Prophet in the first place doth furnish the people of GOD before hand with a strong counter comfort and cordiall against their faintings in the furnace of affliction we may thence be instructed that DOCT. It is an holy wisdome and happy thing to treasure up comfortable provision against the Day of calamity It is good counsell and a blessed course to store up comfort against the evill Day He that gathereth in Summer saith Salomon is a sonne of understanding But he that sleepeth in Harvest is a sonne of confusion Prov. 10. 5. If not by an immediate sense yet by a warrantable analogy and good consequent this Place will beare this Paraphrase That man which now in this faire and seasonable Sun-shine of his gracious visitation is lull'd asleepe with the Syren-songs of these sensuall times upon the lap of pleasure swims downe the temporizing torrent of these last and lewdest daies with full saile of prosperity and ease against the secret wasts and counter-blasts as it were of a reclaiming conscience as thousands do to their utter undoing for ever mis-spends his golden time and many goodly opportunities of gathering spirituall Manna in grasping gold gathering wealth growing great greatning his posterity clasping about the arme of flesh satisfying the appetite and serving himselfe In a word he that while it is called To day turnes not on Gods side and by forwardnesse and fruitfulnesse in His blessed waies treasures up comfort and grace against his ending houre shall most certainly upon his bed of death and illumination of conscience find nothing but horrible confusion and feare extremest horrour and insupportable heauinesse of heart his soule must presently downe into the kingdome of darknesse and bottome of the burning lake there to lie everlastingly in tempestuous and fiery torments the sting and strength whereof doth not onely surpasse the pens and tongues of Men and Angels but the very conceipt of those that suffer them which if a man knew he would not endure one houre for all the pleasures of ten thousand worlds His body the pleasing and pampering whereof hath plunged him into such a sea of calamity and woe must descend into the house of death an habitation of blacknesse and cruelty lie downe in a bed of dust and rottennesse covered with wormes guarded and kept full sure by the Prince and powers of darknesse unto the judgement of the great Day and then the whole man must become the woful object of the extremity and everlastingnesse of that fiercest and unquenchable wrath which like infinite rivers of brimstone will feed upon his soule and flesh without remedie ease or end But that happy man which in the short summers day of his miserable and mortall life gathers grace with an holy greedinesse plies the noble trade of Christianity with resolution and vndauntednesse of spirit against the boisterous current and corruptions of the times growes in godlinesse GODS favour and fruits of good life purchases and preserves though with the losse of all earthly delights peace of conscience one of the richest treasures and rarest jewels that euer illightened and made lightsome the heart of man in this world I say that man though never so contemptible in the eyes of the worldly wise though never so scornfully trod upon and overslowne by the tyranny and swelling pride of those ambitious selfe-flattering Giants who like mighty winds when they have blustered a while breathe out into naught shall most certainly upon his dying-bed meet with a glorious troupe of blessed Angels ready and rejoycing to guard and conduct his departing Soule into his Masters joy His body shal be preserved in the grave by the all-powerfull providence as in a Cabinet of rest and sweetest sleepe perfumed by the buriall of our blessed SAVIOVR untill the glorious appearing of the great GOD. And then after their joyfullest re-union they shall both be filled and shine thorow all eternity with such glory and blisse which in sweetnesse and excellency doth infinitely exceed the possibility of all humane or Angelicall conceipt Thus you see in short what a deale of confusion that miserable man heapes up for his precious Soule against the Day of wrath which spends the span of his transitory life after the waies of his owne heart and how truly he is a sonne of understanding who in the few and evill daies of short abode upon earth treasures up grace and spirituall riches against the dreadfull winter night of death For I would have you understand that by comfortable provision I meane not Lands livings or large possessions I meane not wealth or riches Alas These will not profit in the day of wrath Prov. 11. 4. They certainly make themselves wings and in our greatest need will flie away as an Eagle toward heaven Prov. 23. 5. I meane not silver or gold they shall not be able to deliver in the Day of the Lords wrath Zeph. 1. 18. Will he esteeme thy riches no not gold nor all the forces of strength Iob 36. 19. I meane not top of honour or height of Place this without religion serves onely to make the downfall more desperate and remarkable They are rais'd on hie saith the very Poet that their ruine may be more irrecoverable But what do I meddle with the Poet the Prophet is plaine and peremptory against the pride of ambition Thy terriblenesse hath deceived thee and the pride of thine heart O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rocke that holdest the height of the hill Though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the Eagle I will bring thee downe from thence saith the Lord Ier. 49. 16. I meane not the arme of flesh or Princely favours Assuredly that man which gratifies great Ones to the wounding of his conscience by the formall slavery of basenesse and insinuation or any ill offices of ambitious servitude in feates of irreligious policy in justice cruelty turning Turk and traitour to those that trusted him c. shall at last receive no other recompence of such abhorred villany when divine vengeance begins to take him in hand than that which justly fell upon Iudas in the extremity of his anguish and sorrow from the chiefe Priests and Elders Matth. 27. 4. If ever great men or earthly Potentates did take their slattering slaves out of the hands of GOD at that highest Tribunall or were able to free a guilty soule from eternall flames it were something to grow rich and rise by vile accommodations and serving their turne in the meane time But such a man sâ—…all certenly in the day of his last and greatest need be cast with horrible confusion of spirit and 〈◊〉 griefe of heart upon Wolsies rufull complaint and cry out when it is too late Had I beene as carefull 〈◊〉 serve the GOD of heaven as my great Master on earth he had neuer left me in my gray haires Favours of greatnesse may follow a man in faire weather and shine upon his face with goodly hopes and expectation of great
experience of His all sufficiency extraordinary exercise of faith sweeter taste in the Promises closer cleaving to the Word clearer sight of divine excellencies heartier longing for heavenly joyes c. One drop of which spirituall refreshing deawes distilling upon the soule even in greatest outward distresse one glimpse of such glorious inward joyes shining from the face of the Sun of salvation into the saddest heart in the darkest dungeon doth incredibly surpasse all the comfort which wife children wealth or in a word any worldly good or mortall greatnesse can possibly yeeld 4. Or in posterity by a very remarkable if not miraculous providence and care for them Consider for this purpose that GOD-fearing Prophet 2 Kings 4. who upon the matter and in the true meaning denied himselfe and forsooke all for GODS sake For he doth so also who preferres the glory of GOD the Gospell the cause of CHRIST and keeping of a good conscience before any or all earthly things holding fast unfainedly a resolution if he be put to it and times require really and actually to leave all for CHRIST This good man might have applied himselfe to the present served the times sought the Court and sate at Iezabels Table with her other temporizing trencher-chaplaines But it is said in the Text that he feared the LORD and so disdained and abhor'd to gaine by humouring greatnesse to grow rich and rise by basenesse and flattery And therefore did chuse rather to die a begger to leave his wife in debt and expose his children to the bondage of cruell creditours than any waies to make ship-wracke of a good conscience or consent and concurre to the adulterating of GODS sincere and purer worship But mark what followes rather than the wife and children of such a man who preferred GODS glory before his owne preferment shall suffer want they must be relieved by a miraculous supply as appeares in the story 5. Or in good name which is rather to be chosen than great riches saith Salomon For instance compare together Bradford and Bonner The name of that blessed man shall be of most deare and glorious memory to all that love our LORD IESVS CHRIST in sincerity untill His second comming and it is like we shall looke upon him and the rest of that royall Army of Martyrs in Queene Maries time with thoughts of extraordinary sweetnesse and love in the next world thorow all eternity But now the remembrance of that other fellow who like a bloud-thirsty Tyger made such horrible havocke of the Lambs of CHRIST shal be had in a most abhorred execrable and everlasting detestation The name of the fore-named noble Marquesse who left and and lost all with a witnesse for the Gospels sake shall be infinitely more honoured of all honest men so long as any one heavenly beame of GODS eternal truth shall shine upon earth than his uncles Paul the fourth or all that Rope of Popes from the first rising to the finall ruine of that Man of sinne Nay theirs shall rot everlastingly but his shall re-flourish with sweetnesse and fresh admiration to the worlds end 2. That to die is but to be once done and if we erre in that one action we are undone everlastingly And therefore have thine end ever in thine eye Let all our abilities businesses and whole being in this life let all our thoughts words actions referre to this one thing which as it shall be well or ill ended is attended either with endlesse plagues or pleasures with eternity of flames or felicity 3. That thou maist looke upon thy last bed tobe full sorely terribly assaulted by the king of feare accompanied with all his abhorred horrours and stinging dread by the fearefull sight of all thy former sinnes arrayed and armed in their grisliest formes and with their fieriest stings with the utmost craft and cruelty of all the powers of darknesse and the very powder-plot of the prince of hell that roaring Lion who hath industriously laboured to devoure thy soule all thy life long with the terrour of that just and last Tribunall 〈◊〉 which thou 〈◊〉 ready to passe to reckon precisely with Almighty GOD for all things done in the flesh What manner of man ought thou to be 〈◊〉 iâ—… the meane time in all holy care fore-cast and casâ—…g about to give up thine account 〈◊〉 comfort at that dreadfull houre Be so farre from deserring repentance in this Day of visitation and patting off till that time For how canst thou possibly attend so great a busines when thou art beset with such a world of wofull worke and hellish rage That â—…hou â—…hould est in this thy day like a sonne of wisdome constantly ply and improove all opportunities occasions offers every moment Ministry mercy motions of the Spirit checks of conscience corrections temptations c. To store thy selfe richly with spirituall strength against that last encounter and of highest consequence either for eternall happinesse or unconceiveable horrour 4. That thy body when the soule is gone wil be an horrour to all that behold it a most loathsome and abhorred spectacle Those that loved it most cannot now find in their hearts to looke onâ—… by reason of the griesly dâ—…formednesse which death will put upon it Downe it must into a pit of carions and confusion covered with wormes not able to wagg so much as a little finger to remoove the vermine that feed and gnaw upon its flesh and so moulder away into rottennesse and dust And therefore let us never for the temporary transitory ease pleasure and pampering of a râ—…inous and rotten carkasse bring everlasting misery upon our immortall soules Let us never for a little sensuall short and vanishing delight flowing from the three filthy puddles of the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye and the pride of life drowne both our bodies and soules in a dungeon shall I say nay in a boyling sea of fire and brimstone where we can see no banks nor feele no bottome 5. That when the soule departs this life it carries nothing away with it but grace GODS favour and a good conscience The Sun of all worldly greatnesse prosperity and joy then sets for ever Even Crownes Kingdomes Lands Livings and all earthly Possessions are everlastingly left And what will an immortall soule destitute of divine grace do then Then will that now newly-separated soule finding no spirituall store or provision laid up in this life against the evill day with an irksome and furious reflexion looke backe upon all its time spent in the flesh and beholding there nothing but abominations guiltinesse and sinne Presently awakes the never dying worme which having formerly had its mouth stopt with carnall delights and musâ—…'d up with outward mirth will now feed upon it with horrour anguish and desperare rage world without end O then let these precious deare everlasting things breath'd into our Bodies for a short abode in this Vale of teares by the
evill conscience attends the one of which eats out their heart when we expect an harvest The other seizes upon the Soule in the time of sorrow and sinks it into the lowest hell And as Men of GOD and Sonnes of Wisdome to mount our thoughts and raise our spirits and bend our affections to things above which are as farre from diminution and decay as the Soule from death and can be no more corrupted or shaken than the Seat and Omnipotency of GOD surprised For besides that they infinitely surpasse in eminency of worth and sweetnesse of pleasure the comprehension of the largest heart and expression of any Angels tongue they also out-last the dayes of heaven and run parallell with the life of GOD and line of Eternity As we see the Fountaine of all materiall light to powre out his beames and shining abundantly every day upon the world without wearinesse emptinesse or end so and incomparably more doth joy and peace glory and blisse spring and plentifully flow every moment with fresh streames from the face of the Father of Lights upon all His holy ones in heaven and that everlastingly O blessed then shall we be upon our beds of death if following the counsell of our dearest LORD who shed the most precious and warmest bloud in His heart to bring our soules out of hell we treasure ap now in the meane time heavenly hoards which will ever happily hold out a stocke of grace which never shrinks in the wetting but abides the triall of the spirit and touch-stone of the Word in all times of danger and Day of the LORD even that accurate circumspect and precise walking pressed upon us by the Apostle Eph. 5. 15. Though pestilently persecuted and plagued by the enemies of GOD in all ages And that purity which Saint Iohn makes a property of every true-hearted Professour 1 Iohn 3. 3. So much opposed and bitterly opprest by the world and yet without which none of us shall ever see the face of GOD with comfort If while it is called To Day we make our peace with His heavenly Highnesse by an humble continued exercise of repentance by standing valiantly on His side by holding an holy acquaintance at His mercifull Throne with a mighty importunity of prayer and godly conversation above by ever offering up unto Him in the armes of our Faith when he is angry the bleeding Body of His owne crucified SONNE never giving Him over or any rest untill He bepleased to register and enroll the remission of our sinnes in the Booke of Life with the bloudy lines of CHRISTS Soule-saving sufferings and golden characters of His owne eternall love If now before we appeare at the dreadfull Tribunall of the euer-living GOD and little know we whose turne is next we make our friends in the Court of Heaven the blessed Angels in procuring their joy and love by a visible constancy in the fruits teares and truth of a sound conversion The Spirit of comfort by a ready and reverent entertainment of His holy Motions and inspirations of grace the Sonne and Heire of the King of glory the Foundation and Fountaine of all our Blisse in this world and the world to come from whose meritorious bloud shed and blessed mediation arise all those flouds of mercy and favour which refresh our Soules in this vale of teares and also those unknown bottomlesse seas of pleasure peace and all unspeakable delights which will superabound and overflow with new and fresh sweetnesse for ever and ever in the Paradise of GOD. Blessed are they that ever they were borne who have already got Him their Advocate at the right hand of His Father For besides many other glorious priviledges thereby in all their exigents and extremities they may be ever welcome to the Seat of mercy and be sure to speed If a man had a suit unto the King it were a comfortable and happy thing to find a friend in Court But if the Kings speciall and choisest Favourite nay His own only Son were his Intercessour how confident would he be to prevaile and prosper to conquer his opposites and crowne his desires Why then should any poore Christian be discomforted and cast downe nay why should he not be extraordinarily raised and ravished in spirit with much joyfull hope and sweet assurance when he throwes himselfe downe at the Throne of grace sith the dearest Sonne of the eternall GOD the Heire of heaven and earth the Mediator of the great Covenant of endlesse salvation is his Advocate at the hand of His All-mighty Father in the most high and glorious Court of Heaven Wherefore when an humbled soule and trembling spirit is sore troubled and almost turned backe from his purpose of prayer and prostration at the foot of heavenly Majesty by entertaining before hand a feeling apprehension of his owne abhorred vilenesse and the holy purity of GODS all-seeing and searching eye which cannot looke on iniquity let this consideration comfort and breed confidence that IESVS CHRIST the Son of GODS love doth sollicite and tender the suit who out of His owne sense and sympathy of such like troubles and temptations doth deale for us with a true a naturall and a sensible touch of compassionatenesse and mercy Shall that blessed Saviour of ours call and cry for a pardon to His Father for those which put Him to death who were so farre from seeking unto him that they sought and suckt his bloud and shall He shut His eares against the groanes of thy grieved spirit and heavy sighes of thy bleeding soule who values one drop of His bloud at an higher price than the worth of many worlds It cannot be Thus that saying of Salomon and this counsell of CHRIST makes good the truth of the Point which may further appeare by these Reasons 1. Taking this counsell betime and hoarding up heavenly things in this harvest time of grace mightily helps to asswage the smart mollifie the bitternesse and illighten the darknesse of the evill Day It is soveraigne and serves to take the venime sting and teeth out of any crosse calamity or distresse and so preserves the heart from that raging hopelesse sorrow which like a devouring Harpie dries up dissolves and destroyes the bloud spirits and life of all those who are destitute of such a divine Antidote What vast difference may we discerne betweene Iob and Iudas David and Achitophel in the daies of evill The two men of God being formerly enriched with his favour and familiarity so behaved themselves the one in the ship-wracke of his worldly happinesse the other in the hazard of his Kingdome as though they had not beene troubled at all The LORD gave and the LORD hath taken away saith Iob when all was gone blessed be the name of the LORD If I shall find favour in the eyes of the LORD saith David He will bring me againe and shew me both it and His habitation But if He thus say I have no delight in thee behold here
things but in shipwracks even of worldly things where all sinks but the sorrow to save them or especially upon the very first tempest of spirituall distresse they steere away before the Sea and Wind leaving him to sink or swim without all possibility of helpe or rescue even to the rage of a wounded conscience and gulfe many times of that desperate madnesse which the Prophet describes Isa. 8. 21 22. He shall fret himselfe and curse his King and his GOD and looke upward And he shall looke unto the earth and behold trouble and darknesse dimnesse of anguish and he shal be driven to darknesse By comfortable Provision therefore I meane treasures of a more high lasting and noble nature The blessings of a better life comforts of godlinesse graces of salvation favour and acceptation with the highest Majesty c. They are the riches of heaven onely which we should so hoard up and will ever hold out in the times of trouble and Day of the Lords wrath Amongst which a sound faith and a cleare conscience are the most peerlesse and unvaluable jewels able by their native puissance and infused vigour to pull the very heart as it were out of Hell and with confidence and conquest to looke even Death and the Devill in the face There is no darknesse so desolate no crosse so cutting but the splendor of these is able to illighten their sweetnesse to mollifie So that the blessed counsell of CHRIST Mat. 6. 19 20. doth concurre with and confirme this Point Lay not up for your selves treasures upon earth where moth and rust doth corrupt and where theeves breake thorow and steale But lay vp for your selves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where theeues do not breake thorow nor steale By moth and rust those two greedy and great devourers of gay clothes and glistering treasures two capitall vanities upon which worldlings dote and two greatest inchanters of mortall men are insinuated and signified unto us all those iron teeth and devouring instruments of mortality by which corruption eats into the heart of all earthly glory wasts insensibly the bowels of the greatest bravery and ever at length consumes into dust the strongest sinewes of the most Imperiall Soveraignty under the Sun Somtimes A day an houre a moment is enough to overturne the things that seemed to have been founded and rooted in Adamant The LORD of Heaven hath put a fraile and mortall nature a weake and dying disposition into all worldly things They spring and flourish and die Even the greatest and goodliest Politique Bodies that ever the earth bore though animated with the searching spirit of profoundest Policy strengthened with the resolution and valour of the most conquering commanders sighted with eagle eyes of largest depths fore-sights and comprehensions of state crowned with never so many warlike prosperities triumphs and victorious atchievements yet like the naturall Body of a man they had as it were their Infancy youthfull strength mans state old age and at last their grave We may see Dan. 2. 35. The glory and power of the mightiest Monarchies that ever the Sun saw shadowed by Nebuchadnezzars great Image sink into the dust and become like the chaffe of the Summers threshing floores upon a windy day Heare a wise and noble writer speaking to this purpose though for another purpose Who hath not observed what labour what practice perill bloud-shed and cruelty the Kings and Princes of the world have undergone exercised taken on them and committed to make themselves and their issues Masters of the world And yet hath Babylon Persia Egypt Syria Macedon Carthage Rome and the rest no fruit flower grasse or leafe springing upon the face of the earth of those seeds No their very roots and ruines do hardly remaine All that the hand of man can make is either over-turned by the hand of man or at length by standing and continuing consumed What trust then or true comfort in the arme of flesh humane greatnesse or earthly treasures What strength or stay in such broken staves of reed In the time of need the Worme of vanity will wast and wither them all like Ionahs gourd and leave our naked soules to the open rage of wind and weather to the scourges and Scorpions of guiltinesse and feare It transcends the Sphere of their activity as they say and passeth their power to satisfie an immortall soule to comfort thorow the length of eternity either to corrupt or conquer any spirituall adversaries For couldest thou purchase unto thy selfe a Monopoly of all the wealth in the world wert thou able to empty the Westerne parts of gold and the East of all her spices and precious things shouldest thou enclose the whole face of the earth from one end of heaven to another and fill this wide worlds circumference with golden heapes and hoards of pearle diddest thou in the meane time sit at the sterne and hold the reines in thine hand of all earthly kingdomes nay exalt thy selfe as the Eagle and set thy nest among the starres nay like the sun of the morning advance thy Throne even above the starres of God yet all these and whatsoever els thou canst imagine to make thy worldly happinesse compleate and matchlesse would not be worth a button unto thee upon thy bed of death nor do thee a halfe-penny-worth of good in the horrour of that dreadfull time Where did that man dwell or of what cloth was his coat made that was ever comforted by his goods greatnesse or great men in that last and sorest conflict In his wrastlings with the accusations of conscience terrours of death and oppositions of hell No no It is matter of a more heavenly metall treasures of an higher temper riches of a nobler nature that must hold out and helpe in the distresses of soule in the anguish of conscience in the houre of death against the stings of sinne wrath of GOD and last Tribunall Do you think that ever any glorified soule did gaze with delight upon the wedge of gold that tramples under foot the Sun and lookes All-mighty GOD in the face No no It is the society of holy Angels and blessed Saints the sweet Communion with its dearest Spouse that unapproachable light which crownes GODS sacred Throne the beauty and brightnesse of that most glorious Place the shining Body of the SONNE of GOD the beatificall fruition of the Deity it selfe the depth of Eternity and the like everlasting Fountaines of spirituall ravishment and joy which onely can feed and fill the restlesse and infinite appetite of that immortall Thing with fulnesse of contentment and fresh pleasures world without end Thrice blessed and sweet then is the advice of our Lord and Master IESVS CHRIST who would have us to turne the eye of our delight and eagernesse of affection from the fading glosse and painted glory of earthly treasures wherein naturally the worme of corruption and vanity ever breeds and many times the worme of an
am I let Him do to me as seemeth good unto Him But the spirits of the other two false and rotten-hearted fellowes in the time of trouble were so overtaken nay over whelmed with griefe that they both hanged themselves 2. This holy providence before hand may happily prevent a great deale of restlesse impatiency reprobate feares forlorne distractions of spirit hying to the caves crying to the mountaines bootlesse relying upon the arme of flesh Cursing their King and their GOD and looking upward roaring out with hideous groanes Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire Who among us shall dwell with the everlasting burnings c. All which desperate terrours and tumultuations of conscience are wont to surprize and seize upon unholy and unprepared hearts especially when GODS hand is finally and implacably upon them 3. And we shall hereby excellently honour and advance the glory of Profession when it shall appeare to the world and even the contrary-minded are enforced to confesse that there is a secret heavenly vigour undauntednesse of spirit and noblenesse of courage which mightily upholds the hearts of holy men in those times of confusion and feare when theirs melt away within them like water and be as the heart of a woman in her pangs Worldlings wonder and gnash the teeth hereat When they see as Chrysostome truly tels us the Christian to differ from them in this that he beares all crosses couragiously and with the wings as it were of faith out soares the height of all humane miseries He is like a Rocke incorporated into IESVS CHRIST the Rocke of eternity still erect inexpugnable unshaken though most furiously assaulted with the tempestuous waves of any worldly woe or concurrent rage of all infernall powers But all the imaginary man-hood of gracelesse men doth ever in the day of distresse either vanish into nothing or dissolve into despaire 4. Expression of spirituall strength in the time of trouble from former heavenly store is a notable meanes to move others to enter into the same good way and grow greedy after grace to draw and allure them to the entertainment and exercise of those ordinances and that One necessary thing which onely can make them bold and unmooveable like Mount Zion in the day of adversity I have knowne some the first occasion of whose conversion was the observation of their stoutnesse and patience under oppressions and wrongs whom they have purposely persecuted with extremest malice and hate So blessed many times is the brave resolute and undaunted behaviour of GODS people in the time of triall and amidst their forest sufferings that it breeds in the hearts of beholders thoughts even of admiration and love nay a desire of imitation and turning on the other side When they represent to the eye of the world their ability to passe thorow the raging flames of fiery tongues untouched to possesse their soules in peace amidst scorpions thornes and rebels to passe by basest indignities from basest men without wound or passion to hold up their heads above water in the most boisterous tempests and deepest seas of danger to triumph over all adversary power in the evill day I say by GODS blessing this may make many come in and glorifie GOD marvelling and enquiring whence such invincible fortitude and bravenesse of spirit should spring concluding with Nabuchadnezzar Surely The servants of the most high GOD. And so at length their affections may be so set on edge after the excellency and amiablenesse of IESVS CHRIST who being The mighty GOD and The Lion of the Tribe of Iudah doth alone inspire all His with such a Lion-like courage that they may seriously and savingly seek His face and favour saying with those Cant. 5. 9. What is thy Beloved more than another Beloved O thou fairest among women That we may seeke Him with thee When they behold such a deale of Majesty and miâ—…th to shine in his face whom they make the marke of all their spitefull rage and revenge their teeth with which they could have torne him in peeces may water and they industriously desire to know what that is which makes such a man so merry in all estates Vses 1. This may serve to awaken and reprove all those secure and carelesse companions who if they may enjoy present contentment and partake in the meane time of the prosperity and pleasures of the times wherein they tumble themselves with insolency luxury and ease take no thought make no provision at all against a day of reckoning provide no food against a foule day treasure up no comfort against the LORDS coming prepare no armour or aid for that last and dreadfull conflict upon their beds of death Alas poore soules Did they know and feelingly apprehend what a deale of horrour astonishment and anguish dogs them continually at the heeles ready and eager after a few daies of filthy and fugitive pleasures to seize upon them like travaile upon a woman with child suddenly unavoidably and in greatest extremity and that so intolerable that they shall never be able either to decline or endure the very weakest biting of the never-dying worme or the least sparkle of those everlasting flames they would think all the daies of their life few enow to gather spirituall strength against that fearefull houre Nay some are such cruell caitifs and Cannibals to their owne soules and so accursedly blinded by the Prince of darknesse that instead of comfortable provision they heape up wrath against the day of wrath instead of grace GODS favour and a good conscience peace joy and refreshing from the presence of the LORD they lay up scourges and Scorpions for their naked soules and guilty consciences against the time and terrour of the LORDS visitation For let them be most assured all their lies oathes rotten and railing speeches all their covetous lustfull ambitious and malicious thoughts all their swaggering and furious combinations against GODS people sensuall revellings joviall meetings c. will all When their feare commeth as desolation and their destruction commeth as a whirlewind like so many envenimed stings run into their sinfull soules and pierce them thorow with everlasting sorrow Alas What will the sonnes and daughters of pleasure do then And all those spirituall beggers and bankerupts who have greedily hunted all their life long after these mortall things of this life as if their soules had beene therein immortall and utterly neglected those things which are immortall as if their selves after the world had been but mortall What do you think wil be their thoughts upon the very first approach of the Port of death to which in the meane time all winds drive them Fullsad and heavy thoughts LORD thou knowest then at leisure enough to reflect severely upon their former folly though formerly beaten from them by their health and outward happinesse and will pay them to the uttermost for all the pleasing passages of their life past O then they shall lie upon their last beds like Wild Buls in
honours offices extraordinary advancements and royall favours into gall and wormewood And Haman told them of the glory of his riches and the multitude of his children and all the things wherein the King had promoted him and how he had advanced him above the Princes and servants of the King Haman said moreover yea Esther the Queene did let no man come in with the King unto the Banquet that she had prepared but my selfe and tomorrow am I invited unto her also with the King Yet all this availeth me nothing so long as I see Mordecai the Iew sitting at the Kings gate Whereas now David a King as I told you before by the benefit of this blessed grace did not suffer his Princely spirit to be un-calmed at all no not by the traiterous and most intolerable reviling of a dead dog and his baseft vassall 2. Keepe off thy heart from the world in the greatest affluence of wealth and worldly prosperity Earthly-mindednesse ever sharpeneth and keenes the sting in all distresses It gives teeth to the crosse to eat out the very heart of the afflicted Had not Iob beene able to have professed that in the height of his happinesse he was thus affected If I have made gold my hope or have said to the â—…ine gold Thou art my confidence If I rejoyced because my wealth was great and because my hand had gotten much Here say Divines somthing is understood as dispeream then let me perish or the like If I beheld the Sun when it shined or the Moone walking in brightnesse And my heart hath beene secretly entised or my mouth hath kissed my hand Then should I have denied the GOD that is above If I grew proud puft up or pleased my selfe with the glistering brightnesse of my earthly abundance let it be so and so with me I say except Iobs heart had beene thus wained from the world when as yet he wallowed in wealth he had never been able to hold out in the evill day and to have borne so bravely the ruine of so rich a state without repining But now churlish Nabal whose affections were notoriously nail'd to the earth though perhaps once or twice a yeare he made a joviall and frolicke feast as other cunning worldlings are wont to their good-fellow-companions upon purpose to procure and preserve a Pharisaicall reputation of bounty with some flattering dependants and for a cloke to colour their covetousnesse and cruelty yet he was of a â—…linty bosome in respect of doggednesse and extreme niggardise especially towards GODS people and his heart by excessive rooting there was turned wholly into earth and therefore in the evill day it died within him and he became as a stone To keepe off the world in a fit distance that it do thee no deadly hurt and undoe thee quite keepe still fresh and strong in thy thoughts a true estimate and right conceipt of the mutability of all things here below and thine owne mortality In their best condition and highest confluence they are but 1. Vanity We shall never â—…ind in them any solidity or that good or comfort which we still with much eager pursuit and thirst expect and labour in vaine to extract from them but upon triall and trust in them they will ever proove empty clouds broken staves of reed Appâ—…s of Sodom Wells without water And when we graspe them most greedily we embrace nothing but smoke which wrings teares from our eyes and vanisheth into nothing 2 Vexation of spirit Besides the emptinesse and absence of that imaginary felicity which we hunt after in them there is also the presence and plenty of much 〈◊〉 and hearts griese which the slaves of pleasure and lovers of the world little looke for when they at first resolve to sell their soules for such transitory trash Divitias invenisti saith one Requiem perdidisti Hast thou found riches Thou hast lost thy rest A man that will be rich takes no more rest than one upon a racke or bed of thornes like Anacreon with his five Talents still distracted with worldly thoughts and continually prickt with cares and feares 3. They cannot satisfie the soule Gold can no more fill the spirit of a man than grace his purse Betweene heaven and earth spirits and bodies soules and silver there is no proportion And therefore no earthly excellencies no carnall pleasures no worldly treasures are fit matter or a full object for such an immateriall immortall and heavenly borne-being to feed upon with any proper delight true comfort or sound contentment Not all this great materiall world or greatest masse of gold can possibly fill the mighty capacity and immeasurable appetite of this little sparke of heaven breath'd into us by the infinite power of an Almighty hand A man may as well fill a bag with wisedome as the soule with the world a chest with vertues as the mind with wealth 4. They cannot helpe in the evill day Their bloud saith the Prophet shal be powred out as dust and their flesh as the dung neither their silver nor their gold shal be able to deliver them in the day of the LORDS wrath Put a man into a pang of any painefull maladie and bodily torture as into a fit of the Stone Strangury deepe Melancholy Gout Cholicke or the like let some incurable devouring Ulcer Canker Elephantiasis the Wolfe the Plica c. take hold upon any part of his Body and let him tell me then what account he would make of all the Imperiall Crownes upon earth attended with the height and utmost of humane felicities Or what comfort could he take in the riches glory and pleasures of the whole world Or what ease and refreshing can large possessions sumptuous buildings pleasant walks princely favours dainty fare choisest delights or any thing under the Sun afford in such a case The very pricke of a needle or paine of a tooth for the time will take away the taste of all carnall contentments and pleasure of the worlds Monarchy If the LORD should let loose the cord of thy conscience and set His just and deserved wrath a worke to enkindle flames of horrour in thy heart what helpe couldest thou have in heapes of gold or hoards of wealth Remember Spira They would be so â—…rre from healing the wound or allaying the smart that they would yet more horribly afflict thy already enraged spirit and turne them even into fiery Scorpions for thy further torment Let thy last sicknesse seize upon thee and then say for the houre of death as they say is the houre of truth whether all the gold and goods in the world can any more deliver thee from the Arrest of that inexorable Serjeant than can an handfull of dust Nay whether then the extremity of thy spirituall affliction and anguish of soule will not be answerable to the former excesse of thine inordinate affection to earthly things and delights of sense Or suppose thou shouldest be
of almighty GOD with all terrible and torturing ingredients to make it most fierce and raging and a sit instrument for so great and mighty a GOD to torment everlastingly such impenitent reprobate rebels It is said to be prepared Matth. 2â—… 41. Isa. 30. 33. as if the all-powerfull wisdome did deliberate and as it were sit downe and devise most tormenting temper for that most formidable fire the one is blowne by an aiery breath the other by the angry breath of the great GOD which burnes farre hotter than ten thousand rivers of brimstone The pile thereof saith the Prophet is fire and much wood the breath of the LORD like a streame of brimstone doth kindle it What soule doth not quake and melt with thought of this fire at which the very Devils tremble There is no proportion betweene the heat of our breath and the fire that it blowes What a fearefull fire then is that which is blowne by a breath dissolved into brimstone which a great torrent of burning brimstone doth ever mightily blow If it be metaphoricall as Austin seemes some where to intimate and some moderne Divines are of mind and as the gold pearles and precious stones of the wall streets and gates of the heavenly Ierusalem Rev. 21. were metaphoricall so likewise it should seeme that the fire of hell should also be figurative And if it be so it is yet something els that is much more terrible and intolerable For as the Spirit of GOD to shadow unto us the glory of heaven doth name the most pretious excellent and glorious things in this life which notwithstanding come infinitely short so doth He intimate unto us the inexplicable paiâ—…es of hell by things most terrible and tormenting in this world fire brimstone c. which yet are nothing to hâ—…llish tortures Whether therefore it be materiall or metaphoricall I purpose not here to dispute or go about to determine neither is it much materiall for my purpose For be it whether it will it is infinitely horrible and insâ—…fferable beyond all compasse of conceipt and above the reach either of humane or Angelicall thoughts It doth not onely exceed with an incomparable disproportion â—…ll possibility of patience and resistance but also even ability to beare it and yet notwithstanding it must upon necessity be borne so long as GOD is GOD. Take in a word all that I intend to tell you in the point at this time If the severall paines of all the diseases and maladies incident to our nature as of the stone gout colicke strangury or what other you can name most afflicting the body nay and add besides all the most exquisite and unheard of tortures and if you will even those of the Spanish Inquisition which ever were or shal be inflicted upon miserable men by the bloudiest executioners of the greatest tyrants as that of him in the brazen chaire mentioned before c. and collect them all into one extremest anguish and yet it were nothing to the torment which shall for ever possesse and plague the least part of a damned body And as for the soule let all the griefes horrours and despaires that ever rent in peeces any heavy heart and vexed conscience as of Iudas Spira c. And let them all be heaped together into one extremest horrour and yet it would come infinitely short of that desperate rage and restlesse anguish which shall eternally torture the least and lowest faculty of the soule What then do you think wil be the torment of the whole body What wil be the terrour of the whole soule Here both invention of words would faile the ablest Oratour upon earth or the highest Angell in heaven Ah then is it not a madnesse above admiration and which may justly amaze both heaven and earth and be a prodigious astonishment to all creatures that being reasonable creatures having understanding like the Angels of GOD eyes in your heads to fore-see the approaching wrath hearts in your bodies that can tremble for trouble of mind as the leaves of the forrest that are shaken with the wind consciences capable of unspeakable horrour bodies and soules that can burne for ever in hell and may by taking lesse paines in the right way than a drunkard worldling or other wicked men in the wayes of death and going to hell escape everlasting paines yet will sit here still in the face of the Ministry with dead countenances dull eares and hard hearts as senslesse and unmooved as the seates you sit on the pillars you leane to and the dead bodies you tread on and never be said as they say never warn'd untill the fire of that infernall lake flame about your eares O monstrous madnesse and mercilesse cruelty to your owne soules Let the Angels blush heaven and earth be amaz'd and all the creatures stand astonished at it 3. When sentence is once irrevocably past by that high and everlasting Iudge and the mouth of the bottomlesse pit hath shut it selfe upon thee with that infinite anguish and enraged indignation thou wilt take on teare thy haire bite thy nailes gnash the teeth dig furiously into the very fountaine of life and if it were possible spit out thy bowels because having by a miracle of mercy beene blessed all thy life long in this gloriously illightened Goshen with the fairest noone-tide of the Gospell that ever the Sun saw and either diddest or mightest have heard many and many a powerfull and searching Sermon any one passage wherof if thou haddest not wickedly and wilfully forsaken thine own mercy and suffered Satan in a base and beastly maner to blindfold and baâ—…le thee might have beene unto thee the beginning of the new-birth and everlasting blisse yet thou in that respect a most accursed wretch diddest passe over all that long day of thy gracious visitation like a sonne or daughter of confusion without any piercing or profit at all and passed by all those goodly offers and opportunities with an inexpiable neglect and horrible ingratitude and so now liest drown'd and damn'd in that dreadfull lake of brimstone and fire which thou mightest have so easily and often escaped This irksome and furious reflexion of thy soule upon its owne wilfull folly whereby it hath so unnecessarily and sottishly lost everlasting joy and must now live in endlesse woe will vexe and torture more than thou canst possibly imagine continually gnaw upon thy heart with remedilesse and unconceivable griefe and in a word even make an hell it selfe O then having yet a price in thine hand to get wisdome to go to heaven lay it out with all holy greedinesse while it is called To day for the spirituall and eternall good of thy soule Improve to the utmost for that purpose the most powerfull Ministry holiest company best bookes all motions of GODS Spirit all saving meanes c. Spend every day passe every Sabbath make every prayer heare every Sâ—…imon thinke every thought speake every word do
unto him and those softned thoughts of mortality which are wont to attend these times that I may conveigh and commend them to your liking and practise with more successe and stronger impression And the first I shall commend unto you is 1. His singular integrity and honorable purpose in disposing those Ecclesiasticall Livings he had in his power And in this Point I my selfe can say more than any who tasted deepliest of his worthy dealing this way When I never sought after as it is famously knowne nor thought upon any such thing he sent for me and bestowed that which I presently enjoy most freely Which though every Patron ought proportionably to do yet the horrible corruptions abroad in the world in such cases do as it were by a kind of Antiperistasis make a duty a transcendent vertue And this was not all Though incrochments upon the Church be like the breaches of the sea a thousand to one never returne yet did he restore to a farthing all that which had a long time beene detain'd from the Church and parted with it most freely though he had as much wit and power as any other to have continued it so if he had pleas'd And I said Ecclesiasticall Livings though I instance but in one because I partly knew his purpose for the rest For he gave me himselfe this message to as worthy and reverend a man as I know unprefer'd in this Land that if he would come unto him he would give him the first that fell and for no other reason in the world but because he heard he was a reverend and worthy man Now lay these things to the practice of the times wherein there is such sinfull and Simoniacall packing together compacting secret covenanting with the party or friends for present money or after-gratifications some part of the tithes or his owne must be reserv'd to the Patron or he must be the Farmer at his owne price or pin a wife upon the sleeve of the parson as they contemptuously speake a base also and unworthy respect or the like such wretched combinations to helpe one another towards hell my disacquaintance must excuse my ignorance in the termes and then tell me if this was not a noble part in him worthy the imitation of the best I am perswaded in this Point he might be a patterne not only to all here present whom it might concerne though I looke upon the faces of some who have dealt also very nobly this way but to all the Patrons in ENGLAND Be pleas'd then you that lov'd him to tread in his steps herein and the rather because your unconscionablenesse in so high and important a point for the glory of GOD and the good of the Church may not only bring upon your owne heads your houses and posterity the curse of GOD in the meane time but also a company of poore soules cast away by reason of your corruption against you at that last and great day who will then cry out upon you before the face of GOD Angels and men that you were the men who for a little bloudy gaine put upon them an ignorant idle dissolute non resident or some way unfaithfull Minister For it is too common that those who enter corruptly deale unconscionably in their places whereby they must now perish everlastingly whereas if you had been honest and uncorrupt there had beene hope they might have liv'd in the endlesse joyes of heaven And what a vexing cry in the eares of all sacrilegious Church-robbers will that be of a damned wretch in hell when he shall complaine everlastingly that his soule had been sav'd if such a man had not been Symoniacall 2. His forbearing travell upon the Sabbath in his Circuit Whereby he wan a great deale of honour to his name over all this Kingdome prevailed in the same with others of his owne reverend ranke and by his example as hath been observ'd wan much encouragement increase and regard to religion in those Countries thorow which he past I would I might so much prevaile with you as that upon this occasion you would be content to take nearer to heart a more holy and heavenly spending of the LORDS Day Not onely in forbearing sin the workes of your calling idlenesse vaine sports this is but onely flying evill and privative good but also to ply with conscience and reverence all GODS holy Ordinances prayer reading singing of Psalmes publikely and privately the Word preached specially conference meditation and the like and to feed and satisfie your prepared and hungry soules with all that sweetnesse comfort and spirituall strength which they are wont to conveigh into humble hearts upon GODS holy Day this also is doing of good and positive piety For a thousand to one a constant keeper of the Sabbath is sound-hearted towards GOD and as great odds a common Sabbath breaker howsoever he may deceive his owne heart is in truth and triall a stranger to the power of grace and life of godlinesse 3. His patient yeelding and submission to private admonition A vertue ordinarily as farre out with great men as flattery is familiar Yet in him so as I tell you Something there was to which his private affection was very much endear'd and his reputation thereabout in the respect of the world was also entangled in some more publike engagement And yet when I in zeale and love to his soule and salvation prest upon him in private as a Minister of GOD and in the humblest manner I could tendering my reasons against his resolution after he had well thought upon 't it never went further all was dasht for ever Yet let me tell you he had formerly given me encouragement hereunto intreating me once in private to deale plainly with him And now I am griev'd at heart I did not more in this kind Now I would to GOD you would imitate him in this also especially you that are great ones Alas You 'le give the Physitian leave to tell you the diseases of your body the Lawyer to shew you any flaw that is in your state your Horse-keeper to tell you the surfets of your horse nay your Huntsman the surrances of your dogs and shall onely the Minister of GOD not tell you your soules are bleeding to everlasting death Now GOD forbid 4. His taking his high place to heart I meane his extraordinary industry and indefatigablenesse in his judiciary imployments His painefulnesse this way was wonderfull even after his last sicknesse had seaz'd upon him If I should report unto you the particulars from eye-witnesses you would marvell And I rather name and commend this unto you because the contrary is cause of great misery in a Common-wealth Oh it is lamentable when men mount into high roomes only in a bravery and vanity and desire to be ador'd above others or follow the execution of their places and administration of justice onely as a Trade with an unquenchable and unconscionable thirst of gaine which justifies the common resemblance
is a right noble and heroicall revenge which doth not onely deprive the body of temporall life but bring also the immortall soule to endlesse flames everlastingly 3. Desperate corrupt affection is strangely desperate to run headlong upon the damnation of hell for a little earthly delight if we should see a naked man in some furious moode as prodigall of his temporall life runne upon his owne sword or throw himselfe from some steep rocke or cast himselfe into some deep river and teare out his owne bowels we should censure it presently to be a very desperate part and ruefull spectacle what shall we say of him then who thorough the fury of his rebellious nature to the endlesse destruction of the life of his immortall soule doth desperatly throw himselfe upon the devouring edge of GODS fiercest indignation upon the sharpest points of all the plagues and curses in his Booke and into the very flames of everlasting fire It is a very fearefull thing to see a man bath and embrue his hands in the blood and butchery of his owne body and with his murderous blade to take away the life thereof but of how much more horrour and wofulnesse is that spectacle when a desperate wretch with the empoysoned edge of his owne enraged corruption doth cut the throat of his owne deare immortall soule so that a man may teach him all his life long by the blood thereof in the sinfull passages of his life untill at length it bee stark dead in sinnes and trespasses for how can a soule all purple red with willfull sheading its own blood looke for any part in that pretious blood of that spotles lambe Nay assuredly such bloody stubbornnes and selfe-murthering cruelty will be paid home at last by the severe revenger of such cursed desperatnesse Hee will judge such a man after the manner of them that shed their owne blood and give him the blood of wrath and of jealousie Lord it is prodigiously strange and lamentably fearefull that so noble and excellent a creature as man prince of all other earthly creatures by the priviledge of reason and enlightned with the glorious beame of understanding nature should be so furiously madded with its owne malice and bewitchedly blindfolded by the Prince which rules in the Aire as for the momentany enjoyment of some fewglorious miseries bitter-sweet pleasures heart-vexing riches or some other worldly vanity at the best desperatly and wilfully to abandon and cast himselfe from the unconceivable pleasures of its joyfull place where GOD dwels into an infinite world of everlasting woefulnesse For let a carnall man consider in a word his prodigious madnesse in this point He might not onely in this vale of teares bee possest with a peacefull heart which is an incomparable pretiousnesse surpassing all created understandings For I dare say this I know it to bee true One little glimpse of Heaven shed sometimes into the heart of a sanctified man by the saving illumination of the comforting spirit whereby he sees and feeles that in despight of the rage of divels malice of men let sin and death the grave and hell doe their worst his soule is most certainely bound by the hand of GOD in the bundle of the living and that hee shall hereafter everlastingly inhabite the joyes of eternity I say this one conceit being the immediate certificate of the spirit of truth doth infinitely more refresh his affections and affect his heart with more true sweetnesse and tastfull pleasure then all carnall delights and sensuall delicacies can possibly produce though they were as exquisite and numberlesse as nature art and pleasure it selfe could devise and to be enjoyed securely as long as the world lasts Besides this heaven upon earth and glorious happinesse even in this world he might hereafter go in arme with Angels sit downe by the side of the blessed Trinity amongst Saints and Angels and all the truly worthy men that ever lived with the highest perfection of blisse endlesse peace and blessed immortality all the joyes all the glory all the blisse which lies within the compasse of heaven should be powred upon him everlastingly and yet for all this he doth not onely in a spirituall phrensie desperately deprive himselfe and trample under foot this heaven upon earth and that joyfull rest in heaven world without end but also throwes himselfe into a hell of ill conscience here and hereafter into that hell of Devils which is a place of flames and perpetuall darknesse where there is torment without end and past imagination The day will come and the LORD knowes how soone when he will clearely see and acknowledge with horrible anguish of heart his strange and desperate madnesse See Wisd. 5. 2 c. For after the moment of a few miserable pleasures in this life be ended he is presently plunged into the fiery lake and ere he be aware the pit of destruction shutteth upon him everlastingly and if once he find himselfe in hell he knowes there is no redemption out of that infernall pit then would he think himselfe happy if he were to suffer those bitter and intolerable torments no mo thousands of yeares than there are sands on the sea shore haires on his head starres in heaven grasse piles on the ground and creatures both in heaven and earth for he would still comfort himselfe at least with this thought that once his misery would have an end but alas this word never doth ever burst his heart with unexpressible sorrow when he thinks upon it for after an hundred thousand of millions of yeares there suffered he hath as farre to suffer as he had at the first day of his entrance into those endlesse torments now let a man consider if he should lie in an extreme fit of the stone or a woman if she should be afflicted with the grievous torture of child-bed but one night though they lie upon the softest beds have their friends about them to comfort them Physitians to cure them all needfull things ministred unto them to asswage their paine yet how tedious painfull and wearisome would even one night seeme unto them how would they turne and tosse themselves from side to side telling the clocke counting every houre as it passeth which would seeme unto them a whole day What is it then think you to lie in fire and brimstone inflamed with the unquenchable wrath of GOD world without end Where they shall have nothing about them but darknesse and discomforts yellings and gnashings of teeth their companions in prophanenesse and vanity to ban and curse them the damned fiends of hell to scourge them and torment them despaire and the worme that never dies to feed upon them with everlasting horrour If carnall wretches be so desperate as wilfully to spill the bloud of their owne soules let us set light by the life of our bodies if the cruelty of the times call for it for the honour of the Saviour of our soules Let me give one instance of dangerous snares
of folly And the very same attempt as to make two parallel lines to meet You thinke yee have a reach beyond the Moone To lie in some sweete sinne and yet to nourish in your selves some hope of salvation To have two heavens one in this world and another in the world to come which was never heard of to weare two crownes of joyes whereas IESVS CHRIST himselfe had the first of thornes But alas Beloved if you be saved in this condition you must have a new Scripture and there must bee found out another way to heaven then any of the Saints ever went since the Creation or shall doe to the end of the world And therefore we may say of you as Quintilian some where of some deluded with an overweening conceit of themselves That they might have prooved excellent Schollers if they had not beene so perswaded already So if you did not thinke falsly your selves safe already you might be saved But while you thus hugge the golden dreame of your mistaken states to GOD-ward like the Pharisees the very Publicans and Harlots shall goe into the Kingdome of heaven before you Matth. 21. 31. Fourthly you that are great in the world in the foure forenamed respects and meant in the Text cannot possibly downe with and digest downe-right dealing and the foolishnesse of preaching as it is called vers 21. And that vtterly undoes you You like well enough nay and much approve and applaud such Sermons as King IAMES censures in the reasons of his directions for preaching c. which he there cals a light affected and unprofitable kind of preaching which hath beene of late years saith he taken up in Court University City and Countrey whereby the people are filled onely with ayrie nourishment c. and I warrant you not especially hating to be reformed or disquieted for these are not wont to discover your consciences nor disturbe you in your present courses they never terrifie you with any fore-thought of the evill day neither torment you before the time but now let a man come with the foolishnesse of preaching by which it pleaseth GOD saith the Apostle to save them that believe with demonstration of the Spirit and of power and come home to the conscience if he suffer not Satan to revell in the bloud of your soules without resistance nor see you post furiously towards eternall fire but will tell you that the pit of hell is a little before you In a word if he take the right course to convert you and shew you therefore onely your spirituall misery that you may be fitted for mercy c. O such a fellow is a dangerous man a terrible and intolerable Teacher able to drive men to distraction despaire selfe-destruction he breaths out nothing but damnation and his searching Sermons are as scorching as the very flames of hel Fit phrases for the Devil himself railing in a drunkard or scoffing Ishmael against faithfulnesse in preaching and if you know where or when such men preach and it may be you entertaine some intelligence for that purpose to prevent the torture you will not you dare not heare them for your hearts except you cannot decline it for starke shame or for a time or two to satisfie your curiosities but as S. Paul saith you become their enemies because they tell you the truth to which truth not to have listened in this day of your visitation will herafter when it is too late torment you more than ten thousand fiery Scorpions stings and gnaw upon your consciences with unknowne and everlasting horrour Alas Beloved what meane you You will give your Physitian leave to tell you the distempers of your body the Lawyer to discover unto you any flaw in your deeds your horse-keeper to tell you the surfets of your horses nay your hunâ—…sman the surrances of your dogs and shall onely the Minister of GOD not tell you that your soules are bleeding to eternall death Preposterous and prodigious incongruity If it be thus then that of all the severall sorts of great men mentioned before by reason that they are beset with such variety of snares entangled in so many temptations so much taken up by the world and for other reasons rendred already very few are called converted and saved my counsell in a word unto all such is CHRISTS owne word Luke 13. 24. Strive to enter in at the strait gate lay violent hands upon flesh and blond strangle your lusts contend and wrastle as for the Garland in the Olympian Games to which the word seemes to allude become fooles in the worlds censure that you may be wise in the mystery of CHRIST be little and vile in your own esteeme that you may be great and gracious in the eyes of GOD. In a word submit your soules to the sword of the Spirit and foolishnesse of preaching as the Apostle cals it that you may be wrought upon savingly and brought into the good way and that by such works and waies as these Upon which before I enter give me leave to give you an account why at this time I labour rather to work upon your consciences for your personall conversion than as heretofore to tender unto you counsels and considerations for a more conscionable deportment in your severall publike places When I well weighed with my selfe the truth of that principle and position in Hooker That it is no peculiar conceipt but a matter of sound consequence that all duties are by so much the better performed by how much the men are more religious from whose abilities the same proceed And finding by experience of all ages and most of all in these worst and wofull times that men of publike imployment and in high places untill there be infused into their soules by the Spirit of grace an internall supernaturall principle and divine habit to worke by untill aliquid CHRISTI as they say be planted in them by the power of the Ministry they cannot possibly be universally thorow and unshaken Some strong affection feare favour or some thing will make them flie out and faile in some particular very fowly Upon extraordinary temptation they will serve the times and their owne turnes for alas as yet their spirits are not steeled with that heavenly edge and mighty vigour as to set to their shoulders against the torrent of the times and not to be overflowen with it I say upon this ground I have advisedly chosen to assay and follow this way at this time for if once you turne on the LORDS side in truth you are won for ever to an invincible constancy and conscionablenesse in an uniforme regular and religious discharge of your publike duties and will ever hold fast without partiality cowardlinesse or feare of mans face that brave and noble resolution Vt fiat justitia ruat coelum let heaven and earth be blundred together with horrible confusision before I make shipwracke of a good conscience or be any waies drawne to do basely Being