no Prodegie they feare they are onely pleased to make sport with the menaces of God You talke of a Night and an houre of Calamitie but threatned men draw long breathes You pretend Visions in the night which portend our ruines come tell vs the tale of the night What is in the night There haue been in all ages some of these Frogges to throate it out against God so long as the weather was faire as if he could not send a storme the tempestes of Gods Wrath haue been derided to the last moment of a calme the venime of Prosperitie so impoysons a carnall minde Eilia diuitiarum superbia the daughter of Riches is Pride the Philosopher could teach vs that Faelicitas humillitas diuiduum haebent contubrinium raro bona mens bona fortuna homini datur Happinesse and Humblenesse are not chamber-fellows seldome a good Minde and a good Estate is giuen to the same man God seemed to mistrust this in Israel that the increasing of Goodes and multiplying of Cattle would lift vp their heartes against him The peaceable dayes of the Wicked and their lucky proceedinges in this world by the testimony of Iob durageth their impudence against Heauen Who is the Almighty that we should serue him depart from vs wee will none of thy wayes That of the Psalme is of full strength to this His wayes prosper thy iudgements are farre aboue out of his sight therefore defyeth he all his enemies Man onely no God himselfe I shall neuer be mooued Let Malachi for all the Prophets Peter for all the Apostles make vp this cloude of witnesses It is in vaine to serue the Lord and where is the promise of his comming All thinges are still Statu quo continued in the same course there is no alteration no new thing done Quaecunque sub axe vnder Heauen We say Non bonum ludere cum sanctis it is no safe iesting with holy thinges It is dangerous for an Edomite to make himselfe merry with God this is the way to come short home thou hadst better haue mourned all thy life then made God thy play-fellow When the vessell of Dust shall encounter with the arme of Omnipotence Siue percutiat siue percutiatur frangi necesse est whether it smite or be smitten it is sure to be broken The Chayre of the Scorner is the seate of Sathan the lowest staire and very threshold of Hell as Dauid describes it Blessed is the man that doth not walke c. His first plot is to get vs to walke a turne or two with him hauing perswaded this he moues vs to stand still a litle but so long as we are standing we are going therefore at last he intreates vs for our ease to sitte downe but if we take our seate in that inchaunted Chaire we grow to that impudence to deride God and his iudgements I will single you out foure fortes of these Edomites Scorners for I iustly paralell them and propound their natures and conditions to your pitty and detestation 1 Atheistes such as haue voluntarily violently extinguished to themselues the Sun-light of the Scripture Moone-light of the Creature nay the sparkes and cinders of Nature that the more securely as vnseene and vnchidden of their owne heartes they might prodigally act the workes of darknesse not Athenian-like dedicating an Altar to an vnknowne God but annihilating to themselues and vili-pending to others Altar Religion God and suffocating the breath of all Motions Argumentes manifest Conuictions that heauen earth haue produced for the reasons of Hell onely shall one day euince it Deum esse that there is a God they affirme it impossible that flesh should be turned to rottennesse rottennesse to dust and dust to glorie Against whom well S. Augustine He that could forme vs of nothing can reforme vs decayed it is easier to repaire then prepare That Atheisme in the dayes of Salomon was the same in opinion that ours is in practise we doe not say but liue as if it was better to a liuing Dogge then a dead Lyon which I would yeeld true among Beastes but among men
thousand and three hundred then shall the Sanctuarie be clensed and the vision of the Euening and the Morning is true The Euening of their sorrow precedes the Morning of their ioyes Our Prophet so compares the tempest of the Assirians rage to a Storme in the Night which vanisheth at the rysing Sunne Loe in the Euening there is trouble but before the Morning it is gone Our Night lastes during this wretched life the troubles of Miseries stormes of Persecutions and rage of that great Leutathan disturbes our Ayre darkens our Day and makes it a gloomy Night cloudes tempestes obstacles stumbling-blockes temptations machinations of Enemies deceiuinges of Friends through so many dangers and difficulties sayle we to our hauen of Peace our assuraunce is that ioy comes in the Morning when we shall rise in the East and beholde the Sonne of Glory shine in our faces The Morning of the Edomites Atheistes Reprobates comes first smiling on their browes but Nox sequitur they haue a Night behind This disparitie consistes not onely in the counterposition of their order but in the circumstantiall difference of their length and shortnesse Our Night is irkesome but short Compensatur acerbitas breuitate What is ill in the bitternesse is eased by the shortnesse But our Day is euerlasting from new Moone to new Moone from Saboth to Saboth wee shall prayse the Lord Myriades of yeares and ages shal be expired and our Sunne as farre from setting as at our first entrance for time and mortalitie and distinction of age shall cease there is nothing but eternitie aboue It is not more blessed in being a Day then in being endlesse Their Morning is short their Night euerlasting their Debt never pâ—yde their Fire neuer quenched Here is their vnhappines Florent ad tempus pereunt in aeternum florent faâ—sis bonis pereunt veris tormentis They flourish for a time they perish for euer they flourish with false ioyes perish with true and substantiall tormentes thinges that are soonest bred haue the shortest continuance a puffe of Winde rayseth the Chaffe from the earth and a puffe scatters it away the Wicked are soone raised and with like speede depressed How quickly is Esau's posteritie aduanced to a Kingdome how immaturely cast downe The Crowne is scarse warme on their temples their eyes haue scarse taken a passing glaunce of their glories but all is dispersed the Godly are long kept vnder couert but when they doe rise their eleuation is permanent Loe now cast a sober and intelligent eye on this strange opposition and let the very enemie of Heauen and Grace iudge whether the vaine shadowes of Ioy and those for a Day liable to true and substantiall tormentes and those for euer be comparable with or desirable before a momentany Affliction and that not without the best of comfortes followed with an excellent and eternall weight of glory It 's confest I speake for you I thinke your Consciences are conuinced but Vbi signa Where are the signes of it If this be so and you so acknowledge it why lead you so dissonant liues shall the voyce of your owne tongues censure of your owne heartes witnesse against you Tacitus reportes that in the ciuill Warres betwixt Vitellius and Vespasian a Souldier had killed his owne Father which was of the enemies Armie no sooner was this published but euery man begins to abhorre condemne execrate that Warre the cause of such an vnnaturall fact yet how little effect this wrought in their proceedings that Author describes for their rage rapine crueltie was not lessened in spoyling Neighbour Friend Kinsman Brother Father when they had slaine them Wee abhorre the miseries and sinnes incident to this life we loue it still nay preferre it to Heauen our condemnation will be easie and iust what need is there of more Witnesses Ex ore tuo thy owne lippes haue spoken against thee For shame let our heartes and tongues be cut out of one peece that what we allow in opinion we may prosecute in practise You heare how the Day slippes from vs and the Night steales on what remaines but in the Day to prepare for the Night No maruell if men sleepe in the Night but in the broad day to shut our eyes with the Dormouse is vnnaturall There is a Night when thou shalt rest euen on thy bed of Peace onely walke worke loyter not in thy Day Christ taught and obserued the Rule himselfe to trauell his Day and all his Day For the Night comes wherein no man can worke There are thinges which if the Night findes vndone we are vndone because we haue not done them if we deferre to prouide lodging sustenaunce safetie the Night findes and leaues vs destitute How madde is hee that bound to some speciall designement confined to his day and then furthered with light ayde companie and conueniencie of all thinges spendes one houre in catching Flyes another after Feathers and all the rest in seuerall toyes and leasinges that on a sodaine the Sunne settes and his chiefe worke is not done nay not begunne The worke of our day is the working vp our saluation it is a speciall worke Heauen our Soules are vpon it and we haue but our day to worke it Tempus vitae tempus paenitentiae The time of life is the time of Repentance Wee spend one peece of our Day in Couetous scrapinges another in adoring that wee haue scraped some houres of our Day in working vanitie and some in sleeping security instantly the Night of death comes we haue neglected the maine chaunce our Saluation is not finished like Courtiers that hauing light to bring them to bed play it out at Cardes and goe to bed darkling Woe to them that goe to their last rest thus How vnworthy are wee of a Day thus to spend it It is pittie that euer the Sun of Grace shoone on our faces Quake and feare what soeuer thou art to suffer the sinne of thy soule and the end of thy life to come so neere togeather If men stumble in the darke it is not strange to fall at euery stubbe in the day argues wilfull neglect or want of eyes It is enough for those poore Romanistes that liue vnder that Egiptian darkenesse of the inquisition to fall into grieuous absurdities where the Sunne shines to see men fall in heapes is astonishing Oh that euery baite of drunkennesse obiect of couetousnesse presented glaunce of vanitie should make vs wander and stumble stumble and falle falle and content our selues therein without rysing What would wee what will wee doe if our Sunne settes For shame cast away the deedes of darknesse with the time Awake and stand vp the light of Iesus Christ shines on thy face As men from sleepe opening their eyes and seeing day broke cast away their cloathes wherein they were wrapt warme and starte vp to their seuerall callinges the Sinnes and Vanities of this world haue kept vs warme as Caiphas kept Peter whiles we