To sit in iudgment vpon the poore mans case So that when God doth proceede against the wicked it is in iudgement And though the poore commit his cause vnto God yet it shal be iudged and without a iudiciall proceeding shall nothing be done for God is no acaccepter of persons as men be though he loueth the godly yet they shall stand to their triall and though he hateth the wicked yet they shall haue their triall all shall be iudged and all wronges shall be righted by iudgement therfore it is saide in the Psalme The Lord shall iudge the people righteously This maketh the godly so willingly to appeale vnto God saying as Sarai said to Abraham The Lord be Iudge betweene me and thee God hath erected iudgement feates on earth vpon whom he hath set Princes and rulers and graced them with his owne name and sittes amongst them to make them to be honoured and regarded And their iudgments are or should be Gods iudgements but oftentimes through corruption good matters are borne downe bad matters are borne vp we see the complaint of Amos proue too true They turne iudgement to wormewood saith hee and leaue of righteousnes And that also of Esay By conceiuing and vttering out of the heart false matters iudgement is turned backe and iustice standeth farre of for trueth is fallen in the streete iniquitie cannot enter yea trueth faileth saith the Prophet and he that refraineth from euill maketh himselfe a pray But what was there no remedie how did the Lotd take this geare marke what followeth when the Lord saw it it displeased him that there was no iudgement And when he saw that there was no man he wondred that none would offer himselfe But is that all verily no. Therefore his arme did saue it that is his power did rescue the praie and his righteousnes it selfe did sustaine it that is he himselfe tooke the matter in hand For he put on righteousnes as an habergeon and an helmet of saluation vpon his head as if he were to goe amongst his enemies He put on the garments of vengeance for a cloathing was clad with zeale as with a cloak as to recompence and to requite the furie of the aduersaries he will fully repaie the Ilands So shall they feare the name of the Lord from the West and his glorie from the rising of the sunne for the enemie shall come like a floode but the spirit of the Lord shall chase him away And this is the godly poore mans comfort Therefore saith the Psalmist Let the people be glad and reioyce for thou shalt iudge the folke righteously and gouerne the nations of the world And Paule saith It is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you And to you which are troubled rest with vs when the Lord Shall shew himselfe from heauen with his mightie Angels And in his first Epistle speaking of the same matter in other wordes he concludeth thus Comfort your selues one another with these words And heere Dauid reioyceth and praiseth God for that he will iudge the poore and fatherlesse Iustice and equitie in the world and from the world are two of the hardest the dearest the rarest iewels that cā be gottē the poore do desire thē God hath granted their desire to iudge the fatherles the poore that the mā of earth cause to feare no more And here now we see that verified which is in Psal. 126. 5. They that sow in teares shall reape in ioy And that which we haue in a prouerbe A hard beginning maketh a good ending for one woulde haue thought by Dauids beginning of this Psalme that he should not haue made so good an end for thus he beginneth Why doest thou hide thy selfe aad stand a farr off O Lord in time of affliction That is Why haue we not iustice but he endeth as you heare Lord thou hast hearde the desire of the poore to iudge which is as much as can be desired But let vs reason a little with Dauid abou this matter How is it that thou beginning so rudely doest speed so well in the end If the God of heauen should haue dealt with thee Dauid as the Gods of the earth doe with their suters it were a wonder that euer thou shouldest finde so much fauour for though thy matter were good yet thou mightest haue marred it in the handling thou diddest vtter one speach that was inough to haue spilled all Why doest thou hide thy selfe c. What an vnreuerent rash and vnaduised speach was this to vtter to the Lord of Heauen and Earth would the Gods of the earth haue takē such a speach at thy hand or at any poore mans hand No Dauid no many haue sustained great wrong by wicked men and haue had good causes that for such a word yea for a lesse offence then thine haue bene very hardly dealt withal whē they haue but craued iustice c. Now thy fault is greater and God is a seuere God it is to be maruailed then how thou diddest escape and speede so well as thou diddest It is true indeed saith Dauid I confesse my frailtie and my fault to be great and so must they also that speake rashly before Gods Magistrates but if the Lord should narrowly marke euery word that is spoken or euery thing that is done amisse as men doe who coulde stand before him No the Lord knoweth whereof we be made and considereth in mercy that through extreame heate of passionate affections and weaknes of faith his children be caried many times beyond themselues but vpon their humble submission and vnfained repentance he freely forgiueth thē though men will not Yea the Lord in mercie doth put a difference betweene his seruants his enemies though men many times will not I recanted my opinion and sayde The Lord is king for euer and euer for all my rude beginning haue through Gods mercy obtained a good ending Praised be the Lord which hath hearde the desire of the poore to iudge the fatherlesse and the poore that the man of earth cause to feare no more A notable example for earthen Gods magistrates I meane to follow and not with bitternes and rigour to censure and in extremitie to prosecute euerie slip and aduantage of poore ministers and other honest men when they come to complaine before them but with loue words of graue and gracious counsell to heale or at least to couer the sore least the vncircumcised doe reioyce and triumph ouer their fathers and brethren as cursed Cham did at his fathers nakednes And so much for the bringing of the beginning and ending of Dauids petition together Nowe let vs heare a little more of the thing it selfe that the Lord hath granted and that is this that it will please his Maiestie to heare determine betweene his poore people on the one side and their cruell oppressors on the other side
In all respects it may be resembled vnto a purchased Assises wherin we are to consider First the parties betweene whom the controuersie dependeth Secondly before whom it is to be tried Thirdly by whom it must be tried Fourthly the action that is to be tryed Fiftly the verdict of the Iurie Sixtly the sentēce of the Iudge And lastly the execution of the sentence And this course we may safely take both because Gods spirit hath in like sort set foorth the iudgement seat of God and euerie thing to be tried before the same after the manner of earthly Iudges for our greater capacitie and vnderstanding as also because this kind of teaching doth nearest sute with the teaching of our Sauiour Christ who stil vsed such familiar similitudes to explaine his doctrine by as were most familiarly knowen vnto men Then first of the parties betweene whom the pleading is The plaintiues are poore and fatherlesse such as for want of worldly abilitie are faine to sue for their right In forma pauperum as commonly all good causes doe yea whosoeuer will speed in Gods Court must come In forma pauperis for the Lord taketh no fees and standeth for the poore as well as for any other The defendants or parties arraigned are all oppressors of the poore all Athistes proud and cruell tyrants craftie and subtill hunters of the poore There sit in Commission with the King his owne sonne the sonne of God the Lord Iesus Christ whom God hath appointed to iudge the world And with him sit as it were assistants 24. elders cloathed with white rayments of Christes righteousnes and crowned with golden crownes of heauenly glory and authoritie The ministers or messengers that attēd on this Court are the heauely Angels of God who for their swiftnes in executing their charge are said to haue many wings and for their great power are called principalities thrones and dominations The criers of this court are the preachers of the word whose voices must be lifted vp like trumpets to summon men before the iudgment seat of God The bookes of the court be of two sorts bookes of statutes and bookes of record But where is the prisoner He standeth taken with his owne iniquity and bound with the cordes of his owne sin Now thē the arrainment Crier lift vp thy voyce like a trumpet and call forth the man of earth Sargants strip him out of al his glorious titles and dignities seaze vpon all that he hath let him heare his enditement Man of earth hold vp thy hand thou art endited here by the name of Man of Earth not Gentleman Nobleman nor yeoman but plaine man of earth borne of earth and brought vp like an earth-worme c. For that thou on such a day and of such a moneth in such a yeare hauing receiued an arme that is to say power wealth and authoritie hast abused the same and by force and fraud didst set vpon thy poore brother fatherles neighbour liuing trauelling in gods peace meaning thee no harme didst put thē in feare so that of their credit life goods they did dispaire what saiest thou to this fellonie art thou guiltie or not guiltie Not guiltie my Lord. How wilt thou be tried By my honest neighbors he saith yea sir I can bring the handes and seales of all the parish where I dwell for my good behauiour Yea but that is not inough man of earth thou must be tried by God and his Church Call a Iurie The Iurie that must goe vpon thee is impannelled of Prophets and Apostles Their names are set downe in the old and new Testament what canst thou say against them Oh my Lord I haue to except against them all They are not my friends they I could neuer agree they speake of malice because I woulde not heare them nor be ruled by them nor giue them their demaund well that is no matter they are holy men and such as were led by the holy Ghost 2. Pet. 1. 22. Therfore man of earth hold vp thy hand againe and heare thy second enditement Thou art endited by the name of the man of earth for Athisme and contempt of God vers 3. 4. Also thou art endited for abusing and oppressing the poore by cruell and craftie practises vers 7. 8. 9. 10. Also for speaking blasphemie treason against God and his trueth vers 11. Also for taking part with the wicked and standing against the cause of the innocent Also thou art endited for obstinate prophaning and violating of the Lords saboaths as also for abusing thy stewardship and excessiue spending thy substance vaine and vnprofitable exercises whereby thou madest thy selfe vnfit to doe the workes of thy calling to prouide for thy familie to releeue the poore or to benefit the Church or to maintaine religious exercises for thy vaine sportes and delights lighter then vanitie it selfe What sayest thou to all and euerie of these art thou guiltie or not guiltie Not guiltie How wilt thou be tryed by my honest neighbours I would be tried but if there be no remedie then I must be tried by God and his Church Call forth the plantife Poore man and fatherlesse come forth and feare not you shall be heard what can you say against this man of earth and how doe you proue these articles you haue heere obiected against him My Lord then this we say They haue most proudly and cruelly persecuted vs with inquisitiōs slaunders fines with taxes and vexations and haue almost beggared vs againe they haue boasted of their owne hearts desire they haue blessed themselues and contemned thy seruantes The more thou hast done for them the lesse haue they feared thy iudgementes His mouth is full of cursing and deceipt he hath lien in waite in the villages As a Lion in his denne so lurketh he in waite secretly for his prey by his crouching and bowing he maketh the poore to fall by heapes into his nets thus he hath vsed vs. And as for his blasphemies they are most outragious He hath said in his heart That the Lord seeth not nor regardeth All this we could prooue by manie which are afraide to speake the trueth for feare of their displeasure for that some of them are their landlords some are their masters some are Iustices of peace some are their patrōs some finde them worke c. But Lord thou hast seene it thy selfe for thou beholdest mischiefe and wrong That thou mayest take it into thy handes therefore to thee we appeale You of the grand Iurie you haue hearde your euidence and it is all verie true that the poore and fatherlesse haue enformed for I haue seene it my selfe faith the Lord therfore now giue in your verdict who shall speake for you Dauid because he is a princely prophet and therefore deserueth to be foreman he shall speake for vs. What say you then is the man of
God but praise their owne wit doing sacrifice to the works of their owne fingers After Dauid had complained to the Lord of the pride and crueltie of the wicked and very substantiallie proued those articles which he exhibited against them in the 12. verse he doth humbly sue vnto the Lord by praier that he would arise and shew by some gracious effects that he hath the poore in remembrance which doe commit themselues vnto him and namely by breaking the arme that is the power of the wicked which they abused to mischiefe and wronge And at length as one hauing obtained his request hee concludeth this Psalme with a holy gratulation or thanksgiuing vnto the Lord for that by his spirit he did assure him of some remedie by taking a iudiciall hearing of the matter on both sides whereby we are taught to pray for Gods poore distressed people as for our selues as also to be as thankfull to God for his mercies toward them as if they had beene bestowed vpon our selues and in so doing shall we trie whether we be fellow feeling members of the bodie of Christ or dead and rotten members such as are cut of from the bodie and liue not by the life of God that is in Iesus Christ. Lord thou hast heard c. Heere Dauid acknowledgeth the goodnes of God towards his poore helplesse seruants two waies first generally in the 17 verse saying Lord thou hast heard the desire of the poore then particularly amplifying this goodnes of God first by setting downe the efficient cause of the poore mans desire in these words Thou preparest their heart then by noting the formall cause of that readines and willingnes which is in God to heare their desire in these words Thou bendest thine eare vnto them and then by the finall cause of this goodnes in vers 18. that is double first in respect of the poore and oppressed that they may haue iustice and right secondly in respect of their oppressors who are called in contempt the man of earth that they may be no more cause of terrour to the godly The first thing heere to be noted is how Dauid changeth his note for before he said Lord thou hast hid thy selfe but now he saith Lord thou hast heard the desire of the poore that is thou hast shewed thy selfe in the robes of Iustice and iudgement Dauid here was like one that during the battaile could not tell what to make of the matter but after the encounter is past like a valiant conquerer he striketh vp and maketh forward in triumph saying The Lord is King for euer and euer the heathen are destroyed out of thy sight Lord thou hast heard the desire of the poore thou preparest their heart thou bendest thine eare To iudge the fatherlesse and the poore that the man of earth cause to feare no more And heere we see that verified which is in Psal. 126. 5. 6. They that sowe in teares shall reape in ioy And that which is in our prouerbe A harde beginning maketh a good ending for one woulde haue thought by the beginning of this Psalme that he shoulde neuer haue obtained so happy an end for thus he be ginneth Why dost thou stand farre off O Lord and hidest thy selfe in time of affliction that is why haue we not Iustice executed but he endeth as you heare Lord thou hast heard the desire of the poore c. which is as much as can be desired Such a blessed and ioyfull end will God sende vnto all his poore afflicted seruants when he hath well humbled them and throughly exercised them with the buffetings of Sathan and stung them to the very heart with the sence and feeling of their sinnes and affrighted them with a terrible shew of an angrie wrathfull countenance all which the Lord wil do against his dere childrē First to let thē feele know what they haue are of themselues secondlie to make them acquainted with sathans mallice that they take heed how they either obey him or beleue him againe thirdly to make the greatnes of his loue and gracious mercy more knowen in deliuering them at the last for by the want of a benefit we know what a benefite is worth and therefore ioy restored is more acceptable then ioy continued Psal. 51. 12. And lastly to make them fit instruments for the conuersion and strengthning of those that are or shal be in the like case as Christ said to Peter Sathan hath desired to sift you as wheat is sifted but I haue praied for thee that thy faith may not faile Therfore when thou art conuerted strengthen thy brethren But in the meane time it goeth hard for any feeling that the afflicted soule hath of any cōfort in himselfe Oh I cannot feele the loue of God in my heart I cannot find Gods spirit in my hart my heart is not grieued for my sin I cannot pray I take no delight in the word c. Oh that I could pray that I could beleeue that I could feele Gods mercy in assuring my heart of the forgiuenes of my sins but I haue abused his mercy and offended his Maiestie and therefore I am cast out of his sight there is no mercy for me I am damned and shall goe to hell c. And thus the poore soul etaketh on during the winter time of afflictions and temptations but soft a while who telleth thee that thou art cast out of Gods sight that thou art a reprobate c. Againe who told thee that thou wantest faith and repentance other graces of the spirit Againe who is it or what is it that doth so earnestly thirst after those excellent graces of faith of repentance of the forgiuenes of sinnes c. Surely in this Tragedy be three actors and euery one doth his part and here is wisedome to discerne on from the other here is thy owne conscience accusing Sathan accusing Gods law accusing Thy conscience sheweth thee thy wants Gods spirit sheweth thee thy wants Sathan sheweth thee thy wants but that which God doth in loue Sathan doth in malice that which God doth to humble thee sathā doth to destroy thee thou saist thou canst not repent thou canst not beleeue thou canst not pray Oh sweet mercie of God that for the wicked doe not so much as know their wantes thou art sorie that thou canst not repent that thou canst not beleeue c. Oh what better repentance then to bewaile thy impenitencie what greater griefe then that which ariseth for no griefe for sinne What is this but sorrowe it selfe for sinne thou wouldest pray thou wouldest beleeue stedfastly who wrought that hunger and thirst in thee not flesh and blood not Sathan therefore it must needs be Gods spirit content thy selfe thou shalt be satisfied and take that desire of grace for grace it selfe and a pledge of further grace to be receiued hereafter Thou saist thou feelest not Gods loue in thee and therefore he loueth thee not but doe
the Lord no iniurie measure not his grace by thy feeling he that tooke a rib out of mans side while he slept in such sorte that he felt it not can also put a secret hand of grace into thee to vphold thee while his spirit doth sleepe in thee and thou not feele it and for the proofe of that I say consider with me how often haue many beene tempted to mischiefe themselues and others yea and practised their owne destruction which yet are liuing and well from whence came this but from a secret hand of God within them that still plucked them as a praie out of the hands of their enenemie Some againe that I know haue bene afraid that they should speake blasphemie against God treason against the Queene and haue beene so tempted the runto that they haue held their mouthes with their hands least it should out and yet when they haue beene willed to vtter it they could not but cleane contrarie in stead of treason and blasphemie haue spoken all good in most heartie holy manner that might be both of God and of the Queene by which they haue perceiued confessed in the end to Gods great glory that these were illusions of sathan and that Gods spirit is stronger in them then the temptation whē they had suposed that God had cleane forsakē them Oh I am damned I am dāned thou criest who told thee so Surely it is the voyce of Sathan that would haue it so beleeue him not for he that is compounded all of lying and falshood cannot possibly suggest any trueth vnto thee Oh if I could feele some comfort in my soule I were well if I could pray from a feeling heart and beleeue effectually c. then I were wel Then I should hope that God would be mercifull vnto me but content thy selfe there is a time for all things saith Salomon a time to weepe and a time to reioyce so there is a time of affliction and a time of deliuerance out of temptatiō if that time were come that thou speakest of then were thy afflictiō at an end the tēmptation of no force not effect but now is the time of casting down of the tēpters forcible working but waite on God he is thy present helpe and thy God with patience possesse thy soule vntill the time be come for thy deliuerance and verely when Gods rods haue had their working to frame thee vnto God the time will come that thou shalt haue diluerance though now thou sayest with Dauid Lord why standest thou farre off and hidest thy face euen in the time of affliction yet after the conflict is ended which must be when God will and not when thou wilt thou shalt sing ioyfully triumphantly Lord thou hast heard the desire of thy poore seruant thou preparest thine heart thou bendest thine eare to helpe thy poore comfortlesse seruant that thy hellish enemie be no more cause of feare Againe that in time of thy spirituall conflict thy soule may hope for some more comfort strength in the ende then for the present thou feelest it shall not be amisse for thee to call to mind the former experience that thou hast had of Gods goodnes towards thee in time past whereby thou maist assure thy selfe that he wil be good vnto thee againe as Dauid said The Lord that hath deliuered me from the Beare and the Lion will also deliuer me from this vncircumcised philistime so say thou That God which deliuered mee from such a perill and gaue me strength against such and such temptations will one day deliuer me from this that God which once let me feele peace and ioy and comfort in Christ will surely giue me comfort againe when he seeth fit time For whom the lord loueth he loueth for euer And the gifts and calling of God are without repentance saith the Apostle Thy treasure is laide vp surely in Heauē saith Christ where neither mothes can eate it nor rust can corrupt it nor theeues can digg through and steale it away God doth not keep it from moths and from theeues to let the deuill deceiue thee of it no it is sure for euer where neither man nor Angell nor all the deuils in hell shall take it from thee no nor God himselfe for though we be vnfaithfull yet he is faithfull and cannot denie himselfe And where as thou criest out for it now saying thou canst not feele it in thy heart c. it is for that perhaps thou diddest not vse it as thou shouldest when thou haddest it before thou wert peraduēture a lazy professor of the Gospell or a proud hearer of the word or negligent in the worship of God both with thy selfe and thy familie or it may be thou diddest waxe proud of Gods graces and diddest not giue him his due honour or it may be thou diddest make some rash promise presuming vpon thy owne strength that thou wouldest do this or that or that thou wouldest neuer commit such and such a sinne againe And therfore the Lord to let thee know thy selfe like a most wise father hath for a time taken away his graces from thee and the feeling of all spirituall comfort and yet for all that loueth thee as his child And heerein the Lorde dealeth with thee but as thou wouldest deale with thy owne childe if thou hast anie when the childe abuseth anie thing that he delighteth in it is taken from him and laide vp till another time and he made beleeue that it is quite taken from him the childe woulde haue it alwaies in his sight but that may not be for diuers causes and in like manner dealeth the Lord with his children it sufficed Iacob to heare that his sonne Ioseph was aliue though he saw him not so it should suffice the afflicted conscience to know that Christ liueth in him though his spirituall eye be so dazeled that as yet he cannot see him yea there is a holy desire to see and feele Christ in thee as an earnest-penny though it be as in a bag sealed vp and in time it shal be deliuered thee yea though thou goest as a malefactor that is condemned goeth to execution out of all hope for life yet as some friend of his sueth out his pardon for him and deliuereth it him euen when he is on the ladder readie to be turned of to his greater ioy more then he expected euen to Christ Iesus hath sued out thy pardon and when thou thinkest there is no waie but one with thee and that is to hell euen when thou seemest to thy selfe to be past all hope of recouery then shall the spirit of Christ step vp in thy heart which now seemeth to be gone or to lie a sleepe and shall deliuer it vnto thee with this message of comfort Sonne be of good cheere thy sinnes are forgiuen thee And in the meane time know that Christ is not gone from thee but sleepeth in thee as he did in the ship
Courte of conscience which doth finde him guiltie also of much more as namely of hypocrisie of vaineglorie of contēpt of Gods word of cōtempt of man and of diuers villanous practises done in secret which are knowen onely to God for Saint Iohn saith If our heart condemne vs God is greater then our heart and knoweth all things And thus much for the triall of the man of earth Now let vs heare the sentence of the Iudge Man of earth saith the Iudge thou hast beene endited of diuers and sundrie enditements to the which thou hast pleaded not guiltie and yet notwithwanding being tried by the grand Iurie of the holy Prophets and men of God as also by the verdict of the Court of thy owne conscience hast beene conuicted and found guiltie of them all Therefore nowe what canst thou say for thy selfe why sentence of eternall death should not be pronounced against thee according to the lawe In earthlie iudgementes this question is put to two sortes of persons First such as are quitt by booke Secondly to such as cannot haue that benefit So likewise in this heauenly iudgement This question is propounded both to the elect as also to the reprobate To the elect it is said what canst thou say for thy selfe They staight waie condemne themselues as Dauid did of bloud-guiltinesse Psal. 51. as Iob did his children for blaspheming GOD in their mirth and feastinges as Peter did his fall from Christ euen with bitter teares and as Paule did who saide he was a chiefe sinner crying out O wretched man that I am c. and as the prodigall childe did Father I haue sinned against Heauen and against thee and am no more worthie to be called thy sonne but yet for them thus condemning and humbling themselues there is some comfort VVhat canst thou beleeue in me saith the Iudge and repent from the bottome of thy heart canst thou read thy name in the booke of life To which question euery one doth answere as he is prompted by the spirit of God I beleeue and repent but not of my selfe it is the gift of God I beleeue Lord helpe my vnbeliefe And with Zaccheus they promise restitution of goods ill gotten And with Dauid they pray Oh that my waies were so directed that I might keepe thy statutes alwaies VVell saith the Iudge then heare your sentence The Court doth award you this punishment you shall be crossed and afflicted in this world sometime in your bodies Sometimes in your goods sometimes in your children you shall also be stung with the hote iron of an afflicted and woūded cōsciēce you shal be whip ped scourged with venemous slaunderous tongues of wicked mē a great deale more thē this shall happen vnto you heere that you may not be damned with the wicked world so go your way and sin no more least a worse thing happen vnto you but before you can be quite discharged you must remēber to put in Death as a cōmon baile for your forth cōming whersoeuer you shall be called for and my owne sonne Iesus Christ as a speciall suertie for your debt and good behauiour and so paying your fees of obedience newnes of life carrying about you the remnants of sinne as shackles vpō the feete of your soule to humble you withall so long as you liue in this world performing these dueties you are discharged from the sentence of eternall condemnatiō for the law of the Gospell is that there shall be no condemnation to them that are in Christ which walke not after the flesh but after the spirit To which the godly doe answere as the Apostle did in the verie same case I thanke my God through Iesus Christ my Lord. And thus much for the sentence of the elect now let vs heare the sentence of the reprobate Call forth the reprobate man of earth saith the Lord. Man of earth what canst thou say for thy selfe why sentence of eternall death should not be pronounced against thee What canst thou beleue in Christ repēt for thy sins Yea Lord I beleeue that Christ died for sinners and for my part I am sorie that I must be damned Nay thou reprobate canst thou beleeue effectually that Christ died for thy sinnes and doest thou abhorre thy sinnes which were the cause of Christes death or hast thou any heartie desire so to doe for otherwise thou sayest no more then the Deuils doe who beleeue and tremble No Lord I know not what that meaneth It is true in deed for whē thou wert admonished to repent thou hardenest thine heart abusing my patience and making a custome of sinne which hath bred full hardnes of heart and impenitencie in thee and so hast heaped vp vnto thy selfe wrath against this day of wrath and reuealing of my righteous iudgement thou thoughtest also that thou haddest faith and repentance at commandement perswading thy selfe and others that all men may repent and beleeue if they will whē they will but now thou seest that thou wert deceiued Oh a Psalme of mercy Lord one Psalme of mercy I can read all the Psalmes of Dauid and say all the penitentiall Psalmes by heart I will goe to Church and say ouer the Lords prayer and my Pater noster too Lord I wil goe a pilgrimage and punish my bodie with whipping and fasting I haue heard thee preach in our parish Church and will doe againe when I can intend it Oh Lord I wil do any thing rather then goe to hell Ah thou reprobate saith the Lord who required all this at thy hands doest thou thinke to please me with thy wil-worship and spirituall whoredoms all that wil not serue thy turn thy name is not writtē in the book of life therfore thou canst not repent nor beleeue aright hast thou no more to say Yes Lord Others haue done as much as I And I hope to be saued as well as others And I haue heard some say that thou art full of mercy wouldest that all men should be saued Yea saith the Lord so hast thou and many moe abused my mercy bereaued me of iustice as much as in you lie like ignorant vnstable men peruerting my holy scriptures to your owne destructiō I wil haue mercy on whom I will haue mercy I will execute iudgement merciles vpon thee which shewedst no mercy to the poore fatherles do thee no wrong Therfore now heare thy finall sentence because thou hast abused thy arme that is the power wealth authority that I gaue thee hast not at any time loued me for my mercy nor feared me for my iudgmēt lo therfore thy arme shal be brokē thou shalt be depriued of all meanes wherby thou hast bin encouraged to do mischief and then thou shalt be no more cause of feare my people shall goe and liue without feare of thee Also thou shalt goe from hence to the place from whence
thou camest and that is to the earth For out of the Dust wert thou taken and to the dust shalt thou returne againe And from thence to the place of execution in hell and there shalt thou hang in torments intollerable and perpetuall prepared for the Deuill and his Angels where shall be weeping and wailing aud gnashing of teeth for euer Thou shalt haue blacke fame for thy herault and euerlasting shame for thy hearse feare and terrour shall be dealt for thy doale and the curses of the poore shall follow thee to thy graue And this is briefely the substance of the sentence of the reprobate man of earth which is yet but a shadow of that which it is indeed for indeed it will be more grieuous and terrible when it commeth then is possible for all the tongues of men and Angels to expresse Now a little of the execution of this sentence In earthly iudgements execution doth not alwaies presently follow the sentence of the iudge for some are repriued vpon further consideration some are after a while committed to the gallies and perpetuall slauerie some are sodenly hanged vp not knowing of the time when nor the place where vntill the very instant And some haue knowledge both of the time and place before hand that they may be prepared for death So is it also in this heauenly iudgement Some are repriued and liue long yet still in the prison of sinne and slauerie of the Deuill which is to encrease their torment some are sodenly taken and speedily destroyed without recouerie being brought by the righteous hand of God into euil in the middest of the Cōgregation as apeareth in Pro. 6. 15. Some are longer in languishing paines torments then some euen in this world for one and the same fault There be three causes for which the Lord doth defer the ful executiō of iudgement vpon the wicked the first is to keepe thē in continuall miserie for all good things turne to their euill the second is to plague them with their owne sinne for there cannot be a greater mischiefe then to be a wicked man and to liue long in wickednes for when he hath serued the deuill the deuill shall pay him his wages and that sinne wherunto he hath beene most enclined and whereof he looked for the greatest pleasure and profite shall worke him the greatest plague and woe The third cause is that they may liue and punish vs which are the children of GOD who haue beene alreadie crossed and whipped by them and are neuer the better but when he hath worne them as rods to the stumpes vpon the backes of his stubburne children and well humbled vs by them he will then cast his rods into the fire God punisheth not as earthlie iudges doe to content them that haue receiued the wrong or to satisfie the worlde but because he hateth sinne and loueth righteousnesse and drawe thereout greate glorie to himselfe and singular good to his children The vse of this Doctrine may serue to terrifie the wicked who vse to make but a iest of the iudgements of God saying what so long yet till doomes day c. but it is not so lōg as they dreame for the sentēce of God is begunne many times to be executed vpon the wicked euen when they least feele it for it is a iudgement of it selfe to be past feeling of Gods iudgement when they sinne It serueth also to comfort the godly who thinke the time long till the Lord take the wicked in hand which do oppresse and vexe them Lastly let it serue to admonish all of vs to looke vnto our waies and to liue so as that when God shall get vp vnto his iudgement seat we may be found in Christ our great suertie vnblameable and so escape the fearefull and irrecouerable sentence of the wicked and reprobate and on the other side may receiue our quietus est and discharge with Gods elect in Christ Iesus To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honour power and dominion for euermore Now let vs praise God Amen Errata In pag. 16. line 13. that for read for that pa 20. li. 17. for thine read mine in line 20. for thy r. the. pa. 37. li. 16. for they in r. they are in lin 18. afficted re afflicted pa. 41. lin 24. want re wait pa. 51. li. 8. be re for pa 52 lin 3. case r. cause pa. 63. li. 1. then the read then to the. Text. Rom. 1. 24 2. Tim. 3. 13. Luk. 22. 31. 32. 1. Sam. 17. 37. Ioh. 13. 1. Rom. 11. 29. Mat. 6. 20. 2. Tim. 2. 23. Can. 5. 1. Psa. 43. 5. Pro. 7. 14. Doctr. 3. Eisai 65. 24 Rom. 8. 20 Doctr 4. Pro. 15. 15 2. Tim. 3. 12. 1. Cor. 1. Psa. 41. 8. Doctr. 5. Phil. 2. 13. Luke 18. 7 Pro. 1.24 Act. 17. 28 Dan. 2. 32 a. Tim. 3. 17 Psa. 67. 4. Gen. 16. 5. Psal. 82. I. Amos. 5. 7◠Esai 59. 13. 14 15 16 16 17 18 19 Psal. 67. 4 The. 4. 6. 7. The. 4. 18. Psal. 126. 5. Reu. 20. 11. 12 Plaintiues Defendāts Cōmissioners Act. 17. 13. Reuel 4. 4. Mat. 24. 31. Psa. 68. 17. Mat. 3. 3. Esai 40. Apo. 20. 12 Pro. 5. 22 2. Enditement 3. Enditement Vers. 2. Vers. 3 Vers. 5. 7 8 9 10 Vers. 14. Court of consciēce described Gen. 4. 10 Haba 2. 11 Num. 22. 28. Mat. 27. 3. The verdict of consciēce Iob. 21. Psal. 73. 1. Ioh. 3. 20 Luke 19. 8 Psa. 119. The sentence of the godly 1. Cor. 11. 32. Iohn 8 11 Rom. 8. 1. Rom. 7. 25 The sentence of the reprobate Rom. 2. 5. 2. Pet. 3. 16 Iam. 2. 13. Gen. 3. 19. Of the executiō