that tree of life which hath twelue kinds of fruites and beareth fruite euerie moneth and so shall liue for euer to enioy those ioyes that are infinite and permanent and they shall drinke of the Christall water that springs in Paradise being an Ocean without brimme or bottome which can neuer be dryed but floweth with her siluer streames to euerlasting life Ioh. 4 Therefore as Saint Paule saith that the ioyes of heauen are so great that no tongue is able to expresse or vtter them so may I say they are so permanent that no time can consume or end them This Meditation hath three principall vses 1 It may cause vs to beare patiently and take thankefully the crosses and calamities of this life considering that they being short and momentanie 2. Cor. 4.17 do procure vnto vs an euerlasting weight of glorie For who would not indure much miserie to enioy eternall felicitie If we be killed all the day long Psa 44.22 yea if we were tortured all our life long what were that to the endlesse ioy and blisse of the kingdome of heauen God forbid therefore that tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword or any or all the distresses and calamities in the world should cause vs to neglect our euerlasting inheritance Saint Paul hauing shewed that we shall be taken vp by Christ at his second comming 1. Thes 4.17 18. and be with him for euer concludeth thereupon Comfort your selues with these words A coÌ„fort indeed fit to counterpoise a greater miserie then death can yeeld But if the Apostles exhortation perswade not yet should Christs example preuaile with vs Heb. 12.2 Who for the ioy that was set before him endured the crosse despised the sham and is set at the right hand of the throne of God If then either sicknesse or pouertie persecution or any such affliction befall thee doe but thinke with Christ Iesus vpon the eternall glorie that is prepared in the kingdome of heauen and the meditation thereof will be as sugar to sweeten thy calamities 2 Seeing the ioyes of heauen are eternall it is our part with paines and perseuerance to labour for them Balaam was rauished with the ioyes of heauen Num. 23. yet did he not enioy them The Ruler that kneeled to our Sauiour Mar. 10.17 and said Good maister what shall I do to possesse eternall life had a good conceit of this blessednesse but this was his fault that he would not do what hee was commaunded to obtaine it And is not that the fault and folly of most people who though they seeme to be much affected with the ioyes of heauen will not yet take paines to attaine vnto them In them is our Sauiours saying verified Luk. 13.24 Many shall seeke to enter into heauen but shall not be able And why Doubtlesse because they take not paines with perseuerance in well doing And therefore hee bids Striue to enter into it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vsing a Metaphor drawne from Champions who bend all their forces and employ their best indeuors to attaine the price and the trophies of triumph When the spies which Iosua sent to view the land of Canaan returned they said Num. 13.28 Surely the land floweth with milke and honie and here is of the fruite of it neuerthelesse the people be strong that dwell in the land and the cities are walled and exceeding great and moreouer we saw the sons of Anak there Nu. 14.1.2 Thus were the children of Israel discouraged And so fareth it with many in the consideration of the kingdome of heauen They will confesse that it is a place which floweth with the milke and honie of vnspeakable ioy and yeeldeth the excellent fruite of eternall glorie yet because they must contend with many daungers and difficulties they must subdue their corrupt affections Rom. 7.5.23 which are like strong men and conquer the spirituall wickednesses which are in the high places Eph. 6.12 who resemble the Anakims they are dismayed and so do lose the blessed land euen the land of the liuing To such I may say with the children of Dan Iud. 18.9.10 Seeing the land is good and a place that lacketh nothing in the world let vs not sit still and be slouthfull to go and enter to possesse the land yea seeing the kingdome of heauen is a blessed place and lacketh no good thing that the tongue can expresse or heart imagine let vs not be carelesse and negligent in seeking to possâ—sse it which if we be our desire thereunto shall be fruitlesse for excellent things are difficult No paines seeme too great for the attaining of temporall pleasures and dignities which are very short and temporarie yea diuerse of the Philosophers haue exposed themselues not onely to daungers but euen to death it selfe for the attaining of a little vaine transitorie glorie how much more then should wee bâ— willing to spend our paines wit wealth strength yea and life it selfe for the obtaining of those pleasures and that glorie which are without measure and shall neuer haue an end 3 To conclude are the ioyes of heauen so exquisite is the felicitie permanent and the glorie eternall Where then is that audacious man liuing that dares say he hath merited them Ambros in Serm. 16 in Psal 119. yea or the least of them Who is able to match such excellent benefits of saluation with correspondent seruice If any thing were meritorious then were persecutions and afflictions But the Apostle iudgeth Rom. 8.18 that the afflictions of this present time are not worthie of the glorie that shalâ— be reuealed vnto vs and elsewhere he giueth this reason of his iudgement 2. Cor. 4.17 Our afflictions are light the glorie is weightie our afflictions are but for a moment the glorie is eternall In so great a disproportion of value and estimation though there be a most certaine reward of mercie yet where is the recompence that should rise vpon merit Let vs learne therefore to confesse with Iacob I am vnworthie Lord Gen. 32.10 the least of all thy mercies much more of this eternall weight of glorie Let vs cast downe our crownes of glorie at the feet of Christ with the Elders in the ReuelatioÌ„ Reu. 4.10 and say with the blessed Apostle Vnto the God of all grace 1. Pet. 5.10 11. who hath called vs vnto his eternall glorie by Christ Iesus be glorie and dominion for euer and euer Amen FINIS
committed to him against that day being warie in keeping and faithfull in restoring whereas those that depend vpon the applause and opinion of other men are made sometimes great sometimes little Ber. Ser. de nat Io. Bap ferè initio Arist eth li. 5. cap. 5. and sometimes nothing at all and this caused the Philosopher to discard Honour from being Felicitie 1 This is one bad propertie of worldy honour to puffe vp to inflame those that are held in reputation being a notable and daungerous firebrand of pride foorth of which there ariseth a smokie vapour that will scarcely suffer a man to know himselfe For as when Bucephalus was without his furniture any man might ride him but being in his caparison he would suffer no man but Alexander to come on his backe so many there are which in their meane estate were mild but being aduaunced became loftie and imperious When Samuel first spake to Saul of his promoting to the kingdome he speakes basely of himselfe 1. Sam. 9.21 thus Am not I the sonne of Gemini of the smallest Tribe Diuerse of the Caesars at their first entring vpon the Empire saluted their followers with the terme of Fellow souldiers Commilitones Sueton. but ere long both Saul and the Caesars became verie haughtie WheÌ„ Herod was applauded by those flatteâ—ers which cryed at the hearing of his oration The voyce of God Act. 12.12 it lifted vp his heart with a daungerous vaine-glorie that cost him his life What effusion of bloud did the coÌ„tention for honour cause in the broiles betweene Caesar and Pompey And how many lost their liues about the like in the warres betweene the houses of Lancaster and Yorke in our land Yea did not the iealousie of this vain honour moue Herod to murther the infants Euseb lib. 1 cap. 9. Macrob. Saturn lib. 2. cap. 4. not sparing his owne child as the Historians do write that hee might haue slaine our Sauiour 2 As honour inflameth the owner with pride so it kindleth enuie in others For as whilest the doue playeth herselfe in her flying and taketh pleasure in her swiftnesse of wing the hauke seizeth vpon her so whilest men doe content and please themselues with worldly honour enuie which alwaies waiteth vpon honour layeth hold vpon them and many times fetcheth them downe Hee therefore spake truely who called obscuritie the mother of tranquillitie but fame and honour the foundation of danger Dan. 6.3.4 When Daniel was preferred aboue the other rulers and gouernours of Darius those rulers and gouernours sought an occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdome and their malice had bene effectuall against him had not the Almightie hand of God stopped the mouthes of the fierce Lions It was indeed a great honour for Dauid to kill Goliah 1. Sam. 18.9.10 and to be met receiued home with dauncing and singing Dauid hath slaine his ten thousand but the same had like to haue cost Dauid his life For when he fled from Saule to Achish the king of Gath 1. Sam. 21.11.12 thinking there to be safe by being vnknowne the kings seruaÌ„ts said to him Is not this Dauid the king of the land did they not sing vnto him c. Oh how glad would Dauid then haue bene if he had neuer bene partaker of that daungerous honour which would not tolerate his safetie This is no small preiudice yet behold a farre greater inconuenience accompanying honour whilest some seeking to hold their reputation in the world dare not professe or practise those things which may tend to the honour and glorie of Almightie God as those chiefe rulers which durst not confesse Christ for feare of the Pharisies Ioh. 12.42 because they loued the praise of men more then the praise of God 3 Honour and glorie is verie brittle like Archimedes glassie spheare Hath not experience shewed that those whose excellencie mounted vp to heauen Iob. 20.6 and made their nest as high as the Eagle Ier. 49.16 haue bene brought downe So that it wold make a man not considering the slipperinesse of honours ladder to wonder with the Prophet ouer the king of Babel How art thou falne from heauen ô Lucifer Isa 14.12 sonne of the morning and cut downe to the ground thou that didst cast lots vpon the nations What is become of those foure Monarchies of the world which the king of Babylon saw in a vision are they not almost vanished like his dreame and vision of them which hee vtterly forgot Alexanders pompe and solemnitie at Babylon Dan. 2. was wondrous great Q. Curt. lib. 10. when he kept as it were a parliament of the whole world For he lay seuen daies vnburied but not many dayes after he could scarce obtaine the honour of buriall Adonibezec had the glorie of conquest ouer seuentie kings Iudg. 1 7. who hauing their thumbes cut off picked crummes vnder his table yet at last himselfe had the like disgrace to be conquered and to lose his thumbes But that of many others was a most lamentable and memorable spectacle of Zedechiah 2. King 25.6.7 who being a mightie king was taken captiue by the Babylonians arraigned at Riblah saw his children slaine before his face had his eyes pickt out and lastly was led to Babel where he dyed miserably Lo here the inconstancie of worldly dignitie and the mutabilitie of those that enioy honour to shine for a while and presently to be obscured to be aduaunced to honor for a litle space and quickly to be debased to be very rich to day and to morrow to be impouerished Hest 3.1.7.10 now to be with Haman exalted to the highest seate of dignitie and by and by to be hanged Is it not straunge to haue knowne the father a great commander and to see the sonne a base vassall the one to inhabite a stately pallace the other to liue in a poore cottage the one to sit vpon his triumphant throne the other to lye in the dust of desolation But thus it cometh to passe Pro. 27.24 For riches remaine not alway nor the crowne from one generation to another Yet is this more straunge to behold one and the same man brought from the highest pitch of earthly felicitie to the lowest step of extreame miserie 1. Cor. 7.31 Thus doth the fashion of this world passe away and the glorie thereof vanisheth like the vapour of smoake And the Lord of hostes hath decreed this to staine the pride of all glorie Esa 23.9 and to bring to contempt all those that be glorious in the earth Seeing now that the honour ctedite and worship of this world is but a vulgar applause the nurse of pride the firebrand of enuie and the companion of inconstancie good Lord what do men meane so earnestlie to hunt after it Alas who would make any reckoning of this vaine and variable world Who art thou that gloriest in this glassie and windie vanitie What art thou greater
I neuer knew you depart from me you workers of iniquitie And this Depart from me is the first degree of punishment vnto the vngodly being now not in the suburbes but entred within the walles and gates of hell It is indeed but a priuatiue punishment which Diuines do vsually call poena damni but it hath a positiue effect for as the absence of the Sunne causeth darkenesse and the lacke of meat leanenesse so the want of Gods presence bringeth exceeding griefe and heauinesse Psa 16.11 yea as the fulnesse of ioy and pleasure is had by the enioying of his presence so the fulnesse of sorrow and miserie shall possesse the hearts of men by being excluded from the fruition thereof It must needes be a great miserie not to be with him without whom there is no being It is written that when the Arke of God was taken by the Philistims old Eli with griefe fel backward and dyed 1. Sam. 4.18.19 and his daughter in lawe Phineas wife fell on trauelling through sorrow and lost her life If the losse of the Arke which was onely a figure pledge of Gods presence was thus grieuous to them how shall the losse and lack of Gods presence it selfe cause the condemned to trauell with griefe and heauinesse of heart and to wish that they might with Eli and his daughter end their miserie with ending of their liues If a man had bene in some good possibilitie of an earthly kingdome Chrysâ—st ad pop Ant. Hom. 48. and through his owne folly had lost it how do you thinke it would haue grieued him Is there any comparison betweene the meanest mansion in the kingdome of heauen and the greatest Monarchie in the world Now then when a man hauing bene not onely in possibility of this kingdome but euen sure of it if he would haue vsed his indeuour to attaine vnto it shall by his negligence haue lost it will it not vexe and torment him will it not cause him to rate himselfe and say What a beast was I through mine owne folly to lose such a blessed inheritance It was exceeding â—rkesome to Absalon 2. Sam. 14.32 to be banished foorth of his fathers presence so that hee might not behold his face what a hell then shal it be to be banished for euer forth of his presence 2. Cor. 1.3 who is the father of mercie and God of all consolation whose loue to his children is more then Dauids to his sonne Absalon or his brother Ionathan yea greater then the mothers loue to her tender babe Esa 49.15 It was not the least part of Adams punishment that hee was cast out of Paradise and depriued of Gods presence neither is it a small miserie to be excluded forth of the kingdome of heauen and to lose the face and fauour of Almightie God Chrysostome iudgeth it to be much more bitter then the pains of hell yea worse then a thousand hels Super. Mat. Hom. 33. if there were so many howsoeuer it is Ibid. Hom. 28. surely it must needes bee exceeding grieuous We haue a Prouerbe Where the eye seeth not the heart grieues not If the damned soules might not behold the felicitie that they haue lost by their folly their griefe would be the lesse but as the elect shall haue fruition thereof to their perpetuall comfort so the view thereof shall yeeld an euerlasting corrasiue to the coÌ„science of the reprobate The Captaine of the King of Israel would not beleeue that it was possible by any meanes there should bee such a plentie as Elizaeus had promised but the Prophet tels him Behold 2. King 7.2 thou shalt see it with thine eyes but thou shalt not eate thereof As this was added to the punishment of his infidelitie that though he should not tast it yet he should see it so shall it be to the reprobate at the day of iudgement when Christ with all his holy Angels and blessed Saints shall appeare in glory that which the Psalmist hath shall bee fulfilled Psa 112.10 The vngodly shall see it and it shall grieue him he shall gnash with his teeth and consume away the desire of the vngodly shall perish It shall grieue the vngodly to see the Saints of God in glorie and he shall pine away with griefe he shall desire that hee might bee partaker thereof with them but this desire of his shall be fruitelesse according to our Sauiours saying Luk 13.28 There shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth when they shall see Abraham and Isaac and Iacob and all the Prophets in the kingdome of God and themselues thrust out of doores And what greater disgrace can come to a man then to be thus contemptuously thrust foorth of the blessed society of heauen and to be shut without where shall bee dogges and inchaunters Reu. 22.15 and whoremongers and murtherers Idolaters and whosoeuer loueth or maketh lyes Now shall those that haue denyed Christ before men be denyed before the face of Almightie God and those that haue despised and scorned the societie of the godly shall be scorned and contemned in the presence of men and Angels If the losse of a deare friend be grieuous and the separation of the soule from the bodie exceeding terrible the losse of the fellowship of Saints cannot but bee much more grieuous and the separation both of soule and body from Almightie God must needs be both terrible and intollerable He therefore spake truly who said That the teares of hell are not sufficient to bewaile the losse of heauen Seeing then the losse of Gods presence and the coÌ„forts of heauenly ioyes is so great and grieuous is it not extreame folly in men that will rather incurre this dangerous and dolefull losse then they will lose their smallest profites or trifling pleasures yet such is the folly of most men But wouldst thou escape this misery then thinke vpon the Prophets words 2. Chr. 15.2 The Lord is with you whilest you are with him and if you seek him he wil be found of you but if you forsake him he will forsake you If thou be with God in the kingdome of grace thou shalt be with him in the kingdome of glorie but if thou forsake him in this life he will forsake thee in the life to come Cast me not away from thy presence ô Lord Psal 51.11 and take not thy holy Spirit from me saith Dauid Is this thy prayer behold then if thou grieue not Gods Spirit hee will not take it from thee and except thou cast thy selfe out of Gods presence by infidelity and disobedience hee wil not cast thee foorth It is said of Henoch Gen. 5.24 that he walked with God and it is immediatly added that he was no more seene for God tooke him away so shall it be done to all those that vnfainedly feare God He that walkes with God in holines as Henoch did shall not be excluded from his presence but bee taken vp into
A THREE-FOLD RESOLVTION verie necessarie to saluation Describing EARTHS VANITIE HELS HORROR HEAVENS FELICITIE PSAL. 107.43 Who so is wise will ponder these things By IOHN DENISON Batchelour in Diuinitie LONDON Printed by Richard Field for Iohn Norton 1608. ⧠To the right worshipfull Sir William Willoughby Knight the best blessings of this life and euerlasting blessednesse in the life to come ALthough right worshipfull my many employments well knowne vnto you might seeme a sufficient remora to my pen yet my desire by all meanes to do good hath more preuailed with me then those lets wherewith I haue conuersed These meditations a testimonie of my desires I make bold to present vnto you to whom if they be worthy of any respect they do belong in many respects as I might sufficiently manifest but that I hold it more expedient to remaine a thankfull silent debter then to become a publicke trumpeter of your priuate fauours If you iudge them worthie vouchsafe them I pray you your patronage if not your pardon at least your acceptance as a token of his thankefull minde who will euer rest Your Worships at commaundment in Christ Iesus I. D. 1 Let heauens powre downe their sweetest influence Let them inrich you with the earths best treasures Let them withall instill truths quintessence Heau'ns ioyes do far surmount all earthly pleasures 2 Let the celestiall powers you guard and guide And countermine when wicked powers conspire Let spotlesse bloud which ran from harmelesse side Quench vnto you the euer burning fire 3 And let the winged Posts voyd of delayes From glorious throne when great Iehoua sendeth Translate your soule when death shal end your daies To that celestiall blisse which neuer endeth To the Reader THe last period and principall Resolution of euery Christian is or should be to glorifie God in the fruition of eternall felicitie Wherein we must remember that remote ends haue subordinate meanes to produce their effects which ought in no case to be neglected And as the sea-man for the getting of his prize must haue care of three principall points first to ballance his ship discreetly secondly to shun the daungerous gulfes of the sea thirdly to get good landing in a safe hauen So euerie Christian that desireth the fruition of true felicitie must first so ballance his affections that they be not ouer-burdened with the loue of this world secondly hee must haue a care to shun the gulfe of hell and eternall destruction thirdly hee must labour to get the kingdome of heauen for his hauen Vpon these pointes good Christian must thy Resolution cast anker if euer thou resolue to be eternally happie Now to helpe forward thy resolution behold here the Worlds vanities deciphered Hels torments displayed and Heauens happines described Meditations in my conceit neuer more fit then in these wretched dayes wherein men are become too great louers of the world haue lost the dread of hell and the desire of heauen The Lord blesse them to thy comfort and saluation And if thou receiue any good by them recompence my paines with thy prayers 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 last iudgement 〈…〉 2. Society with the diuels the daâ— 3. Eternitie of the hellish torment 〈◊〉 3. Heauens felicitie 1. Before the day of iudgment 1. Sanctimonie of life 2. Peace of conscience 3. Comfort at the day of death 2. At the day of iudgment 1. Ioy at the resurrection 2. Comfort to meet and come before 3. Consolation vpon the sentence 〈◊〉 blessed 3. After the last iudgeâ—â—â—â— 1. Freedome from torments and mâ— 2. Fruition of celestiall glâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 The first part Of the Earths vanitie in generall AS it was in the dayes of Noah and Lot Luke 17.26.29 so shall the coÌ„ming of the sonne of man be saith our blessed Sauiour that Sonne of man For as in those times they did eate and drinke marrie build and plant that is exceedingly prosecute the vaine profites and pleasures of the world till the floud came and destroyed them so shall it be when the Sonne of man shall be reuealed Was the world euer more addicted and deuoted to these vanities then now it is and haue we not therefore iust cause to expect that refining fire 2. Pet. 3.10 which shall burne vp all the corruption vpon the face of the earth Almightie God hath giueÌ„ to men three mansions of a diuerse qualitie first the world wherein they liue 2. the graue wherein they corrupt 3. either heauen wherein they are crowned or hell wherein they are tormented In the world their companion is vanitie in the graue the worme in heauen the Angels and in hell the diuels Yet such is the folly of most men that they would haue perpetuall habitations and euerlasting happines in this vaine world to whoÌ„ Augustines speech is very fit August confess lib. 4. cap. 12. Seeke for that which you seek but not where you seeke it you seeke a blessed life in the region of death alas it is not there What extreme folly is this to seeke felicitie where nothing can be found worthy the affecting and following if all were weyed in the ballance of iudgement and discretion What is the world with the things of the world but enimitie against God euen pitch which defileth birdlime which intangleth and a snare which intrappeth Is not her coate misery her crest iniquitie and her motto vanitie Neither are these adiuncts lesse permanent then eminent both in the entrance continuance and conclusion of this life For we come into the world wailing and weeping we liue in it with toyling and moyling and we leaue it with grieuing and groning Iob. 1.21 Vide Praefa Plin. ad lib. 7. Naked came we out of our mothers wombe and naked must we returne againe Thus both the Orient and Occident the Prologue and the Epilogue of our life is nakednesse And if we view the sundry times places and courses of our life behold they yeeld nothing but vanitie and misery Infancie is weake and feeble youth is rash and dissolute old age froward and doting The pleading places yeeld contention the house cares the countrey labour the Court enuie the sea tempests and pirats the land theeues and robbers Pouertie is despised wealth is enuied wit is distrusted folly is derided yea which is most lamentable vice is aduanced and vertue disgraced Man is by many writers called a little world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not vnfitly in that he is a modell of the miseries of this greater world hauing within him sinne rebelling against him without the world to allure him before Satans snares to intangle him behind a wary conscience to dog him on the right hand prosperitie to inueigle him on the left hand aduersity to vexe him vâ—der his feet the graue open to swallow him and ouer his head the iudgements of God readie to fall vpon him So that a man in this life may verie well be compared to a sea-man in a dangerous and tempestuous nauigation if he
As riches are vncertain so are they insatiable Eccles 5.9 For he that loueth siluer shall not be satisfied therewith and he that loueth riches shall be without the fruite thereof this also is vanitie Te esurire cogunt Qu. Curt. lib. 7. Riches make men hungrie as the Scythians sayd to Alexander so that the rich are like the dropsie man which the more he drinketh the more he thirsteth Hence it commeth to passe that contrary to all sense the more that men haue the more they desire and the older men waxe the more couetous they grow as if a traueller being nere his iournies end Cic. de Sen. shold encrease his luggage or as though the Citizen should bee building when the enemie is battering Thus it happeneth to the rich man as it doth to the waspe which being greedie of the hony at last fals into the barrell so that she cannot get out for wealthy men falling into a vaine of couetousnesse do at last sticke so fast in their insatiable desire that they can neuer deliuer themselues so long as they liue If this were not so how could that possibly come to passe which Salomon speaketh and experience verifieth Eccles 4.8 There is one alone and there is not a second which hath neither sonne nor brother yet is there no end of all his trauell neither can his eye be satisfied with riches neither doth he thinke For whom do I trauel and defraud my soule of pleasure this also is vanitie A man may sweare it is but vanitie that a man should vexe and turmoile himselfe yea defraud himselfe of pleasure and which is more of saluation also for wealth when hee hath no vse of it When thou seest a man euer thirstie thou doest not thinke him to be well though he haue aboundance of all sorts of drinke so when thou beholdest a man alwayes thirsting greedily after the pelfe of this world though hee possesse aboundance thou mayest well account him a miserable man Hom. Odys lib. 11. Hor. Serm. lib. 1. sat 1. like Tantalus in the Stygean lake and like the drudging Indians which toyle in the golden mynes but enioy none of the ore Hydropem conscientiaÌ„ Aug· de verbo Dom. ser 5. initio Eccles 5. 3 It is no small dispraise of riches that they make a dropsie conscience but behold a worse fruite of them then so There is an euill sicknesse that I haue seene vnder the Sunne to wit Riches reserued to the owners thereof for their euill the other sicknesse of parting with them is grieuous but this of being plagued with them is exceeding dangerous Our blessed Sauiour compareth the cares of this life and deceiueable riches to thornes Mat. 13.22 a most fit comparison and no maruell being his who is best able to censure and set foorth the nature of all things both in heauen and earth for as thornes doe pierce and pricke those things which touch them so do riches pierce the hearts of the owners thereof being got with paines kept with care and lost with griefe yea sometimes causing the possessors throate to be cut How many dangers doe riches expose men vnto stirring vp theeues to lye in waite souldiers to râ—se vp in armes yea sometimes the children to long for and hasten the parents death Are not rich men oft made spunges to gather much that it may be wrung from them againe and doth it not cause them to be hunted after and angled for like fishes In Psal 64. passim as Augustine saith In regard whereof the Poet spake not vnwisely when he called gold a more hurtfull mettall then iron Ferroque no centius auruÌ„ Ouid. Met. lib. 1. 2. As thornes are shilter for serpents to lurke and hide theÌ„selues vnder so are riches the harbourers of many sins For they that will be rich 1. Tim. 6.9 fall into temptations and snares and into many noysome and foolish lusts which drowne men in perdition and destruction They are the mother of pride and presumption and therefore S. Paule bids Timothie charge them that are rich in this world 1. Tim. 6.17 that they be not high minded and that they trust not in vncertaine riches but in the liuing Lord yea he accounts them the water that yeelds moisture to couetousnesse the roote of all euill The examples are innumerable that might be brought for the proofe of this point It was the wages of vnrighteousnes that seduced Balaam 2. Pet. 2.15 yea the foulest fact that euer was committed in the world was through the loue of money I meane the selling of our blessed Sauiour by that accursed traitor Iudas 3 As thornes do stop vp wayes hinder the growth of corne and the path of passengers so do riches hinder the growth of grace stop vp the way to the kingdome of heauen and that makes our Sauiour say Mat. 19.23 24. A rich man can hardly enter into the kingdome of heauen yea to adde this vehement speech It is easier for a Camell to go thorough the eye of a needle then for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of God The Euangelist saith that the disciples were exceedingly amazed at this speech how much more should it amaze those that are great possessors and louers of riches What are riches so vncertaine that they will be gone like the Eagle are they so insufficient that they make the soule insatiable are they so hurtfull in piercing the heart with anguish shrouding the serpent of sin and stopping the way to heauen Let the meditation thereof then be a motiue to embrace the Prophets exhortation If riches increase Psal 62.10 set not thy heart vpon them For why shouldest thou set thy heart vpon nothing yea that which is worse then nothing But this is an euill sicknesse and will hardly be cured as experience teacheth Was there euer such gaping after gaine and such deluing in the bowels of the earth for the bewitching ore yea such damning of soules to the pit of hell for that which should be counted trash and be troden vnder foote Alasse what do men meane to take such paines in hoarding vp that gold and siluer Iam. 5.3 the rust wherof shall be a witnesse against them at the day of iudgement A man that were going some great iourney or swimming ouer an arme of the Sea would not loade himselfe but go as light as may be consider then deare brother that thou art going to heauen which is a long a daungerous and a difficult iourney wilt thou loade thy selfe with this ponderous pelfe which will tire thee exceedingly thou art passing ouer the daungerous ocean of this surging world wilt thou carie that which will serue to drowne thee in the gulfe of eternall destruction Nay rather if thou haue any sense of a maÌ„ Hieron ad Pamach alias ex aliis imitate Crates the Thebane and cast away thy goods rather then they shall cast away thee For what
good shall all the goods in the world do thee Mat. 1 6. if thou lose thy soule Thinke with thy selfe what if it should be said to thee as it was to the churle Thou foole Luk. 22.40 this night shall they take away thy soule whose then shall those things be which thou hast prouided Little knowest thou who shall gather those riches which thou hast heaped vp it may be thine enemie for this euent I haue obserued in the world or peraduenture such a one as will scatter them as fast as euer thou rakedst them together for this often commeth to passe But admit thou hast children who will be as frugall as thy selfe wilt thou purchase hell to thy selfe to purchase lands for thy children Oh what a lamentable thing is this that the father should frie in euerlasting torments for leauing of his sonne these transitory and temporarie aduancements But wouldest thou keepe thy money safe then lay it vp in heauen where theeues cannot digge through and steale Mat. 6.20 Wouldst thou put it to the best and most gainfull vse then be bountifull in giuing to the poore the money so bestowed is layd vp in heauen Luk 12.33 Thou art here but a pilgrime and heauen is thy countrey Fac traiectitiū saith S. Augustin will it not be good to haue these temporall commodities returned there in things eternall Doest thou not commend the Merchant that changeth an ounce of lead for a pound of gold beleeue me the heauenly gaines doe far exceed such an exchange Doth not the husbandman cast his seed into that ground which is most fertile Let heauen be thy soyle where euen a cuppe of cold water Mat. 25.35 yeelds an Epha of glorie But thou hast children and must prouide for them God forbid else yet remember also that thou hast a brother in heauen Aug. in Psa 48. conc 1. who lookes to be relieued and who will assuredly recompence thy cost and kindnesse for clothing him he will decke thee with glorie for feeding him he will replenish thy heart with ioy and gladnesse and for entertaining him into thy house he will receiue thee into his euerlasting habitations when as wealthie Diues that would not heare poore Lazarus crying at his doore nor relieue him with the crummes of his table shall crie and howle in torments and shall not get so much as a droppe of cold water to coole his tongue Luk. 16.24 To conclude if thou wilt be rich in this life then remember that Godlinesse is great gaine which if thou haue 1. Tim. 6.6 thou possessest all things Be rich in faith 2. Cor. 6.10 Iam. 2.5 so shalt thou be heire to the kingdome of heauen and bee rich in good workes so shalt thou lay vp in store for thy selfe a good foundation for the time to come 1. Tim. 6.17 18. that thou maist obtaine eternall life SECT 4. Of daintie Fare NEcessitie for the maintenance of health and preseruation of life is the especiall end by Gods ordinance of eating and drinking to the which through mans weaknesse dangerous delight ioyneth her selfe as a handmaid so that men becomming daintie and curious haue augmented the vanitie And surely I cannot sufficiently admire the folly of man in this behalfe that being the Lord of all the creatures vpon earth hee should make himselfe a slaue euen to his appetite yea that he should not sticke for the satisfying of a small part of his throate to send headlong both soule body into hell Who is able to reckon vp the infinite dangers and inconueniences that do arise from pampering the bodie 1 It dulleth the wits and taketh away the edge of the vnderstanding For as the cloudes obscure the heauens so doth repletion darken the light of the minde and as birds filled ouer-full cannot flie high so the body being pampered will not suffer the mind to mount vp with the wings of contemplatiō to view excellent obiects This Nebuchadnetzar knew well who purposing to traine vp the yong Princes of Iudah for his counsellors appointed them a portion of meate for their diet as it were by waight For the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 portion commeth of a verbe that signifieth to number or to waigh And it is a thing to be obserued that fooles are commonly great eaters so that much eating is either a cause Dan. 1.5 or at least an adiunct of their folly and therefore befits not them that would be reputed wise 2 As it makes a dull and emptie braine so it yeelds as light a purse For he that loueth wine and oyle shall not be rich Prou. 21.17 So that couetousnes and gluttonie do sometime fight together in a carnall man but the appetite preuailing the throat becomes an opē sepulcher deuours all that the hands can prouide 3 It is the mother of sloth and idlenesse according to the Prouerbe When the belly is full the bones would be at rest And that made the Poet to taxe his countrimen for sloth as a fruite of their gluttonie Tit. 1.12 saying The Cretians are alwaies euill beasts slow bellies And it is noted in the Israelites that they sate downe to eate and drinke and rose vp to play Exod. 32.6 as being fit for nothing but play when they had filled their bellies Thus many in their appetites are like beasts but in the fruit effect thereof they are worse then beasts for the beasts hauing filled themselues are therby fitted to their worke but men by eating and drinking are made vnfit for any thing that is good 4 It breedeth sicknesse and sundrie diseases and is to many the cause of their vntimely death Some by ouermuch eating and others by drinking many healths to others leaue themselues no health Thus the glutton and drunkard a thing to be lamented and detested of euerie good man do murder them selues Where are gowts dropsies and the like diseases but where daintie fare and extreame drinking haue their habitation The dayes of our forefathers far from our licentious superfluitie in diet were longer and their bodies more healthfull For Qui viuit medi cè viuit miserè and so themselues lesse miserable There was little need of the Physitian when men were of Calisthenes mind who would not pledge Alexander to haue need of Aesculapius not pledge the King to haue need of the Physitian but now most are like those foolish mariners which needlesly let the water come into their shippe and then are faine to labour hard to pumpe it foorth for they bring vpon themselues diseases by such superfluous disdiet and then are glad to seeke helpe by painfull physicke 5 It makes a man vnmindfull and forgetfull of good things For as too great a burthen drownes the ship so that neither the calmnesse of the sea the skilfulnesse of the pilot the abundance of furniture nor the fit time for nauigation can helpe it so when the bodie is ouerloden with meate it is
but to shew that it will be so Which ordinarie euent considered it is not without iust cause that the same Hebrew word vsed both in Iob and else where in the Scriptures Ioh. 20.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth both Mirth and Mourning But if mirth were in it selfe both good and permanent yet how vnfit is it for this pilgrimage of teares When the Babylonians wished the Isralites being their captiues to sing them one of the songs of Sion they asked How shal we sing a song of the Lord in a straunge land Psal 137.4 Can a song of Sion be more vnreasonable in Babylon then ioy and mirth in this vale of miserie For what is here to make a man laugh or be merrie except hee would laugh at the world as Democritus did at the Athenians If a man take a discreet view of the vanities and miseries of this wicked world he shall find cause enough to mourne but little occasion of mirth It is worthie the obseruation that we reade not that euer our blessed Sauiour laughed or smiled but diuers times that he sighed groned and wept And the like we reade of other the sanctified seruants of God Phil. 3.18 Act. 20.19 as of Saint Paule who writes to the Philippians weeping and serues God with many teares We haue an old Prouerb and it is not more old then false A litle mirth is woorth a great deale of sorrow This is a carnall Prouerbe and true in those onely Eccles 3.21 22. who looke for their portion of felicitie in this life For to the children of God the Spirit of God can tell vs Eccl. 7.4.5 that a little sorrow is woorth a great deale of mirth Where or when was it euer said of mirth Psal 51.19 per risum multum poteris cognoscere stulium as it is of sorrow A sorowfull spirit is a sacrifice to God Laughter indeed is the sacrifice of fools Though the heauen of heauens cannot containe the Lord yet behold hee will haue his habitation with an humble spirit Esa 66. and a contrite heart This Dauid knew wel when he said Put my teares into thy bottle Psal 56.8 are not these things noted in thy booke The teares of a true penitent are laid vp by the Lord as rich iewels and hee doth register euery sigh of a conâ—rite heart euen to this end Psal 1â—6 5 that they which sow in teares may reape in ioy But there appeareth not a more maine and manifest difference betweene the estimation of mirth and sorrow then in our Sauiours words Wo be to you that laugh Luk â— 25 Mat. 5.4 for you shall waile and weep Blessed are you that mourne for you shall be comforted But what is it not lawfull to be merie Yes surely there is some mirth lawfull and othersome both lawfull and laudable Leu. 23.40 The Israelites may reioyce before the Lord their God in their solemne feastes As the Iewes must fast in their miserie Hest 4.16.9.22 so may they keepe the dayes of feasting and ioy for their victorie yea all the people at the coronation of Salomon may pipe with pipes 1. Kin. 1.40 and reioyce with great ioy and make the earth ring with the sound of them Thus euen in these the like temporall things it is lawfull for the children of God to reioyce And indeed none haue iust title to mirth but they who by reason of their adoption in Christ their present fruition of Gods fauour and constaÌ„t expectation of their future happinesse may very welâ— haue chearefull hearts but yet must this be with the Apostles caueat 1. Cor. 7.30 That they that reioyce be as though they reioyced not that neither their ioy be excessiue nor intempestiue not permitting times of mourning when there is cause of mourning There is a laudable mirth when men do reioyce Aug. conf â—ib 9. 7. to the Lord of the Lord and for the Lord. To this ioy doth the Psalmist exhort when hee saith Psal 102. â— Serue the Lord with feare and come before him with ioyfulnesse When men do in the seruice of God lift vp chearfull hearts to the Lord and sing praises to him ioyfully this is a heauenly reioycing and this was the blessed Virgins ioy My soule doth magnifie the Lord Luk. 1.47 and my spirit hath reioyced in God my Sauiour If this be the cause of thy ioy I may say to thee in the Apostles words Reioyce in the Lord Phil. 4.4 and I say againe reioyce Enlarge thy heart and extend the bounds of consolation Psa 89.15 For blessed are the people that can reioyce in the Lord. When the disciples returned with ioy because the diuels were subdued vnto them though this were no small cause of ioy yet our Sauiour seeking to turne the streame of their affections another way saith vnto theÌ„ In this reioyce not that spirits are subdued vnto you Luk. 10 17 â—0 but rather reioyce that your names are written in heauen So do thou exâ—mine the euidence of thy saluation and if thou find in thy soule the charter of a sound faith sealed vp vnto thee by the spirit of adoption and tâ—e sanctifying spirit of God bearing witnesse that thou art the child of God and that thy name is enrolled amongsâ— the heauenly citizens then reioyce and againe I say reioyce and behold Ioh. 16.22 this ioy shall no man take from thee SECT 12. Of Mariage WHen man was in his innocencie the Lord said Gen. 2.17 It is not good for man to be alone but in his corrupt estate the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 7.1 It is good for a man not to touch a woman Thus was marriage founded vpon decencie but now the principall pillar thereof is necessitie Ambr. de viduis Non quasi culpa vitanda sed quasi necessitatis sarcina declinanda In which respect although it is not to be shunned as a sinne yet is it to be abandoned as a burthen may very well bee taxed as a vanitie When a man intends to take a wife he aduentures vpon a daungerous choice Bias saying is famous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If a man take a faire wife it is doubtfull shee will prooue false if foule she is a lothsome plague And experience manifesteth many a matrimoniall infirmitie incident to that sexe If they be qualified with any extraordinarie ornaments they become imperious so that beautifull Vashti will not come to Ahashnerosh when he sends for her Hester 1. If their husbands haue any familiar societie with others by reason of his employments abrode they quickly become ielous and so are a griefe of heart to him If they be rich they looke to dominere according to that speech Eccl. 25.24 If a woman nourish her husband she is angrie impudent and full of reproch If they be not like their neighbours in womanish vanities they become querulous and if they be honest they are
Horror of conscience CAn a sower tree bring foorth sweet fruite or can a filthie fountaine send forth any but bitter streams No more can the prophane heart and lewd conuersation yeelde and send foorth any thing but the sower fruit and bitter waters of a troubled conscience Sweet meat must haue sower sauce and the heart which tooke delight and pleasure in committing of sinne must afterwardes be vexed with anguish and sorrow in remembrance of the same Sinne sheweth a harmlesse mouth like the viper but with her hidden teeth she infuseth deadly poyson she weepes like the crocodile but wounds like a serpent and leaues the sting of conscience behind her to vexe the sinfull soule The sacred Scriptures do by sundrie notable comparisons set foorth the miserable condition of those wretched men whom the conscience of sinne doth vexe in this life Zophar Iobs friend makes a notable Antithesis betweene the estate of the godly and the wicked in this respect Job 11.15 The godly shall lift vp his face without spot be stable without feare but the eyes of the wicked shal fail and their hope shall be griefe of minde The wicked through the terror and conscience of sin shall be like men whose extreame amazednesse doth depriue them of the vse of their senses both externall and internall whereas the godly shall haue a chearefull countenance with an vpright conscience And his friend Eliphaz likewise Job 15.20 The wicked man is continually as one that trauelleth of child As the pregnant mother is vexed with many sodaine throbbes and thinkes euery one to be a warning of her daungerous and painefull approching trauell so the lewd and wicked liuer that trauelleth with iniquitie hath many inward throbbes which gripe his heauie hart and represent vnto his pensiue soule the imminent euerlasting destruction Againe in the 24. verse Affliction and anguish shall make him affraid When the Lord comes against a wicked maÌ„ he brings foorth his forces of affliction and anguish which rise vp in ciuil warre till they effect that which Salomon hath in the Prouerbes The wicked flieth when no man pursueth him Cap. 28.1 And no maruell for the distraction and dread of conscience is a sufficient enemy to daunt the stoutest wight that breatheth Pro. 18.14 A wounded spirit who can beare Job 27.20 And Iob himselfe also saith that terrors shall take the wicked as waters and as a tempest shall carie him away by night As a tempest arising suddenly filleth both the heauens and earth with dreadfull darkenesse so do the stormes of dread arising in the conscience of a wicked man The Prophet Esay doth elegantly discipher the miserable condition of such men on this manner Esa 57.20 The wicked are like the raging sea that caÌ„not rest whose waters do cast vp mire and dirt And surely there could be nothing more fit to set foorth the restlesse and wretched estate of a wicked man who as hee swelleth with the surges of pride and haughtinesse of heart as hee casteth foorth the filthie foame of his owne shame and boyleth with the fire of an enuious spirit so is he tossed vp and downe with euery blast of anguish and blowne about with euery gale of terror neither is he like those seas which sometimes do obtaine calmnesse but like Euripus which is in continuall agitation boyling Pomp. Mel. lib. 2. and therefore doth the Prophet conclude vpon his similitude Ver. 22. There is no peace saith my God to the wicked All this is euident by Caines wicked murmuring Gen. 4.13 Gen. 27.38 Esaues bitter weeping Mat. 27.3 and Iudas desperate mourning all which were indeede like a restlesse raging sea and like Noahs doue found not one twigge of sound comfort whereupon to rest their distressed soules Our Sauiour speaking of the paine of the damned saith Mar. 9.44 That their worme dyeth not this worme is the sting of conscience which is neuer plucked out and this worme begins euen in this life to nibble at the hearts of desperate sinners Of this thing the Poets were not ignorant Animóque obiecit Eryn nim Ouid. Met. lib. 1. when they fained that such men were vexed with Furies meaning indeed the furious hoâ—ror of their fearfull conscience arising from their wicked conuersation Wee reade that Nero that Romane moÌ„ster Sueton. in vita Neron cap. 34. hauing after many villanies like a vile wretch murthered his owne mother was exceedingly perplexed with the remorse memorie of his damnable and vnnaturall fact affirming that he was vexed with his mothers ghost with whips of the hellish furies with burning torches and albeit the souldiers the Senate and people did by their applause indeuour to comfort him yet was he neuer able to endure the horror of conscience proceeding from his villanous wickednesse Neque tamen sceleris conscientiam aut statim aut vnquam ferre potuit so close did this neuer dying worm cleaue to his clogged conscience The conscience of man by the diuine ordinance of Almightie God doth keepe an Assise and erect a tribunall in the soule of euery one euen in this life First to make way to these proceedings the conscience dogges vs and takes notice of all our actions Thy heart knoweth that thou likewise hast cursed others Eccles 7.24 though thou hast forgot it yet consult with thy conscience and it will tell thee that thou hast done it When the sonnes of Iacob had forgotten their crueltie towards their brother committed many yeares before their conscience quickened by a present affliction speaks thus vnto them Gen. 42.21 We haue verily sinned against our brother in that we saw the anguish of his soule Sometimes a man goes away with his sinne as Gehazi went with the siluer and the garments and saith peraduenture as he said 2. King 5.25.26 Thy seruant went no whither but the conscience will answere with Elizaeus Went not my heart with thee when thou didst priuily slaunder thy neighbour steale sweare falsely commit filthinesse or the like 2. When the conscience hath taken notice of some great crime it calleth vs to the barre and there it accuseth vs reckoning vp our sinnes and setting them in order with their circumstances thus the prodigall child taxeth himselfe Luk. 15.18 Father I haue sinned against heauen and before thee So is the conscience like the Clearke of the Assizes laying open the bookes and cases which before lay hid in obscuritie 3. Lest there should be any fond excusing the conscience hauing accused giueth in further euidence for proofe of the inditement and beareth witnesse to the accusation as the Apostle sheweth Rom. 2.15 Therefore doth the Lord take that course with Adam Gen. 3.11 appealing to his conscience whether hee haue transgressed the commandement enioyned him yea or no because hee knew his conscience would testifie agaâ—nst himselfe 4. The conscience hauing made euident that which was obscure and ratified as it were with a
thousand witnesses that which seemed doubtfull she proceedeth to pronounce sentence Then doth the prodigall child crye out Luk. 15.19 I am not worthie to be called thy sonne Then doth the Prophet censure himselfe and his people thus O Lord righteousnesse doth belong to thee Dan. 9.7 but to vs open shame and confusion of face 5. Lastly sentence being thus pronounced Quò enim cor meum fugeret à corde meo Aug. confes lib. 4. cap. 7. what is to be expected but execution to flie it is not possible a man may escape others but to flie from an euill conscience it is no lesse impossible then for a man to flie froÌ„ his shadow which the faster the bodie flyeth the faster it followeth then will the conscience inflict the punishment Thus when Dauid with diffidence of Gods assistance affiance in his own forces had numbred the people it is said that his heart smote him or scourged him Lo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Sa. 24.10 this is the fruite of sinne both to the vniust and to the Saints for in both of them the conscience watcheth accuseth witnesseth condemneth and punisheth but these proceedings of the conscience are to the elect like the Apostles power To edification not to destruction 2. Cor. 13.10 The godly being hereby schooled are sent to Christ Gal. 3.24 whereby peace is spoken to their soules and they are repriued and pardoned the wicked despaire and flie from him and so they are eternally tormented But some man will peraduenture obiect that all the wicked feele not these throbbes because some that haue wholy deuoted themselues to iniquitie and all abhomination do yet liue merily and are not vexed with such stormes of terror or remorse Whereunto I aunswer that many which seem to liue thus merily haue yet many inward gripings Pro. 14.10 when onely The heart knoweth the bitternesse of the soule Caligula that proude Atheist Qui deos tantoperè contemneret Sueton. in vita Cal. cap. 51. who did so scorn the Gods was wont to winke and wrappe the clothes about his head at the least flashes of lightening and at the greater would hide himselfe vnder his bed Did not his conscience terrifie him and tell him that there was a reuenging power But suppose they were alwaies exempted from these terrors as some no doubt are who haue senslesse hearts cauterised consciences 1. Tim. 4.2 yet is their condition no lesse miserable whilest this lethargie of their soules will not suffer them to seeke to the Physitian to be cured Poyson is poyson how plesantly soeuer it be confected and though these men bee led by Sathan Carion Chr. lib. 5. like Baiazeth by Tamberlaine in fetters of gold yet remember that they are speeding to hell Let me then for conclusion of this point propound vnto thee my Christian brother Rom. 6.21 the Apostles question to the Romanes What fruit had you of those things whereof you are now ashamed Consider the fruites of sinne and thou shalt finde them to be nothing but shame and sorrow and horror of conscience besides which if there were no other reason of restraint yet were this sufficient to withdraw any man not senslesse in his sinnes For what a miserable thing is it to be alwaies hanging ouer a dangerous and deepe water by some small bough and what a lamentable case is this to be euer fearefully looking for the dreadfull iudgment and violent fire Heb. 10.27 that shal deuoure the aduersarie Crucifie therefore thy affections with the lusts thereof and hold it not sufficient like the foolish Israelites to make them tributaries Ios 23.13 lest they proue worse then the Cananites not a whippe on thy side and thornes in thine eyes but a sword of sorrow wounding thy sinfull soule Indeuour also to embrace a holy conuersation and that will yeelde thee a quiet and good conscience and a good conscience will be a continuall feast Pro. 15.15 SECT 3. The third steppe of the wicked into hell in this life which is their dolefulll dying THe cuppe that yeeldes bitternesse in the first draught must needes be very bitter in the bottome If the life of a wretched sinner be so full of terror as hath bene shewed how terrible do we thinke his death shall bee Exod. 5. The Israelites were in great slauery in Aegypt but when they were readie to leaue the land their thraldome was much increased and so it fareth with incorrigible sinners in their liues they are Sathans slaues and their consciences are subiect to the scourges of remorse but at their death their miserie is augmented and their terrors trebled 1 It must needs be a great griefe to them to leaue the world with all the delights thereof which they haue loued so dearely Those that haue made this life their heauen it must needes bee a hell vnto them to lose it as it was a death vnto the children of Israell to leaue the flesh pots of Aegypt 2. They must part with their friends whether it be wife children or other associates no friendship can obtaine it no substance can procure it that the life may be prolonged Psal 49.7 For no man can by any meanes redeeme his brother he cannot giue his râ—nsome to God 3. They must leaue their friend Mammon the wealth and riches to which their soule cleaueth O death Eccles 41.1 how â—itter is the remembrance of thee to a man that liueth at rest in his possessions If onely the remembrance of future death be so bitter to a man in wealth prosperitie how irkesome shall it be to him when death it selfe standeth before his face readie to arrest him Well might Salomon say Eccles 5.15 this is an euill sicknesse But what should I speake of the losse of these toyes and trifles They must part with their liues Skinne for skinne and all that a man hath Iob. 2.4 will he giue for his life Life is sweet but not to be bought with all the wealth kingdomes of the world for death will claime his due and nature must be paid her tribute This is the way of all flesh but not the end of all flesh Happie were many if this were the tragicall catastrophe of their sinfull life that their sinnes might dye and be buried with them If the guest might take his meate and drinke and depart without paying any râ—ckoning it were well for him so if the wicked that hath taken his repast in sin might leaue the world and so an end their case were nothing lamentable but this is the death that after all this there is a reckoning to bee made Thus must a man part with his friends his pleasures his wealth yea and his life too The remembrance of his pleasures will possesse him with a double passion with griefe because he must leaue them with detestation because they haue bene the causes of his ruine the sight of friends shall vex him enuying
world must be brought to iudgement before him There are two principall things in our Sauiours appearing that shall abash and terrifie the wicked first his exceeding great maiestie secondly the strictnesse of his iudgement 1 The Scriptures in setting foorth the Maiestie of his comming are very copious He shall come in the cloudes of the heauen with power and great glorie Mat. 24.30 that men may behold him in his maiestie whom they would not before vouchsafe to looke vpon in his humilitie Esa 53.3 And this Maiestie shall be conspicuous and glorious in diuerse respects 1 In respect of the admirable signes that go before him which shall be correspondent to his admirable Maiestie Saint Matthew describeth them thus Mat. 24.29 And immediatly after the tribulation of those dayes shall the Sunne be darkened and the Moone shall not giue her light the Starres shall fall from heauen and the powers of heauen shall be shaken An eclipse being great hath bene very fearefull to some and the darkenesse at our Sauiours passion made the world to wonder how fearefull then and how wonderfull shall the comming of Christ to iudgement bee when the Sunne and Moone and Starres shall all lose their light and the heauens with their powerfull influences be vtterly obscured as inferiour lights are wont at the bright shining and glorious appearing of Christ Iesus When the Maister of the family dieth Chrysost in Mat. hom 49. the house is troubled the seruants lament and put on mourning apparell so when man the inhabitant of the world is neare his end and comming to his triall his old friends and seruants both in heauen and earth do thus clothe themselues in mourning weedes being also abashed to behold the glorie of the Sauiour of the world Saint Luke likewise saith Luk. 21.25 There shall be signes in the Sunne and in the Moone and in the Starres and vpon the earth trouble among the nations with perplexitie the sea and the waters shall roare and mens hearts shall faile them for feare and for looking after these things that shall come vpon the world Onely an earthquake if it be vehement is verie fearefull and the inundation of waters terrible but now when the whole massie globe of the earth shall totter and shake the mightie seas roare and rage and the glorious heauens become blacke and duskie how shall the hearts of men bee appalled with dread and terror to behold the same 2 Christs appearing shall be glorious in respect of his attendants not silly Fisher men as in the dayes of his infirmitie but holy Saints and blessed Angels as consorting with this day of Maiestie Jud. ver 14 Behold he cometh with thousands of his Saints to giue iudgement against all men and to rebuke all the vngodly c. And as Christ shall come with his many Saints so shall he appeare with his infinite troupe and traine of Angels Dan. 7.10 For thousand thousands shall minister to him and ten thousand thousands shall stand before him Yea he shall come with all his holy Angels and these being his fierie messengers Mat. 24.31 he shall send with a great sound of a trumpet to gather together the elect c. Thus glorious seruants shall attend a glorious maister If Saint Iohn a holy Euangelist fell at the feete of Christ as dead when he beheld him Reu. 1.17 and Esay a heauenly Prophet cryed out Wo be to me for I am of polluted lippes Esa 6.5 because he saw the King and Lord of hostes compassed with the glorious Seraphims shall not the maiestie of this great God Tit. 2.13 euen our Sauiour Iesus Christ daunt the hearts of the wicked at his appearing euen more then can bee expressed 3 Christs comming shall be glorious in regard of the complements of honour which he shall haue at his appearing 2. Thes 1.7 He shall come in flaming fire with the sound of an Archangell he shall come in the cloudes and ride vpon the wings of the winde Act. 1. It was straunge to see mount Sin a on fire at the deliuerie of the Law Eod. 19. but how straunge will it be when the heauens shall passe away 2. Pet. 3.10 and the elements shall melt with heate and the earth with the workes therein shall be burnt vp then shall he sit vpon a throne of glorie Mat. 25.31 and before him shall be gathered all nations The day was when he poore man stood before the iudgement seate of Pontius Pilate to receiue his sentence but now Pontius Pilate with all the potentates of the earth must stand before his throne to receiue their dolefull doom The gloriousnesse of which throne Daniell describeth Dan. 7.6 saying His throne was like a fierie flame and the wheeles like burning fire yea so full of dreadfull maiestie it is that when the earth and the sea do come to be arraigned before it they flye away Reu. 20.11 not able to behold the glorie thereof and the Iudge that sitteth thereupon And therfore whereas at his birth onely Ierusalem was troubled and at his passion Mat. 2. Luk. 22. the tender hearted women of Ierusalem wept now at his comming to iudgement Mat. 24.30 Reu. 1.7 All the kindreds of the earth shall mourne and waile before him Euen so Amen 2 Secondly as his appearing is glorious so shall the strictnesse of his iudgement be no lesse maruellous If a man might be called to an account for his grosse sinnes onely there were some hope of safetie but Christ will call for an account of euerie idle word Mat. 12. yea he will bring to iudgmēt euery secret thought Rom. 2.16 and who alas shall be able to answer him one of a thousand Job 9.3 When the Lord casteth his infinite discerning eye vpon the most excellent of his creatures Job 4.17.15.15 he findeth no stedfastnesse in them no not in his Saints and Angels yea the heauens are not clean in his sight This caused Dauid to say Heare my prayer ô Lord Psal 143.2 and hearken to my supplication but enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shall no flesh liuing be iustified If Dauid a man after Gods owne heart put vp his petition appealing from the iustice of God vnto his mercie how vnable shall the wicked be to stand foorth with boldnesse Psal 1. or to lift vp their heads with confidence in the day of iudgement What shall the shrubbe of the desert do Gregor when the Cedar of Paradise shall be shaken what shall the lambe doe where the Lyon doth tremble and if the righteous scarcely be saued 1. Pet. 4.18 where shall the vngodly and the sinner appeare The warie Auditor will consider the seuerall reckonings that hee is to make so should the wise Christian thinke vpon the particular accompts that Christ will exact at the generall day of iudgement Consider then that hee will call thee to
thy soule with the diamond of a deepe meditation and let it not passe thence till it haue wrought and perfected the worke of true repentance in mortifying thy corrupt affections and rectifying thy profane conuersation Otherwise assure thy selfe that if thou wilt not breake off thine iniquities by repentance and make an end of sinning thou shalt surely meet with a correspondent recompence for there shall be no end of thy torments The third part Of the ioyes of Heauen in generall WHEN Cyrus sought to win the hearts of the Persians to him Iustin lib. 1. he caused them to be assembled and to toyle and take great paines in cutting downe a wood and the next day after he feasted them and then demaunded whether they had rather liue as they did that day or the day before and when they all chose as no maruell to liue in mirth and feasting he told them that if they would follow Astyages their life should be as the day of toyling but promised that if they would sticke to him and be his followers it should be like the day of feasting The like is here propounded to thee my Christian brother in these Meditations If thou wilt follow the world and Satan the god of the world behold thou seest there is nothing to be got thereby but infinite toyle in this life and eternall torments in the life to come but if thou wilt take vp our Sauiours crosse and follow him Mat. 19.28 thou shalt surely haue the reward of euerlasting happinesse So that I may say to thee as Moses said to the Israelites Deu. 30.15 Behold I haue set before thee this day Life and good death and euill Onely in this I differ Ioh. 2.10 that as our Sauiour aâ— Cana in Galile reserued the best wine last so haue I first set before thee death and euill and now am to offer thee life and good that if it may be through the view of hels torments the kingdome of heauen may suffer violence Mat. 11. The eye of man is not able to behold the brightnesse of the heauens in a foggie mist neither can the eyes of our vnderstanding pierce thorough the mists of earthly vanities to that exceeding glory which shineth in the heauens If thou belong to the kingdome of God thou shalt in the Treatise following meet with the riches of that inheritance which doth belong to thee so that thou mayest reade it to thy exceeding comfort being the mappe and modell of that heauenly possession and habitation which Christ Iesus hath purchased for thee And if the same affect thee with ioy know this for thy further comfort that all this is infinitely lesse then that celestiall blisse whereof thou shalt one day be partaker CHAP. 1. SECT 1. The first steppe of the godly into heauen before the day of iudgement namely Sanctimonie of life WHilest the children of Israel were yet trauelling in the wildernes the Lord appointed Moses the man of God Deut. 34.1 to goe to the toppe of mount Nebo from whence he shewed him the spacious region of the pleasant laÌ„d of Canaan which afterwards the Israelites shold possesse so deales Almightie God with his seruants euen whilest they are trauelling in the wildernesse of this troublesome world he doth from the high tower of a sanctified speculation shew them an excellent prospect of the celestiall Canaan the kingdome of heauen the fruition and fee-simple whereof he will afterwards bestow vpon them And therefore one saith well Bern. Serm. super Ver. 10. cap. â—0 Sap. The kingdome of heauen is graunted promised shewed and receiued it is graunted in Predestination promised in Vocation shewed in Iustification and receiued in Glorification When Adam was in his innocencie hee had his habitation in the terrestriall Paradise so when the sonnes of Adam are in some measure restored by regeneration to that holinesse which they lost by their fathers fal they do enter into the celestiall Paradise Whereby those visions are fulfilled Reu. 3.12 that New Ierusalem is come downe out of heauen The tabernacle of God is with men and he is their God 21.3 and they are his people and God himselfe is their God with them This will be euident if we consider the heauenly priuiledges wherewith the Saints and seruants of God are indowed euen in this life To let passe the PatriciaÌ„ robes of the blessed Sacraments 1. They obtaine pardon and remission of their sinnes Psa 32.1 Blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered saith the Prophet Dauid Lo this blessednesse do the children of God obtaine in the remission of their sinnes And to this forgiuing of sin being the foundation of felicitie there is added the giuing of grace for the reformation of their liues for where sinne is pardoned there it is purged so that they are no more strangers from the life of God Eph. 2. but it is their meate and drinke to do the will of their heauenly father their thoughts and meditations are lifted aboue earthly cogitations their words are gracious as becommeth the heauenly citizens and their conuersation holy while they are clothed with the white robes of righteousnesse like the companie of our Sauiours blessed attendants in the kingdome of heauen Reu. 7.9 Thus are they by grace vnited vnto Almightie God obtaine his gracious protection Ioh. 17.22 according to our Sauiours heauenly petition as the Psalmist saith Psal 5.12 For the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Crowne implyeth more then a simple protection as Psal 84.11 1. Pet. 4.14 For thou Lord wilt blesse the righteous and with fauour wilt crowne and compasse him as with a shield So that the Lord doth euen in this life crowne his childreÌ„ with grace and glorie they may boldly come in the presence of God and talke with him in their prayers and they haue the benefite of his Angels attendance Psal 91. 2 Againe as they are vnited vnto God by grace so are they ingrafted into Christ who is the fountain of all heauenly happinesse and can say with the Apostle Gal. 2.20 I liue not any more but Christ liueth in me And a man thus established by faith in Christ may truly bee said to be in heauen as Saint Iohn saith Iohn 5.24 He hath euerlasting life and is alreadie passed from death to life There are many wretches which scorn the godly count their pietie folly Psal 4.2 and turne their glory into shame esteeming â—hem for the most base abiects of the world whereas their condition is most happie for though they be vnder the persecution of wicked Esau yet are they euen then with Iacob in Bethel Gen. 28.17 the house of God and the gate of heauen 3 Hereunto wee may adde the communion of Saints and fellowship with the elect Angels whereof the Apostle speaketh when he saith Phil. 3.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We are free
Citizens of heauen meaning indeede that as we are infranchised and incorporated into the heauenly Ierusalem our coÌ„uersation should bee correspondent to this dignitie And of this priuiledge doth he speak very comfortably Ephes 2.6 saying that God hath raised vs vp together made vs sit together in the heauenly places in Christ Iesus So that Gods Saints on earth though they be poore and base in regard of their outward estate yet being faithfull they are heires of grace and haue seates of honour in heauen together with the thrones and dominations and are therefore no more strangers and forrainers Eph. 2.19 but Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of faith True it is that as yet the childreÌ„ of God on earth do not actually but potentially and mystically enioy these priuiledges yet because of the present comfort and future certainetie thereof they are actually ascribed to them as alreadie obtained When our Sauior meanes to comfort his seruants to banish distrust of Gods prouidence he saith Feare not little flocke Luk. 12. for it is yours Fathers will to giue you a kingdome Loe this kingdome the Lord doth assure to his children in this life by giuing them the earnest of his spirit for the assurance of the same Howbeit 2. Cor. 5.5 as Dauid was annoynted by Samuel a great while before he obtained the Crowne so doth the Lord annoint his children in this life with the oyle of gladnesse but sets not the crowne of glory vpon their heades 2. Tim. 4.8 till the triumphant appearing of Christ Iesus 1. Joh 3.2 Dearely beloued euen now are we the sons of God saith Saint Iohn so that being adopted in Christ Rom. 8.17 and heires annexed with him we haue assurance of that heauenly dignitie which is prepared in the heauenly places for the sons of God Thus the godly in respect of the remission of their sinnes the sanctificatioÌ„ of lâ—fe their vnioÌ„ with God their ingrafting into Christ their Communion with the Saints and other priuiledges of grace and happinesse whereof they are possessed may very well bee said to haue made an entrance and set foot into the kingdome of heauen and to haue a glimpse of that glory which shall shine most resplendently at the great day of reward These things being wisely weighed in the ballance of a sanctified soule yeeld sundrie profitable vses 1. Hereby a man may haue triall of his future estate by duly considering his present condition Is thy hart profane thy faith dead and thy conuersation wicked then may I say to thee as Iehu said to IehoraÌ„ 2. King 9. What hast thou to do with peace what hast thou to do with the kingdome of heauen which belongeth onely to the righteous and hath no roome for the vnrighteous 1. Cor. 6.9 Reu. 21.27 nor entertaineth any vncleane thing But canst thou discerne in thy selfe a sound faith though it be like smoking flâ—xe and an vpright conuersation albeit not free from all infirmitie then may I say to thee as our Sauiour said to Zachaeus Luk. 19.9 This day is saluation come to thy house thou hast set one foote into heauen 2 This may be a motiue to holinesse of life and conuersation Some in the weakenesse or profanenesse of their hearts will bee readie to demaund Mal. 3 14. What profite is it to keepe Gods commandements to walk humbly before the Lord of hostes and behold such a one may here receiue an answer for we see that the godly are in this life interessed in many heauenly priuiledges and shall assuredly in the life to come be partakers of euerlasting happinesse Therfore Saint Peter hauing exhorted men to linke a iustifying faith with sanctified vertues in a golden chaine concludes his exhortation with this reason 2. Pet. 1.5.11 For by this meanes an entring shall be ministred vnto you abundantly into the euerlasting kingdome of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ making the kingdom of Grace the portall to the kingdome of Glorie 3 To a faithfull and a godly man this meditation may minister much cause of true comfort Luk. 10. Reioyce in this saith our Sauiour that your names are written in heauen so let this bee thy comfort my Christian brother that the Almightie hath enrolled thee amongst the holy companie of heauen And herein blesse God for his mercie with the blessed Apostle who considering the greatnesse of his fauour vouchsafed to the Colossians rendreth hearty thanks to God for deliuering them out of the power of darknesse Col. 1.13 and translating them into the kingdome of his deare sonne A man that stands vpon a high and sure rocke laughes to scorne the rough surges of the raging seas and so may a Christian that hath laide this good foundation of a sound faith and a sanctified life safely reioyce against all the surges of troubles and temptations whatsoeuer For though the raine fall Mat. 7.25 and the flouds come and the windes blow and beat vpon this building it shall not fall because it is builded vpon a rocke yea the gates of hell shall not be able to preuaile against it SECT 2. The second steppe to heauen before the day of iudgement namely Peace of conscience AS sorrow of heart and horror of conscience are the vsuall fruites of sinne and iniquitie so is ioy of heart and peace of conscience an ordinarie companion of godlinesse and honestie Gen. 3.8 Adam hauing transgressed and defiled himselfe with sinne when God cals for him doth hide himselfe Abraham a man of a sound faith prompt obedience Gen. 22.1 when the Lord speakes to him answereth chearefully Here am I. Thus we see both parts of the Prouerbe fulfilled Prou. 28.1 The wicked flyeth when none pursueth him but the righteous is bold as a lyon When the heauens are clogged with foggie mists it causeth a sudden darkenesse vpon the face of the earth and when the bodie is oppressed with pale melancholie humors the heart is heauie and the countenance cast downe but the mistes being expelled by the brightnesse of the Sunne all the Horizon laughes for ioy and the pale humors being purged the heart is ioyfull and makes the countenance chearfull So do the mistes and humors of sinne clogge and molest the heart of man but the same being expelled and purged by the bright Sun-shine of righteousnesse the heart is enlarged and reioyceth yea daunceth with ioy as Dauid speaketh Psal 13.5 and the heart being ioyfull maketh a chearefull coâ—ntenance Pro. 15.13 so that the voyce of ioy and gladnesse is heard in the tabernacles of the righteous Psa 118.15 And this ioyfulnesse of hart chearefulnesse of face and gladnesse of tongue do testifie Rom. 14.7 that the kingdome of God is righteousnesse peace and ioy in the holy Ghost Of this fruite doth Salomon speake where he saith Pro. 15.15 That a good conscience is a continuall feast setting it foorth with the same
comparison that Saint Iohn vseth in describing the ioyes of the kingdome of heauen calling them the Lambes supper Reu. 19 9. but indeed all the delicates in the world are not to be compared to the feasting of a good conscience This the Spouse sheweth in the second of the Canticles Can. 2.5 He brought me into his wineseller Loue was his banner ouer me Lo here the Ambrosian Nectar wherewith Christ Iesus maketh the heart of his spouse glad causing her to cry out Stay me with flagons Ver. 6. and comfort me with apples for I am sicke with loue where the sacred soule is cast into a holy swound being rauished with the vnspeakeable comfort that she enioyes vpon this peace of conscience Indeed these heauenly ioyes and comforts are not tasted of the wicked for how can they see that haue no eyes or those rellish the peace of coÌ„science which want their spirituall tast Yea who is able to expresse the excellencie of this peace nay who is able to conceiue it but those that enioy it Neither indeed are they able for it passeth all vnderstanding Phil. 4.7 In respect of which large excelleÌ„cie of the peace of conscience it may very wel be counted a part of the kingdome of heauen whose ioyes are endlesse and infinite If we consider the fountains also from whence this spirituall peace doth spring wee shall perceiue that our present comfort vpon earth and future consolation to be enioyed hereafter in heauen do both arise and flow from the same heads and fall into the same Ocean of felicitie 1 A iustifying faith yeelds this peace Rom. 5.2 for being iustified by faith wee haue peace towards God through our Lord Iesus Christ And this peace yeelds ioy as it followeth in the next verse and that no small ioy for they that doe truely beleeue in Christ Iesus 1. Pet. 1.8 doe reioyce with ioy vnspeakeable and glorious What could the Apostle haue said more of the ioy which the Saints shall enioy hereafter in the kingdome of heauen then to call it Vnspeakable glorious no maruell for as the first sight of the blind man wherby he saw men walke like trees Mar. 8.28 was the same whereby he saw them to be men a far off though it was at the first more confused so the inchoate ioy and peace of coÌ„science which wee obtaine in this life being vnspeakeable glorious and passing all vnderstanding hath more then a resemblance of that celestiall glorie which shall be imparted more abundantly and perfectly in the life to come 2 The children of God are endued with the spirit of God whereby they receiue the comfortable testimonie of their adoption Rom. 8. the same manumitting spirit doth also yeeld them most heauenly consolation Ioh. 14.16 3. This peace of conscience is the fruite of a holy conuersation as I said before and the Apostle can tell vs of his owne experience for his reioycing is this 2. Cor. 1.12 the testimonie of his conscience that in simplicitie and godly purenesse he hath had his conuersation in the world Besides this there is also an vndoubted Hope which being the first fruites of the spirit doth after a sort put the children of God in possession of the kingdome of heauen So that wheÌ„ they do from the watch tower of a good conscience lift vp this Iacobs staffe or rather this Iacobs ladder Gen. 28.12 of a stedfast hope vnto the heauens and there behold with holy Stephen the glory of God Act. 7. it rauisheth and reioyceth their hearts more then any tongue is able to expresse Thus do the godly in this life tast of the ioyes of heauen the sweetnesse whereof is such that it swalloweth vp all the waues of temporall distresses causing them with Paule and Silas to sing Psalmes in the prison and to say with Dauid Act. 16.25 Psa 94.19 In the middest of all my troubles thy comforts ô Lord haue refreshed my soule Which maruellous effect this peace of conscience could neuer haue in encountering and conquering these infinite earthly calamities were it not of a diuine and heauenly Nature But what haue all the children of God this peace and comfort alike Surely no but according to Zeba Zalmunnaes words As the man is Iud. 8.21 so is his strength it may be said in this case as the man is so is his comfort and ioy For where the life is qualified with a great measure of grace there the heart is replenished with a great measure of ioy Neither are these ioyes alwaies participated alike but as the heauens are sometime bright and sometime obscured so the Sunne of comfort shineth sometimes more brightly sometimes obscurely in the hearts of Gods children So that one while they complaine thus Psal 77. Will the Lord absent himselfe for euer and will hee shew no more fauour and other whiles Psal 35.9 their soule is ioyfull in the Lord and all their bones do say Who is like vnto thee ô Lord yet euen in their greatest distresse Dulciores sunt lachrymae orantâ—uÌ„ quà m gaudia Theatrorum Aug. super Psal 1â—7 the very teares of the godly are sweeter then all the showtes laughters at the Theaters This being the excellencie of the peace of conscience let it be thy care good Christian to obtaine and maintaine it A kinde and comfortable friend is much woorth but who can prize the peace of a quiet conscience Lo it was the best hymne the blessed Angels could sing Luk. 2.14 Glorie be to God in the highest heauens and peace on the earth The best Legacie our Sauiour could leaue to his seruants My peace I leaue with you Iohn 14.27 my peace I giue you The best prayer the Apostle could make for the Thessalonians Now the Lord of peace 2. Thes 3.16 giue you peace alwaies by all means Though there be many that say Psal 4. Who will shew vs any good and haue their minds wholy set vpon their corne their wine and oyle yet the godly haue more true gladnesse from the Lords countenance by a thousand degrees then the worldling hath in all these transitorie trifles Hast thou a good conscience then cherish it it is the greatest blessing vnder heauen Is this peace and comfort of conscience wanting or weake in thee then vse the meanes whereby the same is procured and preserued Labour to obtaine a sound faith a sanctified life Esa 32.17 for the worke of righteousnesse is peace Melchizedec being king of righteousnesse Heb. 7.2 was after that the king of peace get righteousnesse and peace will follow it Psal 85.11 For righteousnesse and peace will kisse each other yea the more thou art conuersant in holinesse of conuersation the more abundant shalt thou be in the comfortable peace of conscience For where righteousnesse flourisheth Psal 72.7 there shall be abundance of peace Behold it will be thy companion both
As bodies that haue fewest bad humors are least shaken with agues so those that are freest from sinne though death assault them bitterly are least annoyed by the pains and terror of death Our Sauiour saith Ioh. 16.33 Be of good cheare I haue ouercome the world and I may say Bee of good cheare 2 Cor. 15.16 for Christ hath ouercome death 2 This may be an occasion to mitigate that extreme sorrow which many take vppon the death of their godly friends seeing their death yeeldeth rather cause of coÌ„fort then of sorrow of mirth then of mourning and of reioycing rather then of weeping and lamenting If you loued me you would reioyce saith our Sauiour to his disciples because I said Ioh. 14.28 I goe to the Father so those that loue their friends indeed haue cause to reioyce rather then to mourne for their death because they go to be glorified with their heauenly Father The little child that sees the mother cutting and bruising the sweet and pleasant hearbes and flowers is sorie because hee thinkes they are spoiled but the mother hath a purpose to preserue theÌ„ whereby they are made much better A simple bodie that should see the Gold-smith melting the pure mettals would bee discontent imagining that all were marred whereas the skilfull workeman hath a purpose to cast some excellent peece of plate thereof So wee silly men when the Lord cuts off some of our friends by death like the flower and lets others wither like the greene hearbe and when he melteth them in the fornace of the graue are ouercome with sorrowfull conceipts as though some euill thing were befallen our friendes whereas we should remember that the Lord hath a purpose by this meanes to preserue them and to transforme them into that glorious estate which the Angels enioy in heauen And this reason is first intimated and after plainely expressed by Saint Paule in his dehortation to the Thessalonians I would not brethren haue you ignorant concerning them which are asleepe 1. Thes 4.13 that you sorrow not as others which haue no hope Who would be sorrie to see his friend fall asleepe seeing that thereby he is made lightsome fresh and lustie Now death is to the godly nothing but a sleepe whereby they are refined and refreshed why should we then be offended therewith If thy friend which dieth bee wicked then hast thou iust cause of mourning but if thou knewest him to liue and die in the feare of God howsoeuer nature or affection may haue force to wring teares from thine eyes or sighes from thy heart yet hast thou reason to reioyce and be glad for his happie change as Augustine his example may teach Aug confe lib. 9. v. who bridled the infirmitie of Nature and suppressed his teares at his mothers death though he honoured and loued her dearely thinking it an vnfit thing to celebrate her funerals with weeping and wailing because she had liued religiously and died vertuously 3 To conclude this point me thinkes if there were no farther reason to perswade yet euen this meditation might mooue any one to the practise of godlinesse in that it yeeldeth this heauenly peace of conscience in the time of our life and eternall consolation at the day of our death Oh what a sweete comfort will it be to thee my Christian brother when friends honour wealth dignities and all other comfortes in the world become vaine and faile thee to haue the ioyfull peace of conscience to rest with thee When thou shalt bee able recounting thy sincere care in Gods seruice to pray with good Nehemiah Neh. 13.22 Remember me ô my God concerning this to say with godly Hezechiah vpon his death bed 2. King 20.3 I beseech thee ô Lord remember now how I haue walked before thee in truth and with a perfect hart and haue done that which is good in thy sight and with our blessed Sauiour before his passion Ioh. 17.4 Father I haue glorified thee on earth I haue finished the worke which thou gauest me to doe For then shall the vprght câ—nscience eccho a comfort to thy humble soule and either the Lord wil enlarge the lease of thy life with Hâ—zechiah or glorifie thee in the heauens with his beloued Sonne CHAP. 2. SECT 1. The first steppe into heauen at the day of iudgement namely A blessed Resurrection IF the godly in this life and at the day of their death haue a tast of those heauenly ioyes which cannot be expressed how much more shall they haue in the resurrection when body and soule shall both be reunited and indued with a blessed condition Therefore do the Scriptures describe the excellencie of the resurrection by sundry comfortable metaphors Ioh. 12. 1. Cor 15. Saint Paule compares it to the husbandmans haruest when reaping and receiuing the fruites of his labours his heart reioyceth and so shall it be to the godly for they which sowe in teares at the day of death shall reape in ioy at their resurrection Pro. 19.17 2. Salomon saith hee which hath pittie on the poore lendeth to the Lord and looke what he layeth out it shall bee payed him againe Now men that haue great debts desire earnestly the day of payment and behold our Sauiour calleth the day of resurrection Luk. 14.14 The day of payment because then hee hauing his reward with him Reu. 22.12 will come foorth of euerie ones debt and reward their goodâ—esse with glorie 3. Those that labor must needes haue a time to rest in that so they may be refreshed Our life is nothing but labour our death a sleepe and therefore the Apostle fitly calles the resurâ—ection Act. 3.19 Thâ— time of refreshing being as the gladsome morning to a siâ—ke man Psal 49.14 15. which hath tossed and turned vp and downe wearily all the night long The bird that hath bene kept a great while in a cage will chaunt it merrily when shee commeth foorth into the open aire the prisoner that hath lyen loÌ„g in the duÌ„geon reâ—oyceth exceedingly when he hath obtained libertie so shall the resurrection be ioyfull and comfortable to the godly when they are deliuered from the cage and prison of the graue and restored into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God Rom. 8.21 There is nothing that doth better râ—semble set foorth the excellencie of the Resurrection then the spring time for as we flourish in our childhood bring foorth fruite in our youth waxe ripe in our old age and wither at our death so wee spring fresh againe at our resurrection The trees in winter being despoiled of their leaues the garden of the flowers and the fields of the grasse do seeme vtterly to perish but when the Spring time comes they all waxe as fresh and flourishing as euer they were so the body which during the winter of many ages is depriued of her beautie and turned to rottennesse doth at the Spring time of the resurrection
we leade a sanctified life for such honour and happinesse haue all his Saints SECT 3. The third steppe into heauen at the day of iudgement namely The comfortable and honorable sentence of acquiting Come you blessed of my Father THe Lord by his Euangelicall Prophet did in times past make this gracious promise concerning his forlorne desolate Church In an acceptable time haue I heard thee Esa 49 8. in the day of saluation haue I helped thee And Saint Paule making the time of promulgation of the Gospell the period of his promise addeth by the way of exemplification 2. Cor. 6.2 Behold now the accepted time behold the day of saluation If the Apostle spake thus of the time wherein saluation was published and offered how much more may it bee said of the day wherein saluation is giuen and receiued Behold the day of saluation euen now behold it when the Sauiour of the world is become the Iudge of the world and shall pronounce the comfortable sentence of mercie and absolution Come yee blessed of my Father Mat. 25.34 possesse the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world In which sentence euery word hath his woorth and weight and deserues to be ingraued in letters of gold Come saith Christ there is a blessed vocation ye blessed of my Father a gracious appellation possâ—sse the kingdome a happie exaltation prepared for you from the beginning of the world the foundation of all consolation It is worthie the obseruation that all Christs words are words of consolation his deedes are deedes of compassion and his workes the workes of propitiation Thus is Christ alwaies lâ—ke himselfe exceeding compassionate In the time of his life hee cryes Come vnto me all you that labour and are heauie laden Mat. 11.28 and I will refresh you Ioh. 7.37 If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke At his death vpon the crosse his armes are stretched out and his bloud gusheth forth as if he should say Come that I may wash thee come that I may embrace thee At the day of iudgement he cals Come ye blessed of my Father receiue the kingdome prepared for you And this Come is most comfortable of all others being such a word as Salomon speakes of Like apples of gold Prou. 25.11 with pictures of siluer euen as precious and pleasant as possibly may be Come yea but who You blessed of my father There are sundry kinds of blessings mentioned in the word of God Psal 5. Thou Lord wilt blesse the righteous and with fauour wilt crowne him as with a shield there is the blessing of protection The Lord blessed the house of O bed Edom 1. Ch. 13.14 and all that hee had there is the blessing of prosperitie Psa 128.3 Thy children shall bee like the Oliue plants round about thy table there is the blessing of procreatioÌ„ Thou crownest the yeare with thy goodnesse Psal 65.11 and thy steppes droppe fatnesse there is the blessing of plentie Euen in these and such like are the godlâ— often blessed but the Blessing of blessings is that which is here mentioned Come you blessed Mat. 25.34 receiue the kingdome And this blessednesse is both obtained by Christ and pronounced by him Isaiah 65.8 Destroy not my Vine saith the Lord and why for a blessing is in it Receiue the kingdome saith our Sauiour why because you are the blessed of my Father Happie are the people that are in such a case yea happie and thrise happie are they who are the blessed of the Lord. Our Sauiour somtimes promiseth the kingdome of God Luk. 12. Feare not little flocke it is your Fathers will to giue you a kingdome Sometimes hee exhorteth men to seeke the kingdome of God Mat. 6. First seeke the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof and his promise is comfortable his exhortation profitable But behold here hee takes men by the hand and bids them come and take possession of the kingdome which is much more comfortable because fruition farre exceedeth expectation That was a gladsome speech of Christ to the penitent thiefe Luk. 23.43 This day shalt thou bee with me in Paradise but this is farre more gladsom when Christ shall say Come and possesse it and so shall presently take both soule and bodie into his eternall kingdome If Dauid said Psa 1.122 I was glad when they said vnto me We will go into the house of the Lord how ioyfull and glad shall the children of God be wheÌ„ Christ shall say vnto them Come you blessed of my Father into the house of God euen the kingdome of heauen This was Gods bountifull goodnesse to Adam that before he was created the Lord had prouided abundantly for him and furnished most exquisitly as it were for a great guest the tables both of heauen the earth and the sea with all things necessarie for his vse and delight But behold here a greater mercie of the Lord towards the elect that altogether without their merite not onely before they were borne but euen before the foundations of the world were laid the Lord hath prepared a blessed and glorious kingdome for theÌ„ And this is the elects happinesse that at the last day when these foundations of heauen and earth shall bee shaken Christ will call them most graciously to possesse the kingdome which cannot be shaken Heb. 12. Wee reade in the first of Luke Luk. 1.44 that Elizabeth wondered at the blessed Virgins visiting of her and said that so soone as the voice of her salutation sounded in her eares the babe in her wombe did leape for ioy Shall not our Sauiours sentence bee more admirable then the Virgins salutation and as soone as it sounds in the eares of the elect shall it not cause the hearts in their bellies euen to leape for ioy Seeing now that the condition of the godly is so happie that they shall bee partakers of this thrise happie sentence let euery ones care and carriage bee such that he may enioy the comfort thereof For as they onely are the sheepe of Christ which heare his voice in the ministerie of his holy word Ioh. 10.27 and follow him in the steppes of righteousnesse so shall they onely be the sheepe on his right hand they onely shall heare him say vnto them Come you blessed of my Father and follow him into his kingdome Mat. 25.33 To those that haue fedde him being hungrie clothed him being naked and visited him being sicke and in prison to those that haue sanctified his Sabboths honoured his name embraced his word and dealt vprightly with their neighbours to them I say doth this blessing belong Let no man then bee ouercome with Dauids infirmitie to say I haue cleansed my heart in vaine and washed my hands in innocencie For the Apostles words shall euer bee found true Your worke shall not bee in vaine in the Lord. 1. Co. 15.58 And behold here
a recompence as thou mayest lift vp pure hands with comfort in this life so shall Christ take thee by the hand at the day of iudgement Mat. 25. and say to thee Enter into thy maisters ioy When the kings daughter is all glorious within Psal 45. and her clothing of wrought gold shee shall be brought vnto the king with ioy and gladnesse and shall enter into the kings Pallace and so shall it bee done to euery sanctified Christian at the last day he shall bee brought by the blessed Angels to Christ the most blessed king with great ioy hauing heard his gracious sentence Come yee blessed shall enter into his glorious pallace the kingdome of heauen and possesse the same for euer and euer CHAP. 3. SECT 1. The first steppe into heauen after the last iudgement namely Freedome from miserie EXperience teacheth that the consideration of passed miserie doth giue a sweet rellish to future felicitie Olim haec meminisse iuuabit Virg Aened 1. the remembrance of the fierce assaults sharpe conflicts and deadly fights is ioyfull to the souldier the cogitation of escape from the deuouring gulfes perilous rockes and dangerous streights yeeld delight vnto the mariner and is not the sicke man glad when the extremitie of his fit is past though he be not as yet restored to his perfect health So fareth it with the children of God at the last day the consideration of their deliuerance from the dangerous combats with sinne and Sathan their escaping the perilous sayling in the seas of this troublesome world and freedome from the sicke fits of their inward corruptions doth adde abundantly to their euerlasting happines in the world to come and the greater their troubles or daungers haue bene the more is their comfort Now to the end that this happinesse of the children of God may the better appeare the mappe of escaped miseries is to bee considered of vs as that blessed Captaine and Pilot Christ Iesus with his seruants and souldiers haue described the same in the sacred Scriptures 1 The soule is deliuered from disordered passions as hope and feare ioy and sorrow which contending like so manie contrarie disordered elements and humors in the bodie and strugling like the hote exhalation in a cold cloud do distract the mind and rent the soule like a cloud When man was at vnitie with God there was a sweet harmonie friendship betweene all the faculties of his soule but when man rebelled against his God as al the external creatures opposed themselues against him to worke his ruine so did his internall cogitations conspire against him to be reuenged on him for his sinne and now that man is reconciled and acquited by the finall sentence of the great Iudge all his vnruly and rebellious perturbations are brought into subiection 2 The godly are deliuered from sundrie outward calamities as sicknes pains labour reproch c. to the which the dearest seruants of God are subiect yea froÌ„ the which the Son of God in the dayes of his infirmitie was not exempted for Dauid had a Doeg to accuse him a Shimei to reuile him 1. Sam. 22.9 2. Sam. 16.7 1. Sam. 24. c. a Saul to persecute him But now Ioh. 16. the sorrowes of the godly shall be turned into ioy Reu. 21.4 and Christ will wipe all teares from their eyes Euen as tender hearted mothers do wipe from the eyes of their little babes the teares which they shedde through the sense of some calamitie so will the Lord with the handkerchiffe of compassion drie vp the streames of his childrens teares that issued from the springs of dolour 3 They are deliuered froÌ„ the prouocations allurements of the wicked world which is the fanne and firebrand of iniquitie Reu. 19.20 For the beast and that false Prophet which wrought miracles whereby hee deceiued the world shall now be cast into a lake that burnes with fire and brimstone there to bee tormented for euer and all the vngodly shall bee destroyed with an euerlasting perdition 2. Thes 1.9 and so shall neuer haue power any more to tempt or torment the children of God That was a gracious petition of our blessed Sauiour I pray not Ioh. 17.15 that thou shouldest take them out of the world but that thou shouldst keepe them from euill But forasmuch as the most sanctified seruants of God whilst they are in the world are not free from all prouocations of euill happie is he that is freed from dwelling any longer in Mesech and hauing his habitation amongst the tents of vngodlinesse 4 They are deliuered from the power of the diuel who now goeth about like a roaring Lyon 1. Pet. 5.8 seeking whom he may deuoure Christ came to loose the workes of the Diuell 1. Ioh. 3.8 and albeit hee hath not as yet vtterly crushed his power Rom 16.20 yet is hee the God of peace that will shortly treade downe Sathan vnder our feet and cast him into the lake of fire and brimstone Reu. 20.10 Saint Iohn hauing related a victorie ouer Sathan Reu. 12.12 bids Reioyce therefore you heauens and yee that dwell therein and shall not the seruants of God haue great cause to reioyce now when not onely Sathans power is weakened his fierce darts quenched but himselfe vtterly subdued and fettered in the infernall lake for euer 5 They are deliuered froÌ„ the slauerie of sinne which is grieuous to all those that desire to liue godly The sense hâ—reof made Saint Paule crye out Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee from the bodie of this death Lo here is the deliuerance that the holy Apostle did so earnestly desire For the cause ceassing the effects must needes follow mans corruptions being conquered the worlds allurements abolished and Sathans darts quenched the soule and bodie of man being reformed and refined there shall neither remaine any cause of sinne or if there did any fit subiect for sinne to worke vpon And now is the time when the spouse of Christ shall bee washed and cleansed Eph. 5.26.27 that shee may bee without spot or wrinkle 6 They are deliuered from death as Saint Iohn saith There shall bee no more death Reu. 21.14 And no maruell for as light expelleth darknesse so eternall life putteth death to flight Rom. 6.23 Death is the reward of sinne so that sinne being abandoned death must needs be abolished Can that which is immortall dye to affirme that were to vtter a senslesse coÌ„tradiction Therfore when this corruptible 1. Co. 15.54 hath put on incorruption and this mortall hath put on immortalitie then shall bee brought to passe that saying that is written Death is swallowed vp into victorie If our first parents had kept themselues vpright they could not haue died for their state was angelicall neither can the Saints of God dye now because they are like to the Angels Luk. 20.36 7 Lastly they are deliuered
meditations is rather to stirre vp the affections of the godly then to conuerse with the conceipts of any curiously affected August de Genes ad Li er lib. 2. cap. 9. I like his iudgement who holds the disputes about the forme and figure of the heauens to bee vnprofitable and his censure Damasc de Orthodox fid lib. 2. c. 6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. who saith That to search out the substance of them is vnlawfull whereunto if I may adde my owne opinioÌ„ I hold it impossible Farewell theÌ„ to the schoolemens friuolous and fruitlesse discourses about the forme the substance and quantity of the heauens Very glorious things are spoken of thee Psal 87.3 thou citie of God If the Prophet might say so of the terrestriall Ierusalem how much more may it iustly bee said of the celestiall citie which is aboue and the mother of vs all And Saint Iohn indeede hath made a very excellent description of that glorious kingdome Reu. 21. calling it first in generall Reu. 21.11 The holy Ierusalem which had the gloâ—ie of God shining in it and her shining was like a stone most precious as a Iasper stone and cleare as Christall Then in particular he sets downe the forme of it which was very perfect being quadrangular then the quantitie it was large and spacious containing many cubits then the matter and ornaments of it which was pure gold and all manner of precious stones then the adiuncts belonging to it the brightnes of glorie shining therein By which speeches borrowed from things which are most precious in mens estimation Saint Iohn would teach vs to conceiue of those excellencies Ioh. 14.1 which no man indeed is able to value Our Sauiour cals heauen his Fathers house and therefore it must needes be exceeding beautifull and glorious Dan. 4. Nebuchadnetsar spake ambitiously of his Pallace Is not this great Babel which I haue built for the house of the kingdome by the might of my power and for the honour of my maiestie But of the Lords house it may be iustly said Is not that great Bethel which the Lord himselfe hath built for the house of his kingdome the habitations of his Saints and for the honour and ornament of his Maiestie If the heauens which are subiect to vanitie Psal 19.1 do declare the glorie of God what shall the pure and Christall heauens doe when they are changed and refined Hâ—b 1. If the builders of the tabernacle were renowmed as those that had perfected an excellent worke Psal 74.5 how much more excellent shall that tabernacle bee whose maker and builder is Heb. 11.10 God Psal 84.1 Oh how amiable are thy dwelling places ô Lord of hostes Doth the beautie of the temple exceede Dauids conceipt and leaue him to the taske of admiration Oh how admirable amiable and glorious do wee thinke the kingdome of heauen shall bee Reu. 21.22 where the Lord God Almightie and the Lambe are the temple where the king is Veritie the lawes Charitie the honour Equitie the peace Felicitie the life Eternitie as Saint Augustine saith Plutar. in vita Them 2 Themistocles hauing a peece of ground to sell appointed the Cryer to proclaime in the sale thereof that whosoeuer would buy it should haue a good neighbour so although the kindome of heauen be excellent of it selfe yet Almightie God sending foorth his Criers and Ambassadors to offer the same to the world Mat. 3. 2. Cor. 5. hath caused them to adde this in their proclamation That whosoeuer obtaineth it shall haue many good neighbours euen the holy Saints and blessed Angels that which is aboue all he shall behold God Almightie and Christ Iesus the immaculate Lambe of God shining there in most resplendent glorie Reue. 22.4 They shal see his face and his name shall bee in their foreheads This was one of the last requests made by Christ in the behalfe of his Church Father I will that those which thou hast giuen me Ioh. 17.24 be with me euen whâ—re I am that they may behâ—ld my glorie which thou hast giuen me a gracious petition for a blessed habitation and a glorious vision How earnestly did Moses importune the Lord Exo. 33.18 saying I beseech thee shew me thy glorie and it was a singular fauour that the Lord vouchsafed to shew him a glimpse of his glorie which he calleth his backe parts Vers 23. because a man is almost past fight when his backe is turned But behold Christ hath prayed for and the Lord hath promised a more glorious view of him in the life to come 1. Ioh. 3.2 For wee know that when he shall be made manifest we shall see him as he is A man that lookes into the sea cannot see to the bottome and he that lookes vp to the heauens can behold no further then the HorizoÌ„ and so indeed is this vision of Gods Saints bounded in the limites of finitenesse Yet is there as great difference betweene their present and future contemplation of glorie 1. Cor. 13. as betweene looking a man in the face and beholding him in a glasse for then they shall as fully behold the glorie of God as the fraile condition of mankinde may possibly permit When the Queene of Sheba had seene al the honour and magnificence of Salomon shee said with admiration Happie are thy men 1. Kin. 10.8 happie are these thy seruants that stand euer before thee and heare thy wisedome If those were so happie who stood before Salomon to behold and heare his wisedome oh how happie shall they bee who shall stand before Almightie God and our blessed Sauiour to behold and see their glorie Psal 16.11 For in their presence is the fulnesse of ioy and at thâ—ir right hand are pleasures for euermore And this is the cause Psa 42 1.2 that as the Hart brayeth for the riuers of waters so do the soules of the godlie pant after the Lord longing to appeare before his presence The ponderous stone inclineth downeward and lighter substances are carried vpward thus euery thing seeks his center Now the Lord is the Soules Center and like Noahs doue it finds no rest till it returne to him that gaue it Aug. Confes lib. 1. cap. 1 according to Augustines saying O Lord thou hast made vs for thy selfe and our heart is vnquiet till it rest in thy selfe But when the soule of man hath once attained this mercie then can the child of God say Psal 17.15 I will behold thy face in righteousnesse and 〈◊〉 satisfied with it because it yeelds him the fulnesse of comfort and contentation 3 When Christ was transfigured vpoÌ„ the mount wee reade that Peter albeit himselfe was not changed Luk. 9.33 said vnto our Sauiour Iesus maister it is good to be here If Peter spake thus onely vpon the view of Christs transfiguration how much more shall the children of God reioyce at the last