24.26 in the presence of Felix the gouernour disputed of righteousnesse temperance and of the iudgement to come Felix trembled therwithall did suppresse this matter by betaking himselfe to other businesse Go thy way saith he for this time and when I haue conuenient time I will call for thee Hee vsed not this inward feeling of the knowledge of Gods iudgement to the best that is to repent and to turne to God but as a worldly minded man hee would haue no such dumps to daunt his minde and to hinder him from his vain pleasures althogh then and at that time he were full deeply toucht in conscience Well although some do mock at the iudgement day as though it should not come or else suppresse the knowledge thereof within themselues that they may follow their lusts eate and drinke and rise vp to play that they may enioy the vanities and pleasures of this transitory world so long as they liue in the world yet they and we together with them may learne two profitable lessons First because as wee thinke it is long before God doo come to iudgement although oftentimes he beginneth his iudgement here vpon earth by strange examples which as I haue said are the forerunners of his last iudgement we may learne I say that with God a thousand yeares which we count a whole world is but as yesterday that is past and therefore that it is not long though it seeme so vnto vs. Secondly that God hereby sheweth his patience and long suffering his great compassion and mercy in that hee would not the death of a sinner but waiteth for our repentance and amendment and thinketh that in good time we will hate and auoyde our wicked and shamefull life and turne to him that we may be saued for hee would haue all men to come to repentance And therefore the holy Apostle S. Paul Ro. 2.4 doth greatly rebuke and speake against them who eyther make little account or despise the riches of Gods bountifulnesse and patience and long suffering not knowing that the bountifulnesse of God leadeth to repētance But we after our hardnes and hearts which either cannot or will not repent heape vnto our selues wrath against the day of wrath and of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God For indeede it is like to be with vs as it was in the dayes of Noah they cared not for Noahs warning and preaching vnto them and rather made a mocke of it they followed their owne hearts desire and did whatsoeuer seemed good in their owne eyes So shall not we in this last Iron age of the world regard any warning nor respect the counsell of thē that wish vs good neither thinke of iudgement nor what shall befall vs being greatly doted vpon the pleasure of sin which at the last shall vanish and in time to come shal haue a bitter reward Wheras if we forethink with our selues of these heauy matters of the wrath of God which shall be perceiued by his iudgement which we must of force endure if we repent not I say if we should forethink these matters we should learn truly to fear God to forgo our selues that is deny our naughty desires sins and pleasures that so Gods wrath might be diminished toward vs and that hee might not enter into iudgemēt with vs. As saith the Prophet Ps 90.11 Who regardeth the power of thy wrath for euen as a man feareth so is thy displeasure How the godly ought to be affected seeing the sin and the flourishing estate of the wicked Here also the mindes of the faithfull and godly are to be prepared to patiēce that although they see many vngodly minded men to make a mocke of the iudgement to come and so to continue in their sinfull liues and doo what they list that they are not punished in this world by Gods iudgemēts plagues and punishments yet let vs perswade our selues that they shal not escape though God suffer long and though we in our weake mindes think it too long For althogh the wicked may say within themselues vauntingly and yet full vainely as the Prophet Esay Chap. 28.15 reciteth their speeches We haue made a couenant say they with death and with hell are we at agreement though a scourge runne ouer and passe through it shall not come at vs. Yet their couenant with death shal be disanulled and their agreement with hell shall not stand And when a scourge runneth ouer and passeth through are they not sometime trode downe by it and taken away when they make litle or no reckoning of any such matter The holy Apostle doth giue the reason of the certaintie of their punishment if not in this world yet in an other 2. Pet. 2.4 For if god spared not the Angels that had sinned but cast them downe into hell Nay if Gods iudgement begin at his owne house and if God doo punish his owne people And if the righteous scarcely bee saued where shall the vngodly and sinner appeare 1. Pet. 4.17.18 Wherefore let vs not be as they were of whom the Prophet Malachy speaketh Chap. 3.15 Wee count the proud blessed euen they that worke wickednesse are set vp and they that tempt God yea they are deliuered from all daungers So that it is in vaine to serue God and what profit is it that we haue kept his commandements and that we walked humbly before the Lord of hosts These are the speeches of many weake and discontented and decaied mindes because they see the flourishing estate of the wicked But as it is said in the Reue. Chap. 22.11 They that be filthy and will so continue without amendment let them see what shall be the end and let them be filthy still Hee that is vniust let him be vniust still So also it is said on the contrary part They that are iust and righteous let them bee righteous still and they that are holy let them be holy still let them not faint in the course that they haue taken in hand but remember what is written in the selfesame Chapter The comming of the Lord to iudgement is at hand Surely saith he I come quickly and let vs wish Euen so come Lord Iesus And as for the rest let vs perswade our selues thus as we reade 2. Pet. 2.9 The Lord knoweth how to deliuer the godly out of temptation and to reserue the vniust vnto the day of iudgemēt to be punished The Lord knoweth his best time and when it is most expedient that we should be deliuered In the meane time let vs not faint and vtterly cast away our hope if God doo not presently punish the wicked For God doth so order his punishments and his iudgements that although he suffer the wicked for a time which indeede if we do rightly consider is but a moment of time yet he will not leaue them vnpunished at the last as we vse to say It is neuer too late that comes once Againe seeing that God hath appointed a
liues that godly religious care of the life to come That which we are so greatly in loue withall the Apostle giues vs counsel to the quite contrary Loue not the world neither the things that are in the world 1. Ioh. 2 he addeth the reason because the world passeth away But he that fulfilleth the will of God abideth for euer Heauen is not in this life and we must looke to bee weaned from this world if euer we wil looke to be in heauen The ioyes of heauen and the desires of the world are quite contrary for they are too heauy a burthen and doo hinder vs from mounting vp so high And herein for the most part wee may be resembled vnto the Grashopper which is borne and bred liueth and dyeth in the same ground The Grashopper hath wings and hoppeth vp a litle but presently falleth downe againe So many of vs haue often good motions vnto godlinesse and the life to come and againe all is gone in a moment and we returne to our olde affections in this world as though all our portion were onely in this life Those foules that feede grosly neuer flye high and they which feed their hearts with things belowe cannot haue their affections in heauen The ioyes of heauen being so rare and excellent and so surpassing woonderfull that they might remoue these heauy lumpish and grouelling desires of this world The carelesse earthly and worldly minde hath no sight nor sence nor feeling of these ioyes But as the oxe is fatted in the pasture and the byrd singeth sweetly and feedeth without feare and suddenly the one is driuen to the slaughter and the other is taken in the snare So they that are giuen to the world are lulled a sleep in securitie vntil the time that death striketh with his dart and endlesse destruction ouerwhelmeth thē But where is that man or woman which can say with the Apostle I desire to bee dissolued and to be with Christ which is best of all Phil. 1. For they that say such things declare plainely that they seeke a countrey Heb. 11.14 Desiring a better counttey then is to be found in this world that is a heauenly and for them hath God prepared a Citie Heb. 13.14 For here we haue no continuing Citie no continuing habitation let vs therefore seeke a better habitation to come which is of longer continuance and free from all miseries The next fruite is that the remembrance of these ioyes These ioyes teach vs patience teacheth vs patience in affictions in troubles and didistresses For how troublesome soeuer this life is here yet there shal al troubles miseries and wrongs be aboundantly recompenced And the Apostle speaketh truly Rom. 8.18 The afflictions of this present time are not worthy of the glory which shall bee shewed vnto vs. In the 126. Psal They that sowe in teares saith the Prophet shall reape in ioy And hee that now goeth on his way weeping and beareth foorth good seed shall doubtlesse come againe with ioy and bring his sheaues with him Woe bee to you saith Christ that now laugh for you shall waile and weepe Luke 6.25 And therefore happy shall they bee in an other worlde who haue in good causes suffered wrongs committing themselues vnto God This time of heauenly ioyes Heauenly ioyes compared to a haruest is compared vnto haruest and what care dooth euery one take to prouide good and choise seede that theyr haruest may fall out accordingly Thy seede is thy thoughts thy words thy deedes and conuersation Therefore let mee exhort you as the Apostle dooth Galla. 6.7 Bee not deceiued GOD is not mocked for whatsoeuer a man soweth that shall hee also reape For hee that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption but hee that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reape life euerlasting Looke how wee sowe so shall wee reape such as our seede is such also shall bee our haruest The date of this our life is but short but the remembrance of a life well ledde shall bee comfortable for euer and this shall for euer and euer bee our endlesse haruest still gathering still encreasing and neuer payring The last thing in the aforesaid 21. Holinesse Chapter of the Reuelation is that there shall enter into this heauenly Ierusalem no vncleane thing And as it is in the Prophecie of Zechariah Chap. 14.21 In that day there shall bee no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of Hostes The Canaanites were a lewde people and for the same were driuen out of the land and if they were not worthy to dwell on earth much lesse shall they be worthy to be receiued in heauen Dearely beloued saith the Apostle S. Peter 1. Epist. 2.11 Abstaine from fleshly lusts bridle them keepe them vnder for they fight against the soule Collo 3.1 If ye be risen with Christ seeke those things which are aboue where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God Set your affections on things which are aboue and not on things which are on earth and mortifie your immoderate affection and euill concupiscence Remember this peremptory word No vncleane thing shall enter there Mat. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Heb. 12.14 Follow holynesse without the which no man can see God And God graunt vs this wedding garment of holynesse that we may goe in with the bridegroome for we know what befell to him that wanted it Mat. 22.11 Let vs worke our owne saluation with feare and trembling being desirous to receiue a kingdome which cannot bee shaken let vs pray for grace whereby we may so serue God that we may please him with reuerence feare And seeing we haue precious promises 2. Cor. 7.1.2 Pet. 1.4 and that more surer then the heauen and the earth Heb. 6.13.18 let vs cleanse our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh spirit and grow vp into ful holinesse in the fear of God For as they that thus do his will shal enter in through the gates into the Cittie and their right shal be in the tree of life So without shal be dogs and all vnclean persons Reu. 22.14 Let not my last exhortation be forgotten among you Enter in at the strait gate for it is the wide gate and broad way that leadeth to destruction and many there be which goe in thereat Because the gate is straight and the way narrow that leadeth vnto life fewe there be that finde it To adde vnto these Gods mercie one of the greatest ioyes one of the greatest ioyes among all is Gods mercie whereof wee haue a sweete taste in this life For were it not for that none of vs all should enter into that place where thosse ioyes are to be found For as our first parents by Gods iust anger according to their due desert were cast out of Paradice and an Angel set with a sword drawne to keepe the way that no flesh should return thither so the onely gate to let vs in again is Gods mercy Wherof as the godly and most righteous that are stand in great need so let none of vs all either abuse Gods mercy or presume of his mercy least we misse of the same This mercy is called the rich mercy of God for no treasure is comparable vnto it and as it passeth all vnderstanding so cannot the deepest reach of man conceiue any part of the depth or height therof the compasse the largenesse the widenesse and breadth of it is such that it cannot bee measured and therefore may it well be called as it is indeed both infinit and incomprehensible And because no tongue of man can speake it let Angels bring the message As we reade Luk. 2.14 Glory be to God in the high heauens and peace in earth and towards men good will The Lord of his goodnesse direct our steppes to this throne of mercy and cloath vs with the garment of mercy And the Lord this day set his print and seale vpon you Thus I perswade my self I haue now wonne some and whom I haue wonne the Lord in mercy keepe and so I discharge my selfe For we are all by our owne disposition like vnto tottering walles still readie to slide still readie to fall And therefore I would I might say as it was saide to him that suffered with Christ This day shall ye be in Paradice And if this day your hatts be throughly conuerted surely this day you are in Paradice It was no comfort to Adam and Eue to remember they wer in Paradice seeing themselues now cast out And if we be once placed in Paradice then let vs looke to our standing that we fal not For as we are mortal so are we mutable and nothing so familiar with vs as to chaunge Deu. 5.29 Vnconstant God knowes we are the Lord make vs stedfast And the remembrance of these heauenly ioyes which wee haue now heard let that make vs stedfast euen to the end Deo soli omnis laus fit gloria Et gratia in seculum FINIS
clime into Gods vnsearchable counsell althogh it be denied vs. Wherefore let vs be content to keepe our selues within the bounds of modestie and not to be curious and desirous to knowe more then the Angels who are altogether ignorant hereof much lesse shal we be able to reach vnto it but the more we desire to know it the further off shal we be from it Some haue bene so bold as to set down the time and haue fained heauenly reuelations for the certaintie and assurance of their speeches yet their vanitie hath beene disprooued when the time hath beene expired How much better shall it bee for vs to lay aside all such vanitie which stands vpon vncertaintie and giue our selues to such a carefull meditation that wee may not bee vnprepared when wee shall bee called Curious searching can nothing profit vs but a wise and godly foresight and forecast may stand vs greatly in stead whereby wee shall not bee taken at vnawares as the vngodly are like to be who forecasting no danger shall suddenly fall into destruction If wee cannot sufficiently make answere vnto the Iudge Prayer before whose iudgement seate wee shall stand as doubtlesse wee shall not bee able to answere one for a thousand let vs prepare our hearts by confession of our sinnes and by prayer for forgiuenesse of them and let vs say with the Prophet Enter not into iudgement with vs O Lord for in thy sight shall no flesh bee iustified O Lord forgiue vs our sinnes and let not thy wrathfull displeasure light vpon vs. Who would be vnprepared against the time that shall come and yet it is vncertaine to teach vs to haue the more care seeing that after death hath arrested vs we shal be broght into the court of Gods iudgement and then no other issue no other way but either heauen or hell And who would not haue a great regard to this matter For the tryall of this iudgement shal be seene in the anguish of death and as it were at the last gaspe when our consciences shall bring heauy things to our remembrance and the diuell by his accusations shall put vs in great feare and driue vs well-neare to dispaire And the nearer wee begin to approach to the tribunall seate of Gods iudgement the greater shall bee our feare and more grieuous vnto vs then the bitter pangs of death it selfe Watch therefore and pray that thou mayest be prepared against this time and against this iudgement Wherefore the Lord in mercie Conclusion graunt vs a godly and a peaceable passage and that throgh his desert that dyed for vs it would please him to mittigate and asswage all these terrorus and feares and let vs with all speede approach to the throne of grace to finde helpe in time of need Whereas the wicked which are carelesse in their lifetime at the poynt of death and at their last passage out of the world shal be so assaulted on euery side by their owne cōscience condemning them and the diuell accusing them and the horrour of euerlasting torments to come ouerwhelming them that they shall bee driuen to crie out against that iudgement that hangeth ouer their heads and wayteth for them at the doore Such shall the day of iudgement bee to vs as is the last day of our life and looke what the course of our life is when we are called vnto iudgement for after our death immediately commeth iudgement and so shall our iudgement be Neither are we therefore to thinke that our last deedes onely shall come to examination but wee ought to be prepared euery moment least death doo take vs vnprouided For they which in the anguish of death and in the vpshot of their liues shal be found vnready it is hardly to be thought that their resurrection shal be happy And therefore our Sauiour Christ hath said He that perseuereth Perseuere and holdeth out well to the end he shall be saued The which that we may do let vs be prudent Noahs to build the Arke of a good conscience before the floud of iudgement do ouerflowe prouident Iosephs to lay vp the graine of golinesse in the barns of our harts before the dearth of mercy shal be like vnto painful ants to prouide the food of the soule before the winter of iustice do approach tractable patients to take the preparatiue of repentance before the pangs of death doo come wise virgines to haue ready the lampe of faith and the oyle of vertue before the Bridgrome Christ Iesus shut vp the doores good stewards to prouide for the tabernacle of heauen before we loose the office of this life And let vs not straine curtesie to see who will go first but let vs remember that euery one is to answere for himself and God hath many messengers For either sicknesse will come or age will come nay death will come suddenly and speedily and after a while we shall rise againe and the Iudge will come who will neither be led by fauour or request nor blinded and stopped from proceeding with bribes and money nor then will allowe of too late repentance because then shall be the time of execution of his iustice The day of iudgement shall come in the which pure harts shall more preuaile then faire words and a good conscience then great treasure And though some may thinke that that day is far off yet let them be sure their last time will come on apace and wee knowe not how soone that houre shal be and when God wil appoint the time Good it were and most happy for vs if euery one of vs were so affected and so prepared as it is reported of a holy father S. Ierome whose words were these euen the declaration of his heart For out of the heart out of the abundance thereof the mouth speaketh Whether I eate sath he or drinke or whatsoeuer I do me think I heare this sound alwayes in my eares Arise ye dead and come to iudgement Arise ye dead and come to iudgement Let vs follow his example confirmed by the Apostles counsell Watch and pray withall perseuerance that wee may keepe the garment of innocencie and labour the worke of God in the day of this life Wherefore seeing that day shall bee comfortable to the godly which shal be fearefull to the wicked let vs endeuour before this iudgement come to be among the godly and the righteous and that our cōsciences may cleare vs so wel that wee may feele within our selues a desire of this second comming of Christ rather then any trēbling at the remembrāce of it The which let it not be done by any fained flattery of our selues but in sinceritie truth knowing this assuredly that whosoeuer shal not be found written in the booke of life shal be cast into the lake of fire where their portion shal be nothing else but weeping gnashing of teeth That wee may not bee caught in the flaming fire rendring vengeance but that we may