case he shall stand in The lamentable case of the sinner condemned For aboue him he shall haue the Iudge offended for his wickednesse beneath him the burning pit of Hell open and boyling ready to swallow him vp on his right hand his sinnes accusing on his left hand the Diuels as it were Iaylors and Executioners ready to execute Gods Sentence vpon him within him his conscience shall gnaw him paine him grieue him and testifie against him before him iudgement without mercy behinde him his euill life on euery side all damned soules bewailing and which way soeuer you cast your eyes you shall behold a burning fire O consider this ye that forget God lest hee teare you in pieces and there be none to deliuer you Sentence giuen of godly and vngodly and first of the godly The iust Iudge will pronounce sentence righteously both of the Sheepe on his right hand and Goates on his left hand of both godly and vngodly iust and vniust faithfull and vnfaithfull Sentence shall bee giuen of the godly according to the Gospel not onely offering but now giuing saluation to Gods faithfull children by the merits of Iesus Christ And the sentence will bee a kinde inuitation or rather receiuing to ioy in these words Come ye blessed of my Father inherite the Kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world c. On the contrary sentence shall be giuen of the Goates of the wicked and vngodly on the Iudges left hand according to the rigour of the Law with all it maledictions tortures and torments then presently to be put in execution against a lewd liuer these shall then indure their deserued endlesse punishments The Sentence against these is Depart ye cursed into euerlasting fire Sentence giuen against the wicked prepared for the Diuell and his Angels c. All this is ratified with a clause of an irreuocable sentence to wit These shall goe into euerlasting paine c. Of these paines of Hell as also of the ioyes of Heauen I had thought to haue written that by the consideration of the one the wicked may bee deterred from sinning and so auoid the punishment and by the consideration of the other they may be allured to well doing to seeke those things that are aboue and tread the straight way that leadeth to euerlasting life But hauing spent so much time already as I could well spare I will end for this present promising if my labours are accepted and God granteth time of life to performe it that I will write of the same at some other conuenient time I will therefore now end praying all Christians to listen to the exhortation following Beloued let vs prepare our selues for this iudgement dayly and euery moment Let the commandement of the Lord stirre vs vp to watch prouide and be in a readinesse Luk. 12.35 Let your loynes bee girded about and your lights burning and yee your selues like vnto men that wait for their Master when he will returne from the wedding that when he commeth and knocketh they may open vnto him immediately Blessed are those seruants whom the Lord when he commeth shall finde waking c. Let the example of the sudden floud proposed by Peter 2. Pet. 3. strike a care into vs and make vs afraid to be secure Let the consideration of the High Iudge which iudgeth with iustice and equitie all men of euery order age and kinde make vs prepare our selues against this day Let the signes now accomplished and fulfilled make vs fully resolued that the Day is at hand and strike a care into vs to bee prepared against the Lords comming Let the vncertaine houre to vs when it shall come and yet certain that once it will come and sooner then we thinke make vs obseruant and watchfull To conclude let the execution it selfe to wit euerlasting rewards and euerlasting punishments wanting all ease and mitigation of torments strike a feare in vs not to offend and make vs carefull to please God For God as the Apostle hath 2. Thes 1. will render vengeance in flaming fire to them which know him not and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ Which shall bee punished with euerlasting damnation from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be made maruellous in all them that beleeue Let vs prepare our selues against that Day Aug. ad Demet. Epist 142. wherein Mundi gloria finienda est that is the glory of the world must take his end I say against that day and time which shall take tardy in deceitfull securitie many and therefore compared to the comming in of the Floud 2. Pet. 3. 1. Thes 5. in the dayes of Noah and to the comming of a Thiefe If a band of men should enter into a Citie and begin to destroy with fire and sword would not euery man tremble and quake If we thus feare our mortall enemies and the hand of man what shall wee doe when as the fearefull Trumpet shall sound from Heauen and at that voice of the Archangell more cleere and shrill then any Trumpet all the whole world shall rumble when we shall see not weapons made with hands but the whole powers of Heauen to be mooued and to threaten vengeance vnto vs. If a man-slayer or any other wicked person of whom punishment were to be taken by the iudgement of an earthly Iudge will tremble and quake at the sight of the Iudge and others standing about in iudgement and at the bloudy hand of the Hangman or Tormenter although he know that his end will bee but short then beloued consider what shame feare dolour and griefe will bee at the Day of Iudgement when all the euils and sorrowes that can bee imagined and deuised shall bee broached and ready to be inflicted vpon the wicked men of this world These and many other euils shall befall them which are holden with many cares of this world and thinke not of this last end of all things But we which repent beleeue and thinke of Christs comming conceiue ioy and wish for his comming as the certaine time of our Redemption and reward saying Come Lord Iesu Come To this Lord Iesus together with the Father and the Holy Ghost three Persons in one Essence be rendered all honour and glory power and seruice in Heauen and in Earth henceforth and for euer Amen FINIS
Almighty we shall be found faithfull in our places and shall haue the fruit thereof an eternall blessing as our Sauiour doth teach saying Mat. 24.45 46. Who is a faithfull Steward and wise whom the Master shall make ruler ouer his household to giue them their portion of meate in season Luk. 12.42 43 44. Blessed is that seruant whom his Master when hee commeth shall find so doing Of a truth say vnto you that he will make him ruler ouer all that he hath that is hee will make him an heire of eternall life Hee shall inherit the Kingdome prepared from the beginning of the world Math. 25.34 Hee shall walke with the Lord in white garments that is hee shall be glorified Reu. 3. and haue life euerlasting and the glorious company of Christ He shall be in Abrahams bosome as Lazarus was Luke 16. and eate of the tree of Life in the middest of the heauenly Paradise of God Reu. 2.7 Hee shall haue the Crowne of glory Hee shall be a pillar in the Temple of God that is hee shall be firme and stable in glory as a pillar irremoueable c. Eye hath not seene Reu. 3.12 neither eare heard neither euer did enter into the heart of man what good things the Lord hath prepared for them that loue him and serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of their life Illud verum et summum gaudium est saith Bernard in a Sermon that is the true and greatest ioy and therefore as it were rauished with a great loue thereof cryed out O beata regio Paradist ó beata regio deliciarum O blessed region of Paradise O blessed region of delights And therefore hee exhorteth vs to bee out of loue with this world whiles we bee heere and to hasten thither saying thus Festinemus ad locum tutiorem ad agrum vberiorem ad pastum saniorem vt habitemus sinè metu abundemus sinè defectu epulemur sinè fastidio that is to say Let vs hasten to a more safe place to a more fertile ground to a more sound feeding where wee may inhabit without feare abound without defect banquet without disdaine Here is the hauen the blessed port of rest and the liberall portion of the good and faithfull Steward But the slothfull wastfull cruell and vnfaithfull Steward shall be cut off or cut into pieces and haue his portion with hypocrites there shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth Math. 24.51 Wherefore seeing that we all rather desire to be reputed yea be indeed good Stewards then bad to enioy a good place and portion rather then a bad let vs depart out of the Kingdome of sinne and Satan and come to the Kingdome of light let vs shew and approue our selues good Stewards keeping our Farme places the world the body and the soule well and let vs not get our goods in the first mannor house the world wrongfully nor put our trust in them idolatrously nor keepe them to our selues basely nor spend them wastfully and vngodly but lay them out for the maintenance of the Gospell and helpe of the poore indigent members of Christ Iesus liberally Againe let vs looke to our second Farme place and mannor house our bodie that it be cleane and fit for the chiefe Lord and Master of all and his Sonne Iesus Christ and the holy Ghost to come into Let vs diligently watch the ports and gates of the same our Hearing Seeing Talking Tasting and Touching that nothing goe in nor come out that may defile the body Lastly let vs haue an especiall care of our principall part the soule the last mannor house Let repentance sweepe it cleane from impure thoughts and wicked cogitations let a good conscience be his bedding let faith be euer looking to Christ Iesus and cleansing and let the graces and vertues of the holy Ghost be the ornaments of his lodging And in all things and in all our places and charges let vs proue our selues good wise and faithfull Stewards that it may be said vnto vs to euery one of vs It is well done good seruant thou hast beene faithfull in little I will make thee Ruler ouer much enter in into thy Masters ioy This approbation and allowance of our Stewardship and vnspeakeable reward giue and grant vs O heauenly Father not for our worthinesse for we haue no merits but for thy mercies and graces in Iesus Christ Amen The end of the first Sermon THE SECOND SERMON And the same was accused AS all men are Stewards vnder God what good Talents gifts so euer they haue they receiue frō him the fountaine of all graces Euen so they ought to occupy imploy the same according to the good pleasure of him the Collator and Donator as it is plaine in the Parable of the Talents Math 25. And as S. Peter teacheth 1. Epist 4. saying As euery one hath receiued the gift euen so minister the same as good Stewards of the manifold graces of God Whosoeuer doth this is commended and rewarded of his high Lord and Master with these words of grace to his comfort O well done thou good faithfull Seruant thou hast been faithfull ouer few things I will make thee Ruler ouer many things enter thou into the ioy of thy Lord Mat. 25.21 But if a seruant haue much cōcredited vnto him if it be but of an earthly Master and imploy it ill spend it wastfully eating and drinking with the Drunkards participating with the Adulterers and intreating his fellow-seruants hardly and yet thinketh that his euill carriage and outragiousnesse shall not be knowne but that he shall escape with impunitie O how this man deceiueth himselfe For the fellow-seruants will relate the treacheries bad vsages and cruelties of their fellowes to their Lord. As those seruants did which saw their fellow-seruant so cruelly handled Math. 18. And heere the bad Steward is accused to his Lord. Now if wee see by dayly experiences that bad Stewards to earthly Masters escape not alwayes free with their false dealings and other euill behauiours but one or other will espy them and disclose them and giue their Master intelligence and then he reckoneth and accounteth with them and displaceth them then we may much more assure our selues that no cloud of darknes no maske nor veile can be cast before the Lords eyes Psal 79.9 For hee that planted the eare shall be not heare Or he that made the eye shall hee not see God knoweth noteth seeth ouerseeth al things yea the very secrets of the heart and yet if he were not so quicke of capacitie of hearing and seeing Yet there are many tell-tales and pick-thankes in the Familie which relate all our misdemeanours and accuse vs vnto him as in my Text the false Steward is said to be accused And here beginneth a lamentable discourse a Tragicall Relation of the miserable estate of a bad Steward laid down in my Text in these points First He is defamed or
THE STEWARDS LAST ACCOVNT DELIVERED IN FIVE Sermons vpon the sixteenth Chapter of the Gospell by Saint Luke the first and second Verses BY Robert Bagnall Minister of the Word of God at Hutton in Somersetshire MATH 25.13 Watch therefore for yee know neither the day nor the houre when the Sonne of Man will come MATH 12.36 For I say vnto you that of euery idle word that men shall speake they shall giue account thereof at the Day of Iudgement LONDON Printed by George Purslowe for Iohn Clarke and are to be sold at his shop vnder Saint Peters Church in Cornhill 1622. TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER in God ARTHVR by Gods prouidence Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells ROBERT BAGNALL wisheth all health and true comfort in this world and eternall happinesse in the World to come AS to the building of the materiall Temple Right Reuerend Father in God and my very Honorable good Lord many co adiutors and fellow-labourers were admitted some more excellent then others yet none were repelled nor reiected although they were of the meaner sort as Morter carriers because they were necessarie Euen so reason willeth and necessitie requireth that they which are lawfully called to the office of the Ministery although they are not Architects yet if they may do good in the Church of God should be suffered to help a little to build vp the Spirituall Temple of the Lord For many hands make light worke The consideration hereof hath emboldened me being as it were the least of the Apostles and also requested of many who saw my notes and heard mee preach them to attempt this worke wherein if I may adde but one mite to the treasurie of the Church to help a little to build the Lords spirituall House I shall thinke my labour well bestowed Howsoeuer I would not with that small Talent which I haue concredited vnto me be like to that euill seruant which made no good vse of his but hid it in the ground and therefore was shamefully reproued The subiect or matter which I haue taken vpon mee to intreat of is of our last account at the generall Assize in the last Day A matter most fitting and beseeming my gray haires going to the graue and requisite for all sorts of people liuing in this carelesse age and very auaileable to shake them out of the cradle of securitie wherein they lye lulled and rocked and to stirre them vp to vigilance and watchfulnesse This worke I confesse is a withered fruit of my old age but if it may obtaine your Honours fauour so farre as to cherish and protect it vnder the shadow of your wings it growing to maturitie in processe of time may obtaine some fauour in the world especially among the Children of God whom it may somewhat benefit I therefore beseech your good Honour and reuerend Paternitie being a most godly and vigilant Watchman ouer vs all to patronize this my Doctrine of warchfulnesse and to take in good part my endeuours therin hoping that it may make many waking and looking for the Lords second comming to their saluation So crauing your Honourable fauour herein I humbly take my leaue Resting as dutie bindeth me your Honours poore Minister vnder God in all Christian dutie to bee ordered and commanded ROBERT BAGNALL TO THE GODLY READER GRACE MERCY and Peace from God the Father c. AS in the contriuing managing and bringing to good effect worldly businesses that tend to the maintenance of the body in this present life we account opportunitie of time and fit occasions the greatest furtherers and losse of time the greatest hinderers and therefore in euery thing wee take the fittest time as in planting sowing gathering in the fruits of the earth and all other affaires So nothing doth more helpe in the course of Piety and further our iourney to eternall life then to be vigilant and carefull to take all times and occasions to serue God and to let no time passe away vnprofitable For time hasteth away and tarrieth for no man and foolishly spent cannot be recalled And therefore the Heathens painted out Time with wings at her hands and also at her feet with a locke of haire before but bald behinde This velocitie of time and irrecuperablenesse of her being carelessely and idly let slip Bernard laid downe to his Schollers when hee said Bern. ad Scho. Volat tempus irreuocabile volat tempus irremeabile nec aduertit insipiens quid amittat c. that is Time flyeth away that cannot bee recalled Time flyeth away that cannot come againe and foolish man doth not consider what he loseth and yet alas hee loseth all the good vse of time and all the benefit that hee might make of the same when it offereth it selfe Basil And therefore Basil well said Nemo vsum temporis habere queat nisi quis cum se offert arripiat that is no man can receiue any profit of Time but he that speedily layeth hold on it when it offereth it selfe Let the parabolicall example of the ten Virgins teach and admonish vs herein and make vs take Bildad the Shuhites counsell Early to seeke the Lord and seeke him while he may be found and speedily to goe about the Lords businesse Exod. 25. as the Cherubims did and therefore were pourtraied with wings before the place where the Israelites prayed O good Christian Reader consider I beseech thee what a foolish thing it is for thee to let time passe away securely to let thy reckonings runne so long without any examination of thy life and doings and without calling thy wayes to account that thou shouldest be growne obdurate past sense and feeling yea and so forgetfull of thy dealings that thou canst not bring in a true reckoning Consider this in time and call thine owne wayes to remembrance sleepe no longer in securitie but be sober and watch that thou maist not bee called to account when thou thinkest not thereof and be found false therein and so he proued and conuicted a false Steward Securitie will bring thee to extremities and to all these distresses as it did the people in Noah his time in Lots time and many other people in all ages and so it will doe many at the last audit Therefore let me beseech thee yea and perswade thee by the tender mercies of God to suffer mee to pull thee backe by the sleeue from running into the pit of perdition haue thy bookes of account in a readinesse be a vigilant and watchfull Steward that at the last Day it may be said vnto thee O well done thou good and faithfull Seruant thou hast been faithfull ouer few things I will make thee Ruler ouer many things enter thou into the ioy of thy Lord. I haue good Christian Reader bestowed my small skill and labour in this Treatise to make thee a good Steward and accountant at the last audit and Generall Assize I pray thee reade the same not with a preiudicate opinion but with a yeelding resolution
rich in grace for he is called the God of all grace All which graces and gifts he giueth vs in his Sonne Christ Iesus the most plentifull fountaine of all goodnesse in whom and by whom all these and many other good gifts ineffable are conferred vnto vs Chap. 1.16 as Iohn well proueth saying Of his fulnes haue all we receiued and grace for grace as if he should say grace vpon grace or graces heaped one vpon another The consideration of this doctrine should make vs in faith and full assurance to pray to this rich God and to none other for vnto whom should wee pray and of whom should wee craue for all good things but of him which hath all to giue and from whom euery good giuing and perfect gift commeth Iam. 1.17 Gen. 17.1 who is able to helpe in all extremities for hee is omnipotent is present with vs and neare vs as hee is vnto all that call vpon him faithfully And lastly he is willing to helpe and saue for hee would haue all to bee saued and to come to the knowledge of his truth 1. Tim. 2.4 And therefore our Sauiour Christ calleth all vnto him promising vnto all that come vnto him in repentance and faith refreshing Math. 11.28 Math. 28. He commands his Gospell to be freely preached vnto all and he biddeth all to his great Supper Luk. 14. O let vs in repentance and faith come vnto him and pray vnto him continually for he is the rich man here ment able to grant our requests Againe if all the good things we haue come from our rich God it should make vs most thankfully to acknowledge him to be the giuer and to returne all laude and praise to him from whom the benefit commeth for as all the waters come from the Sea and returne thither againe so all the benefits which we receiue come from God Iam. 1.17 and by our thankes-giuing should returne to him againe O let vs be thankefull and say with Dauid from our hearts and speake to our owne soules as he did Praise the Lord Psal 103.1 2 3 4 5. O my soule and all that is within mee praise his holy name Praise the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits which forgiueth all thy sinne and healeth all thine infirmities which saueth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with mercy and louing kindnesse which satisfieth thy mouth with good things making thee young and lusty as an Eagle Let vs praise God our selues and exhort others to doe the like for it is good and godly so to doe And therefore the Prophet said 147. O praise the Lord for it is a good thing to sing praises vnto our God yea a ioyfull and pleasant thing it is to bee thankefull Thus much concerning the person meant by the rich man to wit God Now of his Steward The iudgement of ancient Writers concerning this Steward who he should be what should be his name haue been diuers euery man hauing a seuerall opinion and speaking as he thought quothomines tot capita tot sententiae Look how many men so many heads so many opinions which thing is to be deplored that so many learned men and famous in other matters should in this point bee so much deceiued Rom. 15.7 as to restrict this parcell of Scripture written for all our learning to one particular Man People or Nation it being also parabolically spoken Whereas it deepely concernes vs all and is to bee applyed particularly to euery seuerall man of vs. Some haue thought that Saint Paul was this Steward Act. 9.4 For he was a bad one vntill he was called of Iesus Christ and of this iudgement was Theophilus Bishop of Antiochia Some affirmed that the Iewes were this Steward and the Gentiles these Debtors Of this opinion was Tertullian lib. de fuga cap. 13. Gaudentius writing to Germinius supposeth that this Steward was the Diuell mis-implying all his gifts his wit and power to tempt men to their destruction Many others haue diuersly and strangely set downe their opinions which I thinke more fit to omit then to fill my paper with friuolous matters Let vs harken to them who come neerer to the scope of the place In this number I place Ambrose in his Commentaries Aug. in quaest Euang. Augustine in his Euangelicall questions Theophilact others who affirme that this Steward is all mankind further say that the word OIKONOMOS a Steward doth signifie not only Villicum a Bayly of Husbandry but one to whom all manner of goods and possessions in a Farme are concredited committed to tâ—â—â— to wit a generall Steward best expressed by the word dispensator which signifieth an Officer laying out money for an houshold vnder another man And therefore these reade the words following Render account of thy Stewardship for thou mayest be no longer Steward Thus Redde rationem dispensationis tuae non enim poteris amplius dispensare So then this Steward is all mankinde For euery man hath receiued of God the proper owner of all one good gift or another in trust which he ought to dispose and employ not as he listeth but as God the proper owner of al would haue him and must yeeld an account to him euen as the earthly Steward doth to his earthly Master For this cause euery man must needs be a Steward and a disposer of some good gift of God Kings then are Stewards to the highest of all acknowledge their aduancements to come froÌ„ the Lord and therefore in their stiles of Dignity vse these words by the grace of God Ministers are Stewards of the Lords House which is the Church and ought to breake the Bread of Life to their Flockes to preach the Word in season and out of season and must render an account 2. Tim. 4.7 All Magistrates are Stewards of the common house which is the weale publique and ought to consider that they are set ouer the people for the punishment of euill doers 1. Pet. 2.14 and for the praise of them that doe well Masters are Stewards of their owne Houshold and ought not onely to dispose all things in order but especially to make this resolution that they and their housholds will serue the Lord. Iosu 24.15 All men are Stewards of their owne bodies and of the priuy closet of their own conscience as Pontan hath There is none so mighty that is greater or so meane and base that is lesse then a Steward to the King of Kings to the Highest of all and what goods or goodnes he vseth hee hath receiued them all of the Father of Lights Iam. 1.17 1. Cor. 4.7 For what hast thou that thou hast not receiued He it is that deliuereth to his Seruants his Talents to some more and to some lesse Which doctrine confuteth the Pelagians Math. 2.5 and all such as ascribe all that they haue to their owne industry Whereas all that is good
accused in these words and the same was accused Secondly called and he called him Thirdly reprehended in these words How commeth it to passe that I heare this of thee Fourthly he yeeldeth an account Come render an account of thy Stewardsh Fiftly he is put out of his Office in these words For thou mayest be no longer Steward Of these in order and first of his accusation Wherein we are to note first his Accusers Secondly the capitall and hainous crimes whereof he is accused The Accusers or complainants are these 1. Satan 2. Angels 3. Saints 4. His owne Conscience 5. Sinnes 6. Creatures of God The hainous crimes wherof the euill Steward is accused of are these fiue 1. Vnfaithfulnesse 2. Cruelty 3. Slothfulnesse 4. Ill company-keeping 5. Wastfulnesse First the euill vnfaithfull and vngracious Steward is accused of the Diuell For which cause hee is called Reu. 12. The accuser of the Brethren which accuseth them before God day and night Hee accuseth our workes words and thoughts as Gregory noteth saying thus Lib. 2. moral Diabolus prima opera nostra deinde verba tandem cogitationes accusat He defameth man accuseth him of wickednesses reporteth them before God calleth for vengeance and speedy death lest the thred of mans life should be drawne out along and he should repent and obtaine eternall life Iob 1. If Satan was so impudent that he blushed not to defame and accuse before God holy Iob a man to whom there was none comparable in his time on the earth a perfect and iust man one that feared God and eschewed euill What is it that he will not alledge against a sinfull Nation a people laden with iniquitie a seed of the wicked corrupt children in whom from the sole of the foote vnto the head there is nothing sound in them but they draw wickednesse with cords of vanity and sinne as it were with a cart-rope Secondly an vniust Steward is defamed and accused of Angels Iob 20.27 Reuelant coeli iniquitatem improbi Esay 1. The Heauens reueale the iniquitie of a wicked man Per coelos Angelos qui in coelis sunt accipe saith the ancient Father In Math. 18. The fellow-seruant told to the Lord the cruelty of his seruant Now the Angels are our fellow-seruants as we may probably gather out of Iohn Reu. 22. where he fell downe to worship the Angell who said vnto him See thou doe it not for I am thy fellow-seruant and the fellow-seruant of thy Brethren the Prophets which keepe the sayings of this Booke Worship thou God Loe the Angell said to Iohn that he was his fellow-seruant and not onely his but of his Brethren the Prophets which kept the sayings of Gods Booke The Angels then tell God our faults as here Our prayers holinesse and righteousnesse as in Tobie 12. Let vs therefore that liue in the presence of God and his Angels carry our selues godly and honestly knowing that most pure eyes doe looke vpon vs. Thirdly a bad Steward is blamed and accused of Saints both triumphant which are in Heauen and militant which liue on earth Of Saints triumphant whose bloud was shed on earth by cruell Tyrants and persecutors for the Word of God and testimonie which they had For these being in the blessed port of Heauen cry out against them that imbrued their hands in their bloud Reu. 6. saying How long tarriest thou O Lord which art holy and true to iudge and auenge our bloud on them that dwell on earth And that an vngracious Steward is accused before God of Saints that are liuing in this mortall life it is also most manifest Ieremy blamed and accused the Iewes vnto God yea and craued reuengement against them in these words O Lord of hosts thou righteous iudge Ier. 11. thou that tryest the reines and the hearts let me be auenged of them For vnto thee haue I committed my cause When Antiochus oppressed the Church of God with great tyrannie Dauid accused him vnto God in these words Psal 74.10 18. Remember this O Lord how the enemy hath rebuked and the foolish people hath blasphemed thy Name Ieremy in like manner accused and blamed his persecutors vnto GOD and craued him to reuenge him saying Ier. 15.15 O Lord thou knowest remember me and visit me and reuenge mee of my persecuters If the poore is oppressed of the rich and make his mone vnto the Lord accusing him and crying for reuengement The Lord respecting the deepe sighing of the poore will awake as one out of sleepe and as a Gyant refreshed with Wine Psal 12. and will smite their enemies in the hinder parts and put them to a perpetuall shame True it is and memorable which Siracides hath chapter 35. where he saith God hath no respect of persons against the poore but doth heare the prayer of him that is wronged hee will not neglect the prayer of the fatherlesse nor the widdow if she complaine Doe not the widdowes teares goe downe her cheekes and they cry out to God on high in Heauen against him that hath caused the same Now beloued brethren and sisters if wee should wrong an innocent and harmelesse man in a righteous cause vpon earth we would be vnwilling yea we would tremble and quake to haue a complaint we knowing our selues guilty to bee made vnto a mighty Iudge or Potentate that can punish vs seuerely How much more then should it grieue vs and astonish vs and cause vs to make recompence and satisfaction to the parties whom we haue wronged when wee know that the complaints and cryes of them that are iniured doe sound in the eares of the Lord that an accusation is made against vs that an account must be giuen to the high Iudge and iustice without partialitie ministred Fourthly Rom. 2. the bad Steward is accused of his owne thoughts and testified against of his owne conscience and this is as forcible to conuict a man as a thousand witnesses and hereupon grew the prouerbe Socrates Conscientia mille testes When a mans Conscience is wronged hee liueth as merry as a Bird in a pitfall Lib. de moribus For Conscientia laesa est nunquā secura as Seneca writeth Chrysostome writing vpon the 50. Psalme saith Conscientia peccati formidinis mater that is to say The Conscience or knowledge of sin is the mother of feare If a man feare any creature Man Beast or Worme he may auoid them but hee can neuer flee from his Conscience she is a bird which hee alwayes carrieth in his bosome pleasant as the Nightingale if shee bee not violated but being wronged shee is like a Waspe or Snake vnder a mans cloathes or rather like the Bots in a Horse belly which neuer suffereth him to be quiet but are still eating and gnawing Sat. 12. And therefore Inuenal said that this is the greatest punishment and we must needs all yeeld vnto it Nocte dieque suum gestare in pectore testem This
vnto their prayers Againe Psal 34.15 16. The face of the Lord is against them that doe euill to cut off their remembrance from off the earth And this we may perswade our selues to be true because he is the onely true Vbiquitarie present euery where with his Spirit and from whose presence no man can flie And therefore the Psalmist by way of interrogation speaketh thus vnto God Psal 139. Whither shall I goe then from thy Spirit or whither shall I goe then from thy presence If I climbe vp into heauen thou art there if I goe downe to hell thou art there also If I take the wings of the morning and remaine in the vttermost parts of the sea euen there also shall thine hand leade me and thy right hand shall hold me If I say peraduenture the darknesse shall couer mee then shall my night be turned to day yea the darkenesse is no darknesse with thee but the night is as cleare as the day the darknesse and light to thee are both alike No man then can hide himselfe from the Lord no place is fit Amos 2. For though they digge downe to hell saith the Lord thence shall my hand take them though they climbe vp to the heauens thence will I bring them downe though they hide themselues in the top of Carmel I will search them and take them out thence though they be hid from my sight in the bottome of the sea thence will I command the serpent and he shall bite them The wicked Steward cannot then flee from the Lord his cause must come to the hearing of his Master he must endure sharpe reprehension strict examination and come to an account as after If the vniust Steward the euill man the theefe adulterer and such like offenders were perswaded that God did heare of their misdemeanors and euill carriages or that he did looke vpon them when they perpetrated their wickednesses me thinkes it should be a great terrour and shame vnto them If an earthly Prince a Noble man a Master or a Magistrate should looke vpon a man and see him deale falsely and vniustly or otherwise to play the filthy adulterer would it not make man to tremble feare and to be ashamed How much more then to consider that the King of kings and Lord of lords the high Master Magistrate and Iudge of all doth heare of his sinnes and looke vpon his sinfull and filthie facts Let vs all bee ashamed to commit sinne 2. Sam. 16. and not be like Absolom who shamed not to lie with his fathers concubines in the open Sunne in the top of the house euen in the sight of all Israel for the Lord heareth seeth and knoweth all the sins of man This wicked Steward before he was accused called and reprehended and brought to account was perswaded that the Lord had not intelligence of his falshood but how much was he deceiued For here the Lord saith How commeth it to passe that I heare this of thee There are three foolish and vaine conceits suggested of Satan which embolden a wicked man in the perpetration of his wickednesses 1. They thinke that the Lord neither seeth nor knoweth their wickednesses 2. Hee punisheth not straight but either delayeth long or punisheth not at all 3. If the Lord knoweth mans faults yet he concealeth them c. Concerning the first vaine conceit concerning the Lords not seeing and not knowing their sinnes how friuolous and impious it is this place doth proue for here the Lord saith How commeth it to passe that I heare this of thee The Master therefore heard it and had notice of all Although I hope that I haue spoken sufficiently of this point yet I beseech you hearken to two examples to ground you throughly in this point The first is of Dauid which committed adulterie and murther 2. Sam. 11. and presently the Lord saw it knew it and it was euill in his sight and sent Nathan the Prophet to reproue him 2. Sam. 12. who boldly layd his great sinnes to his charge The second example of Ahab that vile king of Israel and Iezabel his queene 1. Kings 21. worse then himselfe an instigatrix of his euils as Eua was to Adam when they had wrought poore Naboths death the Lord knew it and sent Elias to rebuke him To end this point in a word Apoc. 2. 3. chapt The Lord did bid Iohn write to the Angels that is to say the Ministers of the seuen Churches I know thy workes The second vaine conceit suggested of Satan is The Lord punisheth not straight nor presently but suffereth the vngodly Steward to flourish To which I answere That the pleasures of the wicked beeing taken with euill consciences neither are nor can be durable they flourish but for a time and in the middest of them are taken away Dauid a man after Gods owne heart Psal 37. saw that by his owne experience and therefore said I my selfe haue seene the vngodly in great prosperity and flourishing like a greene bay tree and I went by and loe he was gone I sought him and his place could no where be found Therefore fret not thy selfe because of the vngodly neither be thou enuious against the euil doers for he shall soone be cut downe like the greene grasse and be withered like the greene herbe For the Lord doth set them in slippery places and at last casteth them downe to desolation suddenly doe they consume perish and come to a fearefull end What plainer example to this purpose Luke 12. can bee produced then that of the rich man who in the middest of his prosperitie and worldly pleasures heard this dolefull voice Thou foole this night will they fetch away frō thee thy soule then whose shall those things be which thou hast prouided So that whereas they haue been fed fat in the great and large greene pastures of pleasures wasting their Masters goods as this bad Steward did yet all endeth in sorrow euen as the fat Oxe after his pleasant feeding commeth to the slaughter and the end of these is confusion For euen as a Snayle by little and a little creepeth vp from the root of an Hearbe vnto the top and as she goeth consumeth the Leaues and leaueth her nothing but foule and filthy slimy steps so likewise lust and pleasure if wee consent vnto them will creepe into our soules and will depriue them of all ornaments of vertue and will leaue behinde nothing but a foule filthy conscience reproach to vs and our posteritie The third vaine conceit suggested of Satan is the Lords taciturnitie For although he knoweth euery sinne when the world doth not yet for a time hee holdeth his peace and it commeth not out to the eyes of the world The impure person sinneth and so doth the Theefe and other offenders the Lord heareth of it and seeth it and yet for a time it may be neither speaketh nor punisheth But this silence is temporarie And therefore
and with-holding part of their owne goods from the Apostles He spared not Hierusalem no nor the very Angels that sinned but cast them downe and deliuered them into chaines of darknesse to bee kept vnto iudgement To conclude hee spared not Christ Iesus his deare Sonne but our sinnes beeing imputed to him he laid the punishment also vpon him both in his body and also his soule whose bloudy wounds and paines were sufficient to saue all but efficient and effectuall onely to redeeme all the soules and bodies of his elect and faithfull Therefore seeing that we know that he left no sinne vnpunished in the vnrepentant in all former ages but seeing hearing and knowing them all as wel the offenders as their offences straightwayes armed himselfe with iustice and iudgement and punished them most seuerely We may assure our selues that he hauing perfect knowledge and notice of all our misdemeanours and manifold transgressions perpetrated against his diuine Maiestie will not spare vs but will reprehend vs and say vnto euery vnrepentant and bad Steward How commeth it to passe that I heare this of thee and presently will call vs to account Which is the fourth point wherein the lamentable estate of a bad Steward a wicked man consisteth The end of the third Sermon THE FOVRTH SERMON Come render account c. AS the benefits which our good GOD bestoweth vpon the good Stewards are in number infinite in dignity excellent and in measure incomprehensible and as the ancient Father hath Chrysost Beneficia Dei omnibus horis consideranda For who is able to expresse to the full the happy state of that Steward to whom it is said of him that neuer dissembleth nor deludeth O well done thou good and faithfull seruant thou hast beene faithfull in little I will make thee Ruler ouer much enter into thy Masters ioy Math. 25. So on the contrary no man can expresse to the full the lamentable estate of an euill Steward and vnprofitable seruant to whom it will be said of the true Iudge Cast that vnprofitable seruant into vtter darknesse there shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth two bad dishes to come in at the last where the first dish is weeping and the second gnashing of teeth And to this passe is this bad Steward come before him is praecipitium a place to fall downe forward behinde him is occipitium a place to fall downe backward on the one side Scilla on the other side Charybdis so that he can flee no way without great danger He must needs stand still and indure all hazzards and perils and come to his account to the true audit For now hee must take his vltimum vale his last farewell and sing his dolefull and euerlasting euen song Such a great and horrible day is come Ioel 2. Mal. 4. as the Prophet speaketh of Yea the day shall burne like an Ouen But first the account shall be taken For as a Prince and Nobleman when he taketh a dislike of his Steward first reckoneth with him and then putteth him out of his Office So this Rich man is here said to deale with his Steward and Christ with all at the last day yea his account shall bee more exactly and accurately taken then of any other in this world For he is God the Searcher of the heart and according to the same hee will iudge righteously hauing no respect nor regard to any mans person For before him the King and the Begger is all one when he shall come to take an account and iudge then Scepters and Shepheards shall be all one Princes and Pesants noble and ignoble yea the very King and the Begger shall be fellowes no better regarded shall bee the highest then the lowest but as when men put gold and siluer into a bagge many pieces are shuffled together and yet the best may be the lowest So will it bee at this generall audit If the greatest men of this world are the worst in faith and godly life and conuersation there will be no partiality vsed by the Iudge but they shall be tumbled to the bottome of the pit as soone as the poorest delinquent in the world For when our Lord shall come with his holy Angels to take an account and iudge the world all are alike For if great men and meane persons are in the same sinne they shall be bound together and cast as a faggot into hell-fire The glorious Angels at the great Haruest shall first gather the Tares separating them from the Wheat Mat 25.32 which is poena damni that is the punishment of that a man loseth a plaine priuation of God and all that is good Angels Saints Friends and then they shall binde them in Sheaues to be burnt which is poena sensus the sense of punishment as it were a possession of Hell and all that is euill Ludolphus thinketh that they shall not bee bound all in one but in many Faggots An Adulterer with an Adulteresse shall make one Faggot a Drunkard with a Drunkard another faggot c. Hee thinketh that they shall not bee bound together that haue commited distinct and seuerall sinnes neither according to the greatnesse of their Persons as King and King together rich and rich base and base But as there are seuerall sinnes so seuerall Sheaues and all this shall bee done without respect of person This account shall bee taken not onely of externall things but also of internall that is to say both of bodies and soules No man can excuse himselfe or vse any cunning to deceiue as before an earthly Iudge but euery man shall appeare rightly as he is For Christ to whom the Father hath giuen all iudgement will respect no man for his purse sake nor friends Ioh. 5. Therefore let vs deale sincerely towards God and Man knowing that we shall be called to account most strictly and accurately for euery idle word much more for euery wicked deed and because a good conscience is a perpetuall and best supersedeas in this point let vs follow the example of Paul who said Act. 24.16 that in this hee exercised himselfe that he might haue a good conscience towards God and men Tremble and quake O sinner at the cogitation of these things Repent reuert and turne vnto the Lord. For what art thou to stand in the presence of this Iudge being fraile vaine weake naked miserable filthy and horrible A man that hath imperfections in his eyes cannot looke on the brightnesse of the Sunne And how canst thou be perswaded that thou being an Infidell fraile and full of blemishes shalt looke vpon the Sunne of righteousnesse Christ Iesus Repent and beleeue and thou shalt look vpon him otherwise thou shalt be reiected For as the Eagle when she hath yong ones taketh them out of the nest and such as can looke on the Sunne them she keepeth and such as cannot she casteth away Euen so they that with the eyes of their Faith looke on Iesus Christ shall bee
preserued at this generall and great Assize and they that cannot shall bee tumbled downe to the pit of perdition But because secure and carelesse men Epicures and Atheists deny this great and strict account that shall bee taken at the last Day 2. Pet. 3.3 4. according to Saint Peters prediction which telleth vs that in the last dayes there shall come mockers of Christs cōming to Iudgement to take this account And these are the last dayes in which wee see by many workes of the wicked liuing in Atheisme and Epicurisme that they are so perswaded and differ nothing as appeareth from the wicked iudgement of Paulus Tertius the Pope who when there was a speech made vnto him of this account at the last Iudgement said vnto Cardinall Bembus O Bembe Bembe quantum nobis profuit fabula de Christo making this doctrine a fabulous thing Therefore the more is the pitty the question An sit whether there is any last iudgement is most necessary to bee discussed and spoken of Which whiles I endeuour affirmatiuely to proue I beseech you without partialitie lend mee your yeelding resolutions vnto the truth as it shall be proued And Si tu quid rectius istis Candidus imperti si non his vtere mecum If better then these thou hast in store Let vs haue part and say no more But if thine owne doe thee not please Vse that I haue and rest at ease Psal 100. The first proofe is the Word of God an eternall an infallible truth as our Sauiour doth witnesse speaking thus to his Father a maintainer of it Ioh. 17.17 Sermo tuus est veritas thy Word is the Truth Enoch the seuenth from Adam prophesied prophesied of this day of the Lords comming to take an account saying Behold Iude 14. the Lord commeth with thousands of Saints to giue iudgement against all men and to rebuke all that are vngodly among them of all their wicked deeds which they haue vngodlily committed and of all their cruell speakings which vngodly sinners haue spoken against him In which place the Lords comming to iudgement is plainely foretold and because it is a thing certaine and sure to be therefore hee speaketh in the present Tense and said Behold the Lord commeth And so the high Iudge himselfe speaketh saying Behold I come as a Theefe Reu. 16. speaking in the present Tense as before and not in the future Tense saying I will come And Peter reporteth Act. 10. that the high Iudge our Sauiour Iesus Christ commanded him and the other Apostles to preach vnto the people and to testifie that it is he that is ordained of God a Iudge of quicke and dead And Paul prepareth men by repentance against that Day saying Act. 17.30 31. Now hee admonisheth all men euery where to repent because hee hath appointed a day in the which he will iudge the world in righteousnesse c. The same Paul assureth vs that wee all must appeare before the Iudgement seat of Christ 2. Cor. 5. that euery man may receiue the things which are done in his body according to that he hath done whether it bee good or euill The same Apostle most plainely setteth downe the order and manner of the Lords descension from Heauen to doe this weighty businesse when as he saith 1. Thes 4.16 17 The Lord himselfe shall descend from Heauen with a shout and with the voice of the Archangell and with the Trumpet of God And the dead in Christ shal rise first then we which liue remaine shall bee caught vp with them also in the clouds to meet the Lord in the Aire and so shall we euer be with the Lord. This comming of our Sauiour to iudge and to take this account was foretold of the Angels who standing by him when hee ascended into Heauen and seeing the men of Galilee gazing after him said This Iesus which is taken vp from you shall so come as ye haue seene him goe into heauen And how can we doubt hereof seeing that our Sauiour himselfe euen the high Iudge foresheweth the same Mat. 27. 25. And Saint Mathew setteth downe the order and maner of this Iudgement so plainely that no man led by the Spirit of God can once mutter against his doctrine The second proofe is taken from the end vnto which mankind was made of God God necessarily obtaineth his end And this was the end for which he made mankind that he might be his Image and his eternall Temple wherein he might and should be celebrated to whom he might communicate himselfe his chiefe wisedome goodnesse righteousnesse and felicitie which felicitie is part of the Image of God but this is destroyed and defaced of the Deuill Therefore God which is stronger then the Deuill will restore it And although the end for which man was made is hindred diuers wayes in this life yet the Lord once will attaine vnto it Wherefore there must of necessitie once be a change and an adiudging vnto the same end And here it is admirable to consider how like a Diuine the learned Philosopher aymed and leuelled at this marke and matter For thus hee said Verisimile est hominem ad has miserias non esse conditum sed longè verissimum est praestantissimam creaturam omnium ad meliorem finem conditam esse That is to say It is like to be true that man was not made to endure these miseries but rather it is farre most true that the most excellent creature of all was made to a better end The third proofe is taken from the righteousnesse of God his goodnesse and diuine truth which require that the godly should be perfectly well and the wicked perfectly euill and this falleth not out so many times in this life For here we see the wicked many times flourish with all worldly prosperitie Psal 37.35 luke 16. according to Dauids report and the example of the rich Glutton Therefore there must be another life wherein this iustice of God may appeare that both bodies and soules as they haue beene ioynt partakers of good actions and bad may haue either ioy and comfort or paine terrour and discomforts the wicked may haue tribulation the godly rest And the inchoation of this shall be at this day and time as Paul prooueth where he comforteth the Church of the Thessalonians shewing that their persecuters shall be afflicted and euerlastingly punished at this day and time and the godly rewarded The words are these 2. Thess 1.6 7 8 9 10. It is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you which are troubled rest with vs when the Lord Iesus shall shew himselfe from heauen with his mighty Angels in flaming fire rendring vengeance to them that doe not know God and which obey not the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ which shall be punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of
wiped from their eyes When we are in extremity let vs consider yea and comfort our selues with that consolation which the Lord gaue to the Church of Philadelphia Reuel 3.11 12. saying Behold I come shortly and so hee comforted the other Churches And the like ioy and consolation may we all conceiue in all our tribulations and miseries Let vs euer consider that the Lord will come quickly and that he that endureth temptation is blessed and shall at the last receiue the crowne of glorie Iames 1.12 which the Lord hath promised to them that loue him The third vse We should by the knowledge and remembrance of this day keepe vs in the feare of God and care to doe our duties 1. Epist 4.7 8. And this Saint Peter teacheth vs to doe saying The end of all things is at hand be ye therefore sober and watching in prayer But aboue all things haue feruent loue among you for loue couereth the multitude of sinnes The same Apostle declaring the fearefulnelsse of this day 2. Pet. 3. to wit how it shall come as a theefe in the night and that the heauens shall passe away with a noyse and the Elements shall melt with heate and the earth with the works that are therein shall be burnt vp maketh this vse thus concluding of his former doctrines Seeing therefore Verse 11. that all these things must be dissolued what manner persons ought ye to be in holy conuersation and godlines c As though he should say You ought to be most religious most godly of a most pure life and conuersation Verse 14. And me thinkes we should haue a care to be most holy without spot and vndefiled euen blamelesse because wee shall at that day stand before the righteous and vncorrupt Iudge and shall stand openly in the sight of the holy Angels S. Augustine writing vpon these words Reu. 20.12 And I saw the dead both small and great stand before God c. hath these words Rogo vos fratres vt quotidiè cogitemus quales esse debemus in die iudicij purissimis Angelorum conspectibus offerendi aeterno Iudici rationem de libris conscientiae reddituri that is O brethren I beseech you let vs consider what maner of persons we ought to be in the last day of iudgement that shall be presented to the most pure sight of Angels and that shall render an account to the most high Iudge of the bookes of our conscience It seemed that the good Father kept himselfe in good order in the feare of God and in his Christian dutie with the daily cogitation of this Day and serious meditation how to make a good reckoning at the last day and that hee exhorted others to the like vigilance and carefulnesse Hierom reporteth Tract 5. cap. 3. that whatsoeuer he did he alwaies bore in mind this Day and thought that he was going to Iudgement Siue comedam siue hibam siue aliquid aliud agam semper videtur vox illa sonare in auribus Surgite mortui venite ad iudicium that is to say Whether I eate or drinke or doe any thing else me thinkes I alwaies heare this speech ring in my eares Rise ye dead and come to Iudgement and so by this meanes he kept himselfe in awe and refreinad to commit sinne and wickednesse As the Lord would haue vs to know that there is a day of iudgement for his owne glory our owne comfort the confutation of Epicures and Atheists and to keepe vs in our duties so he hath concealed from vs the certaine time when it shall be as it may be proued out of the sacred Scriptures these two wayes 1. By plaine sayings and sentences 2. By Parables or similitudes Mat. 24.42 First by plaine speeches such as these Watch for yee know neither the day nor the houre when the Sonne of man will come Mat. 25.13 Againe Watch ye therefore for ye know not when the Master of the house will come at euen or at midnight at the cocke crowing or in the dawning lest if he come suddenly hee should find you sleeping And those things that I say vnto you I say vnto all men Mar. 13.35 Watch. Note the words Watch ye therefore for ye know not the day nor the houre c. And to this purpose speaketh Saint Augustine Epist 78. writing to Hesychius Tempora computare hoc est CHRONOS vt sciamus quando sit huius saeculi finis vel aduentus Domini nihil mihi aliud videtur quà m scire velle quod Christus ait Scire neminem That is to say To count times that is to know the seasons when shall be the end of this world or the comming of the Lord this seemeth to me that a man is willing to know no other thing but that which Christ saith No man shall know And why should a man diue into the Lords secrets which hee is not willing to reueale vnto vs Act. 1.7 and which it is not expedient for vs to know Our Sauiour said vnto the Apostles Mark 13. It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his owne power Hee hath not reuealed this secret to Man nor Angell Math. 24.36 Secondly this is proued by Parables as of the ten Virgins that went to meet the Bridegroome these slept Mat. 25. and suddenly at midnight when they looked not for him there was a cry that the Bridegroome came and these words were vttered Goe out to meet him Note the words I beseech you and sodainly at midnight when they looked not for him This proueth that the Lords comming to Iudgement shall be sudden and that hee shall finde the vvicked ones secure and carelesse Againe the Parable of the Talents doth admonish vs to be watchfull because the day and time of the Lords comming to take an account is vncertaine and vnknowne For as the deliuerer of the Talents going into a strange Countrey gaue the receiuers of them a charge to occupy them till he came and did not tell when he would come but yet after a long season came to reckon with them and to call them to account and to reward them in his mercy according to their seuerall imployments Euen so our Sauiour beeing gone as it were into a strange countrey into Heauen where he neuer was in body before hath deliuered vnto sundry and seuerall persons excellent gifts which he would haue them vse to his glory and the good of his Church and hee will come after a season he telleth not when and therefore no man knoweth the time to take a strict account of all the receiuers of them The sodainenesse and vncertaintie of his comming 1. Thes 5.2 Reu. 16.15 Luk. 17.24 is compared to the comming of a Thiefe which giues no warning to lightening that giues a sodaine flash and lighteneth out of the one part vnder Heauen and shineth vnto the other part vnder
Heauen to the dayes of Noah wherein the carelesse people did eate and drinke Luke 17. married wiues and gaue in marriage vnto the day that Noah went into the Arke and the Floud came and destroyed them all euen sodainely when they neuer thought much lesse knew of the certaine and prescript time For the same reason those dayes wherein Christ shal come are compared to the daies of Lot These similitudes doe tell and teach vs that the Lords comming to Iudgement is vnknowne and shall bee sodaine For to this purpose the Euangelist most aptly applyeth this doctrine Luk. 17.30 Luke 17.30 saying After these ensamples shall it be in the day when the Sonne of Man is reuealed Epist 88. Augustine writing to Hesichius hath an excellent saying to this purpose Ego namque de Saluatoris aduentu qui expectatur in fine tempora dinumerare non audeo nec aliquem propheta de hac re numerum annorum existimo praefinsse that is to say I dare not number the times of the comming of our Sauiour which in the end is looked for neither do I thinke that any Prophet hath determined the number of yeeres I therefore conclude this point thus Man knoweth not that day and houre nor the Angels Nay which is most of all not the Sonne as touching his humanity and mediatorship Math. 24. Mar. 13. but the Father onely and yet I stand assured that in his Godhead hee knoweth this time 3. Reasons wherefore the Lord concealeth the times of his comming 1. It is not expedient for vs to know them 2. That wee might exercise our faith and patience 3. To make vs more vigilant c. First it is not expedient nor meet for vs to know these things I meane those secrets which the Father hath kept in his owne power Act. 1.6 The Apostles asked our Sauiour Iesus Christ whether hee at that time would restore the Kingdome to Israel that is to say to his old ancient state Hee answered It is not for you to know the times and seasons which the Father hath put in his owne power as though he should say it belongeth not to you to know the moments of times and occasions of abstruse secret and mysticall things not reuealed in the Word as what houre a man shall dye what houre the Lord will come to Iudgement when he will vtterly destroy the kingdome of Satan at what moment hee will bring his subiects into the Kingdome of his Father There is a time when these things shall bee performed but hid from vs and therefore we ought to beleeue them for they are true and in their due times shall truely be performed but wee ought not curiously pry into these secrets For this as Hugo hath is curiositas superflua inuestigatio rerum ad se non pertinentium that is this is superfluous curiositie a searching out of matters that doe not belong to vs. This is no doctrine of the Spirit For as Bernard writing vpon the Canticles hath Doctrina spiritus non curiositatem acuit sed charitatem accendit The doctrine of the Spirit doth not whet on curiositie but inflameth charitie Therefore let vs learne to refraine from curious questions as the Apostle teacheth Timothy and Titus let vs not search and diue too deepe in dangerous whirlepooles lest we should be drowned This is good for the Teacher and profitable for the Hearer And this good counsell Augustine giueth in his eightieth Epistle answering Hesychius and in his doctrine teaching men not curiously to search into the times and seasons but to study the Death and Resurrection of Christ that is to say matters of saluation Secondly Christ concealeth this day and houre to exercise mens faith and patience Chap. 5. And to this purpose Iames giueth this good exhortation Bee patient brethren vnto the comming of the Lord c. In which place he doth comfort the poore oppressed of the rich warning them to wait for the Lords comming patiently who will reuenge the iniuries which the rich men doe to them and giue vnto them waiting in Faith and Hope and yeelding patience a prosperous issue and deliuerance and in the meane time when a man is in misery patience will make the griefe lighter and easier to bee borne This made the Poet say Horace Durum sed leuius fit patientia quicquid corrigere est nefas It is hard I confesse that thou canst not redresse yet lighter through patience if quietly thou beare it Thirdly the Lord telleth vs not when hee will come to call vs to account that wee assured of his comming and not knowing when should at all times be vigilant watchfull and carefull to doe our duties to haue all things in a godly and good order at our Lord and Masters comming As good domesticall seruants when their Master is gone from them assuring themselues that hee will come againe vnto them and not knowing when and that he will call them to an account if they haue any care will at all times haue all things in readinesse and good order that their earthly Master may not come vpon them vnawares and finde them idle and ill occupied and all things out of right course So we seruants to Christ Iesus our Sauiour and knowing that hee is gone from vs into Heauen and standing assured that hee will come to take a reckoning of vs of our liues and conuersations and not knowing when should at all times haue our accounts straight haue all things in readinesse and good order that our heauenly Iudge and Master when he commeth to iudge the quicke and the dead may not come vpon vs vnawares at the last Day and finde vs idle or ill occupied and all things out of good order And to this purpose tendeth that exhortation of our Sauiour Christ Luk. 12.35 36. Let your loynes bee girt and your lights burning and yee your selues like vnto men that wait for their Master when he will returne from the wedding that when hee commeth and knocketh they may open vnto him immediately Blessed are those seruants whom the Lord when he commeth shall finde waking c. And Paul giueth the like godly exhortation But of the times and seasons 1. Thes 5.1 2 3 4 5 6. Brethren yee haue no neede that I write vnto you for yee your selues know perfectly that the Day of the Lord shall come euen as a Thiefe in the night For when they shall say Peace and safety then shall come vpon them sodaine destruction as the trauell vpon a woman with childe and they shall not escape But ye brethren are not in darknesse that that day should come on you as it were a Thiefe Yee are all the children of light and the children of the day wee are not of the night neither of darknesse Therefore let vs not sleepe as doe others but let vs watch and bee sober And what plainer exhortation can there bee deliuered to this purpose Mar. 24.42 44. Mar. 13.35 then
or rather some other Elias of the Rabbins because it is not found in the sacred Scriptures but in the Thalmud of the Iewes hath set downe his opinion thus Sex millia annorum mundus durabit deinde conflagratio that is The world shall continue sixe thousand yeeres and then burning makes an end of it And because of sinnes which shall be many and great some yeeres shall be wanting Irenaeus the Martyr was of the same mind these are his wordes Quot diebus factus est hic mundus tot millenarijs consummabitur nam mille anni apud Dominum quasi dies vnus Psal 90. and 2. Pet. 3.8 Now all things were finished perfectly in sixe dayes and the seuenth day was a time of rest Therefore the consummation of all those things shall be in the seuen thousandth yere the perpetuall Sabbath the euerlasting rest This is their fallible collection and conclusion altogether repugnant to the Scriptures The greatest reason or rather shew of reason that made Elias and Ireneus and their followers to erre was for that they vpon these words A thousand yeeres are with the Lord as one day doe say that the world was made in sixe dayes and the seuenth day was a day of rest therefore the world shal stand and continue sixe thousand yeeres and in the seuenth thousand shall be the consummation and end of all In very deed I must needs confesse that these men were learned But Bernardus non vidit omnia neither these men for in my opinion herein they were deceiued in that they thought that in eternall life in the world to come with God were spaces of times yeeres dayes and houres as well as with men in this mortall life which is not true for in heauen I meane not the aereum Coelum ayrie heauen conteining the space from vs vnto the Firmament nor coelum coelatum the engrauen heauen which I so call because it is as it were ingrauen and enameled with glorious lights the Sunne the Moone and the Starres but the heauen which is called of the Philosopher Empyreum but by Diuines in Scripture the glorious Heauen of heauens or Heauen aboue the visible heauens wherein is our Sauiour the Angels and glorified Saints In this are no spaces nor seasons of yeeres dayes moneths houres or other times which thus I proue because there is no Sun nor Moone nor Stars nor no vse need nor necessitie of any of them For the claritie and brightnesse of the Lord shineth there There is no night no Clockes nor Dyals nor Watches How then is it possible for a man to know the spaces of times there Wherefore in the life to come a thousand yeeres are as one day and one day as a thousand yeeres The Psalmist therefore well said A thousand yeeres in thy sight are but as yesterday Psal 90.4 seeing that is past as a watch in the night Againe there is so much ioy in heauen that for the greatnesse and pleasantnesse thereof a thousand yeeres seeme to be but one day But in no wise can it be hereby gathered that because in sixe dayes the world was made and in the seuenth was rest that therefore the world shall continue sixe thousand yeeres and in the seuenth shall be a perpetuall rest and Sabboth and an end of all and so a certaine time knowne Besides the maintainers of the opinion abouesaid there are others which haue taken vpon them to ghesse at the yeere when there should be an end of all things In this number are they which thought that the end of the world shall be in the yeere from Christs birth 1656. because there were so many yeeres from the creation of Adam vnto the Flood and the rather they haue so supposed because our Sauiour and Saint Peter doe compare the times of the Floud Mat. 24. 2. Epist 3. and of the fire in the last day together Wheras therefore from the Creation of Adam vnto the Deluge were 1656. yeeres and sixe dayes they collect that there shall be so many yeeres vnto the last Iudgement when the World shall bee purged by fire Some thought that it should bee in the yeere 1588. among which number was Regiomantanus who left to the world certain Verses shewing his too farre reaching opinion Which Verses are these following Post mille expletos à partu Virginis annos Et post quingentos rursus ab orbe datos Octo gesimus octauus mirabilis annus Ingruet is secum iristia fata trahet Si non hoc anno totus malus occidet orbis Si non in nihilum terra fretumque ruent Cuncta tamen mundi sursum ibuâ—t atque deorsum Imperia luctus vndique grandis erit After one thousand yeeres full explere ended And fiue hundred more vpon the same And eightie eight iust added From the Virgins birth without all staine A wonderfull yeere shall come vpon And dolefull deaths shall follow on If not this euill world this yeere With Land and Sea decay Yet all the Empires euery where Assuredly shall sway And mourning much will follow Albeit beloued Christians there was some shew of alteration that yeere yet many that are here liued then and all can speake by experience that in this matter of the last Iudgement Regiomontanus was deceiued as vvell as others and although there were some shew of troubles yet GOD bee thanked the feares were greater then the harmes and we that liue can relate the same to Gods glory who mercifully and miraculously protected vs making the Seas and Windes to fight for vs and to get the conquest that all the praise might be the Lords Some would haue the time to be certainely knowne or very neerely pointed at because our Sauiour saith Behold the Figge-tree and all the trees Luke 21. when they shoot forth their buds yee beholding know of your owne selues that Summer is then nie at hand So likewise yee when yee see these things come to passe bee yee sure that the Kingdome of GOD is nigh This similitude teacheth that as when vvee see Trees begin to budde then we know assuredly that Summer is nigh So when wee see and know these things performed that the Euangelists haue by the Spirit of GOD penned and set downe and our Sauiour foretold and which Daniel prophesied of then wee may assure our selues that the day and time is neere at hand but we cannot out of these words gather the particular and certaine time Againe men should consider that our Sauiour spake by a similitude which illustrateth but proueth not any set time knowne to man In very truth I confesse that the time of the last Iudgement may be knowne quod ad genus that is that certainely it will come but it cannot bee knowne quod ad speciem to wit as touching the houre day moneth and certaine yeere I therefore assure my selfe and I beseech you all bee so perswaded that no man knoweth the certaine time the very day nor houre of the Lords comming
no nor the Angels in Heauen nay which is most of all not our Sauiour Iesus Christ in his humanitie but in his Deitie knoweth all And let this worke in vs all a serious kinde of watchfulnesse Luk. 12.40 Bee yee ready saith our Sauiour for the Sonne of Man will come at an houre when yee thinke not The end of the fourth Sermon THE FIFTH SERMON God in his inscrutable wisedome and infinite goodnes towards man deferreth this day of iudgement for 3 reasons 1. To stirre vp in vs a vigilant expectance and a patient waiting for his appearance 2. That his Church his flocke may be increased 3. To grant all men time space to repent AS touching the first Chap. 5.7 8. Iames teacheth vs to performe the same by precept and patterne by precept in the beginning of the seuenth Verse where hee saith Bee patient vnto the comming of the Lord and hee in effect repeateth the same doctrine in the eighth Verse saying Bee ye also patient therefore and settle your hearts for the comming of the Lord draweth neere His example is taken from Husbandmen who patiently wait for the precious fruit of the earth vntill they receiue the former and the latter raine His words seruing for doctrine and example are these Bee patient therefore vnto the comming of the Lord Behold the Husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth and hath long patience for it vntill he receiue the former and the latter raine Be ye also patient therefore and settle your hearts for the comming of the Lord draweth neere He that waiteth in Faith Reu. 16.15 hope and patience for the Lords comming Luke 12.37 is blessed for hee shall appeare the second time without sinne vnto them that looke for him vnto saluation as we may see Heb. 9. the last Verse Secondly the Lord deferreth his comming to Iudgement that all the Elect may bee gathered together to his Church may be effectually called be of the Lords flocke who although they are the Lords already in his eternall Decree yet there is a time wherein they are called The Lord would haue them heare the Word and by the same to be born againe vnto which time is required and therefore that they may haue time the Lord delayeth his comming for their sakes the world consisteth and for them all the good things on the earth are prepared For the vngodly vse them as Robbers and Theeues The Apostle saith 1. Tim. 4.3 God hath prepared meates to bee receiued of the faithfull with thanksgiuing and of such as know the Truth The like place the Apostle hath speaking to this purpose thus Vnto the pure all things are pure but vnto them that are defiled Tiâ—us 1. â—5 and vnbeleeuing is nothing pure but euen the minde and conscience of them is defiled The third reason why the Lord is so long before hee come to take this account is very like to the former reason and it is to grant all men time and space to repent that they may bee saued which the godly will not pretermit nor neglect The Lord saith the Apostle that hath promised is not slacke as some men count slacknesse but is patient towards vs for as much as he would haue no man lost but would receiue all men to repentance Vnto which purpose hee speaketh after in the 15. Verse Suppose saith he that the long suffering of the Lord is saluation This time space to repent and prepare themselues for this account the godly will neuer let slip vnprofitably Contrarily the wicked neglect time and therefore by the same are made inexcusable making a fuller measure of their sinne in that they despise the goodnes and bountifulnesse of the Lord Rom. 2.4 calling them to repentance These wicked ones are afraid of this Iudgement and therefore neuer wish for it but the godly desire it because at that time they shall be deliuered from the miseries wherein they liue in this world Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am saith the Apostle who shall deliuer me from the body of this death In Reuelation 22. The Brideman and Bridewoman say Come Lord Iesu Come which they say not that are not ready to entertaine the Lord. Hauing before proued that there is a day of Iudgement and that God would haue vs to know it and the reasons wherefore and also hauing shewed that the certain time the yeere moneth weekes dayes and houres are vnknowne and the reasons also of the same with a confutation of the gaine-sayers and the vse of both And lastly hauing yeelded reasons why the Lord delayeth this Day In the rest I will bee as compendious and short as I may bee so as I may lay downe the truth with perspicuitie Which that I may the better doe obserue with mee these points which I thinke fittest to bee spoken of And first hauing before manifested that there is a day of Iudgement and account-taking next it wil be most profitable to shew First what this Iudgement is Secondly the terrible signes and dreadfull preparations for the wicked Thirdly the manner and comming of the Iudge and settling him in his Throne and raising of the dead to come to Iudgement Fourthly the tryall of the sinner by Accusers and Witnesses Fiftly the Booke and touchstone of the sinners tryall at the last Day Sixtly the lamentable case of the sinner condemned Seuenthly the sentence giuen of both godly and vngodly First what this Iudgement is First it is that Iudgement which God will exercise in the end of the World by Christ which shall come downe from Heauen into the Clouds visibly in great glory and Maiestie and will take this account and by him all men shall bee raised vp which haue beene dead from the beginning of the world euen to the end the rest then being aliue shall be suddenly changed and all shall stand before the Tribunall Seat of Christ who shall giue sentence of all and will cast the euill with the Diuels into eternall punishment and will take the godly to him that with him and the blessed Angels they may in Heauen enioy eternall felicitie This long description is taken out of the knowne Scriptures and therefore if I should labour to proue it I should hold vp a Candle to lighten the Sun I will therefore leaue this matter as yeelded vnto and hasten to the next point to wit what shall be done at that time at that fearefull time of reckoning that men warned of the dangers may be danted and discouraged from doing euill and walking any longer securely in the broad way that leadeth to destruction and by serious repentance be brought to the narrow way that leadeth to saluation Secondly at this Day of Iudgement when this strict reckoning shall be taken there shall be such terrible signes and dreadfull preparations for the wicked that they shall bee at their wits ends their hearts shall faile them for feare and they shall wish that the Hils may couer
them For it shall be at midnight when men commonly are asleepe 1. Thes 4.16 The Trumpet the Word of the Lord compared to a Trumpet because of the fearefull shrill and lowd sound thereof shall sound out a most dreadfull taratantara Surgite mortui venite ad Iudicium that is Rise ye dead and come to Iudgement At which voice these dreadfull and terrible effects shall follow Mat. 24.29 The Sea and the Waters shall roare the Hils shall moue out of their places the Earth shake the Sunne shall be darke the Moone shall not giue her light the Starres shall fall from Heauen the whole Element shiuer in pieces the world shall bee in a consuming fire the Graues shall open and yeeld forth the bodies lying in them yea and the Sea and all other places also Reu. 20.13 they that then shall be aliue shall with a sudden mutation be renued and all corruption wiped from their bodies 1. Cor. 15. 1. Thes 4. and all mortalitie remoued they shall be made incorruptible and immortall which changing shall be instead of death vnto them and all shal come to meete the Lord in the Aire as thick as swarmes of Bees The Angels shall separate the good from the bad Math. 13.41 the Tares from the Wheat the Sheepe from the Goates and euery one shal receiue according to that he hath done in this life 2. Cor. 5. whether good or bad The World 2. Pet. 3. Heauen and Earth shall bee dissolued by fire there shall bee a change of this present state and a purging of the Creatures and not an vtter consumption Thirdly the Iudge himselfe euen Christ Iesus the Sonne of God to whom the Father hath giuen all iudgement shall bee seene comming in the Clouds of Heauen Ioh. 5.22 Math. 24. in his very humane Nature not in poore and base state and sort as at his first comming in the flesh which was to good purpose to giue vs an example of true humilitie of true lowlinesse but in glory and great power waited on not with mortall and sinfull men but with the immortall and holy Angels And then hee beeing most Regall maiesticall and powerfull Math. 25.31 The settling of him in his Throne and being also vpright and pure will ascend into his great white Throne most beseeming his Imperiall and immaculate person And this Iohn saw plainly in a vision reuealed vnto him by Christ Iesus Re. 20.11 Reu. 20.11 where he thus reporteth And I saw a great white Throne c. The greatnesse of this Throne sheweth his might Maiestie For he is a King hauing on his head a golden crown The whitenes of it his purity and holines Reu. 14.14 Heb. 7.26 For he is a Priest and a Iudge holy innocent vndefiled separate from sinners and made higher then the Heauens When this Regall mighty and vncorrupt Iudge hath setled himselfe in his Tribunall Seat then at the shrill sound of the Trumpet The Resurrection of the dead to come to Iudgement Iob. 19. all that are dead shall rise euen in the same state and forme as they were when they dyed couered againe with the same skinne and hauing the same flesh shall also behold God not with other but with the same eyes as they had when they departed out of this life and all this shall come to passe although a man is burnt to ashes For God who is Omnipotent and made man of nothing is much more able of ashes to reedifie and make man againe then a simple man of ashes can make a beautifull glasse And if a Goldsmith or a Pewterer of a melted vessell can make another againe then much more God of a man returned to dust can make a man againe He made man I say at the first of nothing therefore much more is able to make him againe of something and to bring together all parts and pieces of him wheresoeuer they bee scattered and dispersed An excellent example and demonstration whereof we haue in Ezechiel 37. where the Prophet foreshewing the bringing againe of the people being in captiuitie telleth how the Lord set him downe in the middest of a field which was full of dry bones and led him round about by them Ezec. 37. and said vnto him Sonne of Man can these bones liue And the Prophet answered O Lord God thou knowest Then the Lord proceeded further and said vnto the bones Behold I will cause breath to enter into you and you shall liue and I will lay sinnewes vpon you and make flesh grow vpon you and couer you with skinne and put breath in you that ye may liue And as soone as the Lord spake the word all this was done shewing plainely vnto vs our restauration to life at the Resurrection in the last Day All that are dead shall liue shall rise againe and come to be iudged for the dead shall liue they shall rise againe with their body Esay 26.19 Awake and sing ye that sleepe in the dust for thy dew is as the dew of Hearbs and the earth shall cast out the dead Let vs therefore resolue our selues that the houre shall come in the which all that are in their graues shall heare Christs voice Ioh. 5.28 29. and they shall come forth that haue done good vnto the Resurrection of life but they that haue done euill vnto the resurrection of condemnation Ioh. 11.24 Martha therefore truely said to Christ of Lazarus I know that hee shall rise againe at the last Day Martha knew this to bee true and so did Iob and in this point let vs all be resolued Iob 19. 2. King 4. Luke 7. Math. 9. Iohn 11. for as truely as Elizeus called to life a dead Boy Christ the Widdowes sonne in Naim and Iairus Daughter and Lazarus so wee shall be raised againe to life and stand before this high Iudge sitting in his Imperiall Throne of Maiestie I pray God that wee may appeare before him cloathed with his holinesse and righteousnesse Now although some shall be aliue at the last Day 1. Thes 4.17 yet they shall not preuent them that sleepe for they shall bee caught vp with them also in the Clouds to meet the Lord in the Aire and shall come to Iudgement that both the dead 2. Cor. 5.10 and they that then shall bee liuing may receiue the things that are done in their bodies according to that which they haue done whether it be good or bad For God by his Sonne Christ Iesus Acts 17.31 will Iudge the world in righteousnesse It shall therefore goe well with the righteous the godly but ill with the wicked It shall be with the godly and the wicked at the Resurrection in the last Day Gen. 40. as it was with Pharaoh his seruants his chiefe Butler and his chiefe Baker Both of them were taken out of Prison the one to be restored to his Office to minister before the King but the other
to be put to torments and cruell death In like maner shall it bee with the Elect and Reprobate faithfull and vnfaithfull the godly and the wicked at this generall and great Assize both shall arise out of their close prison I meane their Graues but the one sort to be euer with the Lord and to be euer in a continuall ioyfull practice ministring praises and Songs of Thanksgiuing saying Saluation and glory and honour bee to the Lord our God c. Math. 25. The other to bee banished from the presence of the Lord and to bee finally adiudged to euerlasting fire and torments Therefore O godly man hold on and goe forward in a godly course of life Thou shalt haue comfort and ioy at the last euen a solace sempiterne and perpetuall For eye hath not seene eare hath not heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man 1. Pet. 1.4 what good things the Lord hath prepared for them that loue him and the inheritance of Gods Children is incorruptible vndefiled and neuer fadeth away But if thou art a wicked man and hast walked in the broad way that leadeth to destruction and continuest in thy wicked life without repentance then thou shalt rise in the last Day but to iudgement to torment to bee cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where are paines endlesse Luke 16. caselesse and remedilesse Looke to the example of the rich Glutton At this day and time of account Kings Queenes Princes Earles Barons and Baronets Knights Esquires Gentlemen Yeomen rich and poore young and old all one as well as another shall bee demanded how they haue occupied their Talents as wee may gather by the Parable Mat. 25. The Virgins that expect the Bridegroome with Oyle and Lampes prepared shall be blessed The wicked shall be sifted with straight examination and shall giue an account of a thousand matters whereof they would haue scorned to haue been told of in this life by Minister or Magistrate as how they haue spent their time whether they haue fought against the world the Flesh and the Diuell Of which and many other things they must giue an account of The sinners Tryall yea of euery idle word And heere wee are to note that as when persons are tryed at our Assizes vpon matters of life and death there are vsually accusers and witnesses written and printed Lawes and Bookes by which men are tryed for no man is condemned vpon a bare accusation without testimonie some apparant proofe or at leastwise some great probabilitie that cannot bee spoken against and the breach of the some branch of the Lawes So the Scriptures speaking after the manner of men proue that there shal be both accusers and witnesses against a false Steward a wicked man at this great Assize The accusers are a mans owne thoughts after which sort the thoughts of the Gentiles are said to accuse them or excuse them Rom. 2.15 16. at the day when God shall iudge the secrets of men by Iesus Christ A mans wicked thoughts then are sinnes and vnlesse a man repent him of them deserue death And therefore Peter bad Simon Magus pray to God if perhaps the thoughts of his heart may bee forgiuen him And for this cause our Sauiour speaking of an euill heart saith that out of it proceede euill thoughts Mat. 15.19 from these wicked thoughts come many euill and wicked words whereof the sinner must giue an account yea Mat. 12.36 many sinnes and wickednesses that shall correct a man and many turnings backe that shall reprooue him Ier. 2.19 Our thoughts therefore may well bee said to accuse vs at this day of reckoning And here it is strange to see how wonderfully worldly men are deceiued in this point they will say Thought is free as though it were lawfull for them to thinke at pleasure without sinning or punishment It is true that man may thinke what he will freed from mans knowledge and punishment For as it is true that no man knoweth the thoughts of man so it is as true that no man can iustly inflict punishment vpon man for his thoughts for he knoweth not them Onely God the searcher of the hearts and reynes knoweth mans thoughts and punisheth them if they are wicked and that deseruedly For euill thoughts defile man Mat. 15.19 20. and therefore worthily are condemned Zech. 8.17 The witnesses against man are foure 1. God 2. Heauen and Earth 3. Rust of the Gold and Siluer of wicked rich men 4. A mans Conscience First God is a witnesse who knoweth all things yea the very secrets of the heart therefore the truest and best witnesse This is proued Malachy 3.5 Mal. 3.5 I will said he come neere to you in iudgement and I will be a swift witnesse against the Southsayers and against the Adulterers and against false swearers and against those that wrongfully keepe backe the hirelings wages and vex the widdow and the fatherlesse and oppresse the stranger and feare not mee saith the Lord. This righteous Lord and true witnesse will set before mans face the things that hee hath done Hee vvill bring to light the hidden things of darknes make manifest the counsels of the heart that euery one that thinketh well and doth well may haue praise of God and he that thinketh not well Math. 25. nor doth well may bee cast into euerlasting fire prepared for the Diuell and his Angels Deut. 4.26 The second witnesse Heauen and earth The Lord saith to Israel when thou shalt beget children and childrens children and shalt haue remained long in the land if yee corrupt your selues and make any grauen image or likenesse of any thing and worke euill in the sight of the Lord thy God to prouoke him to anger I call Heauen and Earth to record against you this day that yee shall shortly perish from the land whereunto ye goe ouer Iordan to possesse it yee shall not prolong your dayes therein but shall vtterly bee destroyed The like place we haue Deut. 30.19 Deut. 30.19 Where the Lord calleth Heauen and Earth to witnesse against them saying that he had set before them life and death a blessing and a curse and bids them chuse life that they may liue with their seed Beloued Christians let vs take heed what we doe heere on the earth For our sayings doings are knowne and seene from aboue and the earth vpon which our sinnes are committed can beare witnesse of the same against vs if our words and deeds are euill Thirdly the rust of the gold and siluer of couetous worldlings shall be a witnesse against them which hath beene layd vp till it rusted for want of vsing and well employing to the vse of the poore And as their gold and siluer is eaten vp and fretted with rust so they for not vsing their treasure well shall be eaten vp and deuoured with the fire of hell that is they shall be tormented with euerlasting flames
cùm tandem caro datur vermibus anima daemonibus cum diuete sinc fine crucianda That is to say If thou haddest the wisedome of Salomon the beauty of Absalom the strength of Samson the long life of Enoch the riches of Croesus the felicity of Octauian what doe these profit thee when at the last thy flesh is giuen to the wormes and thy soule to the Diuels with the rich man to be tormented world without end For what will it auaile a man to winne all the world and to lose his owne soule or what ransome shall a man giue for his soule 2. Men placed Stewards in this world hauing the stock of the same at their disposition play the bad Stewards in setting their hearts vpon them idolatrously From this vice and hainous sinne Dauid dehorteth when he said Psal 62.10 1. Tim. 6. If riches increase set not your heart theron And Paul commands them that be rich in this world that they be not high-minded neither put their trust in vncertaine riches but in the liuing God In which place hee yeeldeth a great reason to moue men not to trust to riches adding a fit Epithite to riches calling them vncertaine For they ebbe they flowe they come they goe they are neuer certaine Therefore the Wise man gaue good counsell when as hee said Trust not in vncertaine riches Valerius said well to this purpose Diuitiae istae in quibus summam foelicitatem consistere putant sunt caducae momentancae crepundijs simillimae affluunt subitò subitò dilabuntur nullo in loco nullo in homine nullo tempore sunt certae sed incertissimo flatu fortunae huc illuc actae quos in sublime sustulerunt subito casu deijciunt That is to say Those riches wherein men place their chiefe felicitie are caduke momentany most like to gugawes they come suddenly and suddenly slide away they are certain in no place in no man at no time but tossed hither and thither by fortunes instabilitie whom they haue exalted highly they throw downe suddenly This was one of the Philosophers reasons why riches should not bee felicitie quia fluunt refluunt that is they come speedily to a man and hastily runne away like the tyde of the Sea So long as Troy flourished it was said of King Priamus quo nō foelicior alter neuer was any more happy but when it was destroyed so vncertaine was his state and so vaine his former trust in riches infoelix Priamus so that this saying Priami calamitates became a common prouerbe spoken of all distressed persons What a foolish thing it is for men to trust in riches may appeare by the example of that rich Steward who considering his great in-comes and friuts that were to come in reasoned with himselfe saying What shall I doe because I haue no roome where I may lay vp my fruits And he said This will I doe I will pull downe my Barnes and build greater and therein will I gather in all my fruits and my goods and I will say to my soule Soule thou hast much goods laid vp for many yeeres liue at ease eate drinke and take thy pastime But God said vnto him O foole this night will they fetch away thy Soule from thee then whose shall those things bee which thou hast prouided So is he that gathereth riches to himselfe and is not rich towards God which trusteth to vncertaine riches and considereth not how deadly they sting in the end For as the Bee carrieth Hony in his mouth and a sharpe sting in his tayle euen so the couetous and cruell man trusting to his riches hath pleasure in his life but pain at his death Like to the example of the rich Glutton whose pleasant life you may see whiles hee liued and his dolefull sorrows after death from the 19. Verse to the end of this Chapter Thirdly men play the bad Stewards in this Farme this world by keeping their goods to themselues basely and miserably of which goods the Lord is the true owner and not themselues but Stewards and Disposers of them and therefore O man thou shouldest dispose them and doe with them as he would haue thee for so ought euery one to doe that is a Steward and Bayliffe vnder another Therefore be rich in good workes glad to distribute For this is the true vse of riches in good men that vse them wel to whom they are Gods blessings and the ornaments of vertue But to the wicked that imploy them not to help others but rather do hurt they are sentina malorum Arist a sinke of euils Keepe not that to thy selfe basely which God the true owner bids thee layout cheerefully to help others For if thou doest thou art false to God in thy dealing If a rich man that hath a Bayliffe a seruant vnder him should say vnto him Here is twenty shillings pay this to such and such persons and it is as good as if thou payedst it vnto me If this seruant should keepe this twenty shillings vnto himselfe and not lay it out as his Master bids him nor restore it you will say with mee that this were a bad seruant a false Steward God of his gracious goodnes bestoweth all that thou hast vpon thee and bids thee giue vnto the poore feede the hungry cloath the naked Math. 25. visit the sicke and imploy it to other good vses and then thou giuest it to him If thou shouldest not doe this thou art a false Steward thou doest not repay that which thou hast receiued Thou a rich man carriest as it were the poore mans stocke and therefore let them haue part with thee Stips pauperum thesaurus diuitum Tiberius Constant the rich treasure is the poore mans stocke as said the good Emperour God will haue no Begger in Israel Nature suffereth nothing empty and the Raine when it falleth downe and runneth filleth euery chinker and hole as it runneth and leaueth still some moisture behinde it to doe good where need is So doe you ye rich Stewards of the weale publique Lay out some goods for the maintenance of the Gospell some for thy poore neighbours that is done to Christ that is a treasure in Heauen surely kept for thee Reu. 18. and hath a finall blessing Math. 25. for the works of the godly follow them to defend them and reioyce them in the world to come But if thou art a false Steward gettest thy goods by pilling polling grinding the faces of the poore and selling them for hose and shooes and keepest them basely to thy selfe and thinkest at thy death to leaue them to thy wife and children thou shalt vndoubtedly leaue behind thee for all thine not a blessing but a plague and a curse and so vtterly vndoe all thy posteritie De malè quaesitis vix gaudet tertius haeres Exod. 20. God doth visit the sinnes of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third and fourth generation of them that hate him And the Lord
commaunded the cruell seruant himselfe his wife and children and all that hee had to be sold Math. 18. inflicting the punishment not onely vpon himselfe but also vpon his wife and children Therefore let men be not vniust and cruell but true and mercifull for as the holy father hath August Sola misericordia est comes defunctorum Onely mercy accompanieth the dead That a man shall carry away with him and God in his mercy will reward mercy Fourthly men play the bad Stewards when they receiue the Lords goods and lay them not out according to his will but spend them vnlawfully wilfully and wastfully for which they are culpable and accusable as this bad Steward was The idolatrous person layeth out his riches vpon superstitious workes as Ahab and Iezabel The quarrelsome man layeth out his goods vpon vnnecessary suites of law hindering himselfe and his neighbours as the Corinthians did The vncleane person in chambering and wantonnesse as Sardanapalus and Absalon liuing altogether in carnalitie The Epicure and belly God in faring deliciously euery day as the rich Glutton Gamâ—ters in gaming as Octauius Augustus To conclude euery one which layeth out his goods in idle superfluous and vngodly courses of life playeth the parts of an vnthrifty and vnfaithfull seruant as the prodigall sonne And if a Preacher Magistrate or other Officer rebuke any of these for their vnfaithfull dealing and prodigall swaggering they will say What haue they to doe with vs we wast and spend but our owne money and goods building vpon a base ground for no man is Lord and proper owner of his wealth but onely a Steward for a time to the high Lord of all And as a great mans Bayliffe and Steward on earth ought to lay out the goods of his Master as he commandeth and must render an account how he doth it euen so must euery man being made a Steward in this farme the world employ the talents and gifts which he receiueth as the Lord of Lords the high Master of all commandeth and shall render an account as hereafter followeth The second Farme or Mannor-house wherein man a Steward vnder this rich man God is to be employed and which he ought carefully to looke vnto is his owne body the goods whereof as health power and strength are to be employed to the honour of God to supply our owne necessary occasions 1. Cor. 6. and to helpe our neighbour in all godly and honest affaires This Farme ought to be well and cleanly kept that it may be a fit dwelling Place and Temple of the holy Ghost for if wee will adorne our houses decke them sweepe them and euery way as much as in vs lyeth make them hansome and commodious for a great earthly person much more should wee haue a care to preserue from pollution and keepe cleane our owne bodies because they are the houses of the holy Ghost and further to giue our members instruments of righteousnesse vnto God Rom. 6.13 and to offer vp our bodies a quicke sacrifice holy acceptable vnto God Rom. 12.1 This Farme a good Steward should carefully looke vnto lest death should enter through the ports and gates thereof to the soule and worke the destruction thereof which ports and gates I will set open vnto you making as much haste as the Porter doth when his Master waiteth for him at the gate The ports and gates of the body are these fiue Hearing Seeing Talking Tasting and Touching Which gates should be heedfully watched that nothing goe in or out but that which pleaseth the Lord for as a great earthly man hath a Porter to keepe his gates that no lewd filthy nor contagious person should enter in to pollute his house or infect his people and so procure danger or death vnto theÌ„ or otherwise disorder himselfe Euen so euery Christian man should looke to the gates and doores of his body lest sinne enter in by them and death follow to the subuersion of body and soule The first port and gate of the body is the care the proper organ and instrument of hearing it is the mouth of the soule which giues it nourishment and sendeth downe foode into it and which makes it liuely and fructifie in all the rest of mans members Mans eares should be open to heare good things Reuel 2. Math. 13. as the Word as our Sauiour would haue vs and the Prophet Esay verse 3. exhorteth vs so to doe shewing the vtilitie thereof saying Incline your cares and draw neere Heare and your soule shall liue This word is the sincere milke whereby our soules are nourished and receiue their spirituall growths it is a lanterne to carry light 1. Pet. 2.2 and to direct it is a medicine to heale a guide to conduct a bit to restraine a sword to defend water to wash fire to inflame salt to season wine to reioyce raine to refresh a treasure to inrich a key to vnlocke heauen gates vnto vs and by the merits of Christ Iesus to let vs into an inheritance immortall and vndefiled and that fadeth not away Now beloued seeing that mans eares are the instruments vessels to receiue this Word let vs study to keepe them cleane and open to receiue the Word 1. Cor. 15. Moenan but shut this gate against al blasphemous speeches slanderous and filthy talking for euill words corrupt good manners The second port of the body is the eye which must not let in bad sights it must not couetously looke on his neighbours goods lands or liuings 1. King 21. as Ahab did on poore Naboths vineyard nor wantonly looke on his neighbours wife as Dauid did vpon the wife of Vrie 2. Sam. 11. This caused Iesus the sonne of Sirach in his ninth chapter verse eight to say Turne away thy eyes from a beautifull woman looke not vpon others beauty for many haue perished by the beauty of women for through it loue is kindled as a fire What harmes enter in by this gate it may appeare by the example of Putiphar his Lady and wife Gen. 39. who steadily beholding the beauty of Ioseph after many dayes at the last said Come lye with mee Let vs therefore take heed of wanton looking sinfull lusting and vngodly committing of sinne and wickednesse The third port and gate which letteth in sinne and death to the soule is talking out of the mouth executed by the tongue This should not be filthy nor foolish Ephes 5.4 Col. 3 8. Ephes 4.29 but good to edifie withall that it may minister grace to the hearers The tongue is the best member that a man hath if it be in tune in good order but the worst member if it is out of order And therefore Anacharsis being demanded what was the best member of a man and what the worst The people looking for a double answere vnto a double question He spake in one word and said The tongue for the former reasons Therefore the Poet said Est vitae pariter