of iudgemen namely their amazednesse in the resurrection THe princely Prophet hauing deciphered the vaine indeuours of wicked and couetous carnall men labouring to establish perpetuall habitations to them and their posteritie concludeth thus of them Psa 49.14 They lye in the graue like sheepe and death gnaweth vpon them If this were all their miserie it were lesse to be maruelled at but behold whilest death is feeding vpon their bodies and turning them to rottennesse hell fire seizeth vpon their soules and vexeth theÌ„ with torments neither is this the finall conclusion of their wretchednesse For as it is appointed to all men once to dye Heb. 9 27. So after that commeth the iudgement wheÌ„ both soule and bodie must be reunited that they may bee tormented together Thus the life of the vngodly is spent in wickednesse their death is with horror â—oel 2.2 Zeph. 1.15 Diuerse mistake these places of the Prophets applying them to the day of â—udgement whereunto they cannot agree except â—y the way of illusion and their rising againe shall be with much terror The Prophets do describe the day of Gods vengeance vpon the Iewes and the terrors of their enemies insultings by diuerse dreadfull speeches calling it a day of darknesse and blacknesse a day of cloudes and obscurity a day of wrath and a day of trouble and heauinesse a day of destruction and desolation If the comming of the enemie and the Lords approching with temporall afflictions bee thus terrible blacke cloudy and desolate oh how dreadfull shall the comming of Christ and the day of spirituall vengeance bee to â—he wicked For they shall bee wonderfully amazed in their resurrection exceedingly terrified at their arraignement and dolefully astonied at the sentence of condemnation 1 Their resurrection shall be with much amazednesse by reason of the sodainnes The sodaine comming of the day of iudgement is set foorth by sundry similitudes in the holy Scriptures 1. Thes 5. Mat. 24. Luk. 21. Eccles 9. it shall come like an enemie a theefe and a snare it shall speedily assault like an enemie slily breake in like a theefe and suddenly entrap men like a snare If a man should suddenly wake forth of his sleepe and see his house on fire and his friends wailing and weeping about him wold it not amaze him Lo death is but a sleepe and the graue is the bedde when a wicked man awaketh and shall behold on the one side his sinnes accusing him and on the other side the hellish feends and furies readie to vexe him a troubled conscience burning within him the frame of the heauens the earth flaming without him vnder his feete the fearefull pit of hell readie to deuoure him ouer his head the axe of Gods iudgment lifted vp to strike him and many of his friends wailing and howling about him because of the instant desolation and destruction oh how do we thinke that this miserable man shall be amazed A sudden thunder-clappe awaking a man will make him start and quake and will not the sudden showt and sounding of the Archangell and trumpet of God cause men to tremble 1. Thes 4.16 When Adoniah heard the trumpets sounding at Salomons coronation he was much dismayed 1 King 1. and fearing the presence of Salomon arose and went and tooke hold on the hornes of the altar When the vngodly which now sleepe in the dust of the earth shall heare the Archangell and the trumpet ratling at our Sauiours coronation it must needes dismay them much and so much the more because they shall find no sanctuarie but must be brought before him that is greater then Salomon to receiue their fatall doome 2 As the sodainenesse of this dreadfull day rowzing them from death is terrible so the end thereof also is lamentable their resurrection being to destructioÌ„ Joh. 5.29 For they that haue done euill shall come foorth to the resurrection of condemnation yea they shall rise to perpetuall shame and contempt Dan. 12.2 The prisoner though he come forth of the filthie and darksome dungeon into the sweet and wholsome aire yet when he must goe to his triall in some desperate case had rather if he might remaine there still The graue is a prison of filthie rottennesse and darknesse yet happie were the wicked man if he might haue an eternall habitation therein and not be brought to iudgment WheÌ„ Dalilah cryed suddenly to Sampson Jud. 16.20 The Philistims are vpon thee Sampson he awaked thinking to shew his strength as at other times but the Lord was departed from him Therefore the Philistims tooke him put out his eyes brought him to Azzah bound him with fetters and made him to grind in the prison house Lo thus shall the wicked be awaked at the day of iudgement when because the Lord is not with them the eyes of consolation shall be put out they shall bee brought to the iudgement seate of Christ who shall cause them to bee bound in fetters and to bee cast into the prison house of hell there to bee tormented world without end Act. 23.8 Now shall the wicked Sadduces which say there is no resurrection nor spirit find that there is both a resurrection for their shame and contempt and spirites for their torments and confusion The Diuels said to our Sauiour that hee came to torment them before their time Mat. 8.29 so shall these wretched men thinke they are raised to iudgment before their time but it may be said to them in the Prophets words Wo be to them for their day is come Ier. 50.27 and the time of their visitatioÌ„ Seeing now my Christian brother that the day of Christs comming shall bee thus speedie and the resurrection of the vngodly so full of miserie and amazednesse let the remembraunce therof cause thee so to leade thy life that thou maiest bee fitly prepared for the one and happily escape the other Reu. 20.6 Blessed are they that haue part in the first resurrection for on such the second death hath no power Yea happie and thrise happie is he who by the power of Gods spirit is in this life raised from the death of sinne to the life of righteousnesse for behold he shall assuredly in the life to come enioy a resurrection to eternall life and saluation SECT 2. The second steppe of the wicked into hel at the day of iudgment namely their terror in beholding Christ and appearing before his throne of iudgment WHen Adam had takeÌ„ of the forbidden fruite Gen. 3.8 being naked he would faine haue hid himselfe from God walking in the garden in the coole of the day the poore sinner naked both in body and soule would faine hide himselfe from the presence of Christ comming to iudgement in the euening of the world but it may not be For as it is intollerable to abide his presence so is it impossible to auoid it Euery eye must see him Reu. 1.7 Mat. 25.32 and all the
from hell and from the second death euen the eternall death both of bodie and soule tenne thousand times more dolefull and dreadfull then the temporall and corporall death Now this hell and death shall bee cast into the lake of Reu. 20.14 fire Whereby albeit the propheticall Euangelist vnderstand The infernall spirits yet he saith Hell it selfe because they are both confined within the same miserable immutable bounds neither of them both hauing power ouer the children of God This thing Abraham tels the rich man Betweene you and vs there is a great gulfe set Luk. 16 20. so that they which would go from hence to you cannot Doubtlesse it can neuer come into the heartes of the elect that they should bee willing to go into hell and it is as impossible they should be able as that they should be willing if they could they would not and if they would they cannot Thus whilest the Elect are deliuered from the disordered passions of the soule the externall calamities both of soule and bodie the prouocations of the world the power of Sathan the slauerie of sinne the feare of death and the dread of hell they may very well be accounted blessed and happie and the meditation thereof should make euery one desirous to bee partakers of that happinesse If a man had a true sense of these miseries oh what would hee giue to be freed from them how much wold the worldling giue to redeeme himselfe from temporall death But how many worlds wold Diues giue if he had them to be deliuered from the intolerable paines of eternall death If thou desire to bee freed from all these miseries and calamities then sticke to the truth Io. 8.32.36 and it shall make thee free He that will raigne must conquer and hee that would conquer must fight valiantly Labour then very earnestly to conquer and subdue thine owne corruptions the worlds allurements and the diuels temptations and then assure thy selfe though the miseries of the damned were as many as the Locusts of Aegypt yet they shal haue no power ouer thee but thou shalt escape them all Reu. 2.11 For hee that ouercometh shall not be hurt of the second death SECT 2. The second degree of happinesse after the last iudgement namely The fruition of celestiall felicity IF Noah hauing escaped the floud Gen. 8.20 builded an altar and offered burnt offerings thereupon if the children of Israel sung ioyfully for their deliuerance from Aegypt Exod. 15.1 if Dauid were so glad for escaping the hands of his cruell enemies Psa 34.3 that he praiseth God and exhorteth others to ioyne with him in magnifying the Lord how much more had they cause to reioyce the one when hee had obtained a quiet habitation in the restored earth the other that rich possession of the pleasant land and the third the expected fruition of the princely Crowne So may it bee said of the children of God If they haue cause to offer the sacrifices of praise vpon the altar of a thankfull soule for escaping the inundation of sinne to sing Alleluiah with chearefull voyces for their deliuerance from the Aegypt of hell and to magnifâ—â— the Lord for freeing them from the deadly assaults of al their infernal enemies how much more are they bound when they are seated in the heauens possessed of the celestiall Canaan and haue the crowne of eternall glorie set vpon their heades to magnifie the Lord for his mercie and to say with the blessed Angels Praise Reu. 7.12 and glorie and wisedome and thankes and honour and power and might be vnto our God for euermore For behold this is the highest pitch and perfection of their happinesse Whilest I am to take a view of the kingdome of heauen oh that I might with the holy Apostle bee taken vp into the third heauens 2. Cor. 12.2 And whilest I shall endeuour to blaze foorth the blisse of the celestiall Ierusalem oh that the light of that glorie might shine into my sinfull soule that my thoughts being winged with the contemplation of Angels Reu. 21.15 and the Angels golden reede being giuen mee to measure that citie withall I might be able to comprehend with the blessed Saints the excellencie of that glorious place which farre surmounteth euerie humane estimate that so my soule being rauished with the glorie thereof my pen might distill the Nectar of comfort to inflame the harts of those that shall ioyne with mee in this sweete meditation For how alas shall he that was euer in darknesse be able to describe this light how can he that is of the earth measure the heauens or he that hath alwaies liued in this vale of miserie know what belongs to the mountaine of true felicitie No more surely then hee which is a slaue by birth and base by his continuall habitation is able ingeniously to describe the thrones the state and maiestie of Princes How many workes of God euen in this life do surmount our reach Ioh 3. If Nicodemus vnderstand not the manner of our regeneration how shall hee be able to conceiue the excellencie of glorification The dearest seruants of God who had Eagles eyes and Angels meditations Esay S Paul 1 Cor 2.20 can tell vs that neither eye hath seene nor eare hath heard neither haue those ioyes come into mans heart which God hath prepared for those that loue him Though our eyes haue seene many glorious obiects and our eares haue heard report of greater matters yet our conceipt hath farre exceeded them both But behold the ioyes that God hath prepared for his elect do exceedingly surpasse the apprehensioÌ„ of all our senses both externall and internall Aug. de ciu Dei lib. 22. thâ—y may be obtained they cannot be valued Cott. in Cicer de nâ—t Deor. lib. 1. Hee in Tully said truly That it is an easier matter to know what God is not then to tell what hee is and so mâ—y I sâ—y in this case That it is much easier to tell what is not in heauen then what is there And therefore Saint Augustine in relating the blisse thereof taketh stand and demaundeth this of himselfe after a large discourse What shall I say surely I cannot tell Sed Deus habet quod exhibâ—at Aug. super â—oh hom 3. but I know that God hath such ioyes to bestow Yet forasmuch as the Lords pen-men haue according to our capacities described in sundry places diuerse particulars of this heauenly blessednes let vs briefly and according to the rules of sobrietie collect and consider the samâ— for our instruction and comfort And in the consideratioÌ„ thereof wee will obserue three principall points first the wonderfull beautie of that habitation secondly the glorious view and vision of Almightie God thirdly the blessed condition of the Saints in glorie 1 If any one looke for a curious discourse of the matter or forme of the heauens I intend to faile his expectation My desire in these
5.20 and light darkenesse and all those who haue loued darkenesse rather then light Iob. 3.19 Mar. 9.44 6 This torment is called the Worme that neuer dieth alluding to that of Isaiah Esa 66.24 And they shall goe foorth and looke vpon the carkases of them that haue trespassed against me for their worme shall not dye As of the putrifaction of the bodie there breedeth a worme which eates and consumes the bodie so from the corruption of the soule tainted with sinne there ariseth the worm of conscience which gnaweth and vexeth the soule with continuall anguish Rom. 2.9 So saith the Apostle Tribulation and anguish shall be vpon the soule of euery one that doth euill 7 The torments of hell are called a death because that as by the separation of the bodie from the soule the bodie dieth so the soule and bodie being separated from God Vita vita meae Aug. Con. lib. 7. b. who is the life of their life do dye the second death Also death being the most terrible bitter thing in this life Arist Eth. lib. 3. cap. 6. as the Philosopher saith it may very fitly giue denomination to that condition which is most bitter and miserable in the life to come Now when the estate of the damned is called death we must not vnderstand it as of men alreadie dead but readie to dye when the veines of the bodie and the strings of the heart being ready to breake the dying man is possessed with intolerable anguish by reason of death-pangs Of this death Bernard spake when he said Bâ—rn de Consid ad Eugen. li. 5. Horreo in manus incidere mortis viuentis vitae morientis calling it very fitly A liuing death and a dying life These are the dolefull agents The miserable patients subiects to these torments are together with the diuels the wicked and vngodly who shall bee tormented both in bodie and soule the bodie shall bee tormented because it would not obey the soule the soule because it would follow the rebellious bodie both soule and bodie because they obeyed the instigations of Sathan and left the directions of Gods holy Spirit 2. Cor. 5.10 We must all appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ that euery one may receiue the things that he hath done in his bodie whether they be good or euill For as the bodie hath sinned with all the senses and parts thereof so shall they all receiue a condigne and correspondent punishment The eyes that were delighted with beholding nothing but vanitie shall now bee frighted with beholding of vgly diuels the eares that tooke pleasure in hearing slanders and filthie talking shall be troubled with the howlings and blasphemies of hellish spirits the nose that disdained any smell but sweete perfumes shall feele the lothsome stinch of fire and brimstone the fine and daintie bodie that with the rich man was wont to bee clothed in fine linnen shall with him be tormented in the flames of vnquenchable fire the mouth that offered the sacrifices of deliciousnes to the deuouring belly and tooke such pleasure in quaffing and carousing shall drinke of the pure wine of the wrath of God Reu. 14.10 In a word all that bodie which should haue bene the temple for Gods spirit but was made a cage for vncleane spirits shall be tormented in euery part without mitigation and intermission Neither shal the bodie be thus vexed alone but as the soule hath bene to the bodie like Simeon to Leui a brother in iniquitie so shall it also partake with the bodie of the same punishments The memorie shall call to mind that which is past and the vnderstanding coÌ„sider that which is present and both ioyne together to disquiet themselues Now shall it bee thought vpon how many good motions haue bene neglected how without fruite pardon and remission of sinnes hath bene offered what sweet ioyes are lost and what grieuous torments are found for what trifling foolish and filthie sins these intolerable infinit and endlesse punishments haue bene bought how easily these miseries might haue bene auoyded but now how impossible it is to obtaine euen the least mitigation thereof Thus whilest these faculties are busied in vexing of them selues the Lord shall powre downe vpon them the vials of his wrath so that the affections being set on fire with the exhalations of furie and burning with the wicked zeale of reuenge shall grow mad and rage cast out blasphemies both against heauen and earth 3 Lo these are the lamentable fruits of these intolerable torments vpon these miserable patients For how can the heauie wrath of God the irksome societie with the diuels the mercilesse fire of hell the filthie tormeÌ„ting prison the dolefull place of darkenesse the neuer dying worme and the dreadfull second death vexing the soule with terrors and the bodie with flames how can they I say but yeeld that which our Sauior doth so oft inculcate Mat. 8.13.22 Luk. 13. There shall be wailing and weeping and gnashing of teeth Therefore is hell from these effects not vnfitly compared to Topheth in the valley of Benhinnom 2. Chr. 28.3 which hath the name from the noise that they made with their instruments that the scriching of their children which they sacrificed to Moloch might not be heard For so shall hel yeeld most hideous horror with extreame dolefull noises curses shall be their hymnes and howling their tunes blasphemie shall be their ditties and lachrymae thâ—ir notes lamentation shall be their songs and scriching their straines yea cursing blasphemie scriching and howling shall be their daily morning and euening song sighs sobs and gnashing of teeth shall be their dolefull descant and diuisioÌ„ But what shall all the damned be tormeÌ„ted alike Surely no for albeit the least torment in hell doth farre exceede the greatest torture on the earth yet are there very different degrees of punishment Luk. 12.47 The seruant that knew his maisters will did it not shall be beaten with many stripes Mat. 11.22 But it shall be easier for Tyrus and Sidon at the day of iudgement then for Corazin and Bethsaida As many liue vnder the same Sunne yet all feele not the like heate from it Greg. mor. lib. 4. cap. 43. so many may bee subiect to the same torments of hell in the same manner though not in the same measure But miserable and most accursed shall his condition be who shall tast euen the least measure and degree thereof And are the torments of hell so dreadfull is the state of the damned so dolefull Who can thinke vpon the one without feare or consider the other without pitie Well might our Sauiour say concerning Iudas Mat. 26.24 It had bin good for him if he had neuer bene borne And happie indeed had he and other castawaies bene if they had neuer seene the light or bene created some loathsome toades or hatefull serpents that so they might neuer haue bene partakers of hels
shall lose their light and vttâ—rly cease to measure time by their motion leauing the same to passe on without end or intermission till the Lord be fully auenged vpon all the wicked in hell Therfore are all the torments of the reprobate noted with the Epithets of Eternity and perpetuitie The shame that shall couer their face Dan. 12.2 Mar. 9.44 is perpetuall the worme that gnaweth their conscience neuer dyeth Mat. 25.46 the pain which they shall go into is endles the fire that shall deuoure them Iude. 7. is eternall the torments of the fierie lake last for euer Reu. 20.10 the perdition which shall punish them from the throne of the Lord 2. Thes 1.9 and the glorie of his power is euerlasting and the death which they suffer is an euerlasting death It goeth hard with a man that would faine dye but cannot and such shall be the conditioÌ„ of the damned as Saint Iohn speaketh of certaine men Reu. 9.6 They shall seeke death but shall not find it and shall desire to die but death shall flie from them And it is a iust recompence that they which might haue found life but would not seeke it should now seeke for death and not find it Thus shall they be like to a man that lyes with many waights vpon him to bee pressed to death crying and calling for more waights to dispatch him but alas hee cannot get them so shall they wish euen an increase of torments to end their liues but it shall not bee graunted That is a fearefull iudgement which the Lord threateneth to the Iewes Behold Ier. 8.17 I will send Serpents and Cockatrices among you which will not be charmed but this is a farre greater iudgement that the Lord will cast men into the euerlasting fire Mat. 3.12 that shall neuer be quenched If those who are shut vp in the dungeon of hell had so many thousand yeares to endure there as there bee sands on the shore fishes in the sea stars in the firmament or grasse in the field there were some hope and comfort though God knowes it were very small but when so many millions of ages and worlds are passed ouer their torments alas for pitie are as fresh and new to beginne againe as euer they were according to that of Gregory They poore wretches haue a death without a death Mor. lib. 9. cap. 48. an end without an end a defect without a defect for the death liueth the end alway beginneth and the defect neuer faileth Is it possible for Almightie God not to be eternall neither is it possible for the punishment of the wicked in hell to be temporall offences against an infinite Maiestie require an infinite punishment Many to embolden themselues to sinne in this life are willing to remember that Gods mercie endureth for euer but such shall in the life to come receiue the reward of their sinnes and prooue against their willes that the arme of his iustice is as large as the arme of his mercie and that his wrath and indignation also endureth for euer Dauid hath a dolefull complaint Will the Lord absent himselfe for euer Psal 77.7 and will hee shew no more fauour is his mercie cleane gone for euer hath God forgotten to be gracious and hath he shut vp his tender mercies in displeasure Alas this were a pitifull case indeed he hath not dealt thus with Dauid but hee will deale so with all the damned Of many things in the world me thinkes this is most admirable That men perswading and assuring themselues there are such pains prepared for the wicked do yet liue as though they feared no such thing some making but a iest of sin Prou. 14.9 Iob. 15.16 others drinking it vp like water Oh God is mercifull thou wilt say not desiring the death of a sinner and that giues them hope I but to whom is God mercifull to all nay shall not the greatest part of the world tast of his heauie indignation Mat. 7. What to euery man how lewd so euer he bee nay hee hath threatened that to a man going presumptuously on in his lewdnesse without remorse Deut. 29.20 he will not be mercifull If it were bruted for certaine that in a citie where there are thousands the Prince would shortly vse some strange and seuere execution vpon an hundred but vpon whom it were vncertaine would it not cause euerie man to tremble If it were told ten going ouer a bridge that one of them should fall into the water would it not make euery one looke to his feete lest he should be the man If a skilfull Phisitian should assure a towne that many in it were infected with some daungerous disease what running and riding would there be to Phisitians to preuent the same Behold now men do heare that the King of Kings will shortly come to execute his fierce wrath vpon many Rev. 22.12 Iude. 13. they know that not one of ten but rather nine of ten are in danger of falling from the bridge of iniquitie into the pit of eternall destruction Mat. 7. and see that in euery towne many are infected with those daungerous diseases which bring eternall death yet how few are found that tremble looke to theÌ„selues or seeke to the Phisitian of their soules that they may escape these daungers Who would for thousands of goldly burning in the fire for only one dayes space who is so mad that he would for one houres pleasure be racked a whole yeare together and yet alas how many are there that for trifles doe damne themselues to the fire of hell and how many that for foolish and sottish sinnes such as are odious in the sight of God hatefull to men and hurtfull to their owne health do bring them selues to the racke and torments which endure not for an howre or a yeare but for euer and euer and if it were possible for euer and after If euer it please God to visite thee with sicknes thinke with thy selfe deare Christian as thou sittest or lyest in thy bed how irkesome it would bee to thee if thou shouldest lye alwayes in that small paine without comfort or company of friends and if that seeme tedious to thee bethinke thy selfe how gieuous it will bee to lye in the vnspeakeable torments of hell without all comfort and companie saue of the terrible fiends and miserable soules of hell and that world without end and this meditation must needes mollifie thy heart and humble thy soule But alas men do not remember or else do onely superficially consider these things But I beseech thee for Gods sake who created thee like himselfe for Christs sake who shed his bloud and dyed to redeeme thee and for thy soules sake which should be more precious to thee then ten thousand worlds let not these infinite torments bee passed ouer with a short or shallow consideration but engraue the remembrance thereof in the most sensible and secret part of
by day and by night at home and abroad in life and in death yea it will not onely guide thee as Moses did the children of Israel to the celestiall Canaan but as Iosua did will there take vp her habitation with thee for euer And as the starre led the Wise men till they came to Christ Mat. â— and then stood still so shall this light of ioy leade thee to the kingdome of heauen and there stand still in the firmament of thy soule world without end SECT 3. The third steppe to Heauen before the day of iudgement namely Ioy comfort at the day of death THe traueller that hath a long iourney to take though happely hee meete with many delights by the way yet is glad when he cometh within the kenne of his countrie but reioyceth exceedingly when hee hath attained the end of his iourney Behold the waies of righteousnesse are the steps we take in our trauaile the peace of conscience setteth before vs the ioy of the heauenly mansions but the day of death giueth vs fruition thereof and is therefore to be desired of all those that are trauelling the right way to the kingdome of heauen The heauenly bodies are best seene in the euening when the Sunne is set and the heauenly ioyes are most enioyed at the euening of our dayes when the Sunne of our life is set by reason that the soule is then deliuered from a masse of corruptions and both soule and bodie from a mixture of infinite miseries The godly may now especially be said to set foote into heauen in a twofold respect First because they are freed from the calamities of this life the bitternesse whereof doth greatly allay the sweetnesse of the heauenly ioyes Secondly Eccles 12 7 because their soules returning to God do actually possesse those eternall ioyes which the kingdome of heauen doth yeeld 1 Concerning this life what is it but a vale of miserie and what is the fruite thereof Psal 90.10 but labour and sorrow therefore doth the Oracle of heauen rightly pronounce Reu. 14 13. Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord because they cease from their labours The sea-faring man is glad when he meets with a pleasant gale of winde that will bring him to the hauen where he would bee Lo this world is the sea the bodie the shippe the soule the mariner and death the pleasant gale of wind that brings vs into the hauen of eternal blisse This the Apostle insinuates in an elegant Metaphor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 2.23 when he saith I long to be dissâ—lued and to bee with Christ. When Noah had bin tossed vp and downe in the floud almost a whole yeare was he not glad thinke you of mount Ararat whereupon he rested the Arke So the children of God hauing bene tossed vp and downe the waters of this wicked world peraduenture for many yeares haue they not reason to be glad of the day of death the mount Ararat that giues rest to the beaten barke of their turmoyled soules bodies Is the soule kept in the bodie as it were in a prison Seneca Tully c. and is not the day of death therefore to be desired as the day of deliuerance from imprisonment Surely yes and that makes Simeon to say Lord Luk 2.29 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou loosest now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word The dayes of man saith Iob are as the dayes of an hireling Iob. 7.2 And as the seruant longeth for the shadow and an hireling looketh for the end of his worke so do the godly looke and long for the euening Sun-set of their age because then the time of labour is past and the day of paiment comes in which causeth theÌ„ to pray Euen so Reu. 22.20 come Lord Iesus 2 As the faithfull are by death deliuered from the miseries of this life which hindred their felicitie so are they by it as it were by a gate led and let into the ioyes of heauen For the soules of the iust when by death they pay the old debt do receiue a new reward of ioy which they shall neuer repay Salomon saith comfortably Pro. 14.32 The righteous hath hope in his death but the Apostle more comfortably We know 2. Cor. 5.1 that if our earthly house of this tabernacle bee destroyed we haue a building giuen of God euen an house not made with hands but eternall in the heauens If the godly dyed doubtfully and with a staggering confidence there were some reason they should suffer a wonderfull conflict and reluctation in death but seeing they commit their soules into the hands of a faithfull Creator 1. Pet. 4.19 and their bodies to the ground with an assured confidence that at the last day they shall with the same eyes behold their Redeemer Iob. 19. who will send his Angels to fetch them and hath promised to glorifie them seeing that being dissolued they shall be with Christ Phil. 1.23 haue the reward of their workes following them to heauen Reu. 14.13 where their time shall bee spent in singing the hymnes of prayses to the harpe of glorie Reu. 5.8.9 haue they not reason to long for death to search for it more then for treasures and to reioyce when they finde it Dauid saith that the death of the Saints is precious in the sight of the Lord. Psa 116.15 And our Sauiour makes the day of death the Saints seede time for that happie haruest wherein the Angels shall be reapers to gather the good corne into the Lords barne the kingdome of heauen For except the wheate corne fall into the ground and dye Ioh. 12.24 it bideth alone but if it dye it bringeth foorth much fruite Seeing now that death is of such singular vse to the godly wee see that to bee a most false position of the Philosopher and an erroneous opinion of many Christians That death is the worst and most terrible thing that can happen to man For albeit that to the wicked it be so yet to the godly it is not to whome if either you respect their freedome from temporall miseries or the fruition of eternall felicitie The day of death is better Eccles 7.3 then the day that they are borne If the house wherein thou dwellest were rotten Cypr. de mortal sect 17. and readie to fall on thy head if the shippe wherein thou art carried leaked very daungerously and like to drowne thee wouldest thou not leaue thy house and desire the shore that might yeeld thee safetie Then maruell not that the godly desire to be freed from the crazed houses and leaking shippes of their mortall bodies and long for the houses hauens of euerlasting securitie What though death be a serpent and sting the wicked griping them at the heart yet to the elect Christ hath vanquished this serpent and plucked out his sting yea deaths sting being sinne
As bodies that haue fewest bad humors are least shaken with agues so those that are freest from sinne though death assault them bitterly are least annoyed by the pains and terror of death Our Sauiour saith Ioh. 16.33 Be of good cheare I haue ouercome the world and I may say Bee of good cheare 2 Cor. 15.16 for Christ hath ouercome death 2 This may be an occasion to mitigate that extreme sorrow which many take vppon the death of their godly friends seeing their death yeeldeth rather cause of coÌ„fort then of sorrow of mirth then of mourning and of reioycing rather then of weeping and lamenting If you loued me you would reioyce saith our Sauiour to his disciples because I said Ioh. 14.28 I goe to the Father so those that loue their friends indeed haue cause to reioyce rather then to mourne for their death because they go to be glorified with their heauenly Father The little child that sees the mother cutting and bruising the sweet and pleasant hearbes and flowers is sorie because hee thinkes they are spoiled but the mother hath a purpose to preserue theÌ„ whereby they are made much better A simple bodie that should see the Gold-smith melting the pure mettals would bee discontent imagining that all were marred whereas the skilfull workeman hath a purpose to cast some excellent peece of plate thereof So wee silly men when the Lord cuts off some of our friends by death like the flower and lets others wither like the greene hearbe and when he melteth them in the fornace of the graue are ouercome with sorrowfull conceipts as though some euill thing were befallen our friendes whereas we should remember that the Lord hath a purpose by this meanes to preserue them and to transforme them into that glorious estate which the Angels enioy in heauen And this reason is first intimated and after plainely expressed by Saint Paule in his dehortation to the Thessalonians I would not brethren haue you ignorant concerning them which are asleepe 1. Thes 4.13 that you sorrow not as others which haue no hope Who would be sorrie to see his friend fall asleepe seeing that thereby he is made lightsome fresh and lustie Now death is to the godly nothing but a sleepe whereby they are refined and refreshed why should we then be offended therewith If thy friend which dieth bee wicked then hast thou iust cause of mourning but if thou knewest him to liue and die in the feare of God howsoeuer nature or affection may haue force to wring teares from thine eyes or sighes from thy heart yet hast thou reason to reioyce and be glad for his happie change as Augustine his example may teach Aug confe lib. 9. v. who bridled the infirmitie of Nature and suppressed his teares at his mothers death though he honoured and loued her dearely thinking it an vnfit thing to celebrate her funerals with weeping and wailing because she had liued religiously and died vertuously 3 To conclude this point me thinkes if there were no farther reason to perswade yet euen this meditation might mooue any one to the practise of godlinesse in that it yeeldeth this heauenly peace of conscience in the time of our life and eternall consolation at the day of our death Oh what a sweete comfort will it be to thee my Christian brother when friends honour wealth dignities and all other comfortes in the world become vaine and faile thee to haue the ioyfull peace of conscience to rest with thee When thou shalt bee able recounting thy sincere care in Gods seruice to pray with good Nehemiah Neh. 13.22 Remember me ô my God concerning this to say with godly Hezechiah vpon his death bed 2. King 20.3 I beseech thee ô Lord remember now how I haue walked before thee in truth and with a perfect hart and haue done that which is good in thy sight and with our blessed Sauiour before his passion Ioh. 17.4 Father I haue glorified thee on earth I haue finished the worke which thou gauest me to doe For then shall the vprght câ—nscience eccho a comfort to thy humble soule and either the Lord wil enlarge the lease of thy life with Hâ—zechiah or glorifie thee in the heauens with his beloued Sonne CHAP. 2. SECT 1. The first steppe into heauen at the day of iudgement namely A blessed Resurrection IF the godly in this life and at the day of their death haue a tast of those heauenly ioyes which cannot be expressed how much more shall they haue in the resurrection when body and soule shall both be reunited and indued with a blessed condition Therefore do the Scriptures describe the excellencie of the resurrection by sundry comfortable metaphors Ioh. 12. 1. Cor 15. Saint Paule compares it to the husbandmans haruest when reaping and receiuing the fruites of his labours his heart reioyceth and so shall it be to the godly for they which sowe in teares at the day of death shall reape in ioy at their resurrection Pro. 19.17 2. Salomon saith hee which hath pittie on the poore lendeth to the Lord and looke what he layeth out it shall bee payed him againe Now men that haue great debts desire earnestly the day of payment and behold our Sauiour calleth the day of resurrection Luk. 14.14 The day of payment because then hee hauing his reward with him Reu. 22.12 will come foorth of euerie ones debt and reward their goodâ—esse with glorie 3. Those that labor must needes haue a time to rest in that so they may be refreshed Our life is nothing but labour our death a sleepe and therefore the Apostle fitly calles the resurâ—ection Act. 3.19 Thâ— time of refreshing being as the gladsome morning to a siâ—ke man Psal 49.14 15. which hath tossed and turned vp and downe wearily all the night long The bird that hath bene kept a great while in a cage will chaunt it merrily when shee commeth foorth into the open aire the prisoner that hath lyen loÌ„g in the duÌ„geon reâ—oyceth exceedingly when he hath obtained libertie so shall the resurrection be ioyfull and comfortable to the godly when they are deliuered from the cage and prison of the graue and restored into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God Rom. 8.21 There is nothing that doth better râ—semble set foorth the excellencie of the Resurrection then the spring time for as we flourish in our childhood bring foorth fruite in our youth waxe ripe in our old age and wither at our death so wee spring fresh againe at our resurrection The trees in winter being despoiled of their leaues the garden of the flowers and the fields of the grasse do seeme vtterly to perish but when the Spring time comes they all waxe as fresh and flourishing as euer they were so the body which during the winter of many ages is depriued of her beautie and turned to rottennesse doth at the Spring time of the resurrection
a recompence as thou mayest lift vp pure hands with comfort in this life so shall Christ take thee by the hand at the day of iudgement Mat. 25. and say to thee Enter into thy maisters ioy When the kings daughter is all glorious within Psal 45. and her clothing of wrought gold shee shall be brought vnto the king with ioy and gladnesse and shall enter into the kings Pallace and so shall it bee done to euery sanctified Christian at the last day he shall bee brought by the blessed Angels to Christ the most blessed king with great ioy hauing heard his gracious sentence Come yee blessed shall enter into his glorious pallace the kingdome of heauen and possesse the same for euer and euer CHAP. 3. SECT 1. The first steppe into heauen after the last iudgement namely Freedome from miserie EXperience teacheth that the consideration of passed miserie doth giue a sweet rellish to future felicitie Olim haec meminisse iuuabit Virg Aened 1. the remembrance of the fierce assaults sharpe conflicts and deadly fights is ioyfull to the souldier the cogitation of escape from the deuouring gulfes perilous rockes and dangerous streights yeeld delight vnto the mariner and is not the sicke man glad when the extremitie of his fit is past though he be not as yet restored to his perfect health So fareth it with the children of God at the last day the consideration of their deliuerance from the dangerous combats with sinne and Sathan their escaping the perilous sayling in the seas of this troublesome world and freedome from the sicke fits of their inward corruptions doth adde abundantly to their euerlasting happines in the world to come and the greater their troubles or daungers haue bene the more is their comfort Now to the end that this happinesse of the children of God may the better appeare the mappe of escaped miseries is to bee considered of vs as that blessed Captaine and Pilot Christ Iesus with his seruants and souldiers haue described the same in the sacred Scriptures 1 The soule is deliuered from disordered passions as hope and feare ioy and sorrow which contending like so manie contrarie disordered elements and humors in the bodie and strugling like the hote exhalation in a cold cloud do distract the mind and rent the soule like a cloud When man was at vnitie with God there was a sweet harmonie friendship betweene all the faculties of his soule but when man rebelled against his God as al the external creatures opposed themselues against him to worke his ruine so did his internall cogitations conspire against him to be reuenged on him for his sinne and now that man is reconciled and acquited by the finall sentence of the great Iudge all his vnruly and rebellious perturbations are brought into subiection 2 The godly are deliuered from sundrie outward calamities as sicknes pains labour reproch c. to the which the dearest seruants of God are subiect yea froÌ„ the which the Son of God in the dayes of his infirmitie was not exempted for Dauid had a Doeg to accuse him a Shimei to reuile him 1. Sam. 22.9 2. Sam. 16.7 1. Sam. 24. c. a Saul to persecute him But now Ioh. 16. the sorrowes of the godly shall be turned into ioy Reu. 21.4 and Christ will wipe all teares from their eyes Euen as tender hearted mothers do wipe from the eyes of their little babes the teares which they shedde through the sense of some calamitie so will the Lord with the handkerchiffe of compassion drie vp the streames of his childrens teares that issued from the springs of dolour 3 They are deliuered froÌ„ the prouocations allurements of the wicked world which is the fanne and firebrand of iniquitie Reu. 19.20 For the beast and that false Prophet which wrought miracles whereby hee deceiued the world shall now be cast into a lake that burnes with fire and brimstone there to bee tormented for euer and all the vngodly shall bee destroyed with an euerlasting perdition 2. Thes 1.9 and so shall neuer haue power any more to tempt or torment the children of God That was a gracious petition of our blessed Sauiour I pray not Ioh. 17.15 that thou shouldest take them out of the world but that thou shouldst keepe them from euill But forasmuch as the most sanctified seruants of God whilst they are in the world are not free from all prouocations of euill happie is he that is freed from dwelling any longer in Mesech and hauing his habitation amongst the tents of vngodlinesse 4 They are deliuered from the power of the diuel who now goeth about like a roaring Lyon 1. Pet. 5.8 seeking whom he may deuoure Christ came to loose the workes of the Diuell 1. Ioh. 3.8 and albeit hee hath not as yet vtterly crushed his power Rom 16.20 yet is hee the God of peace that will shortly treade downe Sathan vnder our feet and cast him into the lake of fire and brimstone Reu. 20.10 Saint Iohn hauing related a victorie ouer Sathan Reu. 12.12 bids Reioyce therefore you heauens and yee that dwell therein and shall not the seruants of God haue great cause to reioyce now when not onely Sathans power is weakened his fierce darts quenched but himselfe vtterly subdued and fettered in the infernall lake for euer 5 They are deliuered froÌ„ the slauerie of sinne which is grieuous to all those that desire to liue godly The sense hâ—reof made Saint Paule crye out Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee from the bodie of this death Lo here is the deliuerance that the holy Apostle did so earnestly desire For the cause ceassing the effects must needes follow mans corruptions being conquered the worlds allurements abolished and Sathans darts quenched the soule and bodie of man being reformed and refined there shall neither remaine any cause of sinne or if there did any fit subiect for sinne to worke vpon And now is the time when the spouse of Christ shall bee washed and cleansed Eph. 5.26.27 that shee may bee without spot or wrinkle 6 They are deliuered from death as Saint Iohn saith There shall bee no more death Reu. 21.14 And no maruell for as light expelleth darknesse so eternall life putteth death to flight Rom. 6.23 Death is the reward of sinne so that sinne being abandoned death must needs be abolished Can that which is immortall dye to affirme that were to vtter a senslesse coÌ„tradiction Therfore when this corruptible 1. Co. 15.54 hath put on incorruption and this mortall hath put on immortalitie then shall bee brought to passe that saying that is written Death is swallowed vp into victorie If our first parents had kept themselues vpright they could not haue died for their state was angelicall neither can the Saints of God dye now because they are like to the Angels Luk. 20.36 7 Lastly they are deliuered
beholding vanitie and practise with Iob Iob. 31.1 I haue made a couenant with mine eyes Binde both thine eyes and thy heart to the good a bearing and suffer not thine eyes to behold it in others nor thy heart to affect it in thy selfe But if thy heart beginne a little to be seduced do but thinke with thy selfe what filth lyeth hid in that bodie which bewitcheth thee and the same may be a medicine to preuent a dangerous maladie Gen. 18. I am but dust and ashes saith Abraham the ashes were once a faire greene tree before the beautie of it vanished in the fire What folly is it to be so nice and curious in trimming of dust and ashes which though like the greene tree it make a faire shew for a time yet hath a hundred fires kindled to consume it sorrow sicknesse age and death yea which cannot enioy the comfortable heate and light of the Sunne but it fadeth Deck thy soule with vertues and adorne thy heart with grace this internall beautie is eternall To meete a beautifull bodie hath bene counted ominous but now I am sure it is dangerous yet if thou darest giue thine eyes libertie to behold any beautifull obiect let that be a hand to direct and leade thee to a better meditation Magnifie the wisedome of God in his workmanship and thinke vpon the beautie of heauen what a sweet thing it will be to behold Christ Iesus and all the celestiall companie in most resplendent glorie and let thy meditation ponder the future glorious change of thy vile bodie Phil. 3. that although the fame be turned into dust and ashes yet at the last day it may be beautifull as the brightnesse of the firmament Dan. 12.3 and may shine like the starres for euer and euer Now the same that hath bene said of beautie may be said of strength and agilitie which albeit they do not alwayes grow on the same stalke yet they fade with the same windes and are withered with the same Sunne of sorrow sicknesse age and death We haue heard of few that could say with Caleb I am this day fourescore and fiue yeares old Ios 14.10.11 yet am I as strong at this time as I was when Moses sent me meaning when he was fortie yeares old Vers 7. Abishai and Benaiah were goodly men 2. Sam. 23.18.20 and of admirable strength able to kill hundreds and to conquer mighty giants yet they with Dauids three worthies more gallāt men then they are many hūdred years since turned into dust Beautie sometime turnes to the bane of the possessor And did not Sampsons strength pluck the house downe vpon his owne head Iudg. 16. If any one therefore be lustie and strong let him remember the Prophets exhortation Ier. 9.23 Let not the strong man glorie in his strength because it is folly to glorie in a vanity but let him reioyce and glorie in the Lord and be able to say Psal 27 c The Lord is my strength and as the Apostle exhorteth Eph 6. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might To resist the diuell and to withstand his temptations is a thing that requireth strength and courage to this purpose labor to vnite all thy forces this is true strength and valour and this onely obtaineth the crowns of true felicitie SECTION 3. Of Health OF all the temporall benefites that Almightie God bestoweth vpon vs in this life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is none more excellent then health as Menander truly saith seeing it is that which permits a being to the goods of the bodie and admits an acceptable being to the goods of fortune as they are called For when the Lord with rebukes doth chasten man for sinne Psal 39.11 he maketh whatsoeuer is desirable in him to consume away like a moath fretting a garment When the Lord layeth the hand of visitation vpon men then health strength beautie and whatsoeuer seemes gracious in them consumeth and vanisheth like the moath-eaten garment When the Lord said to Abraham Gen. 15.2 I am thy exceeding great reward Abraham answered O Lord what wilt thou giue me seeing I go childlesse So may a sicke man say What wilt thou giue me seeing I am healthlesse Abraham cared not for all the wealth in the world when he wanted an heire and what are all the temporall blessings in the world to a man that wants his health Yet is health which seasoneth all the blessings of this life but vaine For euerie man in his best estate is altogether vanitie Man that is borne of a woman Iob. 14.1 is but of short continuance and full of trouble he shooteth vp like a flower and is cut downe he vanisheth as a shadow and continueth not Lo this is the condition of mankind that he neuer continueth in the same condition But as the flower to day flourisheth and to morrow withereth so health is quickly changed into sicknesse The Moone is not more variable in her changing the sea in her ebbing and flowing the heauens in their ouercasting then man is in the change of his estate now well and presently sicke to day triumphing on the Theater to morrow groning on the couch or happely groueling in the graue The sea is not more subiect to tossing and raging with her foure contrarie windes then the bodie of man is with his foure contrarie humours which being disordered do ingender infinite diseases How manie hundred infirmities haue the skilfull Physitians discerned mans bodie subiect to yea how many are there whereof no true cause can be assigned no cure can be obtained A clocke is a thing hardly kept in tune because it hath so many wheeles and gimbols to be tempered so the bodie of man is hardly preserued long in health it hath so many variable and tender parts to be preserued Hence it commeth to passe that as the Israelites expecting libertie were more inthralled so when men promise to themselues health and soundnesse they are oft-times assayled by sodaine sicknes A fearfull trembling the messenger of death shakes the ioynts of Baltasar at his banket Dan 5. the rich man is arrested by deaths sergeant in his bed Luke 12. and a deadly headach meeteth the Shunamites child in the field 2. Kin. 4. Thus no state or condition is exempted from sicknesse or hath securitie of health neither the young child the old man nor the mightie king Iesus loued Lazarus Iohn 11. yet behold he was sicke Dauid a holy man and an honorable king Passim in Psalmis yet was often brought low with sundrie infirmities so that Christs loue is no preuenting priuiledge godlinesse is no supersedeas for sickenesse 2 Besides that health is thus variable it is also dangerous being the nurse of securitie and the mother of impenitencie Psal 73.4.9 For whilest the wicked haue no bands in their death but are lustie and strong pride and crueltie licentiousnesse
Tirpsi initio who at the birth of any child vsed to sit downe and weepe recounting the calamities that were by it to be encountred but when any one dyed they sported and reioyced rehearsing the miseries from which he was deliuered But what is this to the spirituall calamitie and miserie of sin which is increased by old age and the debts of our transgressions which are augmented by long life It is a worthie question of Ierome Hieron ad Heliador What difference is there betweene him that hath liued ten yeares and him that hath liued a thousand years sauing that when death comes hee that is the oldest goeth to the graue loaden with the greatest burthen of sinnes If a man grow dayly in debt and behind hand we say he hath a good turne when God hath taken him soorth of the world how much more should we thinke him happie who is by death deliuered from running further into the debts of sin Rom. 3.19 whereby he is brought into the Lords danger These euils are great which long life bringeth vpon vs but besides it keepeth good things from vs and vs from good things For we know that whilest we are at home in the body 2. Cor. 5.6 we are absent from the Lord. The desire of long life makes vs forget eternall life and the hope thereof causeth the neglect of our preparation to death for whilest euery one thinks he may liue yet a little longer hee perswades himselfe that hee hath time enough to repent Is not he a foolish souldier that would haue the warres rather prolonged then ended that he may haue the trophees of victorie Now our life being a warfare and the day of our death the day of honour and triumph is there not iust cause that they which haue receiued the first fruite of the spirit Rom. 8. should sigh for their ful and final redemption But this being the vanitie of long life all those world-louers are iustly taxed who like the Israelites would make a Canaan of Aegypt and heauenly mansions of this earthly habitation being loth to forsake it though they be subiect to a thousand inconueniences in it But as those that are much giuen to wine will not stick to drinke the lees so those that loue this world and life too well will rather embrace old age with all the preiudices thereof then leaue it What is there in this life to be desired and if there were any thing yet what is that to the life to come To say the most for long life say that the Lord offereth vs two iewels the one base and temporall the other excellent and eternall is it not extreame folly to preferre the temporall before the eternall And such is the folly of those which preferre long life in this world before eternall life in the world to come But what is it not lawfull to desire long life surely yes with that condition implyed in Dauids prayer Psal 30.9 Shall the dust giue thanks vnto thee If thou desire to glorifie God by liuing long then mayest thou desire it and so doing mayest haue great hope to obtaine it CHAP. 3. SEC 1. A view of those externall vanities which are called the goods of Fortune and first of Nobilitie WHen Dalilah would betray Sampson into the hands of the Philistims Iudg. 16.6 shee intreateth him to tell her wherein his great strength lay knowing that if once the same were weakened hee might easily be vanquished Euery souldier that can approch to the standard or come neare the Generall will preasse hard and aduenture with daunger to encounter them considering that the one being the eye the other the voyce of the armie in their victorie consisteth the glorie of the conquest The like course haue I thought good to take in this spiritual warfare for being to encounter the combined forces of the minde the bodie and of Fortune I first assayed to set vpon the ornaments of the minde afterwards assaulted the armado of the bodie which being like the lockes of Sampson and the Captaine and standard-bearer of the armie thou shalt finde foyled and slaine except thy heart yeeld balme to cure them and their fires quenched vnlesse thy affections send foorth oyle to kindle them And now by Gods grace I will encounter the stragling and vnranged forces of Fortune And first I wil beginne with Nobilitie a meere externall good which happeneth vnto men in their birth onely through their auncestors worthinesse Those that are stict in the decyphering and blazing of gentrie account none noble but such as are remoued a third degree froÌ„ ignobilitie Nam genus proauos quae non fecâ—mus ipsi Viâ—ea nostra voco Ouâ—â— Met. lib. 13. holding absurdly that the auncestors can giue that they haue not and decking fondly the naked and new borne babe with the plumes of his progenitors If descents make nobilitie how cometh it to passe then that many of most ancient families haue lost their generositie by antiquitie whilest wealth the nurse of Nobilitie hath fayled But thus indeed they make Nobilitie like the shippe that brought home the youth of Greece which was peeced with sundrie plankes that at last it had nothing of that matter whereof it was made I haue read a pleasant storie of a great Prince who standing much vpon these vanities was perswaded by one which knew how to fit his humor that his noble pedegree might be deduced from Noahs arke wherewith when he being much affected did wholly addict himselfe to the searching foorth of that his ieaster told him that his endeuour therein would be nothing honourable to him for if you fetch your pedegree from Noahs ark quoth he my selfe and other such simple fellowes as I am who now reuerence you as a god shall prooue your poore kinsmen a worthy reproofe of a proud conceit and a fond enterprise If there be any that stand vpon these tearmes it will not be hard to fetch his originall sixteene hundred yeares beyond the time of the floud euen from Adam but with like inglorious successe for in him through a trecherous rebellion against his God hee shall finde his bloud so stained that all the men and Angels in heauen and earth are not able to restore it If vertue were deriued by propagation as vice is and if parents could as well impart vnto their children their prowesse as their pollution Nobility were an ornament of most honourable respect but seeing that as the deadly hemlocke groweth in the fertile ground and rich ore is digged foorth of the barren soyle so vertuous and honourable children many times proceed from meane parentage and base and ignoble descend from honorable progenitors And seeing that vertue the onely foundation of true Nobilitie is an acquisit and diuinely instilled habit Nobilitas sola est atque vnica virtus there is no reason that noblenesse of birth should be so priced as it is It is not the descent in birth but the liuing vertuously
grace and eclipses of godlinesse but when prosperitie hath filled and furnished them with the abundance of temporal blessings De verb Domini Ser. 13 in fine So that Augustines saying is true It is a point of great valour to contend with felicitie and great happinesse not to be ouercome of prosperitie Now if prosperitie worke not this preiudice yet will she be flâ—tting and flying away before a man can imagine and is therefore fitly compared to the sea which euen now is calme but by and by rough and tempestuous with mighty waues and billowes Ionas when hee is flying from the Lord and flinching in his businesse goeth downe to Iapho finds a shippe readie to go to Tharshish payeth the fare and goeth downe into the shippe hitherto Ionas had prosperous successe and all things fell out to his mind But it was not long before the Lords Pursiuant a mightie wind arrested him and caused him to be arraigned and condemned by the Lords verdite in the silent lots and to be cast into the sea by his owne sentence so fareth it with many which for a while haue good successe in their affaires and sayle pleasantly in the voyage of this life but ere long aduersitie layeth hold vpon them and casteth them into the surging seas of infinite calamities The corne that is too ranke is soone lodged the boughes of a tree being ouerloden are quickly broken and the ship ouerballanced is quickly drowned so the prosperous estate is very much subiect to ruine and subuersion When Dauid saw the prosperitie of the wicked hee wondered at it Psal 73 1â— 18. but at last hee learnes in the Lords sanctuarie that they are set in slippery places they stand as it were vpon ice which yeeldeth no sure footing What madnesse then is it for any man to waxe insolent because the world laughes vpon him considering that shee is readie so quickly to turne her countenance and to change her fauours into frownes When thou seest a man running speedily vpon an high and daungerous rocke doest thou not rather pittie him then thinke him happie Such furely is the case of that man whom prosperitie hath aduanced exceeding daungerous If therefore it hath pleased the Almightie to prosper thy wayes be not high minded but feare The warie mariner that saileth safely in calme windes will haue all things ready against a tempest so should the discreete Christian in the time of prosperitie prepare the shield of patience against the day of aduersitie and remember Greg. Mor. lib. 5. cap. 1. initio that holy men as one saith when they flourish and prosper are touched with a godly iealousie lest they should receiue all the fruites of their labours here in this world Almost euery man will pray hard in the day of aduersitie but thou hadst neede to double thy prayers in the time of prosperitie for by it do most men fall But happie is that man whose prosperitie is a spurre to pietie SECT 3. Of riches ALthough the earth which denieth not to men things needefull Sen. de Benefic lib. 7. cap. 10. hath hidden from them riches because they are hurtful and though Nature hath so subiected gold and siluer that man should trample them vnder his feete and hath giuen him a countenance erected to heauen that hee should not cast his eies vpon these base things but lift them vp to better yet such is the corrupt condition of mankind that he moiles and toyles in digging and deluing this hurtfull gold and siluer and peruerting the course both of nature and grace fixeth his eyes and his heart vpon riches and trampleth vnder the feete of a base estimation those celestiall things which hee should hold most deare and precious Are there not some like the Emperor Caligula Sueton. in vita Calig cap. 42. who was so delighted to touch and handle money that laying great heapes of gold in a spacious place he would tread on it barefooted and sometimes tumble himselfe in it Sure I am if none imitate him in that ridiculous practise that there are many that thirst after it as greedily scrape it together as eagerly and locke it vp as carefully as may be But if a man would behold the vncertaintie the insufficiencie or the miserie depending vpon riches hee could not chuse being not extreamely besotted with them but contemne and condemne the same as meere vanities 1 Wilt thou cast thine eyes vpon that which is nothing saith Salomon Prou. 23.5 for riches betaketh her selfe to her wings like an Eagle which flyeth away very strongly and therfore the forme of money agreeth well with the condition of it Aug. in Psa 83. for it is stamped round because it is so apt to runne from a man How many thousand examples may histories and experience affoord of men exceeding rich brought to extreame pouertie yea and that fometimes very speedily And therefore might the Apostle very fitly call them vncertaine riches â— Tim. 6.17 For as in a wheele the spoke that now is vpward Chrys Ser. de curahab prox is by and by downward so commeth it to passe that he which is now rich doth shortly become poore Fire theeues warres and infinite causes there are of consuming riches and impouerishing their possessors though they had euen millions mountaines of gold But suppose that contrarie to their nature they stay by a man yet cannot he stay by them but must leaue them in spite of his teeth as the Psalmist saith Psal 49.17 The rich man shall take away nothing when he dyeth neither shall his pompe follow after him Thus death makes a violent diuorce betweene the rich man and his goods when it is said vnto him Thou foole Luk. 12.20 this night shal they take away thy soule The rich man sleepes saith Iob very elegantly and when he openeth his eyes there is nothing Iob. 27.19 It fares with a rich man at his death as it doth with a sleeping man when hee wakes out of his dreame A man that dreames of the finding or fruition of some rich bootie is wonderfull glad yet when hee awaketh hee findeth nothing but seeth it was onely a dreame and he is sorie so the rich man seemed in the time of his life to haue somewhat but at the day of his death all vanisheth like the Idea of a dream and it vexeth him Eccles 5.15 This is an euill sicknesse saith Salomon that a man must returne naked as he came and it is an ordinarie sicknesse not to be cured by all the physicke in the world When the Preacher hath shewed the vanitie of riches because they vanish thus he offereth this point to our consideration And what profite hath the rich man that he hath laboured for the wind Would you not thinke him a foole or a mad man that should go about to hold the wind and such doth Salomon note to be the folly and madnesse of him which labours and indeuors to hold his wealth 2
health strength and at last doe vtterly depriue men of them And as the Fuller with raising of the nappe and shearing of the cloth makes it weare soft and seemely but withall sooner then it wold be so do pleasures raise vp the nap of the spirits yeelding present content but withall bring olde age and death before their time 3 As pleasures do hurt the bodie so do they annoy and infect the soule They are like thorns in hindering the growth of godlinesse Luk. 8.14 like Syrens in lulling men asleepe in sinne and securitie Whilest Sampson slept vpon Dalilahs lappe Iud. 16. his lockes were shaued off and his eyes put out so when pleasure hath lulled men asleepe she will shaue off the lockes of grace and besot the soule with a spirituall blindnesse 4 But Saint Peter speakes of a further and farre more daungerous fruite of pleasure when hee saith that those which haue bene ledde with sensualitie 2. Pet. 2.13 shall receiue the wages of vnrighteousnesse And what that is it appeareth in Abrahams speech to Diues Luk. 16.25 Sonne remember that thou in thy life time receiuedst thy pleasures non thou art tormented So that the intollerable torments of hell are the reward of pleasures yea the more the pleasures the greater the torments for the Lord doth weigh out his iudgements according to the measure of mens vanities Reu. 18.7 So much as she hath liued in pleasure so much giue you to her torment and sorrow This is a meditation very meete for these dayes of voluptuousnesse for now is the Apostles Prophesie fulfilled In the last daies men shall be louers of pleasures more then louers of God 2. Ti. 3.1.4 I knowe there is scarcely such a miscreant but hee will in this behalfe indeuour to iustifie himself but when the Preachers of Gods word being the Lords Ambassadours beseech men in his name yet they cannot perswade them to forsake any pleasures is it not euident that they loue their pleasures more then they loue God Men that liue pleasantly seeme to liue happily but indeede their life is miserable and their condition lamentable The sweete and Christall riuer runnes pleasantly as it were sporting it selfe winding and turning his siluer streames vp and downe by many a faire and goodly meadowe a great while but at last it fals into the salt sea and there loseth his sweetnesse and becomes brackish so many wicked men which for a while doe turne and winde themselues vp and downe through the medowes of pleasure and bath themselues in the transitorie blisse of this world do at last fall into the mouth of hell and there lose all the sweetnes of their pleasures and find nothing but the brackishnesse of paines eternall Aul. Gel. lib. 1. cap. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how much that was the learned agree not as Pet. Mosel in Aul. Gel. sheweth When Lais that famous Curtisan of Corinth asked Demosthenes a great sum of mony to lye with her one night he answered her wisely That he would not buy repentance at so deare a rate Consider then deare Christian that the price of pleasure is not onely the infirmitie of bodie and anguish of soule but of eternall paines and torments in hell are not all the pleasures in the world though thou mightest enioy them tenne thousand ages too deare to be bought at such a price we reade that king Lysimachus being constrained through thirst Plutar. Apoth to yeeld his kingdome to the Scythians when he had drunk the cold water said O good God for what a small pleasure haue I lost so great a kingdome Beleeue me if thou giue thy selfe to pleasure to thy soules daunger though thou draw it foorth as Salomon did yet when it is vanished thou wilt say O good God what endlesse torments am I subiect to and what a glorious kingdome haue I lost for trifling and momentanie pleasures Doe with thy pleasures rather as Dauid did with the water brought him by his Worthies whereof he wold not drinke but powred it foorth saying O Lord 1. Sam. 23. be it farre from mee that I should do this is not this the bloud of these men If pleasures offer themselues in neuer so glorious a shape to allure thee let neither thy hands touch them nor thy hart tast them but powring them foorth say with thy selfe O Lord be it farre from me that I should yeeld to these pleasures are they not the price of my soule This if thou shalt doe the Lord will yeelde thee heauenly delights in stead of earthly Psal 36.9 thou shalt be satisfied with the fatnesse of his house and he will giue thee drinke out of the riuers of his pleasures SECT 10. Of Friends and Friendship ALthough nothing bee more consonant and contenting to the nature of man then societie whereupon hee therefore hath his name homo of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Scaliger de causis ling. Lat. Vt Cic. de Amic yea although the vse of friendship were as frequent and necessarie as the Elements yet may this benefite of friendship be also raunged very iustly in the Catalogue of vanities Salomon describeth a friend thus Pro. 17.17 A friend loueth at all times if he onely be a friend who loueth at all times how few true friends are there For the most are like the swallow which sings merrily with vs all the sommer but bids vs farewell towards winter Many will willingly accompanie their friends while they saile safely with a pleasant wind but when the tempest of danger or trouble ariseth they will quickly flinch and forsake them A friend is counted another selfe but most frends in time of need will giue a man leaue to trust to himselfe Das nihil dicis Candide 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mart. lib. 2. It is a common thing to say All things are common among friends when nothing is communicated and I am wholly yours is soone said but seldome seene Doth the whole world yeelde one Damon or Pythias one Pilades or Orestes No a faithfull friend is a Phoenix The Philosophers said ingeniously Arist Cicero Hieron ad Paulin. that affinitie in manners and conditions should be the foundation of friendship and the auncient Father diuinely Ambros de Offic. lib 3. That the feare of God and loue of his word should be the glue to knit men together in the league of true loue but profit pleasure vanitie and iniquitie is the foundation glue that vnites most When friendship is once begun is it not kept on foote by flattery for the imperious nature of man being impatient of reproofe and aduise it is thought good rather to sooth and claw then to fall to iarres So that most men become like the Iuie to the tree and the beare bind to the wheat which clippe them till they haue killed them And such friends as these when oportunitie is offred proue faithlesse and trecherous killing where they kissed
vanities with the ingrediences of his fauour that they may bee holesome or at the least harmelesse receipts vnto his children so doth he season and sauce them to the reprobate with the powder of his curses that they may become their bane and poisoÌ„ they are cursed in the towne and in the field Deut. 28. cursed in their comming in and going out cursed in their goods and in their grounds cursed in their soules and in their bodies So that herein they resemble miserable Ierusalem Esa 1. which from the sole of the foote to the crowne of the head had nothing whole For in euery place euery time euery action and in euery respect they are accursed and this accursed estate is an entrance to that dreadfull curse which shall be cast vpon them at the last day Mat. 25.41 Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire 2 When the prodigall child went astray he was brought to this extremitie that he fed vpon Acornes with the hogges and being pinched with penurie said How many hired seruants at my fathers house haue bread enough Luk. 15. and I dye for hunger Lo this is the condition of euery dissolute sinner when he goeth astray and hath spent his patrimonie of grace in lewd liuing Sathan giues him the husks of sinne to feede vpon and he taketh repast with those base creatures whose beastly life he doth imitate and though he liue a natural life yet being a stranger froÌ„ the life of God Ephes 4.18 his life is but a miserable death In this respect was the Lords threatning to Adam fulfilled Gen. 2.17 In that day thou eatest of the tree of knowledge thou shalt dye the death For Adam in the day of his disobedience entred into the gates of eternall death which had opened receiued and swallowed him had not the most blessed seede of the blessed woman rescued him 1 Tim. 5.6 And the Apostle saith that she which liueth in pleasures is dead while she liueth like a man conuicted and condemned though his execution be deferred For he that beleeueth not is condemned alreadie Ioh. 3.18 So that it may be said to euery impenitent sinner as the Lord said to Abimelech Gen. 20.3 Thou art but a dead man And this death is an earnest-penny of the second death Reu. 10.6 3 The wicked and vngodly are not onely the Lords laughing stocke Psal 2. but sinnes slaues and Sathans drudges also For they are in the snare of the diuell 2. Tim. 2.26 of whom they are taken prisoner at his pleasure Rom. 6.16 Know you not that to whomsouer you giue your selues seruants to obey his seruants ye are to whom ye obey whether it be of sin vnto death or of obedience vnto righteousnesse Io. 8.33.34 When our Sauiour perswaded the Iewes to sticke to the truth whereby they might be made free they poore soules stood vppon their supposed priuiledges of being the children of Abraham when they were the seruants of sinne and Sathan And how many thousands are there in the world which weare the diuels liuerie yet professe theÌ„selues the Lords seruants which exercise their toungs in speaking of heauen but haue their feete standing in hell Doe wee not pitie the Israelites when we reade of their thraldome vnder Pharao Alas this thraldome and slauerie of men vnder Sathan is much more lameÌ„table and may iustly cause the seruants of God to wish that their head were a fountaine of teares to bewaile the slauerie of seduced souls Saint Paul cals the day of temptation the euill day Ephes 6.13 Oh how many euill dayes haue many in the world whose whole life is nothing but impietie and profanenesse Iacob said to Pharao Few and euill haue the dayes of my pilgrimage bene Gen. 47. but they may say Many and euill haue the dayes of our slauerie bene whilest they haue bene Sathans seruants who will taske them in his workes of wickednesse like Pharao the tyrant and giue them no libertie to worship and serue their God 4 The wayes of the wicked are darknesse saith Salomon Prou. 4.19 and in this respect doth their life also consort with hell the kingdome of darknesse Mat. 8.12 and Sathan the Prince of darknesse And in this kingdome of darknesse their estate is miserable like theirs of whom the Prophet Dauid speaketh Psa 107.10 They dwell in darknesse and in the shadow of death being fast bound in miserie and iron For the bands of Sathan and the darknesse of their hellish life do farre exceede the miserie of all corporall bands and darkenesse whatsoeuer Thus whilest the wicked are straungers from the life of God and exposed to his curse whilest they are the slaues of Sathan and prisoners of the infernall kingdome of darkenesse whilest their words and deeds and thoughts do all sauour of hell they haue in part taken possession of that habitatioÌ„ which they shall one day fully fearefully and finally enioy Loe then this is the estate and condition of all those that haue sold themselues to work wickednesse though in the world they haue a name that they liue yet are they dead Reu. 3.1 like the Church of Sardis though they thinke themselues in Dothan yet if they had grace to lift vp their eyes they should perceiue themselues in the midst of Samaria 1. King 6. and thogh in the outward view they seeme with Capernaum to be lifted vp to heauen Mat. 11 22 yet behold they are in the confines of hell and whereas the godly haue their liues hid with Christ in God Col. 3.3 they haue their liues locked vp in Sathans custodie Psal 37.1 Fret nâ—t thy selfe because of the vngodly neither be thou enuious for the euill doers saith the Psalmist Me thinkes it should be an easie matter to disswade any man from enuying them who are rather to be pitied because they are set in slipperie places for they stand as it were on the pit brinke of hell readie euery hower to slip into it and to be swallowed vp of it Consider then deare Christian thy estate wherein thou standest if thou be giuen ouer to sinne and iniquitie remember that thou art the diuels slaue and thy foote standeth at the mouth of hell Now is the Prophets exhortation needfull Turne you Ezec. 33.11 Rom. 6.12 turne you for why will you dye Let not sinne raigne in thy mortall bodie but if thou haue striken handes with sinne shake hands with it for a farewell shunne it and abhorre it as thou wouldest flie from a serpent indeuour to amend thy estate that thou mayest be no longer a slaue of sinne a captiue to Sathan nor a companion with the damned but that by bâ—eaking off thy sinnes by righteousnesse Dan. 4.24 thou mayest be a fellow Citizen with the Saints and one of the houshold of faith and loe the holy Angels shall reioyce at thy conuersion SECT 2. The second steppe into hell which is
their prolonged life and cursing their societie who happely haue bene with him companions in iniquitie To forgoe his wealth it will be a death and to remember how that he hath damned his soule for scraping it together it will be a hell to him Now doth death lay siege to the castell of the bodie and dischargeth an hundred Canons of calamities vpon the same conuulsions feauers aches and infinite paines which disquiet the bodie distract the minde vexe the patient and grieue the beholders making the one to burst foorth many times into blasphemies causing the other in compassion to shed plentie of teares and at last it dischargeth a volley of pangs which euen breake the heart strings and separate those old friends the Soule and the Bodie Then comes in the conscience with her book of accompts and she shewes many old reckonings and arrerages she will tell the sicke man of his sinnes which he hath committed of the commandements which he hath contemned of the time that he hath vainely consumed of the dishonors done to God the wrongs to men and iniuries to himselfe the frailty of his youth the folly of his riper yeares and the iniquitie of his whole life then would hee keepe the commaundements of God but it is not permitted then would he redeeme the time mis-spent but hee cannot be suffered then would he faine deferre the time of his accounts but it will not bee graunted Iob. 13.26 Thou writest bitter things against me saith Iob and makest me possâ—sse the sinnes of my youth The Lord by his chastisements will shew that he remembreth sinne and by inflicting the same will bring mens sinnes to their cogitations and make the remembraunce thereof more bitter vnto them then gall and wormewood their sinnes which were their companions to play with them will now be an enemie to plague theÌ„ that which was a foxe to deceiue them will become a wolfe to deuoure them that which was like an angell to tempt them will now be as a diuell to torment them Now to aggrauate these calamities doth Sathan set in foote for when death layeth siege to the bodie then doth he most eagerly assault the soule and his manner is to bestirre himselfe exceedingly Reu. 12.12 when hee sees that he hath but a short time He will make heauie sinne seem light that so he may bring men to presumption or the light sinnes heauie that soe hee may driue them to desperation In the middest of all these dolours and distractions the distressed soule thinkes vpon the nearenesse of his accompt to be made Greg. mor. lib. 24. c. 17 and by how much nearer the iudgement approcheth by so much the more is it feared because a man shall then finde within a short time that which he cannot forgo throughout all eternitie Miserable man that thou art whose condition this is whither wilt thou flie for comfort in the middest of this distresse If thou looke vpon thy wealth it will be a corasiue to thy soule if thou behold thy friendes they stand weeping about thee if thou haue recourse to thy conscience it is tormenting within thee life that thou louedst so well biddes thee farewel and death that thou hatedst most extreamely salutes thee yea hell it selfe gapeth for thee and the diuels are readie to torment thee The onely refuge to a poore soule in this distresse is the recourse to Gods mercie but what hope can the wicked haue therein at the day of their death Rom. 2.4 who haue despised the riches of his bountifulnesse and patience and long suffering in the time of their life Now thinkes the dying man Oh if I might liue still how would I bestirre my selfe in working forward my saluation What cost what paines and care would I bestow and take to escape this horror of soul But all these good motions come too late Cum vult improbus c. Aug. For the wicked when he would he cannot because that when he might he would not Now is it too late to crie Oh that I might dye the death of the righteous Num. 23. when a man hath neglected to liue the life of the righteous This is the true president of a wicked mans will and testament consisting of three principall points his goods he bequeathes to his Executors because he cannot carie them with him his bodie and bones he leaues to the wormes and rottennesse and they will consume them his soule goes to the diuell and he will torment it This indeed he would not haue so but it is his will against his will Behold here then we see a maine difference between the godly and the wicked in that the day of death is a comicall Catastrophe to the one but a tragicall conclusion to the other In this life there is the same condition to the godly the wicked Eccles 9.2 yea happely worse to the godly then the wicked but at their death it fareth with them as it doth with the dogge and the dere For as the dogge which in his life time is cherrished at his death is cast to the crowes but the dere which is chased and pursued in the time of his life when he dyeth is carefully brought home and dressed so the wicked which liue pleasantly in their life are at their death cast foorth into the place of darkenesse but the godly who are pursued and persecuted in their life are caried at the day of their death by the blessed Angels into Abrahams bofome Luk. 16.22 This being the fruite of sinne it should be a reason to restraine vs from the same It is straunge to see how preposterous our courses are the most presume of Gods mercie in their life time that they may sinne the more securely and in death they feare his iustice lest they be condemned but they should feare his iudgements in the time of their life and then may they reioyce in his mercie at the day of their death To conclude then the conclusion of mans life let all the wicked that celebrate their birth dayes with mirth and festiuitie celebrate the day of their death with feare and sorrow for a wo belongs to them that haue had their consolation in this world Luk. 6. And if it happen also that there be no bands in their death neither in the paines of the bodie nor the vexatioÌ„ of soule their case is yet the more lamentable because there remaines the more punishment hereafter But let the wicked forsake his waies Esa 55.8 and the vngodly his owne imaginations and turne to the Lord in true and heartie repentance and let all those that would haue comfort in the day of their death be carefull to leade a sanctified life alwaies remeÌ„bring that commonly such a life such a death Qualis vita finis ita Aug ad Dioscor and as death leaues a man so the last iudgement shall find him CHAP. 2. SECT I. The first steppe of the wicked into hell at the day