a Philosopher sayth Hee that seeketh for true Happines in this world followeth a shaddow which when hee thinketh hee is surest of vanisheth and is nothing and the Apostle PAVL sayth If in this life wee were onely happie wee were of all men most miserable Seeing then it is so Iob. 14. That man which is borne of a woman hath but a short time to liue and that few and euill are the dayes of his Pilgrimage pointed out but to Threescore and tenne and if Nature befriend him so farre as to affoord him life till Fourescore yet is it so full of infirmities that it becomes a burthen to him Life being a briitle and miserable fetter which chaineth the pure and everlasting soule to the vile sinfull and corruptible body Yet where is hee that takes the Wise mans counsell Eccles 12. To remember his Creator in the dayes of his Youth before the evill day comes and the time approach in the which he shall say I have no pleasure in them for if a man live many yeares and rejoyce in them all yet let him remember the dayes of Darknes for they are many the Sun sets and riseth againe but thou alas when thy glasse is run and the short gleame of thy Summers Sun is spent shall never returne againe How soone alas is thy span grasped thy minute wasted thy flower dead thy vapor of life gone without thought without dread eyther of sinnes past or accompts to come Where is there one that lookes into the estate of his Soule with a serious eye that examines his conscience unvayleth his heart and considereth his wayes and how that he is every day of his life a dayes journey nearer his end and nothing is wanting for the expiration thereof but the stroke of death which commeth in a moment and then thou art gone eyther to unexpressable end lesse Ioyes or caselesse and endlesse miseries For no sooner art thou borne to possesse this World but death issueth forth incontinently out of his Sepulcher to finde thy life neyther doth he alwayes send his harbinger before to acquaint thee with his comming but many times entreth unexpected unlooked for and yet darest thou rest in security me thinkes it should make thee tremble were not thy conscience seared to think of the divinenesse of that Iustice before whom thou art to stand being in the day of his Wrath and at the barre of his Iudgment canst thou thinke then to bee able to indure his angry eye whose sight will pierce to the very centure of thy heart and soule and rip up every festred corner of thy conscience O then bethinke thy selfe in time before that gloomy day comes that day of Cloudes and thicke darkenesse that day of desolation and confusion approach when all the Inhabitants of the Earth shall mourne and lament and all faces shall gather blacknesse Joel 2. Because the time of their Iudgment is come alas with what a fearefull hart and weeping eyes and sorrowfull countenance treÌ„bling loynes wilt thou at that last and great assize looke upon CHRIST IESVS when he shall most gloriously appeare with innumerable Angels in flaming fire to render vengeance on them that know him not What a cold dampe will seaze upon thy soule when thou shalt behold him whom thou hast all thy life long reiected in his ordinances despised in his members and neglected in his love what horror and terror of spirit will possesse thee how wilt thou cry to the Rockes and Mountaines to fall upon thee and cover thee from the fiercenes of his Wrath when thou shalt behold the Heavens burning the Elements melting the Earth trembling the Sea roaring the Sunne turne into darknes and the Moone incobloud how will thy numberlesse sinnes in hideous formes appeare before thee every one of them bearing the Ensignes of Gods heavie displeasure dipped in a bloudy coloured dye and crying out for vengeance against thee alas if thy faultring tongue should go about to faine some seeming shew of a colourable excuse how soone would it be stopped all thy actions both for thoughts words and deeds being registred in a booke and kept within the Court of Heaven Oh remember how terrible his voyce was when he gave his Law to his chosen people and thinkest thou it will bee lesse terrible when he shall demand an account of that Law which thou hast so many times carelesly broken Oh then whether will his wrath carry thee where will the blast of his breath hurry thee it was thy sins that inflamed his wrath his wrath will inflame that fire which will never goe out Oh then alas whil'st thou hast time become thy own friend looke into thy selfe and by a serious examination prove the Pilot of thy owne Ship which now lyeth floating on the Seas of this troublesome World ballanc'd onely with cares and disquieting pleasures of this life and how thou sayl'st with a full course towards the haven of endlesse Happines yet one blast of unprepared death will turne thy sayles and plunge thee irrecoverably into that bottomlesse Guife where one houres torment will infinitely exceed all the pleasures thy whole life contained and wilt thou now standing upon the very brim of Hell melt in thy delights Alas slippery is thy footing and thy hold but by the thread of life which stretched to the length soone crackes yet how triflingly spendest thou thy pretious time tyring out thy spirits and robbing thine eyes of their beloved sleepe for those things to the which the time will come that the very remembrance of them will be bitter and to the which thou must bid an everlasting farewell Yet not considering these things how many are there that only spend their time in jollity and sodainly goe downe to the Grave they cry to themselves Peace peace when sodaine Destruction overtakes them not once thinking of IEREMIA'S lamentation for Jernsalem wherein hee complaines That shee remembred not her last end Lamen 1. Would they but consider that as the Tree falleth so it lyeth and as Death leaves them so shall Iudgement finde them they would not draw Iniquity with cords of vanity nor sinne as with cart-ropes did they thinke upon the reward of Sinne did they consider how full of griefe and misery how short and transitorious this present life is and the vaine Pleasures thereof how on every side theyr enemies compasse them and that Death lyeth in wayte against them every where catching them sodainly and unawares Did that saying often sound in theyr eares Arise and come to Judgement they would not deferre theyr Repentance to theyr last end or their old-age when it can not be sayd that they leave Sin but sinne them Shall they offer to the Divell the World and their owne flesh the flower and strength of theyr yeares and serve God with the lees and dregs â—al 1. when the Prophet MALACHY complayned of the peoples evill Offerings hee sayd Offer it now unto thy Governour will hee be pleased with
must prey They thinke not how theyr hungry Soule doth pine They count not of theyr reckoning at last day But time of Grace once lost is without call So headlong to destruction they doe fall Pride of all other sembleth most the Divell 'T was Pride threw Sathan downe from Heaven to Hell 'T was Pride that Author was of all mans euill 'T was Pride made EVE desire still to excell When Sathan said as Gods you then shall be Incontinent she tasted of that Tree This Lep'rous sinne infected so the bloud That through her off-spring it hath who ly runne Before the child can know the bad from good It straight is proud Nature this hure hath done A female sinne it counted was to be But now Hermaphrodite proved is shee Like IVDAS Sathan with each mortall deales His haile is Hate his flattering kisse is death He every where still watching creeping steales With armed troupes to stifle his soules breath His Syrens songs mans mortall Death intends And hee must Dye that thereto his care lends As a Physition with his Patient still Applyes his potion as he findes it fit Giuing to some more strong because theyr ill Disposed body oft requireth it Euen so doth Sathan with each Creature deale But his is meant for death and not to heale Nature and Sathan are sworne Brothers still For neyther of them moveth man to good By Nature we incline to all that 's ill Which runneth through our body with our blood And by our Nature oft he vs assailes And through our weaknesse he oft times prevailes He by our Nature sees to what we bend Whether to goodnesse or to mischiefes run And if he sind man ayme at the best end Then strives he for to marre all he hath done And by a pride of Goodnes makes him be Towards his God like the proud Pharisie The blessings God to man doth often giue As beautie health riches honours and fame That he in thankefulnes for them shouldst liue Still vsing them to glorifie his Name Sathan transeformeth all this vnto sinne Through vilde abuse or considence therein This thing the Scripture euidently showes By DAVIDs numbering of Israell Whereby he thought more trust for to repose In his great army this to sinne befell And drawing on Gods Iudgement for the same A heavy plague he on his Realine did gaine There is a sinne on which small count is made And that is Disobedience for which sinne SAMVEL the Prophet vnto SAVL once sayd From being King God had reiected him When as he AMELECK all should have slaine Sathan mov'd him to let the best remaine This sinne so great in Gods pure sight doth seeme As that the Prophet plainly doth him tell The Lord no better of it doth esteeme Then of vild Witchcraft which in Israel The Lord commanded banish'd quite to be This like to that and to Idolatrie This onely sinne on all Mankinde did draw Gods heavy wrath for this we suffer still By ADAMS breaking Gods commanded Law Sinne with a poysned dart our soules did kill For through the breach thereof there entred death For so 't was sentenced by Gods owne breath O this same sinne as an accusing one On all occasions still it guilty sayth Fulfill Gods Law who did nere yet was knowne But CHRIST who came for to appease Gods wrath Then by his Law we all convicted stand And howerly may looke for Gods wrath at hand Deferring off Repentance is a bayte So closely layd by that old Enemy That sew doth diue the depth of his deceit But vnprouided many men doe die He bids them on the good theefe their eyes cast Who neuer did repent him till the last O slye deceitfull cruell enemy How deadly is thy hatred to vs all Thou EHVD like hides that will cause vs dye And sith thou fell'st thou aym'st still at our fall In Paradice the Tree death did vs give But by the Tree in Golgotha we live From a decline in goodnesse let each Soule With heedfull care still study to beware Least in the end for it he doth condole When as his foote is fettered in the snare Who once his hand vpon the Plough doth lay Must by no meanes looke backe another way Easie it is to plunge our selues in sinne But O alas hard to get forth againe If by our faults our Soules be black with in We then shall finde all his delusions vaine His voyce of peace all peace doth from vs take Then shun that hearbe where vnder lyes the Snake Man ought at all times have a carefull eye For many are the Snares which Sathan layes When least he thinketh on to cause him dye He hides the bayte the which mans soule betrayes Of ease and pleasures he will alwayes tell But his smooth path the brode way is to Hell Who on this Panthers skinne doth gazing stand Had need beware who lyes in wayte to catch Who holdes a Woolfe by th' eares but with one hand Must with the other muzzell vp his chaps If better thou dost get leave not off so But of all meanes to hurt deprive thy Foe That man the which his Enemy foyl'd hath Must straight vnarme him least he gather strength BENHADADS servants after AHABS wrath With feyned words did come to him at length And from his kindnesse they advantage draw For he that fear'd to dye now made a Law By his Example let vs warned bee Gods Prophet vnto AHAB straight doth come And sayd Because from death thou didst him free Be sure thy life shall stand in his lifes roome Leave thou not Sathan till thou seest him dead And IABL like kill SISERA in the head He aymes not at thy slips but overthrow Small hurts content him not he life would spill With slight advantages he will not goe When thou securest art he waites to kill And IOAS like of thy health he 'll inquire But 't is not life but death he doth desire Can this old Serpent this deceiuing Divell Get in his head then follow shall his tayle If man but yeeld a little vnto evill Sinne will increase though creeping like a Snaile And if vnto a Custome it doth come He feeles it not his soule is now growne num All Sathan baites are glittering to the eye He leades man on in a delight some traine Till death arrests them saying thou must dye And then he lets them see all was but vaine Then in the vgli'st forme hee shewes them all That into Desperation man may fall Now having such a strong and powerfull foe What need hath Man with heedfull care to watch Least on a suddaine he from hence doe goe For Death as well doth lye in wayt to catch Who proves a welcome guest to a good man For vnprovided come he never can Deaths ghastly lookes to a gtod man seemes sweet Who still prepared hath for that his end As ESAY IACOB did embracing meet So doth he death accounting him his friend If teares doe fall they are not shed through feares For ioy he 's
Angels and Martyrs with the foure and twenty Elders that offer up golden Vials full of odours which are the Prayers of Saints but which is chiefe of all delights there will be GOD himselfe who will bee a Looking-Glasse to the eyes of his Elect Musicke to theyr eares Nectar and Ambrosia to their Palates odoriferous Balsamum to theyr Smelling There thou shalt see the variety and beauty of the seasons the pleasantnesse of the Spring the brightnesse of Summer the fruitfulnesse of Autumne and the quiet of Winter and there shall bee whatsoever may delight thy sences and every faculty of thy Soule there will be the fulnesse of light to thy understanding the aboundance of Peace to thy will and the contitinuance of Eternity to thy memory there the Wisedome of SALOMON shall seeme ignorance there the beauty of ABSASOM shall seeme deformity there the strength of SAMPSOM shall seeme weakenesse there the long life of METHVSALEM shall seeme a span there the Riches of CRoeSVS shall seeme drosse for there thou mayst worthily call the treasures of all Emperors and Kings starke poverty and beggery These things beeing thus Why shouldest thou O man delight to begge and live of Almes when thou shalt finde such aboundance in Heaven looke upon thy selfe and consider how the Lord hath bestowed upon thee a countenance of Majesty with thy face erected towards Heaven and thy eye-lids to move upwards thereby to teach thee that thou wert not formed to spend thy dayes in the moiling cares of this troublesome world but to aspire to that true Happines that maketh all the other Misery Marke the Sea-mans Needle whose nature of that Iron is that in what part it hath touched the Loadstone that part alwayes looketh towards the North and remaineth unsetled till it hath found the Pole even so hath God created Man and hath infused into him a naturall inclination and readinesse that hee should alwayes looke to his Maker as to the Pole and onely true happines When the Children of Jsrael in the Wildernesse were stung by fiery Serpents none could live but those that looked up to that brazen Serpent which MOSES erected so no man beeing stung by those fiery Serpents of sin can live but those that by the eye of Faith looke up to CHRIST IESVS beholding him dying upon the Crosse and applying his death and merits to their otherwise deadly-wounded Soule whereby that Vlcer is cured and they assured of life After ADAM had sinned in eating the forbidden fruit Gen. 3. GOD sent him to Till the Earth out of which he was taken but the soule of man was infused into him by the breath of God Gen. 2. let therefore the cogitations of thy heart and Soule bee turned towards him from whence it had the beeing seeing as sayth Saint AVGVSTINE There is nothing more blessed than this life where there is no feare of Poverty no infirmity of Sicknesse no deceipts of the Divell neyther Death of body or Soule but a pleasant life through the guift of Immortality then there shall be no mischiefes no discords but all agreement because there shall be one concord of all the Saints peace and joy imbrace all things What is it that thou canst desire heere upon Earth that thou shalt not there freely possesse If thou defirest pleasures lift up thy heart and see how delightfull that Good is that contayneth in it the delight and pleasure of all good things If this life created doth please thee how much more shall that life please thee which hath created all things If health given make thee merry how much more shall he make thee merry that giveth all health If the knowledge of the Creatures bee sweet how much more sweeter shall the Creator himselfe be if beauty bee acceptable unto thee it is he at whose beauty the Sunne and Moone admire the glory of which was so great that when MOSES went up to the Mount though he saw but the hinder part thereof his Face became so bright and shining that the Israelites could not behold him what should I stand longer to set forth the beauty of that which if I had the tongue of Men and Angels I could not doe for as the Apostle fayth 1. Cor. 2. Eye hath not seene Eare hath not heard neyther hath it entred into the heart of Man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him Wilt thou then choose with the Prodigall Sonne to eate Huskes with the Swine rather than to returne home to thy Heavenly Father will not all these delights move thee nor cause thee to desire it it may bee thou art timerous knowing thy owne unworthinesse but bee incouraged by the words of thy Saviour who seeing thy faint heartednesse sayth Feare not little flocke Luke 15. for it is your fathers pleasure to give you a Kingdome Thou art one of the flocke and this Kingdome is prepared for thee why dost thou not long to take possession of thy owne pu chased for thee by CHRIST who though hee be thy Elder brother yet thou shalt bee co-heyre with him whose love thou mayst see expressed by his infinite care for in his Prayer to his Father for his Disciples he remembred thee when he sayd I pray not for these alone Iohn 117. but for those that shall beleeve on me that they may all be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee and the glory which thou hast given mee I have given them that they may bee one even as wee are one I will also that those thou hast given mee bee with me Canst thou now have any doubts or waverings in thy Mind Repayre unto him and in true humility of Soule confesse thy selfe unto him and say Father I have sinned against Heaven and against thee and I am no more worthy to bee called thy Sonne This done doubt not but hee will imbrace thee in the Armes of his Mercy the Ring and Robe shall be brought and the fatted Calfe shall be kild for there is more joy in Heaven over one sinner that repenteth than of ninety and nine just persons It is a place prepared for thee before the Foundations of the World were layd O happy Soule that art made possessor of this blessednesse How art thou able to behold any thing in this life with true contentment having seriously beheld this though thou didst dayly suffer torments if for a long time thou didst indure Hell it selfe so that at the length thou mightest see CHRIST in his glory and injoy this blessednesse and haue society with the Saints were it not worthy all Sufferings All Bitternes and all Crosses that thou mightest be partaker of all this good At last what though the world account not of thee but deride thee for thy vertuous living Remember ELIZEVS the Prophet of the Lord who was mocked and called Bald-head in contempt Resolve with thy selfe no sooner to enter into the path of Godlinesse but such is the malitiousnesse of thy Mortall