then Pudeat tanto bona velle caduca Manil. l. 4. Oh be asham'd so much your hearts to stay On things so fraile that swiftly passe away Thus much of the former point propounded the vanity and insufficiencie of the world and all worldly things the second followes the excellency of the soule the loue whereof should make vs basely to esteeme of all worldly things and to count them no better then dung in respect of Christ for Riches as we haue heard are transitory and will beguile vs Honours are slippery and will deceiue vs and the world is Moath-eaten and weares away and we our selues are brittle and so shall perish then what is a man profited if he gaine the world and lose his owne soule In which words wee may obserue againe these particulars 1. A comparison of the price with the thing prized the price is amplified by the subiect matter thereof which is the soule 2. By the propinquitie and proprietie it is his owne soule more worth then all the world which must continue when all these transitory things must passe away and that which shal eternally rue the bargaine for what is the earth to heauen and what can the world profit when the soule is plunged in Hell where it can neither mitigate paine nor purchase redemption 2. The irrecouerablenesse of the losse what shall a man giue for the exchange of his soule There is nothing in the world sufficient so precious is the redemption of the soule The Psal 49. 8. words are expressed by a metaphor borrowed from captiue prisoners supprised or taken in warre which were wont to bee redeemed by money or else by exchange of one prisoner for another but if that cruell Pyrat Sathan haue taken vs prisoners we are past hope of recouery there is no redemption then what is a man profited if he gaine the world and lose his owne soule Doct. The note of obseruation which offers it selfe to our consideration is this That men ought not principally to respect this life onely but that their chiefest care and labour should bee to get their soules saued in the day of the Lord. To this we are exhorted by our Sauiour to labour for the Iohn 6. 37. Luk. 13. 24 meate that endureth for euer and to striue to enter in at the Mat. 7. 13. strait Gate Now striuing wee know is an action of labour teaching vs that it requires great paines and diligence for many shall seeke to enter in and shall not bee able And the Apostle exhorts vs to giue all diligence to make our calling and Election sure and hee tels vs of the benefit that will follow If ye doe these things you shall neuer fall This hath been the practise of Gods Children to presse toward Phil. 3. 14. the marke for the high Calling of God in Christ and this is a marke of triall for the Saints if they be risen with Christ to seek Col. 3. 1. Phil. 3. 20. the things which are aboue and to haue their conuersation in heauen And therefore hee would haue as many as bee perfect to bee thus vers 15. minded This is also a point of wisedome which our Sauiour would haue vs learne to make vs friends of the Mammon Luke 16. 9. of vnrighteousnesse and promised a reward to him that Reu. 3. 21. ouercommeth he shall sit with him on his Throne and a Crowne of life to those that continue Reu. 2. 10. faithfull to the death Reason 1 Ground of this truth is Effiieâ—s â— qua 1. In regard of the excellency of the soule which is seene in the worke of Creation for therein all the causes did concurre for the perfecting of it 1. The efficient and supreme cause is God himselfe which he hath reserued to himselfe as his Eccle. 12. 7 owne Royalty 2. The Materiall cause was 2. Materia eâ— qua not the rude Chaos and base slime of the earth as was the body made of neither was it made of the pure Gold of Ophir but as if there were nothing precious enough in heauen and in earth it is said the Lord breathed it out of his mouth 3. The formall cause it was 3. Forma per quam Gen. 1. 27. Eph. 4. 24. made after the Image of God resembling him in Holinesse Wisdome and Righteousnesse 4. The finall cause that it 4. Finis propter quem 1 Cor. 6. 19. might be the temple of God and an habitation for his Spirit 2. The excellency of the soule is seene in the worke of Redemption for the soules sake Christ laid aside his Robes of glory was made man and endured Phil. 2. 7. so much misery shame in his life and so much torment and sorrow at his death and all 1 Pet. 1. 18 to redeeme the soule with no lesse price then the Blood of Act. 20. 28 the Sonne of God 3. The excellency of the soule appeares by Sathans malice who goes about like a roring 1 Pet. 5. 6. Reâ— 12. 7. Lyon seeking to deuour it he hath not such a spight to our wealth our learning cunning or credit though he loue none of those things which are good and comfortable to vs as hee hath to our soules and the graces of Gods Spirit in vs. Was it Iobs wealth he so much enuied or did he sift him because he was a rich man No nothing grieued him so much as to see Iob continue in his vprightnesse therefore hee laboured by all meanes to crosse him in his estate and torment him in his body that he might moue him to despaire or else to blaspheme that thereby hee might destroy his soule so also hee shewes himselfe an aduersary to all Gods Children crossing Zach. 3. 1. them in their suites which they make to God or else defiles their prayers by ming ling hypocrisie and vaine glory with their best sacrifices 4. The excellency of the soule is also seene by the ministery of the Angels which are euer about the godly men to deliuer them from danger and are about their beds in sicknesse and at the day of death like swift Postes to carry their soules into Abrahams bosome Reason 2 2. Ground of this truth is because as the soule is the most excellent part of man so the losse of it is the greatest losse in the world and therefore our Sauiour addes What shall a man giue for the exchange of his soule intimating vnto vs that the world and worldly things are not able to make recompence and satisfaction for the losse of the soule Vse 1 Is the soule so excellent then be exhorted to vse all meanes that it may be saued part with liberty life al rather then thy soule We see worldly men wil endure any trouble and take any paines for to gaine preferment they will hazzard their liues abide hunger and cold take long and tedious iournies and diue into the bowels of the earth to satisfie their longing
4. himself Now if man swerue froÌ„ the end for which he was created serue the Deuil the world his filthy lusts and being made for heauen should walke in the path that leads to hell this is to degenerate from his nature and become worse then the very beasts for they stand firme in their places enioyned them by God in their Creation The Bee and the Pismiâ—e are carefull to doe Gods worke hauing no Tutor nor remembrancer But Man the most excellent of all Creatures wallowes in all manner of riot and disorder the Trees beare fruit Flowers send forth sweet odors herbes their secret vertues and the waters post apace to the maine Ocean but Man is senselesse and carlesse to obey his Maker the senselesse being forced contrary to his inclination to mount vpward neuer rests but sinks and descends againe vntill it come to its proper center which is the determined place appointed of God And shall Man that glorious Creature created after the Image of God runne from his end and delight to do euerie thing sauing that which God hath prescribed him to doe The Frogs Flies Lice and Grashoppers being appointed of God to take downe the pride of that stout King were zealous and diligent to obey their Creator And shall Man which hath his heart filled with vnderstanding and iudgement being so many wayes called vpon and put in minde of his dutie yet shall hee swerue and goe awry shall God reioyce and delight himselfe in all the Creatures that he hath made and repent that hee hath made Man which is so carelesse of such a precious Iewell as hee hath committed to him There is nothing in the world should bee so deare vnto man as his soule and yet how wretched are the most of vs wee passe away our soules for trifles We spit at Iudas who sold his Master his Lord and God for thirty peeces of siluer but wee sell away heauen for earth the place of glory and blisse to purchase hell the place of torment Oh consider this and be ashamed all yee that forget God If the soule did die perish with the body then there were not so much care to bee taken of it but seeing the soule is immortall and must for euer liue with GOD or the Deuill how much care should we take to get it saued for with the losse of our soules wee lose GOD the life of our soules in whose presence is fulnesse of Psal 16. ioyes and at whose right hand are pleasures for euermore With the losse of our soules we lose Christ with all his merits the presence and protection of all the Angels and in stead of enioying the societie of the godly Spirits wee are plunged into Hell that loathsome prison that shall neuer bee vnlocked but shall for euer indure the fiercenesse of Gods wrath in that euerlasting burning where shall be weeping and wayling and gnashing of teeth and in stead of hearing of that blessed sentence of approbation Come ye blessed of my Father c. the damned wretches shall heare that terrible sentence of condemnation Depart from mee ye cursed into euerlasting torments prepared for the Deuill and his Angels Euery one of these words shall be pronounced with such power and authoritie that they shall strike those damned wretches euen to the bottome of Hell Goe from me who haue all helpe and comfort all power and might which all the dayes of your liues haue had care to protect and saue you from dangers which haue nourished your bodies withall manner of delights but seeing you haue had no care to glorifie mee I will now take no further care to help you but will glorifie my selfe in your destruction therefore depart from mee yee cursed into euerlasting fire where you shall endure torments remedilesse and endlesse where you shall crie and rore but I will not heare you where you shall bee alwayes burning and frying and yet neuer consumed You shall seeke death and yet neuer find it you shall be tormented Ibi dâ—lor permanet vt affligat natura perdurat vt sentiat quia vtrumque non deficit neâ— poena deficiet Aug. de Ciâ— Dei l. 19. with griping hunger but shall neuer bee satisfied with intolerable thirst which shall neuer bee quenched your Musicke shall bee howling and weeping of damned wretches like your selues but all in vaine you are now accursed because you did abuse the titles of Honour which God gaue you in your life therefore now you shall haue the title of curse you shall be cursed of God whose curse is euerlasting damnation you shall bee cursed of the blessed Angels whose curse shall bee the horrors of your conscience you shal be cursed of the deuils whose curse shall bee the execution of your punishment you shall bee cursed of the damned wretches whose curses shall be the aggrauation of your torments and you shal be plunged into euerlasting fire and bee Mat. 22. 13 bound hand and foote from whence you shall neuer be able to stirre nor moue but shall for euer and euer so long as God is remaine frying and broyling in euerlasting torments which shall burne so violently that the damned shall prize a drop of water aboue all the world but they shall not obtaine it For there the Tormentors are Deuils and will neuer pittie the damneds misery and as they will neuer be weary with tormenting so the torments shall neuer bee ended nor the tormented consumed and therfore it is a misery of all miseries to be alwayes dying and neuer dead The soule also shall bee tormented with the remembrance of pleasures past and mercy refused and now with paines and torments present but vnauoidable and of ioyes lost but now vnrecouerable and thus the Worme of your Conscience shall lie gnawing and fretting you by bringing to your remembrance the cause Omnes gebennae superat cruciatus carere bonis quibus in potestate habuerunt perfrui Chrys of your misery and how easily you might haue escaped these torments but that you had no grace to vse the meanes the consideration hereof shal make you curse God your Creator and curse his iustice because he punishes you so cruelly you shall curse his bountie and liberalitie because he so seuerely prizes it now at so high a rate and you shall curse the vertue of Christs blood which was able to cleanse thousands from their sinnes but now hath no vertue to purge you from your filthinesse and you shall curse the Saints in heaven because you shall see them in glorie when as your selues are in torment and though you yell and cry with the damned rich man for mercy for mercy but alasse the time of mercy then will be past Christ the Iudge will not now be entreated from whose sentence you cannot appeale the soule being once lost there is no place left for mercy A good Father doth bring in a Sinner and his Iudge expostulating each with other Sweet Sauiour saith the Sinner
of greater moment then the soule what thing more difficult thē to weane it from the loue of the world Therefore by this vehement speech our Sauiour layes strong battery to the hearts of worldlings to make them sound a retreate from the eager pursuite of these terrene things Thus I haue made the occasion and manner of Christs speech the pathway leading to my text in which I pray obserue these two maine points 1. The worlds vanitie and inability 2. The excellency of the soule These two points by GODS grace shall be the subiect of my ensuing discourse and from thē to deduce this note of obseruation That it is a point of Obseruation the greatest folly to aduenture the losse of the soule for the gaine of the whole world The ground of this truth is plaine Because the world and the Ground or Reason best things which are in it are but meere vanities and fooleries in respect of our heauenly inheritance Though they may make a faire show to them which are blinded with their false conceits and glory and esteeme which they haue among worldly men yet if wee looke vpon them in the glasse of Gods Word we shall find the world in his chiefe beautie and pompe to bee but as a glorious hypocrite faire in shew and false in truth promising much and performing nothing if therefore it were opened with the sharpe knife of truth it would be found both vaine and deceitfull for all that is in the world either it is already past or else it is present or else it is to come That which is past is not now and so we can haue no profit by it And that which is to come is vncertain whether we shal liue to enioy it or no and that which is present is fickle vnstable and wil stand by vs but a while no longer at furthest then our liues last and in that space our comfort and ioy in it may be disturbed by sicknesse crosses losses or many other accidents which made Dauid affirme that man Psa 39. 6. in his best estate is altogether vanitie and that hee walketh as a shadow and disquieteth himselfe in vaine therefore he compares worldly prosperity to a dream Psa 73. 20. which delighteth a man while hee sleepeth but when he awaketh vanisheth away and leaueth nothing behind but sorrow and discontent because their ioyes and hopes are disappointed Intimating vnto vs that the glory and splendor of worldly things are but in shew only and not solid and substantiall in truth Therefore Salomon which had not onely most 2 Chron. 9. 22. wisdome and iudgement rightly to value them and more experience of them then any man because he abounded more in 1 King 3. 13. worldly prosperitie then any man that euer liued for hee 1 King 4. 21. reigned ouer all Kingdomes from the Riuer vnto the Land of the Philistines and vnto the border of Aegypt they brought presents and serued Salomon all the dayes of his life Siluer in 2 Chon 9. 27. his dayes was esteemed but as stones his houshold prouision for one day was thirty measures of fine floure and threescore measures of meale which according to the least account is two hundred thirty two quarters ten fat Oxen and twentie 1 King 4. 22 23. Oxen out of the pastures and one hundred sheepe besides Harts and Robucks and Fallow Deare and fatted Fowle He had fortie thousand stalles of Horses for his Charets and twelue thousand horsmen his pleasures were answerable to his wealth for hee had seuen hundred 1 Kin. 11. 3 Wiues Princes and three hundred Concubines hee had stately houses and pleasant gardens and he liued in health peace and prosperitie hee was loued feared and admired of his subiects for his wisedome iustice for which he was a terrour to his enemies yet for all this see what verdict hee passes Eccles 1. 2. vpon al these prosperities Vanitie of vanities saith the Preacher vanity of vanities all is vanitie Eee 2. 11. And afterwards he concludes that they are not onely vanitie but vexation of spirit That we may the better discrie the vanities of this world and their insufficiencie to profit vs wee will take a view of those things which worldly men doe so admire which though they be manifold in nature yet wee will bring them like dispersed members and couch them vnder these heads Iupiter Saturne Venus or Riches Honour and Pleasure these wander ouer the world while the blessed Sonne of righteousnesse hath no room in the world of darknesse these are now of so religious account as the golden Calfe of Israel was once that men sacrifice to thē and say in their hearts These are thy gods Wee will see if there be any hidden happinesse in them which may so farre moue vs as for the delight of them to aduenture the losse of our soules Wee will begin with riches which all men doe so dote vpon and for which they will take such paines and endure such miserie aduenturing their liues healths liberties and many times stretch their consciences thinking him onely a happy man which hath his cofers full with Diues his barnes stretching Luk. 16. 19 Luk. 12. 18 1 King 4. Dan. 5. and strouting with the worldling his stables full with Salomon his tables ful with Belshazzar his grounds full of Cattle with Iob and his purse full of siluer with Croesus What is there in riches Is there any wisedome holinesse mercy peace and truth what can they doe for vs can they keepe off Gods iudgments preserue our bodies from sicknesse and keep our soules from Hell if they could then it were great reason wee should toyle and labour for them but alas they are vnable and insufficient to doe vs good in any of these particulars If riches could purchase saluation then rich men were the onely happy men they will spare for no cost the hypocrite Micah 6. 6 7. wil part with his burnt offrings Calues of a yeare old thousands of Rammes and tenne thousand riuers of Oyle he wil part with any thing though neuer so deare to him hee will giue his first borne for his transgression and the fruit of his body for the sinne of his soule But ô man it will not be no Psal 49. 7. man can giue a price vnto God so precious is the redemption of the soule Rich men die and goe to Hell so shall all the people that forget God neither Gold or Siluer could redeeme 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. vs but it is the blood of Christ that clenses vs from sinne 2. As riches are vnable to redeeme one soule so they are vnable to helpe and deliuer vs in our greatest extremities therfore the Prophet cals them vaine things which cannot profit 1 Sam. 12. 21. for they are vaine they cannot free vs from danger nor deliuer vs when wee are falne into any extremity nay they bee so far from aiding sinfull men
his desire 7. As they cannot in any degree profit our bodies so they are lesse able to profit our soules They cannot inrich them with spirituall graces They cannot purchase Christ procure for vs the rich Robes of his righteousnesse or purchase vs an obedience answerable to the Law They cannot furnish vs with faith hope repentance They cannot reconcile vs to God for he accepteth not the person Iob 34 19. of Princes and regards not the rich more then the poore for they be all the worke of his hands GOD doth not respect men for their goods but for their Godlines For better is the poore that walketh Pro. 28. 6. in his vprightnesse then hee that peruerteth his wayes though he bee rich They cannot put courage in vs to stand resolutely for Christ and for his cause against Sathan and his seruants but rather they make vs cold in the performance of holy duties of which we shal haue more occasion to speake of in due place 8. As riches cannot profit vs in our soules so they cannot profit vs in the course of our life they cannot keepe off old age the forerunner of death neither can they make vs carefull to prepare our hearts for God at our death and so to submit our will vnto Gods Will Neither can they appease Gods anger restraine the Deuils power but when we are panting and gasping vpon our sick beds all the world will not bribe Death but hee will tell vs hee hath a warrant from GOD to attach vs without baile or mainprice For it is appointed for Heb. 9. all men once to die Which statute being enacted in heauen all the world is not able to reuerse What comfort then shall rich worldlings find in their bags of Luk. 12. 15 Gold seeing their life consists not in their riches Then what shal it profit them to haue their barnes full when as their soules shall be taken from them what good will their money doe them when the Deuils are ready to attache them then shall they lament and say they haue spent their strength in vain For what hope hath the hypocrite though Iob. 27. 8. Quicquid vita dedit tollit cum vita recedit hee hath heaped vp riches when God taketh away his soule How miserable then will the case of rich worldlings bee when as they shall finde that they haue heaped vp the wrath of GOD with their riches and that now as they came naked into the world so they must returne Eccl. 5. 14 15. Then what profiteth it a man that he hath laboured for the winde How much would a man then giue for a good Conscience to haue his peace made vp with God how would he preferre a dramme of grace before a bag of Gold and would be content to part with his Coffers and Treasures to haue a share among the inheritance of the Saints for the rich men shall leaue Ier. 17. 11. their inheritance in the middest of their dayes and their end shall be as a foole But suppose riches could sweeten death and make it lesse painful to vs yet what good can it doe vs when wee are laid in the Graue then they cannot preserue our bodies from corruption no then there will bee no difference betweene the King and the Begger For one heape of dust is not better then another in the darke Chambers of death For as nature maketh no difference between one man and another in the birth so neither doth it distinguish them after their death open the graues and stately monuments and we shall see Kings and Princes and great men turned to dust as wel as poor men Finally the riches of the world caÌ„not stand vs in stead at the day of iudgment for at that day the Lord the iust iudge Psal 62. 12. Rom. 2. 6. will reward euery man according to his workes he will not respect rich men according to the honour which they haue with men but according to the honour which they haue Solae virtutes faciunt beatum Macrob. done to him and comfort to his poore members he will not esteeme men for their wealth but according how they haue vsed it to his glory and the good of their brethren Then they that Pâ—o. 21. 21. haue followed after righteousnesse and mercy shall finde life righteousnesse glory But those which in their life haue beene contentious proud and enuious and haue not obeyed the truth Tribulation and anguish shall bee vpon euerie soule and the riches Rom. 2. 8. which they haue had shall witnesse against them because they haue not vsed them to glorifie their Creator Thus by Gods Iam. 5. 3. mercy we haue traced the rich man through the whole course of his life and death wee haue laid him downe in his graue haue summoned him vp to iudgement and haue found out the inabilitie of riches to profit him in life death and day of iudgement in all which wee haue seene the truth of this point That a man is not profited if he gaine the whole world and lose his soule But alasse riches are so farre from profiting vs as that they are the cause of much euill to soule and body For they that will bee rich fall into temptations 1 Tim. 6. 9. and into many dangerous lusts The loue of money made Balaam aduenture to make a long Numb 24. iourney to go to curse the people of God For hope of reward Dalilah was alâ—ured to betray Sampson her beloued husband Hope of preferment will make Doeg flatter Saul and speake euill of Dauid the beloued of the 1 Sam. 22. 10. 2 Sam. 15. 2. Lord. And Absolon will seeke his Fathers life to gaine his Kingdome If Ioab may but get the chiefe Captainship hee 2 Sam. 10. will make no scruple to kill Amasa And Abimelech will embrue his hands in the blood of Iud. 9. 2. threescore and ten of his brethren to make himselfe way to the Crown The loue of money made Iudas sell his Lord and God for thirty peeces the price of a slaue by which meanes he brought the blood of Christ vpon his soule that it had beene good for him if hee had neuer beene borne The loue of gaine so tipt the tongue of Demetrius that he became a subtill Orator to plead for Idolatry The loue of mony made Gehazie run after Naaman with a lie in his mouth 1 King 21. so for a little mony chaÌ„ge of raiment to sell Gods honor and his masters credit The loue of Naboths Vineyard made Ahab purchase a place of pleasure with the price of the blood of his subiect which procured the bane of him and his familie The Babylonish garment and los 7. 21. wedge of Gold made Achan expose himselfe and all the hoast to the iudgement of God The loue of money will make men cruell and vnnaturall Cruell to Mic. 2. 2. couet fields and to take them
then the least degree of grace Money is but as drugs as a lenatiue oyntmeÌ„t to mitigate asswage the swellings diseases of the body they caÌ„not remoue the Carbuncle or disease they may mitigate the paine a while but the roote remaines still so though they are good blessings yet they are not absolutely good they are but the blessings of Gods left hand coÌ„mon as well the blessings of Esau as Iacob no maÌ„ can know loue or hatred by them and are more freely bestowed vpon the wicked then vpon the godly Esau flourished in state and honour with foure hundred seruingmen at his heeles when Iacob was faine to creep crouch to him with termes of honour in his mouth to gaine his fauour Pharaoh in Maiesty and honour dominered ouer Gods people while Moses and Aaron the beloued of the Lord are humble petitioners vnto him for the peoples libertie The Scribes and Pharisees like great Rabbins sate in Moses Chaire when Christ and his Disciples are scorned and contemned as base persons wheÌ„ Christ had not a place to put his head in then Herod had his pallace and places of delight Esau and Ismael spent their time in pleasures while Isaac and Iacob spend their time in painfull labours Diues was clothed in purple and fared deliciously euery day when Lazarus the beloued of the Lord was pinched with hunger and pained with soares Riches are such vnto a man as a man is vnto himselfe a good man is not the worse for Diuitiâ— sunt vt illius animus est qui ea possides qui bene vtiscit ea bona sunt illi qui non rectè vtitur mala Ter. in Heaut Diuitiâ— dantur benis vt ne putentur malâ— malis ne putâ—ntur bona multis ne putentur magna Aug. in Hag. Ille qui non habet neÌ„ ambiat qui habet non superbiat Aug. in Psal 62. the want of them nor a wicked man the better for the enioying of them as rich men are not to be esteemed lesse in the fauour of GOD for their riches if they vse them well so godly poore men are not to be despised for their pouertie GOD therefore as a wise disposer of them giues them to the godly lest they might be thought euil things hee giues them to the wicked also lest they might bee thought good things hee giues them vnto many lest they should bee thought great blessings therefore he that hath not these worldly blessings let him not couetously gapeafter them and he that hath them let him not be proud of them For what is a man profited if he gaine the whole world and lose his soule Vse 1 Are riches so vnprofitable and so vnable to doe vs good for our bodies or soules without Gods blessing vpon them then this may serue to check the vaine conceit of manie which thinke themselues happy because their Corne Wine and Oyle abounds although they haue many times purchased them at hard rates Examine then thy conscience how thou hast got thy siluer whether by Gods blessing vpon thy honest labours or else by cruelty fraud vsury or the like if thou hast then timely make restitution to the owners repent thee of thy vnrighteous dealing or else one day or other thou shalt finde that this base pelfe will be as troublesome to thee as euer it was to Achan Iudas or the like For hee that getteth riches Ier. 17. 11. not by right shall leaue them in the midst of his dayes and at his end shall bee a foole If thou hast got thy riches squarely and with a good Conscience take heed they bee not as a logge in thy way to hinder thee of thy happinesse for we cannot serue God and riches He will not suffer 1 Sam. 3. 2. one Altar to serue for himselfe and Dagon too though the Philistins vsed great labour to bring it to passe So God will not endure to haue the Idoll of Mammon which worldlings adore to lodge in that heart which he hath reserued for himselfe and which doth so much dishonour him in his truth mercy and prouidence and doth so much mischiefe vnto his children for while it delighteth the eyes Occulos delectat aures demulcet sed mentem inquinat Amb. de Cain Abel cap. 5. tickleth the eares it makes an incision into the soule Wee may as I said before in some measure bee carefull for the things of this life but wee must take heed we be not ouer-careful which many times is accompanied with distrust in Gods prouidence as if times seasons and meanes were not in his hands and as if hee were not able to giue successe to our labours vnlesse wee torment and vexe our selues and neglect his seruice to take care of our owne But of this we shall haue fitter occasion to speake of in another place Vse 2 Are riches so vnable to profit and so deceitfull then this serues to discouer the corruptioÌ„s of our times which out of a loue which they beare to Hunc â—abe beatum non quem vulgus vocâ—t sed cui omne bonum in animo est Seneca this base earth doe so magnifie it as to account wicked men happy though they be branded with as many vitious qualities as euer was Commodus Nero Caligula and Heliogabolus For money will make a stigmaticall Thraso fex populi the verie scumme of the people to be esteemed though hee haue nothing to commend him but his Coyn which perhaps his father or himselfe hath got with bribery vsury or other vnlawfull practises by which meanes hee hath leaped to preferment and so by his golden couer he hides a masse of ill and stinking humors Which made a leud fellow once say If my Father were a haÌ„gman and my mother a Harlot and my selfe no better yet if I haue money I am liked well enough and am neuer branded with their misdeedes for there is no vice that wealth doth not smother If a rich man be as proud as Tarquin as cruell as Nero as churlish as Nabal and Timon and as couetous as Diues yet all these vices are couered with a golden mantle So that Auri sacra fames quid non What cannot Gold bring to passe It can dimne the sight put spirit into a Coward and gaine estimation of the world If proud Herod doe but make an Oration in his fine Robes the people will admire him thinke he is a god The rude multitude looke at nothing but the outward picture which makes them many times erre in their iudgement and extoll an ignorant asse for his gay coat and Crownes in his Purse whereby it comes to passe that great places are possest of men of slender iudgement which haue not one dramme of worthinesse to commend them but wealth worldly fame though such be aduanced by the courtesie of wise men simplicitie of fooles yet let them not flatter themselues for they are not more honourable in the sight of God which
desire for the things of this earth which can stand by them no longer then their liues yet saies the Poet Impiger extremâ—s â—urrit Mercator ad Indos If riches may be had in India Turkie or any other places though neuer so dangerous yet the greedy worldling will venture his life rather then he will goe without them The husbandman what pains and care will hee take rising early and going to bed late for the things of this life faring hard and going thin sparing from back and belly to aduance himselfe in the world what tortures and troubles and paines will a sicke man endure for to gaine health he will be contented to haue a legge or an arme cut and lanced to preserve and gain health he wil endure fretting tents and corroding plaisters and depriue himselfe of pleasure nay many times he wil be content the endure the cutting off of his legge arme or other of his members for the preseruing of the health of his body If Naaman can recouer 2 Kin. 5. 17 helpe for his Leprosie hee will spare for no cost Oh how carefull are men for their bodies and states but how carelesse for their soules they will be sure to looke to their estates and make them sure by good aduice from their learned Counsell but for their soules they take little or no care Oh how ought we to break out into teares for the carelesnesse of our owne saluation what a Childhood and youth haue we spent in ignorance and vanitie and how carelesse haue wee beene to serue God and saue our soules Nay what enemies haue wee beene to our owne saluation what filthy and vncleane thoughts haue wee harboured in our hearts what filthy words haue we vttered w th our tongues how often haue we sworne lyed blasphemed God and taken his name in vaine how often haue our hearts disdained and enuied not only our Superiours whom wee should haue honoured but also scorned and despised our Inferiours equals whom we should haue loued and respected as our selues how haue we spent our daies in ignorance of God and of our owne fearfull estate spending our daies in idlenesse pride and all manner of prophanenesse presumption of Gods mercy and turning his grace into wantonnesse grieuing his Spirit and wounding our owne consciences how should the consideration hereof cause vs to powre forth our soules in godly sorrow before the Lord because we haue offended our Maker sinned against our Redeemer grieued the Holy Spirit wronged our Neighbours and so haue deserued damnation and to be cast out from the presence of the Lord for euer and as we haue cause to weepe and mourne for our sinnes and for that wee haue neglected the care of our owne saluation so also we are to mourne and lament to see others so carelesse of their saluation some sell their soules some carelesly lose them 1. Some sell them as Ahab and as some wrangling and corrupt Lawyers which haue Linguam venalem a tongue to bee sould which for a paltrie fee will many times stretch his conscience by maintaining a false cause or marring a good to the vndoing of his Neighbour Mistake me not I speake not of all Lawyers for some are conscionable and iust in their proceedings The couetous man hath Animam venalem a soule to sell for the base thick clay of this world which cannot bee redeemed with all the world So the voluptuous man he sels his soule for pleasure as Esau did his Birth-right esteeming more the pleasures of sinne which last but for a season then the saluation of his soule The proud man hee sells his soule for aduancement as Alexander the sixt for the Popedome GOD he commands vs in the first Commandement to haue no other Gods but him alone yet the proud man will make Honour his god the couetous man the wedge of gold his god the voluptuous man his belly his god The first of Phâ—l 3. 19. Iohannis de Combis compen theol lib. 5. cap. 10. these as one well saith hath his Idoll in the Ayre the second on the earth the third in the water 2. Some lose their soules as the carnall Gospellers who thinke if they be not guilty of the crying sinnes of Sodome nor Gen. 18. 20 Isa 1. 18. of the crimson sinnes of Israel nor of the bitter sinnes of Simon Magus they thinke they are in good case though their liues abound with ignorance and prophanenesse and their soules with manie infirmities their liues with many deformities which they take no notice of Alas poore soules what good will it doe you at the great day of account when man cannot iustly charge with crime when God and your owne conscience knowes you want the wedding garment of faith it is not sufficient to bee cleansed from the one vnlesse ye bee furnished with the other else being weighed in the Dan. 5. 27. ballance of Gods Iustice yâ—e shall be found too light Others lose their soules by trifling away their time like idle people in the market while other are buying they stand gaping after the sinfull vanities of the world and thinke if they doe as their Neighbours do come to Church although it be for fashions sake they are in very good case though all this while their mindes roue and wander after their worldly businesse and so for want of watchfulnesse they betray their soules into Sathans hands and wrap themselues vnder that curse of doing the worke of the Lord negligently Others so liue that vnlesse all be saued it is impossible but they shall be damned because they loue like and continue in their miserable estate of nature being so chained in their sinnes and iniquities that they cannot stir one foot to heauen-ward yet for all this they doe not consider their miserable state and condition that they are slaues to sinne for whosoeuer Iohn 8. 34. Eph. 2. 3. committeth sinne is the seruant of sinne and his seruants ye are to Rom. 6. 16 whom ye obey Nay by nature we are the children of wrath and heires of hell and bound ouer to the curse of the law Gal. 3. 10 Deut. 27. 2 6. and so lyable to all crosses and calamities at our death to be haled by Sathan into Hell This fearefull and miserable condition is farre worse then the bondage of Turkes and BarbariaÌ„s for theirs though it be cruell yet it extends but to the body and cannot hurt the soule the most that Tyrants can doe is but to take away our liues and depriue vs of our liberty but this bondage is spirituall and depriues vs of Gods Image in our soules In the other there may be possibility of escaping that miserable bondage either by feare force or fauour or at least-wise our paines may bee mittigated if not death will set vs free but in this boÌ„dage as we are vnable to set our selues free so wee are vnwilling to be freed and are the greatest enemies to our owne saluation for
SathaÌ„ hauing got possessioÌ„ of vs deales w th vs as the BabyloniaÌ„s did with Zedekiah first put out his eies and then bound him in chaynes so doth Sathan hee puts out the eyes of our vnderstanding and then bindes vs with the chaynes of ignorance hypocrisie hardnesse of heart so that to our vnability wee our selues adde vnwillingnesse to come out and so by hating to be reformed we plunge our selues vnrecouerably vnder the wrath of GOD pleasing our selues in our ignorance blindnesse and hardnesse of heart and so hauing lost the harmony of a good Conscience we vse varietie of obiects to take away tediousnesse and get some Iubal or other to play vpon the Organ to make vs merry with our sinnes In this corporall bondage wee haue a feeling of our misery and so sigh and groane vnder the burthen of it but this bondage is spirituall pleasing and delightfull to our nature so that we are so farre from being weary of it that if any one seek to set vs free out of this slauery we hate him scorne him and deride him and so put backe the meanes of saluation from vs. Brethren what cruelty is this to neglect the meanes of our soules health which was bred and brought vp with vs and which hath spent and wasted her selfe in our seruice to minister strength and reliefe to our bodies and shall not we take care to preserue it and to vse all meanes that it may bee saued God hath shut it vp in our breasts that it may be alwayes in readinesse to supply our wants and shall wee not take care to preserue it from destruction our soules are shut vp in a darke dungeon which is neither lightsome nor pleasaÌ„t but darke and dirtie and full of all manner of vncleannesse and poluted with our originall and actuall sinnes which made the the Apostle cry out O wretched man who shall deliuer me from this Rom. 7. 24 body of death If our soules had tongues to speake for themselues they would crie out against vs for our great cruelty in that wee starue them for want of food and robbe them of heauenly comforts and scarce allow them a good meale in a whole yeare Brethren what food is to the bodie such is the Word of God to the soule now if by chance wee come where any good matter is to bee handled so cruell are many to their soules that they choake and dead them by drunkennesse surfeiting or other vncleanesse or filthy vanity so that their soules take little or no comfort by the Word Sacrament or Christian communication As for the Sabbath day which should be spent holy and religiously vnto God we spend it many of vs most prophanely vngodly as if wee had no part in the Creation of the world nor redemption of it by Iesus Christ For where is the man that bridles his desires to saÌ„ctifie that day as he ought if God should now looke downe from heauen to behold the sonnes of men vpon earth should he not finde many a Master and Father many a Mother and many a Mistris either snorting or lazing vpon their beds prating walking trimming smoothing themselues vpoÌ„ that day on that time which they should haue spent for their soules health And yet alas so carelesse are they of their soules that they thinke that time is lost which is spent for their good Should hee not also finde many a Child many a Seruant nay perhaps many a father many a master drinking swilling gaming and peraduenture whoring vpon this day or at leastwise swearing fighting or quarelling or bargaining or chopping or changing But how few among many of vs should he finde praying reading and meditating vpon the Word of God and his righteous iudgements Men are very carefull for their bodies but very carelesse of their soules But O foolish people will you watch and take care to keepe your Chickens from the Kite your Lambs from the Wolfe your Pigions and Conies from the Vermine and will you take no care for your soules The soule being once lost it is impossible to recouer it againe other losses may be recouered but this cannot If Iob lose his health wealth and Children yet they may bee recouered either by Gods blessing vpon our labours or else by the charitie of friends but if thy soule bee once lost there is no recouery thousand of Rams and ten thousand riuers of Oyle will then do vs no good Saint Chysostom hath well obserued Omnia Deus dâ—dit duplicia animam vero vnam Chry. ad pop Antioch Hom. 22. Nullo remedio sarciri nullo precio redimi potest Chrys Hom. 56. that God in the frame of the body hath giuen man two eyes two eares two hands two feete c. that if one faile the other may supply the want but hee hath giuen him but one soule so that if that bee lost there is no supply to bee had no meanes can repaire it no price can redeeme it all the world cannot recompence it for what would it auaile vs to haue the wisedome and riches of Salomon the strength of Sampson and the beautie of Absolon and to enioy the blessings of the world as long a life as Methushelah liued if at our death Gen. 5. 27. Daretur caro Verminibus anima daemonibus Isodor de Summo bono our flesh shall be made a booty for the Wormes and our soules a prey for the Deuill Oh consider this all you that forget God and are carelesse of your owne saluation GOD hath made man a most glorious creature and therefore all creatures admire serue him the woÌ„der of the world now as nothing is so glorious in earth as man so there is nothing so glorious in man as his soule which man himselfe should admire and by all meanes seeke the welfare of it for this is our glory our life saue this and saue all But oh the carelesnesse of many nay the most of vs all for that which should be our chiefest care wee are lesse carefull our soules are more worth then all the world yet men now so liue as if their soules were of no worth How iustly may we take vp that sad complaint of the Prophet The Ier. 12. 11. whole land is made desolate because no man layeth it to heart all manner of sinnes doe now so abound pride hypocrisie selfe-loue and crueltie prophanenesse and Atheisme haue gotten the vpper hand and men doe so liue that they thinke they haue no soule to saue euery man spends his dayes in pleasure and following his owne delights as if God had sent vs hither for no other end but to sport and play and follow the lusts of our owne hearts Brethren hath God created vs in his owne Image that wee should so vilely and dispitefully deface it hath Christ redeemed vs with such a price to saue our soules and shall wee so negligently and wilfully cast them away the wise-man saith God hath created all things for Pro. 16.
vp our peace with him Let vs therefore remember the counsell of the Wiseman to remember our Creator in the dayes of our youth and the rather 1. Because our liues are vncertaine Motiues to to induce vs. therefore they are compared to a Pilgrime to a Weauers shuttle to the flower of the Grasse to smoake to a Vapour to a Bubble to a dreame that is ended before it bee well begun All which shew the shortnesse of our dayes and what need had wee then to spend them in the seruice of God yet for all this many we see are ready to goe out of the world before they knew wherfore they came into it Therefore hee that is well now may be sicke and dead before he is aware Herod was well and in health when he began his flourishing Oration but Act. 21. 23. before the end thereof and his departure from the people the Angell of the Lord smote him and he was eaten vp of wormes by whose fearefull example wee may learne that if wee deferre our repentance but one day yea but one houre death may preuent vs before wee repent for no man can tell what dangers a day or an honre may bring forth 2. Because as we haue shewed before that the longer a man doth defer his repentance the harder it will be for him to repent to leaue and forsake his sin the naile that is driuen fast in w th a haÌ„mer with many strokes is not easily got out So sin the longer wee nourish it in our bosoms the harder at last it wil be to master and the weaker we shall be to ouercome it If a man haue receiued a deadly wound in his body hee will not deferre the cure of it to a yeare or a quarter or a moneth nay a weeke but will take the opportunitie of time Are men so carefull to preserue their bodily life but oh how carelesse are many for their soules which will post off their repentance to their sicknesse or old age But let no man so dangerously aduenture to tempt God as to put all to the successe of the last battle hauing no better weapons then these wherewith so many haue beene foyled 3. If we defer our repentance to the last we may in the meane time be depriued of the meanes by which God vsually worketh faith and repentance that is the preaching of the Word which may be tanslated either nationally or parochially from vs and if we neglect the meanes it is presumption for vs to think that God will worke faith and repentance without the means which being neglected our comforts are abated our faith weakned and the Deuill aduantaged against vs. If therefore we would be assured that our care is good and that wee shall not be depriued of our hope let vs take the opportunity of time while it is offered vnto vs for if it bee offered vs now who knowes whether it shall bee offered vs againe or no and the more pauses and delayes wee make the more vnfit we are to lay hold vpon the meanes hereafter for when Sathan hath so preuailed with men that he can bring them into a custome of sinne by negligence carelesnesse or any thing else what followes but hardnesse of heart and what followes hardnesse of heart but impenitency so we treasure vp Gods wrath against Rom. 2. 4 5 the day of wrath this should carefully be laid to heart of all but especially of those which haue so many lets and hindrances that they can finde no time to take care for their soules If old age make men vnfit to attend a King as Barzillai tels Dauid saying that â— Sam. 19. 35. he was vnfit to doe him seruice how vnfit are all those that deferre the seruing of GOD to their old age in which many haue as little taste and relish in godlinesse as euer he had in his meate 4. We are not sure we shall liue till old age how fearfull a thing theÌ„ is it for vs to defer our conuersion The Israelites perished Num. 11. 33. while the meate was in their mouthes and Iobs Children Iob 1. 18. were slaine while they were banquetting in their brothers house and many we see and heare of are taken away before they are aware happy then are wee if wee can learne wisdome by other mens harms if we could now descend into hell to behold the damned in their torments frying and burning in fire and brimstone If wee should aske them the cause of their misery one would tell vs he made account to repent him of his sinnes make his peace with God when hee was fick but alas he dyed suddenly and now must liue miserably in torments Another he meant to repent him when hee was old but he dyed while hee was young All of them would tell vs in effect that if they were to liue againe they would prepare for their soules presently Well they are gone and past recouery let vs now while we haue time and means opportunitie repent turne vnto the Lord that hee may shew mercie vnto our soules 5. Late repentance is not so acceptable to God as the willing seruice of youth Late repentance is feldome true repentance A good deuout Father disputing this point saith He Ambr. that repenteth and reconcileth himselfe at the last cast and passeth hence I confesse vnto you that we deny not vnto him what hee desireth Non dico saluabitur non dico damnabitur tu verâ— age poenitentiam dum sanuses but I dare not say hee went well hence I doe not presume I doe not promise I doe not say he shall be damned neither doe I say he shall be saued but if thou wilt bee assured and freed from doubt repent while thou art in health so runne that thou mayest obtaine and then thou shalt be sure to bee safe because thou repentedst at that time when thou mightst haue sinned but if thou wilt repent when thou canst sinne no longer thy sinnes haue dismissed thee and not thou them Si aetate prohibitus a peccato desistis debilitati gratias agendum Basil Qui prius a peccatis relinquitur quam ipsa relinquat ea non libere sed quasi ex necessitate condemnat Aug. de vera falsa poenitentia câ— 17. and if a man leaue sinne when age and weaknesse hinder him from following it wee must thanke his weaknesse and not him and it is no thanks to mortifie our sinnes when they are mortified by sicknesse True repentance must be voluntary performed willingly therefore let no man tarry so long in sinne as he can for God requireth the liberty of the wil he that will not take the time that God giues it is iust with God that he should seeke for time which shall be denied Let vs preuent it lest we bee preuented by it wee know in Praefâ—at praeuenire quam praeâ—eniri regard of our time wee haue but a short time to liue and that
for an old man which hath wanted the meanes all the daies of his life may when the means is offered him comfortably lay hold of euerlasting saluation else God would neuer haue enioyned Nunquam peccaâ—ti indicta esset pro peccatis deprecatio si deprecanti non esset remissio concendenda Aug. de fide man to craue the remission of his sinnes if hee had no purpose to grant it 2. This Parable doth fully answere this obiection in shewing that those which were hired at the eleuenth houre came as soone as they were called if they had beene called at the third sixt or ninth houre no doubt but they would haue come therefore this example will not iustifie them that are called at all houres early and late and yet will not come 3. This Parable shewes that the housholder went out early in the morning to hire labourers therefore God expects that we should come in at the first houre and begin our repentance betimes and if wee doe not come when God cals it is questionable whether we shall receiue repentance to come at last And though God haue Qui promisit poenitenti veniam non promisit peccanti poeniâ—entiam Aug. de poenit promised pardon to him that repenteth yet hath hee neuer promised repentance to him that continueth in his sinnes neither is it in any mans power to repent when he will Thus brethren by Gods mercy we haue beaten the presumptuous sinners out of their strong holds what remaines now but that euery one of vs enter into examination of his heart and bewaile the losse of his time mispent and now labour to make vp his peace with God that the Lord may haue mercy vpon his soule else what is a man profited if hee gaine the whole world and lose his soule Seeing the soule is so excellent wee must haue principall care to auoid those euils that may endanger it and to vse those meanes whereby it may be saued The things then which are dangerous to the soule may be couched vnder these two heads as there are two wayes of destroying the body so are there likewise two wayes of destroying the soule The first is positiue by offering violence to it The second priuatiue by withholding the meanes of preseruation of it Sin is that which offers violence to the soule sin is like leauen that will leauen the whole lump like poisoÌ„ that wil corrupt the whole bodie by obscuring the Will and Vnderstanding and by disturbing the faculties of the soule and body The deuill as a strong armed man keepes rule in that soule which is held vnder the slauery of sinne Sinne though it be delightsome in the committing yet it breedeth a worme in the conscience which perpetually vexeth it with endlesse Voluptas transijt peccatum remansit Bern. Citò praeterit quod delectat permanet sine fine quod cruciat Aug. Omne peccatum est mors animae woe and remaineth when the pleasure is gone All the itching delight of sinne is soone at an end but it leaueth bitter foot-steps in the soule euery sinne doth wound and kill the soule We vse to say we wil not buy gold too deare why then are we so foolish as to buy the pleasures of sinne at so high a rate as the losse of our soule When the Fish hath swallowed the Hooke had she not been better without the bait so wheÌ„ our soules are lost how much better had it beene for vs neuer to haue tasted of the pleasures of sinne If then we would haue our soules saued we must bee carefull to expell and cast out sinne by vnfeigned repentance We see men will subdue their appetites and defraud themselues of many things nature desires for bodily health and shall we doe nothing for the saluation of our soules Now then seeing wee haue found a way to remoue our sinne and to obtaine of our Physitian a purgation to cure Cur cessas aggredi quod scias mederi tibi Tertul. de poenit our soares which is repentance then why doe we delay to get that which will bee our cure and why doe not we seeke the Lord while he may be found for else it may happen That hee Qui tempus senectutis expectat ad poenitendum speret misericordiam muâ—niet iudicium Greg. Seminemus dum tempus est vt metâ—mus nauigeâ—us dum mare nauigari potest antiquam sit â—iems quando magnus ille tremen dus dies aduenerit non licebit nauigare Chrys which putteth off his repentance vntill the time of age or day of death in stead of mercy may finde iudgement Therefore let vs sow our seed while it is seed time and set forward to saile while the Sea will serue for it may bee it will bee too late to begin our iourney when the Sunne sets and to hoise vp our sayle when the tempest ariseth to sow our seed when we should reape our corne to repent when we lie a dying and to doe good when we are dead One thing I lament saith a holy Father and I feare another the first is my sinnes the second is Gods iudgements seat bewaile therefore thy sins and lament thy iniquitie so shalt thou shunne those tormenting Vbi nec tortores deficiunt nec torti misere morientur Aug. torments where the tormentors are neuer wearie nor the tormented shall euer dye Therefore while it is called to day harden not thy heart but breake off thy sinne by true repentance Hast thou therefore bin a drunkard now learn sobrietie Hast thou beene intemperate now embrace chastity Hast thou beene malicious now shew charitie Hast thou beene proud now bee humble labour now to get the life of grace into thy soule which must be done by the amendment of thy life and by forsaking of thy sinnes for regeneration beginneth at repentance and repentance at the leauing and forsaking of sinne Trie and examine thy selfe then whether thou hast forsaken sin or no if thou hast not bridled thy tongue from bitter and blasphemous speeches if thou hast not taught thy hands to worke without deceit and brought thy heart to pray without hypocrisie and doe to thy neighbour as thou wouldest haue thy neighbor doe to thee thou hast not yet forsaken thy sinne but remainest still in the gall of bitternesse and so hast neglected thy soules health 2. The second way of losing the soule is by withholding from it the meanes of preseruation Thus those hazzard their saluation that despise and contemne the powerfull preaching of the Word of God and so by putting from them the Word of GOD they iudge themselues vnworthy of eternal Act. 13. 46. life Thus also many hazzard their saluation by neglecting of prayer and are carelesse in the duties of mortification Seeing then the soule is so excellent and may be lost then let it be euery ones care to get it saued in the day of the Lord. To this end labour to keepe faith and a good Conscience
should I feare I might spend my time to as little purpose as he did that would fashion Plutarch a Coate for the Moone Neither doe I intend in this present discourse by adulation to praise your Worships nor my selfe by ostentation nor my worke by admiration the first I leaue lest my words should impaire your worth the second I conceale because I finde nothing in my selfe that deserues praise and the last I refraine for if my labour can but gaine your fauourable acceptance and that you will be pleased so farre to countenance it as that it may appeare to the world vnder your names I haue that which I desire and then Non ronchos metuam non vani scommata vulgi Censores treticos grammaticasue tribus No gleering scornes I le feare nor spitefull gibes Nor crabbed Criticks nor Grammarian tribes And thus crauing pardon for my boldnesse with a thankfull acknowledgement of your many vndeserued fauours extended towards me I commend you and yours to the protection of the Almightie and this present Discourse to your fauourable censures and my selfe to your seruice and command resting alwayes bound in dutie and euer deuoted in loue From my study at Low Layton in Essex Ianuary 1. 1630. Edmund Cobbes To the godly and well affected Reader BELOVED the chiefest care of euery man in this life should be how hee may glorifie God and saue his soule and there is great reason it should bee so for as he is the fountaine from whence all good things flow so he is the end Rom. 11. 36. Ps 148. 13 Isa 42. 8. 48. 11. vnto which all things tend and as his glory is most excellent and deare vnto himselfe as being the end of all his workes of Creation of Election and redemption Pro. 16. 4. Eph. 1. 5 6 Tit. 2. 11. so also of continuall preseruation of mans life Therefore the Angels those Iohn 11. 4. glorious Creatures out of their zeale to their Creator are swift winged Heralds to diuulge his glory and are restlesse in giuing honour Isa 6. 3. and praise vnto him whose practise the Saints in all ages Reu. 14. 7. 4. 8. haue imitated in glorifying their Creator and in all Rom. 4. 20. their actions haue stil aimed at his glory extolling him in 1 Cor. 6. 20 1 Pet. 4 11. Ier. 13. 16. Psa 116. 5. his greatnesse goodnesse and mercy whose example and practise teacheth vs as to ayme at the glory of our Creator in the first place so in the second place our principall care should be to worke out our saluation with feare and trembling Phil. 2. 12. and to giue all diligence to make our calling and election 2 Pet. 1. 10 sure and the rather because our soules are so precious Ps 49. 8 Eccl. 12. 7. being the gifts of God which being lost could not bee redeemed without an 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. Luk. 13. 24 1 Co. 9. 24. Iohn 6. 27. 1 Pet. 4. 18 infinite price and the benefit of this price could not bee obtained without great paines and labour on our part because of the difficultie and the many enemies that seeke to depriue vs of our saluation in which respect that man which is carelesse of his owne saluation is also mindlesse of Gods glory so by these means he failes and comes short of the end for which he was created If this must be the care of euery godly man then sure our age abounds with many carelesse and negligent men which in stead of honouring God and seeking the saluation of their soules their chiefest care and diligence is to honour and aduance themselues in this world as appeares by their practice proiects which is all for pleasures and profits Isa 22. 13. Hab. 1. 15. in these things they reioyce and are glad greedily seeking after them that they may spend them vpon their Iam. 4. 3. lusts making themselues merry while their time lasts Luk. 12. 19 1 Cor. 15. 32. These men as they dishonor God in seeking for their Eccl. 8. 15. portion in this life as thinking these trāsitory things are the vtmost choyce of Gods reward as they are of their hopes so they cozen themselues as the rich foole did Luk. 12. 21 who laid vp treasures in the world and was not rich toward God so also they 1 Tim. 6. 10. pierce themselues through with many sorrowes by seeking content in that which yeelds none and desiring to hold that which hath no stay till at last they fall into temptation and snares many foolish hurtfull lusts which drowne men in destruction and perdition 1 Tim. 6. 9 The consideration hereof hath moued mee the meanest of the sonnes of Leui out of loue to your saluation to exhort you to seek the Lord while he may be found For I feare that many of vs are so lulled asleepe in the cradle of securitie as that neither the golden Isay 58. 1. Bels of Aaron the thundring trumpet of Isajah the well tuned Cimbals of Dauid nor yet the sweet harmony of the Euangelists can as yet awake vs out of our sinfull securitie and moue vs to turne to the Lord by true and vnfaigned repentance that hee may haue mercie vpon our soules yet for as much as times seasons are in Gods hands Iohn 3. 8. that his Spirit blows where he lists I haue therfore in the strength of my God presumed to present vnto your consideration The Worldlings Looking-glasse wherein hee may clearly see and behold the world and all worldly things to be vaine and vncertain louing none but those which are enemies to Christ and many Rom. 8. 7. times deceiuing them also of their hope and expectation saucing their pleasures with gall and wormwood For worldly prosperity proues dangerous snares to bring men to destruction for when it fawneth most then it hunteth most eagerly after our saluation vnless wee take the better heed Then what is a man profited if he gaine the whole world if hee lose his soule The life of man is short Iob 14. 1. and passeth away like a shadow and that which worldlings enioy they buy at hard rates paying full deare for their momentany pleasures which many times proue full of misery vexation of spirit But yet alas though we see the deceitfulnesse of the world and the misery of it yet we are content to be deceiued therby so to fall at noone dayes when our eyes are open Wee vse to laugh at little Children which runne vp and downe after a feather or some vaine toy till they fall downe and take harme and then wee pitty their folly But when wee see man which should haue reason to guide him to toile so eagerly after these transitory things which at last will deceiue him and steale away his heart from godlinesse how should wee lament his misery Let the consideration hereof moue vs all to consider what a pearle wee
little for thy censure as I doe for thy selfe Therefore Cum tua non aedas ne carpas munera lector Carpere vel noli nostra vel aede tua Sith that thy works thou doest conceale Good Reader carpe not mine Leaue off to reprehend our workes Or else goe publish thine And though there is no end in making books seeing much reading brings wearisomnesse to the flesh Eccles 12. 12. Yet this wee doe and pleasure take in toile Although wee doe but plow the barren soile And thus hauing beene ouerbold in presuming vpon your patience I will here end cōmend you to God and to the Word of his grace which is able to build you vp further and giue you an inheritance among Act. 20. 32. them which are sanctified And rest Yours alwayes in the Lord EDMVND COBBES THE WORLDLINGS LOOKING-GLASSE VVherein hee may cleerely see what a woefull bargaine he makes if he lose his soule for the gaine of the world Matth. 16. 26. For what is a man profited if he shall gaine the whole world and lose his own soule or what shall a man giue in exchange for his soule THE time of our blessed Sauiours passion being at hand he tells and forewarnes his Disciples of it that thereby he might confirme and strengthen them against the scandall of his Crosse But yet for all this they dreame of an earthly Kingdome and that our Sauiour should restore them to their ancient liberties which in time past their fathers enioyed in the time of Dauid and Salomon and other Kings of Israel but our Sauiour to put them out of this conceit tells them plainly elsewhere that his Kingdome is not of this world and therefore they are not to expect any earthly pompe and state by him for a Vers 21 he must goe to Ierusalem and suffer many things of the Elders and chiefe Priests and Scribes and bee killed c. Peter who loued him dearely and so was more forward to manifest his loue then the rest takes him aside thinking he had spake vnaduisedly that would die when he might liue and began to rebuke him saying Be it farre from thee Lord this shall not bee vnto thee q. d. Thou art the promised Seed of the Woman in whom all the Nations of the world shall bee blessed thou art an innocent man and therefore oughtest not to die thy life is very profitable vnto all men by feeding their bodies curing their diseases teaching and instructing them in the wayes of godlines therefore thou oughtst rather restore the kingdome to Israel and to free vs out of our captiuity But alas Peter thy counsell is carnall thou vnderstands only the things that belong to thy owne ease and quietnesse but not the things which are of God I was sent to seek and to saue the lost sheepe of the house of Israel and am that scape goate which Leu. 16. 10. must beare the iniquities of the people and that Lambe which must take away the sinnes of the world by my death and suffering must offer my selfe as a sacrifice for the redemption of the world and so by death ouercome him which hath the power of death therefore Peter get thee behind me with thy deuillish counsel thou art an offence to me and an aduersary to my fathers wil which hath appointed set me apart to reconcile the world vnto him therefore if thou wilt be my Disciple indeed as thou professest thy self to bee imitate thou mee in my obedience to my Fathers Will learn thou thy duty which now I teach thee and which I will haue all my Disciples to learne If any man will come after mee let him deny himself take vp his crosse and follow me Teaching all those which will giue vp their names vnto him what must bee their practice and whereto they must trust they must renounce their owne wit pollicie and affection and bee content to endure crosses losses and much affliction which they must beare cheerefully and follow their Captaine Christ Iesus in well doing though they haue neuer so many pullers back and hinderances in the way yet they must imitate the Philistins 1 Sam. 6. Kine which bare the Arke of GOD though they were milche and had their Calues at home yet without any turning to the right hand or left they kept on their way to Bethshemesh So the Disciples of Christ which haue giuen vp their names vnto him and doe beare the Arke of his law vpon their shoulders though they haue many allurements of the world the flesh and the Deuill to draw them backe which are as dear vnto them as the calues were vnto the Kine yet for all this they must keepe on their course in the pathe of a holy life and conuersation without turning either to the right hand or left vntill they come to Bethshemesh the house of the Sun for he that puts his hand to the Plough and afterwards lookes backe makes himselfe vnfit for the Kingdome of God Therefore our blessed Sauiour plainly tels his Disciples what their profession would cost them and what they should looke for that is to bee hated of all men for his sake and to endure all manner of crosses and bee content to beare them patiently and weare them as a crown vpon their heads and to cary death alway before them as a seale vpon their fingers Now because the heart of man is full of doubts and out of selfe-loue is readie to call the truth of God in question our blessed Sauiour is carefull to fence his doctrine against all doubts and to preuent all scruples which carnal men can make against the truth thereof as thinking it very harsh to flesh and blood Therefore in the 25 and 26 verses hee answers a secret obiection which some obiectour might reply vpon him in these or the like words That so hee should lose at least the worlds goods and perhaps his life too To the one Christ answers in the verse preceding my Text that to lose life was the way to find it meaning eternall life q. d. for the worst that Tyrants can doe is but to send them to heauen and the desire to saue life by refusing the crosse was the way indeed to lose it to wit eternall life And to the other he answeres in the words of my Text that the gaine of the world is nothing if it be compared with the soules losse which he layes downe in an hypotheticall proposition question wise For what is a man profited if he shall gaine the whole world if he lose his soule Which categorically turned is he that winnes euen a whole world but loseth his owne soule for it gaines not which is confirmed by the latter part of the verse that there is nothing worth the soule nothing equiualent to it which he propounds question-wise also because in this forme a proposition hath most life and power to work vpon the heart and conscience of the hearer For what thing is there
Optat ephipia bos piger optat arare caballus Hor. An horse on backe to beare And so the horse doth wish he were An Oxe the soyle to teare Then what is a man profited if hee gaine the whole world and lise his soule 4. As they cannot giue content so they cannot keepe off pouertie riches haue wings flie away when wee haue most need of them and when they should doe vs most good This was well knowne vnto the Prophet and therfore he cals them deceitfull vanitie Psal 31. 6. 1 Tim. 6. 17. And the Apostle vncertaine riches Yet how many are there which gape after this vncertaine Mammon which is so full of deceit like the Selucian birds which Aues Seleucides nunquam conspiciuntur nisi cum praesidiâ— illarum indigetur flie away when they might best pleasure vs. If any will question this truth wee may for confirmation produce seuentie Kings vpon their oath And Adonibezeck that great Conquerour to be their Compurgatour A Iud. 1. 6 7. liuely example hereof we may see in King Zedekiah which was 2. King 25. forsaken of his riches honour and friends his Children were slaine before his face his eyes put out and himselfe bound in Chaines and afterward miserably ended his dayes in prison Looke vpon Iob yesterday the richest man in the East and to day not worth a groat a Quicquid habes bodiè cras te fortasse relinquet They come and goe as the ebbing flowing of the Sea taking wings and leauing vs naked at their pleasure Iob hath pronounced that the triumphing of the wicked in worldly things is but short and the ioy of an hypocrite but for a moment though his excellency mount vp to the heauens his head reach Iob 20. 5 6 7. vnto the clouds yet hee shall perish for euer and they that haue seene him shall say where is he Then why doe you lay out your siluer and not for bread you labour without being satisfied Riches may bee taken from vs by casualties of fire inundation of water robbery of theeues negligence of seruants suretiship for friends or by many other accidents They are many times a bait to intice others to surprize vs. The statelinesse of Ierusalem Qâ—ae verò exâ—râ—nsecuâ— ed alium transfâ—rri possunt Tull. was such an eye-sore to the King of Babell that he could not be quiet til he was master of it They are many times occasions whereby slanderers oppressours take aduantage against vs to insnare and intrap vs. Naboths Vineyard first moued Iezabel to produce false witnesses against him and at last to take away his life Then what is a man profited if he gaine the whole world and lose his owne soule But suppose Riches would be faithfull and stand to vs euen to the last gaspe of our breath yet they can doe vs no good either for our bodies or our soules They cannot profit our bodies because they cannot preuent diseases nor cure them if they ouertake vs nor giue vs any comfort or patience to endure them It is not the Veluet slipper that can cure the Goute nor a Crowne of Pearle that helpeth the Migram appoplexie Chollicke or the like Stately houses soft beds rich furniture costly tables all these cannot preuent the least sicknes whatsoeuer But they are so farre from helping vs as that they are the cause many times of weakning the strength and of impairing the health which commeth to passe 1 Because riches many times make men wanton and ouer-tender of their bodies by vsing them to too much daintines which in a while custome makes them so necessary that they cannot want them without the impairing of their health Now being depriued of their riches they cannot nourish their bodies in such manner as before they haue done 2. A second cause may bee because riches fil both head and heart with cares to preserue them and feares least wee lose them Hence the Wise man is bold to say That the reuenue Prou. 15. 6. of the wicked is trouble not troublesome in the concrete but trouble it selfe in the abstract And Iob saith That hee Iob 15. 20 24. trauelleth in paine all his dayes which will not suffer him to sleepe and take his rest Without which his health cannot long endure so saith the Preacher The abundance Eccl. 5. 12. of riches will not suffer him to sleepe And the Sonne of Sirach tels vs That the waking after Ecclus 31. 1 2. riches doth pine away the bodie and the care thereof driueth away sleepe Whereupon the Poet was bold to passe his censure What euer wanteth changeable rest Quod caret altorna requie durabile non est Must needes decay when 't is at best 3. Riches prepare the seedes and simples for all sicknesse through idlenesse which is the effect they produce And so for want of stirring and action euill corrupt and noysome humours increase and abound whereby they haue no stomack or appetite to their meate though they haue full tables varietie of dishes And so for want of apperite they can eate nothing and if they doe it is against their stomaches which nourishes many filthy humours which causeth diseases which the poorer sort are free enough from By which it appeares that riches doe neither preserue health nor cure diseases when they are come But rather it may be said That the Hals of the Morborum domicilium est diuitum Aula rich are the harbours where diseases dwell For as wormes soonest breed in soft teÌ„der wood Cankers fret soonest the trees that are fullest of sappe so sicknesse most easily breeds in those bodies which are made tender with ease and wantonnesse therefore being forced to flye to the Physitian vpon euery small occasion many times they make their liues to become a prey vnto them 5. As riches cannot keepe off pouertie so they cannot pacifie a troubled conscience or secure vs from the malice of Sathan but when GOD sets either of them a worke they will not feare the awfull Scepter nor a heape of Gold nor a silken garment As may bee seene in Saul Iudas and Antiochus But when God awakes their sleepie consciences these sweet morsels will bee ready to choake them And then they shall cast their Ezek. 7. 19 siluer in the streets their siluer and Gold shall not bee able to deliuer them in the day of the wrath of the Lord they shall not satisfie their soules nor fill their bowels because it is the stumbling blocke of their iniquitie 6. As they cannot pacifie a troubled Conscience so these terrene things cannot make those merry cheereful which enioy them The truth of this wee haue before seene in Ahab and Haman who were so vexed because they could not haue what they would that the one went sick to bed and the other so filled with discontent that he was ready to eare out his owne heart because things did not sort according to
will bee ready to cozen or steale away something from them So let vs watch ouer our riches lest they steale away our hearts from godlinesse dull and dead our affections vnto holy and religious duties or hinder vs in our spirituall voyage to the Land of Canaan or split our earthly vessels vpon the craggie Rocks of presumption or carnall security Thus if wee watch ouer our hearts our riches shall not be our ruine Vse 4 Seeing riches are so vnable to profit vs Then be exhorted in the last place to cast away couetousnesse and let euery man bee content with his owne estate And not repine against Gods prouidence thereby wee shall shew our selues vnthankfull for mercies receiued because we doe not abound in the things of the world as others doe But let vs wisely consider with our selues not so much what others haue as what is fit for vs to haue and what wee haue deserued at Gods hands that he should preferre vs before others Why should wee desire more when as wee haue already more then we deserue The consideration hereof should teach the Children God as to bee content with their owne portion so not to enuy the prosperity of the wicked because God giues them a larger allowance shall our eye bee euill because his is good If we haue food and rayment let vs 1 Tim 6. 8 be therewith content And if God giue vs store of these earthly things take we heed wee doe not set our hearts vpon them Then wee shall bee willing to leaue them when God cals for them and when they take wings and flie away we shall looke after them with a quiet minde as Iob 31. 25. 1. 21. Blessed is that pouerty which vnites our hearts to God Iob did because he did not set his heart vpon his riches when his substance was great therefore he was not grieued when they were taken away but in his greatest losses praises the Lord hauing learned patience and contentednesse as well when he wanted as when hee abounded If God haue giuen vs the comforts of his Spirit the assurance of saluation then let vs learne to bee dieted by him which knowes how ready we are to surfeit vpon these vnwholesome viands which produce such obnoxious humours And let vs know that what wee want in earth shall be supplyed in heauen The Lord will not suffer vs to want those things which in his wisdome he knows to be fit for vs. Therefore Dauid saith Nothing is wanting to them Ps 34. 9. 10 that feare him for the Lord forsaketh not his Saints they shall bee preserued for euermore Therefore psa 37. 28. let vs labour to be content with any estate which God hath chalked out for vs by his prouidence But alas what a lamentable thing it is to see many which professe themselues the Children of God to be so worldly minded that if things goe not according to their minde they will be ready to cal the truth of Gods prouidence in question as appeares by their distrustfull 2 Kin. 6. 33. speeches as if they were borne for no other end then to bee bond-slaues to the world And so by cumbering their mindes with the cares thereof which are in their owne nature so heauy a loade that they hinder them in the pursuit of blessednesse What a burden of torments doth the couetous desire bring with it a disease like to the dropsie the more it hath the more it would Alway thirsty as the Serpent Dipsas which will neuer bee satisfied till it burst If a couetous man might haue his desire and Mydas Aurum cuncta prâ—ecor fiant quae câ—rpore tangam Palin in Tau wish were now to bee obtained the couetous man would haue the deuill all and thus by this meanes he would wrap himself in all misery by neglecting his soules health Brethren what were you borne to bee drudges to the world and so to spend your dayes in seruitude No no you were born to be the Lords free men and to serue him with ioy and gladnesse and not to be slaues to your riches Salomon leuied tribute vpon bondmen and Vassailes and not vpon the Israelites the Lords owne people So let the world leuy her bond-seruice vpon the spirituall Amorites Hittites I meane vpon earth-wormes Vsurers and the like Let them be her drudges and not the true Israel of God which haue him for their Shepherd which will take Psal 23. 5. care they shall want nothing Therefore let vs cast our care vpon God and make our request knowne vnto him which is able to helpe vs and will not faile vs nor sorsake vs If God feed the Rauens shall we think he will let vs and our children want And if we doe want any necessary thing then let vs examine our hearts what may bee the cause haue we serued God as we ought and depended vpon his prouidence if we haue failed in any part how shall we thinke that he will take care of vs Let vs repent for our negligence herein and humble our soules vnder the hand of God and be content to endure hardnesse and scarcitie because we haue sinned against our Maker and haue valued these trifles aboue the glory of God and our owne saluation Learne we then to bee content with our estates and conditions and to praise God and if hee giue vs nothing but bread or feed vs with scarcitie yet let vs know he deales more freely with vs then hee hath done with many which haue better deserued them then wee that haue eate the bread of care and quenched their thirst with the water of affliction Let vs remember Exiguum natura desiderat nature is content with a little Food Rayment was as much as Iacob desired Agur craued Gen. 28. 20. Pro. 30. 1 Tim. 6. 8. but food coÌ„uenient which if God grant vs we ought to be coÌ„tent not to seek after great things here seeing we must leaue them when we die And if the body bee not dieted with moderation it will proue a stubborne seruant to the soule making it fit for nothing but thorny cogitations which are the greatest enemies to grace or good exercises The wise heathen could teach vs moderations in these Si ad naturam viuis nunquam eris pauper si ad opinionem nunquam diueâ— Epist 161. What the wise heathen thought of riches things Seneca that Christian Ethnick as Erasmus stiles him hath a witty saying of Epicurus If thou liuest saith he according to nature thou shalt neuer bee poore but if according to opinion thou shalt neuer be rich They feared lest these earthly things would steale away their hearts from their studies in Philosophie therefore they despised these base and mundane trifles Annacreon hauing a huge masse of money sent him by Policrates could neuer rest till he was rid of it againe therefore he sent it backe againe saying That he neuer liued in such feare as hee did while he
had the money in his house Diogenes refused all and craued nothing but the benefit of the Sunne which Alexander Quintus Curtius in the life of Alexander kept from him by standing betweene him and it And when newes was brought vnto Zeno and certaine other that their Ships Goods and Merchandize were lost they reioyced because it was a cause to make them apply themselues to their studies which yeelded them farre greater content Philoxenes hauing purchased a farme whereby hee might liue the better at ease quitted it againe and returned to Athens saying These goods shall not lose mee but I them Therefore Seneca writing to a friend of his said that if he had not lost his riches it might be they might haue lost him Which made Aristides Curius and many other to liue in poore conditions If heathen men by natures light learned such contentment what a shame is it for vs which haue the word of God for our light yet to be so carking and caring for the things of this life For if Gold and Siluer were sent vs wee should hardly find a man that would send it back againe for Quis nisi mentis inops oblatum respuit aurum Wee count him a foole that despises money when it is offered him But if wee would consider that all things we haue we hold them from God as borrowed goods Then we would bee content to let him haue them againe without griefe and giue him thanks for the time we haue had them lest we should bee conuicted of ingratitude But alas the lacke of experience not knowing how to apply our selues to our present estate causeth vs to wrap our selues in a number of passions and torments Wee must therefore striue to know the truth of Gods prouidence that we may not bee dismaide if God doe depriue vs of these earthly blessings It is written of Antiochus that when the Romanes had gotten from him the greatest part of his Kingdome he did not murmure and repine as many of vs would haue done but said he was much beholding to them that had eased him of so much care Philip King of Macedon vpon a time being fallen vpon the sands and seeing the marke and print of his body said Lord what a little plat of the world is nature contented with and yet we couet the world What a shame is it for vs that the heathen should condemne our greedy desires What would they haue done said if they might haue had as much meanes and opportunities as wee haue to get knowledge and to know what the Lord required at our hands Let vs repent of our former repining and let vs returne vnto the Lord with all our hearts and be content to be gouerned by him in all things for there can be no true comfort in any thing in this world for else it may hap vnto vs as it did vnto Dinah who while she wandred to feed her fancies vpon the daughters of a strange Countrey she lost her Virginity among the sons of the country so while wee seeke to fill our mindes with the profits of the world we may lose our sinceritie 1 Tim. 1. 19. and make ship-wrack of a good conscience and so bee forced to goe away as Thamar out of her brother Ammons Chamber with her garment rent So those worldlings which sometimes with Demas followed Paul but now embrace the world are forced many times to goe away with their garments rent and torne And no maruell for if they will venture through the thornes and bushes of worldly cares to get worldly promotion it is no maruell if their zeale be abated and quenched their courage for the performance of holy things cooled their faith blasted their knowledge withered their humility defaced and the whole grament of piety rent in pieces For if with Siserah we looke for any rest in Iaels tent we shall be sure to bee made fast so if we look for any sound comfort in the world we shall be sure to speed as ill as Siserah did 't is a thousaÌ„d to one but our sinceritie and pietie will be nayled to the earth before wee be aware And so by longing after the pottage of the world we lose our birth-right as Esau did Therefore seeing Gods loue or hatred is not knowne by the hauing or want of these outward things therefore let vs desire the Lord to weane our hearts from the things of the world and to giue vs quiet mindes and thankfull hearts But Lord though we are full of impatience and doubting of thy Prouidence Mercy and Goodnesse and so ready to forget what thou hast done for vs all our dayes yet we pray thee forget not thy selfe but continue a God still to doe vs good and if want come then to keep our faith firme and strong in thy Prouidence if sicknesse aduersity come keepe our patience entire if riches and preferment come keepe our zeale vnquenced Remember wee pray thee whereof wee bee made from the earth we come on the earth wee liue delighting in earthly things and at last vnto the earth wee shall returne againe Therefore seeing heauenly things cannot come from so vile a matter and our earthly nature cannot bee changed but by thy heauenly Spirit we pray thee rouze vp our dead affections and make vs to place our hearts onely vpon thee giue vs grace to vse and imploy our riches to thy honour and to purchase vnto our selues the meanes of grace with them that so we passing the time of our pilgrimage in thy feare we may die in thy fauour rest in thy peace and rise againe by thy power which grant vnto vs for the Lord Iesus sake And thus much for the first point propounded riches and their insufficiency to profit vs for our soules and our bodies in life and in death The second followes which is Honours and Preferments Tul. in Tusâ— quest Honour according as the wise heathens define it is a vnion of the praises of good men which iudge of vertue without partialitie What is Honour if it be not sanctified but thraldome and bondage the beginning of danger and the occasion of death and so turnes to the ruine of many How many are there which haue striued to enter in at the gate of Honour which haue beene trod vnder foot as the Miâ—e in the street Those which gape after honour may fitly be compared to those which climbe Nut trees some breake their necks with climbing and other their teeth with cracking Did not 2. Sam. 18. 9. Absolon by climbing so high make his owne haire his halter and Haman by his ambitious Esth 7. 9. thoughts raise himselfe fifty cubits high vpon a stately gallows which he had prepared for Mordechai Act. 12. and when Herod thought to deifie himselfe he was quickly brought vnder by the base wormes And do we not see many break their teeth with cracking these Nuts Did not Achan thinke to aduance himselfe by the accursed things but he
aduersitie though the stocke they match their Children in be neuer so infected and blasted with vice and all manner of vngodlinesse yet if rich and mightie it is well enough Surely this Ethicall policy were highly to be commended if so be our abiding City were here but seeing all things here are vaine and moment any short and transitory what a vaine thing is it to be in loue with the flattering smiles of this life to gaine earth and to lose heauen Therfore if wee would be truely honourable wee must not place our trust in Princes nor in any thing in the world but in the Lord alone which will be faithfull vnto vs in our life and in our death according to his promise 1 Sam. 2. 30. and wonted manner of dealing Those that honour mee shall be honoured there is his promise Now his manner is not to faile one iot of his promise but hath made it good in all ages as we may see in Moses Aaron Dauid Salomon Iosiah c. whose names hee honoured in their liues and magnified them after their death But those which would not honour him in their liues as hee branded them in their liues for infamous persons so they shall bee crowned with euerlasting shame and reproach and in ages to come their name shall stinke How infamous is Cain for murthering his Brother Abel Potiphers wife for her whorish allurements Pharaoh for his cruelty Doeg for accusinâ— and killing the Lords Priests Iezabel for whoredome and murthering Naboth for his Vineyard Iudas for betraiyng his Lord and Master All these with many more doe stinke before God and man and their reproach shall neuer be blotted out For as the memoriall of the Pro. 10. 6. Pro. 13. 9. iust shall be blessed so the name of the wicked shall rot To shew vnto vs that the name of the wicked is no better then carrion which giues such a noysome sent that the passers by stop their noses the remembrance of their liues shall be as noysome as the stinking snuffe of a Candle and this is the iust iudgement of God vpon them that as they regarded not to glorifie him but themselues therefore hee gaue them vp to such vile affections and such filthy actions which can breed nothing but a rotten and a filthy name For they that dishonour mee saith the Lord I will dishonour Thus you haue heard how honour in it selfe is good the meanes how to attaine it and what doth hinder defile it let the consideration hereof stir vp and put courage in those which are aduanced aboue the people to be resolute zealous for the Lord their God to maintaine his cause against the proud of the world and to chase away the workers of iniquity But alasse how may wee lament the sinfulnesse of many which being aduanced to place abuse their authority which GOD and the King hath giuen them to serue their owne lusts shewing theÌ„selues patternes of prophanesse Lord lay not this sin to their charge And thus much shall suffice to haue spoken of honours and preferments and their insufficiency to profit vs. Wee will now proceed to the third point propounded that is to consider of pleasures and delights which the prophane Epicures of our age doe so much dâ—ale vpon which vaine pleasures and pleasing vanities though they are many in nuÌ„ber yet may they be comprized vnder these heads 1. Pleasures of the flesh pride in apparell beautie vaine glorie and popular applause We will begin with the first which for methods sake we wil subdiuide into these particulars 1 Pleasures of the body 2 Belly 3 Eyes And 4 Eares But first of pleasure in generall and afterwards we will descend into the particulars Pleasures are so farre from profiting vs for our soules or our bodies as that many times through the corruption of our nature which want wisdome to vse them aright they are the cause of much hurt to both But herein I would not bee mistaken as if I seemed to condemne all pleasures as vnlawfull for Christians to vse but because the carnall world is ready to plead for Baal and so through inordinate loue of them is ready to prize them aboue their worth wee will therefore diue into them and for triall bring them to the touch-stone of Gods Word by which we will discouer which are good and lawfull and how farre they may be vsed of Gods Children and how they may be abused To which end we are to know pleasures are of three kindes 1 Holy Pleasures are of three sorts and Diuine 2 Temporall and Earthly 3 Carnall and Sinfull 1 Holy and Diuine pleasures are when wee can reioyce in the Lord and are glad when wee enioy his gifts and graces of his Spirit here so as wee haue a sence and feeling of those ioyes which he hath prepared for vs in the life to come vnto these pleasures we are exhorted in Scripture to reioyce in the Lord alwayes and againe 2 Cor. 10. 17. Phil. 4. 4. I say reioyce These heauenly pleasures wil make vs not onely to reioyce in prosperity when our Corne Wine and Oyle abounds but also in the middest of our affliction to reioyce continually 1 Thes 5. 16. 1 Sam. 30. 6. Thus Dauid comforted himselfe when the people were ready to stone him the Apostles when they were whipped Act. 5. 41. 16. and put in prison for they knew that they were iustified by faith and had peace with God therefore they reioyced in Rom. 5. 1. their tribulation This is that true pleasure which the Children of God ought to delight themselues in as being in it selfe most excellent sweet and comfortable But of this pleasure we will speake in a more fit place The second kinde of pleasures The second sort of pleasures are temporall and earthly which pleasures in their owne nature are good and in respect of the vse of them to vs of an indifferent nature good to those which haue grace to vse them well but very pernitious to them that abuse them Now by these temporall pleasures we are to vnderstand those which consist in meat drinke and apparell and all other necessaries for the sustentatioÌ„ of our natural life Now these are good in their owne natures as they are the gifts of God which he hath prouided for his Children in the creation bestowed them vpon his seruants as incouragements to moue them to walke cheerefully in the practice of piety For as that sweet Singer of Israel saith Hee hath not onely Psal 104. 1â— made bread to strengthen mans heart but also wine to make his heart glad and Oyle to make his face to shine He hath ordained for his Children not onely things necessary but also pleasant and comfortable for their delight and recreation Therefore at the Creation God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden where all manner of varieties abounded not only for necessary vse but also for delight And our Sauiour at the marriage at
man stinke in the sight of God See and behold the fearfull effects of this sinne the Lord open our eyes to see the fearfulnesse of it that so we may auoid it And thus much shall suffice to haue spoken of this sinfull sinne of pleasure come wee now to speake of the next pleasurable sinne which is the sinne of the belly I meane the sinne of gluttonie which is a disordinate delight in eating Gula est vorax edacitas naturae finibus non contenta drinking a mortall enemy to temperance by offending both in quantity time and manner This sinne was first brought from Asia vnto Rome where in processe of time it came from a seruile thing to bee the delight of great ones so that Apicius a base Cooke was not ashamed after it came in credit to step into the Schooles and make an Oration in praise of it which did so incourage the belly-gods of that age that Milo Crotoniates would carry his prouision with him which was no lesse then an oxe which he bare on his shoulders and when his stomack serued him would eate it vp at one meale and Tagon another belly-god was so addicted to this sin that at the Table of Aurelian the Emperour he eate a Goat a Hogge and drunke a tierce of Wine Though these monsters in nature be dead yet I feare me there be many liuing which make their belly their god and glory Phil. 3. in their shame as may appeare by their banquets which are saâ—câ—â— with surfeits and exceed nature Our Fathers were content with bread and water which at first nourished mans life but now neither the fruit of trees variety of corne fishes of the Sea beasts of the earth nor fowles of the ayre can satisfie our intemperate nature but as Innocentius saith Spices Lib. de vanitate huma condit are bought Fowles are nourished Cookes hired to please our appetites some are stamped others are strained and another infused to make confections turning the substance into the accident and nature into Art which made the wise heathen to deride the vanities of our times say One Wood sufficeth Sen. ep 8. Vna silua pluribuâ— Elephantibus sufficit homo vero pascitur terra mari to nourish diuers Elephants but man feedeth both on Sea and Earth And in another place he saith Whatsoeuer bird flyeth whatsoeuer fish swimmeth whatsoeuer beast runneth is buried in our body all which in the truth of things is both against nature Art For both art nature forbids contraties to be mixt together which notwithstanding are done at our full feasts which make men like beasts and fitter to be ranged among them then among men Therefore hee telleth vs That he was greater and Maius sum ad maiora natus sum quam vt fiam mancipium corporis mei Rom 13. 13. Gal. 5. 21. borne to greater things then to become the bondslaue of his bodie This fearefull sinne damnes as well as the forenamed Therefore that we may be freed from this sinne also 1. Consider that by this sinfull pampering of thy body Vnus gulosus expendit in piscibus vnde viginti pauperes satis haberent de pane Bern. thou depriuest many a hungry soule of many a morsell which would comfort them very much and that which thou spendest in variety would supply their necessitie so that by this meanes wee defraud our brethren of that which is their due 2. By moderation in diet wee shall enioy a healthfull body Tenuis meÌ„sa sanitatis mater Pedum aolores capitis grauedines cruciatus manuum longe faebres alia multa plura ex crapula saturitate nasci solent Chr. Hom. â—5 which is to bee esteemed aboue gold but by ouer-fulnesse is subiect to many diseases rheumes obstructions and paines of the head eyes and feet numnesse of the hands Feuers and the like pangs of the belly and many other diseases which flow from gluttonie How often may we heare some complaine of their head for sending done rheume the mother of malladies But the head might answer as one sayes wittily Be thou sober in pouring Desine fundere ego desinam fluere downe and I will be sparing in dropping downe Doe not ouerloade me with excesse and I will distill fewer humours When the stomack is burthened aboue the spheare of its naturall heat and gurmandized with too many delicates one vpon the other before the former be concocted like a fire beginning to burne loden with greene wood sends forth many smoaky cloudes as it were so the stomacke being piled with delicates one vpon another seÌ„ds forth many raw crude fumes which ascending vp into the braine and being fixed there by the coldnesse thereof distill downe into the body againe abundance of rheume the source of all diseases gouts dropsies aches and many other maladies Therefore if we will be freed from sicknesse let vs offer a knife to our throats to keepe vs from intemperancy herein 3. By a moderate diet wee preserue our liues wherein we may repent and make vp our peace with God before the graue shut vs vp in the land of darknesse in which there shall be no time for vs to repent and to make vp our reconciliation with our Maker before hee come to reward euery man according to his workes But by this filthy excesse we robbe our selues of this precious Iewell before our time Therefore if we would liue long and see many good dayes shun this sin of gluttony Motiues to induce 1. Consider that this was one of the sinnes of Sodom for which GOD destroyed them with fire and brimstone from heauen and punished his owne Amos 6. 6. people because they drank wine in bowles and so forgot the affliction of the Church but sate downe to eate and to drinke and 1 Cor. 10. 7. rose vp againe to play 2. Wee are commanded to redeeme the time and spend it to the glory of God and the good of our soules but when the body is filled then the bones defire to bee at rest and experience shewes then wee haue little minde to praise God for his mercies or to thinke of the safety of our soules 3. Wee are exhorted so to liue as that we may garnish our profession and honour GOD by letting our godly conuersation be seene among them with whom we liue but this we cannot doe so long as we stuffe our bellies with delicates so that hereby we depriue God of his due and our neighbour of our good example And thus much shall suffice to haue spoken of this sinne in the next place the sinne of drunkennesse presents it selfe to our view and consideration Drunkennesse is Sathans bit Drunkennesse Nihil aliud est ebrietas quam voluntaria insania Sen. in the mouth of a foole with which he can turne him to any sinne as the horse is turned to any stop or pace Thus hee turnes about the whole body the heart to lust the hands
musing how they may be braue and trying what fashion will become them best by which meanes it comes to passe that they haue little leasure to adorne their soules with sauing grace as knowledge faith and repentance wherupon it is that our gallants are so ignorant in spirituall matters 3. This excesse in apparell causeth many men and women to runne in debt which is the very bane of a quiet minde and so become seruile slaues and are forced to put vp many harsh wordes at the hands of the Pro 22. 7. lender 4. As they torment and discrutiate their mindes and bring desolation vpon their temporal estates so also they wrap themselues vnder the iudgement of Isay 2. 11. God for their brauery Vse Be exhorted then you that feare GOD to weane your hearts from this sinfull vanity and labour to decke them with the sauing graces of Gods spirit the wedding garment of faith and labour to be couered with the long white Robe of Christs innocency so that thy Reu. 3. 18. filthy nakednesse may not appeare that so thou being clothed with the righteousnesse of Christ thou mayest at the Rom. 13. 14. day of refreshing follow the LAMBE wheresoeuer hee Reu. 7. 13. 14. goeth Q. Oh but may some say how shall I weane my heart from this sinfull vanitie Answ Euery mischiefe is best auoided by opposing against him his contrary so the best way to preuent pride is to arme our selues with humilitie and stop this filthy disease in the beginning and therefore the Poets counsell in this case is very good Obsta principijs sero medicina pâ—ratur Ouid. Cum mala per longas conualuere moras And another very fitly seconds him saying Stop the beginnings and you shall be sure All dangerous diseases to helpe and cure Pride sinketh to hell but humilitie lifteth to heauen Pride is the first step to Apostasie and being opposed to God is the greatest sinne in man for all other vices are to be taken heed of in sinnes but this in good doing lest those things which be laudibly done be lost in the desire of praise follow Christ who is humble and meeke Ecce habes humilitatis exemplum superbiae medicamentum in whom thou hast an example of humilitie and a medicine against pride Call to minde thy base metall from what thou camest what now thou art and whither thou must goe at length What is man an vnprofitable Telluris inutile pondus Gen. 3. Iob. 10. 9. lumpe of earth Man was earth he is earth and to earth he shall returne againe What is man his matter is base Slime and Clay his nature weak and feeble his birth paine and sorrow his life vaine and miserable his state slipperie and vncertaine his sinnes horrible and filthy and his end grieuous and loathsome Why swellest thou O man thou filthy matter why art thou inflamed Thy Prince is humble and art thou proud Oh earth earth earth cast downe thy Peacocks feathers looke downe whither thou must and bee ashamed consider how GOD hath seuerely punished pride in all ages and hath rewarded humilitie Let the consideration hereof make vs all labour for humilitie There remaines another kinde of pride and that is of a mans gifts of nature or grace but I intend to speake of that when I come to handle the vanity of men in hunting after vaine glorie and popular applause vnto which place I refer the discreet Reader And to put a period to this point of pride in apparell let all those which are so curious in decking their bodies with quaint attire take heed they doe not forget to deck their soules with the pearles of sobriety and humility and therefore follow not the foolish fashion of the world and if any new fangled fashion come vp be thou the first to pul it downe so shalt thou shew thy selfe a patterne for modest matrons to imitate And thus we haue done with pride in apparell Doe we take delight in beautie what is beautie if it bee separated from grace but pleasing vanitie Beautie according Pro. 31. 30. to Saint Augustines definition Is a proportionall agreement of all Pulchritudo corporis est congruentia partium cum quadam coloris suaeuitate Aug. â—d Nebr. the parts of the body ioyned with a certaine sweetnesse of colour and countenance Which in its owne nature is good as being the gift of GOD which hee hath bestowed vpon many of his children as vpon Sarah Rebecca Rachel Naomi Abigail Esther the daughters of Iob but wee shall Iob 42. 15. haue little neede to perswade any to the loue of this seeing all men by instinct of nature doe reuerence and respect it The Poet long agoe could say Forma corporis Dei munus Ouid. that Beauty is the gift of God yet through the corruption of nature this blessing is much abused and made a snare to intangle many and therefore wee are to account it among those common blessings which hee bestowes vpon the wicked as wel as vpon his owne children as vpon Saul Adoniah Absolâ—n 1 Sam. 9. 2 1 Kin. 1. 6. Pulcritudo corporis bonum Dei donum est sed propteria id largitur etiam malis ne mâ—gnum bonum videatur bonis Aug de Ciuit. Dei lib. 15. cap. 22. Pro. 31. 30. 2 Sam. 14. 25. Beautie indeed is the gift of God but hee hath bestowed it on the euill also lest it might seeme to the godly to be of any value yea hee hath bestowed it on the dumbe creatures as the Peacocke Swan yea the Lillies exceed Salomon in al his royalty therefore we are not to doate vpon it for the Wise man saith It is vaine and deceitfull and experience shewes that sicknesse care griefe or the scrach of a pin wil deface it and the Sunne quickly alter it If it were an absolute blessing the Sunne that glorious creature would not so soone deface it Therefore Chrysostom saith to the vertuous in his time I doe not saith Nolo pulcritudinem câ—rpoâ—oris honestatem mentis requiro in Psal 50. Hom. 1. he so much require the beautie of the bodie as the honesty of the minde But seeing it is so esteemed and ouer-valued let it bee the wisedome of the godly to turne the edge of their loue from this deceitfull vanitie which is better many times to those which see it then those which haue it to that perfect and vndeceiuable beautie of Pulchrius est pulchâ—uÌ„ fieri quam nasci illud enim casus hoc studij est Petrar the minde adorned with the saÌ„ctifying grace of Gods Spirit as lowlinesse of minde brotherly kindnesse and the bowels of compassion to the poore these are perpetuall and durable sicknesse and disgrace cannot blemish vertue But alas this carnall beauty is so farre from profiting vs or helping vs in the way of godlinesse as that many times through the corruption of nature it proues the bane of the Rara est
was a confused Chaos so some shall liue to see it passe away as a scroule or squib in the Aire so also it is mutable in regard of vs who are changeable and subiect to alteration If the world could alwayes continue yet could not wee for one generation must passe Eccles 1. 4. Quod breuiter dâ—râ—t quis prudens quaerere curat away and another come in their place Then what wise man would set vp his rest vpon such an vncertaine place so vnable to doe vs good what is the world a vale of misery a sinke of sinne a Court of Sathan a purgatory of paine a mother to the wicked and a Step-dame to the godly where the proud are aduanced without desert and the vertuous oppressed without cause What is the world a second hell full of ambitious desires wicked wiles and deuillish intents a cruell Serpent that biteth vs with her teeth scratcheth vs with her nailes and swelleth vs with her poyson much like Laban who made poore Iacob serue seuen yeares for faire Rachel and in the end deceiued him with foule Leah Euen so dealeth the world with vs promising health wealth long life and in the end deceiueth vs with sicknesse pouertie and death What is the World her musicke is griefe sorrow shame and paine her wealth misery nothing is to be looked for in it but troubles following one another as Iobs messengers Some are pinched with pouerty and ouerwhelmed with misery some vexed with strife and contention some tortured w th sicknesse boyles and vlcers some amazed with crosses losses and the like some one way some another way in so much that if an old man should consider the dangers of his life from his birth to his graue he might wonder how he could bee able to endure so painfull a iourney What is the world no place to continue in all mankinde are either strangers or straglers 1 Pet. 2. 11 Heb. 11. 13 the godly they are Strangers and Pilgrimes so the godly haue confessed and the wicked they are Straglers howsoeuer they take their portion in this life yet at last they must away Psa 17. 14. Act. 1. 25. with Iudas to their owne home Then what a vaine thing is it to build vp Tabernacles of rest here of whose fauour and loue there can be no certaintie for the world it selfe is subiect to change looke vpon the earth it waxeth weake and feeble for age and therefore not so fruitfull as in times past looke vp to the heauens they are not free from mutabilitie the Sunne and the Moone haue their ecclipses the times vary chaÌ„ge one with another Summer with winter day with night looke vpon the world sometime it flourisheth and abounds with delights and seemes to be as the garden of God as Sodom and her neighbour Cities and presently turned into ashes Look vpon the Assyrian Babylonian Monarchy for a time Master of the world but at last was fain to yeeld to the Monarchy of the Medes Persians they at last were forced to stoop to the Grecians and they to submit to the Romanes So that wee see that the glory of the Nations was quickly laide in the dust And haue not wee liued to see many in our dayes which haue shined as the Starres which in a moment haue vanished away like a Comet haue not our eies beheld and our eares heard the setting of as glorious stars as euer shined in the World since the death of Iosiah I meane the setting of that glorious Princess of euerliuing memory Queene Elizabeth the Phoenix of her age whose name shall smell as precious as euer Maries oyntment in the nostrils of all true hearted English as also the going Dum tumu lum cernis our non mortalia sperâ—is downe of the Sunne of that prudeÌ„t learned godly prince King Iames of blessed memory who was in vertue excellent in glory renowned in gouernment politick remouing debate by diligent foresight filling our hearts with the fruit of peace yet for all this though they Quid valet hic mundus quid gloria quidue triumphus Sic transit gloria mundi were great in Gods fauour yet they died When God doth call Nature must obey Alexander that conquered the world could finde no weapon to conquer death Man in honour must not continue Brethren what meane you then to set vp your rest in such an vncertaine place What hath Christ redeemed you from the world and will you bee partners with the deuill in possessing it it wil shortly passe away perish before your eies and yet will you make it your God What madnesse is it to repose hope felicity in that which is nothing els but troubles to our bodies disquietnes to our minds inticements of vice to our children seedes of enuy to our neighbours the bait of sinne the snare of the soule and the gate of death The world is like vnto Salomons harlot that layes open her breasts to intice Trauellers and Strangers the two Dugs whereof are profit and pleasure with the first shee deales like Hypomanes and Attalanta who being to runne a race for a kingdome Hypomanes casting a ball of gold on this side and that side so besotted Attalanta that for to gaine the gold she lost the victory so doth the world mis-lead the gold desiring Merchant With the second the world deales like Cyrces who alluring Grillus to taste of her drugs made him so drunke with the pleasure thereof as that he neither remembred the dignitie of his person nor sight of his Country so deales the world with the pleasurable worldling But of this point we haue spokeÌ„ enough yet for all this so linckt in league are wee with the world that we can bee content to hazzard our saluation for the vncertaine inioying of it If we look vpon the rich Giants of the world which ioyne house to house and land to land to maintaine their proud backes golden heads and dainty throats they haue power to get riches policie to keepe them and time to possesse them but they want hearts to vse them they build great and gorgious houses as if they should liue for euer and surfeit themselues with dainty diet as if they should die to morrow hauing lesse charitie to the poore then the Deuill he desired to haue stones turned into bread but they turne Beefe and bread which was wont by the charity of the godly to feed the poore these they turne into stones to raise vp their Babel and into Silkes and Veluets to maintain them in their brauery and so by this means they haue almost brought the Common-wealth into ruine for there was neuer good house kept by Gentlemen since the Tailer measured their lands by the yard for now while they striue to aduance themselues on high they fearefully plunge their soules in misery But woe to such fat Buls of Bashan without speedy repentance they shall bee turned into hell and al the people that forget God
remember now thy Passion True saith the Iudge but yet now there is no place for compassion Yet Iesus let me come to thee No for in thy life time thou saidst depart from me Yet Iesus hast thou but one blessing giue me a blessing before I part No thou art vnder the curse therefore goe from me ye cursed But Lord since we are accursed let vs feele no other punishments then thy curse No as you haue burned with the fire of lusts so now you shal burne with the fire of Hell But who is able to endure this Isay 33. 11. euerlasting burning therefore sweet Iesus let it not continue long Yes as you would haue sinned for euer so shall this fire last for euer therefore goe yee cursed into euerlasting fire But Lord seeing wee must goe away with a curse yet giue vs some comfortable companions which may refresh and comfort vs in this flame No but as you were of your father the Deuill so goe yee into that flame prepared for him and his Angels from whence yee shall neuer depart till you haue paid the vttermost farthing which you will neuer bee able to doe Hell is a great deepe without Infernus ab inferendo dictus est bottome out of which there is no redemption In earthly prisons and dungeons there may be some possibility of escape as we read of many that were condemned to die by the tyranny of Gog and Magog the Turke and Pope and yet haue escaped but out of hell neuer any escaped The party which Mat. 13. 22 intruded himselfe into the wedding feast and had not on his wedding garment was bound hand and foote and cast into vtter darkenesse If a man were bound hand and foot with a thousand Cords crosse one another this way and that way as the wit of man might conceiue so to hamper and fetter a man as that he were neuer able to stirre or moue much lesse able to loose and set free himselfe were not such a man in a miserable case but if this mā so bound should be cast into a Well or Pit a thousand mile deep what hope could such a man haue of euer comming out So they that are once in Hell shall neuer come out thence for Betweene you and vs Luk. 16. 29 saith Father Abraham is a great gulfe set so that it is impossible to come out thence Now this Gulfe is the eternall Decree of God and it is past the skill of men Angels and deuils to giue Dan. 12. 2 ease to a tormented soule or purchase their libertie for their Worme neuer dyeth and their Mat. 9. 24. 2 Thes 1. 9. perdition is euerlasting and Saint Iude saith that they shall suffer eternall fire and as the Reu. 20. 10. Mercie of the Lord endures for euer so doth the Iustice of the Lord endure from euerlasting to euerlasting world without end Ob. Oh but may some say Is not God vniust to punish mortall man which hath liued not aboue 20. 30. 40. 60 or 80. yeares and hath endured a great deale of misery in this world is hee not then vniust to punish him eternally in the world to come A. Vnto which I answere Oh man who art thou that replyest Rom. 9. 20. against God It is iust with the most holy righteous glorious God to punish man for euer for these reasons 1. If we consider the infinite Holinesse and Puritie of GOD that is offended the intolerable indignitie that hath beene offered to his sacred Maiestie he may iustly punish man with eternall torments 2. If man should liue euer he would sinne euer and despite and offer violence to the sacred Maiesty of the Lord and lade him with his sinnes as a Cart is pressed with Sheaues 3. It is iust with God to punish sinners so long as they continue sinfull but the damned in hell remaine sinfull therefore it is iust with God to punish them with eternall torments for sinne is like Oyle and the Iustice of God like fire and we see by experience that so long as the Oyle lasts the fire will burne so as long as the damned remain sinfull so long they shall bee tormented now in hell as we shewed before the damned doe continually blaspheme and sinne against God therefore their torments shall bee endlesse for euer and euer Now let the greedy worldling Extrema gaudia sequuntur perpetuae lament◠tell mee what a match hee makes to gaine the world and lose his soule which is more worth then ten thousand worlds and which cannot bee ransomed againe at any rate If gold and siluer and the riches of the world could redeeme the soule then sure the Deuill would haue made sure worke for himselfe but alas it cannot be obtained he cannot purchase his redemption but at last shall bee cast into that fiery lake and shall bee tormented day and night for euer and euer Brethren if the torments of Hell be so fearefull and so painfull as we haue heard and so impossible to come out of them the Deuill being the Gaoler and being armed with the purpose and decree of God that it is impossible to escape Those he possessed in our Sauiours time how hard a matter was it to make him let goe his hold so loath he was to lose those he held captiue by permission how much more carefull will he bee now to hold the damned vnder the fiercenesse of Gods wrath for euer How then may we wonder at the folly and madnesse of many of vs that so wilfully cast away our soules What adoe haue wee to win and perswade men from their wickednesse which is the high way to lose their soules Some cast away their soules to satisfie their drunkennesse some by blasphemous oathes some by griping and greedy couetousnesse some one way some another in so much that God may thunder from heauen against the deafe sinners of our times and say as once hee did to Israel Why will ye die why will ye cast away your soules And yet for all this we will not amend Christ may lay loade vpon our Consciences as once hee did vpon Iudas and tell vs that if we lose our soules it had beene better for vs we had neuer beene borne but for all this neither his Word nor his Iudgements can stay vs from walking in those sinfull courses which lead to hell We loue the way to hell better then the way to heauen and wee preferre the pleasures of sin before the ioyes of heauen We are carefull for the world lest we should want but for the soule we make no question for the body wee take care and vpon euery light occasion doe distrust and fall to shifts fearing wee shall want but for our soules we perswade our selues that all is well with them albeit they want all the meanes of saluation and wee our selues liue in our corruption vnreformed many wayes there are to make supply for the body in earthly things but one way
for heauenly our labour here may procure vs maintenance and what we want may be supplyed by the Charitie of our friends but no man can redeeme his soule Wee may win the world as Alexander did and yet for all this lose our soules Oh consider this all yee that forget GOD and are carelesse of your saluation we will bee at great cost for the assurance of our lands and for gaine wee will trauell farre and to bee sure of promotion we will endure much toyle and drudgery and shall we take no paines to be assured of heauen the gaine of glory and the saluation of our soules Naturally we are moued to seeke after those things by which wee may escape losse and gaine some good but oh the carelesnes of the most of vs for the saluation of our soules Men study to become learned they labour for friends striue for riches and seeke for promotion because the benefit of theÌ„ is much for mans welfare the want of them is held to be very hurtfull without them men are iudged but miserable yet riches honour are nothing so auaileable for vs here learning and friends cannot make them happy that haue them vnlesse they be assured of the saluation of their soules but alas we are like Balaam wee can wish that our soules may die the death of the righteous but are vnwilling to liue their life we would with Diues fare delicately euery day and yet with Lazarus looke for heauen at our ending Thus we passe our dayes in the sinfull vanities of the world and are carelesse of our owne saluation and so spending our dayes in pleasure suddenly we sink down into hell Oh but may some say God forbid wee should bee so carelesse for our soules as to lose them for the world wee hope we haue more care then so Vnto whom I answere if you be so carefull as you say you are what meanes that rising vp early and going to bed late what toyling carking caring for the world like the bleating lowing of the Amalekites sheep and Oxen what meanes that excessiue care for the belly and backe these cry so loud that men may see that the care of the most is for the world and the least care is for the soule the most precious Iewel we haue But thou that sayest thou art so careful for thy soule let me aske thee a question or two and let thy Conscience answer before God that knows the secrets of thy heart Doe you feele as great thirst after righteousnes as euer at any time you haue felt after drinke to refresh your drie body or as great a desire after Gods Kingdome as the Couetous man hath after money is your principall care night and day how you may please God canst thou sorrow and mourne more for sinne and for the losse of Gods fauour then for the losse of any worldly estate Canst thou put vp wrongs and iniuries done thee patiently and quietly and see Gods hand in them as Dauid did the cursing of Shimei If these things thou doest out of a good Conscience then I say thou art carefull for thy soule But on the contrary art thou a willing seruant of sinne more willing to doe what thy lust leads thee vnto then what God commands Doest thou bestow vpon the world that loue feare ioy delight strength and time which God challengeth and the godly in all ages haue beene carefull to performe and giue vnto him then where is thy care for thy soule doth thy life and couersation agree better with the wil of the Deuill then with the Will of God dost thou take more care paines to fulfil the Will of the flesh and Sathan then in doing what God requireth If thus thou doest for shame neuer say thou takest care for thy soule for the deuils take as much care as thou doest If the righteous can hardly bee saued where shall the prophane sinners appeare if they which haue set their faces towards heauen all the dayes of their life shall scarce be saued what shall become of those that haue set their faces against heauen all their life If wee haue care of our soules as wee ought where is our zeale to God-ward where is our reuerend feare of his Maiesty where is our seruice and obedience wee yeeld vnto our Lord and God where is our very reason that makes vs differ from beasts which by the instinct of Nature follow those things which are profitable to them and shunne those things which are hurtfull yet we hauing direction from the Word of God haue no desire of euerlasting happinesse nor feare of endlesse destruction Ob. Oh but may some say I mean to take care for my soule but as yet I haue no leisure I haue many businesses in hand and within short space I meane to put off my trade and by that time I shall haue got money and then I meane to betake my selfe to a religious course of life A. But doth not God in the first place command thee to seeke his Kingdome which is the greatest principall work and wilt thou seeke that last which hee hath commanded to seeke first Thou sayest thou wilt serue God when thou art rich but how doest thou know that thou shalt haue a heart then to serue God haue not wee seene many rich men haue made their riches their god and so haue withdrawne their hearts from God Againe no Calling must bee a calling from God euery man can finde time to spare out of his Calling to eate drinke sleepe and many times to prate game and the like and canst thou finde time to fill thy belly and no time to prouide for thy soule Oh but may some say I will repent when I am sicke then will I humble my selfe and seek for my soules health for sicknes will put me in minde of death Vnto which I answere suppose thou bee neuer sicke wilt thou neuer take care for thy soule haue wee not heard of many that haue died suddenly and so haue had no time to prepare for their soules health Was not Zimry and Cosby taken in the very act of sinne and so by the hand of Iustice sent to Hell without any time to repent in If old Ely had had his repentance to seeke and the prouision for his soule to get when he fell downe and his neck was broken in what a fearfull case had he beene Doe we not see many in their sicknesse to haue died senselesse like Nabal and it is iust with GOD that Soepe morieâ—s obliui scitur sui qui dum viâ—eret oblitus est Dei. they which haue forgotten him in their life should forget themselues in their death Did not the Israeliâ—es die suddenly with the Quailes in their mouthes and Ananias and Saphira his wife before they were summoned by sicknesse or thought of their soules and how many are there which are taken away by senselesse diseases as the Apoplexie dead Palsie or other diseases which
feare of God set vpon the worke Wee all know that the chiefest care of a Christian should be to glorifie God and saue his soule and to this end wee all know that amendment of our liues is a worke necessarily required without which no man can be assured of his saluation so that here nothing commeth into the question but the time when we ought to take care for the saluation of our soules thou saist the time is to bee deferred hereafter and giuest a reason for it because God is a God of mercie But we say it is to be done presently therefore let vs see which opinion is most conformable to the truth Wee grant that God is a God of mercie to the penitent so he is a God of Iustice to the obstinate and Mercy abused makes way for his Iustice and though God saith St. Gregory hath promised pardon to the penitent yet he hath not promised to morrow to a sinner Times and seasons saith our Sauiour are in Gods hands then what a folly is it for vs to thinke that wee can dispose of the time to come for our owne saluation Christ hath the Keyes of life and death Reu. 1. committed to him to open and shut at his pleasure then how can wee presume hee will open to vs the gate of repentance at our pleasures It is true that God calleth at all houres yet we must not look he wil call vs wheÌ„ we list therfore let vs learn the wisdome which God wold haue to vs learn that is to seeke the Lord while he may Is 55. 6 7. be found to call vpon him while he is neare and to follow that good counsel of the Wise-man to make no tarrying to turne to Eccles. 5. the Lord. A Father hath wel obserued that if gold should bee offered vnto vs none would bee so foolish or negligent as to say I wil not accept of it till to morrow or I will come to you next yeare for it but they will take it presently and admit of no excuse But the redemption Redemptio animae proâ—ittitur nemo festinat Amb. of the soule is promised and profered and where is the man or where is the woman that accepteth of it How truely may that speech of the Father bee applied to our times Men are greedy and carefull for earthly things no man will take time but will take them when they are offered but for spirituall things meÌ„ may think they haue too much or lest peraduenture they feare they may fall from young Saints to become old Caâ—endi opportunitas non est omittenda deuils But suppose our life might be long and that wee shall haue time to repent in our old age and make vp our reconciliation with our God which no man can promise vnto himselfe what will it bee more easie to doe it then than now whilst we haue our health our limbes our sight and hearing no no brethren deceiue not your selues old age is no fit time to begin to repent in and to prouide for our soules for then we shal finde that sinne is increased with the yeares of our age which will make vs more vnfit to seeke for our soules good old age is wilfull and peeuish and will hardly be reclamed and the custome of sinne will take away the sense of sinne and if now it be a hard matter to conquer one or two sinnes what will it bee to fight against a hundred and if it bee so hard a matter to breake and subdue the corruption of one or two yeares sinnes how hard will it be to ouercome the sins of Childhood youth middle age it is a hard thing to leaue that custome which a man hath Cum magnâ— dolore relinquitur quod cum magno amore possidetur Bern. de coena DoÌ„ beene inured vnto all his daies he will be as loath to part with his sins as his sinnes are to part with him who will then be perswaded to beleeue vnlesse hee be a madd man that the offence encreasing the pardon may easily bee obtained The Wiseman Eccles 10. telleth vs that an old inueterate disease troubleth the Physitian and shall we thinke that old sinnes will not be troublesome to get pardoned in old age for then sinnes although they are great and horrible when as they are come into Peccata quamuâ— magna horrenda cum in coâ—suetudinem tenerint aut parna aut nulla esse creduntur Aug. Eâ—ch cap. 17. a custome are thought to be no sinnes or at least very little ones wee see that old men which haue trifled away their dayes in the practice of sinne in their old age begin to bee wilful and peruerse and so hate to be reformed and experience shewes how hard a thing it is to reclame an old Swearer an old Vsurer or an old Lecher how hard a thing it is to reclame one that is dyed in graine in his sinnes and the lust of their vices are so rooted and fixed in the bones and marrow Iob 20. of their soules and so are ready to lie downe with them in the graue But yet suppose for all this thou maist repent in old age yet what a deale of time hast thou lost while thou hast liued in thy sinnes what a deale of comfort mightst thou haue had if thou hadst spent thy time in the practice of Pietie and what a patterne of vertue mightst thou haue beene to young men and to haue caused them by thy example to feare the Lord in the dayes of their youth Againe how vnequall and indiscreet a thing is it to reserue old age for repentance were it not vnsit or very foolish if a man had many great and weighty burthens to be carried a long and tedious iourney and had many strong and lusty Horses to carry them yet should lay all the burdens vpon one and the weakest and poorest horse which is scarce able to goe how foolish a thing were this such is their folly that doe cast the burden of their repentance vpon their old age sparing their youth and middle age and letting them goe empty which were farre more fit then old age which is scarce able to beare it selfe Againe how vniust a thing it is to serue the world the flesh and the deuill with our Summer and best dayes and to offer our old lame and decrepit age vnto God The Lord charged his people that they Deut. 25. should not haue two manner of waights a great and a small to measure by and how dare any man haue two vnequall measures in his liue one so great for the Deuill the flesh and the world as if they were our friends and the other so short for God as if he were our enemy thus we see how vnequall a thing it is and how hard a thing it is to deferre the taking care for our soules vntill sicknes or old age and how difficult then it is to seeke the Lord and to make
short time full of misery many of vs haue spunne a long thred and so haue set our feet within the gates of death and many of vs haue trod in the path of old age in which the Almond flourishes many of our haires are turned white to the haruest of death Old age is honourable if it be found in the wayes of righteousnesse but if old men be found in the wayes of sinne ignorance and prophanenesse oh how dishonorable are those gray hayres what an old man a swearer an old man a Drunkard an old man a Gamester an old man a Lyar an old man a Whoremaster an old man an ignorant man oh what a shame is this Brethren the Israelites were commanded to gather twice so Ex. 16. 22. much Manna the day before their Sabbath as they did any day in the weeke before and should not the gray hoare head that lookes euery day for his last day of mortalitie and his Sabbath of rest should not hee I say labour to get twice so much knowledge pray twice so much read twice so much and ponder in his heart the workes of the Lord of mercy and of Iustice and grow in the graces of Gods Spirit that they Tit. 2. 7. may shew themselues patternes of all goodnesse for young men to imitate the dayes of mans life are threescore yeares and ten sayes Moses the Man of Psal 19. God but oh the carelesnesse of many which haue passed this age and though death stand at the doore yet they will not beleeue it It is said of Ephraim that gray hayres were vpon him yet he knew it not he had Hos 7. 9. markes of death vpon his face and hayre yet would still bee young and what was said of Ephraim may iustly bee said of many old men in our dayes whose windowes grow dimme whose sight faile and they bend downward to their long home and yet they consider not their latter end therefore they fall Lam. 1. 9. miserably and many die fearfully Oh consider this all yee that forget God! oh how soure and stinking are the dregs of sinne and prophanenesse of old men in the sight of God! as old men are to repent betime so are young men they are to remember their Creator in the dayes Eccles. 1. 2. of their youth for it is needfull to begin betimes because they haue much worke to doe and they haue no lease of their liues time and tide stayeth not therefore all of vs while it is called to day hearkē and obey for betweene old men yong men there is little difference old men goe to death and death comes to young men therefore as all men must die all must labour to get their soules saued For it is a iust thing with Iustum est vt a Deo contemnatur moriens qui Deum omnipotentem contemp sit viuens God that he should contemne that man in his death which contemned God Almighty in his life therefore let vs not deferre this needfull worke but presently set vpon it while wee haue time and while it is called to day for it may bee to morrow may be too late Gods mercy being abused he is a consuming fire and therefore it will be a most fearfull thing to fall into his hands Ob. Oh but God is a God of mercie and he shewed mercy vnto the Theefe at the last houre and therefore I doubt not but he will also shew mercy vnto me A. It is true indeed God is a God of mercy full of compassion and his tender mercies Ps 145. 8 9 Eph. 2. 4. are ouer all his workes yea hee is rich in mercy and therefore thou thinkst his mercy will bee as great to thee as it was to the Theefe vpon the Crosse This was a rare example of Christs mercy and cannot be applied to any particular man because the promises of mercy doe ioyne the meanes and end together Therefore we cannot deny but that as God is mercifull so also he is iust and Iustice and Mercy cannot dispence one with another God deales with man as Physitians deale with their Patients wee see many learned Physitians sometimes giue ouer their Patients not for that they want skill but because they see them incurable so thou that posts off and defers thy repentance and care for the saluation of thy soule till the last gaspe if thou bee damned it is not because the Lord wants mercy but because thou art dead in thy sinnes and past recouery and so the mercy of the Lord can doe thee no good thou remainest in thy impenitency hardnesse of heart and vnbeliefe The Apostle tels the beleeuing Romanes that God is able to graft the Iewes into the true Oliue plant againe if they doe not continue in their vnbeliefe Intimating vnto vs that God is not able to shew mercy vnto vnbeleeuing and vnrepentant Rom. 11. 23 wretches so long as they continue in vnbelife See therefore what thou art like to gaine by this rare exāple of the Lords mercie shewed vnto the theefe vpon the Crosse But because this is the strong hold wherein many desperate wretches hide themselues wee will therefore by the light of Gods Word diue into this example and weigh euery circumstance in it and what we discouer we will plainely set downe and shew what rockes and shelues lye in this harbour and how dangerous it is to cast Anchor here hauing found out the danger wee will hang out a bloody Flagge which may threaten death and destruction to all that seeke to harbour vpon this sandy foundation Tell me not therfore of the Theefe vpon the Crosse for of two theeues one was damned though hee saw the repentance of his fellow heard Christs gratious promise yet for all this he repented not Why doe we not bring him for a patterne and apply it to our selues and say Might not this be our case which haue put off our repentence vnto the last Here is a Theefe against a Theefe the one is saued and the other damned that this theefe was saued was a miracle miracles were no miracles if they were common Wee haue of this rare mercy of GOD one example that no man should despaire and but one example that no man should presume 1. This is a rare example without any promise of God if that thou canst shew a promise that thou shalt repent at the last houre of thy life but if thou canst not then thou promisest that to thy selfe which God neuer promised to giue thee 2. Againe this was a worke of wonder and euery way miraculous for Christ was hereby pleased to honour the ignominy of his Crosse and to manifest his power in his greatest humiliation his cruell enemies raged and blasphemed his stripes and wounds shewed him to be but a mortall and despised man and his Disciples despairing after so many miracles whether he were the promised Messiah or no therfore our blessed Sauiour to manifest his power and