Glory 1. God himselfe is the feast-maker he is Land-lord of the world and â—illeth euery liuing thing with goodnesse The Eagles and Lions seeke their meate at God But though all the sonnes of Iacob haue good cheare from Ioseph yet Beniamins messe exceeds Esau shall haue the prosperitie of the earth but Iacob goes away with the blessing Ismaell may haue outward fauours but the inheritance belongs to Izhak The King fauoureth all his subiects but they of his Court stand in his presence partake of his Princely graces Gods bountie extends to the wicked also but the Saints shall onely sit at his table in Heauen This is that feaster qui est super omnia et sine quo nulla sunt omnia Of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory for euer 2. The cheare is beyond all sense all science Eye hath not seene nor eare heard nether haue entred into the heart of man the things God hath prepared for them that loue him The eye sees much the eare heares more the heart conceaues most yet all short of apprehension much more of comprehension of these pleasures Therefore enter thou into thy Masters ioy for it is too great to enter into thee 3. The company is excellent the glorious presence of the blessed Trinitie the Father that made vs the Sonne that bought vs the Holy Ghost that brought vs to this place The holy and vnspotted Angels that reioyced at our conuersion on earth much more at our consolation in Heauen All the Patriarchs Prophets Saints before the Law in the Law in the Gospell the full Communion of Saints Here the more the mirrier yea and the better cheare to Oh the sweet melodie of Halleluiahs which so many glorified voyces shall sing to God in Heauen the hoarcenesse of sinne and the harshnesse of punishment being separated from vs with a bill of euerlasting diuorce 4. Admirable is the Banketing place the high Court of Heauen where our apparell shall be such as beseemeth the attendants on the King of Kings euen the fashion of the glorious body of Christ. The purest things are placed highermost The earth as grossest is put in the lowest roome the water aboue the earth the ayre aboue the water the fire aboue the ayre the sphaeres of Heauen aboue any of them and yet thâ— place where this feast is kept is aboue them all the Heauen of Heauens Take here a slight rellish of the cheare in Gods kingdome where your welcome shall be answerable to all the rest Eate oh my friends and make you merry oh well-beloued And then as those that haue tasted some delicate dish finde other plaine meates but vnpleasant so you that haue tasted of heauenly things cannot but contemne the best worldly pleasures As therefore some dainty guest knowing there is so pleasant fare to come let vs reserue our appetites for that and not suffer our selues to be cloyed with the course diet of the world Thus as wee fast on the Eues that we may feast on the Holy-dayes let vs be sure that after our abstinence from the surfets of sinne we shall be euerlastingly fed and fatted with the mercies of God Which resolution the Lord grant vs here which Banket the Lord giue vs hereafter Amen FINIS THE Sinners passing-Bell OR A complaint from Heauen for Mans Sinnes Published by THOMAS ADAMS Preacher of Gods Word at Willington in Bedford-shire 1 CORINTH 11.30 For this cause many are weake and sickly among you and many sleepe AVGVST EPIST. 188. Ipse sibi denegat curam qui Medico non publicat causam Hee hath no care of his owne cure that declares not to the Phisition his griefe LONDON Printed by Thomas Snodham for Iohn Budge and are to be sold at the great South-dore of Paules and at Brittaines-Bursse 1614. TO THE TRVLY-NOBLE KNIGHT Sr. Anthony Sainct-Iohn sauing health Right Worshipfull THe sicknesse of this World is growne so lethargicall that his recouery is almost despaired and therefore his Phisitians finding by infallible symptoms that his consumption is not curable leaue him to the malignancie of his disease For the eye of his faith is blinde the eare of his attention deafe the foote of his obedience lame the hand of his charitie numm'd and shut vp with a griping couetousnesse All his vitall parts whereby he should liue to goodnesse are in a swoune he lies bed-rid in his securitie and hath little lesse then giuen vp the Holy Ghost It cannot be denied but that he lies at the mercie of God It is therefore too late to tolle his Passing-bell that hath no breath of obedience left in him I might rather ring out his knell Yet because there are many in this world that are not of this world many sicke of the generall disease of Sin whose recouerie is not hopelesse though their present state be happelesse and some that if they knew but themselues sicke would resort to the Poole of Bethesda the waters of life to be cured I haue therefore presumed to take them apart and tell them impartially their owne illnesse Oh that to performe the cure were no more difficult then to describe the Maladie or prescribe the remedie I haue endeuoured the latter the other to God who can both kill and giue life who is yet pleased by his word to worke our recouery and to make me one vnworthy instrument to administer his Phisicke Now as the most accurate Phisitians ancient or moderne though they deliuered precepts in their facultie worthy of the worlds acceptance and vse yet they set them forth vnder some Noble Patronage so I haue presumed vnder the countenance of your protection to publish this phisicall or rather metaphysicall Treatise for as the Sicknesse is spirituall so the cure must be supernaturall Assuring my selfe that if you shall vse any obseruation here and giue it your good word of Probatum est many others wil be induced the more redily to embrace it My intent is to doe good and if I had any better Receite I would not like some Phisitians I know not whither more enuious or couetous with an excellent Medicine let it liue and die with my selfe God conserue your either health and giue you with a sound body a sounder faith whereby you may liue the life of Grace heere of Glory hereafter Your VVorships humbly deuoted THOMAS ADAMS THE Sinners Passing-Bell OR A Complaint from Heauen for Mans Sinnes The fift Sermon IEREM 8.22 Is there no Balme in Gilead Is there no Phisitian there why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recouered THis is a world to make Phisitians rich if men loued not their purse better then their health For the world waxeth old and old age is weake and sickly As when death begins to ceaze vpon a man his braine by little and little groweth out of order his minde becomes cloudy and troubled with fantasies the channels of his blood and the radicall moisture the
that actuall applications pierced more then verball explications Nathan by an instance of supposition wrought Dauids hart to an humble confession Hee drew the Proposition from his owne lippes The man that hath done this is worthie of death and then stroke while the iron was hot by an inferred Conclusion Thou art the man The Prophet Ahijah rent the new garment of Ieroboam in twelue pieces and bad him reserue tenne to himselfe in signe That God had rent the Kingdome out of the hand of Solomon and giuen tenne Tribes to him Esay by going naked and bare-foote as by a visible signe lessons Egâ—pt and Ethiopia that after this manner they should goe captiue to Assiria Ieremie by wearing bands and yokes and sending them to the Kings of Edom Moab Ammon Tyre Sidon Iudah giues them an actuall representation a visible Sacrament of their Babilonish captiuitie Ezekiells pourtraying vpon a Tile the Citie Ierusalem and the siege against it is called by God a signe against them Agabus tooke Pauls girdle and bound his owne hands and feete a signe and that from the holy Ghost that hee who ought the girdle should be so bound at Ierusalem and deliuered into the hands of the Gentiles God schooled Ionas in the Gourd by a liuely Apothegme and reall subiection to his owne eyes of his vniust impatience against God and Niniueh It was Gods vsuall dealing with Israell by the afflictions wherewith hee grieued them to put into their mindes how they had grieued him by their sins So Paul as our Prophet here For this cause yee are weake sickely and many dye drawing them by these sensible cords of their plagues to the feeling of their sinnes which made their soules faint in Grace sicke in Sinne dead in Apostasie For this cause c. This Doctrine affords a double vse particular and generall particular to Ministers generall to all Christians 1. To the dispensers of Gods secrets It allowes them in borrowed formes to expresse the meditations of their harts God hath giuen vs this libertie in the performance of our callings not onely nakedly to lay downe the truth but with the helpes of Inuention Wit Art to remoue loathing of his Manna If wee had none to heare vs but Cornelius or Lidia or such sanctified eares a meere affirmation were a sufficient confirmation But our Auditors are like the Belgicke armies that consist of French English Scotch Germaine Spanish Italian c. so many hearers so many humours the same diuersity of men and mindes That as guests at a strange dish euery man hath a rellish by himselfe that all our helpes can scarce help one soule to heauen But of all kindes there is none that creepes with better insinuation or leaues behinde it a deeper impression in the Conscience then a fit comparison This extorted from Dauid what would hardly haue ben graunted that as Dauid slew Goliath with his owne sword so Nathan slew Dauids sinne with his owne word Iotham conuinced the Shechemites folly in their approued raigne of Abimelech ouer them by the tale of the Bramble Euen temporall occasions are often the Mines to digge out spirituall instructions The people flocke to Christ for his bread Christ preacheth to them another bread whereof hee that eates shall neuer dye The Samaritane vvoman speakes to him of Iacobs Well hee tells her of Iesus Well whose bottome or foundation was in Heauen whose mouth and spring downewards to the earth crosse to all earthly fountaines contayning waters of life to be drawne and carried away in the Buckets of faith She thought it a new Well she found it a true Well whereof drinking her soules thirst was for euer satisfied The Creeple begges for an Almes the Apostle hath no money but answeres his small request with a great bequest health in the name of Iesus Nihil additur marsupio multum saluti His Purse is nothing the fuller his body is much the happier This course you see both Christ and his Apostles gaue vs in practise and precept In practise When the woman blessed the wombe that bare Christ and the pappes which gauâ— him sucke he deriueâ— hence occasion to blesse them which conceiue him in their faith and receaue him in their obedience Blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it Euen as Mary her selfe was rather blessed percipiendo fidem quam concipiendo carnem Christi in receauing the faith then conceauing the flesh of Christ. So the newes of his kinred in the flesh standing at the doore taught him to teach who are his true kinred in the Spirit In precept to his Apostles If they will not receaue and beleeue you Wipe off the dust of their Citie that cleaueth to your feete against them If they will not be moued with your words amaze them with your wonders Heale the sicke cleanse the leapers raise the dead cast out Deuils We cannot now worke miracles yet we can speake of miracles Euen we must also as obey his Documents so obserue his doings and follow him in due measure both in his words works though non passibus aequis not with equall steps Our imitation must be with limitation aptly dâ—stinguishing what we must onely admire in our mindes what admit in our manners 2. To all Christians that wee climbe vp by the staires of these inferiour creatures to contemplate the glorious power of the Creatour A good Christian that like the Bee workes honey from euery flower suffers no action demonstration euent to slip by him without a question All Obiects to a meditating Solomon are like wings to reare mount vp his thoughts to Heauen As the old Româ—nes when they saw the blew stones thought of Olympus so let euery Obiect though low in it selfe eleuate our mindes to Mount Syon A meane scaffold may serue to raise vp a goodly building Courtiers weather-driuen into a poore Cottage etiam in caula de Aula loquuntur gather hence opportunitie to praise the Court Wee may no lesse euen ex hara de ara dicendi ansam sumere from our Tabernacles on earth be induced to praise our standing house in Heauen So as the Philosopher aymed at the pitch stature of Hercules by viewing the length of the print of his foote Wee may by the base and dwarfiâ—h pleasures on our earth guesse at the high and noble ioyes in Heauen How can we cast vp our eyes to that they were made to behold and not suffer our mindes to transcend it passing through the lower Heauen which God made for Fowles Vapours Meteors to the Firmament wherein he fixed his Starres and thence meditating of the Empyreall Heauen which he created for himselfe his Angels his Saints a place no lesse glorious aboue the visible then the visible is aboue the earth Read in euery Starre and let the Moone be your Candle to doe it the prouident disposition of God the eternitie of your after-life But
doings your transgressions doe appeare So the same people to the Sonne as they had erst to the Seruants Wee will not come vnto thee How often would I haue gathered you but you would not Yee will not come at mee that you might haue life 1. The way is easie 2. You shall haue life for comming it is worth your labour 3. You can haue it no where else then Come to mee No you will not come at mee as Daniel answered Belsâ—azzar Keepe thy rewards to thy selfe and giue thy gifts to another These are sinnes with lifting vp the hand and heâ—le against God the hand in opposition the heele in contempt There are two Ladders whereby men climbe into HEAVEN the godly by their Prayers the wicked by their sinnes By this latter Ladder did Sodome and Niniueh climbe GOD graunt our sinnes be not such climbers that presse into the presence Chamber of HEAVEN and will bee acquainted vvith GOD though to our confusion Are our wickednesses done in this Râ—â—â—on and Sphaere of sinne the Earth and must they come to Heauen first Must the newes be at the Court of what is done in the Coâ—ntrie before the Countrie it selfe know of it Our consciences take no notice of our owne iniquities but they complaine in the audience-Court of HEAVEN and few out an Outlawry against vs. So impudent and vn-blushing is our wickednesse that with the Prophet wee may complaine Were they ashamed when they had committed abhomination nay they were not at all ashâ—med neither could they blush Our sinnes keepe not low water the tide of them is euer swelling they are obiects to the generall eye and proud that they may be obserued And let mee tell you many of the sinnes I haue taxed as secret and silent as you take them and as hoarcely as they are pleaded to speake are no lesse then Thunder to Heauen and Lightning to men They doe votally and vocally ascend that vvould actually if they could The labourers hyre cries in the gripulous Landlords hand The furrowes of the Incloser cry complaine nay weepe against him for so is the Hebrew word The vaine-glorious builder hath the stone crying out of the Wall against him and the beame out of the Timber answering it The Blasphemers tumult cryes and is come vp into the eares of God The Oppressors rage and violence reacheth vp to Heauen and is continually before mee saith the Lord. These are crying sinnes and haue shrill voices in Heauen neither are they submisse and whispering on the Earth To bee short most men are eyther Publicanes or Pharises eyther they will doe no good or loose that they doe by ostentation Many act the part of a religious man and play Deuotion on the worlds Theater that are nothing beside the Stage all for sight Angels in the High-way Deuils in the by-way so monstrous out of the CHVRCH that they shame Religion It was prouerb'd on Nero It must needes be good that Nero persecutes their vvicked liues giue occasion to the world to inuert it on them It must needs be euill that such wretches professe Others are like Publicanes Onely they were Christened when they were Babes and could not helpe it but as angry at that indignitie they oppose Christ all their liues Take heed Beloued Hell was not made for nothing The Deuill scornes to haue his Court emptieâ— you will not bend you shall breake you will not serue God God will serue himselfe of you Put not these vices from you by your impudent cloakings How many staâ—d here guiltie of some of thesâ— sinnes How many may say with Aeneas Et quorum pars magna sui whereof I haue a great share Many cry out the dayes are euill whiles they helpe to make them worse All censure none amend If euery one would plucke a brand from this fire the flame would goe out of it selfe But whiles wee cast in our iniquities as Fewell and blow it with the Bellowes of disobedience wee make it strong enough to consume vs yea and all we haue For God will not spare euer he is iust and must strike Shall wee loosen our hands to impietie and tye God from vengeance I haue often read and seene that Mercy and 〈◊〉 meet together that Righteousnesse and Peace kisse one â—nother But Mercie and sinnefulnesse keepe not the saâ—e hoâ—sâ— Peace and wickednesse are meere straâ—â—ers To reconcile these is harder then to make the Wâ—lfe and Lâ—mbe liue together in quiet Thinke not that God can not strike Mars vlâ—or galeam quoque perdidit res non potuit seruare suas The Hâ—â—then Gods could not auenge their owne quarrels But our God caâ— punish a thousand wayes Fire Plague Warre Famine c. Milla nocendi artes Our sinnes may thriue a while and batten becaâ—se they liue in a friendlâ— Ayre and apt Soile but in the end they will ouerthrow both themselues and vs. Ciuitatis euersio est morum non murorum casus A Cities ouerthrow is sooner wrought by lewd liues then weake walles Were the walles of our Cities as strong-Turreted and inexpugnable as the wall that Phocas built about his Pallace yet it may bee really performed on them as the voyce in the night tolde him Did they reach the Clouds they may be scaled the sinne within will marre all Graâ—iores sunt mimici mores praui quà m hostes infesti Our worst enemies are our owne sinnes And thougâ— these punishments fall not suddenly yet certainely if repentance step not betweene Adam did not dye presently on his sin yet Gods Word was true vpon him for hee became instantly mortall sure to die and fell as it vvere into a Consumption that neuer left him till it brought him to the graue GOD hath leaden Feet but Iron hands take heede ye feasting Robbers when God strucke that secret theefe Iudas hee strucke home he tooke away the world from him or rather him from the world and sent him to his owne place Feast Reuell Ryot Couet Ingrosse Extort Hoord whiles you will Earth is not your House but your Bridge you must passe ouer it either to Canaan or Egipt Heauen or Hell euery man to his owne place Graunt oh deare Father that wee may so runne our short Pilgrimage on Earth that our dwelâ—ing-place may bee with thy Maiestie in Heauen through the merits and mercies of our Sauiour Iesus Christ. AMEN In conviuium Diabolicum They that to glut on sinnes such pleasure haue Descend with sickly Conscience to their graue Vnlesse Repentance and true Faith make sure The physicke of Christs bloud their wounds to cure Forbeare thou Christen'd soule the Deuils Feast And to Heauens Supper be a welcome Guest FINIS THE SHOT OR The vvofull price vvhich the wicked pay for the feast of Vanitie BY THOMAS ADAMS Preacher of Gods Word at Willington in Bedford-shire LVKE 16.25 But Abraham said Sonne remember that thou in thy life time receiuedst thy good things and
better life is the soule spoiled of when sinne hath taken it captiue The Adultresse will hunt for the precious life She is ambitious and would vsurpe Gods due and claime the heart the soule Hee that doth loue her destroyeth his owne soule Which shee loues not for it selfe but for the destruction of it that all the blossomes of grace may dwindle and shrinke away as bloomes in a nipping Frost and all our comforts runne from vs as flatterers from a falling Greatnesse or as Vermine from an house on fire Nay euen both thy liues are endangered The wicked man goâ—â—h after her as a foole to the correction of the stâ—ckes till a 〈◊〉 strike through his liuer as a bird hasteth to the snare and knoweth not that it is for his life It is as ineuitably true of the spirituall Harlots mischiefe For the turning away of the simple shall slay them Saue my life and take my goods saith the prostrate and yeelding Traueller to the theefe But there is no mercy with this enemie the life must pay for it She is worse then that inuincible Nauy that threatned to cut the throates of all Men Women Infants but I would to God shee might goe hence againe without her errand as they did and haue as little cause to bragge of her conquests Thus haue wee discribed the Temptresse The Tempted followes who are here called the Dead There be three kindes of death corporall spirituall eternall Corporall when the body leaues this life Spirituall when the soule forsakes and is forsaken of grace Eternall when both shall be throwne into hell 1. is the seperation of the soule from the body 2. is the seperation of body and soule from grace 3. the seperation of them both from euerlasting happinesse Man hath two parts by which hee liues and two places wherein he might liue if hee obayed God Earth for a time Heauen for euer This Harlot Sin depriues either part of man in either place of true life and subiects him both to the first and second death Let vs therefore examine in these particulars first what this death is and secondly how Sathans guests the wicked may be said liable thereunto 1. Corporall death is the departure of the soule from the body whereby the body is left dead without action motion sense For the life of the body is the vnion of the soule with it For which essentiall dependance the soule is often called and taken for the life Peter said vnto him Lord why cannot I follow thee now I will lay downe my soule for thy sake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his soule meaning as it iâ— translated his life And He that findeth his soule shall loose it but hee that looseth his soule for my sake shall finde it Here the Soule is taken for the Life So that in this death there is the seperation of the soule and body the dissolution of the person the priuation of life the continuance of death for there is no possible regresse from the priuation to the habite except by the supernaturall and miraculous hand of God This is the first but not the worst death which sinnâ— procureth And though the speciall deaâ—nesse of the guests here be spirituall yet this which we call naturall may be implied may be applied for when God threatned death to Adams sinne in illo die mâ—riâ—ris in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die yet Adam liued nine hundred and thirtie yeares after There was notwithstanding no delay no delusion of Gods decree for in ipso die in that very day death tooke hold on him and so is the Hebrew phrase dying thou shalt dye fall into a languishing and incurable consumption that shall neuer leaue thee till it bring thee to thy graue So that hee instantly dyed not by present seperation of soule and body but by mortallitie mutabillitie miserie yea by sorrow and paine as the instruments and agents of Death Thus said that Father After a man beginneth to be in this body by reason of his sinne he is euen in death The wicked then are not onely called Dead because the conscience is dead but also in respect of Gods decree whose inviolable substitution of Death to Sinne cannot be euaded auoyded It is the Satute-law decreed in the great Parliament of Heauen Statutum omnibus seâ—el mori It is appoynted vnto men once to die Tâ—is is one speciall kindnesse that sinne doth vs one kisse of her lippes Shee giues her louers three mortall kisses The first kils the conscience the second the carkase the third body and soule for euer Death passed vpon all men for that all haue sinned So Paul schooles his Corinths For this cause many are weaâ—e and sicke among you and many sleepe And conclusiuely peccati stipendium mors The wages of sinne is Death This Death is to the wicked death indeed euen as it is in it owne full nature the curse of God the suburbes of Hell Neither is this vniust dealing with God that man should incurre the death of his body that had reiected the life of his soule nisi praecessisset in peccato mors animae numquam corporis mors in supplicio sequerâ—tur If sinne had not first wounded the body death could not haue killed the soule Hence saith Augustine Men shunne the death of the flesh rather then the death of the spirit that is the punishment rather then the cause of the punishment Indeed Death considered in Christ and ioyned with a good life is to Gods elect an aduantage nothing else but a bridge ouer this tempestuous sea to Paradice Gods mercy made it so saith S. Augustine Not by making death in it selfe good but an instrument of good to his This hee demonstrates by an instance As the Law is not euill when it increaseth the lust of sinners sâ— death is not good though it augmâ—nt the glory of suâ—ferers The wicked vse the law ill though the law be good The good die well though death be euill Hence saith Solomon The day of death is better then the day of ones birth For our death is not obitus sed abitus not a perishing but a parting Non amittitur anima praemittitur tantum The soule is not lost to the body but onely sent before it to ioy Si duriùs seponitur meliùs reponitur If the soule be painfully laid off it is ioyfully laid vp Though euery man that hath his Genesis must haue his Exodus and they that are borne must dye Yet saith Tertullian of the Saints Profectio est quam putas moâ—tem Our dying on earth is but the taking our iourney to Heauen Simeon departs and that in peace In pace in pacem Death cannot be euentually hurtfull to the good for it no sooner takes away the temporall life but Christ giues eternall in the roome of it Alas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Corpora cadauera Our graues shall as
haue giuen his last sentence At that day when Quaesitor scelerum veniet vindexque reorum the searcher of all and punisher of wicked hearts shall giue his double voyce of dread and ioy when hauing spoken peace to his Saints hee shall thunder out condemnation to the wicked Goe ye into euerlasting fire dent ocyus omnes Quas meruere pati sic stat sententia poenas And if here on earth Seiudice nemo nocens absoluitur a mans owne conscience condemne him for his sinnes how much greater shall be the iust condemnation of God Then all murdering Cains scoffing Chams persecuting Sauls theeuish and sacrilegious Achans oppressing Ahabs couetous Nabals drunken Hâ—lofernesses cruell Herods blasphemous Rabshaceh's vniust Pilates shall reape the seed in their eternall deaths which they haue sowne in their temporall liues There shall be scorching heate and freezing cold Ex vehementissimo calore ad vehementissimum frigus Without either act of refreshing or hope of releasing Euery day hath beene their Holy-day on earth euery day shall be their workie-day in Hell The Poets fained three furies Scindet latus vna slagello Altera tartareis sectos dabit anguibus artus Tertia fumantes incoquet igne genas One brings a Scorpion which the Conscience eates Another with yron whips the blacke flesh beates Whiles the third boyles the soule in scalding heates Nemo ad id sero venit vnde nunquam cum semel venit poterit reuerti No man can come too late to those sufferings from whence being once come hee can neuer returne This is Hell where darknesse shall be their prison euerlastingnes their fetters flames their torments angry Angels their tormenters Vbi nec tortores deficiant nec torti miserimoriantur Where the scourgers shal neuer be weary of afflicting nor the scourged faile their suffering But there shall be alwayes torments for the body and a body for torments Fire shall be the consummation of their plagues not the consumption of their persons Vbi per millia millia annorum cruciandi nec in secula seculorum liberandi Myriades of yeeres shall not accomplish nor determine their punishments It shall be their miserie Semper velle quod nunquam erit semper nolle quod nunquam non erit to haue a will neuer satisfied a nill neuer gratified 3. Per profunditatem The depth of Hell The Scripture is frequent to testifie Hell a deepe place and beneath vs. Capernaum shall be cast downe to Hell Solomon so speakes The way of life is aboue to the wise that hee may depart from Hell beneath And of this Harlot Her house is the way to Hell going downe to the chambers of death Her feete goe downe to death her steps take hold on Hell Downe and beneath doe witnesse the depth of Hell There are three places Earth Heauen Hell Earth wee all enioy good and bad promiscuously Heauen is prepared for the good and it is vpwards If ye be risen with Christ seeke the things that are aboue Hell is ordained for the wicked and it is downeward called here profundum a depth To define the locall place of Hell it is too deepe for me I leaue it to deeper iudgements I doe not giue Dâ—monax answere being asked where Hell was Expecta simul ac illuc venero et tibi per literas significabo Tarry till I come thither and I will send thee word by letters No I onely say this There is one wee are sure of it let vs by a good life be as sure to scape it But to confine my speech to the bounds of my Text I take it that by Hell the depth of it here is ment the deepe bondage of the wicked soules that they are in the depth of the power of Hell Sathan hauing by sinne a full dominion ouer their consciences For Hell is often allegorically taken in the Scriptures So Ionas cryes vnto God out of the belly of Hell Dauid sung de profundis Out of the depth haue I cryed vnto thee oh Lord. So Christ speakes of the vnbeleeuer that hee is already damned And the reprobate are here affirmed in the depth of Hell This exposition I esteeme more naturall to the words For as the godly haue a Heauen so the wicked a Hell euen vpon Earth though both in a spirituall not a literall sence The reprobates Hell on earth is double or of two sorts 1. In that the power of Hell rules in his conscience Hee walkes according to the course of this world and according to the Prince of the power of the Ayre the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience Hee is taken and ledde captiue of the Deuilâ— as hereafter in the chaines of damnation so here in the bands of dominion which Solomon cals funes peccatorum as he hath drawne iniquitie with the cords of vanitie so hee shall be holden with the cords of his sinnes 2. There is a Hell in his conscience So Saint Augustine Sunt duo tortores anime Timor et Dolor The soule hath two tormentors euen in this life griefe for euill felt feare of euill to be felt Whereof the Poet. Sic mea perpetuos curarum pectora morsus fine quibus nullo consiciantur habent These are the fearefull terrours whereof the guilty heart cannot be quitted cannot be quieted though pleasure it selfe were his phisitian and the whole world his minstrell Domino priuante suo gaudio quid esse potest in gaudium when God withholds his musicke and peace what can make the heart merry Polidore Virgill thus writes of Richard the third's dreame the night before Bosworth-field That hee thought all the Deuils in Hell pulled and haled him in most hideous and vgly shapes And concludes of it at last Id credo non fuit somnium sed conscientia scelerum I doe not thinke it was so much his dreame as his wicked conscience that brought those terrours When this euill spirit comes on a wicked Saul let him goe to his merriest good fellowes beguile at once the time and himselfe with playes and sports feast away his cares at his owne table or burie them together with his wits at a Tauerne alas these are pitteous shifts weaker then wals of paper Sleepe cannot make his conscience sleepe perhaps the very dreames are fearefull It will not leaue thee till it hath shewed thee thy Hell no nor when it hath shewed thee it will it leaue thee quiet The more thou offerest to damme vp this current the more ragingly it swels and gusheth ouer the resisting banckes This wounded Conscience runnes like the stricken Deare with the arrow of death in the ribbes from thicket to thicket from shelter to shelter but cannot change her paine with her place The wound ranckles in the soule and the longer it goes on the worse still it festers Thus sinne that spake thee so faire at her inuiting to the Banket now presents to thy waked
capable of the Church-goods though not pliable to the Churches good Thus hauing prouided for the estate of his Inheritance of his Aduancement of his Carkasse he comes last to thinke of his Conscience I would to God this were not too frequently the worlds fashion Whereas heretofore Primogeniti eo iure Sacerdotes the first-borne had the right of Priesthood now the younger Sonne if he fit for nothing else lights vpon that priuiledge That as a reuerend Diuine saith Younger Brothers are made Priests and Priests are made younger Brothers Yet alas for all diseases Nature prouideth Art prepareth Medicines He is fed in this Country whom that refuseth An estate lost by Shipwracke on Sea may be recouered by good-speede on Land And in ill health for euery sore of the bodie there is a salue for euery maladie a remedie but for the Conscience Nature hath no cure as Lust no care Hei mihi quod nullis anima est medicabilis herbis There is no hearbe to heale the wounds of the soule though you take the whole world for the Garden All these professions are necessarie that mens Ignorance might not preiudice them either in wealth health or grace God hath made men fit with qualities and famous in their faculties to preserue all these sound in vs. The Lawyer for thy wealth the Physitian for thy health the Diuine for thy soule Physitians cure the body Ministers the Conscience The Church of Israell is now exceeding sicke and therefore the more dangerously because she knowes it not No Physicke is affected therefore no health effected She lyes in a Lethargie and therefore speechlesse She is so past sense of her weakenesse that God himselfe is faine to ring her Passing-bell Aarons bells cannot ring lowd enough to waken her God toles from Heauen a sad knell of complaint for her It is I â—hinke a custome not vnworthie of approbation when a languishing Christian drawes neere his end to tole a heauie Bell for him Set aside the preiudice of Superstition and the ridiculous conceits of some olde Wiues whose wits are more decrepit then their bodies and I see not why reasons may not be giuen to proue it though not a necessarie yet an allowed Ceremonie 1. It puts into the sicke man a sense of mortallitie and though many other obiects should do no lesse yet this seasonably performes it If any particular flatterer or other carnall friends should vse to him the susurration that Peter did once to Christ Master fauour thy selfe this shall not be vnto thee though sicknesse lyes on your bed Death shall not enter your Chamber the euill day is farre off feare nothing you shall liue many yeeres or as the Deuill to our Grandmother you shall not dye Or if the May of his yeeres shall perswade himselfe to the remotenesse of his Autumne or if the loue of earthly pleasure shall denie him voluntarie leasure to thinke of Death As Epâ—minondas Generall of the Thebans vnderstanding a Captaine of his Armie to be dead exceedingly wondred how in a Campe any should haue so much leasure as to be sicke In a word whatsoeuer may flatter him with hope of life the Bell like an impartiall friend without either the too broad eyes of pittie or too narrow of partiallitie sounds in his owne eares his owne weakenesse and seemes to tell him that in the opinion of the world hee is no man of the world Thus with a kinde of Diuinitie it giues him ghostly counsell to remit the care of his Carkasse and to admit the cure of his Conscience It toles all in it shall tole thee in to thy graue 2. It excites the hearers to pray for the sicke and when can Prayers be more acceptable more comfortable The faithfull deuotions of so many Christian-neighbours sent vp as Incense to Heauen for thee are very auaileable to pacifie an offended Iustice. This is S. Iames his Physicke for the sicke nay this is the Lords comfort to the sicke The prayer of faith shall saue the sicke and the Lord shall raise him vp and if hee haue committed sinnes they shall be forgiuen him Now though we be all seruants of one familie of God yet because of particular families on earth and those so remoued that one member cannot condole anothers griefe that it feeles not non dolet cor quod non nouit The Bell like a speedie Messenger runnes from house to house from eare to eare on thy soules errand and begges the assistance of their Prayers Thy heart is thus incited to pray for thy selfe others excited to pray for thee Hee is a Pharisee that desires not the Prayers of the Church he is a Publican that will not beseech Gods mercie for the afflicted Thy time and turne will come to stand in neede of the same succour if a more sodaine blast of Iudgement doe not blow out thy Candle Make thy sicke Brothers case thine now that the Congregatioâ— may make thine theirs hereafter Be in this exigent euen a friend to thine enemie least thou become like Babell to be serued of others as thou hast serued others or at least at best in falling Nero's case that cried I haue neither friend nor enemie 3. As the Bell hath often rung thee into the Temple on earth so now it rings thee vnto the Church in Heauen from the militant to the triumphant place from thy pilgrimage to thy home from thy peregrination to the standing Court of God To omit manie other significant helps enough to iustifie it a laudable ceremonie it doth as it were mourne for thy sinnes and hath compassion on thy passion Though in it selfe a dumbe nature yet as God hath made it a creature the Church an instrument and Art giuen it a tongue it speakes to thee to speake to God for thy selfe it speakes to others that they would not be wanting Israell is sicke no Bell stirres no Balme is thought of no Prophet consulted not God himselfe sollicited Hence behold a complaint from Heauen a knell from aboue the Clouds for though the words sound through the Prophets lips who toles like a Passing-Bell for Israell yet they come from the mouth of the Lord of Hoasts The Prophet Ezekiell vseth like words and addes with them the Lord of Hoasts saith it There is no doubt of his spirituall inspiration all the question is of his personall appropriation It is certaine that the Prophet Ieremie speakes here many things in his owne person and some in the person of God Now by comparing it with other like speeches in the Prophets these words sound as from a mercifull and compassionate Maker Why is not the health of my People recouered Mei populi saith God who indeede might alone speake possessiuely Mine for hee had chosen and culled them out of the whole world to be his people Why are not My people recouered There is Balme and there are Physitians as in Esay What could I haue done more for my Vineyard The words are
made such rebellious creatures It is long before his wrath be incensed but if it be throughly kindled all the Riuers in the South are not able to quench it Daily man sinnes and yet God repents not that he made him Woe to that man for whose creation God is sorrie Woe to Ierusalem when Christ shall so complaine against her Stay the Bells ye Sonnes of wickednesse that ring so lowd peales of tumultuous blasphemies in the eares of God Turne againe ye wheeling Planets that moue onely as the sphere of this world turnes your affections and despise the directed and direct motion of Gods Starres Recall your selues ye lost wretches and stray not too farre from your Fathers house that your seekers come againe with a non est inuentus least God complaines against you as heere against Israell or with as passionate a voyce as once against the world It repents mee that I made them If wee take the words spoken in the person of the Prophet let vs obserue that hee is no good Preacher that complaines not in these sinfull dayes Esay had not more cause for Israell then we for England to cry Wee haue laboured in vaine and spent our strength for nought For if we equall Israell in Gods blessings wee transcend them in our sinnes The bloud-red Sea of warre and slaughter wherein other Nations are drowned as were the Egiptians is become dry to our feete of peace The Bread of Heauen that true Manna satisfies our hunger and our thirst is quenched with the waters of life The better Law of the Gospell is giuen vs and our sauing health is not like a curious piece of Arras folded vp but spread to our beleeuing eyes without any shadow cast ouer the beautie of it We haue a better high Priest to make intercession for vs in heauen for whom he hath once sacrificed and satisfied on earth actu semel virtute semper with one act with euerlasting vertue We want nothing that heauen can helpe vs to but that which wee voluntarily will want and without which wee had better haue wanted all the rest thankefulnesse and obedience We returne God not one for a thousand not a dramme of seruice for so many talents of goodnesse We giue God the worst of all things that hath giuen vs the best of all things Wee cull out the least sheafe for his Tyth the sleepiest houre for his prayers the chippings of our wealth for his poore a corner of the heart for his Arke when Dagon sits vppermost in our Temple He hath bowels of brasse and an heart of yron that cannot mourne at this our requitall We giue God measure for measure but not manner for manner For his blessings heapen and shaken and thrust together iniquities pressed downe and yet running ouer Like Hogges we slauer his pearles turne his graces into wantonnesse and turne againe to rend in pieces the bringers Who versing in his minde this thought can keepe his cheekes dry Oh that my head were waters and mine eyes a fountaine of teares that I might weepe night and day c. No maruell if animus meminisse horret The good soule tremble to thinke it especially when all this wickednesse ariseth not from Sodome and Sidon and Edom but from the midst of the daughter of Sion Hinc illae Lachrimae Hee that can see this and not sigh is not a witnesse but an agent and sinne hath obstructed his lungs he cannot sorrow Forbeare then you captious sonnes of Belial to complaine against vs for complaining against you Whiles this Hydra of Iniquitie puts forth her still-growing-heads and the sword of reproofe cannot cut them off what should we doe but mourne Quid enim nisi threna supersunt Whither can wee turne our eyes but wee behold and lament at once some rouing with lewdnesse some rauing with madnesse others reeling with ebrietie and yet others railing with blasphemie If we be not sad wee must be guilty Condemne not our passions but your owne rebellions that excite them The zeale of our God whom wee serue in our spirits makes vs with Moses to forget our selues Wee also are men of like passion with you It is the common plea of vs all If you aske vs why we shew our selues thus weake and naked we returne with Paul Why doe you these things Our God hath charged vs not to see the funerals of your soules without sighes and teares Thus saith the Lord Smite with thy hand and stampe with thy foote and say Alas for all the euill abominations of the house of Israell for they shall fall by the sword by the famine and by the pestilence Shall all complaine of lost labours and we brooke the greatest losse with silence Merchants waile the shipwracke of their goods and complaine of Pyrates Shepheards of their deuoured Flockes by sauage Wolues Husbandmen of the tyred earth that quites their hope with weedes And shall Ministers see and not sorrow the greatest ruine the losse of the world were lesse of mens soules They that haue written to the life the downfall of famous Cities either vastate by the immediate hand of God as Sodome or mediately by man as Ierusalem as if they had written with teares in stead of Inke haue pathetically lamented the ruines Aeneas Syluius reporting the fall of Constantinople historifies at once her passion his owne compassion for it The murthering of Children before the Parents faces the slaughtering of Nobles like beasts the Priests torne in pieces the Religious flea'd the holy Virgins and sober Matrones first rauished and then massacred and euen the Reliques of the Souldiours spoile giuen to the mercilesse fire Oh miseram vrbis faciem Oh wretched shew of a miserable Citie Consider Ierusalem the Citie of God the Queene of the Prouinces tell her Turrets and marke well her Bulwarkes carrie in your minde the Idaea of her glories and then on a sodaine behold her Temple and houses burning the smoke of the fire wauing in the ayre and hiding the light of the Sunne the flames springing vp to Heauen as if they would ascend as high as their sinnes had erst done her Old Young Matrons Virgins Mothers Infants Princes and Priests Prophets and Nazarites famished fettered scattered consumed if euer you read or heare it without commisseration your hearts are harder then the Romanes that destroyed it The ruine of great things wring out our pitie and it is onely a Nero that can sit and sing whiles Rome burnes But what are a world of Cities nay the whole world it selfe burning as it must one day to the losse of mens soules the rarest pieces of Gods fabricke on earth to see them manacled with the chaines of Iniquitie and led vp and downe by the Deuill as Baiazeth by that cruell Scithian stabbed and massacred lost and ruined by rebellious obstinacies and impenitencies bleeding to death like Babell and will not be cured till past cure they weepe like Rahell and will not be comforted to see this
were all condemned to an Ephesian fire that we might say as Alcibiades of that Athenian heape of burning scrowles Nunquam vidi ignem clariorem We neuer saw a clearer fire 4. Theeuerie needes no more then the name to proue it a Water of Stealth This robbes man of his goods those temporall things whereof God hath made him a proprietarie A sinne which Vsurers and Money-mongers doe bitterly raile at They that are of no religion yet plead religion hard against Theeues They can lay the law to them that haue no conscience themselues They rob a Countrey yet thinke themselues honest men and would hang a poore pettie robber for fortie pence Let him answere them in the Satyre O maior tandem parcas in sane minori As no theft can scape condemnation so yet diâ—ferent degrees shall be punished with diâ—ferent torments Extortion vsury fraud iniustice are not lesse thefts because lesse manifest Antiochus could make a black horse which he had stollen seeme white and a white blacke so these Theeues haue trickes to make euill good and good euill especially tacente lege so long as the law holds her peace But as the other escape not the Gallowes so one day Dabit Deus his quâ—que funem God will giue these also condigne punishment They say that the dung of the Blacke-bird falling on the Oake turnes into slime of that slime is made Birdlime of that Birdlime is the Birde her-selfe snared So these graund Theeues twine a cord of three strings Iniurie Vsurie Fraud Couetousnesse twists them into a rope the Deuil makes the noose aâ—d of this cord they are strangled A threefold Cable is not easily broken Whiles they steale from others the interest they rob themselues of the principall their soules They please the world with their baites ready money but there is a hooke vnder the baite Munera magna quidem misit sed misit in hamo Sic piscatorem piscis amare potest I haue reade of an Athenian such another Fisher that he had in an apparition a net giuen him to catch whole Cities in but for all that hee died a beggar These Theeues haue such nets to catch whole Townes Commons Churches Steeples and all but in the end the net breakes and the Fisher topples into the deepe whence he neuer comes out againe for these Swine so roote into the earth till they eate themselues into hell I do not spare with conniuence the Iunior Theeues because I bring their Fathers to the barre first He that shall with a violent or subtill hand Lyon-like or Foxe-like take away that which God hath made mine endangers at once his body to the worlds his soule to heauens sword of Iustice and shall passe from a temporall Barre to the Tribunall Iudgement of Christ. Let not misconstruction heare me there are more of these dye honest men then of Vsuâ—ers for one Vsurers repentance I will produce you tenne executed Theeues Onely here it is the great Theâ—ues agree one with another Claw me and I will claw thee Winke at mine and I will not see thy faults They tune like Bells and want but hanging For these Theeues I might indeede be silent and spare my breath to the conuersion of more hopefull sinners but we must free our consciences from the guiltinesse of not reprouing least they curse vs on their Death-beds as that Vsurer made his will wherein hee bequeathed his soule to the Deuill for extorting his Wife for inducing his Deacon for induring or not reprouing Though euery Vsurer makes account to walke to hell yet since both hell and heauen be equally set to his choyse why should he chuse the worst way let not his Minister for silence beare him company Well the Thiefe knowes his doome a double banishment out of the Territories of earth out of the confines of heauen therefore let him that hath stollen steale no more Repentance shall bee sure of mercie And let not the great Thiefe thinke to scape as hee is a Gallimaufrey of all sinnes so he shall haue a Rendeuous of all punishments His house is the Deuils Tauerne the guests haue sweet wine but a sharpe reckoning The Deuils Fence-schoole as the stabbings woundings hackings rackings which torture the Common-wealth are there experimentally taught The Deuils Brothell-house where the Vsurer is the Bawde and his money 's the Harlots onely they differ from Harlots in their pregnancie and teeming for they lay like Pigeons euery moneth marry because the Deuill is Land-lord his rent eates out all their gaines 5. Slaunder is a water in great request euery guest of the Deuill is continually sipping of this Viall It robs man of his good name which is aboue all riches There be some thinke to scape this censure though they speake euils of others yet true euils but Cham is cursed for declaring his Fathers nakednesse though true These are like vultures ad male olentia feruntur They passe ouer Mâ—â—dowes and flowers to fall vpon carions like Flyes they leape ouer all a mans good parts and vertues to light vpon his sores If Noah had not been once drunke Cham had lost his sport There are many of these Ziphims that to currie fauour with Saul betray Dauid but in my opinion Doegs truth was worse then Rahabs lye A mans good name is deere Plerique famam qui non conscientiam verentur Manie stand vpon their credite that neglect their conscience Vilium est hominum alios viles facere et qui suo merito placere non possunt placere velle aliorum comparatione It is the part of vile men to vilefie others and to climbe vp to immerited praise by the staires of anothers disgrace This is no new dish at some Nouelists table to make a mans discredite as sawce to their meate they will tosse you the maligned's reputation with the rackets of reproach from one to another and neuer bandie it away till they haue supped If they want matter Iealousie is fewell enough it is crime enough for a Formalist so they terme him that hee is but suspected guilty But the Matrone of the Cloyster would neuer haue sought the Nunne in the Vault if shee had not beene there her selfe It was Publius Claudius his best pollicie least Cicero should accuse him iustly of Sacriledge to step in first and tell the Senate that Tullie profaned all religion in his house Thus he that hath most corrupt lungs soonest complaines of the vnsauourie breath of others The Calumniatour is a wretched Thiefe and robs man of the best thing he hath if it be a true Maxime that the efficacie of the Agent is in the apt disposition of the Patient whiles thou depriuest man of his credit thou takest from him all power to doe good The slanderer wounds three at one blow Vno ictu vno nictu 1. The receiuer in poisoning his heart with an vncharitable conceite 2. The reputation of the slandered for a mans name is like
aduantage to cut all their throates Hence if there had beene Papists in the Parliament-house yet rather then loose so holy a massacre they must haue flowne vp with others Call you these Saints Tantaene animis coelestibus irae It was Gods reseruation in the olde Testament for accursed Sodome Si decem iusti if tenne righteous persons be found there c. It was Christs suspension in the new Let the tares alone till Haruest least the Wheate be plucked vp withall Theodosius was taxed that in sontes vnà cum sontibus trucidasset that he had slaine the good with the guilty and might not be suffred to enter into the Temple In the Primitiue Church the Bishops staid processe against the Priscillian Herâ—tikes ne catholici cum illis perirent least some good Christians should perish with them Iehu intending due destruction to the worshippers of Baal made a speciall search that none of the Lords seruants were amongst them But malice is euer blinde to see what sequell attends her courses The Enuious man is content to loose one eye of his owne so he may put out both his neighbours nay which is worse hee will loose both his owne to put out one of his The least trespasse shall not passe without suite The Deuill can send him on a very slight errand to Westminster-hall Be the case neuer so broken if the Lawyers wit can stitch it together that it may hold to a nisi prius it is enough I may with a little inuersion reade his destinie from the Poet. Hunc nec dira venena nec hostius auferet ensis Nec laterum dolor aut tussis vel tarda podagra Garrulus hunc quando â—onsumet Let him not feare Domesticall poison nor forraine sword nor a stitch in 's sides nor a Cough in 's lungs nor the Gowte in 's ioynts Hunc proprius liuor consâ—mâ—t Hee will fret himselfe to dust His Praecordia are steeped in Vineger A sound heart is the life of the flesh but Enuie is the rottennesse of the bones The Drunkard rots his flesh the malicious his bones Hee burnes vp his bloud in the fornace of hatred Insunit cùm aliena nequit sua pectora rodit Madde that his poyson will not others kill He drinkes it off himselfe himselfe to spill Enuie is throwne like a ball of Wild-fire at anothers Barne rebounds and fires thine owne The Swallow hauing crossed some Lands and Seas returnes next Summer to her olde Chimney the Arrow of malice shot farre off turnes vpon his heart that set it flying Blesse your selues you know not whither you will be carried if once you be horsed on the backe of the Enuious man Forbeare then this water as thou louest thy health bloud life and peace 5. The fift Cup is Drunkennesse a Viall of the waters of Stealth a liquid foode literally taken For that which Ebrietie sinnes withall is wine and strong drinke Vae fortibus ad potandum Woe to them that are mightie to deuoure Drinke and strong to carrie it away for their habillitie encourageth their more frequent sinnes But Drunkennesse as it is a Cup of this seruice is a speciall water of it selfe at the Deuils Banket This sinne is an horrible selfe-theft God hath past his word against him The Drunkard and the Glutton shall come vnto pouertie and Drowsinesse shall cloath a man with ragges Hee that drinkes more in a day then hee can earne in a vveeke what will his gettings come to at the yeeres end There is no remedie hee must shake hands with beggerie and welcome it into his companie How many in the compasse of our knowledge haue thus robbed themselues and beene worse enemies to their owne estates then the most mischieuous Theeues Theeues cannot steale Land vnlesse they be Westminster-hall Theeues crafty contenders that eate out a true title with a false euidence but the Drunkard robs himselfe of his Lands Now he dissolues an Acre and then an Acre into the Pot till hee hath ground all his ground at the Malt-querne and runne all his Patrimonie through his throate Thus hee makes himselfe the liuing tombe of his fore-fathers of his posteritie hee needes not trouble his sicke minde with a Will nor distrust the fidelitie of Executours he drownes all his substance at the Ale-fat and though he deuoures much is the leaner euery way Drunkennesse is regius morbus a costly sinne It is like Gun-powder many a man is blowne vp by it He throwes his house so long out at windowes tâ—ll at last his house throwes him out at dores This is the Tiplers progresse from luxurie to beggerie from beggerie to theeuerie from the Tauerne to Tyburne from the Alehouse to the Gallowes 6. The last Viall of these selfe stolne waters is Couetousnesse a dish of drinke at the Deuils Banket which more come for then for all the rest The couetous is a cruell Thiefe to himselfe worse then the Deuill for the Deuill would giue much for a soule how much vvould hee giue for himselfe The Couetous man loues money better then his owne soule This mercenarie Souldier is fit for any office in the Deuils Campe. There is no sinne so vgly so hideous but sent to the Couetous mans dore in a golden vizour it shall haue entertainement This Sinne is like a great Beast which violently breaking vpon Gods free-hold makes a gappe wide enough for the whole Heard to follow Fruitur mundo vtitur Deo The Couetous possesseth the world and makes vse of God but if a man cannot serue God and Mammon he can much lesse serue Mammon and God God scornes to be set after the world He heauens himselfe on earth for a litle pelfe cousous himselfe of blisse He steales quiet from his owne bones peace from his conscience grace from his soule Is not this a Thiefe How much of fame libertie peace conscience is laid out to purchase gold some for loue of it would plucke downe Heauen and empty it of a Deitie others to ouertake it runne quicke to Hell And they that seeke it finde it for if a man will sell Heauen for pelfe he shall not faile of his purchase Hence Mammon is the God of no beggars but Merchants and Gentles and Cormorants and Vsurers and Chuffes The Idols of the Heathen were siluer and gold It is but inuerting the sentence Their Idols are siluer and gold and siluer and gold are our Idols Many a wretched Father playes the Thiefe with himselfe and starues his owne carkasse to leaue wealth to his Babe Hee liues on rootes that his prodigall Heire may feede on Pheasants he keepes the Chimney corner that his Heire may frequent Ordinaries hee drinkes water that his Heire may drinke wine and that to drunkennesse Though hee be richer then Diues he liues like an Alchimist Miserable Fathers make wretched Sonnes none often haue more vndone them then they that haue done most for them They make heritages but God makes Heires the children of
Windes were bound and wrapped vp together except the Westerne winde vvhich hee must needs occupie to carry himselfe home The Pope brags that all waters are banked vp into his fountaine and none can drinke but by his leaue except the Supremacie perfect Sanctitie which is the Winde and the Water he must vse himselfe thereby to saile to Heauen a Hauen that fewe Popes arriue at but otherwise there is no grace to be had but from the mother Church of Rome vvhose vncontrollable head is the Pope A miserable Ingrosser that would shut vp all goodnesse into his owne Ware-house Yet when hee lists he will vndertake to powre floods on the solid ground and make Riuers runne in dry places Hee hath a huge Pond of Purgatory whereout vvhole millions drinke and are pleased But as Darius pursued drunke puddle-water and said it was the best drinke that euer he tasted So it is the menaced terrour and the false alarmes that the Iesuites ring in Ignorances eare that makes men drinke so greedily at the Popes Puddle-wharfe He is a great Land-lord of these stollen waters Hee sits vpon many waters Some he steales from the Iewes some from the Turkes some from the Pagans much from Idolatrie all from Heresie That as Iohn de Rupe scissa in a popular Sermon if euery Bird should fetch her owne feathers you should haue a naked Pope Let euery Riuer challenge her owne waters you will haue a drie Rome But now Expatiata ruunt per apertos flumina campos his waters spread ouer the face of the Earth neither are they cheape beleeue but a Bird of their owne Cage Temples and Priests are Marchandiz'd for pelfe Altars Pray'rs Crownes nay Heauen and God himselfe Vendit Alexander Cruces Altarià Christum Vendere iure potest emerat ille prius Romes Sea is sold to quench the Popes mad thirst Well might he sell it for he bought it first But is the Shop neuer opened but to the mart of so good Commodities yes if their Penance-Parlour waâ— opened you might finde a rate for Stollen waters Pardon for offences committed nay Indulgences for future sinnes which but for an impregnable toleration might not bee done And let the traffiquers speake from their owne feeling how cheape they are They haue a pecuniary patronage and are warranted from the Popes Exchequour rather then his Chancerie Euen that corrupt Iustice giues such sinnes no conniuence but when the dusts of briberie haue shut his eye-lids It is their carefulnesse Quod huiusmodi dispensationes non concedantur pauperibus That such dispensations be not graunted to the poore If this doctrine were true it was time to raze Christs speech out of the Scriptures It is hard for a rich man to enter into Heauen for it is easie for the rich that can open the gate with a golden Key and the poore are onely in danger of exclusion And that which would be most strange Hell should be peopled with none but Beggars Not an Vsurer not an Epicure not a Cormorant not a vicious Potentate should grace the Court of Sathan For the Pope will for Money seale them a Pasport for Heauen Nay how doth this disgrace Purgatory when none but beggerly vvretches shall bee in danger of drowning in that whirlepoole Whence all their friends being equally poore haue not money enough for their redemption These are the rotten postâ— whereon the Fabricke of Rome stands Thinke not their stoâ—len waters cheape Your purses must pay for them Yet happy were you if no higher price was set on them All is not discharged vvith your ready mâ—ny there is another reckoning your soules musâ— pay for theâ— The Deuill tyes his Customers in the bond of Debets and vvoe to them that are too farre in his bookes for if Christ cancell not his hand-writing against them hee will sue them to an eternall Outlawrie and make them pay their soules for that they boasted they had so good cheape 3. The third argument of these waters sweetnesse is deriued from our corrupt affections Sinne pleaseth the Flesh Omne simile nutrit simile Corruption inherent is nourished by the accession of corrupt actions Iudas Couetousnesse is sweetned with vniust gaine Ioab is hartned and hardned with bloud Theft is fitted to and fatted in the theeuish heart with obuious booties Priâ—e is fed vvith the officious complements of obseruant Groomes Extortion battens in the Vsurers affections by the trolling in of his monies Sacriledge thriues in the Church-robber by the pleasing distinctions of those Sycophant-Priests and helped with their â—ot laborious profit Nature is led is fed with Sense And when the Citadell of the heart is once wonne the Turret of the vnderstanding will not long hold out As the suffumigations of the oppressed stomach surge vp and cause the head-ach or as the thicke spumy mists which vapour vp from the danke and foggy earth doe often suffocate the brighter aire and to vs more then ecclipse the Sunne The blacke and corrupt affections which ascend out of the neather part of the soule doe no lesse darken and choake the vnderstanding Neither can the fire of grace bee kept aliue at Gods Altar mans heart when the cloudes of Lust shall raine downe such showres of Impietie on it Perit omne Iudicium cùm res transit ad affectum Farewell the perspicuitie of Iudgement when the matter is put to the partialitie of affection Let then the tast be Iudge at this Feast and not the stomach Lust and not Conscience and the Cates haue vnquestionable sweetnesse Hee is easily credited that speakes what we would haue him Goe vp to Ramoth Gilead and prosper was pleasing Musicke in Ahabs eare Ye shall not die though you eate delighted Eue. The Syrens Song is more esteemed then the Oracle of Pallas because it is sung to lustfull not wise Auditours The strange distinctions which they giue in these dayes that claw the Deuill flatter an Vsurer for gaine are beleeued before the Sermons of the Sonnes of the Prophets of the Sonne of God Let a factious Nouelist maintaine the iustnesse of Impropriations at the Church-wrongers Table for a meale his talke is held arguments when the Scripture-arguments are held but talke As Micah speakes of the Prophets that would preach for Drunkennesse So these sell their conscience for countenance and feed mens humours whiles they haue an humour to feede them Quod nimis miseri volunt hoc facilè credunt Though they bee Prophets for profites yet they are readily beleeued So easily the braine drinkes the poison which the affection ministers It is not then strange if these Cates be sweet when concupiscence tasts them Pascitur libido conuiuijs nutritur delicijs vino accenditur ebrietate slammatur Lust is fed with Bankets nourished with delights kindled with Wine set on fire and flame with Drunkennesse What could make the Religion of Rome so sweet and welcome to many but the congruence and pleasingnesse
The villanâ—es of the Cloistures were not vnseene to his reuenging eye Perhaps they tooke a recluse life that they might practise experimentall wickednes without suspition proâ—â—sing to the world contemplation premising their owne thoughts to contamination They thought themselues secure shadowed from the eye of notice and fenced from the hand of Iustice So they were in doctrine out of the world but in proofe the world was in them they were not more politi strict in profession then polluti loose in conuersation But as darke as their Vaults were the all-seeing GOD descried their whoredomes and destroyed their habitations or at least emptied them of so filthy Tenants The obscuritie of their Cels and Dorters thickenesse of Wals closenesse of Windores with the cloake of a strict profession throwne ouer all the rest could not make their sinnes darke to the eye of Heauen Our impieties are not without witnesse To videt Angelus malus videt te bonus videt et bonis et malis maior Angelis Deus The good Angell and the bad and hee that is better then the Angels farre aboue all principalities and powers sees thee The iust man sets foorth his actions to be iustified Lucem aethera petit teste soâ—e viuit Hee loues the light and walkes with the witnesse of the Sunne It is recorded of Iacob Hee was a plaine man dweâ—ling in Tents Nathaniel by the testimonie of the best witnesse was an Israelite indeed in whom was no guile It was the Rabbins councell to his Scholler Remember there is 1. a seeing Eye 2. a hearing Eare. 3. a Booke written Sic viue cum hominibus quasi Deus videat sic loquâ—re Deo quasâ— homines aâ—diant So conuerse with men as if GOD saw thee so speake to God as if men heard thee For non discessit Deus quando recessit God is not absent though thou dost not feele him present Corporeall substances are in one place locally and circumscriptiuely incorporeall created substances neither locally nor circumscriptiuely but definitiuely GOD the creating substance is euery whit in euery place not circumscriptiuely as bodies nor definitiuely as Angels but repletiuely Ioâ—is omnia plena filling euery place by his essence Hee is hypostatically in CHRIST graciously in his Saints gloriously in Heauen powerfully in Hell You see then the falsehood of the Deuils assertion Sinnes would be secret but they are not The Bread of secrecie being described I should come in the third and last place to the Ascription It is pleasant But because the former adiunct of sweetnesse doth but little diuersifie from this of Pleasure and I shall haue iust occasion to conuince the Deuils fained delicacie from Solomons proued miserie I will therefore silence it And for conclusiue application giue mee the leaue of your patience to examine the truth of the former secrecie It is the Deuils pollicie though he can not blinde his eyes that made the light in Heauen and the sight in man yet hee would darken our sinnes with the vaile of secrecies from the view of the vvorld And are they so no the suffering eye sees them and can point them out nay sensible demonstration speakes them to the eaâ—es and obiects them to the sight of man The iniquities of these dayes are not ashamed to shew their faces but vvalke the streets without feare of a Serâ—eant The sinnes of the Citie are as pert and apert as the sonnes of the Citie I would Iniquitie was not bolder then Honestie or that Innocence might speed no worse then Nocence Absit vt sic sed vtinam vt vel sic saith Saint Augustine in the like case God forbid it should be so bad yet I vvould it were no worse For the times are so wheeled about to their olde byas that vix licet esse bonum it is scarce safe to be an honest man Suspition makes the good euill and flatterie makes the euill good the first in the opinion of others the last in the opinion of themselues Our faith is small and led â—â—th reason our life euill and led without reason Corruptio morum toâ—lit scientiam ethicam Our euill maners shut vp Philosophy and Diuinitie too into the caue of Ignorance This Forrest of Man and Beast the world growes from euill to worse like Nabuchâ—dnezzars dreamed Image whose Head was Golden Siluer armes Brasen thighes but his feet were of Iron and Clay What Ouid did but Poetâ—ze experience doth moralize our manners actually performe This last is as it must bee the worst Our Couetise saith It is terrae aetas an Earthen Age. Our Oppression ferrea aetas an Iron Age. Our Impudence ahâ—nea aetas a Brasen Age. Neither aurea nor argentea saith Necessitie For the poore may say as the Priest Siluer and Gold haue I none Let me say our sinnes haue made it worthy to be called inferna aetas a hellish Age. Sinne is called by Paul The olde man but hee is stronger now then hee was in his Iâ—fancie diebus Adamâ— in the dayes of Adam Most mens repentance is in the knee or tongue but their wickednesse in the heart and hand Money marres all for this and the pleasures this may procure Esau sels his Birth-right Iudas sels his Master Ahab sels himselfe to worke vvickednesse Sinne was wont to loue priuacie as if shee walked in feare The Tippler kept his priuate Ale-bench not the Market place the Adulterer his Chamber not with Absolon the house-top the Theefe was for the night or sequestrate wayes the corrupt Lawyer tooke bribes in his Studie not in the open Hall but now peccata nullas petitura teâ—â—bras our sinnes scorne the darke Men are so farre from being ashamed of their fruitlesse liues that mala comittunt commissa iactant iactata defendunt they commit euill â—oast that they committed and defend that they boasted Pride is worne as a chaine and crueltie as a garment conspectu omnium as proud of the fashion They talke of a Conscience that seekes couers like Adams Figge leaues but these glory in their shame whose end is damnation saith Saint Paul The very Harlot comes short of them shee wipes her lippes and saith shee hâ—th not sinned Bâ—tter fare those that yet would be accounted honest Wee may iustly paralell these times and our complaints to the Prophet Esay's The shew of their countenance doth witnesse against them they declare their sinne at Sodome they hide it not But woe bee to their soules for they haue rewarded euill to themselues So the Iewes answered GOD pleading hard to them There is no hope no for I haue loued strangers and after them I will goe Nay resolutely they discharged GOD of further paines Wee are Lords wee will no more come vnto thee Therefore Ezekiel denounceth their destruction For this cause yee shall bee taken with the hand of Iudgement because your sinnes are discouered and in all your
of this Banket properation to it participation of it all is carried with ioy and Iouisance there is a correctiue But a veruntamen spoyles all in the vp-shot A little Colliquintida that embitters the Broath A perillous a pernicious rocke that splits the Ship in the Hauen When all the prophecies of ill successe haue beene held as Cassandra's riddles when all the contrarie windes of afflictions all the threatned stormes of Gods wrath could not disharten the Sinners voyage to these Netherlands here is a But that shipwrackes all the very mouth of a bottomlesse pit not shallower then Hell it selfe It is obseruable that Salomons prouerbiall sayes are so many select Aphorismes contayning for the most part a paire of crosse and thwart sentences handled rather by collation then relation whose coniunction is disiunctiue The Prouerbs are not ioyned with an Et but an At with a But rather then with an And. Stollen waters are sweete c. But hee knoweth not c. It stands in the midst like a Rudder or Oare to turne the Boat another way Reioyce oh yong man c. But know that for all these things God wil bring thee to Iudgement c. All runnes smooth and enclines to the byace of our owne affections till it lights vpon this rub The Babell of Iniquitie is built vp apace till confusion steps in with a But. It is like the suddaine clap of a Serieant on a Gallants shoulder He is following his lusts full sent and full crie the arrest strikes him with a But and all 's at a losse As in a faire Summers morning when the Larke hath called vp the Sunne and the Sâ—â—ne the Husbandman when the earth had opened her Shop of perfumes and a pleasant winde fannes coolenesse through the heated ayre when euery creature is reioyced at the heart On a sodaine the furious windes burst from their prisons the thunder rends the clouds and makes way for the lightning and the spowtes of heauen streame downe showres a hideous tempest sooner dampes all the former delight then a mans tongue can well expresse it With no lesse content doe these guests of sinne passe their life they eate to eate and drinke to drinke often to sleepe alwaies to surfet they caroll daunce spend their present ioyes and promise themselues infallible supply On a sodaine this But comes like an vnlooked for storme and turnes all into mourning and such mourning as Rahell had for her Children that will not be comforted because their ioyes are not A wicked man runnes headlong in the night of his vnwaked securitie after his wonted sports and because hee keepes his old path which neuer interrupted him with any obstacle hee nothing doubts but to speed as hee had wont but his enemie hath digged a pit in his way and in he topples euen to the depth of Hell Thus wicked ioyes haue wretched sorrowes and as man hath his Sic so God hath his Sed. If we will haue our will in sinne it is fit he should haue his will in punishing To this sense Solomon frequently in his Prouerbs They will pursue wickednesse But they shall bee plagued I haue forbidden vsurie adulterie swearing malice as vncleane meates you will feede on them But you shall bee punished There is a reckoning behinde a But they neuer shot at but they shot besides the But the whiles God hath prepared them as the miserable markes that shall receiue the arrowes of his vengeance till they are drunke with blood They shall suffer that in passion which Iob spake in apprehension The arrowes of the Almightie shall be within them the poyson whereof shall drinke vp their spirits and the terrours of God shall set themselues in aray against them So Moses sung in the person of God against the wicked I will make mine arrowes drunke with blood and my sword shall eate flesh c. They forget that when God shall rebuke them in his wrath and chasten them in his hot displeasure his arrowes shall sticke fast in them and his hand shall presse them sore This is their sad Epilogue or rather the breaking off their Scaene in the midst The Banket of stollen waters and secret bread is pleasant But the dead are there and the guests be in the depth of Hell The Deuill doth but cozen the wicked with his cates as before in the promise of Delicacie so here of perpetuitie Hee sets the countenance of continuance on them which indeede are more fallible in their certaintie then flourishable in their brauerie Their banketting-house is very slipperie and the feast it selfe a meere dreame Let the Guest preserue but reason and he shall easily make the collection that if for the present Gaâ—dia plus aloes quam sua mellis habent To the compound of his ioyes there goe more bitter then sweet simples what will then the end be euen such a one as at once consumit delicias consummat miserias makes an end of their short pleasures and begins their lasting paines This my Text salutes them as the Mason was wont to salute the Emperour at his Coronation with a lappe-full of stones Elige ab his saxis ex quo Augustissime Caesar Ipse tibi tumulum me fabricare velis Chuse great Emperour out of this whole heape what stone thou best likest for thine owne Sepulcher You that crowne your dayes with Rose-buds and flatter your hearts with a kingdome ouer pleasures thinke of a low graue for your bodies and a lower roome for your soules It is the subtiltie of our common enemie to conceale this woe from vs so long that wee might see it and feele it at once For if we could but foresee it we would feare it if we truely feared it we would make meanes not to feele it Our most fortified delights are like the childs castle done downe with a fillop 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a shadow the very dreame of a shadow a rotten post slightly painted a paper-tower which the least puffe ouerturnes Cuncta trahit secum vertitque volubile tempus Time whirles about the world and makes all inferiour things to trauell and spend themselues together with him Sinfull and earthly delight is well called amiabile fragile flebile a thing soone loued sooner ended but long very long lamented a rotten nut faire but hollow Though Philosophy saith there is no vacuitie in rerum natura yet Diuinitie saith there is nothing but vacuitie in naturae rebuâ— Nature as it is not onely corrupt of it selfe but made more fowle in the euill mans vse hath nothing in it but vanitie and vanitie is nothing a meere emptinesse a vacuitie Hence if Aristotle commends the nature of things the better Philosopher Solomon discommends the things of nature especially in their base and bad vsage Onely the Deuils Feast-house hath a faire bush at the dore yet if the wine were good what needs the Iuie and therefore his people turne in thither
soule her true forme and playes the make-bate betwixt God and thee betwixt thee and thy selfe So long as securitie hath kept thee sleeping in thy delighted impieties this quarrell is not commenced The mortallest enemies are not alwayes in pitched fields one against another This truce holds some till their death-beds neither doe they euer complaine till their complaints can doe them no good For then at once the sicke carkase after many tossings and turnings to finde the easiest side moanes his vnabated anguish and the sicker conscience after triall of many shifts too late feeleth and confesseth her vnappeased torment So Cain Iudas Nero in vaine seeke for forraine helps when their executioner is within them The wicked man cannot want furies so long as he hath himselfe Indeede the soule may flye from the body not sinne from the soule An impatient Iudas may leape out of the priuate hell in himselfe into the common pit below as the boyling fishes out of the Caldron into the flame But the gaine hath beene the addition of a new hell without them not the losse of the old hell within them The worme of Conscience doth not then cease her office of gnawing when the fâ—ends begin their office of torturing Both ioyne their forces to make the dissolutely wicked desolately wretched If this man be not in the depth of Hell deepely miserable there is none Loe now the Shot at the Deuils Banket A reckoning must be payd and this is double 1. the earnest in this life 2. the full payment in the life to come The earnest is whiles Hell is cast into the wicked the full satisfaction is when the wicked shall be cast into Hell Whosoeuer was not found written in the booke of life was cast into the Lake of fire I will take leaue to amplifie both these a little further 1. The earnest is the horrour of an euill conscience which sparkles with the beginnings of future torments I know that some feele not this in the pride of their vanities or at least will not seeme to feele it Some whorish for-heads can out-face their sinnes and laugh them out of countenance Wide gorges that can swallow periuries bloodynesse adulteries vsuries extortions without trouble But it may be the heart doth not laugh with the looke He dares be an hypocrite that durst be a villaine If hee would speake truth of himsâ—lfe he would testifie that his thoughts will not affoord him sleepe nor his sleepe affoord him rest but whiles his senses are bound his sinne is loose No command of reason can quiet the tempest in his heart No sonne of Sceua no helpe of the world can cast out this Deuill The blood of the body often being stopped in the issue at the nostrils bursts out at the mouth or finds way into the stomach The conscience thus wounded will bleed to death if the blood of Iesus Christ doe not stanch it Thinke of this ye that forget God and are onely indulgent to your selues the time shall come you shall remember God neither to your thankes nor ease and would forget your selues Happy were it for you if you hauing lost your God could also loose your selues But you cannot hide your selues from your selues Conscience will neither be blinded in seeking nor bribed in speaking You shall say vnto it as that wicked Ahab to Elias hast thou found me oh thou mine enemie yet alas all this is but the earnest A hell I may call it and a deepe hell and as I â—ay say a little smoake reâ—king out of that fiery pit whereby the afâ—licted may giue a guesse at Hell as Pythagoras guessed at the stature of Hercules by the length of his foote But else per nulla figura gehâ—nnae nothing can truely resemble Hell 2. The earnest is infinitly short of the totall summe And his Lord was wroth and deliuered him to the tormenters till hee should pay all that was due vnto him The guest must indure a death not dying liue a life not liuing no torment ends without the beginning of a worse The sight afflicted with darknesse and vgly Deuills the hearing with shrikes and horrible cries the smelling with noysome stenches the tast with rauenous hunger and bitter gall the feeling with intollerable yet vnquenchable fire Thousands poynting at not one among thousands pitying the distressed wreâ—ch I know this Earth is a dungeon in regard of Heauen yet a Heauen in respect of Hell wee haue miserie enough here it is mercie to what is there Thinke of a gloomy hideous and deepe Lake full of pestilent dampes and rotten vapours as thicke as cloudes of pitch more palpable then the fogs of Egipt that the eye of the Sunne is too dull to peirce them and his heate too weake to dissolue them Adde hereunto a fire flashing in the reprobates face which shall yeeld no more light then with a glimpse to shew him the torments of others and others the torments of himselfe yet withall of so violent a burning that should it glow on mountaines of steele it would melt them like mountaines of Snow This is the guests reckoning a sore a sowre payment for a short and scarce sweet Banket All his senses haue been pleased now they are all plagued In stead of perfumes fragrant odors a sulphurous stench shall strike vp into his nosthrils In stead of his lasciuious Dalila's that fadomed him in the armes of lust behold Adders Toades Serpents crawling on his bosome In stead of the Dorian musicke charming his eares Man-drakes and Night-rauens still shriking to them the reuerberating grones of euer and neuer dying companions tolling their funerall not finall knels and yels round about him In stead of wanton kisses snakes euer sucking at his breath and galling his flesh with their neuer blunted stings Thinke of this feast you riotous feasters in sinne There is a place called Hell whither after the generall and last assises the condemned shall be sent through a blacke way death is but a shadow to it with many a sigh and sobbe and grones to those cursed fiends that must be their tormentors as they haue beene their tempters Behold now a new feast a fatall a finall one To suppe in the vault of darknesse with the princes and subiects of horror at the table of vengance in the chaire of desperation Where the difference on earth betwixt Master and Seruant drudge and commander shall be quite abolished Except some Atheisticall Machiauell or trayterous Seminary or some bloody delegate of the Inquisition be admitted the vpper-end of the table But otherwise there is no regard of age beauty riches valour learning birth The vsurer hath not a cushion more then his broker There is not the bredth of a bench betweene Herod and his Parasites The Pope himselfe hath no easier a bed then the poorest Masse-priest Corinthian Lais speeds no better then her chambermaid The Cardinall hath not the vpper hand of his Pander There is no prioritie betweene the plotter
and the intelligencer betweene the vestall and the Nunne betweene the proud Prodigall and his vnconscionable Creditor Indeede the greatest sinner shall haue the greatest punishment And hee that hath beene a principall guest to the Deuill on earth shall and that on earth were a strange priuiledge hold his place in Hell Reward her euen as she rewarded you and double vnto her double according to her workes in the cup which shee hath filled fill to her double How much shee hath glorified her selfe and liued deliciously so much torment and sorrow giue her Diues that fedde so hartily on this bread of Iniquitie and drunke so deepe draughts of the waters of sinne reserues his superioritie in torment that hee had in pleasure Behold hee craues with more floods of scalding teares then euer Esau shed for the blessing but one drop of water to coole his tongue and could not be allowed it But what if all the riuers in the South all the waters in the Ocean had beene granted him his tongue would still haue withered and smarted with heate himselfe still crying in the language of Hell a non sufficit It is not enough Or what if his tongue had beene eased yet his heart liuer lungs bowells armes legges should still haue fryed Thus hee that eate and dranke with superfluitie the purest flower of the Wheate the reddest blood of the Grape his body kept as well from diseasâ—â— as soft linnen and fine rayment could preserue it here findes a fearfull alteration From the table of surfet to the table of torment from feeding on Iunkets to gnaw his owne flesh from bowles of wine to the want of cold water from the soft foldes of fine silkes to the winding lashes of furies from chaines of gold for ornament to chaines of yron for torment from a bed of downe to a bed of flames from laughing among his companions to howling with Deuils from hauing the poore begging at his gates to begge himselfe and that as that Rich-man for one drop of water Who can expresse the horrour and miserie of this guest Non mihi si centum linguae sint oraque centum Ferrea vox omnes scelerum comprendere formas Omnia poenarum percurrere nomina possim No hart of man can thinke no tongue can tell The direfull paines ordain'd and felt in hell Now sorrowes meete at the Guests hart as at a feast all the furies of hell leape on the Table of his Conscience Thought calls to Feare Feare to Horrour Horrour to Dispaire Dispaire to Torment Torment to Extremitie all to Eternitie Come and helpe to afflict this wretch All the parts of his body and soule leaue their naturall and woonted vses and spend their times in wretchednesse and confusion Hee runnes through a thousand deaths and cannot dye Heauie irons are locked on him all his lights and delights are put out at once Hee hath no soule capable of comfort And though his eyes distill like fountaines yet God is now inexorable His Mittimus is without Bayle and the Prison can neuer be broken God will not heare now that might not he heard before That you may conceiue things more spirituall and remote by passions neerer to sense Suppose that a man being gloriously roabed deliciously feasted Prince-like serued attended honoured and set on the proudest height of pleasure that euer mortallitie boasted should in one vnsuspected moment be tumbled downe to a bottome more full of true miseries then his promontory was of false delights and there be ringed about with all the gory Mutherers blacke Atheists sacrilegious Church-robbers and incestuous Rauishers that haue euer disgorged their poyson on earth to re-assume it in Hell Nay adde further to this supposition that this depth he is throwne into was no better then a vast Charnell-house hung round with lamps burning blew and dimme set in hollow corners whose glimmering serues to discouer the hideous torments all the ground in stead of greene rushes strewed with funâ—rall rosemary and dead mens bones some corpses standing vpright in their knotted winding-sheetes others rotted in their Coffins which yawne wide to vent their stench there the bare ribs of a Father that begat him heere the hollow skull of a Mother that bare him How direfull and amazing are these things to sense Or if Imagination can giue being to a more fearefull place that or rather worse then that is Hell If a poore man sodainely starting out of a golden slumber should see his house flaming about him his louing Wife and loued Infants breaâ—hing their spirits to heauen through the mercilesse fire himselfe inringed with it calling for despaired succour the miserable Churle his next neighbour not vouchsafeing â—o answere when the putting forth of an arme might â—aue him such shall be their miseries in Hell and nor an Angell nor a Saint shall refresh them with any comfort These are all but shadowes nay not shadowes of the infernall depth here expressed You heare it feare it fly it scape it Feare it by Repentance flye it by your Faith and you shall scape it by Gods mercie This is their Poâ—na sensus positiue punishmenâ— There is also Poena damni to be considered their priuatiue punishment They haue lost a place on earth whose ioy wâ—s temporall they haue missed a place in Heauen whose ioy is eternall Now they finde that a dinner of greene hearbes with Gods loue is better then a stalled Oxe and his hatred withall A feast of sallets or Daniels pulse is more cherisâ—ing with mercie then Belshazzars Banket without it Now they finde Solomonâ— Seâ—mon true that though the bread of deceit â—e sweâ—t to a man yet the time is come that the mouth is filled with grauell No no â—he blessing of God onely maketh fat and hee addeth no sorrow vnto it Waters the wicked desired and Bread they lusted after behold after their secure sleepe and dreamed ioyes on earth with what hungry soules doe they awake in Hell But what are the Bread and the Waters they might haue enioyed with the Sainâ—s in Heauen Such as shall neuer be dryed vp Ieâ— thy presence is the fulnesse of ioy and at thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore Happy is the vndefiled soule who is innocent from the great offence all whose sinnes are washed as white as Snow in that blood which alone is able to purge the conscience from dead workes He that walketh righteously c. he shall dwell on high his place of defence shall be the munitions of rockes Bread shall be giuen him his Waters shall be sure His ioyes are certaine and stable no alteration no alternation shall empaire them The wicked for the slight breakfast of this world loose the Lambs supper of glory Where these foure things concurre that make a perfect feast Dies lectus locus electus coetus bene collectus apparatus non neglectus A good time eternitie A good place Heauen A good companie the Saints Good cheere
oyle that feâ—ds the lampe of his life beginne to dry vp all his limbes loose their former agillitie As the litâ—le world thus decaies in the great so the great decaies in it selfe that Nature is faine to leane on the staffe of Art â—nd to be held vp by mans industrie The signes which Christ hath giuen to fore-run the worlds ruine are called by a Father aegritudines Mundi the diseases or sicknesses of the world as sicknesse naturally goes before death Warres dying the earth into a sanguine hew dead carkases infecting the aires and the infected aires breathing about plagues and pestilences and sore contagions Whereof saith the same Father nullâ— magis quam nos testes sumus quos mundi finis inuenit none can be more certaine witnesses then wee vpon whom the ends of the world are come That sometimes the influences of Heauen spoyle the fruits of the earth and the fogs of earth soile the vertues of the Heauenly bodies that neither Plannets aboue nor plants below yeeld vs expected comforts So God for our sinnes brings the heauen the earth the ayre and whatsoeuer was created for mans vse to be his enemie and to warre against him And all because omnia quae ad vsum vitae accipimus ad vsum vitij conuertimus we turne all things to vices corruption which were giuen for natures protection Therefore what we haue â—iuerted to wickednesse God hath reuerted to our reuenge We are sicke of sinne and therefore the world is sicke of vs. Our liues shorten as if the booke of our dayes were by Gods knife of Iudgement cut lesse and brought from Folio as in the Patriarchs before the flood to Quarto in the Fathers after the flood nay to Octauo as with the Prophets of the Law nay euen to Decimosexto as with vs in the dayes of the Gospell The Elements are more mixed drossie and confused the ayres are infected neither wants our intemperance to second all the rest We hasten that we would not haue Death and runne so to riot in the Aprill of our early vanities that our May shall not scape the fall of our lâ—afe Our great Landlord hath let vs a faire house and we suffer it quickly to runne to ruine That whereas the Soule might dwell in the body as a Pallace of delight shee findes it a crazy sickish rotten cabinet in danger euery gust of dropping downe How few shalt thou meete if their tongues would be true to their griefes without some disturbance or affliction There lyes one groning of a sicke heart another shakes his aking head a third roares for the torments of his reines a fourth for the racking of his gowty ioynts a fift grouels with the Falling-sicknesse a last lyes halfe dead of a Palsie Here is worke for the Physitians They ruffle in the roabes of preferment and ride in the Foote-clothes of reuerence Early and deuout suppliants stand at their study dores quaking with ready mony in their hands and glad it will be accepted The body if it be sicke is content sometimes to buy vnguentum areum with vnguentum aureum leaden trash with golden cash But it is sicke and needes Phisicke let it haue it There is another Phisitian that thriues well too if not best and that 's the Lawyer For men goe not to the Phisitian till their bodies be sicke but to the Lawyer when they be well to make them sicke Thus whilâ—s they feare an Ague they fall into a Consumption He that scapes his disease and fals into the hands of his Phisitian or from his trouble of suites lights into the fingers of his Lawyer fulfils the old verse Incidit in Scyllam dum vult vitare Charibdim Or is in the poore Birds case that flying in feare from the Cuckooe lighted into the tallonâ— of the Hawke These are a couple of thriuing Phisitians Alter tuetur aâ—gros alter tuetur agros One lookes to the state of the person the other of the purse so the old verse testifies Dat Galenus opes dat Iustinianus honores Phisicke giues wealth and Law Honour I speake not against due reward for iust deserts in both these faculties These Phisitians are both in request but the third the Phisitian of the soule of whom I am now occasioned to shew there is most neede may stand at the dore with Homer and did hee speake with the voyce of Angels not to be admitted The sicke Rich man lyes patiently vnder his Phisitians hands hee giues him golden words reall thankes nay and often flattering obseruance If the state lye sicke of a Consumption or if some contentious Emperick by new suits would lance the impostum'd swellings of it or if perhaps it lye sullen-sicke of Naboths Vineyard the Lawyer is perchance not sent for but gone to and his help imploâ—ed not without a Royall sacrifice at least But for the Minister of his Parish if hee may not haue his head vnder his girdle and his attendance as seruile as his Liuerie-groomes hee thinkes himselfe indignified and rages like the Pope that any Priest durst eate of his Peacocke How short doth this Phisitians respect fall of both the others Let him feed his Sheepe if hee will with the Milke of the Word his Sheepe will not feede him with the Milke of reward He shall hardly get from his Patron the Milke of the Vicaredge but if he lookes for the fleeces of the Parsonage hee shall haue after the Prouerbe Lanam caprinam Contempt and scorne Haman was not more madde for Mordecais Cap then the great one is that as much obseruance ariseth not to him from the blacke coate as from his owne blew coate The Church is beholden to him that hee will turne one of his cast Seruitours out of his owne into her seruice out of his Chamber into the Chancell from the Buttry-hatch to the Pulpit He that was not worthy enough to waite on his Worship is good enough for God Yeeld this sore almost healed yet the honour of the Ministerie thriues like Trees in Autumne Euen their best estimate is but a shadow and that a preposterous one for it goes backe faster then the shadow in the Dyall of Ahaz If a Rich man haue foure Sonnes the youngest or contemnedst must be the Priest Perhaps the Eldest shall be committed to his Lands for if his Lands should be committed to him his Father feares hee would carie them all vp to London hee dares not venture it without binding it sure For which purpose he makes his second Sonne a Lawyer a good â—ising profession for a man may by that which I neither enuie nor taxe runne vp like Ionas gourd to preferment and for wealth a Clustre of Law is worth a whole Vintage of Gospell If hee studie meanes for his third loe Physicke smels well That as the other may keepe the estate from running so this the body from ruining For his youngest Sonne hee cares not if he puts him into Gods seruice and make him
diuided to our hands by the rule of three A tripartite Metaphore that willingly spreads it selfe into an Allegorie 1. Gods word is the Balme 2. The Prophets are the Physitians 3. The People are the Patients who are very sicke Balme without a Physitian a Physitian without Balme a Patient without both is in fausta separatio an vnhappy disiunction If a man be ill there is neede of Physicke when he hath Physicke he needes a Physitian to apply it So that here is miserie in being sicke mercie in the Physicke Not to disioyne or disioynt the Prophets order let vs obserue that the words are spoken 1. In the person of God 2. In the forme of a question 3. By a conclusiue inference Onely two things I would first generally obserue to you as necessarie inductions to the subsequent Doctrines Both which may naturally be inferred not tyrannously enforced from the words That which first obiects it selfe to our consideration is the Wisedome of God in working on mens affections which leades vs here from naturall wants subiect to sense to supernaturall inuisible and more secret defects from miseries to mysteries That as if any man admired Solomons House they would be rauished in desire to see Gods House which transcended the former so much as the former transcended their expectation So heere wee might be led from mans worke to Gods worke from things materiall to things mysticall and by the happinesse of cure to our sicke bodies be induced to seeke and get recouerie of our dying soules The second is the fit collation and respondent relation of Diuinitie and Physicke the one vndertaking to preserue and restore the health of the body the other performing much more to the soule 1. God leades vs by sensible to the sight of insensible wants by calamities that vexe our liuing bodies to perils that endanger our dying Consciences That wee might inferre vpon his premisses what would be an eternall losse by the sight of a temporall crosse that is so hardly brooked If a famine of bread be so heauie how vnsupportable is the dearth of the Word saith the Prophet Man may liue without bread not without the word If a wearie Traueller be so vnable to beare a burden on his shoulders how ponderous is sinne in the Conscience which Zacharie calls a talent of Lead If blindnesse be such a miserie what is â—gnorance lf the night be so vncomfortable what doth the darknesse of Superstition afford If bodily Disease so afflict our sense how intollerable will a spirituall sicknesse proue Thus all earthly and inferiour Obiects to a Christian soule are like Marginall hands directing his reading to a better and heauenly reference I intend to vrge this poynt the more as it is more necessarie both for the profit of it being well obserued and for the generall neglect of it because they are few in these dayes that reduce Christianitie to Meditation but fewer that produce Meditation to practise and obedience Diseases destined toward Death as their end that can by Nature neither be violently endured nor violently repelled perplexe the flesh with much paine but if Diseases which be Deaths capitall Chirurgions his preceding Heraulds to proclaime his neerenesse his Ledgers that vsurpe his place till himselfe comes be so vexing and full of anguish what is Death it selfe which kils the Diseases that killed vs For the perfection of sicknesse is Death But alas if the sicknesse and Death of the body be such what are Sinne the sicknesse and Impenitencie the death of the soule What is the dimmed eye to the darkned vnderstanding the infected members to the poysoned affections the torment of the reynes to the stitches girds and gripes of an aking Consciencâ— what is the Childes caput dolet my head akes to Ierusalems cor dolet my heart akes The soule to leaue the body with her offices of life is not so grieuous as Gods spirit to relinquish the soule with the comforts of grace In a word it is farre lesse miserable to giue vp the ghost then to giue vp the holy Ghost The soule that enters the body without any sensible pleasure departs not from it without extreame paine Hee that is animans animas the soule of our soules forsakes not our spirits but our paine is more though our sense be lesse As in the Warres the cut of a sword crossing the Fibres carries more smart vvith it though lesse mortallitie then the fatall charge of a Death-thundring Cannon The soule hath two places an Inferiour which it ruleth the body a Superiour wherein it resteth God! Mans greatest sorrow is when hee dyes vpwardly that GOD forsakes his God-forsaking soule His greatest sense when he diâ—s downewards and sicknesse disperseth and dispatcheth his vitall powers Let then the inferiour suffering vvaken vs to see the Superiour that doth vveaken vs. Thus God drawes our eyes from one obiect to another nay by one to another by that which wee loue on earth to that which wee should loue in Heauen by the prouidence for our bodies to the prouision for our soules So our Sauiour hauing discoursed of carefulnesse for terrene wants drawes his speech to the perswasion of celestiall benefits giuing the coherence with a But. But first seeke ye the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and all these inferiour things shall be added vnto you Vt ad excellenâ—iam diuinarum rerum per corporalia homines attollat That at once hee might lesson vs to holy duties and lessen our care for earthly things Thus quios homini sublime dedit cor subliâ—ius eleuare voluit Hee that gaue man a countenance lifted high meant to erect his thoughts to a higher contemplation For many haue such groueling and earth-creeping affections that if their bodies curuitie was answerable to their soules incederent quadrâ—pides they would become foure-footed beasts It is a course preposterous to Gods creation disproportionable to mans fabricke that he should fixe his eyes and thoughts and desires on the base earth made for his feete to stand on and turne his feete against Heauen in contempt lifting vp his heele against God Hee whose ill-ballancing Iudgement thinkes Heauen light and Earth onely weightie and worthie doth as it were walke on his head with his heeles vpward I haue heard Trauellers speake of monstrous and praeternaturall men but neuer any so contranaturall as these Christ knew in the dayes of his flesh what easie apprehension worldly things would finde in vs what hard impression heauenly would finde on vs therefore so often by plaine comparisons taught secret Doctrines by Histories Misteries How to the life doth he explaine the mercie of God to the miserie of man in the lost Sheepe in the lost Groat in the lost Sonne How sweetly doth hee describe the different hearers of Gods Oracles in the Parable of the Seede which howsoeuer it seemed a Riddle to the selfe-blinding Iewes yet was a familiar demonstration to the beleeuing Saints So the Prophets found
if earth be at once neerer to your standing and vnderstanding and like dissembling Louers that to auoyd suspition diuert their eyes from that cheeke whereon they haue fixed their hearts so you loooke one way and loue another Heauen hauing your countenance Earth your confidence then for Earth read this instruction in all things the destruction of all things For if the raâ—ified and azure body of this lower Heauen shall bee folded vp like a Scrole of Parchment then much more this drossie feculent and sedimentall Earth shall be burnt Vret cum terris vret cum gurgite ponti Communis mundo superest rogus c. The Heauens shall passe away with a â—oyse and the Elements shall melt with feruent heate the Earth also and the workes that are therein shall be burnt vp At least quoad â—iguram though not quoad naturam The forme shall be changed though not the nature abollished Euerie creature on earth may teach vs the fallibillitie of it It is an Hieroglyphicke of vanitie and mutabillitie There is nothing on it that is of it that is not rather vitiall then vitall In all the corrupted parts of this decrepit and doting world mens best lesson of morallitie is a lesson of mortalitie As it was once said Foelix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas so now better Foelix qui poterit rerum cognoscere casus It is good to know the casuall beginnings of things it is better to know their casuall ends It is good to be a naturall Philosopher but better to bee a supernaturall a Christian Philosopher That whiles we intentiuely obserue the creature we may attentiuely serue the Creator That which is said of pregnant wits is more true of Christian hearts that they can make vse of any thing As Trauellers in forraine Countries make euery slight obiect a lesson so let vs thriue in grace by euery presented worke of Nature As the eye must see and the foote walke and the hand worke so the heart must consider What Gods doings which are maruellous in our vnderstandings eyes God looked vpon his owne workes saw they were good and delighted in them sure it is his pleasure also that wee should looke vpon them to admire his wisedome power prouidence mercie appearing both in their nature and their disposition The least of Gods works is worthie the obseruation of the greatest Angell Now what Trewants are we that hauing so many Tutours reading to vs learne nothing of them The Heathen were condemned for not learning the inuisible things of God from his visible workes For shall wee still plod on the great volume of Gods works and neuer learne to spell one word of vse of instruction of comfort to our selues Can wee behold nothing through the Spectacles of contemplation Or shall we be euer reading the great Booke of Nature and neuer translate it to the Booke of Grace The Saints did thus So haue I read that worthy Esay sitting among other Diuines and hearing a sweet consort of Musicke as if his soule had beene borne vp to Heauen tooke occasion to thinke and speake thus What Musicke may we thinke there is in Heauen A friend of mine viewing attentiuely the great pompe and state of the Court on a solemne day spake not without some admiration What shall we thinke of the glory in the Court of God Happy obiect and well obserued that betters the soule in grace But I haue beene prolixe in this point let the breuitie of the next succour it 2. Phisicke and Diuinitie are Professions of a neere affinitie both intending the cure and recouerie one of our bodies the other and better of our soules Not that I would haue them conioyned in one person as one spake merrily of him that was both a Phisitian and a Minister that whom he tooke money to kill by his Physicke he had also money againe to burie by his Priesthood Neither if God hath powred both these gifts into one man doe I censure their Vnion or perswade their separation Onely let the Hound that runnes after two Hares at once take heede least hee catch neither Ad duo qui tendit non vnum nec duo prendit And let him that is called into Gods Vineyard hoc agere attend on his office And beware least to keepe his Parish on sound legges he let them walke with sickly consciences Whiles Galâ—â— Auicen take the wall of Paul Peter I doe not here taxe but rather praise the works of mercie in those Ministers that giue all possible comâ—orts to the distressed bodies of their brethren Let the professions be heterogenâ—a different in their kindes onely respondentia semblable in their proceedings The Lord created the Physitian so hath he ordained the Minister The Lord hath put into him the knowledge of Nature into this the knowledge of grace All knowledge is deriued from the Fountaine of Gods wisedome The Lord hath created Medicines out of the earth The Lord hath inspired his holy word from heauen The good Physitian acts the part of the Diuine They shall pray vnto the Lord that he would prosper that which they giue for ease remedy to prolong life The good Minister after a sort is a Physitian Onely it is enough for the Sonne of God to giue both naturall and spirituall Physicke But as Plato spake of Philosophie that it couets the imitation of God within the limits of possibillitie and sobrietie so wee may say of Physicke it is conterminate to Diuinitie so farre as a Handmaid may follow her Mistresse The Institutions of both preserue the constitutions of men The one would preuent the obstructions of our bodies the other the destructions of our soules Both purge our feculent corruptions both would restore vs to our primarie and originall health though by reason of our impotencie and indisposition neither is able Both oppose themselues against our death either our corporall or spirituall perishing When the spirit of God moued on the waters and from that indigested confused mixture did by a kinde of Alchimicall extraction seperation sublimation coniunction put all things into a sweet consort and harmonious beautie hee did act a Phisitians part God is in many places a Phisitian Exod. 15. I am the Lord that healeth thee Deut. 32. I kill I make aliue I wound and I heale Ier. 17. Heale me O Lord and I shall be healed saue me and I shall be saued Sometimes he is as a Surgion to binde vp the sores of the broken-hearted and to stanch the bleeding wounds of the Conscience Nay Dauid intreats him to put his bones in course againe So Christ hath sent his Ministers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad coagmentationem as Beza reades it to put in ioynt the luxate members of the Church that are compacted by ioynts And in the period or full stoppe of time God will minister to the world the phisicke of Fire to purge the sicke body of it as heâ—
nature of mans the effects and helps of dubitation according to the saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doubting is the Mother of questioning He that doubteth not will not aske no Gods demaunds are not to satisfie himselfe but vs Illations vpon our actions That from the proposition of our sinnes and the assumption of his questions we may conclude against our selues as Dauid I haue sinned Neither can we giue sollution to his interrogatories Who dares who can answere God hee is not as a man saith Iob that I should answere him The intent is then to iustifie himselfe to put into our conscience a sense a Science of our owne iniquities God so apposed Ionas Doest thou well to be angry And againe Doest thou well to be angry for a Gourd Art thou discontent for so contemptible a thing a poore vegetatiue creature and doest thou grudge my mercie to so many rationall creatures brethren of thine owne flesh Gods question was a manifest conuiction as strong as a thousand proofes Ionas sees his face in this little Spring as if he had stood by a full Riuer Christ that had the best methode of teaching and could make hearts of flint penetrable moued his Disciples mindes remoued his aduersaries doubts frequently by questions He starts Peter that was numinis Dei et nominis sui immemor forgetfull of his God of himselfe with a quid dormis what sleepest thou Hee rectified the mistaking iudgements of his Apostles that turned his spirituall dehortation from the Pharises leauen to the litterall sense of forgotten bread with a double demaund Obliti ne estis c. Doe ye not yet vnderstand nor remember the fiue loaues of the fiue thousand c. Could so miraculous a Banket as quickly slip from your mindes as it did from your mouthes So hee informed their vnderstandings concerning himselfe which so much concerned them to know Whom doe men say that I am All which impliâ—d not his owne ignorance but impelled their knowledge Hee knew all the former questions so well as the latter whereof hee could no lesse be ignorant then of himselfe Onely hee spake in a catechising forme as the Ministers question succours the Nouices initiall vnderstanding His reproofes to his enemies were often cloathed in these interrogatorie roabes How say they that Christ is Dauids Sonne When Dauid himselfe calleth him Lord confuting that false opinion that the Iewes had of their Messias whose temporall Monarchie they onely gaped for If hee was onely to be the Sonne of Dauid in the flesh how doth he call him Lord and equall him with the Father A question that did enforce a conclusion himselfe desired and a confusion of his enemies conceits The like ver 4. He cramped their criticall and hypocriticall exceptions with a question The baptisme of Iohn was it from heauen or of men which confuted their arrogance though they would haue salued it with ignorance ver 7. We cannot tell This manner of discussing is not more vsuall with God then effectuall It conuerteth the Elect it conuinceth the Reprobate Wheresoeuer it is directed it pierceth like a goad is a sharp stroke to the conscience and howsoeuer the smart is neglected it leaueth a print behind it If wee take the words spoken in the Person of God they manifest his complaint against Israell When God complaines sinne is grieuous Wee neuer read God breaking forth into this compassionate forme of speech but Iniquitie is growne proud of her height She nestles among the Cedars and Towers like Babell when hee that can thunder it downe with fire doth as it were raine showers of complaint for it It argues no lesse goodnesse in the Father then wickednesse in the Children when hee doth plaine that can plague and breath out the ayre of pitie before he send the storme of Iudgement So you may see a long prouoked Father that after many chidings lost to his deafe Sonne after some gentle chastisements inflicted and intended to his calling home he findes his errours growing wilder his affections madder his heart more senselesse his courses more sensuall hee stands euen deploring his wretchednesse that could not amend his wickednesse and whiles Iustice and Mercie striue for the masterie as loath that his lenitie should wrong his Integritie or yet that he should be as an executioner to him whom he had begotten to be an executour to himselfe hee breakes out into complaint With no lesse pitie nay with farre greater mercie doth God proceede to execute his Iudgements vnwilling to strike home for his mercie yet willing not to double his blow but to lay it on sure at once for our sinnes and his owne Iustice Or as some compassionate Iudge that must censure by the law of his Countrey an Hereticke striues first with arguments of reason to conuert him that arguments of yron and steele may not be vsed against him and finding his refractarie disposition culpable of his owne doome by wilfully not being capable of good counsell proceedes not without plaints and teares to his sentence So doth the most iust God of Heauen with the most vniust Sonnes of men pleading by reasons of gentle and gracious forbearance and offering the sweet conditions of happy peace and as it were wailing our refusall before hee shoote his arrowes and consume vs or make his sword drunke with our bloods God hath Armies of Starres in the skie Meteors in the ayre beasts on the earth yea of Angels in Heauen greater Hoasts and lesse and whither he sends a great Armie of his little ones or a little of his great ones he can easily and quickly dispatch vs Loe he stayes till he hath spoken with vs and that rather by postulation then expostulation He is not contumelious against vs that haue been contumacious against him If his words can worke vs to his will hee will spare his blowes Hee hath as little delight in smiting as we in suffering nay he suffers with vs condoling our estate as if it were which cannot be his owne For wee haue not an high Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities Hee feeles the griefes of his Church the head akâ—s when the members suffer Persecutors strike Christ through Christians sides Saul strikes at Damascus Christ Iesus suffers in Heauen Mediately he is smitten whiles the blowes immediately light on vs. He could not in the dayes of his â—lesh forbeare bitter teares at Ierusalems presâ—nt sinne and future iudgement How grieuous is our iniquitie how gracious his longanimity He that weeps for our auersion passionately desires our conuersion vnfainedly How pathetically he perswadeth his Churches reformation Returne returne oh Shulamite returne returne How lamentingly deplores he Ierusalems deuastation If thou hadst knowne at least in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace Let vs not thinke him like either of those Mimicks the Player or the Hypocrite who truly act the part one of another but hardly either of an honest man
that can command teares in sport When Christ laments the state either of our sinnes or our selues hee shewes that one is at the height of rising the other neere casting downe Christs double sigh ouer Ierusalem is as I may say fetched and deriued from those double woes of her the vnmeasurable sinne that killest the Prophets the vnauoydable Iudgement thy house is left vnto thee desolate Ingentia benesicia ingentia peccata ingentes poenae Great benefits abused occasion great sinnes and great sinnes are the fore-runners of great plagues So that Sinne is an ill coniunction copulatiue that vnites two as contrarie natures as nature it selfe euer produced great mercie and great miserie God is pleased in giuing the former but he sighes at the latter Gaudet in misericordia sua dolet in miseria nostra He reioyceth in his owne goodnesse hee greeueth at our wretchednesse Horrid and to be trembled at are the sinnes that bring heauinesse into the Courts of happinesse and send grieuance to the very thresholds of ioy That whereas Angels and Cherubins the coelestiall Choristers make musicke before the Throne of God for the conuersion of one sinner of one what would they doe at the effectuall successe of such a Sermon as Peter preached They doe if I may speake grieue and mourne at the auersion of our soules so hopefull and likely to be brought to Heauen and at the aspiration of our climbing sinnes But it may be questioned how God can be said to grieue to complaine to be sorrowfull for vs. True it is that there is no passion in God Hee that sits in Heauen hath all pleasure and content in himselfe What is here spoken is for our sakes spoken He dwelleth in such brightnesse of glory as neuer mortall foot could approach vnto the sight of his face is to vs on earth insufferable the knowledge of the inuisible things in the Deitie vnpossible Therefore to giue some ayme and coniecture to vs what hee is hee appeares as it were transfigured into the likenesse of our nature and in our owne familiar termes speaketh to our shallow vnderstandings Hominem alloquens humano more loquitur As an old man speaking to a Childe frames his voyce in a childish phrase Before a great vessell that is full can powre liquour from it selfe into a little empty Pot that stands vnder it it must stoope and decline it selfe Thus he descends to our capacities and that man may know him in some measure hee will be knowne as man Sometimes by bodily members Eyes Eares Hands Feet Sometimes by spirituall affections Anger Sorrow Iealousie Repentance By which he signifies not what hee is indeed but what is needfull for vs to know of him For being well acquainted with the vse office and effect of these naturall things in our selues wee may the better guesse at the knowledge of that God â—o whom wee heare them ascribed by translation All which hee hath per siguram non naturam Anger 's effect in vs is reuenge Nothing pleaseth a furious mans nature but wreaking himselfe on his prouoker The passion is Anger the effect Reuenge Whiles God giues the second wee ascribe to him the first and call that in him Wrath which properly is his striking Iustice. Complaints are the witnes of a grieued soule both are sufferings God is here said to complaine Why he is grieued at our sinnes Can he be grieued indeed No nor need he complaine that hath such power to right himselfe Yet hee is often said to be grieued Grieue not the Spirit of God by whom you are sealed vp to the day of Redemption And here to complaine To speake properly God cannot complaine because he cannot be grieued He cannot be grieued because he cannot suffer Euery blow of ours though we were as strong and high as the sonnes of Anak lights short of him If some could haue reached him it had gone ill with him long ere this All is spoken per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is sine ira irascens sine poenitâ—ntia poenitens sine dolore dolens angry without anger grieuing without sorrow These passions are ascribed to him quoad effectum non quoad affectum They are perfections in him what are affections in vs. The complaint that once God made against a whole world as hee doth here against Israell is expressed in more patent and significant tearmes It repented the Lord that hee had made man on the earth and it grieued him at his heart God so complaines against mans sinne that hee is sory that hee made him This saith Augustine non est perturbatio sed iudicium quo irrogatur poena It is no disturbance in God but onely his Iudgement whereby hee inflicts punishment And further Poenitudo Dei est mutandorum immutabilis ratio Gods repentance is his vnchangeable disposition in things of a changeable condition It is mutatio rei non Dei the change of the thing not of God Cum ij quos curat mutantur mutat ipse res prout ijs expedit quos curat Hee willeth an expedient alteration of things according to the alteration of them for whom hee prouides So God is said to repent that hee made Saul King or that hee threatned euill to Niniueh In all which hee changed non affectum sed effectum the externall worke not his internall counsell For as the Schoole speakes immutabiliter ignoscit he vnchangeably pardons whom hee meanes to saue though they feele it not till conuersion so immutabiliter non ignoscit hee vnchangeably retaines their sinnes in his Iudgement-booke which amend not as Saul The nature of Repentance is Sorrow the effect of repentance is the abrogation of something determined or vndoing if it be possible of some thing done Repentance is not in God in regard of the originall nature of it he cannot sorrow but is in respect of the euentuall fruit when hee destroyes that world of people hee had made Not that his heart was grieued but his hands his iustice and power vndid it Aliud est mutare voluntatem aliud velle mutationem It is one thing to change the will another thing to will a change There may be a change in the matter and substance willed though not in the will that disposeth it Our will desires in the Summer a lighter and cooler garment in Winter a thicker and warmer yet is not our will changed whereby wee decree in our selues this change according to the season Thus Quicquid superi voluere peractum Whatsoeuer God would that did he in heauen and earth in the sea and all deepe places God is immutabilis naturae voluntatis consilij Vnchangeable in his nature will and decrees Onely these are verba nostrae paruitati accommodata words fitted to our weake capacities Well in the meane time they are grieuous sinnes that make our gracious God thus seemingly passionate There is great cause sure if so patient and forbearing a God be angry sorrie penitent greeued that he hath
and not pitie it is impossible for any but a Faulx but a Deuill 1. To make some further vse hereof to our selues Let vs auoyd sinne as much as we may And though we cannot stay our selues from going in let vs stay our selues from going on least our God complaine against vs. If we make him sorrowfull for a time hee can make vs sorrowfull for euer If wee anger him hee can anger all the veines of our hearts If in stead of seruing GOD by our obedience wee make him serue with our sinnes hee will make vs serue with his plagues If we driue God to call a Conuocation of heauen and earth Heare oh heauen harken oh earth I haue nourished children and they haue rebelled against me If he call on the mountaines to heare his controuersie he will make vs call on the mountaines to helpe and hide our miserie And they said to the mountaines and rockes Fall on vs c. If we put God to his querelam controuersie and make him a Plaintife to enter his sute against vs he will put vs to a complaint indeede Therefore shall the land mourne and euery one that dwelleth therein shall languish He will force vs to repent the time and deeds that euer made him to repent that hee made vs. Hee will strike vs with such a blow that there needeth no doubling of it He will make an vtter end destruction shall not rise vp the second time As Abishai would haue stricken Saul at once and I will not smite him the second time We cannot so wrong God that hee is depriued of power to right himselfe His first complaint is as I may say in teares his second in blood I haue read of Tamberlaine that the first day of his siege was honoured with his white Colours the second with fatall red but the third with finall blacke God is not so quicke speedy in punishment nor come his iudgements with such precipitation Niniueh after so manie forties of yeeres shall haue yet forty dayes Hee that at last came with his Fanne in his hand and fanned but eight graines of good corne out of a whole Barne-full of Chaffe a whole world of people gaue them the space of one hundred and twentie yeeres repentance If Ierusalem will not heare Christs words they shall feele his wounds They that are deafe to his voyce shall not be insensible to his hands He that may not be heard will be felt 2. If God complaines against sinne let vs not make our selues merry with it The madde humours idle speeches outragious oathes of drunken Athiests are but ill mirth for a Christian spirit Wickednesse in others abroad should not be our Tabret to play vpon at home It is a wretched thing to laugh at that which feasts Satan with mirth laughing both at our sinnes and at vs for our sinnes Rather lament Make little weeping for the dead for he is at rest but the life of the foole is worse then death Weepe for that When Israell now in Moses absence had turned beast and Calued an Idolatrous Image Moses did not dance after their Pipe and laugh at their superstitious merriment with Tabrets and Harpes but mourned to the Lord for them and pleaded as hard for their sparing as hee would haue done for himselfe nay more Spare thy owne people though thou race my name out of the Booke of Life They are onely marked for Gods with his owne priuy Seale that mourned for the abominations of Israell and their mournings were earnest as the waylings of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddo Where are you ye Sonnes of the Highest ye Magistrates put in power not onely to lament our sinnes but to take away the cause of our lamenting cease to beake your selues like Iehoiakim before the fire of ease and rest rend your cloathes with Iosiah and wrap your selues in sackcloath like Niniueh's King as a corps laid out for buriall Doe not Foelix-like grope for a bribe at criminall offences sell not your conniuence and withall your conscience where you should giue your punishment Let not gold weigh heauier then Naboths wrongs in the scoles of Iustice. Weepe ye Ministers betweene the Porch and the Altar Lament your owne sinnes ye Inhabitants of the world England be not behinde other Nations in mourning that art not short of them in offending Religion is made but Pollicies stirrop to get vp and ride on the backe of pleasure Nimrod and Achitophell lay their heads and hands together and whiles the one forrageth the Parke of the Church the other pleads it from his Booke with a Statutum est The Gibeonites are suffred in our Campe though we neuer clap'd them the hand of couenant and are not set to draw water and choppe wood doe vs any seruice except to cut our throates The Receate I â—ad almost said the Deceate of Custome sâ—ands open making the Lawes tolleration a warrant that many now sell their Lands and liue on the vse of their Monyes which none would doe if Vsurie was not an easier securer and more gainefull Trade How should this make vs mourne like Doues and groane like Turtles The wilde Swallowes our vnbridled Youngsters sing in the warme Chimneyes the lustfull Sparrowes noctiuagant Adulterers sit châ—rping about our houses the filching Iayes secret theeues rob our Orchards the Kite and the Cormorant deuoure and hoord our fruits and shall not among all these the voyce of the Turtle be heard in our Land mourning for these sinfull rapines Haue whoredome and wine so taken away our hearts and hidden them in a maze of vanities that repentance cannot finde them out Can these enormities passe without our teares Good men haue not spent all their time at home in mourning for their owne sinnes sometimes they haue iudged it their worke to lament what was others worke to doe That Kingly Prophet that wept so plentifully for his owne offences had yet floods of teares left to bewaile his peoples Ieremy did not onely weepe in secret for Israels pride but wrote a whole Booke of Lamentations and was not lesse exact in his methode of mourning then others haue beene in their Songs of ioy It was Gods behest to Ezekiell Sigh thou Sonne of man with the breaking of thy loynes and with bitternesse sigh before their eyes Hee mourned not alone at Israels wâ—e She had a solemne Funerall and euery Prophet sighed for her Looke away from me saith Esay I will weepe bitterly labour not to comfort me because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people I am payned at my very heart saith Ieremie because thou hast heard oh my soule the sound of the Trumpet the Alarme of warre Our sinnes are more why should our sorrowes be lesse Who sees not and sayes not that the dayes are euill There is one laying secret Mynes to blow vp another that himselfe may succeede there is another buying vncertaine
opposition the storme of Iudgement will ensue Nay haue not your iniquities made the Pulpit the Gospels mercy-seat a Tribunall of Iudgement 2. Will not these mournings menaces querulations stirre your hearts because they are deriued from GOD through vs his Organ-pipes as if they had lost their vigour by the vvay Then open your eyes you that haue deaâ—'d your eares and see him actually complayning against vs. Obserue at least if not the thunders of his voyce yet the vvonders of his hand I could easily loose my selfe in this Common-place of Iudgements I will therefore limit my speech to narrow bounds and onely call that to our memories the print whereof stickes in our sides God hauing taught Nature euen by her good to hurt as some wash gold to depraue the weight of it euen to drayne away our fruits by floods But alas we say of these strokes as the Philosopher in one sense and Solomons Drunkard in another non memini me percussum wee remember not that wee were stricken or as the Prophet of the Iewes Thou hast smitten them but they haue not grieued thou hast consumed them but they haue refused to receiue correction euen whiles their wounds were yet raw and their ruines not made vp Many are like the Stoickes in Equuleo though the punishment lye on their flesh it shall not come neere their heart God would schoole our heauie-spirited and coldly deuoted worldlings that sacriâ—ice to their Nets attribute all their thriuing to their owne industry and neuer enter that thought on the point of their hearts how they are beholding to God Here alas we finde that wee are beholding to the Corne and other fruites of the earth they to the ground the ground to the influences of Heauen all to God When man hath done all in plowing tilling sowing if either the cloudes of Heauen denie their raine or giue too much how soone is all lost The Husbandman that was wont to waite for the early and latter showres now casts vp trembling eyes to the cloudes for a ne noceant For your Barnes full of weedes rather then graine testifie that this blow did not onely spoile the glory and benefit of your Meadowes but euen by rebound your Corne-fields also Be not Athiests looke higher then the cloudes It was no lesse then the angry hand of God Thus can God euery way punish vs. It was for a time the speech of all tongues amazement of all eyes wonder of all hearts to see the showres of wrath so fast powring on vs as if the course of nature were inuerted our Summer comming out in the robes of Winter But as a Father writes of such a yeere Our deuotions begun and ended with the showre Nocte pluit tota redeunt spectacula manè It raines and wee lament But the Sunne did not sooner breake out through the cloudes then wee broke out into our former licentiousnes We were humbled but nâ—t humble dressed of God not cured Though God with-hold plentie wee with-hold not gluttony Pride leaues off none of her vanities Vsury bates not a crosse of his Interest The â—ioter is still as drunken with Wine as the earth was with Water And the Couetous had still rather eate vp the poore as bread then they should eate of his bread keeping his barnes full though their mawes be emptie as if hee would not let the vermine fast though the poore starue No meruaile if heauen it selfe turnes into languishment for these impieties Dic rogo cur toties descendit ab aethere nimbus Grandoque de coelis sic sine fine cadit Mortales quoniam nolunt sua crimina flâ—re Coelum pro nobis soluitur in lachrymâ—s What meane those aery spowtes and spungy clouds To spill themselues on earth with frequent flouds Because man swelling sinnes and dry eyes beares They weepe for vs raine down showres of teares God hath done for his part enough for Israell He hath stored their Vials with Balme their Cities wiih Phisitians It was then their owne fault that their health was not recouered Oh Israell thou hast destroyed thy selfe but in mee is thine helpe Let euen the inhabitants of Ierusalem and Iudah themselues be vmpires And what could I haue done more to my Vineyard that I haue not done in it God is not sparing in the commemoration of his mercies to vs as knowing that of all the faculties of the Soule the memory first waxeth old and of all obiects of the memory a benefit is soonest forgotten Wee write mans iniuries to vs in Marble but Gods mercies in dust or waters Wee had neede of remembrances God hath done so much for vs that he may say to vs as once to Ephraim Oh Ephraim what shall I doe more vnto thee What could Israell want which God supplyed not If they want a guide God goes before them in fire If they lacke Bread Flesh or Drinke Mercy and Miracle shall concurre to satisfie them Heauen shall giue them Bread the Wind Quailes the Rocke Waters Doth the Wildernesse deny them new clothes their old shall not waxe old on their backes A Law from heauen shall direct their Consciences and Gods Oracles from betweene the Cherubins shall resolue their doubts If they be too weake for their Enimies Fire from heauen vapours from the cloudes Frogges and Catterpillers Sunne Aire Waters shall take their parts Nay God himselfe shall fight for them What could God doe more for their reseruing for their preseruing If I should set the mercies of our land to runne along with Israells wee should gaine cope of them and out-runne them And though in Gods actuall and outward mercies they might outstrip vs yet in his spirituall and sauing health they come short of vs. They had the shadow we the substance they candle-light we noone-day they the breakefast of the Law fit for the morning of the world we the dinner of the Gospell fit for the high-noone thereof They had a glimpse of the Sunne we haue him in the full strength they saw per feâ—estram wee sine medio They had the Paschall-Lambe to expiate sinnes ceremonially wee the Lambe of God to satisfie for vs really Not a typicall sacrifice for the sinnes of the Iewes onely but an euangelicall taking away the sinnes of the world For this is that secret opposition which that voyce of a Cryer intimates Now what could God doe more for vs Israell is stung with fiery Serpents behold the erection of a strangely medicinall Serpent of brasse So besides the spirituall application of it the plague hath stricken vs that haue striken God by our sinnes his mercy hath healed vs. Rumours of Warre hath hummed in our eares the murmures of terrour behold he could not set his bloody foote in our coasts The rod of Famine hath beene shaken ouer vs wee haue not smarted with the deadly lashes of it Euen that wee haue not beene thus miserable God hath done much for vs. Looke
round about you and whiles you quake at the plagues so naturall to our neighbours blesse your owne safetie and our God for it Behold the Confines of Christendome Hungarie and Bohemia infested and wasted with the Turkes Italy groning vnder the slauerie of Antichrist which infects the soule worse then the Turke infests the body Behold the pride of Spâ—ine curbed with a bloody Inquisition Fraunce a faire and flourishing Kingdome made wretched by her Ciuill vnciuill warres Germany knew not of long time what Peace meant neither is their warre ended but suspended Ireland hath felt the perpetuall plague of her Rebellions And Scotland hath not wanted her fatall disasters Onely England hath line like Gedeons fleece dry and secure when the raine of Iudgements haue wetted the whole earth When God hath tossed the Nations and made them like a wheele and as the stubble before the winde onely England hath stoode like Mount Syon with vnmoued firmenesse Time was she petitioned to Rome now she neither feares her Bulls nor desires her Bulwarkes The destitute Brittaines thus mourned to their conquering Romanes Aetio ter Consulâ— gemitus Britannorum Repellâ—nt nos Barbari ad mare Repellit nos mare ad Barbaros Hinc oriuntur duo funerum genera quia aut iugulamur aut submergimur To the Romane Consull the Brittaines send groaning in stead of greeting The Barbarous driue vs vpon the Sea The Sea beates vs backe vpon the Barbarous Hence we are endangered to a double kinde of death either to be drowned or to haue our throates cut The Barbarous are now vnfeared enemies and the Sea is rather our Fort then our Sepulcher A peacefull Prince leads vs and the Prince of peace leads him And besides our peace wee are so happy for Balme and Physitians that if I should sing of the blessings of God to vs this should still be the burden of my Song What could the Lord doe more for vs There is Bâ—lme at Gilead there are Physitians there Will there be euer so Is there not a time to loose as well as to get Is whiles the Sâ—nctuarie is full of this holy Balme Gods word if whiles there is plenty of Physitians and in them plenty of skill the health of Israell is not restored how dangerous will her sicknesse be in the priuation of both these restoratiues They that grow not rich in peace what will they doe in warre Hee that cannot liue well in Summer will hardly scape staruing in Winter Israell that once had her Cities sowne with Prophets could after say Wee see not our signes there is not one Prophet among vs. They that whilome loathed Manna would haue beene glad if after many a weary mile they could haue tasted the crummes of it He whose prodigallity scorned the bread in his Fathers house would afterwards haue thought himselfe refreshed vvith the huskes of Swiâ—e The Sâ—nne doth not euer shine there is a time of setting No day of iollitie is without his euening of conclusion if no cloud of disturbance preuent it with an ouer-casting First God complaines men sing daunce are Iouiall and neglectfull at last man shall complaine and God shall laugh at their destructions Why should God be coniureâ— to receiue his Spirit dying that would not receiue Gods spirit liuing All things are whirled about in their circular courses and who knowes whither the next spoake of their wheele will not be a blanke Euen in laughter the heart is sorrowfull and the end of that mirth is heauinesse If the blacke stones of our miseries should be counted with the white of our ioyes we should finde our calamities exceeding in number as well as they doe in nature Often haue wee read our Sauiour weeping but neuer laughing Wee cannot chuse but lament so long as we walke on the bankes of Babilon It is enough to re-assume our Harpes when we come to the high Ierusalem In Heauen are pure ioyes in Hell meere miseries on Earth both though neither so perfect mixed one with another Wee cannot but acknowledge that wee begin and end with sorrow our first voyce being a crie our last a groane If any ioyes step in the midst they doe but present themselues on the Stage play their parts and put off their glories Successiuely they thrust vpon vs striuing either who shall come in first or abide with vs longest If any be more daintie of our acquaintance it is ioy It is a frequent speech fuimus Troes we haue beene happy Cum miserum quenquam videris scias cum esse hommem cum vero gloriosum sciâ—s cum nondum esse Herculem If thou seest one miserable that 's a man but if thou seest another glorying yet that 's no God There is no prescription of perpetuitie It is enough for the Songs of Heauen where Saints and Seraphins are the Choristers to haue no burden as no end belonging to them Let that be the standing house where the Princes of GOD shall keepe their Court without griefe or treason our Progresse can plead no such priuiledge We must glad our selues here with the intermission of woes or interposition of ioyes let that place aboue chalenge and possesse that immunitie from disturbance where eternitie is the ground of the Musicke Here euery day is sure of his night if not of clouds at noone Therefore mutet viâ—am qui vult accipere vitam let him change his life on earth that lookes for life in heauen Tu quamcunque Deus tibi fortunauerit horam Grata sume manu nec dulcia differ in annum Take the opportunitie which Gods mercie hath offered thee It is fit that God should haue his day when thine is past Your saluation is now neerer then you beleeue it but if you put away this acceptable time your damnation is neerer then you feare it Mourne now for your sinnes whiles your mourning may helpe you Thaâ— is the Mourners marke yet the last letter of the Alphabet for an vltimum vale to sinne Euery soule shall mourne either here with repentance or hereafter in vengeance They shall be oppressed with desperation that haue not expressed contrition Herodotus hath a tale of the Pipeâ— that comming to the Riuer side began to play to the fishes to see if they would daunce when they were little affected with his musicke he tooke his Net and throwing it among them caught some which were no sooner cast on the dry ground but they fell a leaping to whom the Piper merrily replied that since they had erst scorned his Musicke they should now daunce without a Pipe Let it goe for a fable Christ saith to vs as once to the Iewes Wee haue piped vnto you the sweet tunes of the Gospell but ye would not daunce in obedience time will come you shall runne after vs as the Hinde on the barren Mountaines but then you may daunce without a Pipe and leape Leuolto's in Hell that haue daunced the Deuils Measures on Earth This is the time you
whole neede not a Phisition but they that are sicke Foolish mâ—n because of their iniquities are afflicted that their soule abhorreth all manner of meate and thâ—y draw neere to the â—ates of death Yet they cry vnto this Phisitian and hee deliuers them from their dâ—stresse So hee hath promised in the Testament both of his Law and of his Gospell Call on mee in the day of trouble and I will deliuer thee Come to mee all that are lâ—den and I will giue you rest There neuer went sorrowfull Beggar from his doore without aâ— Almes No maruell if hee be not cured that is opâ—nionated of his owne health They say that the Teâ—ch is the Phisitian of Fishes and they being hurt come to him for cure All the Fishes that are caught in the Net of the Gospell come to Christ who is the King of Phisitians and the Phisitian of Kings Come then to Him beloued not as to a Master in name onely as the Lawyer Matth. 22. but as to a Sauiour indeed as the Leaper Matth. 8. Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane Non taâ—quam ad Dominum titularem sed tanquam ad Dominum tutelarem as one ellegantly Ministers are Phisitians vnder Christ sent onely with his Phisicke in their hands and taught to applâ— it to our necessities Neither the Phisitian of the bodie nor of the soule can heale by any vertue inherent in or deriued from themselues We must take all out of Gods warehouse God hath a double Boxe of Nature of Grace as man hath a double sicknesse of â—lesh of spirit 1. The first boxe is mentioned Ecclus. 38. The Lord hath created medicines out of the earth and hee that is wise will not abhorre them God hath not scanted earth of drugges and mineralls the simples of Phisicke for such as tread on it And howsoeuer our vanitie in health transport our thoughts earth hath no more precious thing in it then as sustenance to preserue so medicine to restore vs. You that haue digged into the entralls of the dead earth and not spared the bowels of the liuing earth the poore for riches You that haue set that at your heart which was cast downe at the Apostles feete Money as fit onely for sanctified men to tread vpon in contempt You that haue neglected heauen which God hath made your more glorious feeling and richly stuck it like a bright Canopy with burning lights and doted on your pauement made onely for your feete to tread vpon fixing your eyes and thoughts on that which God hath indisposed to be your obiect for mans countenance is erect lessoning his soule to a iust and holy aspiration You that haue put so faire for the Philosophers stone that you haue endeuoured to sublimate it out of poore mens bones ground to powder by your oppressions You that haue buried your Gods so soone as you had found them out as Rahâ—l did Labans in the Litter and sit downe with rest on them saying to the Wedge Thou arâ— my conâ—â—dence When your heads ake dissolue your gold and â—rinke it wallow your crasie carkasse in your siluer wrap it in perfumes and silkes and try what ease it will aâ—ford you Will not a silly and contemptible weede prepared by a skilfull Phisitian giue you more comfort Doth not the common ayre which you receiue in and breath out againe refresh you better How eager are our desires of superfluities how neglectfull of necessaries This boxe of treasures hath God giuen vs and indued some with knowledge to minister them least our ignorance might not rather preiudice theâ— succour our healths No Phisitian then cures of himselfe no more then the hand feedes the mouth The meate doth the one the medicine doth the other though the Phisitian and the hand be vnspared instruments to their seuerall purposes Thus God relieues our health â—rom the Boxe of Nature 2. The other Boxe is Grace whence the Diuine draweth out sundry remedies for our dâ—seases of soule This is not so common as that of Nature Once one Nation had it of all the world now all the world rather then that Nation But it is certaine they haue it onely to whom the Gospell is preached It is indeede denied to none that doe not denie their faith to it Christ is that Lambe that takes away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sinne of the world But many want tâ—e Phisitians to teach and apply this And how shall they preach except they be sent Now where these Phisitians are is the people healed by any vertue deâ—â—ued from them Is it the Perfumer that giues such sweet odours or his perfumes Why looke ye so earnestly on vs as though by our owne power or holinesse wâ— had made this man to walke Be it knowne to you all that by the name of Iesus Christ of Nazareth doth this man stand whole before you Therefore saith S. Paul concluding this Doctrine so throughly handled Let no man glory in men for all things are yours whither Paul c. all are yours and ye are Christs and Christ is Gods It is the tidings we bring that saues you not our persons Moses that gaue the Law could not frame his owne heaâ—t to the obedience of it It lyes not in our power to beget faith in our owne soules The heart of the King is in the hands of God as are the waters in the South The soules of all Prince and people Prophets and Nazarites Preachers and hearers learned and ignorant are conuerted by God by whom they were created It was the voyce euen of a Prophet Turne vs oh Lord and so shall we be turned This consideration may serue to humble our harts whom God hath trusted with the dispensation of his Oracles It is a sacrilegious sinne for any spirituall Phisitian to ascribe Gods doing to his owne saying and to make Hâ—s glory cleaue to earthen fingers As Menecrates a naturall one wrote in a certaine Epistle to Philip of Macedon Thou art King of Macedon I of Phisicke It lyes in thy power to take health and life from men in mine to giue it So monstrous was his pride yet so applauded by the besotted Citizens that he marched with a traine of Gods after him One in the habite of Hercules another of Mercurie a third in the forme of Apollo whilst himselfe like Iupiter walked with a purple robe a Crowne of gold and a Scepter boasting that by his Art hee could breath life into men Foolish clay hee could not preserue himselfe from mouldring to dust Ostentation in a spirituall Phisitian is worse by how much our profession teacheth vs to be more humble It is a high climbing pride in any Pharise and iniurious to the Throne of God to arrogate to himselfe a conuerting power As in the fable the Flye sitting on the Coach-wheele at the games of Olympus gaue out that it was she which made so great a dust Or as that
simple vnderstandings to build vp the weake and pull downe the confident in their owne strengths This shall discharge a man from the imputation of illiterature as well as to preach Riddles and Paradoxes which the people may admire not admit and make that friuolous vse of all this was a deepe Sermon Learning is requisite or thou art but an Empericke How many Paracelsian Mountebankes haue beene the worst diseases to the Common-wealth they liue in whiles they purge away the good humours and leaue the bad behinde them Your Popish Teachers were such ill Purgers drayning out the good blood of Religion from the vaynes of the Lanâ— and powring in feculent corruptions ridiculous fopperies Magicall poysons in stead thereof giuing a Masse for a Communion an Image for the Bible Stage-apishnesse for a sober Sermon allowing either no Scripture or new Scripture so suppressing the words and stifling the sense that hiding away the gold they throw their people the bagge 5. Good Phisitians must not ayme more at their owne wealth then their Patients health Indeede the spirituall Labourer is worthie of his hire but if he labour for hire onely he may make himselfe merrie with his reward on earth Heauen hath none for him That good is well done that is done of conscience The Pastor feedes Christs Sheepe for his owne gaine the Sheepe are fed Christ giues him no thankes for his labour Peter made three manner of Fishings hee caught Fish for money Fish with money Fish without money The first was his temporall trade the second a miraculous and singular action the last his spirituall function Some are of all these sorts the worst now is to â—ish for the twentie pence Piâ—cantur vt adipiscantur non homines sed hominum They labour hard to take not men but mens Peters Successours called Simons Successours not doubted haue so fished this many a hundred yeere not with the Draw-net of the Gospell but with the Purse-net of Auarice There are too many such Sâ—luer-fishers that angle onely for the tributarie Fish too many of those Phisitians that set vp their bills and offer their seruice and cure not vvhere the people are sickest but vvhere they are most liberall Some will not practise except they haue three or foure Parishes vnder their Cure at once these are Phisitians not for Church but Steeples Some are vvandering Empirickes that vvhen they come to minister spend all the time in a cracking ostentation of their Cures or demonstration of their skill in Pictures and Tables neuer approuing it to their credulous Patients These are bragging Phisitians Some minister onely opium to their people and so lull them in their sicke securitie these are dull Phisitians Some minister Medicines not to ease their stomachs of the burden of their sinnes but to put lightnesse into their braines scaâ—ing Religion out of the wits these are Schismaticall Phisitians Some minister Antichristian poysons to breede the plague of Idolatrie among the people these are Seminarie Phisitians Others of this Sect liuing from vs by a Sea-diuision yet send ouer venomous prescripts binding Princes Subiects to Treasons and Homicides these are deuillish Phisitians Some will sell their knowledge for a meales meate these are Table Phisitians Some minister in this place in that place in euery place in no place these are vbiquitary Phisitians Some minister nothing but what they gleane from others prescripts wanting skill to apply it these are like Phisitians but are none Some ring the Changes of opinions and runne a serpentine course abiuring now what yesterday they embraced and warranted winding from errour to errour as Dolphins in the water turning like Fanes on the house-top with euery new blast of Doctrine Reedes shaken with euery Gust contrarie to that testimonie of Iohn Baptist these are gadding madding Phisitians Some will minister nothing but what comes next into their heads and hands these are Enthusiasticall Phisitians Some againe I will not say many practise onely for commoditie and to purge others wealth into their owne Purses these are mercenarie Phisitians Auarice saith a graue Diuine is a sinne in any man Heresie in a Clergie-man The Papists haue an Order that professe wilfull pouertie but some of them professe it so long till they sweepe all the riches of the Land into their owne Lappes The Purse is still the White they leuell at as I haue read them described the Capuchines shooting from the Purse the Franciscanes ayming wide of it the Iesuites hitting it patte in the midst So with long or at least tedious Prayers as the Pharises they pray vpon the poore and deuoure their houses Spirituall Phisitians should abhorre such couetous desires Sunt qui scire volunt vt scientiam suam vendant â—t turpis quaestus est They that get knowledge to sell it make a wretched gaine Non vitae docent sed crumenae Seneca affirmes that the Common-wealth hath no worse men quam qui Philosophiâ—m vâ—l vt â—liquod artificium vaenale didicerunt Miserable men that looke to their owne good more then the Churches seruing God in their parts themselues in their hearts working like those builders about the Arke rather for present gaine then future safetie But as they desire rather nostra quam nos so they preserue rather sua quà m se winning like Demas the world and loosing like Iudâ—s their soules I haue read in the Fable of a Widdow that being thicke-sighted sent to a certaine Phisitian to cure her he promiseth it to her and shee to him a summe of money for satisfaction The Phisitian comes and applies Medicines which being bound ouer her eyes still as he departs he carries away with him some of her best goods so continuing her paines and his labour till hee had robbed the house of her best substance At last he demanded of her being now cured his couenanted pay Shee looking about her house and missing her goods told him that hee had not cured her for whereas beâ—ore shee could see some furniture in her house now shee could perceiue none shee was erst thicke-sighted but now poore-blinde You can apply it without helpe Well those spirituall Phisitians are onely good that propound to themselues no gaine but to heale the broken recouer the lost and bring home the wandring Lambs to the Sheepe-folds of peace ieoparding a ioynt to saue a sicke conscience with Moses and Paul not respecting the losse of themselues whiles they may replenish the Kingdome of Christ. These are the Phisitians It remaines that I should shew who are the Sicke for whose cause God hath prepared Balme and inspired Physitians with skill to minister it But the time runnes away so fast and you are as hasty to bee gone as it and this subiect is fitter for a whole Sermon then a conclusion and lastly I haue euermore declined your molestation by prolixitie therefore I reserue it to another opportunitie If you shall iudge this that hath beene spoken worthy your meditation laying it affectionately to your