Horror of conscience CAn a sower tree bring foorth sweet fruite or can a filthie fountaine send forth any but bitter streams No more can the prophane heart and lewd conuersation yeelde and send foorth any thing but the sower fruit and bitter waters of a troubled conscience Sweet meat must haue sower sauce and the heart which tooke delight and pleasure in committing of sinne must afterwardes be vexed with anguish and sorrow in remembrance of the same Sinne sheweth a harmlesse mouth like the viper but with her hidden teeth she infuseth deadly poyson she weepes like the crocodile but wounds like a serpent and leaues the sting of conscience behind her to vexe the sinfull soule The sacred Scriptures do by sundrie notable comparisons set foorth the miserable condition of those wretched men whom the conscience of sinne doth vexe in this life Zophar Iobs friend makes a notable Antithesis betweene the estate of the godly and the wicked in this respect Job 11.15 The godly shall lift vp his face without spot be stable without feare but the eyes of the wicked shal fail and their hope shall be griefe of minde The wicked through the terror and conscience of sin shall be like men whose extreame amazednesse doth depriue them of the vse of their senses both externall and internall whereas the godly shall haue a chearefull countenance with an vpright conscience And his friend Eliphaz likewise Job 15.20 The wicked man is continually as one that trauelleth of child As the pregnant mother is vexed with many sodaine throbbes and thinkes euery one to be a warning of her daungerous and painefull approching trauell so the lewd and wicked liuer that trauelleth with iniquitie hath many inward throbbes which gripe his heauie hart and represent vnto his pensiue soule the imminent euerlasting destruction Againe in the 24. verse Affliction and anguish shall make him affraid When the Lord comes against a wicked maÌ„ he brings foorth his forces of affliction and anguish which rise vp in ciuil warre till they effect that which Salomon hath in the Prouerbes The wicked flieth when no man pursueth him Cap. 28.1 And no maruell for the distraction and dread of conscience is a sufficient enemy to daunt the stoutest wight that breatheth Pro. 18.14 A wounded spirit who can beare Job 27.20 And Iob himselfe also saith that terrors shall take the wicked as waters and as a tempest shall carie him away by night As a tempest arising suddenly filleth both the heauens and earth with dreadfull darkenesse so do the stormes of dread arising in the conscience of a wicked man The Prophet Esay doth elegantly discipher the miserable condition of such men on this manner Esa 57.20 The wicked are like the raging sea that caÌ„not rest whose waters do cast vp mire and dirt And surely there could be nothing more fit to set foorth the restlesse and wretched estate of a wicked man who as hee swelleth with the surges of pride and haughtinesse of heart as hee casteth foorth the filthie foame of his owne shame and boyleth with the fire of an enuious spirit so is he tossed vp and downe with euery blast of anguish and blowne about with euery gale of terror neither is he like those seas which sometimes do obtaine calmnesse but like Euripus which is in continuall agitation boyling Pomp. Mel. lib. 2. and therefore doth the Prophet conclude vpon his similitude Ver. 22. There is no peace saith my God to the wicked All this is euident by Caines wicked murmuring Gen. 4.13 Gen. 27.38 Esaues bitter weeping Mat. 27.3 and Iudas desperate mourning all which were indeede like a restlesse raging sea and like Noahs doue found not one twigge of sound comfort whereupon to rest their distressed soules Our Sauiour speaking of the paine of the damned saith Mar. 9.44 That their worme dyeth not this worme is the sting of conscience which is neuer plucked out and this worme begins euen in this life to nibble at the hearts of desperate sinners Of this thing the Poets were not ignorant Animóque obiecit Eryn nim Ouid. Met. lib. 1. when they fained that such men were vexed with Furies meaning indeed the furious hoâ—ror of their fearfull conscience arising from their wicked conuersation Wee reade that Nero that Romane moÌ„ster Sueton. in vita Neron cap. 34. hauing after many villanies like a vile wretch murthered his owne mother was exceedingly perplexed with the remorse memorie of his damnable and vnnaturall fact affirming that he was vexed with his mothers ghost with whips of the hellish furies with burning torches and albeit the souldiers the Senate and people did by their applause indeuour to comfort him yet was he neuer able to endure the horror of conscience proceeding from his villanous wickednesse Neque tamen sceleris conscientiam aut statim aut vnquam ferre potuit so close did this neuer dying worm cleaue to his clogged conscience The conscience of man by the diuine ordinance of Almightie God doth keepe an Assise and erect a tribunall in the soule of euery one euen in this life First to make way to these proceedings the conscience dogges vs and takes notice of all our actions Thy heart knoweth that thou likewise hast cursed others Eccles 7.24 though thou hast forgot it yet consult with thy conscience and it will tell thee that thou hast done it When the sonnes of Iacob had forgotten their crueltie towards their brother committed many yeares before their conscience quickened by a present affliction speaks thus vnto them Gen. 42.21 We haue verily sinned against our brother in that we saw the anguish of his soule Sometimes a man goes away with his sinne as Gehazi went with the siluer and the garments and saith peraduenture as he said 2. King 5.25.26 Thy seruant went no whither but the conscience will answere with Elizaeus Went not my heart with thee when thou didst priuily slaunder thy neighbour steale sweare falsely commit filthinesse or the like 2. When the conscience hath taken notice of some great crime it calleth vs to the barre and there it accuseth vs reckoning vp our sinnes and setting them in order with their circumstances thus the prodigall child taxeth himselfe Luk. 15.18 Father I haue sinned against heauen and before thee So is the conscience like the Clearke of the Assizes laying open the bookes and cases which before lay hid in obscuritie 3. Lest there should be any fond excusing the conscience hauing accused giueth in further euidence for proofe of the inditement and beareth witnesse to the accusation as the Apostle sheweth Rom. 2.15 Therefore doth the Lord take that course with Adam Gen. 3.11 appealing to his conscience whether hee haue transgressed the commandement enioyned him yea or no because hee knew his conscience would testifie agaâ—nst himselfe 4. The conscience hauing made euident that which was obscure and ratified as it were with a
world must be brought to iudgement before him There are two principall things in our Sauiours appearing that shall abash and terrifie the wicked first his exceeding great maiestie secondly the strictnesse of his iudgement 1 The Scriptures in setting foorth the Maiestie of his comming are very copious He shall come in the cloudes of the heauen with power and great glorie Mat. 24.30 that men may behold him in his maiestie whom they would not before vouchsafe to looke vpon in his humilitie Esa 53.3 And this Maiestie shall be conspicuous and glorious in diuerse respects 1 In respect of the admirable signes that go before him which shall be correspondent to his admirable Maiestie Saint Matthew describeth them thus Mat. 24.29 And immediatly after the tribulation of those dayes shall the Sunne be darkened and the Moone shall not giue her light the Starres shall fall from heauen and the powers of heauen shall be shaken An eclipse being great hath bene very fearefull to some and the darkenesse at our Sauiours passion made the world to wonder how fearefull then and how wonderfull shall the comming of Christ to iudgement bee when the Sunne and Moone and Starres shall all lose their light and the heauens with their powerfull influences be vtterly obscured as inferiour lights are wont at the bright shining and glorious appearing of Christ Iesus When the Maister of the family dieth Chrysost in Mat. hom 49. the house is troubled the seruants lament and put on mourning apparell so when man the inhabitant of the world is neare his end and comming to his triall his old friends and seruants both in heauen and earth do thus clothe themselues in mourning weedes being also abashed to behold the glorie of the Sauiour of the world Saint Luke likewise saith Luk. 21.25 There shall be signes in the Sunne and in the Moone and in the Starres and vpon the earth trouble among the nations with perplexitie the sea and the waters shall roare and mens hearts shall faile them for feare and for looking after these things that shall come vpon the world Onely an earthquake if it be vehement is verie fearefull and the inundation of waters terrible but now when the whole massie globe of the earth shall totter and shake the mightie seas roare and rage and the glorious heauens become blacke and duskie how shall the hearts of men bee appalled with dread and terror to behold the same 2 Christs appearing shall be glorious in respect of his attendants not silly Fisher men as in the dayes of his infirmitie but holy Saints and blessed Angels as consorting with this day of Maiestie Jud. ver 14 Behold he cometh with thousands of his Saints to giue iudgement against all men and to rebuke all the vngodly c. And as Christ shall come with his many Saints so shall he appeare with his infinite troupe and traine of Angels Dan. 7.10 For thousand thousands shall minister to him and ten thousand thousands shall stand before him Yea he shall come with all his holy Angels and these being his fierie messengers Mat. 24.31 he shall send with a great sound of a trumpet to gather together the elect c. Thus glorious seruants shall attend a glorious maister If Saint Iohn a holy Euangelist fell at the feete of Christ as dead when he beheld him Reu. 1.17 and Esay a heauenly Prophet cryed out Wo be to me for I am of polluted lippes Esa 6.5 because he saw the King and Lord of hostes compassed with the glorious Seraphims shall not the maiestie of this great God Tit. 2.13 euen our Sauiour Iesus Christ daunt the hearts of the wicked at his appearing euen more then can bee expressed 3 Christs comming shall be glorious in regard of the complements of honour which he shall haue at his appearing 2. Thes 1.7 He shall come in flaming fire with the sound of an Archangell he shall come in the cloudes and ride vpon the wings of the winde Act. 1. It was straunge to see mount Sin a on fire at the deliuerie of the Law Eod. 19. but how straunge will it be when the heauens shall passe away 2. Pet. 3.10 and the elements shall melt with heate and the earth with the workes therein shall be burnt vp then shall he sit vpon a throne of glorie Mat. 25.31 and before him shall be gathered all nations The day was when he poore man stood before the iudgement seate of Pontius Pilate to receiue his sentence but now Pontius Pilate with all the potentates of the earth must stand before his throne to receiue their dolefull doom The gloriousnesse of which throne Daniell describeth Dan. 7.6 saying His throne was like a fierie flame and the wheeles like burning fire yea so full of dreadfull maiestie it is that when the earth and the sea do come to be arraigned before it they flye away Reu. 20.11 not able to behold the glorie thereof and the Iudge that sitteth thereupon And therfore whereas at his birth onely Ierusalem was troubled and at his passion Mat. 2. Luk. 22. the tender hearted women of Ierusalem wept now at his comming to iudgement Mat. 24.30 Reu. 1.7 All the kindreds of the earth shall mourne and waile before him Euen so Amen 2 Secondly as his appearing is glorious so shall the strictnesse of his iudgement be no lesse maruellous If a man might be called to an account for his grosse sinnes onely there were some hope of safetie but Christ will call for an account of euerie idle word Mat. 12. yea he will bring to iudgmēt euery secret thought Rom. 2.16 and who alas shall be able to answer him one of a thousand Job 9.3 When the Lord casteth his infinite discerning eye vpon the most excellent of his creatures Job 4.17.15.15 he findeth no stedfastnesse in them no not in his Saints and Angels yea the heauens are not clean in his sight This caused Dauid to say Heare my prayer ô Lord Psal 143.2 and hearken to my supplication but enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shall no flesh liuing be iustified If Dauid a man after Gods owne heart put vp his petition appealing from the iustice of God vnto his mercie how vnable shall the wicked be to stand foorth with boldnesse Psal 1. or to lift vp their heads with confidence in the day of iudgement What shall the shrubbe of the desert do Gregor when the Cedar of Paradise shall be shaken what shall the lambe doe where the Lyon doth tremble and if the righteous scarcely be saued 1. Pet. 4.18 where shall the vngodly and the sinner appeare The warie Auditor will consider the seuerall reckonings that hee is to make so should the wise Christian thinke vpon the particular accompts that Christ will exact at the generall day of iudgement Consider then that hee will call thee to
winds and to carrie them into the land of the liuing their hearts shall bee much comforted but when they shall looke vpon the face of Christ and behold his glorie how shall their mouths be filled with laughter and their tongues with ioy Luk. 2.29 If Simeon beholding Christ a little infant in the temple reioyced saying Lord now lâ—ttest thou thy seruant depart in peace what peace and ioy shall the godly haue when they behold Christ a triumphant King at the day of iudgement when they shal not take him vp in their armes as Simeon did but shall bee embraced by him in the armes of his mercie Though Peter seeing Christ in his troubles fled from him when hee went to mount Caluarie yet he said it was good staying with him when he saw him glorified on mount Tabor It is written of Salomon 1. King 10.24 That all the world sought to see him and to heare his wisedom If men were so desirous to see Salomon the shadow how much more desirous shall they bee to behold Christ Iesus the substance in comparison of whose glorie and wisedome Salomons was but like a droppe of water to the mightie Ocean yea in respect thereof nothing but folly and deformitie We obserued before that Iob reioyceth vpon the remembrance of his resurrection and here wee may consider how he addeth and iterateth for an augmentation of his ioy Ioh. 19.27 That he shall see and his eyes shall behold his Redeemer And this yeelded Stephen much comfort and caused him to lay down his life chearefully when he beheld Christ on the right hand of God Act. 7. Mat. 13. Blessed are your eyes for they see and your eares for they heare saith our Sauiour that which many kings and great men would haue bene glad to haue seene heard but could not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 AbrahaÌ„ reioyced to see the day of Christ and saw it and was glad If Abraham beholding it by the eye of faith onely reioyced so exceedingly what would hee haue done if hee might haue externally seene and heard and handled of the word of life 1. Ioh. 1.4 as the Disciples did These things wee write vnto you that your ioy may bee full If the relation of these things yeeld the fulnesse of ioy how much more thinke you did the contemplation and fruition thereof And yet is this also inferiour and farre too short of the beholding of Christ in glorie at the day of iudgement Once our Sauiour said Ioh. 20.29 Blessed are they that haue not seene and haue beleeued but now I may say Blessed are they that see and do not beleeue because that now Faith which vnited vs to Christ in the kingdome of grace doth vanish and only loue which vniteth vs to God in the kingdome of glorie doth remaine 2 This is the Saints happinesse that they shall bee iudged by Christ For now shall that bee fulfilled in the manifestation of his glorie which the Prophet speaketh of the reuelation of his grace Psa 102.16 When the Lord shall build vp Sion and when his glorie shall appeare hee shall turne vnto the prayer of the destitute and not despise their desires It is vsuall in our trials for the Iudge to bid the Iurors Looke vpon the prisoners oh with what a compassionate eye shall Christ looke vpon the elect which come before his iudgement seate Gen. 18.25 When Abraham intreateth the Lord for Sodome he reasoneth on this manner Bâ—e it farre from thee for doing this to slay the righteous with the wicked that the righteous should bee euen as the wicked be it farre from thee shall not the Iudge of all the world do right And so may it bee said concerning our Sauiours iudgement before whom all the world must appeare farre be it from him that the righteous should fare as hardly as the wicked shall not he the Iudge of all the world doe iudgement 2. Thes 1.7 Now it is iust with him to render peace comfort to the godly aswell as tribulation and anguish to the wicked at his appearing with his holy Angels Saint Paule asketh Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen seeing God doth iustifie them and may not I say Who shall be able to condemne the righteous seeing Christ shall iudge them did Christ shed his precious bloud to wash them and lay downe his life to redeeme them and will he now suffer theÌ„ to perish No man yet euer hated his owne flesh Eph. 5. but nourisheth and cherisheth it and behold we are flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones Let Sathan then and all the damned crew accuse and charge and chalenge the godly yet Christ being their iudge they shall neuer bee conuicted they shal neuer be condemned 3 Besides the contemplation of Christ and the fruition of his fauour in iudgement behold a further priuiledge of the children of God for they themselues shall at this day become Iudges Mat. 19.28 and sit vpon thrones of maiestie with the great Iudge and iudge the twelue tribes of Israell Know you not 1. Cor. 6.2 that the Saints shall iudge the world The most may answer negatiuely to this question it is a point which few do know or consider But let all the wicked and vngracious vpon the earth remember though now they be neuer so mightie in the world that the godlie whome they haue scorned wronged and disgraced albeit they be poore and simple shall one day be assistants vnto Christ and sit with him vpoÌ„ the bench when themselues shall stand trembling at the barre of his tribunall and shal be subiect to their assent in their iust and most deserued condemnation Lo then here is a singular cause of ioy and comfort to all those that do vnfainedly feare God The remembrance of the dreadfull day of iudgement cannot be altogether without terror to vs but when we consider that Christ shall be our Iudge the consideration thereof may be sufficient to affect our hearts with gladnesse Heb. 4.15 The Apostle notes it for a matter of much comfort that wee haue such an high Priest as hath tasted of our infirmities that so hee may be touched with them And surely it is our great happinesse that wee shall haue him our Iudge who hath bene subiect to seuere iudgement that so he may haue compassion vpon vs at the dreadful day of account therefore Christ biddeth vs when his coming to iudgement approacheth then to lift vp our heads and cheare vp our hearts Luk. 21.28 because our redemption draweth neare To conclude seeing that the iudgement of Christ shall be terrible to the wicked and comfortable to the godly let vs embrace that heauenly exhortation of S. Iohn 1. Ioh. 2.28 And now little children abide in him that when hee shall appeare we may be hold and not bee ashamed before him at his comming Which happinesse we shall assuredly obtaine if