of Israel were as the sand of the sea yet but a remnant shall be saued Phila. How doe you ballance it in the visible Church or in what comparison do you take it Let vs heare some estimate of it Some thinke one of a hundred some but one of a thousand shall be saued Theol. Indéed I haue heard some learned and godly Diuines giue such coniectures but for that matter I can say nothing to it But onely let vs obserue the comparison of the holy Ghost betwixt a remnant and the sand of the sea and it will giue some light into the matter Phila. Doth not the knowledge of this doctrine discourage men from seeking after God Theol. Nothing lesse But rather it ought to awake vs and stirre vp in vs a greater care of our saluation that we may be of the number of Christs little flocke which make an end of their saluation in feare and trembling Phila. Some make light of all these matters Others say As for the life to come that is the least matter of an hundred to be cared for As for that matter they will leaue vnto God euen as pleaseth him they will not meddle with it For they say God that made them must saue them They hope they shal do as well as others and make as good shift as their neighbours Theol. It is lamentable that men should be so carelesse and make so light of that which of all other things is most waighty and important For it shall not profit a man to win the whole world and lose his owne soule as the authour of all wisedome testifieth Asune I pray you Sir vnder correction giue me leaue to speake my minde in this point I am an ignorant man pardon me if I speake amisse For a fooles bolt is soone shot Theol. Say on Asune I doe verily thinke that God is stronger then the diuell Therefore I cannot beleeue that he will suffer the Diuell to haue moe then himselfe He will not take it at his hands Hee loueth mankind better then so Theol. You doe carnally imagine that God will wrestle and striue with the diuel about the matter As for Gods power it doth neuer crosse his will For God can doe nothing against his will and decrée because he will not Asune Yea but the Scripture saith God will haue all men saued Theol. That is not meant of euery particular man but of all sorts some Some Iewes some Gentiles some rich some poore some high some lowe c. Asune Christ died for all therefore all shall be saued Theol. Christ died for all in the sufficiency of his death but not in efficacy vnto life For onely the Elect shall bée saued by his death As it is written This is my bloud in the new Testament which is giuen for you meaning his Disciples and chosen Children And againe Christ béeing consecrated is made the author of saluation to all that obey him Asune God is mercifull and therfore I hope he will saue the greatest part for his mercy sake Theol. The greatest part shall perish but all that shal be saued shal be saued by his mercy As it is written He will haue mercy on whom he will haue mercy And whom he will he hardneth And againe It is not in him that willeth or in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy Therefore though God be infinite in mercy and Christ infinite in merit yet none shall haue mercy but onely the vessels of mercy Antile Can you tell who shall be saued and who shall be damned Do you know Gods secrets When were you in Heauen When spake you with God I am of the mind that all men shall be saued For Gods mercy is aboue all his works Say you what you will and what you can God did not make vs to condemne vs. Theol. You are very peremptory indéed you are more bold then wise for Christ saith few shall be saued you say all shall be saued Whether then shall we beléeue Christ or you Antil If there should come two soules one from heauen and another from hell and bring vs certaine newes how the case stood then I would beleeue it indeed Theol. Put case two soules of the dead should come the one from heauen the other from hell I can tell you afore-hand certainly what they would say and what newes they would bring Antil What I pray you Theol. They would say there be few in heauen and many in hell heauen is empty and hell is full Antil How know you that How know you they would say so Theol. I am sure if they speake the truth they must néeds say so Antil Must they needs Why I pray you must they needs Theol. Because the word of God saith so Because Moyses and the Prophets say so If you wil not beléeue Moyses and the Prophets neither will you beléeue though one though two though an hundred should rise from the dead Antile Yes but I would Theol. I pray you let me aske you a question Whether doe you thinke that God and his word or the soules of dead men are more to be credited Antile If I were sure that God said so then I would beleeue it Theo. If his word say so doth not he say so Is not he and his word all one Antile Yet for all that if I might heare God himselfe speake it it would moue me much Theol. You shew your selfe to be a notable Infidell You wil not beleeue Gods word without signes and miracles and wonders from the dead Antile You speake as though you knew certainely that hell is full You doe but speake at randome you cannot tell you were neuer there to see But for mine owne part I beleeue there is no hell at all but onely the hell of a mans conscience Theol. Now you shew your selfe in kinde what you are You say you beléeue no hell at all And I think if you were wel examined you beléeue no heauen at all neither God nor diuell Antile Yes I beleeue there is an Heauen because I see it with mine eies Theol. You will beléeue no more belike then you sée but blessed is he that beléeueth and séeth not You are one of the rankest Atheists that euer I talked withall Antile You ought not to iudge you know not mens hearts Theol. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh You haue sufficiently bewraied your heart by your words For the tongue is the key of the minde As for iudging I iudge you onely by your fruits which is lawfull For wée may iustly say It is a bad trée which bringeth foorth bad fruit and he that doth wickedly is a wicked man But it is you and such as you are that wil take vpon you to iudge mens hearts For though a mans outward actions be religious and honest yet you will condemne him And if a man giue himselfe to the word and praier reformeth his family and abstaineth from
THE PLAINE MANS Path-way to Heauen Wherein euery man may cleerely see whether he shall be saued or damned Set forth Dialogue-wise for the better vnderstanding of the simple By ARTHVR DENT Preacher of the word of God at South-Shoobery in Essex The ninth Impression Corrected and amended with a Table of all the principall matters and three Prayers necessarie to be vsed in priuate families hereunto added ZEPH. 3. 5. Euery morning the Lord bringeth his iudgement to light he faileth not but the wicked will not learne to be ashamed LONDON Printed for EDVV. BISHOP and are to be solde in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Brasen Serpent 1607. THE CONTENTS of this Dialogue FIrst it sheweth mans misery in nature with the meanes of recouery Secondly it sharply inueigheth against the iniquity of the time and common corruption of the world Thirdly it sheweth the markes of the children of God and of the Reprobates with the apparant signes of saluation and damnation Fourthly it declareth how hard a thing it is to enter into life and how few shall enter Fiftly it laieth open the ignorance of the world with the obiections of the same Last of all it publisheth and proclaimeth the sweet promises of the Gospel with the abundant mercies of God to all that repent beleeue and truly turne vnto him To the right Worshipfull Sir IVLIVS CAESAR Knight one of the Masters of the Requests to the Kings Maiestie Iudge of the high Court of Admiraltie and Master of S. Catherines A. D. wisheth all good things in Christ Iesus HAuing finished Right worshipfull and made ready for the Presse this little Dialogue I bethought me sith the common maner of all that write any bookes in this age is to dedicát the same to one or to other of great place to whom I might dedicate these my poore labours At last I did resolue with my selfe none to be more fit then your worship both in regard of some affinity in the flesh as also because of those manifold good parts wherewith the Almighty hath endued you Hauing therefore none other thing to present your worship withall in token of a thankfull heart for your curtesies shewed towards me behold I doe heere send vnto you this third fruite of my labours now published Most humbly beseeching you to take it in good worth not weighing the value of the thing which is of no value but the simple and good minde and meaning of the giuer This worke doth sharply reproue and euict the world of sinne and therefore is like to find many deadly enemies which with cruell hatred will most eagerly pursue it vnto death Zoilus also and his fellowes I know will bitterly carpe at it Therefore it flieth vnto your Worship for protection and humbly desireth to take Sanctuary vnder your wings Wherefore I humbly intreat you to take vpon you the patronage and defence of it that by your meanes it may be deliuered both from the calumnious obloquies of euill disposed persons and also from the worlds malignity so as it may take no iniury And concerning this little volume the summe of the matter of it you shall finde in the Epistle to the Reader As concerning the manner heere is no great matter in learning wit arte eloquence or ingenious inuention for I haue heerein specially respected the ignorant and vulgar sort whose edification I doe chiefely aime at yet somewhat there is which may concern the learned giue them some contentment Whatsoeuer it be I leaue it with your Worship beseeching you to giue it entertainement And so I doe most humbly take my leaue commending both your selfe your good wife and your whole family to the mercifull protection of the euerliuing God From South-Shoobery in Essex April 10. Anno Dom. 1601. Your Worships to command in the Lord ARTHVR DENT THE EPISTLE TO the Reader GEntle Reader seeing my little Sermon of Repentance some few yeeres since published hath beene so well accepted of I haue for thy further good published this Dialogue being the third fruit of my labour wishing to it the like successe that God thereby may haue the glory and thou who art the Reader comfort I haue in one part of this Dialogue produced some of the ancient writers and some of the wise Heathen also to testifie vpon their oath in their owne language and to beare witnesse of the vglinesse of some vices which we in this age make light of which I wish may not be offensiue to any In other parts of this worke I do in a manner relinquish them But in this case I haue in my weake iudgement thought them to be of some good vse to shew forth thus much that if we doe not in time repent forsake our sinnes seeke after God both the auncient Christian fathers whose eies saw not that we see nor their eares heard that we heare yea the very Heathen also shall rise vp in iudgement against vs. Let none therefore stumble at it But if any doe let them remember I am in a Dialogue not in a Sermon I write to all of all sorts I speake not to some few of one sort But that which is done herein is not much more then that of the Apostle As some of your own Poets haue said Act. 17. which is warrantable One thing deare Christian I pray thee let me beg of thee to wit that thou wouldest not reade two or three leaues of this Booke and so cast it from thee but that thou wouldest reade it throughout euen to the end For I do assure thee if there be any thing in it worth the reading it is bestowed in the latter part thereof and most of all towards the conclusion Be not discouraged therefore at the harshnesse of the beginning but looke for smoother matter in the middest and most smooth in the perclose and wind-vp of all For this Dialogue hath in it not the nature of a Tragedy which is begunne with ioy and ended with sorrow but of a Comedie which is begun with sorrow and ended with ioy This booke medleth not at all with any controuerfies in the Church or any thing in the state Ecclesiasticall but onely entreth into a controuersie with Sathan and sinne It is contriued into six principall heads First it sheweth mans misery in nature with the meanes of recouery Secondly it sharpely inueigheth against the iniquity of the time and common corruptions of the world Thirdly it sheweth the markes of the children of God and of the Reprobates together with the apparant signes of saluation and damnation Fourthly it declareth how hard a thing it is to enter into life and how few shall enter Fiftly it laieth open the ignorance of the world with the obiections of the same Last of all it publisheth and proclaimeth the sweet promises of the Gospell with the abundant mercy of God to all that repent beleeue and truely turne vnto him The Authour of all blessing giue a blessing vnto it The God of peace which brought againe
from the dead our Lord Iesus the great sheepeheard of the sheepe through the blood of the euerlasting couenant make vs perfect in all good workes sanctifie vs throughout amend all our imperfections and keepe vs blamelesse vntill the day of his most glorious appearing Amen Thine in the Lord A. D. The plaine mans path-way to Heauen Interlocutors Theologus a Diuine Philagathus an honest man Asunetus an ignorant man Antilegon a cauiller Philagathus WEll met good Master Theologus Theol. What mine old friend Philagathus I am glad to see you in good health Phila. Are you walking Sir heere all alone in this pleasant meadow Theol. Yea for I take some pleasure at this time of the yeere to walke abroad in the fieldes for my recreation both to take the fresh aire and to heare the swéet singing of birds Phila. Indeed Sir it is very comfortable especially now in this pleasant moneth of May and thanks be to God hitherto we haue had a very forward spring and as kindly a season as came this seuen yeeres Theo. God doth abound towards vs in mercies oh that we could abound towards him in thanksgiuing Phil. I pray you sir what a clocke hold you it Theol. I take it to be a little past one for I came but euen now from dinner Phila. But behold yonder commeth two men towards vs What be they I pray you Theolog. They be a couple of neighbours of the next Parish the one of them is called Asunetus who in very déed is a very ignorant man in Gods matters and the other is called Antilegon a notable Atheist and cauiller against all goodnesse Phila. If they be such it were good for vs to take some occasion to speake of matters of religion it may be we shall doe them some good Theol. You haue made a good motion I like it well If therefore you will minister some matter and mooue some questions I will bée readie to answer in the best sort I can Phi. But stay sir lo heere they come vpon vs. Theol. Welcome neighbours welcome How do you Asunetus and you Antilegon Asune Well God be thanked and we are glad to see your mastership in good health Theol. What make both of you héere at this time of the day There is some occasion I am sure draweth you this way Asune Indeed sir we haue some little busines for we came to talke with one of your parish about a Cow we should buy of him Theol. Hath my neighbour a Cow to sell Antilegon We are told he hath a very good one to sell but I am afrayd at this time of the yeare we shall finde deare ware of her Theol. How deare What doe you thinke a very good Cow may be worth Antile A good Cow indeed at this time of the yere is worth very nere foure pound which is a great price Theol. It is a very great price indéed Phila. I pray you M. Theologus leaue off this talking of kine and worldly matters and let vs enter into some speech of matters of religion whereby we may doe good and take good one of another Theol. You say well but it may be these mens businesse requireth haste so as they can not stay Asune No sir we are in no great haste we can stay two or three houres for the dayes are long if we dispatch our businesse by night it will serue our turne well enough Theol. Then if it will please you to walke to yonder Oke trée there is a goodly Arbour and handsome seats where wée may all sit in the shadow and conferre of heauenly matters Asune With a good will Sir Phila. Come then let vs goe Asune This is a goodly Arbour indeed and heere be handsome seats Theol. Sit you all downe I pray you Now friend Philagathus if you haue any questions to moue of matters of Religion we are all readie to heare you Phila. It may be these men are somewhat ignorant of the very principles of Religion and therefore I thinke it not amisse to begin there and so to make way for further metters Theol. I pray you do so then Phila. First then I demand of you in what state all men are borne by nature Theol. In the state of condemnation as appeareth Ephe. 2. 3. We are by nature the children of wrath as well as others And againe it is written Behold I was borne in iniquitie and in sin hath my mother conceiued me Phila. Is it euery mans case Are not Dukes and Nobles Lords and Ladies and the great Potentates of the earth exempted from it Theol. No surely it is the common case of all both high and low rich and poore as it is written What is man that hee should bee cleane and he that is borne of a woman that he should be iust Philaga From whence commeth it that all men are borne in so wofull a case Theol. From the fall of Adam who thereby hath not onely wrapt himselfe but all his posterity in extreame and vnspeakeable misery as the Apostle saith By one mans disobedience many were made sinners and by the offence of one the fault came on all men to condemnation Phi. What reason is there that we all should thus be punished for an other mans offence Theol. Because we were then all in him and are now all of him that is we are so descended out of his loynes that of him we haue not only receiued our naturall and corrupt bodies but also by propagation haue inherited his foule corruptions as it were by hereditary right Phila. But forasmuch as some haue dreamed that Adam by his fall hurt himselfe only and not his posterity and that we haue his corruption deriued vnto vs by imitation and not by propagation therefore I pray you shew this more plainely Theol. Euen as great personages by committing of treason doe not onely hurt themselues but also staine their blood and disgrace their posteritie for the children of such Nobles are disinherited whose blood is attainted till they be restored againe by act of Parliament Euen so our blood being attainted by Adams transgression we can inherit nothing of right till wee be restored by Christ Philaga Doeth this hereditarie infection and contagion ouer-spread our whole nature Theol. Yes truely it is vniuersall extending it selfe thorowout the whole man both soule and body both reason vnderstanding will and affections for the Scriptures auouch that wée are dead in sinnes and trespasses Phila. How vnderstand you that Theol. Not of the deadnesse of the bodie or the naturall faculties of the soule but of the spirituall faculties Phila. Did Adam then lose his nature and destroy it by his fall or is our nature taken away by his fall Theol. Not so Our nature was corrupted thereby but not destroyed for still there remaineth in our nature reason vnderstanding will and affections and we are not as a block or a stocke but by Adams disobedience wee are blemished maimed and spoyled of all abilitie to vnderstand
like grosse sinnes they trust in God they shall be saued Theol. They erre not knowing the scriptures For many thousands are in great danger of losing their soules for euer which are frée from such notorious and horrible vices may many which in the world are counted good honest men good true dealers good neighbors and good Townes-men Asune I pray you Sir giue me leaue a little I haue heard all your speech hitherto and I like reasonably well of it but now I can forbeare no longer my conscience vrgeth me to speake For me thinkes you goe too far you goe beyond your learning in this that you condemne good neighbours and good townesmen You say many such men are in danger of losing their soules but I will neuer beleeue it while I liue For if such men be not saued I cannot tell who shall Theol. But you must learne to know out of the Scriptures that all outward honesty and righteousnes without the true knowledge and inward féeling of God auaileth not to eternall life As our Sauiour Christ saith Except your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees ye cannot enter into the Kingdome of heauen It is also written that when Paul preacht at Berea many honest men and honest women did beléeue that is such as were outwardly honest or honest to the world only for they could not be truly and inwardly honest before they did beléeue Therefore you sée that this outward honesty ciuility without the inward regeneration of the spirit auaileth not to eternall life and then consequently all your honest worldly men are in great danger of losing their soules for euer Asune What sound reason can you yeeld why such honest men should be condemned Theol. Because many such are vtterly void of all true knowledge of God and of his word Nay which is more many of them despise the word of God and hate all the zealous professors of it They estéeme preachers but as pratlers and Sermons as good tales they estéeme a Preacher no more than a shoomaker they regard the Scriptures no more then their old shooes What hope is there then I pray you that such men should be saued Doth not the holy Ghost say How shall wee escape if wee neglect so great saluation Asune You goe too farre you iudge too hardly of them Theol. Not a whit For all experience sheweth that they minde dreame and dote of nothing else day and night but this world this world lands and leases grounds and liuings kine and shéepe and how to way rich All their thoughts words and works are of these and such like things All their actions doe most manifestly declare that they are of the earth and speake of the earth and that there is nothing in thē but earth earth As for sermons they care not how few they heare And for the scriptures they regard them not they read them not they estéeme them not worth the while there is nothing more irkesome vnto them they had rather pill strawes or do any thing then heare read or conferre of the Scriptures And as the Prophet saith The word of the Lord is as a reproch vnto them that haue no delight in it Phila. I maruell much that such men should liue so honestly to the world-ward Theol. No maruell at all for many bad men whose hearts are worm-eaten within yet for some outward and carnall respects doe abstaine from the grosse act of sinne as some for credit some for shame some for feare of Law some for feare of punishment but none for loue of God for zeale or conscience of obedience For it is a sure thing that the wicked may haue that spirit which doth represse but not that which doth renew Phil. It seemeth then by your speeches that some which are not regenerate do in some things excell the children of God Theol. Most certaine it is that some of them in outward gifts and the outward cariage of themselues doe goe beyond some of the elect Phil. Shew me I pray you in what giftes Theol. In learning discretion iustice temperance prudence patience liberalitie affabilitie kindnesse curtesie good nature such like Phila. Me thinketh it should not be possible Theol. Yes truely For some of Gods deare children in whom no doubt the inward worke is truly and soundly wrought yet are so troubled encombred with a crabbed and crooked nature and so clogged with some master sin as some with anger some with pride some with couetousnesse some with lusts some one way and some another all which breaking out in them doe so blemish them and their profession that they cannot so shine forth vnto men as otherwise no doubt they would and this is their wound their griefe and their hart-smart and that which costeth them many a téere and many a praier and yet can they not get the full victorie ouer them but still they are left in them as the pricke in the flesh to humble them Phila. Yet loue should couer a multitude of such infirmities in Gods children Theol. It should doe so indeed but there is great want of loue euen in the best and the worser sort espying these infirmities in the godlie run vpon them with open mouth and take vpon them to condemne them vtterly and to iudge their hearts saying they be hypocrites dissemblers and there is none worse then they Phila. But doe you not thinke that there be some counterfeits euen amongst the greatest professors Theol. Yes no doubt there be and alwaies haue béen some very hypocrites in the Church but we must take héed of iudging and condemning all for some For it were very much to condemne Christ and his eleuen Disciples because of one Iudas or the whole Primitiue Church for Ananias and Sapphira Phila. But I hope you are of this minde that some regenerate men euen in outward gifts and their outward cariage are comparable with any others Theol. Questionlesse very many For they being guided by Gods spirit and vpheld by his grace do walke very vprightly and vnblameably towards men Phil. Yet there resteth one scruple for it seemeth verie strange vnto me that men of so discreet cariage as you speake of and of so many good parts should not be saued It is great pitie such men should be damned Theol. It séemeth so vnto vs indéed but God is onely wise and you must note that as there be some infirmities in Gods children which he correcteth with temporall chastisements and yet rewardeth their faith loue and inward seruice and obedience with eternall life so there be some good things in the wicked and them that are without Christ which God rewardeth with temporall blessings and yet punisheth them eternally for their vnbeléefe and hardnesse of heart Phila. Now you haue reasonably well satisfied me touching the doctrine of regeneration and the manifold errours and deceits that are in it and of it I pray you let vs now proceed and first of all tell me by
cause why men should be so giuen to this world For they must leaue it when they haue done all that they can As we say To day a man to morrow none And as the Apostle saith We brought nothing into this world and it is certaine we shall carry nothing out We must all die we know not how soone why therfore should men set their hearts vpon such vncertaine and deceiuable thinges for all things in this world are more light then a feather more brittle then glasse more fléeting then a shadow more vanishing then smoke more vnconstant then the winde Doubtlesse saith the Prophet Dauid Man walketh in a shadow and disquieteth himselfe in vaine he heapeth vp riches and cannot tell who shall gather them Psalm 39. 6. I wonder therefore that these Moules and Muck-wormes of this earth should so minde these shadowish things and so dote on them as they doe If they were not altogether hardned and blinded by the diuell they would not be so néerely knit to the clod and the peny as they are thinking and alwaies imagining that there is no happinesse but in these things which are but dung and drosse and at last they will giue vs the slip when we thinke our selues most sure of them The wise king who had the greatest experience of these things that euer man had for hée enioyed whatsoeuer this world could affoord vpward and downeward backward and forward yet could find nothing in them but vanity and vexation of spirit Moreouer he flatly auoucheth that all these things riches wealth honour pleasures and treasures will most notably deceiue vs in the end giue vs the slip and be gone For he compareth riches and all the glorie of this world to an Eagle or Hawke which a man holdeth vpon his fist stroketh her maketh of her taketh great delight and pleasure in her and saith he wil not take ten pounds for her yet al on the sudden she taketh her flight and flieth vp into the ayre and he neuer séeth her more nor shée him The wordes of the holy Ghost are these Wilt thou cause thine eyes to flie after them meaning riches Thou mayst but they will not be found For they will make themselues wings like to the Eagle which flieth vp to Heauen From thence wée may learne that though wée set our hearts neuer so much on any thing here below yet at the last it shall be taken from vs or we from it Therefore all worldly men doe but weaue the Spiders webbe and may fitly be compared to the silly Spider who toileth her selfe and laboureth all the weeke long to finish vp her webbe that she may lodge her selfe in it as in her owne house and frée hold But alas at the weeks end a Maid in a moment with one brush of a broome dispessesseth her of her in heritance which she had purchased with great labour and much adoe Euen so when the men of this world haue with much care and trauell purchased great lands and reuenewes and gathered all that they can yet on the sudden death with one stroke of his direfull dart will make them giue vp the ghost and then where are they It was pretily therefore said of a man in the light of nature No man hath euer liued so happily in this life but in his life-time many things haue befallen him for the which he hath wished rather to die then to liue And assuredly I thinke there was neuer any man liued any one day vpon the fare of this earth but some griefe or other either did or iustly might inuade his minde ere night either in the temptations of the world the flesh or the diuell or in regard of soule body goods or name in regard of wife children friends or neighbours in regard of dangers to Prince Estate church or Common wealth in regard of casualties and losses by water by fire by Sea or by land What a life therefore is this that hath not one good day in it Who would desire to dwell long in it For it lieth open euery day to manifold miseries dangers losses casualties reproaches shame infamie pouerty sicknesse diseases collickes agues tooth-ache head-ache backe-ache bone-ache and a thousand calamities Phila. You haue very well described vnto vs the vanitie of this life and that no day is free from one sorrow or other one griefe or other Which thing our Lord Iesus ratifieth in the reason which he bringeth why men should not distrustfully care for to morow For saith he Sufficient vnto the day is the euill thereof Or as some reade it The day hath enough with his owne griefe Where in hee doth plainely shew that euery day hath his sorrow his euill his griefe and his thwart But I pray you proceed further in this point Theol. This I say further that when men haue swinked and sweat carked cared moiled and turmoiled drudged droiled by night by day by sea and by land with much care and sorrow much labour and griefe to rake together the things of this life yet at last all will away again and we must end where we began For as Iob said Naked wee came into the world and naked we must goe out Iob 1. For euen as a wind-mill beateth it selfe maketh a great noise whisleth and whisketh about from day to day all the yéere long yet at the yéeres end standeth still where it begun being not mooued one foot backward or forward so when men haue blustered and blowen all that they can haue euen run themselues out of breath to scrape vp the commodities of the earth yet at last they must spite of their beards end where they began end with nothing as they began with nothing end with a winding shéet as they began with swadling clouts For what is become of the greatest Monarchs Kings Princes Potentates and Magnificoes that euer the world had Where is Cyrus Darius Xerxes Alexander Caesar Pompey Scipio and Hanniball Where are the valiant Henries and noble Edwards of England Are they not all gone downe to the house of obliuion Are they not all returned to their dust and all their thoughts perish Though they were as Gods yet haue they died as a man are fallen like others Who now careth for them who talketh of them who feareth them who regardeth them do not beggars tread vpon them Yet while they liued they were the Lords of the world they were as terrible as Lions fearefull to all men full of pompe and glorie dignitie and maiestie They plowed vp all things they bare all before them and who but they But now they haue giuen vp the ghost and are as Iob saith gone downe to the house appointed for all the liuing Their pompe is descended with them and all their glorie is buried in the ashes They are now couered vnder a cled cast out into a vault made companions to toades and the wormes do eat them and what is become of their soules is most of all to
wealth long heauinesse short ioy Phila. Now you haue indeed described it to the full and laide it out as it were in orient colours And a man would thinke he were bewitched or starke mad which heereafter should set his minde on it But yet I am desirous to heare a little more of that which I asked you before where in the strength and poyson of the world doth specially consist Theol. In this lieth a great strength of the world that it draweth downe the stars of heauen and maketh them fall to the earth as it is said of the Dragons taile Apoc 12. which is ambition conetousnes the loue of this world For we may wonder and lament to sée how the loue of these things hath wounded ouerborne many excellent seruants of God both Preachers and professors of the Gospell which thing doth plainly argue the strength of it For it is the strongest the very last engine that sathan vseth to impugne vs withall when none other will preaaile For when no temptation could fasten vpon Christ he bringeth foorth this last weapoÌ„ which neuer faileth All these things will I giue thee shewing him the glory of the whole world So then he hauing experience of this that it neuer faileth thought to haue ouercome Christ himselfe with it Héere therefore lieth the very sting and strength of the world the diuel For whom hath he not takeÌ„ with All these things will I giue thee whom hath he not wounded whom hath he not deceiued whom hath he not ouerthrowen with this he enticed Baalam with this hée beguiled Achan with this he ouerthrew Iudas with this he be witched Demas with this in these our daies he deceiued many of excellent gifts For assuredly he is a Phoenix amongst men which is not ouercome with this He is a wonderment in the world that is not moued with mony Phila. I am now fully satisfied for this matter But one thing commeth often into my minde to wit that these miserable worldlings can haue no sound comfort in their pleasures and profits because they haue no comfort in God nor peace in their owne consciences Theol. You say very true It is vnpossible that men louing this world should haue anie sound comfort in God For no man can serue two masters both God and riches Their case therefore is very dangerous fearefull though they neuer sée it nor féele it as I will shew you by a plaine example Put case one of these great rich worldlings should be clothed in veluet cloth of gold in most stately manner and also should be set at his table furnished with al the dainties of the world should be attended and waited vpon by many in most Lordly and pompous manner should sit in his goodly dining-chamber all glittering like golde should haue his first second third seruice serued in with minstrels and instruments of musicke in most royall sort he sitteth in his chaire like a King in his throne yet for all this if a dagger should be held to his heart all this while ready to stab him what pleasure what ioy what comfort can he haue in all the rest Euen so whatsoeuer pompe or pleasures wicked worldlings haue héere below yet their guilty hellish conscience is as it were a dagger held alwayes hard to their hart so as they can haue no sound coÌ„fort in any thing Or let me giue it you thus Put case a man hath committed high treason and were therfore apprehended arraigned and condemned to be hanged drawen and quartered what then can comfort him in such a case can mirth can musicke can gold can siluer can lands can liuings No no none of all these can help him or giue him any comfort For the continuall thoughts of death do so gripe him at the heart that none of all these can do him any good or any whit mitigate his griefe What then is the thing that may comfort him in this case Only a pardon sealed with the Kings broad seale and subscribed with his owne hand For as soone as he hath got this his heauy heart reuiueth and leapes for ioy This then assuredly is the very cause of all prophane Atheists and worldlings who are not asiured of the King of heauen his pardon for their sinne and then what ioy can they haue either in their meat drinke goods cattell wiues children lands reuenewes or any thing whatsoeuer For the dreadful thoughts of hel do eftsoones crosse them inwardly quite dampe dash all their mirth Their owne consciences will not be stilled but in most terrible manner rise vp giue euidence against them telling them flatly they shall be damned how merry and iocund soeuer they séeme to be in this world setting a good face on the matter For sure it is that inwardly they haue many a cold pull and many heart gripes And all their mirth and iollity is but a gigling from the téeth outward they can haue no sound comfort within And therefore the wise King saith Euen in laughter the heart is sorrowfull and the end of that mirth is heauinesse Likewise saith the holy man Iob Terrors of conscience come vpon the wicked man like waters in the night a whirle-winde carrieth him away secretly Eliphas the Temanite auouched the same point saying The wicked man is continually as one that trauaileth of child a sound of feare is in his eares c. Thus then wée sée that howsoeuer many carnall Atheists and vngodly persons séem outwardly to float aloft in all mirth and iollity bearing it out as wâ—e say at the breast yet inwardly they are piâ—ched with terrors and most horrible conuultions of conscience Antile You haue spoken many things very sharpely against couetousnesse but in my mind so long as a man couets nothing but his owne he cannot be said to be couetous Theol. Yes that he may For not only is he couetous which gréedily desireth other mens goods but euen he also which ouer niggardly and pinchingly holdeth fast his owne is such a miser that he will part with nothing We sée the world is full of such pinch-pennies that wil let nothing goe except it be wrung from them perforce as a key out of Hercules hand These gripple muck-rakers had as léeue part with their blood as their goods They wil pinch their owne backs bellies to get their god into their chests And when they haue once got him in there will they easily part with him trow yée No no a man will not part with his god for no mans pleasure He will eat peasebread and drinke small drinke rather then he will diminish his god Therefore the scripture saith Eate not the meat of him that hath an euill eye and desire not his dainty dishes For as hee grudgeth his owne soule so he will say vnto thee Eat and drinke when his heart is not with thee Thou shalt vomit thy morsels which thou hast eaten and lose thy pleasant speeches The
him we care not for him so long as all goeth well with vs. But if we come into distresse or want any thing that we would faine haue then he is sure to heare of vs. As he saith by the Prophet In their affliction they will seeke me early And another Prophet saith Lord in trouble haue they visited thee They powred out a praier when thy chastisement was vpon them So then now I hope you do plainely sée the cause why the Lord bringeth his children into so many troubles and necessities Phila. I doe see it indeed and I am very well satisfied in it But yet let me aske you one thing further Are Gods children alwaies sure to be deliuered out of their troubles Theol. Yes verily and out of doubt so far foorth as God séeth it good for them For it is written Great are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuereth them out of all S. Peter saith The Lord knoweth how to deliuer the godly out of temptation As if hée should say He is beaten in it and well séene and experienced in it so as he can doe it easilie and without any trouble at all It is said of Ioseph being in prison that when his appointed time was come and the counsell of the Lord had tried him the King sent and loosed him the Ruler of the people deliuered him And againe the Scripture saith The righteous cry and the Lord heareth them and deliuereth them out of all their troubles The Angell of the Lord tarrieth round about them that feare him and deliuereth them And in another place the Lord himselfe saith concerning the righteous man Because hee hath loued mee therefore I will deliuer him I will exalt him because he hath knowen my name Hee shall call vpon mee in trouble and I will heare him I will bee with him in trouble I will deliuer him and glorifie him So also saith Eliphas the Temanite He shall deliuer thee in six troubles and in the seuenth the euill shall not touch thee Come my people saith the Lord enter thou into thy Chambers and shut thy doores after thee hide thy selfe for a very little while vntill the indignation passeouer And the Prophet saith Vpon Mount Zion shall be deliuerance and it shall be holy and the house of Iacob shall possesse their hereditary possessions Almost innumerable places of the Scriptures might be alledged to this purpose but these may suffice Therefore let vs know for a certainety that so sure as trouble and affliction are to the Children of God so sure also is deliuerance out of the same As we may write of the one and make reckoning of it as sure as the coat of our backe so may we also in Gods good time write of the other and make full account of it as sure as the Lord is true Abraham was in trouble but deliuered Iob in trouble but deliuered Dauid in great troubles but deliuered The thrée Children in the Furnace but deliuered Daniel in the Lions den but deliuered Ionas in the Whales belly but deliuered Paul in innumerable troubles but yet deliuered out of all Phila. All this being true that you say it followeth that Gods children are chastised only for their good and euermore sure of deliuerance in his appointed time Which thing being so me thinketh there is no cause at all why they should be ouer heauie or too much cast downe in their afflictions Theol. Assuredly there is no cause at all but rather cause why they should reioyce clap their hands and sing care away For can a father forsake his children a sing his subiects a Maister his seruant or a Shéepe heard his shéepe Doth not Iehouah say I will nor leaue thee nor forsake thee Doth not our heauenly Father know wée haue néede of these things Hath not God geuen vs his word that wée shall not want outward things Hath hée not said They shall be cast vpon vs Why then should wee be dismaied Why should wée hang downe our heades Why doe wée not plucke vp our hearts and be of good cheare God is our deare Father he is our best friend hée is our daily Benefactor hée kéepeth vs at his owne costs and charges hée grudgeth vs nothing hée thinketh nothing too much for vs. He loueth vs most dearely he is most chary and tender ouer vs hée cannot endure the winde should blow vpon vs he will haue vs want nothing that is good for vs. If we will eate gold wée shall haue it He hath giuen vs his faithfull promise that as long as wée liue wée shall neuer want Let vs therefore reioice and be merry For Heauen is ours earth is ours God is ours Christ is ours all is ours As the Apostle saith All is yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods The world clap their hands and crow long before it bée day saying all is theirs but the children of God may say and say truely All is ours For they haue a true title proper interest through Christ in all the creatures Many are their priuiledges great are their prerogatiues They are frée of heauen and frée of earth They are the onely frée Denisens of the world Christ hath purchased them their fréedome Christ hath made them frée and therefore they are frée indéed They are frée from sinne frée from hell frée from damnation They are at peace with God men Angels They are at peace with themselues They are at peace with all creatures They are yong Princes Angels fellowes descended of the highest house of the bloud royall of heauen states of Paradise and heires apparent to the immortall Crowne Therefore God hath commanded his Angels to guard them being such yong Princes as they are yea he hath giuen a very straight charge to all his creatures to look to them to sée to them that they want nothing that they take us hurt so teasous so chary so tender is he of thē The angels must cōfort Iacob The whale must rescue Ionas The rauens must féed Elias The Sun and Moone must stay for Ioshua The Sea must diuide it selfe that Moses and his people may passe thorow The fire must not burne the thrée children The Lions may not deuoure Daniel All the creatures must change their nature rather then Gods children should not be holpen and deliuered Oh therefore how great is the happinesse of Gods chosen Who can expresse it who can vtter it They know not their owne happinesse it is hid from them Afflictions doe cloud it troubles doe ouershadow it crosses doe dim it and there is an interposition of the earth betwixt their sight and it But this is most certain and sure that the best is behind with the children of God all the swéet is to come Their happines doth not appeare in this world Their life is hid with Christ in God When Christ shall appeare then shall they also appeare with him in glorie It doth not
plagues wonderfull He sayeth also by his Prophet Malachie that he will be a swift witnesse against swearers The Prophet Zachary saith that the flying booke of Gods curse vengance shall enter into the house of the swearer and he shall be cut off Therefore let all swearers take héed looke to themselues in time For we sée there is a rod in pisse laid vp in store for them Phila. These threatnings being so great and greeuous and that from the God of Heauen himselfe a man would thinke should cause mens hearts to quake and tremble and make them affraid to rap out such oathes as they do if they were not altogether hardned past feeling and past grace Theol. True indéed but yet we sée by lamentable experience how men are giuen ouer both to sweare and for sweare For at this day there is no sinne more common amongst vs then swearing For many there be which cannot speake ten words but one shall bee an oath And numbers haue got such a wicked custome of swearing that they can by no meanes leaue it no more then a Black-moore can change his skinne or a Leopard his spots For it is made naturall vnto them through custome and they haue got the habit of it I doe verily thinke if it were high Treason to sweare yet some could not leaue swearing And sure I am as light as we make of it that it is high Treason against the crowne of Heauen Yea it is a sinne immediately against God euen against his owne person And therfore he hath forbidden it in the first Table of his Lawe Phila. Questionlesse this vice of swearing is of all other sinnes most rife in this Land For you shall heare little boyes and children in the streets rap out oathes in most fearfull manner It would make a mans heart quake to heare them Wee may thinke they haue sucked them out of their mothers breasts but sure wee are they haue learned them from the euill example of their parents And now adayes wee cannot almost talke with a man but in ordinarie speech he will belke out one oath or another Theol. I will tell you a strange thing and with great griefe I speake it I do verily think there are sworne in this land an hundred thousand oathes euery day in the yeare Phila. No doubt Sir you are within compasse For now almost so many men so many oathes excepting some few in comparison Nay I know diuers of mine owne experience which if they may be kept in talke will sweare euery day in the yeare an hundred oathes for their parts Theol. Oh what a lamentable thing is it We may well take vp the old complaint of the Prophet Ieremie who saith that in his time the Land did mourne because of oathes And we may wel wonder that the land sinketh not because of oathes For if God were not a God of infinite patience how could he endure his most sacred and glorious name to be so many thousand times blasphemed in one day and that by such miserable wretches as we be Phila. Wee may indeed admire and wonder at the patience and long suffering of God that hee spareth vs so long and giueth vs so large a time of repentance but sure it is that the Prophet saith That howsoeuer the Lord is slow to anger yet he is great in power and will not surely cleare the wicked Though he may winke at their monstrous oathes for a time yet he forgetteth them neuer a whit but scoreth them vp and registreth them in his booke of accounts so as they stand in record against them And when the great day of reckoning shall come he will set them all in order before them and lay them to their charge Let not wicked swearers and blasphemers therefore think that they shal alwaies scape scot-free because God letteth thē alone for a while and deferreth their punishment For the longer God deferreth the more terrible will his strokes bee when they come The longer an arrow is held in the bowe the stronger will bee the shot when it commeth foorth Though God haue leaden feete and commeth slowly to execute wrath yet hath he an iron hand and will strike deadly when he commeth Though God giueth the wicked security for a time saith Iob yet his eyes are fixed vpon all their waies And in an other place he saith The wicked is reserued vnto the day of destruction and they shall be brought forth vnto the day of wrath So then the holy man Iob plainely affirmeth that the state and condition of all the rich and wealthy worldlings is as the condition of an Oxe that is fatted vp against the day of slaughter For in the same Chapter hee saith They spend their daies in wealth and suddenly goe downe to hell But now I pray you nominate the oathes which are so rife and common amongst vs. Theol. There be six oathes which are of all other most rife and common in euery mans mouth and they be these By my Faith By my Troth By our Lady By S. Mary By God As God shall iudge me For you cannot lightly talke with a man but he will flush out some of these in his ordinary spéech Asune Doe you count it so great a matter for a man to sweare by his faith or his troth Theol. Yes indéed do I. For our faith and our troth are the most pretious iewels we haue Shall we then lay them to gage for euery word we speake It sheweth we are of small credit nay very bankrupts For who but a bankrupt will lay the best iewell in his house to pledge for euery small trifle Asune I know a man that will neuer sweare but by Cocke or Pie or Mouse-foot I hope you will not say they be oathes For he is as honest a man as euer brake bread You shall not heare an oath come out of his mouth Theol. I do not thinke he is so honest a man as you make him For it is no small sinne to sweare by creatures The Lord saith by his Prophet Ieremie They haue forsaken me and sworne by them that are no Gods So then to sweare by creatures is to forsake God And I trow you will not say hée is an honest man which forsaketh God Asune I doe not beleeue that to sweare by small things is a forsaking of God Theol. You and such as you are will beléeue no more of the word of God then will stand with your fantasie But whatsoeuer you beléeue or beléeue not the word of God standeth sure and no iote of it shall euer be proued false But this I wil say vnto you because you think it so smal a matter to swear by creatures that the more base and vile the thing is which you sware by the greater is the oath because you ascribe that vnto a base creature which is onely proper to God namely to know our hearts and to be a discerner of secret things For
a mans necke which hee doth suddenly snatch away and hurleth into the fire as being ashamed that euer it should be seen or knowen Would to God therefore that we were come to such a detestation and loathing of lying that we would euen spattle at it crie fie vpon it and all that vse it Oh that we could hate it as the diuel which is the father of it as hel fire which is the reward of it Oh that we were come but so far as the heathē man who saith I hate him as the gates of hell who hath one thing in his tongue another in his heart Antil Yet for all this we find in the scriptures that euen some of the godly haue beene taken tardie in lying and yet haue not sinned in so doing as Abraham Iacob Rahab the Midwiues of Egypt And therefore why may not we doe so to Theol. I told you before that you may not make the infirmities of Gods people rules for you to liue by And further I answer that all these did offend in their liuing Some of them indéed I grant are commended for their loue to the church charitable affections to Gods people but none of them simply for lying which is a thing condemned euē of the heathen For saith one of them Lying doth corrupt the life of mā and euery wise and godly man doth hate lying Antile But may we not lie now and then for a vantage Theol. No verily neither is there any good vantage to be got that way For when you haue made vp your accounts all charges deducted all expences defraied your cleare gaines will be very small For by your wilfull and customary lying you gain inward griefe and lose true ioy you gaine short pleasure and lose perpetuall glory you gaine hell and lose heauen you make the diuell your friend and God your enemy Now then reckon your gaine Phila. I pray you let vs grow towards a conclusion of this point and shew vs briefly the chiefe causes of lying Theol. The chiefe causes of lying are these Custome Feare Couetousnesse The diuell Phila. What be the remedies Theol. The remedies be these Disuse Godly boldnesse Contentation Earnest praier Phila. You haue spoken enough of this vice to cause all such to abhorre it and forsake it as haue any droppe of grace or sparke of Gods feare in them but as for them that are filthy let them be more filthy Now I pray you speake your iudgement of the seauenth signe of condemnation which is drunkennes Theol. It is so brutish and beastly a sinne that a man would thinke it should not néed to be spoken against but that all reasonable men should euen abhorre it quake to thinke of it For it is a most swinish thing it maketh of a man a beast it taketh away the heart of a man from all goodnesse as witnesseth the Prophet Hosea saying Whoredome wine and new wine take away their heart For what heart what stomacke what appetite can whoremongers and drunkards haue to any thing that is good either to heare or read the word of God or to pray or to meditate in the same Alas they are farre from it farre from God and far from all grace and goodnesse Therefore the Prophet Ioel saith Awake yee drunkards weepe and howle yee drinkers of wine Yea the mighty God of heauen doth pronounce a woe against them saying Woe vnto them that rise vp early to follow drunkennesse and to them that continue vntill night till the wine doe enflame them Our Lord Jesus himselfe giueth vs a caueat to take héed of it Take heed saith he that your hearts be not ouercome with surfetting and drunkennesse and the cares of this life and so that day come vpon you vnawares Thus you heare how both Christ himselfe and sundry of the Prophets do thunder downe from heauen against this grosse beastlinesse which now aboundeth raigneth amongst the sons of men Phila. True indeed But yet almost nothing wil make men leaue it for it is a most rife and ouer common vice We see many that think thēselues some bodies and as we say no small fools which yet will be ouertaken with it and thereby lose all their credit and reputation with all wise men yea do proue themselues to bee but swine and bruit beasts as the holy Ghost auoucheth saying Wine is a mocker strong drink is raging Whosoeuer is deceiued therein is not wise Theol. The wise king in the same book doth most notably and fully describe vnto vs the inconueniences and mischiefes which do accompany drunkennesse and follow drunkards at the héeles To whom saith he is wo to whom is alas to whom is strife to whom is babling to whom are wounds without cause to whom is the rednesse of the eies Euen to them that tary long at the wine to them that go and seek out mixt wine In the same chapter he saith Be not of the number of them which are bibbers of wine or of them which glut themselues with flesh for the drinker the feaster shall become poore and the sleeper shall bee cloathed with rags Moreouer he saith Their eies shall behold strange women and that they shal be like him that lieth in the middest of the Sea and sleepeth in the top of the Mast In all these spéeches the holy Ghost doth in most liuely maner describe vnto vs the properties of drunkards euen their staggering their réeling their snorting their senselesse sensuality Behold then what be the cursed fruits and euents of drunkennesse Euen these which follow wo alas griefe miserie beggerie pouerty shame lusts strife babling brauling fighting quarelling surfetting sicknesse diseases swinish sléeping securitie and sensualitie So then I conclude that drunkennesse is a vice more beséeming an hogge then any reasonable man And as one saith It is the Metropolitane Citie of all the Prouince of vices Well therefore saith the Heathen writer When the wine is in a man is as a running coach without a Coach-man Phila. Let vs heare what executions haue beene done vpon drunkards in former ages that now men may learne to take heed by their examples Theol. Ammon one of Dauids vngratious children being drunke was slaine by his brother Absalon Benhadad King of Syria being drunke was discomfited by Ahab King of Israel Elah King of Israel being drunke was slaine by Zimri his seruant and captaine of his Chariots who also succéeded him in the kingdome Lot being drunke commited incest with his owne daughters and therefore was punished in his posteritie Thus we see what executions haue béene done euen vpon Kings for this kind of sinne Therefore let men learne once at last to shun vice and embrace vertue and as the Apostle saith to make an end of their saluation in feare and trembling For all our shifts and starting holes will serue vs to no purpose in the end but when wee haue fisked hither
Ale-houses Many rich Citizens especially women doe ordinarily lie in bed till nine of the clocke and then forsooth rise and make themselues ready to goe to dinner And after they haue well dined they spend the rest of the day and a good part of the night also in playing pratling babbling cackling prating and gossipping Fie of this idle life Many prophane seruing men also doe falsly suppose that they were borne onely to game riot sweare whore ruffle it and roist it out and to spend their time in meere idlenesse But of all these well said the Heathen Philosopher Illi pariter indignantur dij homines quisquis otiosus Both God and man doe hate the idle person Theol. It is a lamentable thing to sée so many men and women liue so idlely and so vnprofitably as they doe For alas there be too many which fellow no honest calling liue to no vse no body is the better for them They do no good neither to the Church or Common-wealth They are like drone bées they are vnprofitable burthens of the earth God hath no vse of them the Church no good the Common wealth no benefit their neighbours no profite the poore no reliefe They imagine they came into the world to doe nothing but eate and drinke and sléepe and rise vp to play They thinke they should spend their time in dicing and dauncing in whoredome and brauery in gluttony and belly-chéere in masting themselues like hogs of Epicurus heard in pampering their paunches and cramming their bellies in fatting themselues like Boares in a Franke till they bée well brawned and as Iob sath till their bones runne full of marrow their faces strout with fatnesse and they haue collops in their flanke Oh what a beastly life is this Fie vpon it fie vpon it It is more méete for Epicures then Christians for swine then for men for Sardanapalus and Heliogabalus and such like belli-gods then for the professors of the Gospel But of all such Iob saith enough They spend their daies in pleasure and suddenly goe downe to hell Phil. But may it not bee allowed vnto Lords and Ladies Gentlemen and gentlewomen and other great ones to liue idlely sith they haue wherewithall to maintaine it Theol. God doth allow none to liue idlely but all great and small are to be imploied one way or other either for the benefit of the Church or common wealth or for the good gouernement of their owne housholds or for the good of townes and parishes and those amongst whom they doe conuerse or for the succour and reliefe of the poore or for the furtherance of the Gospell and the maintaining of the Ministery or for one good vse or other To these ends our wits our learning our reading our skill our policy our wealth our health our wisedome and authoritie are to be referred knowing this that one day we shall come to giue an account of our Bally-wicke and to be reckoned withall for the employment of our Talents For this cause Iob saith that man is borne to trauell as the sparkes flie vpward And God hath laid this vpon Adam and al his posterity In the sweat of thy browes thou shalt eat thy bread Some doe set downe foure causes why euery man should labour diligently in his calling First to beare the yoake laid vpon all mankinde by the Lord. Secondly to get the necessaries of this life Thirdly to liue vnto the profit of humane societie Lastly to auoid euill thoughts and actions Saint Paul findeth great fault with some in the Church of Thessalonia because they walked inordinately that is idlely and out of a lawfull calling and therefore concluded that such as would not labour should not eat So then we do plainly sée that God alloweth idlenesse in none For when we are idle as hath béen shewed before we lie open to the diuell his temptations and he getteth within vs and preuaileth against vs. While Dauid taried idly at home in the beginning of the yeare when kings vsed to goe forth to the battell he was soone ouertaken with those two foule sinnes of adultery and man-slaughter So long as Sampson warred with the Philistims he could neuer be taken or ouercome but after he gaue himselfe to idlenesse and pleasure he not only committed fornication with the strumpet Dalilah but also was taken of his enemies and his eies miserably pulled out These examples doe shew what a dangerous sinne idlenesse is Therefore the holy Ghost sends vs to schoole to the little creature the Ant to learne of her both to auoid idlenesse and also to vse wisedome and prouidence in our actions Go to the Pismire O sluggard behold her wayes and be wise For shee hauing no guide task-maister nor ruler prepareth her meat in the summer and gathereth her food in haruest And in goodsooth it is wonderfull to obserue what indesinent paines and vnwearied labour this silly creature taketh in summer that shée may be well prouided for against winter Let vs therefore learne wisedome from her example and let vs set before our eyes the looking glasse of all creatures Let vs consider how the birdes flie the fishes swim the wormes créepe the heauens turne the elements mooue the sea ebbeth and floweth vncessantly yea the earth it selfe which is the most heauy and vnweldy creature of all other yet neuer ceaseth his working bringing foorth his burden in summer and labouring inwardly all the winter in concocting and digesting his nourishment for the next spring Thus we sée how all creatures are diligently and painfully exercised in their kindes And therefore it is a great shame for vs to liue idlely carelesly and dissolutely Let vs therefore learne once at last to flie slath and euery one to liue faithfully diligently and industriously in our seuerall callings So shall wée both kéepe Sathan at the staues end and also much sinne out of our soules which otherwise idlenesse wil force in vpon vs. Phila. I must needs confesse that idlenesse is a grosse vice in whomsoeuer it is found But specially in my iudgement it is most odious in Magistrates and Ministers Theol. That is so in truth For they ought to be the guides gouernours shepheards and watchmen ouer the people of God And therefore for them to neglect their duties and charges is a most horrible thing sith it concerneth the hurt of many Therefore well said the Heathen Poet A magistrate or a Minister may not be lazie and slothfull to whom the nursing of the people is giuen in charge and of whom many things are to be cared for What a lamentable thing therefore is it when Magistrates are prophane irreligious popish vicious and negligent in the duties of their calling And how much more lamentable is it when Ministers neglect their studies slack preaching and prayer and giue vp themselues some to couetousnesse some to pride some to husbandrie some to other worldly affaires and some to spend their time idlely in Lauerns
Priests were cast out by Ieroboam they came to Ierusalem and all such as set their hearts to séeke the Lord God of Israel came with them And then afterward it is said they strengthned the kingdome of Iudah and made Rehoboam the sonne of Salomon mighty By all these testimonies it is euident that princes kingdomes cities towns villages are fortified by the righteous therein and for their sakes also great plagues are kept backe Which thing one of the heathen did well sée into as appeareth by his words which are these When God meaneth well vnto a city and will doe good vnto it then hee raiseth vp good men but when hee meaneth to punish a citie or countrey and doe ill vnto it then he taketh away the good men from it Phil. It is very manifest by all that you haue alledged that the wicked fare the better euery day in the yeare for the righteous that dwell amongst them Theol. All experience doth teach it and the scriptures do plentifully auouch it For did not churlish Laban fare the better for Iacob his kinsman Doth he not acknowledge that the Lord had blessed him for his sake Did not Potiphar fare the better for godly Ioseph Doth not the Scripture say that the Lord blessed the Egyptians house for Ioseph his sake and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand Did not Obed-edom fare the better for the Arke Did not the seuenty and six soules that were in the ship with Paul spéed all the better for his sake Did not the Angell of God tell him in the night that God had giuen vnto him all that sayled with him for otherwise a thousand to one they had béene all drowned Therfore the children of God may very fitly be compared to a great péece of cork which though it be cast into the sea hauing many nailes fastned in it yet it beareth them all vp from sinking which otherwise would sinke of themselues What shall we say then or what shall we conclude but that the vngodly are more beholden to the righteous thē they are aware of Phila. I doe thinke if it were not for Gods children it would goe hard with the wicked For if they were sorted and shoaled out from amongst them and placed by themselues what could they looke for but wrath vpon wrath and plague vpon plague till the Lord had made a finall consumption of them and swept them like dung from the face of the earth Theo. Sure it is all creatures would frowne vpon them The Sunne would vnwillingly shine vpon them or the Moone giue them any light The Starres would not be seene of them and the Planets would hide themselues The beasts would deuoure them the fowles would picke out their eies The fishes would make war against them and all creatures in heauen and earth would rise vp in armes against them Yea the Lord himselfe from heauen would raine downe fire and brimstone vpon them Phila. Yet for all this it is a wonder to consider how deadly the wicked hate the righteous and almost in euery thing oppose themselues against them and that in most virulent and spitefull manner They raile and slander scoffe and scorne mocke and mowe at them as though they were not worthy to liue vpon the earth They esteeme euery pelting rascall and preferre euery vile varlet before them And though they haue their liues and liberty their breath and safety and all that they haue else by them yet for all that they could be content to eat their hearts with garlicke so great so fiery so burning and hissing hot is their fury and malice against them Theol. They may very fitly be compared to a Moth that fretteth in pieces the same cloth wherein she is bred Or to a certaine worme or canker that corrodeth and eateth thorow the heart of the trée that nourisheth her Or vnto a man that standeth vpon a bough in the top of a trée where there is no more and yet with an axe choppeth it off and therewithall falleth downe with it and breaketh his necke Euen so the fooles of this world doe what they can to chop asunder the bough that vpholds them but they may easily know what will follow Phila. I see plainly they be much their owne foes and stand in their owne light and indeed know not what they doe For the benefit which they receiue by such is exceeding great and therefore by their mangling of them they doe but hold the stirrop to their owne destruction Theol. Now to apply these things to our selues and to returne to the first question of this argument may we not maruell that our nation is so long spared considering that the sins thereof are so horrible and outragious as they be Phila. We may iustly maruell at the wonderfull patience of God And we may well thinke that there be some in the land which stand in the breach beeing in no small fauour with his highnesse sith they doe so much preuaile Theo. The mercifull preseruation of our most gratious king who is the breath of our nostrils the long continuance of our peace and of the Gospell the kéeping backe of the sword out of the land which our sinnes pull vpon vs the frustrating of many plots and subtill deuices which haue béene often intended against our state yea and the life of his Maiesties most roiall person make me to thinke that there bée some strong pleaders with God for the publike good of vs all Phila. You may well thinke so indeed For by our sinnes wee haue forfeited and daily doe forfeit into Gods hands both our King our Countrey our Peace our Gospell our liues our goods our lands our liuings our wiues our children and all that wee haue but onely the righteous which are so neere about the King and in so high fauour doe step in and earnestly entreat for vs that the forfeitures may be released and that we may haue a lease in parley of them all againe or at least a grant of further time But I pray you sir are not we to attribute something concerning our good estate to the policy of the land the lawes established and the wisedome and counsell of our prudent Gouernours Theol. Yes assuredly very much as the ordinary and outward meanes which God vseth for our safety For though the Apostle Paul had a grant frō God for the safety of his owne life al that were with him in the ship yet he said Except the mariners abide in the ship we can not be safe Shewing thereby that vnto faith and praiers the best and wisest meanes must be ioyned Wée are therefore vpon our knées euery day to giue thankes vnto God for such good meanes of our safety as he hath giuen vs. Phila. Well then as the praiers of the righteous haue beene hitherto great meanes both for the auerting and turning away of wrath and the continuance of fauour so shew I pray you what is the
cauilling and most blasphemous speeches Antile I crie you mercie sir You seeme to be one of these Scripture-men you are all of the spirit you are so full of it that it runneth out at your nostrils Phila. You doe plainely shew your selfe to be ascoffing Ismaelite Antil And you doe plainly shew your selfe to be one of these folke of God whieh know their seats in heauen Phila. I pray God be mercifull vnto you and giue you a better heart For I see you are in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquitie Antil You thinke there is none good but such as your selfe and such as can please your humour You will forsooth be all pure But by God there be a company of pure knaues of you Theo. Nay now you doe manifestly shew of of what spirit you are For you both sweare and raile with one breath Antile God forgiue me Why did he anger me then There be a company of such controllers as he in the world that no body can be quiet for them Theol. I perceiue a little thing will anger you sith you will be angry with him for speaking the truth Antil What hath he to doe with me He is more busie then needs Why doth he say I am in a bad case I will not come to him to learne my duty If I haue faults he shall not answer for them I shall answer for mine owne faults and euery fat shall stand on his owne bottome Let him meddle with that he hath to doe withall Theo. You are too impatient you take matters at the worst We ought friendly and in loue to admonish one another for we must haue a care one of anothers saluation I dare say for him that he speaketh both of loue and compassion towards you Antil I care not for such loue Let him keepe it to himselfe What doth hee thinke of mee Doth he suppose that I haue not a soule to saue as well as hee or that I haue no care of my saluation I would he should know that I haue as great care for my saluation as he though I make no such outward shewes For all is not gold that glistereth I haue as good a meaning as he though I cannot vtter it Theol. These words might well bée spared I hope you will bée pacified and amend your life and draw néerer to God héere after Antile Truly Sir you may thinke of me what you please But I assure you I haue more care that way then all the world wonders at I thanke God for it I say my praiers euery night when I am in my bed And if good praiers will do vs no good God helpe vs. I haue alwaies serued God duely and truely and had him in my minde I do as I would be done to I keepe my Church and tend my praiers while I am there And I hope I am not so bad as this fellow would make me I am sure if I be bad I am not the worst in the world there be as bad as I. If I goe to hell I shall haue fellowes and make as good shift as others Theol. You thinke you haue spoken wisely but I like not your answer For your words smell strongly both of ignorance pride and vnbeliefe For first you iustifie your selfe in your faithles and ignorant worshiping of God And secondly you iustifie your selfe by comparison with others because others are as bad as you and you are not the worst in the world Antile Now I know you speake of ill will For you neuer had any good opinion of me Theol. I would I could haue as good an opinion of you as I desire and that I might sée that wrought in you which might draw my loue and liking towards you And as for ill wil the Lord knoweth I beare you none I desire your conuersion and saluation with my whole heart And I would thinke my selfe happie if I might saue your soule with the losse of my right arme Antile I hope I may repent For the scripture saith At what time soeuer a sinner doth repent God will haue mercy on him Therefore if I may haue space and grace and time to repent before death and to aske God forgiuenesse and say my praiers and cry God mercie I hope I shall doe well enough Theol. You speake as though repentance were in your power and at your commandement and that you can put it into your owne heart when you list and that makes you and many others presume of it thrée houres before death But you must know that repentance is the rare gift of God and it is giuen but to a few For God will know him well that hée bestoweth repentance vpon sith it is proper onely to the Elect. It is no word matter It is not attained without many feruent praiers much hearing reading and meditating in the word of God It is not so easie a matter to come by as the world iudgeth It is not found but of them that seeke it diligently and begge it earnestly It is no ordinarie thrée houres matter Crie God mercie a little for fashion will not doe it Coursarie saying of a few prayers a little before death auaileth not For though true repentance be neuer too late yet late repentance is seldome true Héerein delayes are dangerous for the longer we deferre it the woorse is our case The further a naile is driuen in with an hammer the harder it is to get out againe The longer a disease is let runne the harder it is to cure The déeper a trée is rooted the harder it is to plucke vp againe The longer we deferre the time of our repentance the harder it will be to repent and therefore it is dangerous driuing it off to the last cast For an ancient Father sayth We reade but of one that repented at the last that no man should presume and yet of one that none might despaire Well then to conclude this point I would haue you to know that the present time is alwayes the time of repentance For time past can not be recouered and time to come is vncerteine Antile Sir in mine opinion you haue vttered some very dangerous things and such as were enough to driue a man to despaire Theol. What be they I pray you Antile There be diuers things But one thing doth most of all sticke in my stomacke and that is the small number that shall be sa ued as you say But I can hardly be perswaded that God made so many thousands to cast them away when he hath done Do you thinke that God hath made vs to condemne vs Will you make him to be the authour of condemnation Theol. Nothing lesse For God is not the cause of mens condemnation but themselues For euery mans destruction commeth of himselfe as it is written O Israel thy destruction is of thy selfe As for God he doth in great mercie vse all possible meanes to saue soules as hée sayth by the Prophet What
heauen and wide gates into hell I pray you therefore proue them out of the Scriptures and lay them forth somewhat more largely Theol. The first which is Infidelity is proued out of the fourth chapter to the Hebrewes where it is written Vnto vs was the Gospell preached as vnto them but the word which they heard profited them not because it was not mixed with faith in those that heard it And againe They could not enter in because of vnbeliefe Héere we sée that vnbeliefe did barre out the old people from entring into the land of promise which was a figure of Gods eternall kingdome And sure it is that the same vnbeliefe doth barre out thousands of vs. For many will beléeue nothing but their owne fansies They will not beléeue the word of God especially when it is contrary to their lustes and likings profits pleasures Though things be manifestly prooued to their faces and both the Chapter and the Uerse shewed them yet will they not beléeue or though they say they beléeue yet will they neuer goe about the practise of any thing but reply against God in all their actions And for the most part when God saith one thing they will say another When God saith yea they will say no and so giue God the lie Some againe will say if all bée true that the Preachers say then God helpe vs. Thus you sée how Infidelity doth barre men out of Heauen and cast them into hell Phila. Let vs heare of the second gate which is Presumption of Gods mercy Theol. This is set downe in the 29. of Deuteronomy where the Lord saith thus When a man heareth the words of this curse and yet flattereth himselfe in his heart saying I shall haue peace although I walke according to the stubbornnesse of mine owne heart thus adding drunkennesse to thirst that is one sinne to another the Lord will not be mercifull vnto him but the wrath of the Lord and his iealousie shall smoake against that man and euery curse that is written in this booke shall light vpon him and the Lord shall put out his name from vnder heauen Héere we sée how the mightie God doth thunder downe vpon such as goe on in their sins presuming of his mercy and saying in their hearts If I may haue but a Lord haue mercy vpon me thrée houres before death I care not But it is iust with God when those thrée hours come to shut them vp in blindnesse and hardnesse of heart as a iust plague for their presumption Therefore the Prophet Dauid seeing the grieuousnesse of this sin praieth to be deliuered from it Keepe me ô Lord saith he from presumptuous sins let them not raigne ouer me Let all men therfore take héed of presumptuous sins For though God be full of mercy yet will he shew no mercy to them that presume of his mercy But they shall once know to their cost that iustice goeth from him as well as mercy Phila. Let vs come to the third gate which is the Example of the multitude Theol. This is prooued in the 23. of Exod. where the Lord saith flatly Thou shalt not follow a multitude to doe euill In another place the Lord saith After the doings of the land of Egypt wherein yee dwelt shall yee not doe and after the manner of the land of Canaan whither I will bring you shall yee not doe neither walke in their ordinances Against this Law did the Children of Israel offend when they said in the stubbornnesse of their heart to the Prophet Ieremy The word that thou hast spoken vnto vs in the name of the Lord wee will not heare But we will doe whatsoeuer goeth out of our owne mouth and we will doe as we haue done both we and our Fathers our Kings and our Princes in the cities of Iudah and in the streets of Ierusalem Note héere how they doe altogether refuse the word of the Lord and how to follow the example of the multitude Wée sée in these our daies by lamentable experience how thousands are violently carried down this streame and for defence of it some will say Doe as the most men doe and the fewest wil speake of you Which is a very wicked speach For if wée will follow the course of the most we shall haue the reward of the most which is eternall perdition Let vs therefore take héed of bending with the sway For the sway of the world doth waigh downe all things that can bée spoken out of the word of God and openeth a very wide passage into Hell Phila. Proceed to the fourth gate into Hell which is the Long custome of sinne Theol. This is noted by the Prophet Ieremy to be a very dangerous thing For he saith Can the blacke More change his skinne or the Leopard his spots then may yee also doe good which are accustomed to doe euill Noting thereby that it is as hard a matter to leaue an old custome of sinne as to wash a black-more white or to change the spots of a Leopard which because they are naturall are most impossible So when men through custom haue made swearing lying adultery and drunkennesse as it were naturall vnto them oh how hard it is to leaue them For custome maketh another nature and taketh away all sense and féeling of sinne Phila. Let vs heare of the fift gate which is the Long escaping of punishment Theol. This is auouched by the wise man in these words Because sentence against an euill worke is not executed speedily therefore the hearts of the children of men are set in them to doe euill Where he sheweth that one cause why men are so hardned in their sinnes is because God winketh at them and letteth them alone not punishing them immediately after they haue sinned For if God should forthwith strike downe one and raine fire and brimstone vpon another and cause the earth to swallow vp the third then men would feare indéed But it hath béene shewed before that God taketh not that course but though he méet with some in this life yet he lets thousands escape and that makes them more bold thinking they shall neuer come to their answer Euen as an olde théefe which hath a long time escaped both prison and gallowes thinkes he shall alwaies so escape and therefore goeth boldly on in his thefts But let men take héed For as the prouerbe saith Though the pitcher goeth long to the well yet at last it commeth broken home So though men escape long yet they shall not escape alwaies For there will come a day of reckoning a day that will pay it home for all Thus you sée how impunity leadeth numbers to destruction That is when men are let alone and neither smitten by the hand of God nor punished by the law of the Magistrate Phila. Let vs come to the sixt gate which is the Hope of long life Theol. This is affirmed by our Lord Iesus concerning that rich worldling who
when he felt the world come in vpon him with full streame said he would pull downe his barnes and build greater and say to his soule Soule thou hast much goods laid vp for many years Liue at ease eate drinke and take thy pastime But our Sauiour calleth him foole for flattering himselfe in security and promising vnto himselfe long life Moreouer hée plainely tolde him that the same night hée should make a hellish and miserable end Note I pray you how Jesus Christ the fountaine of all Wisedome calleth this man a foole and yéeldeth a reason thereof to wit because hée gathered riches to himselfe and was not rich in God hee had great care of this life and none at all for that which is to come So then it followeth that all such are right fools indéed and may be Chronicled for fooles how wise soeuer they be taken and reputed in the world which haue much care for their bodies and none for their soules great care for this life and little for that which is to come Well let all such prophane worldlings as dreame and doat of long life and therfore deferre the day of their repentance and conuersion vnto God take héed by this mans example that they reckon not without their Host and be suddenly snatched away in the midst of all their pleasures and iollities as Iob saith Some die in their full strength being in all ease and prosperity Their breasts runne full of milke and their bones run full of marrow Wée sée therefore how dangerous a thing it is for men to flatter and sooth vp themselues with hope of long life Phila. Proceed to the seuenth gate which is Conceitednesse Theol. This is indéed a very broad gate into hell For the Scripture saith Seest thou a man wise in his owne conceit there is more hope of a foole then of such a one And againe The foole is wiser in his owne eies then seuen men that can giue a sensible reason The holy ghost we sée affirmeth that such as are puft vp with an ouer-wéening of their owne gifts are farthest of all other from the kingdome of Heauen For they despise the wisedome of God to their owne destruction They hold scorne to bée taught They will say they know as much as all the Preachers can tell them For what can all the Preachers say more then this We are all sinners we must be saued by Christ Wée must doe as we would be done to There is no more but doe well and haue well c. Alas poore soules they looke aloft they are desperatly hauen vp with conceiptednesse not knowing that they are poore naked blinde miserable These men trust altogether to their owne wit learning policy riches and great reputation in the world And because all men crouch to them and clap their hands at them therefore they swell like Turky Cocks set vp their feathers draw their wings vpon the ground with a kinde of snuffe and disdaine of all men as if they were the onely wights of the world Moreouer when men doe praise them for their gifts soothe them and applaud vnto them then is it a wonder to sée how they streake themselues as though they would forthwith take their flight and mount into the cloudes But let all insolent and conceited men hearken vnto the woe that is pronounced against them by the eternall King of glory saying Woe vnto them that are wise in their owne eyes and prudent in their own sight Againe let them hearken to the counsel of God which saith Trust vnto the Lord with all thy heart but leane not vnto thine owne wisedome Bee not wise in thine owne eies but feare God and depart from euill These silly conceited fooles thinke that because they haue the cast of this life and can cunningly compasse the things of this world and goe through-stich with them therefore they can compasse heauen also by their fine wits and déepe deuices But alas poore wretches they are greatly and grossely deceiued For the wisdome of the world is foolishnesse with God and he catcheth the wise in their owne craftinesse And againe the Lord saith I wil destroy the wisdome of the wise and will cast away the vnderstanding of the prudent Let not these men therefore stand too much in their owne light let them not trust to their owne policies For they are all but as an ice of one nights fréezing which will deceiue them that trust vnto it Let them therefore become fooles in themselues that God may make them wise Let them deny themselues that God may acknowledge them Let them be humbled in themselues that God may exalt them For assuredly there is no vse after this life of the most exquistte wisedome of flesh it all endeth when we end For how dieth the wise man Euen as dieth the foole saith the holy Ghost And where all worldly wisedome endeth there all heauenly wisedome beginneth Thus therefore we sée what a wide gate into hell conceitednesse is and how many enter in thereat Phila. Now let vs vnderstand of the eight gate into hell which is ill company Theol. The spirit of God foreséeing the great danger of this and knowing how ready we are to be carried away with ill company doth giue vs most earnest warning to take héed of it as a most dangerous thing Enter not saith he in the way of the wicked and walke not in the way of euill men Auoid it goe not by it turne from it and passe by The reason héereof is yéelded in another place where it is said A companion of fooles shall be made worse Let men therefore take héede of ill company For many thereby haue béene brought to the gallowes and haue confessed vpon the ladder that ill company hath brought them vnto it and therefore haue admonished all by their example to take héed and beware of lewd company Moreouer the Scripture saith He that followeth vaine companions shall be filled with pouerty And againe in the same Chapter He that keepeth company with banquetters shameth his Father Let vs therefore with Dauid say I am a companion of all them that feare God and keepe his commandements And on the contrary let vs say with him I haue not haunted with vaine persons neither kept company with the dissemblers I hate the assembly of the euill and haue not companied with the wicked Let vs therefore by Dauids example shun the company of the wicked For as a man is so is his company It is the surest note to discern a man by For as al vnlike things are vnsociable so all like things are sociable Herein let vs beware we deceiue not our selues with vaine words and an opinion of our owne strength as if we were as strong as Christ could not be drawne away with any company No no we are more apt to be drawne then to draw to be drawne to euill by others then to draw others
fire vpon Gods Altar were consumed with fire He that blasphemed and transgressed the third commandement was stoned to death He that brake the fourth commandement in gathering sticks vpon the Sabbath was likewise stoned Absolon transgressing the fift Commandement was hanged in his owne haire Cain transgressing the sixt in flaying his brother Abel was branded with the marke of Gods wrath Sichem the sonne of Hamor transgressing the seuenth in defiling Dina the daughter of Iacob was slaine by Simeon and Leui the sons of Iacob Achan sinning against the eight Commandement in stealing the wedge of Gold and the Babylonish garment was stoned to death Ananias Sapphira sinning against the ninth commandement in liing and dissembling were suddenly smitten with death Ahab transgressing the tenth commandement in ceueting and discententment was deuoured of dogges Or if you will haue originall sinne therein onely forbidden then infants are therefore punished with death Thus we sée there is no dallying with God but if we sin we are as sure to beierkt for it as the coat is on our backe Therfore let vs not deceiue our selues nor make light of sin For sin is no scar-bugge and we shall one day finde it so And howsoeuer we make light of some sins yet in very déed all sinne is odious in the sight of God yea all sin is hainous and capital in this respect that it is against a person of infinite being it is against God himselfe it is against the highest Maiesty For the greatnesse of the person offended doth enhaunce and increase the greatnesse of the sinne As for example If a man raile at a Justice of peace hée shall be stocked if hée raile being the sonnes of idlenesse will step short in the end of that they looked for For the spirit saith The sluggard lusteth but his soule hath nought We must therefore leaue bare words and come to déeds For our Lord Iesus saith Not euery one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doth the will of my father which is in heauen Where wée sée Christ in plaine tearmes doth exclude out of his kingdome all those whose Religion consisteth onely in good words and smooth spéeches but make no conscience to practise the Commandements of God Dauid hauing made some good preparation for the building of the Temple and perceiuing his sonne Salomon to haue stuffe and prouision enough to perfectt and finish it doth most wisely incourage him to the worke in these words Vp and be doing and the Lord shall be with thee Oh that men would follow this counsell of Dauid That they would vp and bée dooing And not sit still and doe nothing that they would leaue words and countenances and set vpon the practise of Gods Law and study with all care and conscience to bée obedient to his will Then assuredly God would be with them and blesse them and much good would come of it For the Scripture saith In all labour there is profit or increase but the talke of the lips onely bringeth want Phila. Most mens minds are so wholly drowned in the loue of this world that they haue no heart to obey God nor any delight in his commandements Theo. The greatest part of men are like vnto the Gadarens which estéemed their Swine more then Christ As wée sée in these our daies how many make more account of their kine and shéepe then of the most glorious Gospell of Christ They highly estéeme dung and contemne Pearle They are carefull for trifles and regard not the things of greatest moment And therefore may very fitly be compared to a man who hauing his wife and children very sicke doth vtterly neglect them and is altogether carefull for the curing of his hogs eares Phila. We are somewhat digressed from the matter we had in hand I pray you therefore if you haue any more matter of good counsell to giue vnto Asunetus that you would presently deliuer it Theol. I haue little more to say saue onely I would aduise him often to remember and much to muse of these nine things The euill he hath committed The good he hath omitted The time he hath mispent The shortnesse of this life The vanity of this world The excellency of the world to come Death then the which nothing is more terrible The day of iudgement then the which nothing is more fearefull Hell fire then the which nothing is more intolerable Phila. This is short and sweet indeed You haue touched some of these points before in this our conference But I am very desirous to heare somewhat more of the two last which yet haue not beene touched Theol. Sith you are desirous I will briefely deliuer vnto you that which I haue receiued from the Lord. First concerning the day of iudgement I find in the volume of Gods booke that it shal be very terrible and dreadfull For The sonne of man shall come in the clouds of heauen with power and great glory S. Peter saith The day of the Lord shal come as a thiefe in the night In the which the heauens shall passe away with a noise the elements shall melt with heat the earth with the works that are therein shall be burnt vp The Apostle telleth vs that at the comming of Christ all the whole world shall bée of a light fire and that all castels towers goodly buildings gold siluer veluets silkes and all the glittering hue glory and beauty of this world shall be consumed to powder and ashes For he saith plainly The heauens and the earth which are now are reserued vnto fire against the day of iudgemēt and of the destruction of vngodly men Moreouer he doth strongly prooue that as the world was once destroied by water so the second time in the end thereof it shall be destroied by fire The Apostle Paul doth witnesse the same thing For he saith Christ shal come from heauen with all his mighty Angels in flaming fire And in another place he noteth the terrour of his comming to iudgement saying He shall come with a shout with the voice of the Archangel the trumpet of God We sée by experience that the comming of mortall Princes to any place is with great pompe glory They haue great traines and troupes behind them and before them They are accompanied with many Nobles goodly Lords and gallant Ladies doe attend vpon them The Sword-bearer Trumpetters and harbengers go before many flaunting and stately personages follow after Now then if the comming of mortall Princes be so pompous and glorious how much more glorious shall the comming of the sonne of man be in whose sight all mortal princes are but dust The Scriptures doe affirme that his second comming vnto iudgement shall be with such resplendent and vnspeakeable glory that euen the most excellent creatures shall blush at it For the Sunne shall be darkened the Moone shall not giue her light