Sonne of God and Sauiour among them and with him all goodnes eternall saluation and God himselfe yet they did not see him they would not knowe him they would not beleeue in him before Christ with the kingdome of God and all goodnes departed from them and all miseries ouerwhelmed them warres famine sword and pestilence which vtterly destroyed the citie and whole Nation as Iosephus who was present at that time in the citie during the siege reporteth that one million perished with the sword and famine and after the sacking of that goodly citie which was so ruinated and laide waste that there was not left one stone vpon an other so that all that beheld it euen to this day may say O quam periere ruinae How are the ruines ruinated there were solde for slaues by the Romanes 97000. which were dispersed and scattered into all Nations So seuerely did God punish this Natiō for their incredulitie ingratitude with blindnes that they could not enioy the graces and fauours which God offered them nor escape his punishments denounced against them So fearefull a thing is it to fall into the hands of the liuing God O how horrible a punishment is this Pôrosis Cardhias obduration hardnes of hart and blindnes when God taketh away his grace and light from men which they refuse and wlll not walke therein and giueth them ouer to Sathan to be blinded who so darkeneth their cogitations as the Apostle speaketh of the Gentiles that being past feeling they giue themselues to worke all vncleannes euen with greedines And the cause of this Analgesias and losse of feeling the Apostle teacheth to be obstinacie and perseuerance in sinne against conscience so that at length they begin obducere callum to growe to hardnes of heart that as if their conscience were seared with a hotte yron they are touched with no sence and feeling of their sinnes any more nay the wickednes they commit against the first or second table they feare not to iest at and defend as if it were well done calling good euill and euill good And this is the extreamest degree to perdition and may well be called not onely the most greeuous of all sinnes but also the cause of all sinnes and a punishment of sinne in this life This the Apostle calleth Spiritum Catanózeôs Spirit of slumber eyes that they should not see and eares that they should not heare O fearefull estate And from whence is so great blindnes in the world at this day among such as professe christianitie that whoredomes murthers theft periuries horrible swearing and blasphemies vsurie and oppression fraude deceit and vndermining one of an other and all other sins against conscience are daily practised without shame or any feeling at all Surely these are manifest signes of Gods wrath pursuing vs for our ingratitude and contempt of his graces giuing vs ouer as incorrigible vnto the power of Sathan and hardnes of heart And is not this a miserable blindnes that these sins haue brought vs to the very brincke of the pit of destruction and without repentance must needs cast vs shortly therein and yet we will not see it that we might auoide the danger nor the snares the diuell layeth before vs that we might escape them but run on still in our wickednes to our irreuocable ruine refusing to knowe in this our day the things which pertaine vnto our peace but after the hardnes of our heart that cannot repent heape still vnto our selues wrath against the day of wrath Surely it is to be feared that the Lords controuersie which he hath with this land is so great as that he had with that sinfull Nation because there is no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the Land by swearing and lying stealing and whoring they breake forth and blood toucheth blood The Lord for his infinite mercy sake lighten the darkenes of our mindes and giue vs feeling and vnderstanding hearts Secondly we are here taught from whence warres famine scarcitie of all things the sword and strange diseases pestilence and all euills in the world spring and proceed namely for our ingratitude towards God because we will not knowe the time of our visitation nor the things that pertaine to our true peace This gratious visitation began when the sonne of God tooke our flesh vpon him and was borne in the world through the tender mercy of our God whereby the day spring from an high hath visited vs saith holy Zachariah which benefite was so great that all the wit of men and Angells is not able to expresse it sufficiently and this louing visitation as yet endureth he ceaseth not still to visite vs but how little doe we consider thereof what thankfulnesse haue we shewed how little are we bettered thereby how small is our care to serue him in holines and righteousnes all the daies of our life yet to this very end our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ visited vs saith his Apostle who gaue himselfe for vs that he might redeeme vs from all iniquitie and purge vs to be a peculiar people vnto himselfe zealous of good workes No maruell then that we haue had so many yeares of dearth vnseasonable weather horrible tempests shipwrackes pestilence strange diseases c. God hath but now begun he doth in fatherly affection but shake the rodde ouer our heads our sinnes are the cause which except we remoue the effects will not cease patientia laesa fit furor except he see amendment his long patience shal be conuerted into the furie of his wrath Let then Ierusalem and the people of the Iewes be a warning vnto vs. Happie is he whom other mens harmes can cause to beware The vse is that we applie these things vnto our selues and learne to be wise by the punishments of others A long time now hath the Gospell bene purely preached vnto vs but with what fruite How fewe of vs doe acknowledge as we ought this gratious visitation of the Lord Where is our obedience reuerence and thankefulnes due vnto Gods holy word where is our zeale and loue we owe vnto Gods ministers where is our reformation of life How many scoffers are there among vs How many are there which thinke themselues in the arrogancie of their spirit to be wiser then their teachers How many are there which come rather as criticall carpers and censurers of the Preacher then fruitfull hearers What contempt and neglect of the holy exercise of publike prayer the chiefest dutie of a true Christian to which God hath made so many sweete promises and so earnestly commaundeth How many are there which holde that the whole dutie of a Christian consisteth in hearing onely without any care to conuert their hearing into knowledge and their knowledge into action How many swinish Epicures are there to be found de grege porci which liue rather like hogges then Christians Shall we thinke that God the iust reuenger of all impietie will
a learned Diuine excellently obserueth I would here haue ended but I cannot forget an obseruation of an ancieÌ„t Schooleman vpon these words in this thy day He calles this their day wherein the Sauiour of the world offered them so louingly his grace and saluation their true and eternall peace which if they had embraced then had not the Romanes sacked their citie Here obserue that the day of this life is giuen vs to make prouision for our true and eternall peace but there is an other day wherein Christ will come in iudgement seuerely to punish the contempt and abuse of his proffered grace and saluation in this our day which we haue so vnkindly reiected These two dayes are diligently to be pondered and thought vpon in our mindes the one of these daies is Gods day the other if so I may tearme it is mans day because he abuseth the benefite of this time of grace not to the will of God but to serue his owne pleasures and vanities In this day the wicked will serue their owne lustes and doe as they please now may Zedekiah persecute the Lords Prophet and cast him into a Dungeon But in the day of Gods Iustice Zedekiah shall be taken depriued of his kingdome and his eyes thrust out Betwixt the godly and the wicked this is the difference all the daies of a godly mans life is the day of God for he vseth it to Gods glory and worketh the worke of the Lord. But the wicked maketh it his owne day for he abuseth the whole time of his life to pleasure lust gluttonie c and why Because these things are hidden from thine eyes Here is now the cause of all euill the wicked securely wallowe in their sinnes abuse Gods patience growe dayly worse and worse and become more obdurate in their sinnes because Gods iudgements for sinne and his imminent vengeance is hidden from their eyes as the Prophet saith They put farre from them the euill day and approach to the seate of iniquitie This reason also Salomon giueth Because sentence against an euill worke is not executed speedily therefore the hearts of the children of men are fully set to doe euill But let vs my deare brethren betime remember the euill day and knowe the things that pertaine vnto our peace Seeke the Lord while he may be found call vpon him while he is nigh The time was when Esau had a birth-right Diues pleasure Ierusalem peace and the foolish Virgins might haue entered Now is the time that peace is offered repentance preached heaueÌ„ gates are opened The time wil come if we despise the patience of the Lord that we shall pray with Diues and not be heard weepe with Esau not be pittied knocke with the fiue Virgins the doore not opened The Storke the Crane the Turtle the Swallow knowe their appointed time And shall we be more ignorant in the things that pertaine to our peace then the very foules A traueller being being tolde of a Lyon in the way will stay his iourney a blinde man hauing notice of a Serpent in the path will refraine his walking Sathan is a roaring Lyon and shall we goe forward in vngodlines sinne is a stinging Serpent and shall we goe on still in wickednes O then while this our day lasteth while Christs hands are opened and the doore of mercy not shut let vs aske and he will giue vs let vs goe to him and he will saue vs in futuro salum remuneratio condemnatio after this life there is either reward or punishment saluation to the godly destruction to the wicked Thus much for the first impulsiue cause of Christs weeping ouer Ierusalem Namely the present euill which he sawe among them which concerned their mindes and was the cause of all their miserie the blindnes of their mindes because they would not knowe in this their day those things which belonged vnto their peace The other as I said before was the future euill which pertained vnto their bodies Namely their finall destruction by famine fire and sword which our Sauiour foresawe to be at hand for their grieuous sinnes committed against God and his ministers And lastly against the sonne of God himselfe Which destruction he excellently delineateth by the parts thereof For the daies shal come vpon thee that thine enemies shall cast 〈◊〉 trench about thee and compasse thee round â—nd keepe thee in on euery side Lastly he declareth the same by the impulsiue cause which mooued the Lord thereunto nameâ—y their ingratitude towards the gratious visitation of God because thou knowest not the time of thy visitation There was neuer any Nation vnder the sunne whose misery calamitie destruction was so great and horrible as this of the Iewish Nation as Iosephus himselfe being a Iewe and in the citie at that very time and therefore testis oculatus an eye witnes of all their miseries doth affirme And also Egesippus who liued in the Apostles time hath committed to writing and to this very day the wrath of God pursueth them as their miserable dispertion and persecution through the whole world doth manifest in the time of the siege the famine was so great that dogges cattes and mise were eaten yea one deuoured an others vomit and which I tremble to speake women did kill dresse and greedily deuour their owne children the extremitie of famine vtterly abolishing all motherly compassion and nature eleuen hundred thousand perished by famine sword and pestilence and ninetie seuen thousand after the destruction of the citie were carried away into miserable captiuitie Was euer the like masacrie heard of since the vniuersall flood wherein the whole world Noah and his company onely excepted perished by water What a fearefull example of his iustice hatred and seueritie against sinne did God shew in this horrible vastation of that citie But how great also was his pietie and mercy in that so long before he foretolde and bewailed with bitter teares this memorable desolation We reade that Christ wept for three causes and at three seuerall times First he wept for to confirme our hope and confidence in his mercy when we consider that these compassionate teares of our Sauiour flowed from his intire mercy and loue Secondly he wept that he might mollifie our stonie hearts to relent for our sinnes and to teach vs to bewaile our owne miseries Thirdly he wept to instruct vs when is the due time of weeping which is when we feele our conscience most secure in our sinnes litle thinking vpon Gods vengeance as did the Iewes at this time At three sundrie times also we reade that he wept 1 First at the raising vp of Lazarus where he bewailed mans incredulitie and conscience dead in sinne which custome hath brought to such an obstinate habite that neither his threatnings may awake nor his sweete promises rowse them vp out of this deadly lethargie 2 Secondly vpon the
THE TRIALL OF true Teares Or the Summons to repentance whereby the secure sinner is taught how to escape the terrible Sentence of the Supreame Iudge Meditated vpon CHRISTES weeping ouer Ierusalem very necessarie for these present Times By William Est Maister of Arts and Preacher of Gods Word 2. Cor. 7.10 For godly sorrow causeth Repentance vnto saluation not to be repented of LONDON Printed by Tho. Creede for Arthur Iohnson dwelling neere the great North doore of S. Paules Church at the signe of the white Horse 1613. To the Right worshipfull the Ladie Elizabeth Greynuile all happines in this life and eternall felicity in the life to come HAuing good Madam at the vrgent importunitie of some of my best Friends reared vp the walls of this simple Edifice as you fee and fearing the weakenesse therof being such that it needed some support to keepe it from falling At length my ambiguous thoughts seized vpon your worships patronage I haue long registred in my heart a gratefull acknowledgement of your and my good patrones benefits extended towards mee and wanting worthie meanes in reall requittance to expresse the same I presumed which is all I could in this dedication to manifest Not forgetting your worthie and Right worshipfull Father Phillip Beuile with your vertuous Mother whose bountifull Hospitalitie charitable liberalitie religious gouernment of their Familie plainely sheweth to the worlde that they hold thēselues not borne vnto themselues to liue to themselues but as good Stewards of Gods manifold blessings plētifully powred vpō them to diffuse the same to the good of manie which I assure you hath wonne the loue of the rich the praiers of the poore and the applause and praise of all farre and neere in your country If the reading of these my poore Labours at ydle houres may yeeld you any contēt or comfort it is the thing I wish yet more then I can promise saue only in regard of the substāce Small I confesse is the gift in regard of the Author but great indeed in respect of the worthines of the subiect which if no thing else I am perswaded will giue it good acceptance with the well inclined These my labours I commit to your worships fauorable protection promising that if time industrie shall bring forth more mature fruits of my studies by Gods assistāce hereafter you shall also bee partakers of them In the meane time take I beseech you in good part these my well wishings to your welfare and praiers to the Almightie that he would cōtinue his blessings towards you in this life after this mortal race run out grāt you the fruition of his heauenly kingdome Your Worships in all dutie deuoted W. Est THE TRYAL OF TRVE TEARES OR THE SOMMONS to Repentance Luc. 19. vers 41.42.43.44 Luc. 19. v. 41. And when he was come neere he beheld the citie and wept for it 42. Saying O if thou hadst euen knowne at the least in this thy day those things which belong vnto thy peace but now are they hid from thine eyes 43. For the daies shall come vpon thee that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee and compasse thee round and keepe thee in on euery side 44. And shall make thee euen with the ground and thy children which are in thee and they shall not leaue in thee a stone vpon a stone because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation FIrst here is expressed the occasion Secondly the impulsiue causes That which ministred occasion to the Lord of this weeping was the sight of the citie vers 41. The causes impulsiue are two namely two euills the one present and the other future The present euill was the euill of the minde to wit the blindnes of the Citizens vers 42. The affirmation of this blindnes he amplifieth by an antithesis of a contrarie wish or desire when he saith Oh that thou haddest knowne at the least in this thy day those things which belong vnto thy peace c. The future euill pertained vnto their bodies which was the destruction of the citie This destruction againe he excellently deliniateth by the partes thereof and afterward declareth by the impulsiue cause what mooued the Lord thereunto namely their ingratitude toward the gratious visitation of God because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation Our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ in the midst of the pompe and ioyfull acclamations wherewith he was receiued into Ierusalem some spreading their garments in the way others applauding and singing a ioyfull Hosanna to the sonne of Dauid was nothing at all cheared and delighted with this solemnitie neither tooke he any pleasure in the externall glorie and beautie of the citie nor in their present peace but cast the eyes of his minde into that which inwardly lurked namely their sinnes and abhominations and foreseeing the seueritie of Gods imminent vengeance for the same this louing Sauiour in tender compassion with his holy teares bewailed their securitie and desolation at hand 1 First for our instruction let vs note here in this first verse these three things That it is said he came neare to Ierusalem 2 That he beheld the Citie 3 That he wept for it For the first God in his mercie oftentimes commeth neere vnto sinners obstinate in their vices and wickednes that he might irradiate and dispierce the darkenes of their minds with the bright beames of his grace and holy inspirations This is it our louing God saith Behold I stand at the doore and knocke If any man heare my voyce and open the doore I will come in vnto him and suppe with him and he with me But ô wretched men and women which neglect so great a proffered saluation reiect his diuine inspirations stoppe the doore of their hearts against so sweet a guest and refuse to heare his voyce and giue a deafe eare to his wholesome admonitions This obstinacie of the sinners and iniurie offered to their Creator the Prophet bewaileth and denounceth a woe against them Woe to her that is filthie and polluted to the robbing citie she heard not the voyce she receiued not correction she trusted not in the Lord she drew not neere vnto her God He approached not so much with his bodily feete as with the feete of loue and compassion whereby we are taught to be tender hearted towards such as are in miserie yea the rich may here learne to come neere the poore and needie and in a sympathie and fellow-feeling of their miseries to relieue their necessities if they will be true followers of Christ Next it is said that he beheld the citie O how happie had they bene if they had made vse of this the Lords beholding them so he beheld Peter Zacheus and Mathew had mercie vpon them and conuerted them for saluation proceedeth from this mercifull beholding of the Lord his eyes did flowe with tender loue and compassion as contrariwise by the turning away of his face proceedeth perdition
and all wretchednes But if thou hide thy face they are troubled saith the Prophet We ought therefore to pray vnto the Lord that he would vouchsafe to cast his mercifull eyes vpon vs and say with the Princely Prophet Hide not thy face from me in the time of my trouble He wept for it Here are laide open before vs these two attributes and perfections of God Mercie and Iustice which alwaies goe together coniunction and hand in hand in all his workes His Iustice appeared in that he tooke so district a reuenge vpon that nation for their grieuous sinnes against him It was his tender mercie in that he wept and bewailed a signe of his true humanitie their extreame miserie and finall desolation at hand for their wickednes the fire of Gods wrath alreadie kindled and the sword of his heauenly father readie drawne to strike them His mercie is ouer all his workes The experience hereof wee plainely see in this people How many blessings graces and benefits out of the inexhaust treasurie of his loue bestowed he on them he gaue them a lawe he miraculously protected them he raised vp Prophets Patriarks and Apostles among them the Messias was promised and sent vnto them they were his peculiar and chosen people of all nations in the world But see now brethren the seueritie of his iustice and with feeling hearts learne thereby the true feare of the Lord when they became vngratefull hard-hearted disobedient despised his word persecuted his Prophets polluted themselues with all wickednes God vtterly reiected them they finde now the heauens inclement towards them God to neglect them and whither soeuer they turne themselues they are exposed to the hissings reproaches and iniuries of all Nations Without faith without lawe without Religion without Prophet without Temple without God hauing not so much as a litle space of the earth alotted them to inhabite and fortifie themselues being destitute of all succour O the seueritie of Gods iudgement against sinne and why was all this Because they knewe not the time of their visitation As I shall God willing vnfold at large when I come to the handling of these words Whereby it plainely appeareth that the Lord did not so much bewaile the ruine of the strong walles the stately Towers the gorgeous buildings the rich ornaments and beautie of that goodly citie all which he foresawe should be vtterly ruinated for their sinnes their sinnes I say the cause of al misery which they made light of and least thought vpon did drawe these teares from the sacred eyes of our Sauiour We see sometimes a mad man the neerer he is to destruction the more he laugheth and sporteth but his deare friends knowing the danger he is in weepe and bewaile him the more This franticke citie when it was nearest to spoile vtter destruction most laughed and reioyced but Christ sheddeth compassionate teares for them which he would not haue done if they had lamented and mourned for their owne sinnes I here obserue if Christ the true estimator of things did bewaile the sinnes of others how much more ought euery true feeling Christian heart wish with holy Ieremie Oh that mine head were full of water and mine eyes a fountaine of teares that I might weepe day and night for the maimes and wounds that sinne hath made in my soule whereby I haue prouoked the wrath of my louing God and stand in daunger of eternall damnation If the Israelites in the captiuitie of Babell sate and wept by the riuers side when they remembred Sion their beloued countrey so that neither the pleasant riuers nor the melodious chirping birds or any other worldly delight might cheare vp their drooping spirits How much greater matter of sorrow is ministred vnto all impenitent sinners if they would but call to minde their infinite and grieuous sinnes wherby they haue kindled the fire of Gods wrath against them and are holden vnder the miserable captiuitie of Sathan Exiles Not from the Earthly Ierusalem but from the Heauenly not builded with insensible but with liuing stones by the hand of the omnipotent God This blessed Countrey of Gods elect from which though all Infidells Atheists and wicked liuers are banished yet can it suffer no detriment nor euer be destroyed against which neither Chaldean Babilonian nor Persian nor all the wicked rable are able to cast a darte or shoot an Arrow where is heard no sound of Hostilitie no crackling of Armour but the inhabitants shall reioyce in most secure peace and pleasure for euermore Shall the Sonne of God himselfe weepe foreseeing the extreame miserie that sinne bringeth vppon the wicked and shall the heart of Man whome this onely concerneth bee so hard and insensible as not to shead one teare of contrition for his sinnes Oh that wee would consider the grieuousnes of sinne and the plagues which God hath in store for the same we would then tremble and feare and seeke by repentance to be reconciled vnto God we would then chose rather to be an other Heraclitus in weeping and lamenting for our sinnes then Democritus in vaine laughter and reioycing in our sinnes Oh that men would remember and with a feeling heart consider the torments that God hath reserued for the wicked I then perswade my self that vaine delights would haue no place in your hearts Surely beloued when in the secrete silence of my soule I meditate hereupon I muse with my selfe and think it to be a wonder of all wonders to see an Adulterer Blasphemer c. to laugh sing and sporte being in that state wherein nothing but eternall damnation is to be expected without speedy repētance If Dionisius the Tyrant of Siracusa could take no delight in his glorie stately pallace purple Robes costly fare c because as hee shewed Damocles his flatterer he stood euer in feare of the Sword How is it possible that a wicked man or woman can carry a serene countenance or a light hart hauing so many swordes from Heauen drawne against them This may well bee called according to the Greek Adage Bardónios yélos the laughter of a mad man or Aiánteos yélos Aiax his deadly laughter But truely it is to be lamented yea with a Torrent of teares to be bewailed that the subiect of our sorrowe is commonly the losse of temporal things Many bewaile the losse of the Creature but fewe of the Creator of all One lamenteth the losse of his transitorie goods like prophane Esau for his birth-right Another sorroweth at the losse of his Honour Fame and worldly credit as Saul who mourned not so much for his transgression in disobeying the voyce of the Lord the cause of all his miseries as for the loue of his worldly honor and reputation and therefore saide to Samuell Honour me I pray thee before the Elders of my people and before Israel But all this sorrowe is vaine and vnprofitable For though wee powre
shame and confusion so full of sorrowe and bitternes full of losse and dammage because it separateth from God the Soueraigne good of all which is the greatest losse that may be imagined Your sinnes haue separated betweene you and your God As the widowe and fatherles are exposed to all wrong and oppression because there are fewe that will stand in their defence euen as a ship wanting a sterne Mast and Gouernour is tossed with the tempest and at last dashed on the rockes so the wretched soule destitute through sinne of Gods grace fauour and protection is laide open to the waues of temptations and tossed with the tempests of the diuell world and flesh and finally suffereth horrible shipwracke Sinne is also full of shame and confusion for such is the filthines of sinne in it selfe that it seeketh corners walketh masked and loueth the darkenes Qui male agit odit lucem he that euill doth hateth the light Sinne and shame be brothers of one birth Olde father Adam teacheth who as soone as he had sinned sought to hide himselfe from God and couered himselfe with Figge-tree leaues euen as they which haue vlcerous and filthie bodies seeke by all meanes to hide the same and would not haue their disease knowne so al wicked liuers though happily they are not ashamed at their sinfull actions to be wicked yet they blush to be reputed wicked Diogenes on a time seeing a young man in a Tauerne running into an inner roome for that he was ashamed to be seene called vnto him Quo interius fugeris hoc magis eris in popina the more thou runnest inward the farther thou art in the Tauerne So a wicked man the more he seeketh to hide himselfe within himselfe so much the more is he the same that he is Sinne is also full of bitternes sorrowe as truely saith S. Augustine Voluisti domine verè sic est vt paena sibi sit omnis animus inordinatus Thou wouldest Lord haue it so and indeed so it is that euery inordinate minde should be a torment vnto it selfe Knowe and behold saith Ieremie in the person of God that it is an euill and a bitter thing that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God and that my feare is not in thee saith the Lorde God of Hosts As Iob in all his miseries neuer wanted a Messenger that would bring him euill tidings So in euery sinne an euill messenger is euer at hand which woundeth and teareth the conscience Sinne then is like an Harlot of whom that mirror of wisedome speaketh Whoso Lips droppe like an honie combe but her end is bitter as Wormewood her feete goe downe to death and her steppes take holde on Hell Sinne is like an itching Vlcer which feeleth a little pleasure whiles it is rubbed but at last it smarteth the more and fretteth the Flesh Sinne is like poysoned Wine which seemeth pleasant to the taste but the poyson killeth in the ende This gnawing of conscience an inseparable companion of sinne the Lorde threatneth vnto the wiced Yee shall flie when none pursueth you Againe The sound of a Leafe shaken shall chase them away Can any thing bee spoken more significantly to expresse the terrors of a guilty conscience This plainly proueth if there were nothing else how full of bitternes and sorrow sinne is yet in many other respects the euills that proceed of sinne may be considred because it bringeth eternall punishment because it weakeneth the powers of the soule because our desires are accompanied with infinite cares and troubles because it onely maketh a separation betweene God and man it caused the sonne of God to descend from heauen to be made man and to suffer the ignominious death of the Crosse because the haynous enormitie of sinne was such that it could be expiated by no other meanes but by the blood of the onely begotten sonne of God Timon that Misanthrôpos and hater of men being asked why hee so hated all men answered Merito improbos odi reliquos autem quia improbos non oderunt I hate wicked men and that worthilie and the rest I hate because they doe not hate wicked men It was also a saying of Publius Mimus Tolerabilior est qui mori iubet quam qui male viuere He is more tollerable that commandeth vs to die then he that willeth vs to liue wickedly Here ye see that the very Heathen by the light of nature sawe and taught the horrour and filthines of sinne and shall doubtles rise in iudgement to our condemnation which beside the instinct of nature haue also the light of Gods word yet make small conscience of many sinnes which they so detested The vse brethren of all that I haue said is that laying before our eyes Gods extreame hatred of sinne manifested in this wofull ruine and destruction of the people of the Iewes whom he made a fearefull example of his wrath to all posterities that we would at length learne to be wise by others harmes walke more warily take heede how we offend so great and terrible a God beware of securitie in our sinnes and betime betake our selues to repentance for these iudgements of God do not onely pertaine vnto them but much more vnto vs which by CHRIST the Messias haue receiued far greater benefits then they did For as much as the Gospell excelleth the lawe so far our benefites exceede theirs This being so what remaineth but that we should hearkē to the Apostles counsaile Wherfore we ought diligently to giue heede to the things which we haue heard least at any time we should let them slip for if the word spokē by Angells was stedfast and euery transgression and disobedience receiued a iust recompence of reward how shall we escape which neglect so great saluation For if the abuse of Gods benefites and their ingratitude brought vpon this people so heauie a destruction what should not we feare of God the same Iudge which haue receiued farre greater benefites and yet are bettered nothing thereby but still remaine vnthankefull What should we feare doe I say Doe we not see the same calamitie and vastation to haue fallen vpon the greatest part of all Christendome at this day Once in the flourishing state of the Romane Empire the Christian religion was extended almost through the whole world but at this day how small a portion is left the barbarous Turke for our sinnes still enchroaching vpon vs Doe we not here plainely see the same God in the same cause to haue begun the same iudgement among vs what cause then haue we to hearken to this admonishion of the Apostle though some of the branches be broken off and thou being a wilde oliue tree wast graft in for them be not high minded for if God spared not the naturall branches take heede least he spare not thee The Iewes once were the naturall branches the legitimate children of God we were