saith S. Iude with ten thousand of his Saintes to execute judgement vpon all and to conuince all that are vngodlie among them of all their vngodlie deeds which they haue vngodly commited and of all their hard speeches which vngodlie sinners haue spoken against him The sicke Man After what forme thinke ye that Christ shal come downe from Heauen at doomes-day that great judiciall day The Pastour In the most glorious forme that is possible to him with whom nothing is impossible That glorious King shall bee accompanied with all the Armies of heauen Before him in die illo decritorio in that judiciall day shall bee heard a shout a voice of an Archangell The most shrill Trumpet of heauen shall sound so high with a rebounding noise that the dead in their Graues shall awake and arise out of their beddes like sleeping men that are wakened in the morning with the sound of the Drumme or fift houre Bell At that sound all the dead must come out of their Graues as men after sleepe arising out of their beddes None then must lye still with the Sluggard who turning himselfe on his bed as a doore on its hinges saith Yet a little sleepe a little slumber a little folding of the hands to sleepe No not At the first shout at the first voyce of the Archangell at the first blast of the Trumpet all shall arise and compeare before the face of that Iudge in the day of that great general Assemblie wheÌ„ God shal comfort his owne and mak a speedie riddence of the wicked whom he shall denoure by the fyre of his jealousie None shall bee able in that day to award his blowes There shall bee such paines which no damned Soule shall bee able to auoide or abide But the Godlie most gladly like Eagles about dead bodie shal flock about their Lord. The sicke Man I heare by your discourse that the LORD shall come downe in great pompe and magnificence After that hee is come downe into his Charet with his thousand thousands what shall bee done next The Pastour Daniel saith that the Iudgement shall bee set and the Bookes shall bee opened After that Christ by his power hath cast downe all the little thrones of Emperours and Kings he himselfe shall sitte downe vpon a Throne of infinite Majestie His Garments shall bee white as snow and his Haire like pure wooll This is said by Daniel for to let vs see that the Iudge of the world shal be vpright spotlesse in his Iugdement To this is subjoyned by the Prophet That the judgement was set The sicke Man I vnderstand not well these last words What is that to say That the Iudgement was set The Pastour It is in the Hebrew Dinaiethib In the Latin Iudicio considonte or as Arius Montanus hath turned it Iudicium sedit that is The Iudgement sat downe that is as who would say The Session sat downe By this Iudgement some of the Learned vnderstand Christ and his Saints with him as Assessours in that jurie all sitting Christ for to judge they for to approue his Iudgement This then know That when the Sonne of man shall come in his Glorie not with a scornefull Reede in his hand but with a celestiall Scepter hee shall separate the Godlie and the wicked one from another His God head which in the dayes of his flesh did lurke shall in that Session most ardentlie appeare with such a brightnes as shall make the eyes of deuils to dazle The Iudgement beeing thus orderlie set the Bookes shall bee opened The sicke Man What Bookes are these which shall bee opened The Pastour S. Iohn speaking of that last Session day saith I saw the dead great and small standing before God and the Bookes were opened and the dead were judged out of these thinges that were written in the Bookes according to their workes Your desire is to knowe what Bookes these bee which shal be opened in that great Day In my judgement there shall bee two Bookes opened that day The first is that golden Booke of the Godlie called The Booke of life which in the Chapter following is called The Lambes Booke of life These whose names are written in that Booke are said in Isaiah to be written among the liuing in Ierusalem This is that Booke whereof Moses spake when hee said to God If thou wilt not forgiue this people blotte mee I pray thee out of the Booke which thou hast written This may bee called The predestination Booke which is kept in Heauen Rather reâ—…oyce said Christ to his Disciples that your names are written in Heauen The sicke Man Thinke yee Sir that God hath anie matteriall Booke wherein the names of his Saintes are written The Pastour No not But as one saith well Infallibilis Dei memoria aeterna ad vitam electiò liber dicitur That is The infallible memorie of God and his eternall electioÌ„ vnto life is called a Booke Wherefore that Will ye say because that which is written in our Booke is most surelie kept If we haue a thing to day in our memorie wee may forget it incontinent But if it bee well written in our Booke wee are sure of it According to this God for to shew vnto his deare Ones how well hee remembereth them hee saith That hee hath written them vpon the palmes of his hands This is that Booke of rememberance whereof speaketh Malachie One of the Learned calleth well the Booke of Life Symbolum electionis the signe or badge of our election This is that which the Prophet Ezekiel calleth The writting of the house of Israel and secret of the Lord. The sicke Man But how is it said That this Book shall bee opened The Pastour The Book of Life or of predestination is said to bee opened when it shall appeare to all the world who they are whoÌ„ God hath predestinate So long as the Godlie are heere they are Gods secret Ones no more knowne to the world than a man is able to read that which is within a closed Booke While it shal be seene by all what they are then that Booke is said To bee opened When these off-scourings of the world the most despised among men shall bee seene vpon Thrones shining like Sunnes about their God the Sunne of righteousnesse then shall all the wicked read as in an open Booke that these whom they once did despise were truelie the Saintes of God The Booke of predestination is like that Booke of the Reuelation which was so fast sealed that no man could open it but the Lyon of the tribe of Iudah without the force of a Lion such seales could not bee lifted vp The sicke Man I haue heard concerning the Book of the Godlie Now let me know what be these Bookes wherein were written all the workes of the wicked according to which S. Iohn saith that they shall
bee judged By this it would appeare that all the sinnes which they in their life did commit vnder the curtaine of darknesse shall then bee set in open view O the deepe displeasure of our God Happie they who are highlie in his fauour I would gladlie know what a blacke bible is that which is called the Book of the wicked The Pastour When Christ the Ancient of dayes sitting vpon his Throne readie for to judge the wicked shall bee vpon the touch of their tryall the Books of accounts shall bee laide open The Book of the Godlie is but one Book called The Booke of the Lambe and the Booke of Life But as for the wicked while the Scirpture speaketh of them it speaketh of Bookes in the plurall number The Bookes were opened saith S. Iohn And the dead were judged out of these thinges that were written in the Bookes By these Bookes some vnderstand the Law of God and their own Conscience Their bosome Booke like Vriahs Letters containing their own death Let mee also add◅ vnto these two a third Booke ei◅en the Booke of the Gospel First of all the Lord shall open his Law Book vnto the wicked where they shall see what they haue done that God hath forbidden and what they haue not done that hee hath commanded At the breach of euerie command they shall see curles of Woe woe woe annexed like the reekie taile of a Comet which are nothing but the smoke of Gods wrath After that with sore sighing griefe of minde they haue read through all the Book of the Law haue clearlie seene what filthie breaches they haue made to them shall bee presented the Booke of the Gospel wherein they shall see that they haue sinned against the reemeede of sinne by refusing grace offered vnto them and by treading vnder their vncleane feete the precious Blood of the Lambe the price of their Redemption Thogh the wicked shall indeed be judged according to their workes yet the maine cause of their condemnation shall bee because they would not belieue in the Son of God For this cause the Gospel which is that Book of Faith shal be Gods chiefe Booke of Iudgement according to this S. Paul plainelie saith That in that day God shall judge the secrets of men by Iesus Christ according to my Gospel Nowe lest the wicked should thinke God anie wise to bee vnrigh teous while hee judgeth the third Booke like Iosephs Cup where by hee did diuine shall bee produced euen their bosome Booke the Booke of their owne Conscience the Booke of Nature and of Nations which euerie one of them had in keeping within their brest since they could discerne good by euill What euer they haue spoken wrought or thought there shall they finde it written in most black Characters as it were subscribed with their owne hand so that they shall not be able to haue a face for to deny no more thā a man can denye his owne hand write The Letters of that Booke shall be printed with so great a Character that all the Godlie who shall bee Christs Assessours in that Iurie for to passe their Verdict vpon them shall see easilie a farie off all the shame of the wicked which was once closse couered vnder vanished colours of great godlinesse O in that day all their filthy thoghts and craftie conueyances and secret conspiracies and hidde murthers and adulteries and all other mischiefe the vnhappie cockle darnell of their heartes whereof they were secretlie guiltie shall be sette in open view before GOD Angels and men All their faces shall be couered with the filthinesse of their menstruous clouts All their sins both knowne and secret shall God set in order before them that all eyes of men and Angels may beholde their abominations O short so◅r sweete pleasures with long euerlasting tailes of sorrow O but the Saintes of God shall wonder in that day to see so manie whom they while they liued iudged in Charitie to bee godlie and well set persons O say I but they shall wonder to see them in ba◅e bondage among the blacke band hauing the Books of their Consciences blotted with so many Items of i◅lle and wicked thoughtes which in this life could neuer be taken within the walk of humane justice After the Items of their vile thoughts shall appeare the Items of idle and wicked words After all shall bee seene the most filthie Items of their most vile abominable works which they thought had beene buried in eternall obliuion The dashing tempest of Gods wrath shall wash out all the varnished paintings of their hypocrisie Mercifull GOD what shame in that day shall come with confusion vpon all the faces of the wicked When such secret sinnes as hid murthers by Sword or by poyson hid adulteries incest stollen inches false weights all other such iniquities whereof this world is full and that vnder a faire colour and shewe of godlinesse when all these hid sianes say I shall bee singled out and shall come to light the Godlie whome they once reputed precise fooles and simple Fellowes shall wonder at the sight thereof Then shall they point at such persons saying among themselues Fye fye out vpon him out vpon her Ohshame who could haue thought that euer hee had beene such a man or that shee had beene such a woman was this the life that these dapper delicate persons did leade vnder the faire colour of such a glorious profession Ah stinking hypocrites formall Pharisees with your sodered shewes to whom poore poore Publicans seemed to bee no bodie because while yee sinned God kept silence yee thought that hee was altogether such a one as your selfe But now hee shall reproue you and shall set all your sinnes in order before you It shall bee clearlie proued vnto your faces false hearts that ye were but painted Tombes and whited walls The Lord in his furie shall hurle you out of your place Hee in his rage shall push you all downe like a rotten and tottering wall Nothing shall bee able to dazele or deceiue the eyes of your Iudge The sicke Man The Lord bee mercifull to my sillie Soule The Lord cast all my sinnes behind thy backe and burie them in the bottome of the Sea It is euident then as I see that all secret sinnes shall come to light in that day and shall bee seene written with Letters great like mountaines for to be seen by the eyes of all these that euer tooke life and that to the euerlasting shame and infamie of these who in the dayes of Gods patience turned his grace into wantonnesse The Pastour It is most certaine that there is nothing which shall not bee seene that day All the closse corruptions where with the wicked were stuft and swelled shall bee sette in open view all the wicked shall be known yea euerie mothers sonne of them shal be
make answere Oh but I am pressed with an heaui◅ hand I feare much my last houre My Soule is sore troubled The Pastour Learne of Christ in his trouble Now said hee is my Soule troubled and what shall I say Father deliue◅ mee from this houre But for this cause came I into this houre Father glorifie thy Name As hee did so doe yee Hee fearing the houre was earnest with God in prayer for to bee deliuered from it and yet most humblie submitted himselfe vnto his Fathers will So doe yee If ye feare greatlie that houre pray feruentlie that God deliuer you from it and yet notwithstanding let God haue all his will of you His will shall eu◅r bee your well The Sicke Man But alas my paines are grea◅ my breach is like the sea Gods rod vpon mee is torne with stripes and worne to the stomps In my torments I both feare and feele his wrath If hee loued mee would he scourge mee with such scorpions The Pastour Whom God loueth hee chasteneth and scourgeth euerie Sonne whom hee receiueth By this yee see plainelie that hee will receiue none to himselfe but those whom hee is minded to scourge This scourging whereof yee complaine is Gods loue-token telling you that hee is minded for to receiue you Woe ◅o the Childe whom the Father will not correct God commandeth louing Fathers to chastise their children till they cry His command is also that they bee not hindered for their cryes Chasten thy Sonne said God while there is hope and let not thy Soule spare for his crying So long as there is life there is hope While God chasteneth you it is a token that there is hope Woe to that man whom GOD disdaineth to strike It is a sore word when a Father or a Master saith to a Childe I despaire of him there is none hope I giue him ouer will strik him no more It was a fearefull vvord that God said to the rebellious Israelites I will not visite your Daughters when they are harlotes nor your Spouses when they are whoores That is I will correct them no more but let them runne head-long to their owne destruction Woe to him vvhom God vvill not correct Certe tunc magis irascitur Deus cum non irascitur God is most angrie when hee seemeth least to bee angrie The wicked are most fearefullie plagued when God spareth them most Let not therefore your sore paines discourage you but rather comfort you as beeing a speciall token that God will receiue your Soule What reckes what this Carion suffer if so be that God receiue the Soule Shall I not drinke of my Fathers Cup said Christ * To drinke of a Kings cup it vvould bee thought an honour See then vvhat honour is in the affliction of the godlie thereby they drinke of the King of Heauens cup This is also a token of our friendship vvith Christ vvhen wee drinke vvith him of one cuppe Men will not drinke of one cuppe with their enemies Rejoyce then Sir to drink vvith Christ in your Fathers cuppe Though this cuppe bee bitter at the brimme the bottome will haue a pleasant farewell Thinke vvell vpon this Sir and possesse your soule in patience despare neuer of Gods mercie though hee seeme to bee angrie depend vpon him trust into him though hee should slay you In confidence of h◅s Loue rest and sleepe in his bosome hang on him saue his honour by trusting in him If this yee doe I assure you that yee shall dye sweetlie resting into his armes The sicke Man I finde Sir my paines greatlie to increase The Pastour Bee of good comfort If your paines increase God will increase your patience with your paines he is mercyfull and will surelie strengthen you in the weakest houre Gods strength is made perfect in weaknesse In the meane time bee fighting out the good fight manfullie Hold vp your hands with Moses against Amaleke Pray feruentlie to your God that hee would cast into your memorie all the good thinges that euer yee heard or reade wherewith your Soule as with a rempart may bee guarded against the houre of temptations Pray oft-ten with Christ Father deliuer mee from this houre What say yee Sir It appeareth that there bee some thing into your mind yet that vexeth you The sicke Man This Soule of mine is verie loath to depart from this bodie They be of olde acquaintance haplie long shall it be before they meete againe Friendes cannot bee but sorie while they shedde The Pastour That is naturall to all But grace in the Godlie must rule Nature Wee must gladlie leaue all for to goe liue with Christ we must deny our selues for to confesse him we must desire to be dissolued for to bee with him hee who loueth any thing better than him shall not bee found worthie of him Your Soule say ye is sorie to goe from the body What are our bodies for the present but prisons of clay Let them goe to clay till the day of the Resurrection come when those painefull prisons shall bee turned into pleasant Palaces What reckes of an inch of time heere on Earth in respect of eternitie in Heauen Should a mans heart so itch after an inch of Earth that hee would desire to tarrie from Heauen but an houre The Soule must turne its backe vpon the bodie for to turne its face vnto the God of Glorie This is but a childish temptation It is for women children to weepe at the taking of adewes chiefelie while these that depart are going to a better condition of life Because the day draweth towards Euening it is now time for mee to remoue I hope God willing to come againe the Morrow and to visite you that I may minister vnto you some Spirituall comforts In the meane time seeing your minde hath bene so perplexed with carnall temptations concerning Life Lāds Children and Riches Cause read vnto you this night in mine absence the Book of Ecclesiastes from the beginning vnto the end where ye shall see as in a glasse the vanitie of all these things wherewith your Soule now is most enamoured If ye haue time cause also reade vnto you Iob 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Before I goe Sir it shall bee best that I recommend you vnto God by prayer The first Prayer for the sicke Man O LORD in whose hands is the gift of the Spirit of groanes inspire our heartes at this time that with an heauenlie disposition wee may fall downe before thee vpon the knees of our Soules quicken our dead and drowsie heartes to the performance of this duetie of calling vpon thy Name Thou is not close handed to these that seeke thee in sinceritie wee are ashamed O LORD euen wee all who are heere before thee on the Earth thy Foote-stoole wee are ashamed for to face the Heauens the Throne of thy Majestie Our heartes are
By his Blood the Bill and Bond of the Law is crost and cancelled Hee is that Carkasse wherevnto all faithfull Soules like Eagles must resort Hee is our refuge against the dint of Gods wrath The Spouse could not come vp from the wildernesse but by leaning vpon her beloued Christ. As the Propitiatorie couered the Tables of the Law that were in the Arke so Christ couered our sinnes against these Tables As the cloud couered the Israelites from the fight of Pharaoh hotelie following after them so Christs righteousnesse like a cloud couered vs from the judgements of God his fierie wrath pursuing vs. Let men couer themselues neuer so carefullie still some part of them shall peepe bare vntill Christ come with the couering of his righteousnesse If by the temptations of Sathan your Soule hath beene ruffled or galled vpon the sore The best balme that euer dropped from the pen of Gods Spirit vpon the leaues of his Sacred Booke is the Historie of Christs Bloodie passion There wee may see the dearest mercies that euer moued the relenting bowels of Gods tenderest compassions Behold the Sacred Blood of that vnspotted Lambe which saued the Soules of those that spilt it If yee bee pined with Corrasius of terrour in him are Cordials of compassions the onelie salue for the sores of the Soule Though ye were couered with scarlet abominations heere is vertue whereby yee shall be made whiter than the snow Did hee not pray for them yea did hee not saue them who by bitter railing discharged vpon him the vtmost of their gall The sicke man Such men at last were pricked in their heartes they truelie repented Their sighes and sobs were supported sinewed with the strength of Grace Such men became godly indeede But I did neuer passe the pitch of formall pietie I euer desired more to seeme godlie than so to be I haue beene betimes sore shaken with awfull terrours But I neuer yet could say that the softening blood of Iesus did melt my marble heart What euer had I but some light of reason glimmerings of generall grace which cannot soare so high as to conuoy the soule to the doores of Heauen The word of sauing grace implanteth it selfe into the heart of the godlie man Hee onelie is furnished with a resolute vnswayed vprightnesse Alas alas alas mine heart is throwen with a sore wringing There is a large haruest for Hell many called but few chosen The Pastour What shall I say Mans thoughts are framed into a sinfull mould The sillie sonnes of Adam are wonderfullie tossed with the contrarie Tyd◅ of Satans temptations Some he benumeth with the sweetnes of Sec◅ritie others hee troubleth with the tartennesse of terrours O but Sathans Balow is sweete to the Soule in the craddle of Securitie But O how dreadfull shall hee bee when hee appearing grieslie and fierce vnto the Soule shall waken it with a cry and a glowre saying Damned soule come out to fire faggot come out to vnqueancheable brimstone beames come out to weeping and gnashing of teeth A man after this manner wakened in conscience is like a man wakened out of his sleepe on a sudden At the first hee is in such a maze that till hee bee better wakened he cannot well vnderstand what is said to him All his thoughts are into an hurlie burlie Then his outward rebellions and his inward repynings with all his abominations seeme to fall downe vpon him like cloudes of blood There bee no comforts that can settle his feares till the Spirite of grace appeare vnto him in the calme Looke vp with your eye Sir and seeke a blinke of the face of Iesus Hee onelie is the Prince and Pryce of our Peace our joye and our libertie If the Sonne make vs free wee shall bee free indeede Wrestle with him vse violence in an holie boldnesse vis Deo grata In him are the lasting treasures of mercie and immortalitie Hee it is onelie who can make this biting Conscience to bee toothlesse he onelie can command this raging sea I know Sir that your sorrowes are sore and my Soule pittieth you for I see you in the verie pangs and terrours of the new birth I perceiue your Soule gasping for grace as the drie and thirstie ground for droppes of raine The sicke Man O the boisterous blastes of temptations able to make the tallest and deepest rooted Cedars to stagger yea the Sirion to skippe like an Vnicorne What shall I doe The Pastour Seeing Christ alone is our protection and perfection let all your courage bee in him In him yee must bee valiant for none but the valiant can by violence enter into the Kingdome of God If a man know Christ well hee shall not be discouraged though hee were cast into a raging sea of temptations Though a mā were cast into a gulfe of twenty fathome deepe if hee can keepe his head aloft he cannot be drowned So as long as Christ our Head is aboue wee his members may well bee dowked but wee cannot bee drowned All Christian comforts runne vpon him like the title of a Booke wherein is contained the substance of the whole If Christ Sir bee yours yee cannot perish Hee who is rooted in him can neuer bee rooted out The sicke Man But how can Christ bee mine seeing I am but a bagge of corruption a bodie of Death What hath mine heart beene but like a vipers bellie filled with a deadly brood Miserable man that I am will Christ euer daine to looke vpon such a vile wretch as I am who hath turned my Christian libertie in a fleshlie licence The Pastour These who are least into their own eyes are in greatest account with him When yee heare of the wandring sheepe brought home and of the lost groat found and of the forlorne Sonne returned to his Father Ye should cast your figure say Of whom is this written but of mee for whom is it written but for mee If yee sticke fast by him no perrell shall make an haire of your head to perish Bee of good comfort for your life is hid with Christ in God The sicke Man I am so vile that hardlie darre I presume to think that Christ would die for such a filthie rotten creature as I am who from the sole of tbe foote to the crowne of the head is filled with botches boiles and putrifying sores When I behold my selfe into the glasse of Gods Law I abhor the monstrous face of my Soule I am one of those in whom Satan hath parbreaked and spewed the spawne of all sorts of sinne Of all sinners I am the first For I haue not sinned of ignorance but of knowledge against the light of my mind against the voyce of my God against the workings of his Spirit against the cryes of
in the dumbe choppe of the conscience The Pastour As I perceiue ye are in the storme of temptations As the shippe in a tempest goeth with a low saile So is it good and most sure in the tempest of temptations to take downe the top sailes of our owne worth But yet Sir in your humilitie beware to disprise and set at nought the graces of God that are within you Vertue standeth in the midst As the Publican would not brage vainlie with the Pharisee that he was not like other men so neither would hee desperatlie say with Cain Mine iniquitie is greater than that it may be forgiuen The sicke Man Alas Sir yee know not what weight hangeth vpon mine heart ye are not priuie vnto my secret sinnes which I thinke shame to vtter O these gnawings of my wormish Conscience hardlie can yee imagine what filthie thoughts haue beene into my heart since I came into this world Hitherto they haue all beene hidde from mine eyes But now I thinke that I see all my sinnes set in order before mee My Soule is poisoned with the stinke of such corruptions I abhorre my selfe and what wonder that God abhorre mee The Pastour The more a man abhorreth himselfe God who is milde mercifull loueth him the better It is good for a man to stinke in his owne nose A wicked man may bee well compared to the Latin Cimex French Punaise Tree Lice that stinke most vilelie and yet feele not the stinke of their own breath Laodicea thought her selfe happie and yet God said that he wold spew her out of his mouth Gods thoughtes are not mans thoughts Yee complaine Sir of the filthines of your bygone thoughts it is well done But heere is your comfort Now is that fountaine of God in Zachrie opened to the house of Dauid for sin and for vncleannesse Though through sin yee were lepper in soule as Na◅man was in bodie the Iordan of Christs Blood is able to mak you cleane The precept is not of hard practise Wash and bee cleane belieue and bee saued If yee would haue the Spirit of God to take a Chamber into your heart keepe your hearte cleane Gods house must be a cleane house it must often bee sweept If the dust or dirt of sinne defile the pauement thereof it must first bee watered with the teares of repentance The stoure dust must be laid with holie water then wee must sweepe out all filthinesse with the besome of godlie reuenge This doing Sir God shall delight to dwell in you If Sathan blow at the juniper coales of your sinnes kindled with sparkles of fierie wrath runne with the Bucket of Faith to the Blood of Iesus which is onelie able for to quenche that flamme The sicke Man My cheekes are watered with teares trickling downe both day and night * my moist eyes are soked in this salt brimie water O but they are comfortlesse teares The Pastour God at last shall make them comfortable like the bowle full of dewe which Gideon wrāg out of his Fleece Gods signe of Israels Saluation Haue patience a little Sir and your waterie eyes shall receiue the other dryē signe of the fleece all your teares shall bee dryed and wyped away so that yee shall neuer weepe any more The houre is fast comming that God shall wipe away your teares the waters of your weeping after that there shall bee no more death neither sorrow nor crying nor paine Seeke the Lord while hee may be found and call vpon him while hee is nigh To him alone in Iesus must yee haue all your recourse on him alone must yee relye The sicke Man I wote not where to goe I can neither sitte stand nor lye Mine heart alas is hardened yea hard like the heart of the Leuiathan which is hard like a piece of the nether milstone I thinke that such hardnesse is from the deceitfulnesse of sinne The Pastour It is a sort of softnesse when we feele our owne hardnesse He who hath begun such softning will bring his own work to perfectiō in his appointed houre The seedes of grace are like Corne they are not ripe the first day they are sowen but ripen by degrees From this is that saying Grace requyreth space or in space commeth Grace A reprobate sense is not so neare at anie time as when it is least suspected and most neglected Say in all patience with the Prophet Micah I will beare the indignation of the Lord because I haue sinned against him He will turne againe he will haue compassion vpon you Hee will subdue your iniquities cast them in the depths of the sea Holde vp your heart toward the Father of Lights the giuer of euerie good gift Let your foule flee vp to the Throne of his Grace The sicke Man My Soule is not fit for fleeing to the Heauens It is lik a pulled foule that wanteth the feathers It may well nod with its head and make a mint with the stumpts of its wings but can by no meanes hoise it selfe from the Earth All my comforts are clipped from me Sinnes heauy like milstones are hung about my necke Oh that I were cast into the sea with my sinnes there to be buried for euer farre if it were possible from the presence of my God Since yee came to mee mine heart was not in such a plounge of miserie as it is now There is nothing within me but wrath and woe warring against my Saluation Gods heauie hand hath distressed mine heart wonderfullie My Soule is so besieged with temptations that it may well be called Magor missabib feare round about This I feare that my name bee crossed out of the Booke of Life The Pastour I remember of a wise counsel which a learned Diuine gaue to a man sore assaulted vpon his death-bed with the temptations of the deuil When thou art tempted of Satā said he seest no way to escape euē thē plainly close vp thine eyes and answere nothing to his temptations But commend thy cause to God This said hee is a principall point of wisedome that we must follow in the houre of death That is That we daine not to giue Sathan an answere but say with Michael The Lord rebuke thee Sathan If thy flesh tremble and feare to enter into another life and if it doubt of saluation if thou yeeld to these things thou hurtest thy selfe therfore close thine eyes as before and say with S. Stephen Lord Iesus receiue my Spirit and then certainelie Christ will come vnto thee with all his Angels and bee the guider of thy way At the entrie of the red Sea when Israel enuironed on both sides with mountaines hauing the sea before and the Egyptians behind could see no meanes of escape Then Moses said to Israel The Lord shall fight for you and yee
is come to the dregges The image of the worlds vanitie is like that of Nebuchadnezars all gold and siluer in the vp most parts but in this last most corrupt age wee are come to the clay If wee bee wise we must seeke a new world in this olde world for this will neuer grow a better As the loue of Venisō wan Isaac to blesse one for another so if we loue this world with a blind loue for a morsell of its Venison wee will preferie it to Gods blessing All the dayes of this wretched life wee remaine in a fooles paradise But I leaue this I desire your earnestlie Sir that yee would let mee heare something more concerning olde Age which is a thing that euery man desireth to come vnto as if it were the best time of life The Pastour In this point appeareth the vanitie of man the weaknes of his wit Euery man would liue to be old and yet no man desireth to bee olde Let men say what they will I speake of naturall men all men desire to liue long which is to bee olde and yet they desire to remaine young * Their wrinkles their gray haires the companions of olde Age the end of their desires are vn welcome vnto them Then would they turne backe againe that with the Eagle they might cast their Bill whereby they might renew their youth Heare old Nestor who as Poets record had liued three ages a surfet of yeares Heare him with his wish O miht praeteritos referat si Iupiter annos Like a foolish Pyla◅ while hee is at the mouth of his Harberie hee would raise vp the Sailes for to turne to the tempestuous sea againe See howe the olde man if hee get but a faire Sunne blinke of a weekes health after cloudes returning after the raine how hee will rejoyce as though it shuld neuer be foule weather againe Men may pyne themselues with desire of dayes But doe what they can their life is like one that saileth whether hee standeth or hee sitteth whether hee watch or sleepe hee is euer vpon his course The sicke Man Let it please you Sir to continue in that discourse The Pastour Solomon in the last lecture of the Booke of his preaching letteth the young man see the vanitie of many yeares In that place is most clearelie set downe how olde Age the end of our appointed time is enwrapped with a cloud of miseries as beeing a time wherevnto like waues in a Sea one trouble ariseth vpon the necke of another the latter beeing euer worse than the former till at last fluctus decumanus the last and the greatest waues of Death come and sweepe the man away The imaginarie sweetenesse of all earthly contentmentes is closed and concluded with a bitter Farewell In that Lecture the Preacher bringeth in the old man like a Skellet whereat in the presence of all yong men hee pointeth out all his infirmities saying vnto the young Ones Beholde if such a life bee so much to bee desired First of all hee pointeth at his dayes calling them The euill dayes 2. Hee toucheth his yeares calling them Yeares without pleasure 3. He speaketh of the moyst raw rainie winter of his colde old Age the dayes of sorrow vvherein clouds returne after the raine As one defluxtion hath rained downe another is arising like a cloude 4. Hee pointeth out all the imperfections of his bodie When olde Age is come then the keepers of the house tremble that is the handes which keepeth the bodie become sicke of the palsie they tremble so that they can not carry the cuppe to their heade Then the strong men bow themselues their legges are not able to beare them Then the grinders cease their teeth rotte and become mouldie so that they can eate no bread Then they waxe darke that looke out at the windowes their eyes become bleared and blind Then the doores shall bee shut in the streetes when the sound of the grinding is low when the teeth the mouthes grinders are rotten the lippes which are the doores of the streete of the mouth are shut so that the old man cannot speak so distinctlie as of before Then shall hee rise vp at the voyce of the Bird olde men cannot sleepe hee muste rise so soone as the Birds beginne to sing or his sleepe is so vnfound that the chirpe of a little Bird will w◅ken him Then shall all the daughters of singing bee abased neither can an olde man sing himselfe for lacke of voyce neither can hee heare others sing for deafenesse so both his wind pipes and his eares the daughters of singing are abased Thē shall he be afraide of the high thing he dar climbe no more hee is no more for Stares and vpper Chambers * Then feare shall bee in the way while they walke they tremble as one that is afraide to fall Then the Almond tree shall flourish their gray haires growe white like the flourishes and blossomes of an Almond Then a Grasse Hopper shall bee a burden they are so weake that they can beare nothing their knees are weak as water so that they are a burden vnto themselues See howe the weight of a grasse hopper which is little greater than a Bee is a burden to the man of yeares Then shall the siluer cord bee loosed and the golden bowle shall bee broken his Sinewes shall become slacke and his Gall shall breake Then shall the pitcher bee broken at the well the vaines shall draw no more blood out of the well of the Leuer Then shall the wheele bee broken at the Cisterne his Lightes become so ◅otten and riuen that he can no more draw any breath with his broken Bellowes See howe Death stealeth vpon vs with insensible degrees Behold O young man the anatomie of thy selfe when thou shal◅ haue gottē thine hearts wil of years Heere is thy portrature drawen before hand Painters can portray but according as they see but tymes to come are present vnto God Heere is thy portrature for the dayes of olde age that is to come Beholde thy selfe in it before hand a receptacle of maladies See there thy balde head and thy bleared eyes and thy deafe eare and thy wrinkled face and thy rotten teeth and thy stinking breath hauing thy body bowed and crouched with thy third foote into thine hand Of thee may bee put out a Riddle What is it which hauing three feete walketh with one foote into its hand I shall assoile it It is an olde man going with a staffe To this let mee subjoyne another What is it that hath his stomacke into a Booste and his eyes into his pocket It is the same viz. An olde man fedde with boost Confections or cured with cōtinuall purgations hauing his Spectacles his eyes of glasse into a case His dayes are dayes of drousinesse
clearelie seene vnmasked and vnwizored yea stript starke nacked of all their cloakes of craftinesse What haue they thought or wrought it shall bee sought and found The Lord by the light beames of his eyes Sonnes of thunder and of lightning shalâ—… seeke and scearch thorow the secrets of all hearts after that manner wherof Zephaniah hath written At that time saith the Lord will I search Ierusalem with lamps and visite the men that are frozen in their dregâ—… and say in their heart The Lord will neither doe good nor euill Then shall bee seene who sported in Meshech and who ruffled in the tents of Keâ—…ar contented themselues with painted and guilded graces After that the Lord hath found out with this light all their abominations and hath set them in order before them then shall hee cry Ah I will case mee of mine aduersaries That said hee shall fling contempt vpon their faces The wicked then shall bee so pined with such pinches yea so astonished as that no tong can expresse They who while they had time to repent would not shed a teare for to get Gods mercie would then when the Sun-shine of their glorie is past be glad to please God by powering out the dearest drops of their blood into teares wherewith they might bath the feete of Iesus O the terrors of that day That day shall bee moste fearefull it shall bee like a day of Battell wherein nothing is to be heard but noise squeaking yellings nothing to be seene but gaping of wounded men and tumbling of garmentes into blood al these who on earth were rotten at the heart shal be ranked in the number of that bashfull band O what vnspeakable feares and tremblinges shall then seaze vpon these wretched soules In all partes they shall bee wounded Three restlesse plagues Sorrow Shame and Feare shall continuallie nettle them till an heaped treasure of wrath come rushing vpoÌ„ them with breath of kindled Iuniper Sathan shall continuallie flâ—…sh in their face fire whose flammes shall beefed with riuers of Brim stone kindled with an euerlasting wrath The great God with the Hammer of his vengeance shall strike thorow the rebellious loynes of their pride and shall breake the yron sinews of their obstinacie Then would they giue a world for an hole in heauen for to relish the least pleasures that be there No tongue of man or Angel can fullie expresse the least part of these woes Manie millions of their earthlie pleasures shall bee deare boght with one minute of such paines Their best shall bee the â—…rie contrarie of that which they like best For all shall goe to all Reeling shal be their rest paines their pleasures mourning shall bee all their mirth and their Bone musicke shall be but gnashing of teeth euen in the presence of their Iudge before whom they shall stand lik abominable monsters and spectacles of amazement Thus as is well said in the Psalme The way of the wicked hee turneth vp side downe At the first dash he shall break in pieces the claspes haspes of their foolish hopes wherein once boldlie they did sinne that grace might abound The sicke Man O how fearefull shall their condition bee while like Tinder before the fyrereadie to bee consumed they shall stand araigned before the Barre of Gods justice with the volumes of their sinnes written in Letters great like mountaines so that euery eye may read them The Lord as I think out of a sower seuere imperious austeritie shall behold that cursed band with glauncing eyes of vnuterable wrath wherefrae shall come nothing but wilde fyre brim-stone and gun-powder for the euerlasting firing of their Conscience Not onelie shall the Lord behold their vilanies but to all eyes that euer saw sight hee shall anatamize their guilefull heartes wherein all their most filthie plottes and deuices shall bee seene vnto their euerlasting shame and infamie O what shame and confusion of face O what feares and tremblings shall seaze vpon these who on earth for a point of their hose would bee at daggers drâ—… wing with the greatest Then shall these who were bold to sinne in their life despising God and his threatnings Then shall they shake and quake like a man whose neck is laide vpon the blocke waiting for nothing but the dead stâ—…ok from the instrument of death Theâ—… 〈◊〉 their comfort shall bee turned 〈◊〉 confusion Then shall they know howe foolishlie they conceiued an imaginarie Hell while pressed down vnder a sinnefull load the wrath of God like a Mile-stone shall cruch them downe to the deepes of despaire where one sorrow succeeding shall foreuer presse at the heeles of another The Pastour O these vnspeakable terrours It is most certaine that Belshazzar neuer did speake so while hee saw the hand writting on the wall as the wicked these doolefull wights shall doe when they shall stand before God with the Bookes of the Law Gospel and of Consciences laide open before them Horrours shall bee heaped vpon them with terrours torments wherof a created Nature can be capable O then what gâ—…ashing of teeth and volumes of woes They shall bee so soacked in teares and facaked with sorrowe that who shall see them shall see the veâ—…ie image of Death and yet none shall pitie them There shall they stand script starke nâ—…cked before their ludge â—…ik criminals vpon the pannell looking for nothing but present condemnation both of soulâ—… and bodie which God shall make the eternall fuâ—…ll of euerlasting flaâ—…es The Soule and bodie combined mates in miserie shall mourne for euermore The sicke Mâ—…n O Lord season my Soule with the graces of thy Spirit reuiue it with the spirituall vigour Let mee liue the life of the righteous and let mine end bâ—…e like vnto theirs I haue heard you Sir with great attention declare that when Christ shall sitte downe to judge hee shall separate the wicked from the Godly as Goates from the Sheepe and that the wicked with all the hoast of hell lapped vp in that same bundle of condemnation shall sâ—…and at his left hand and that the Godlie shall litte vpon Thronos at his right hand Nowe I desire to knowe of you what shall bee the case of the Godly at the right hand before that the ludgement bee pronounced The Pastour It hath beene tolde you that the Wicked who on Earth made the world to tremble with their boisterous brags shall at Gods Left hand bee standing in disgrace discount discountenance with their Iudge There shall they stand all trembling hauing before them the Booke of the Lawe where they shall see all their Sins of Thoughts Words Workes While their guilted Consciences shal be crying guiltie within them at the sight of the Lawe Booke of their transgressions the Lord for to aggrauate their griefe shal present before them the Book of the Gospel wher they shall see how by vnbeliefe they haue sinned against the
persons in appearance lik shooting starres fall downe in diuerse places with their blazing profession from Heauen vnto Earth a most sure token of a tempest to come Too manie alas shame goodnesse by seeming good like Frogges infroâ—…kes Vice in the habite of Vertue While inwardlie the heart is rotten nowe or then corruption must burst out into scab scandel Many with their faire profession are like Rowers in a Boat who look one way but goe the cleane contrarie For this cause I intreat thee to studie the substance of godlinesse and not to bee like these whose chiefest care is spended vpon shewes S. Paul speaking of the life of the Godlie saith That it is hidde with Christ in God It is so hidde there that none shall bee able to find it for to steale it away or to take it by force but not so hidde but that it must also appeare in all the effects of godlinesse When God commanded Ezekiel to pâ—…each vnto the drye bones that they might liue hee ordained for him this Text Thus saith the Lord God come from the foure windes O breath and breath vpon these slaine that they may liue For to apply this where there is a life after slaughter I speake of a spirituall life a life hid in God theâ—…e must appeare foure effectes from the foure winds From the East the Orient of that life there must bee an arising from sinne From the West there must bee a dying to sinne euen a setting and going downe of wickednesse From the South must come the heat of zeale moisted with showers of teares of true repentance At last from the North must come a chill colde of trembling feare to offend God whereby wee make an end or worke out the worke of our Saluation with feare and trembling These bee the foure partes of godlinesse wherein all Christian Soules must bee carefullie exercised In this is the substance of true godlinesse It is better to bee starke naught than to double our sins by seeming good It is easie to juggle the outward eye of flesh but that inward Eye which seeth our thoughts a farre off nothing shall escape There is not a Crowne of life for carnall liuers Hearken vnto mee mine heart Bee busie in prayer joyne fasting therevnto lest that the high feeding of the flesh make the bodie to kicke against the Soule which is too farre in loue with the bodie Of a pampered bodie may the Soule often say in some measure as Christ said of Iudas He who hath eaten bread at my table hath lift his heele against me All fleshlie pleasures are both vaine and vile They are like blisters which beginne with itching but end in swelling sores Beware of such succred poyson My counsell is that often thou reade the holie Scriptures and particularlie the thirtie one Chapter of the Prouerbes where thrift and godlinesse are joyned together Bee carefull and painefull in thy managâ—… Think surely that Idlenesse is the mother of all mischiefe Seeke Gods grace both earnestlie and earelie A little with Gods blessing is a rich heritage An handfull of meale and a little oylein a cruse was sufficient for the Prophet and the Widow of Sareptâ—… till the famine was past That blessed handfull was better than the best prouided Barne or Girnell in the Land The grace of God is an heritage of greatest and surest rent Vnsanctified prosperitie is but a seeming Sun-shine which vnauoidablie must perish Blessed is the woman who with Marie in some measure is receiued in grace Tak good heed to thine heart watch well ouer thy thoughtes though thoughts be called light the sinne of thought is heauie from the inward thoughts spring and sprout all outward mischiefes As for thine outward carriage meddle not in other mens matters Curious searchers of the life of others are often carelesse correcters of their owne Manie neglecting the hudge beame in their owne ye must needs bee tampering with the little mots that are in others A slacked tongue and a slacke hand keepe other companie An idle woman must bee a pratler when the hand cannot practise the tong must prattle To such it is scorne to preach that for euerie idle word wee must all bee answerable My deare Spouse I must tell thee all that I thinke concerning thy wel for I desire thy Soule to bee knitte with mine into the bundle of life Take good heede to thy selfe these who in this world haue a name to liâ—…e haue great neede to rule well their life The nearer a bodie bee to a lighted Candle the greater is the shadow thereof so the nearer the bodie of sinne bee to one that is inlightened the greater is the Scandale thereof Put the breadth of thy finger hard neere to the Candle it shall make a shadow greater then all your bodie but the farder it be remoued the lesse it will appeare Remember I pray thee how neare thou art to the Candle of a bright glorious profession a little Mot of euill will bee called a mountaine in thee because thou was my wife and because wee haue liued with good report The wicked are most faine to take the Godlie but tripping in a lesser fault of their infirmities they make bucklers for the defence of their maliciousnesse Vâ—…e my counsell for feare of scandale and for to flee all appearance of euill Hatte the verie garment spotted with the flesh Watch well ouer thy selfe both alone and in companie Striue neuer to seeme to bee that which thou art not indeede Many haue much more than they shew but moe shewe much more than they haue The Religion of the greatest part for all their pretences is but a smoke a shadow a blast or a sound Substance without appearance is better than appearance without substance The Soule which hath but a forme of godlinesse is most deformed in Gods sight Ordinarlie shee who is most farded is most filthie Vices are most vile when they are shrouded and ouer-cast with a countenance of Vertue a vizard of pietie maketh one a monster in Gods eyes There is no such villanie as that which is varnished ouer with colours of godlinesse Sinners may cloake sinne and couer it for a space but they cannot stand long for wickednesse shal be broken as a tree Let therefore thy Faith within appeare in thy life without All the Faithfull should be like the roule of that Booke which Ezekiel saw in a vision which was written within and without If there bee no Letters of life written without there is no liuing Faith within but a dead carion of Faith for Faith without works is dead For this cause flee the foggie lithernesse of the flesh and striue for the fruites of Faith Aboue all be earnest in prayer the preseruer of honestie Heare Gods word with reuerence as good newes from a farre Countrey Let this word be a