to set before their eyes the horrible plagues and punishments that are prepared for such persons as be rebels and transgressors of his lawe for although the hope of the rewardes that are promised to the good in the life to come may moue vs very much hereunto yet are we coÌ„moÌ„ly more moued with things that be irkesome vnto vs than with things that be pleasant euen as we see by dayly experience that we are vexed more with an iniurie done vnto vs than delighted with any honor and we are more troubled with sicknesse than comforted with health and so by the discommoditie of sickenesse we come to vnderstand the commoditie of health as by a thing so much the better perceiued by how much more it is sensibly felt Nowe for this cause did the Lorde in times past vse this meanes more then any other as it appeareth most clearely by the writings of the Prophets which are euery where full of dreadfull saying and threatnings â—hy the â—ord ordiarily vseth â—reatnings wherwith the Lord pretended to put a terror into the hearts of men and so to bridle subdue them vnder the obedience of his law and for this end he commaunded the Prophet leremie Ier. 36.2 that hee should take a white booke and write in the same all the threatnings and calamities which he had reuealed vnto him euen from the first day he began to talke with him vntill that present houre and that hee should reade the same in the presence of all the people to see if peraduenture they would be mooued therewith to repentance to chaÌ„ge their former life to the end that he might also change the determination of his wrath which he had purposed to execute vpon them and the holy Scripture sayth That when the Prophet had done according as he was commaunded by Almightie God and had read all those threatnings in the presence of the people and of the Rulers there arose such a feare and terror amoÌ„g them that they were all astonished and as it were bestraught of their wits looking one in anothers face for the exceeding great feare which they had conceiued of those wordes This was one of the principal meanes that Almighty God vsed with men in the time of the law written and so did hee also in the time of the lawe of grace in which the holy Apostle sayth â—om 1. that as there is reuealed a iustice whereby God maketh men iust so is there also reuealed an indignation and wrath wherwith he punisheth the vniust For which cause Saint Iohn Baptist the glorious forerunner of our Sauiour Christ was sent with this commission embassage to preach vnto the worlde Matth. 3. verse 10. luke 3.9 that the axe was now put to the roote of the tree and that euery tree that brought not foorth good fruite should be cut downe and cast into the fire He sayd moreouer that there was another come into the world more mightie then he that caried in his hande a fanne to winnow clense therwith his flower and that hee would put vp his corne into his garnard but the chaffe he would burne in a fire that should neuer be quenched This was the preaching and embassage which the holy fore-runner of our Sauiour Christ brought into the worlde and so great was the thunder of these wordes and the terrour which entred into mens hearts so dreadfull that there ran vnto him of all state and conditions of men euen oâ— the very Pharisees and Publicans yea and souldiers also which of all others are wooâ— to be most dissolute to hauâ— least care of their conscience and each of them for himselfâ— demaunded particularly of the holy man what he should dâ— to attaine vnto saluation anâ— to escape those terrible threaâ—nings which he had denounce vnto them so great was thâ— feare they had conceiued â—â— them Now this is that my dear Christian brother which I doâ— at this present in the behalfe 〈◊〉 Almightie God preach vntâ— thee although not with suâ— feruencie of spirit and like hoâ— lines of life yet that which in porteth more to this case witâ—â— the same truth and certaintie for so much as the faith and Gospel that Saint Iohn Baptist preached at that time was no other but this which we preach at this present Now if thou be desirous to vnderstand in few words how great the punishment is that Almightie God hath threatned in his holy Scriptures to the wicked that which may most briefely and most to the purpose be saide in this matter is this that like as the rewarde of the good is an vniuersall good thing euen so the punishment of the wicked is an vniuersall euill which comprehendeth in it all the euils that are For the better vnderstanding whereof it is to be noted that all the euils of this life are particular euils and therefore doe not torment all our senses generally but onely one or some of them As taking an example of the diseases of our bodie The miseries of this life are particular wee see that one hath a disease in his eies another in his eares one is sicke in his heart another in his stomacke some other in his head and so diuerse men are diseased in diuerse parts howbeit in such wise that none of all these diseases bee generally throughout all the members of the bodie but particular to some one of them And yet for all this we see what griefe onely one of these diseases may put vs vnto and howe painefull a night the sicke man hath in any one of these infirmities yea although it be nothing else but a litle ache in one tooth Now let vs put the case that there were some one man sicke of such an vniuersall disease that hee had no part of his bodie neither any one ioynt or sense free from his proper griefe and torment but that at one time and instant he suffered most exceeding sharpe paines in his head in his eyes and eares in his teeth and stomake in his liuer and heart and to be short in all the rest of the members and ioynts of his bodie and that hee lay after this sort stretching himselfe in his bed pained with these griefes and torments euery member of his bodie hauing his particular torment he I say that shold lie thus pained and afflicted how great torment and griefe of minde thinke ye should he sustaine O what thing could any man imagine more miserable and more worthy of compassion Surely if thou sholdest see but a dogge so tormented the streete How the damned are tormented in â—ell his very paines woâ— moue thee to pittie him Noâ— this is that my deere Christiâ—â— brother if any comparison mâ—â— be made between them which is suffered in that cursed homâ—ble place of hell not onely 〈◊〉 the space of one night but â—â— uerlastingly for euer and eueâ— For like as the wicked haue oâ— fended Almightie God withâ—â— their members and senses aâ—â— haue
sinnes past and the facility thou hast vsed in committing of them do not make thee afraid why dost thou not feare at the least the Maiesty omnipotency of him against whom thouhast sinned Life vp thine eyes and consider the infinite greatnesse and omnipotency of the Lord whom the powers of heauen doe adore before whose Maiestie the whole compasse of the wide world lyeth prostrate in whose presence all things created are no more then chasse carried away with the wind consider also with thy selfe how vnseemely it is that such a vile worme as thou art should haue audacitie so many times to offend prouoke the wrath of so great a Maiestie Consider the wonderfull most terrible seueritie of his iustice The terrible seuere iustice of almightie God against sinners and what horrible punishments hee hath vsed from time to time in the world against sinne and that not onely against particular persons but also vppon Cities Nations Kingdomes and Prouinces yea vpon the vniuersall world and not only in earth but also in heauen not only vpon sâ—…gers and sinners but euen vpoâ— his owne most innoceson our sweete Sauiour Iesâ—â— Christ when he tooke vppoâ— him to satisfie for the deâ—… that they owed And if thâ— seuerity was vsed vppoâ— innocent greene wood anâ— for the sinnes of others whaâ— then will he do vpon drie anâ— withered wood and againsâ— those that are loden with theâ— owne sinnes Now what thinâ— can be thought more vnreasonable then that such a vilâ— wretched weake dwarfe a thou Luke 13. verse 43. shouldest be so sawcie and mallaparte as to mocke with so mighty a Lord whose hand is so heauie that in case hee should stricke but euen one stroke vppon thee hee would at one blow driue thee downe head-long into the deepe and bottomlesse pitte of hell â—here to be tormented for euer by the diuels and his Angles without all hope of remedie Consider likewise the great patience of this our mercifull Lord The great pacience of Almighty God who hath expected thy repentaunce so long euen from the time that thou didst first offend him and thinke that if after so great patience and long tarrying for thee thou shalt still continue thy lewde and sinfull life abusing thus his mercie and not ceassing to prouoke him to further indignation and wrath he will then bend his bow and shake his sworde and raine downe vpon thee euen very sharpâ— arrowes of euerlasting death Consider also the profounâ—nesse of his iudgements The profoundnesse of the deepe iudgements of almightie God wheâ— of we reade and see dayly â— great wonders we see hoâ—â— king Salomon himselfe after be so great wisedome and afteâ— those three thousand parable and most profound misterieâ— vttered by him in his book called Cantica Canticoruâ— was sorsaken of almighty God and fuffered to fall downe 1. Reg. 11. aâ—â— adore Idols wee see dayâ— many starres fall downe from heauen to the earth with â—â— serable falles Ato 2. and to walloâ— themselues in the durt and to cate the meate of swine which sate before at Gods table and were fed with the very breaâ— of Angels If then the iust and righteous for some secrete pride or negligence or else for some ingratitude of theirs be thus iustly forsaken of almighty God after they haue bestowed so many yeares in his seruice what mayst thou looke for that hast done nothing else all thy life time but onely heaped vp sinnes vpon sinnes and hast thereby offended Almighty God most grieuously Now if thou hast liued after â—his sort were it not reason that thou shouldest now at the â—ength giue ouer and cease heaâ—ing sinne vpon sinne and debt vpon debt and begin to pacifie the wrath of almighty god and â—o disburthen thy sinfull soule were it meete that that time which thou hast hitherto giuen to the world to the flesh and to the diuell should suffice and that thou shouldest bestow some litle time of that which remaineth to serue him 〈◊〉 hath giuen vnto thee all 〈◊〉 thou hast were it not a poâ—â— of wisedome after so long time and so many great iniuries 〈◊〉 feare the most terrible iushâ— of Almighty God who thâ— more patiently hee suffereâ— sinners the more doth hee 〈◊〉 terward punish them wiâ— greater seuerity and iustioâ— were it not meete for thee feare thy long continuance many yeares in sinne and in thâ— displeasure of almighty God procuring thereby against the such amighty aduersary asâ—â— is and prouoke him of a mercifull louing father to be comâ— a seuere terrible judge and â— nemy were it not meete to feare least that the force ofâ—uill custome may in continuance of come be turned into nature and that thy long vicious vsuall maner of committing of sinne may make of a vice a necessitie or litle lesse why art thou not afrayd lest by litle â—litle thou maist cast thy felse downe headlong into the deep pit of a reprobate sence Rom. 1. wherinto after that a man is once falle he neuer maketh account of any sinne be it neuer so great The Patriarke Iacob sayd vnto Laban his father in law These fourteene yeares haue I serued thee looked to thine affaires now it is time that I should looke to mine owne begin to attend vnto the affaires of mine owne houshold Wherfore if thou hast likewise bestowed so many yeares in the seruice of this world and of this frayle transitorie 〈◊〉 were it not good reason thâ— thou shouldest now beâ— to make some prouision 〈◊〉 the saluation of thy soule 〈◊〉 son the euerlasting life 〈◊〉 come There is nothing moâ— short nor more transaâ—rie then the life of a mâ—â— and therefore prouiding carefully as thou doest for such things as bee necessâ—â— for this life which is so shaâ—â— why doest thou not likewâ—â— prouide somewhat for theâ— that is to come which sâ—endure for euer and euer The conclusion of all the premises Chap. 5. IF now all this bee so beseech thee ô my deâ— Christian brother euen for the bitter passion of Iesus Christ to remember thy selfe and to consider that thou art a Christian and that thou beleeuest assuredly for a most vndoubted truth what thy faith instructeth this faith telleth thee thou hast a iudge aboue that seeth all the steps and motions of thy life and that certainly there shall a day come when hee will require an account of thee euen of euery idle word this faith teacheth thee that a man is not altogether at an end when hee dieth but that after this temporall life there remaineth another euerlasting life and that the soules dye not with the bodie but that while the bodie remaineth in the graue vntill the generall day of iudgement the soule shall enter into another new countrey and into a new world where it shall haue such habitation and companie as the faith which it had in this life This faith telleth thee also that both the reward of vertue and the punishment of
vice is a thing so wonderfull that although the world were full of bookes and all creatures were writers yet should they all be wearied and the world come to an end before they should end their description and make a perfect declaration what is comprehended in each one of these points This faith informeth thee also that the debts and duties which we owe vnto Almightie God are so great that albeit a man had so many liues as there be sands in the sea yet would they not suffice if they were all emploied in his seruice And this faith like wise telleth thee that vertue is such an excellent treasure that all the treasures of the world and all that mans hart can desire Sap. 7. are not to be compared vnto it Wherefore if there be so many and great respectes that do inuite vs vnto vertue how commeth it to passe that there be so few louers and followers of the same If men be moued with gaine and commoditie what greater commoditie can there be then life euerlasting if with feare of punishment what punishment can be greater then euerlasting horrible tormentes in hell fire world without end if with bondes of debtes and benefites what debtes are greater then thee which we owe vnto Almightie God aswell for that hee is which hee is as also for that which we haue receiued of him If the feare of perils doe moue vs what greater perill can there bee then death the houre thereof being so vncertaine and the account so strait If thou bee moued with peace libertie quietnesse of minde and with a pleasant life which are things that all the world desireth it is certaine that all these are founde much better in the life that is gouerned by vertue and reason then in that life that is tuled by the affections and passions of the minde for so much as man is a reasonable creature and no beast Howbeit in case thou accountest all this as not sufficient to moue thee thereunto yet shall it not suffice thee to consider that Almightie God so abased him selfe for thy sake that he descended from heauen vnto the earth and became man and whereas hee created the world in fix daies he bestowed thirtie and three yeares about thy redemption yea was also content for the same to loose his life Almightie God dyed that sinne should dye yet for all this we doe endeuour that finnes might liue in our harts Notwithstading that Almightie God purposed to take away the life of sinne with his owne death What shall I say more assuredly of reasons we haue shewed enough and enough if this matter were be to discussed by reason for I say this not onely in beholding Almightie God him self but wheresoeuer we turne our eyes we shall finde that euery thing crieth out vnto vs and calleth vpon vs to receiue this so excellent a benefite for there is not a thing created in the world if we doe well consider it but doth inuite to the loue and seruice of our Lord and Sauiour in so much that looke how many creatures there be in the world so many preachers there are so many books so many voyces and so many reasons which doe all call vs vnto Almightie God And how is it possible then that so many callings as these are so many promises and threatnings should not suffice to bring vs vnto him What might Almightie God haue done more then he hath done or promised more then hee hath promifed or threatned more then hee hath threatned to draw vs vnto him and plucke vs from sinne and yet all this notwithstanding how commeth it to passe that there is so great I will not say arrogancie but be witching of men that doe beleeue those things to be certainly true and yet bee not afrayd to continue all the dayes of their life in sinne yea to go to bed in sinne and to rise vp againe in sinne and to embrew them selues in euery kinde of sinne and this is done in such sorte so without feeling so without feare so without scruple of minde and without breaking of one houres sleepe as if al that they belieued weâ— dreames and old wiues tales and as if all that the holy euangelistes haue written were meere vntruthes starke lies Tell me now thou desperare traitor tell me I say thou firebrand prepared to burne in those euerlasting and reuenging horrible fires of hell what wouldst thou haue done more then thou hast done in case thou haddest bene perswaded that all were meere lyes which thou hast belieued for although I see well that for feare of externall punishment imposed by the Princes law thou hast somewhat bridled thine appetites yet can I not perceiue that for any feare of Almighty God thou hast refâ—ained thy will in any one thing neither from carnall pleasures nor from takinge reuenge of thine enemies nor from backbiting and slaundering thy neighbours nor yet from fulfilling thine inordinate and filthie lustes and desires in case thine ability serued ther unto tell me thou blind grosse buzzard and worse then franticke fellow what sayth thy worme of conscience vnto thee whiles thou art in such a fond security and confidence continuing in such a carelesse and dissolue wicked life as thou doest where is now become the vnderstanding iudgement and reason which thou hast of a man why art thou not afraid of so horrible so certaine and so assured perils and dangers if there were a dish of meate set before thee and some man albeit he were a lier should say vnto thee that there were poyson in that dish tell me darest thou once aduenture to stretch foorth thy hand to take a tast thereof though the meate were neuer so sauery and delicate and hee neuer so great a lier that shold beare thee thus in hand If the Prophets if the Apostles if the Euangelistes yea if Almighty God himselfe doe 〈◊〉 one vnto thee and say Take heede miserable man for deal is in that kind of meate and death lyeth lurking in that glintenous morsell which the diuell hath set before thee how darest thou reach for euerâ—â— sting death with thy owne hands drinke thine one damnatioÌ„ to what vse puttest thou in this meane while thy wits thy iudgements and thy discourse 4. Reg. 4. and reason which thou hast of a man where is their light where is their force sith that none of them doe bridle thee any whit from thy common vse of vices O thou wretched and madde carelesse caâ—ise bewitched by the dinell adiudged to euerlasting darhenesse both in ward and outward and so goest on from one darkenesse to the other thou are blind to see thy 〈◊〉 misery insensible â—â— vâ—â—â—ersland thy perdition and harder then any adamant to seâ—le the â—amer of Gods word â—aâ—housand times most miserable thou art worthier to bee 〈◊〉 with none other then with those where with thy daÌ„nation was lamented wheÌ„ it was said O that thou knewest this day the peace quietnesse and