accused in these words and the same was accused Secondly called and he called him Thirdly reprehended in these words How commeth it to passe that I heare this of thee Fourthly he yeeldeth an account Come render an account of thy Stewardsh Fiftly he is put out of his Office in these words For thou mayest be no longer Steward Of these in order and first of his accusation Wherein we are to note first his Accusers Secondly the capitall and hainous crimes whereof he is accused The Accusers or complainants are these 1. Satan 2. Angels 3. Saints 4. His owne Conscience 5. Sinnes 6. Creatures of God The hainous crimes wherof the euill Steward is accused of are these fiue 1. Vnfaithfulnesse 2. Cruelty 3. Slothfulnesse 4. Ill company-keeping 5. Wastfulnesse First the euill vnfaithfull and vngracious Steward is accused of the Diuell For which cause hee is called Reu. 12. The accuser of the Brethren which accuseth them before God day and night Hee accuseth our workes words and thoughts as Gregory noteth saying thus Lib. 2. moral Diabolus prima opera nostra deinde verba tandem cogitationes accusat He defameth man accuseth him of wickednesses reporteth them before God calleth for vengeance and speedy death lest the thred of mans life should be drawne out along and he should repent and obtaine eternall life Iob 1. If Satan was so impudent that he blushed not to defame and accuse before God holy Iob a man to whom there was none comparable in his time on the earth a perfect and iust man one that feared God and eschewed euill What is it that he will not alledge against a sinfull Nation a people laden with iniquitie a seed of the wicked corrupt children in whom from the sole of the foote vnto the head there is nothing sound in them but they draw wickednesse with cords of vanity and sinne as it were with a cart-rope Secondly an vniust Steward is defamed and accused of Angels Iob 20.27 Reuelant coeli iniquitatem improbi Esay 1. The Heauens reueale the iniquitie of a wicked man Per coelos Angelos qui in coelis sunt accipe saith the ancient Father In Math. 18. The fellow-seruant told to the Lord the cruelty of his seruant Now the Angels are our fellow-seruants as we may probably gather out of Iohn Reu. 22. where he fell downe to worship the Angell who said vnto him See thou doe it not for I am thy fellow-seruant and the fellow-seruant of thy Brethren the Prophets which keepe the sayings of this Booke Worship thou God Loe the Angell said to Iohn that he was his fellow-seruant and not onely his but of his Brethren the Prophets which kept the sayings of Gods Booke The Angels then tell God our faults as here Our prayers holinesse and righteousnesse as in Tobie 12. Let vs therefore that liue in the presence of God and his Angels carry our selues godly and honestly knowing that most pure eyes doe looke vpon vs. Thirdly a bad Steward is blamed and accused of Saints both triumphant which are in Heauen and militant which liue on earth Of Saints triumphant whose bloud was shed on earth by cruell Tyrants and persecutors for the Word of God and testimonie which they had For these being in the blessed port of Heauen cry out against them that imbrued their hands in their bloud Reu. 6. saying How long tarriest thou O Lord which art holy and true to iudge and auenge our bloud on them that dwell on earth And that an vngracious Steward is accused before God of Saints that are liuing in this mortall life it is also most manifest Ieremy blamed and accused the Iewes vnto God yea and craued reuengement against them in these words O Lord of hosts thou righteous iudge Ier. 11. thou that tryest the reines and the hearts let me be auenged of them For vnto thee haue I committed my cause When Antiochus oppressed the Church of God with great tyrannie Dauid accused him vnto God in these words Psal 74.10 18. Remember this O Lord how the enemy hath rebuked and the foolish people hath blasphemed thy Name Ieremy in like manner accused and blamed his persecutors vnto GOD and craued him to reuenge him saying Ier. 15.15 O Lord thou knowest remember me and visit me and reuenge mee of my persecuters If the poore is oppressed of the rich and make his mone vnto the Lord accusing him and crying for reuengement The Lord respecting the deepe sighing of the poore will awake as one out of sleepe and as a Gyant refreshed with Wine Psal 12. and will smite their enemies in the hinder parts and put them to a perpetuall shame True it is and memorable which Siracides hath chapter 35. where he saith God hath no respect of persons against the poore but doth heare the prayer of him that is wronged hee will not neglect the prayer of the fatherlesse nor the widdow if she complaine Doe not the widdowes teares goe downe her cheekes and they cry out to God on high in Heauen against him that hath caused the same Now beloued brethren and sisters if wee should wrong an innocent and harmelesse man in a righteous cause vpon earth we would be vnwilling yea we would tremble and quake to haue a complaint we knowing our selues guilty to bee made vnto a mighty Iudge or Potentate that can punish vs seuerely How much more then should it grieue vs and astonish vs and cause vs to make recompence and satisfaction to the parties whom we haue wronged when wee know that the complaints and cryes of them that are iniured doe sound in the eares of the Lord that an accusation is made against vs that an account must be giuen to the high Iudge and iustice without partialitie ministred Fourthly Rom. 2. the bad Steward is accused of his owne thoughts and testified against of his owne conscience and this is as forcible to conuict a man as a thousand witnesses and hereupon grew the prouerbe Socrates Conscientia mille testes When a mans Conscience is wronged hee liueth as merry as a Bird in a pitfall Lib. de moribus For Conscientia laesa est nunquā secura as Seneca writeth Chrysostome writing vpon the 50. Psalme saith Conscientia peccati formidinis mater that is to say The Conscience or knowledge of sin is the mother of feare If a man feare any creature Man Beast or Worme he may auoid them but hee can neuer flee from his Conscience she is a bird which hee alwayes carrieth in his bosome pleasant as the Nightingale if shee bee not violated but being wronged shee is like a Waspe or Snake vnder a mans cloathes or rather like the Bots in a Horse belly which neuer suffereth him to be quiet but are still eating and gnawing Sat. 12. And therefore Inuenal said that this is the greatest punishment and we must needs all yeeld vnto it Nocte dieque suum gestare in pectore testem This
the Psalmist truely said Our Lord will come and will not keep silence And the time also will come that euery mans worke shall be made manifest 2. Cor. 3. 1. Cor. 4. 1. Tim. 3. And the Lord will lighten the hidden things of darknesse and open the counsels of the heart and then the madnes of the wicked shall be manifested to all men This doctrine teacheth vs that the time will come when all things shall be made knowne although Satan in the meane time worke neuer so cunningly to deceiue men and sets counterfet colours and false shewes vpon euery sinfull action of man being more skilfull herein then any Dyer is in setting colours vpon his cloth For wee haue but few Dyers that can set any Dye or colour vpon a cloth and please the owner in the colour that he hath most minde vnto the Diuell can doe it in suggesting sinne to a wicked man First he plūmeth soundeth findeth mans nature vnto what sinne he is most inclined and offereth the same sinne vnto man and then he sets another colour vpon the same sinne As for example if a man is inclined to adultery and vncleannesse hee calleth the same touches and prankes incident to youth and couetousnesse he calleth honest prouision for a mans selfe and his Cyprian saith Diabolus quando decipere quenquam quaerit priùs naturam vniuscuiusque intendit inde applicat vnde aptum hominem ad peccandum inspexerit that is When the Diuell goeth about to deceiue any man first he findeth out his nature and then ministreth vnto him that sinne whereunto he findes him most inclined Gen. 3.5 6. When the Diuell went about to deceiue our first Parents he told them that they should be as gods knowing but good and euill pretending friendship vnto them and offering a pleasant fruit withall 2. Sam. 11. Dauid hee deceiued with his pleasing sinne wantonnesse Ahab vvith couetousnesse Pharaoh his heart hee hardened with lying words The Heathens with vniuersalities and antiquities To conclude no shifts no crafts no deceits but they are knowne vnto him and put in practice by him and in the cunningest fashion that may be How commeth it to passe that I heare this of thee These words as I said doe also teach that the Lord is displeased with the sinnes of a bad Steward a wicked and sinfull man For they secretly and openly doe include and carry a kinde of reprehension and increpation as though hee should say Why hast thou dealt falsely in thy Stewardship and gotten thee so ill a report Thou are worthy to be blamed for thy perfidiousnesse and treacherie The consideration whereof should make vs to flee from sinne and wickednes as from the sting and poison of a Serpent For who would perpetrate commit those things which displease his Lord and Master The Psalmograph saith The Lord doth abhorre both the bloud-thirsty and deceitfull man Againe hee saith I hate the sinnes of vnfaithfulnesse there shall no such cleaue vnto me These foure things may perswade vs that God most perfectly hateth sinne and all manner of naughtinesse 1. Comminations and threatnings in the Scriptures 2. Sinne breaketh friendship between God and Man 3. God neuer made sinne hee neuer procured it he desireth it not nor alloweth it 4. The Lords punishments inflicted vpon sinners As touching the first the Lords threatnings and comminations wee may easily perswade our selues that God detesteth sinne because he so horribly and fearfully thundereth out most dreadfull sentences against sinners such as these Mat. 3.10 Now also is the Axe put to the roote of the Trees therefore Euery Tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewne downe Ezek. 8.4 and cast into the fire Againe The soule that sinneth Rom 6. Rom. 2.9 shall dye the death And that saying of Paul The reward of sinne is death Tribulation and anguish shall bee vpon the soule of euery one that doth euill All which and many other such terrible sayings are true and in force against all impenitent faithlesse persons Secondly sinne breaketh friendship betweene God and Man and therefore must needs be most displeasing vnto God If two are deare friends and loue one another entirely and are loth to liue at variance If these fall at variance then we make no doubt but that that which breaketh friendship is most displeasing vnto him which forsaketh his old friend Now God is most louing kinde gracious and mercifull vnto man till sinne doth domineere and raigne in his body and then man breaking and treacherously dealing sinning and offending his God there is a present separation Esai 59.1 2 3. as Esay doth testifie Behold saith he the hand of the Lord is not so shortned but that it can saue nor his eare so dull but that it can heare But your iniquities doe make a separation betweene you and your God and your sinnes doe make him to hide his face from you and not heare for your hands are defiled with bloud and your fingers with cruelty your lips do speake that which is false and your tongue doth speake frowardnesse Note I beseech you the cause of the breach of friendship and falling out betweene God and the people Their sinnes their iniquities This is also proued by those speeches that Samuel vsed to Saul 1. Sam. 15.23 Thou hast said he cast away the words of the Lord therefore the Lord hath cast away thee Where it is proued that the cause of Sauls abiection was his owne wilfull reiection of God and his Word first Thirdly God neuer made sinne For he saw all things that he had made loe they were very good Gen. 1.31 He approueth it not nor alloweth the perpetration of it but threatneth destruction to the Lyer and Doer of wickednes For his heart abhorreth such Psal 5.4 5 6. where the Prophet speaketh vnto God thus Thou art not a God that loueth wickednesse neither shall euill dwell with thee The foolish shall not stand in thy sight for thou hatest all them that worke iniquity Thou shalt destroy them that speake lyes Psal 92.15 the Lord will abhorre the bloudy man and deceitfull As hee is righteous and void of iniquitie So hee alloweth righteousnesse and hateth sinne in euery place and person Fourthly the iust iudgements and punishments which GOD inflicteth vpon the wicked for sinne manifestly proue that he is displeased with the same Hee spared not Dauid a King and a Prophet for Adultery and Murther neither the Sichemites and Beniamites for rauishing Dina the Daughter of Iacob nor Absalom for treason nor Saul for tyrannie nor Rehoboam Iereboam Sennacherib for cruelty Herod Nebuchadnezzar Lucifer for pride Pharaoh for incredulitie and hardnesse of his heart Hee pardoned not Adam and Eua for eating a forbidden fruit and making by the same all mankinde sinners by tainture but cast them out of Paradise he spared not the poore wretch for gathering stickes on the Sabbath day Hee spared not Ananias and Saphira for lying
is downe as Wolues Dogs Kites Crowes and such like doe vpon a Sheepe that lyes in a Ditch and is not able to rise But this dangerous and hurtfull sore is commonly bred and maintained by the inferiour sort of Lawiers who wringing out matter from poore silly men bring it vp out of the countrey to the better sort of Lawyers and worke them to vndertake businesses concealing the truth many times from them which these good Lawyers whereof God be thanked we haue great store learned and godly skilfull in our Lawes would neuer vndertake if the truth at the first were deliuered vnto them O God giue them knowledge of the truth and righteous causes and make them maintainers and followers of the same Amen Husbandmen Artificers Trades-men and all other workemen of occupation and labourers whatsoeuer are Stewards and ought trustily and not deceitfully diligently and not idly labour and take paine early and late lest pouerty come vpon them as one that trauelleth and necessity like an armed man Prou. 6.11 Prou. 6. He that will not worke in Haruest shall want at Christmas The very Bees and Emmets by the instinct of nature labor diligently in Summer 1. Tim. 5.8 to prouide for Winter So should poore labourers do to prouide for them and theirs that they may not proue worse then Infidels A slothfull hand saith Salomon maketh poore Prou. 10.4 but the hand of the diligent maketh rich He that gathereth in Summer is a wise sonne but hee that sleepeth in Haruest is the sonne of confusion Let euery man therefore in his place shew himselfe a good Steward that he may eate the labours of his hands Psal 128. which is a blessed thing and then hee may eate with a good conscience Salomon gaue good counsell Prou. 5.15 when he said Drinke the waters of thine owne cisterne and of the Riuers out of the mids of thine owne Well Get thee goods with thine own honest labours and then eate with thanksgiuing but if thou art idle 2. Thes 3.11 12. and labourest not the Apostle thinketh thee vnworthy to eate The Heathens did hold that no good thing could be had without labour and paines taking and therefore spake of vertue and knowledge thus Virtutem posuere dij sudore parandam Non iacet in molli venerandae scientia lecto Ipsa sed assiduo parta labore venit Man must depend vpon God yet vse the meanes and he will giue a blessing Our Sauiour Christ Iesus could haue giuen fish vnto Peter without casting out his net but he would not to teach him and the Church that is to say all the faithfull by his example Luk. 5. to labour and to vse the meanes Vse 1 This doctrine teacheth vs that all men of what Profession Trade or occupation soeuer they are of are Stewards vnder the high God are seruants or at least-wise ought to be so vnto God and therefore must needes serue labour and not loyter and then they shall better auoide the baites and snares of Satan for the Diuell hath neuer so fit opportunitie to sow Tares among the Wheat Math. 13. as when men are asleepe carelesse and idle for then hee hatcheth and breedeth many vices in vs for like as in a standing water wormes are ingendred and bred and not in a sweet and swift current So likewise in an idle and not in a labouring body many idle and euill thoughts are bred and fostered In which lamentable estate as long as man lyeth in he is in the Diuels seruice he is the Diuels labourer as Bernard writeth vpon the Canticles saying Qui in labore hominum honesto non sunt in labore profectó daemonum erunt that is in effect as if he should say Men that are loyterers are the Diuels labourers Rom. 6. and what is the wages and pay of the Diuell Death and destruction the wages of all sinne The Crab-fish as Plinie saith when he seeth the Oyster lye gaping against the Sunne-beames priuily stealeth vpon him and putteth a pibble into the mouth of the Oyster and so getteth out the fish and leaueth nothing behind him but the shell good for nothing So likewise when we lie idle rocked and lulled in the cradle of securitie the Diuell stealeth into vs getteth away our hearts and destroyeth our soules and leaues nothing but a body subiect to sinne which he also will haue at the last 2. A man that laboureth shall thereby the better be able with a good conscience to prouide for himselfe and his family without making false reckonings to deceiue his Master as this false steward did 3. A painfull man shall the better be able to relieue and helpe others and this is a Christian mans duty for as Plato de legibus hath Non solùm nobis sumus nati sed partem patria partem parentes partem amici vendicant that is to say We are borne onely for our selues but our Countrey claimes part for her own our parents part and our friends part We must doe good to all but chiefely to the household of faith Wee must doe good to all I say yea euen to our enemies that hate vs following the example of our heauenly Father who letteth his Sunne to shine and the raine to fall vpon the good mans ground and the bad And this must a man doe with his true gotten goods for the gift that is giuen being truly gotten maketh the almes more pleasing to God 4. This sheweth the true end wherefore God maketh men rich Stewards and deliuereth them his goods not that they should lay them vp and doe no good with them nor put their trust in them nor keepe them basely nor spend them wastfully sinfully but that they should gladly distribute them according to the good pleasure of the chiefe Owner God to the benefiting of the Church Gods faithfull people for as a sheepe beareth a fleece of wooll not for himselfe but for the necessitie and benefit of men Euen so the gifts of God which he giueth either spirituall or temporall we are not to keepe onely for our selues but to supply the necessities and wants of others for so the Apostle teacheth vs 1. Pet. 4.10 saying As euery man hath receiued the gift let him minister the same one to another at good disposers of the manifold graces of God Wee as feeling members one of another ought to relieue and support one another for as the Stagges when they swimme ouer a great riuer to feed in some meddow swimme all on a row and lay their heads one ouer anothers backe carrying the waight of one anothers hornes and when the first is weary another takes his roome and so doe it by course Euen so must we doe beare one anothers burthen helping and doing good one to another til we haue passed the troublesome waues of this world and are come to the hauen of eternall saluation Then shall we approue our selues good Stewards good seruants to our high Master the Lord God
24. and should so imploy and minister the gifts of God as becommeth good Stewards of the manifold graces of God To bee briefe should get their goods truly and bestow them in godly affaires 1. Pet. 4. and matters bountifully may not he worthily be accused of infidelitie and falsehood which maketh waste of his Masters goods when he is in office and seruice and when he knoweth that he shall out will not study amendment nor craue mercy nor fauour nor forgiuenes of his faults but will perseuer in his naughtinesse and study further to deceiue at the last as this false Steward did which being accused and knowing that hee should goe out of his Office to make vp the full measure of deceit he compareth and complorreth with his Masters debters and abateth their sums to this end that they might maintaine him when he was put out of his Office Valer. Max. l. 9. Occultum insidiosū malum est haec perfidia this treachery is a secret and deceitfull euill Such fellowes shew themselues to be no true members of the Church Psal 15.2 for euery one that is such walketh vprightly and doth the thing that is right and speaketh the truth from his heart Such a wicked Steward commeth by riches but not righteously in the middest of his life must be leaue them behind him Ier. 17.11 Luke 12. and at the last be found a very foole Such a one was the rich man Nothing crosseth the Lords loue more then this for the righteous Lord loueth righteousnesse his countenance doth behold the iust Psal 11.7 Secondly the euill and naughty Steward is accused of crueltie Math. 24.49 because hee beateth his fellow-seruants that is dealeth rigorously Mat. 18. cruelly and iniuriously with them as the other seruant did to his fellow that ought him an hundred pence and was not able to pay him and therefore fell down be sought him saying Refraine thine anger towards me and I wil pay thee all but the creditor would shew no mercy vpon him but hauing caught him by the throat ready to thrattle him cast him into prison O cruell pranke rather agreeable to the nature of a beast who wil huntch his fellow that is vnder him thē the humane qualities that should be in a man who should succour relieue the poore that are next him and not to be currish vnto them like churlish Nabal 1. Sam. 25. 1. King 21. nor cruell like Ahab not suffering them to haue any thing neere them nor any way to prosper but the more is the pitty as the high trees drop vpon the low and hinder their growth and as the mountaine Radish being planted neere the Vine causeth it to starue and wither away So the great wicked ones of this world being too neere the poore godly make them to decay and fall away to nothing for where the hedge is lowest the beasts will breake ouer and it is vsually seene that the great fish wil eate vp the small In the holy Booke of God we find that Eliah was fed by Rauens 1. King 17. Dan 6. Daniel not hurt among hungry Lions and man indued with reason and who should be led by Gods holy Spirit and his word a asse for pitty is many times neither charitable nor mercifull to the poore but most cruell and vnmercifull So true is that saying of Cyprian lamenting this case Serm. de erat dominic O detestandam humanae malitiae crudelitatem aues pascunt ferae parcunt homines saeuiunt that is to say O detestable cruelty proceeding from the malice of man birds doe feed men wild beasts spare men but men doe rage one vpon another But what becomes of the wicked cruell and vngodly Steward They consume suddenly perish and come to a fearful end although for a time they beare neuer so faire a shew in this world for as fire made of thornes burneth fiercely for a time and keepeth a great noise and crackling but yet is speedily burnt out and consumed So the attempts of the wicked are for a time violent and dangerous but God in his good time doth with speed extinguish and quench them This Dauid doth proue by his owne experience who speaking of his cruell aduersaries Psal 118.12 Psal 68.2 saith They came about me like Bees and are extinct euen as the fire among the Thornes For in the Name of the Lord I will destroy them And therefore as the smoke vanisheth and commeth to nothing so the wicked and vngodly perish at the presence of God So that they hurt themselues most and therfore are little better then mad men For as mad men franticke are wont to rent and teare themselues So wicked and vngodly men inflict vpon themselues most deadly and incurable wounds yea they are most wilfull murderers of their owne soules and bodies and when they hurt a poore man a little they most wrong themselues And so the rich Glutton in this Chapter by his vnmercifulnes cruelty towards poore Lazarus did hurt himselfe more then he did the poore man For the poore man went presently to Heauen and he to Hell The cruelty of Pharaoh towards the Israelites Exod. 14. hurt himselfe and the Egyptians more then the Israelites as their fearefull end most plainely shewed when the Waters ouerwhelmed them in the Red Sea so sodainly ouertaking and couering them that no signes of true repentance could appeare The griefe and torments of Cain his conscience Gen. 4. his feare and trembling perfecting his miseries with death of the body here euen an end vnnaturall and euerlasting torments afterward must needs bee worse then the onely vntimely death of the body to Abel Gen. 3.19 Heb. 9.27 death being euer certaine a misery incident to all flesh Adonibezec was a most vile and cruell Tyrant to many For he cut off the great Toes and Thumbes of seuenty Kings Iudg. 1. and made them to gather bread vnder his Table but at the last the iudgements of God laid on him were such that hee was taken and his owne were cut off and his owne conscience made him acknowledge his owne worthinesse of that punishment and to say Verse 7. Seuenty Kings hauing the Thumbs of their hands and of their feet cut off gathered bread vnder my Table as I haue done so GOD hath rewarded mee So they brought him to Ierusalem and there he dyed O beloued Christians seeing that cruelty is a thing so hurtfull to your selues and others let me beseech you that are men of valour might and power euen great and mighty Stewards to lay aside the same and all wrath the cause of the same Lib. de morib as Seneca counselleth saying Euitabis crudelitatem ministram crudelitatis iram that is to say Auoid cruelty and anger a seruant of cruelty And againe Reijce crudelitatem matrem crudelitatis iram that is Reiect cruelty and anger the mother of cruelty Cassiodorus thinketh that Ambition Pride and desire of
that which the blessed Euangelist Matthew setteth downe saying Wake therefore for ye know not what houre your Master will come Many other exhortations we haue to moue incite and stirre vs to a godly life drawne from this day of Iudgement as that of Paul Act. 17.30 31. verses where hee preached against idolatry and told the idolatrous people that God admonished all men euery where now to repent Because hee hath appointed a day wherein hee will iudge the world in righteousnesse c. Let the recordation hereof make vs to be sober and watch and haue feruent loue as Saint Peter exhorted the faithfull 1. Pet. 4.7 8. saying Now the end of all things is at hand be ye therefore sober and watching in Prayer But aboue all things haue feruent loue among your selues Watch therefore beloued and againe I say Watch. Take instruction of the Hare who not knowing when her enemy may come vpon her yet fearing the worst sleepeth with her eyes open and by that meanes seeth the least glimpse of her enemy that may steale vpon her The Nightingale fearing lest she should be deuoured of a Serpent setteth her brest against a sharpe Thorne or some hard thing that when she oppressed which sleepe noddeth shee may by and by be awaked and then shee will sing most cheerefully melodiously So doe you deare brethren sleepe as the Hare doth with her eyes open that you may awake sodainly auoid when your enemy Satan with his alluring temptations would steale vpon you Sleepe also when you are heauy and drowsie as the Nightingale doth with some sharp thing at your brest I meane sorrow for sin at your heart that though against your wil you nodde sometimes with sleepe yet you may with the Nightingale speedily awake and sing melodious but yet spiritual songs Ephes 5.19 I meane Psalmes of thanksgiuing vnto the Lord as Dauid doth exhort vs saying Sing wee merrily vnto our Lord God Psal 81. make a cheerefull noise vnto the God of Iacob O let vs be mindfull of our latter end of death and this last account which that we may the better doe let vs call to minde diuers domesticall and familiar things dayly conuersant before our eyes that they may put vs in minde of our latter end and all circumstances touching the same all antecedents coniuncts and consequents Our beds may bring to our remembrances our graues our sheetes that we lye in 1. Thes 4. our winding sheete our sleepe death for vnto the same Death is compared the very Flea that bites vs the worme of Conscience that shall gnaw the wicked the crowing of the Cocke that awaketh vs out of sleepe and warneth vs of the passing away of the night may presage vnto vs the Trumpe of the Lord the sweet Bels of Aaron sounding out and ringing alowd to call vs to the Church the societie of the faithfull to knowledge faith and a godly life here in this world yea and our awaking out of the sleepe of death at the last Day the last audit and account at the time of the Resurrection Therefore beloued giue mee leaue for your good to shake you out of the cradle of your sleepe securitie and carelesnesse be lulled and rocked therein no longer For then you are said to bee asleepe in the Scriptures when all the powers of the minde and senses are so ouercome with the sound and dead sleepe of sinne that you cannot heare when Christ calleth nor see him when he commeth vnto you nor feele him when he knocketh at your hearts nor taste him how gracious hee is when ye come to receiue the Sacraments but only to your condemnation when ye doe not smell him whether hee bee a sauour of life vnto life or death vnto death so that yee cannot know the day of your visitation when such darknesse ouershaddoweth you that you cannot comprehend Christ the light when he commeth among his owne On the contrary then are we said to watch when all our senses are apt to all godly exercises when our eares are open to heare Christ our Master when we continue our watch and ward neuer putting off our armour or betaking our selues to our rest least Death the Lords Bayliffe should sodainly arrest vs or our Sauiour the high Iudge comming to Iudgement when wee least thinke of his comming 1. Thes 5. 2. Pet. 3. and therefore it 's compared to the comming of a Thiefe who giues no warning should sodainly we vnprouided and not looking for him steale vpon vs. And this is the reason that my Text giueth mee occasion to presse you with now The speciall exercise that we are to vse in our Watch and Ward is Prayer 1. Pet. 4. Mat. 24.42 And because wee know not the certaine time of the Lords comming to take this account we should bee the more vigilant and watchfull hauing on our spirituall armour Ephes 6. whereof Paul speaketh Watch therefore good Christians whiles it is the time of light the time of grace before the night of death commeth wherein no man can worke out his saluation Ezek 7. Augustine yeeldeth a reason why man knoweth not the time of his death nor the Day of Iudgement His words are these Magna Dei misericordia monuit In Psal 34. vt rectè viuamus ideo diem mortis extremi Iudicij nobis abscondit ne nobis in futurum aliquid promittamus that is the great mercy of God hath taught vs to liue well and for this cause he hath kept vs from the day of our death and of the last Iudgement that wee might not promise any thing to our selues afterwards August de disciplina Christiana The same saith Latet vltimus dies vt obseruentur omnes dies that is to say the last day is vnknowne that we should obserue all dayes Therefore I say Watch for you are not certaine to liue one houre I wil tell you how I would haue you watch Vigilate rectè credendo Helm firmiter sperando sincere Deum proximum diligendo mandata Dei custodiendo sanctè piè iustè viuendo sine intermissione orando in patientia Deo in omnibus bonis operibus fructificando quae edificationis sunt vbique sectando in omni bonitate vsque in finem permanendo that is to say Watch truely beleeuing stedfastly hoping sincerely louing God and our neighbour keeping the commandements of God liuing holily godly and iustly praying without ceasing in patience fructifying to GOD in all good workes following in euery place those things that tend to edification continuing in all goodnesse to the end If thou doest these things thou shalt neuer perish neither in this world nor in the world to come The doctrine of the vncertainty of the day of Iudgement ouerthroweth all the coniecturall and doubtfull opinions of them which haue gone about to set downe the certaine time of Christs comming to Iudgement and the purging of the world by fire Elias whether the Prophet