hadst so ordered thy life that in 〈◊〉 houre thou might'st haue God pâ—â—â—pitious vnto thee Thirdly that 〈◊〉 remember how great austere pâ—â—nitence thou wouldst then willing 〈◊〉 vnder-take if time might be grâ—â—â—ted thee ¶ The Authour purposely intreâ—â—teth of death in his first booke 〈◊〉 prayer meditation also in his Eâ—â—ercises in the meditation on Wâ—â—â—nesday at night likewise in the Siâ—â—ners guide lib. 1. cap. 7. in the â—â—â—cond part of this booke cap. 7. 〈◊〉 in the 3. part chap. 8. The Argument â—he day of iudgement an exact acâ—â—unt shal be required at a Christiâ—ns handes of all his thoughts and â—orkes done in this life The sinner 〈◊〉 the iust iudgement of God shall 〈◊〉 cast downe headlong into perpeâ—â—all affliction plaints darknes â—f the infernall prison There whilst 〈◊〉 is tortâ—red with most ardent torâ—â—res and punishments full of rage â—nd burning with wrath against â—od he shal curse excruiate him â—â—lfe calling to memory all those eâ—ils which he hath done and those â—ood things which he hath neglected â—o doe For which cause who soeuer â—ill not fall into these desasters let â—im repent whilst he hath time CHAP. 3. AFter death followeth euery mans perticuler iudgement after that the vniuersal of al men wheÌ„ as that which the Apostle teacheth shal be fulâ—â—d We must all of vs be manifeâ—â—â—â— before the tribunall of Christ that euery one may receiue accoâ—â—ding to that which he hath done 〈◊〉 his body either good or bad Many thinges are to be consideâ—red in this iudgement but the chieâ—fest of them is diligently to wey 〈◊〉 what things the account shal be exacted from vs. I will search saytâ— our Lord IerusaleÌ„ by candle light and I will visite vppon the men thâ—â— are intent on their dreggs The maner of speaking in holy Scripture is to signifie that the thinges of leaâ—â— consequence shal be both discust examined in that day euen as meâ— in slight things are wont to light a candle and search euery corner oâ— the house For there is not any one vaine cogitation of thine or moment of time euilly and vnfruitfully let slip by thee wherof a reason shal not be required at thy hands Who woulde not tremble and shake euery lym of him when heâ— heareth the words of our Lord Verely verely I say vnto you of euery idle worde that men haue spoken they shall giue a reason in the day of iudgement Well â—hen if an account must be made of those words â—hich offend no man what shal be â—nswered for dishonest words vnâ—hast cogitations for handes full of â—lood for adulterous euils Finalâ—â— for all the time of our life loosely â—onsumed in the works of iniquity â—f this bee true as it is most true â—hat tongue what eloquence may â—eport so much of the rigor and seâ—eritie of this iudgement which â—â—all not be lesser then the truth of â—he thing it selfe or what is it may â—ny wayes bee equalled with the â—â—me Howe shall the wretched man â—â—and heere amazed and astonished â—hen in the circle ofso many Senaâ—ors and the presence of so great a â—ounsaile the account shal be chalâ—enged at his handes of the least â—ord which such or such a day he â—â—ake fondly and without fruite Who would not be amazed at this â—uestion VVho durst say these â—â—inges except Christ himselfe had â—poken them before who affirme â—xcept he had affirmed What king â—as there euer found that expostuâ—ated with his seruants for so light a â—ault O altitude of Christian Religion how great is the puritie which thou teachest how strict is the account which thou exactest with howe seuere iudgement doost thou discusse and examine all thinges How great shal the shame be wherwith wretched sinners shall in thaâ— place be stained when as all theyr iniquities which when they lyued they hid vnder the couerts and walls of theyr houses what soeuer also dishonest what-soeuer filthy thing they haue committed froÌ„ theyr tender yeeres to the terme of their life all the angles of their harts whatâ—o euer is most secrete shall be manifested in this court before thâ— eyes of the whole world Who there shal haue a conscience so cleere who when these thinges shall beginne to be done shall not presently change his colour and tremble in all his members For if a man doe so much blush when hee reuealeth his defects in priuate to some friende of his so that some one in the very confession waxeth dumbe and concealeth his crime what shame shal that be where-with sinners shall be affected in the sight of Almighty GOD and of all ages past present and to come So great shall that shame be that the wicked as the prophet witnesseth shall cry out saying to the mountaines couer vs to hils fall vpon vs. But these thinges are tollerable but what shall become of them when as the sharpe arrowes of that finall sentence from Gods mouth shall be shotte into theyr harts Goe you cursed into euerlasting â—ire which is prepared for the deuill and his Angels Alas with what sorrowes shall sinâ—ners be discrutiate when they heare this sentence When as wee can scarcely heare a little droppe of his wordes sayth Iob who can beholde the thunder of his greatnes This voyce shal be so dreadfull and of such vertue that the earth in the twinckling of an eye shall bee opened and in a moment they shall descend to hell as the sayd Iob saith who now enioy the timbrel harp and reioyce at the sound of the organ vvho nowe leade theyr dayes in pleasure This case describeth blessed Saint Iohn in his Apocalips in these wordes After this I saw another Angel descending from heauen hauing great power the earth was lightned by his glory and he cryed out in his strength saying Great Babilon is fallen is fallen and is made the habitation of deuils and the prison of all vncleane spirits the habitation of each vncleane odible bird A little after the same Euangelist addeth saying The strong Angel tooke vp a stone as if it were a great Milstone and cast it into the sea and said with this force shal the great citty Babilon be cast down henceforward it shall no more bee found After this manner shal the wicked fall into this headlong hell and into that darksom prison ful of al confusion which is vnderstood of Babilon in this place But what tunge can expresse the multitude of punishments which they shall there suffer There shal their bodies burne in liuing vnquenchable flames there their soules without intermission shal be gnawed vpon by the worme of conscience which shal giue them no truce There shall be perpetuall weeping of eyes and gnashing of teeth that shal neuer end which the sacred Scriptures do so often threaten repeat In this place of desperation those miserable damned enraged with a certaine cruel madnes shal coÌ„uert their anger against god tyrannize
curse the day â—herein thou sinnedst and crie woe 〈◊〉 those pleasures and delectations â—hich by their allurements inuited â—ee to sinne Thou canst not in â—â—at houre sufficiently admire at thy â—â—fe and thine owne leuity who for â—ings so vaine and of so little moâ—ent as are those which with inorâ—â—nate loue thou wert wont to lust â—â—ter hast cast thy selfe into the perâ—â—l of enduring such intollerable doâ—â—â—urs of which in that fatall houre â—â—ou shalt haue no smal experiment or pleasures passing away and the â—â—dgement of them approaching at which by it selfe was before litâ—â—e now ceaseth to be shall seeme 〈◊〉 be nothing but that which in it â—â—fe is great and presently instant â—â—ou shalt think it greater then it is â—ecause thou shalt manifestly know at length with all his circumstanâ—â—s When therefore thou shalt see 〈◊〉 things so vaine and light nay raâ—â—er filthy that thou art nowe deâ—auded of so many goods and rowling thine eyes hither and thitheâ— thou shalt see thy selfe inuironeâ— with so many mischiefes and tribâ—â—lations for liue thou canst nâ— longer neither is there place for peâ—nitence neyther shall there be aâ—â— time The number of thy dayes 〈◊〉 sumd vp They cannot helpe theâ—â— whom with inordinate loue thoâ— hast affected Much lesse the Idol which thou adorest why doe I sâ—â— it Yea what so euer thou mâ— louedst and such thinges as wereâ— greatest estimation with thee euâ—â— these shall most of all torment theâ—â— Tell me I pray thee when thou fiâ—â—dest thy selfe forsaken in this perrâ—â— what minde what heart wilt thoâ— haue whether wilt thou goe whâ—â— wilt thou doe whom wilt thou caâ— vppon it is impossible for thee 〈◊〉 returne to life and to leaue it is inâ—tollerable it is not graunted to aâ—bide in life vvhat therefore wiâ—â— doe In that day saith our Lord by the Prophet the Sunne shall sette 〈◊〉 noone-day and I will darken the earth in the day of light I wil conâ—uert her festiualls into mournings and all her songs into plaints and I â—â—ll put her as the lament of the â—â—st begotten and her last as the bitâ—â—r day O horrible wordes ô hard â—â—â—ntence shaking and amazing all â—rts whatsoeuer In that day saith 〈◊〉 the sunne shall set at noone-sted â—or in that houre sinners shall haue â—â—e multitude of their misdeedes set â—efore their sight and beholding the â—uine Iustice breaking their threed â—f life a sonder some of them shall â—e stroken with so much feare and â—â—â—rour that they shall be destitute â—f all hope and confidence because â—â—ey shall thinke themselues to be â—eprobate and holy excluded from â—â—e mercy of God Put the case they be as yet in the â—oone sted that is let them be yet 〈◊〉 the race of life which is as yet â—â—e time of repentance yet will â—â—ey perswade themselues that there â—emaineth no time or place for them 〈◊〉 repent but that all meanes of â—epentance are cut off and excluded â—eare is the most powerfull perturâ—ation of the minde which faineth â—o it selfe each little thing to bee great and is alwaies afraid of things â—bsent as if they were present If a little feare of any thing can doâ— this what cannot that true feare doe which is conceaued of so fearefuâ— and capitall perrils They are as yeâ— aliue placed in the midst of theâ—â— friends notwithstanding begin thâ—â— to feele the paines and punishmenâ—â— of the damned They seeme at onâ— time to be both aliue and dead anâ— surprized with the griefes of thoâ— present thinges which they are 〈◊〉 leaue they beginne to feele thoâ—â— succeeding euills vvhich they feâ—â—â—red They deeme them blessed thâ—â— are left in this worlde and of thâ— enuie growe their reasons of new griefe The Sun therefore setteth to theâ— at noone day when as to what placâ— so euer they turne their eyes theâ— shal see the entrance to heauen eueâ—rie way shut against them neythâ—â— shall the radiation of any light appeare vnto them For if they respect the mercy of God they shall thinkâ— themselues vnwoorthy to pertakâ— the mercy of God If they flie to the diuine Iustice they shall suspect that by it there are due and seuere punishmentes prepared for them â—â—at hetherto their day was but now â—â—e day of our Lord is at hand yea â—â—ey shal think that it is already beâ—â—nning If they call to remembraunce â—â—eyr fore-passed life it reprehenâ—eth them vtterly If they regarde â—â—e time present they see themâ—â—â—ues a dying If the time shortly 〈◊〉 come they see the Iudge placed 〈◊〉 his iudgement seate and themâ—â—â—ues exspected to be iudged Now â—â—uironed with so many causes of are what shall they doe whether all they wend The Prophet goeth forward And will make the earth darke in the â—â—y of light that is those thinges â—â—at are woont sweetely to delight â—ee nowe shall most of all torture â—ee and wound thy minde with tollerable goades of griefe Trulie it is a pleasant thing for a â—an in his life time and in state 〈◊〉 health to see his Children to â—â—ioy his friendes to order his faâ—ilie to haue many ritches and 〈◊〉 possesse with delight vvhat soâ—er the mind can desire But then 〈◊〉 that pleasure is conuerted into griefe For all these thinges aforeâ—said shal teare and tire the miserablâ— conscience with terrible tormenteâ— and shall be the cruell executioneâ— of these calamities It is naturall 〈◊〉 euen as the possession and presenâ— of a thing which we loue doth â—â—â—ioyce vs euen so the absence therâ—â—of should breede our sorrow and â—â—â—spleasure Heere-vpon the sonâ—â— of the dying father doe flie his prâ—â—sence and the louing wife hidâ—â— her selfe from the face of her deceâ—â—sing husband in his pangs least 〈◊〉 presence should augmeÌ„t his passioâ— But although the soule that is pâ—â—â—sently to be seperated from the boâ—â— is to depart into an vnknowne Râ—â—gion and the way is at hand boâ—â— long and perrilous yet immeasuâ—â—â—ble griefe permitteth not to obseâ—â—â— the termes of humanity and ciuiliâ—â— neither giueth him leaue that entâ—â—reth his iourney to bid his frienâ— once farewell before his departurâ— If thou hast at any time good Reâ—â—der made tryall heereof thou dooâ—â— soothly vnderstand that I doe eueâ—â— way speake the truth If thou 〈◊〉 neuer been entangled in this perril â—east-wise beleeue them that haue 〈◊〉 experience heereof For they 〈◊〉 saile the Sea as the vvise-man 〈◊〉 shew the perrils thereof â—f therefore such and so great be 〈◊〉 that forgoe this dolefull sepeâ—â—â—ion what and how mighty thinâ—â—â—â—t thou shal they be that shall folâ—â—w If the euen and vigill be such 〈◊〉 shall the festiuall and solemne 〈◊〉 it selfe be Tell mee I pray thee what wilt 〈◊〉 thinke of that houre when deâ—â—â—ting out of this life thou shalt 〈◊〉 that diuine iudgement alone â—â—ked poore without any defender 〈◊〉 thy cause and thine onely conâ—â—ence thy companion and that triâ—â—nall shall be so exceedingly seâ—â—re and strickt where the case of 〈◊〉 or of temporall death shall not 〈◊〉 handled
against themselues eating their owne flesh renting theyr bowels with furious grones â—â—aring one anothers flesh with their nailes and incessantly blaspheming the Iudge that condemned them vnto the punishments There each of theÌ„ shall curse his vnfortunate chaunce vnhappy natiuity repeating without intermission that doleful plaint and those desolate and lamentable songs of Iob Curst bee the day in which I was borne and the night in which it is said Hee is conceiued a man Let that day bee turned into darknes let not god require vpon it neither let it be illustrate with light Let darknes obscure it the shadow of death let a mist ouercloude it let it be wrapped in bitternes Let a dark storme possesse that night let it not be accounted amongst the dayes of the yeere nor numbred in the months Let that night be sâ—litary and vnworthy praise let them curse the same who curse the day who are ready to waken the Leuiathan Let the starres bee daâ—kned with the mist thereof let theÌ„ expect light and not see it neither the beginning of the rising morne Because it shut not vp the doore of the wombe that bare me neither tooke away the euils from mine eyes Why died I not in the wombe or isâ—uing from the same why perrished I not presently why was I receiued into the lap why sucked I at the teates This shal be the musick these the songs such the mattins which those vnhappy soules shall sing without end O vnlucky tongues which speake nothing but blasphemies ó vnfortunate eyes that see nâ—ught but calamities and miseries O miserable eares that heare nothing but plaints and gnashing of teeth ô vnlucky bodies which haue no other refreshings but burning flames Of what minde shall they be there who whilst they liued here deluded the howres in trifles and spent all their time in pleasures and delights ô how long a chaine of misery haue these so short delights forged O foolish and incensate what will the allurements of the flesh profit you nowe which then you cherrished whereas now you are deuoted to eternall plaints What is become of your ritches vvhere are your treasuâ—es where your delights where are your reioycings The 7. yeeres of plentie are past and the 7. yeeres of dearth are come which haue deuoured all their aboundance There is no memory left of them nor appearance Your glory is foredone your felicities drowned in the sea of sorrow your thirst is grown to that drith that there is not one â—rop of water granted by which the immesurable heate of thy throate which infinitlie tormenteth thee may bee asslâ—ked Your felicities which you inioyed in this world will not onelie not profit you but euen they will bee the causes to you of greater tormeÌ„t For theÌ„ shall be fulfilled that which is written in the booke of Iob. Let mercy forget him wormes are his sweetnesse Let him not bee in remembrance but cut downe like an vnfruitfull blocke But then the sweetnesse of the delight of euils is turned into the worme of greefe when as the remembrance of fore-passed pleasures according to the exposition of Saint Gregory shall beget a greater bitternes of presâ—nt greefes bethinking themselues theÌ„ what they haue some-times beene and in what place they nowe be that for that which is so soone vanished they nowe suffer that which shall endure for euer Then at length but too late shall they acknowledge the fallacies of the deuill placed in the midst of errours shal begin but in vaine to speake the wordes of the Wiseman saying VVe haue wandered from the way of truth and the light of iustice hath not shined vpon vs the sunne of vnderstanding is not risen vnto vs wee are wearied in the way of iniquity perdition haue walked difficult wayes but the way of our Lord haue we not knowne What hath our pride profited vs or the boast of our riches what hath â—t furthered vs All those things are past away as a shadow or as it were a messenger running before or like a shippe that hath passed a troublesome water whereof when it is past â—here is no tract to be found neither the way of the keele thereof in the floods Such like wordes haue the sinners spoken in hell because the vngodly mans hope is like the light feather which is lifted vppe by the wind and like the light froth of the Sea which is dispersed by the sunne and as it were smoake scattered by the wind and like the memory of a one dayes guest passing by These shall be the complaints these the lamentations this the perpetuall penance which the damned shal there performe world without end where it shall profit them nothing because the time was ouer-past wherein they should shew fruites worthy of repentance Come therfore whilst then is time of repent come you that haue eares to heare and receaue that wholsom counsaile of our Lorde which he in time past gaue by the mouth of hâ—â— Prophet saying Giue glory tâ— your Lorde God before it waxeâ— darke and before your feete stumble against the darksome hills Yoâ— shall exspect the lâ—ght and he shaâ—â— put the same in the shadow of death and in darknes Watch I say the time let vs followe his counsaile who before he was our Iudge woulâ— be our aduocate No one knoweâ—â— more exactly what will hinder oâ— profit in that day then he who shâ—ll himselfe be Iudge of all causes He briefly teacheth vs what is needfull for vs to doe that in that day wee may be secure Take heed to your selues saith he by Saint Luke thâ—â— your harts be not loaden with gluttony and drunkennes and the caâ—e of this life and that this day doe not sodainly come vpon you For like a net or snare shal it surprize all those that sit vppon the face of the earth Watch therefore at all times praying that you may be â—ounted worthy to flie all these things which are to come and stand before the sonne of man Deerely beloued let vs consider all these things and at length let vs waken from our heauy sleepe before thâ—t darke night of death shall oâ—er whelme vs before that horriâ—lâ— day shall enfold vs of which the Prophet speaketh Behold the day is at hand and who may thinke the day of his comming and who shal stand to behold him He he may exspect the day of our Lorde who hath heere bound the hands of the Iudge and hath iudged himselfe in this world ¶ The Author purposely entreateth of the latter iudgement in his sirst booke of Prayer and Meditation and in his exercises in Thursday nights meditation Likewise in the guide of sinners cap. 8. lib. 1. The Argument ¶ They who haue loued God with all their harts shall receaue their remuneration in heauen namely the glory of eternall beatitude which in respect of the accidents in some it shall be greater in some other lesser yet is the essentiall