vs but hurt vs increase our iudgment neither our smalnes will excuse vs or accuse vs to harme vs but we must all of al sorts and degrees and sexes stand hould vp hand at thy hat O sweet Iesus let it please thee that we may vse our greatnes to thy glory to good and not to harme our smalnes with comfort and contentednes O lord though we may couer our sins before men and finde a friend in court yet we pray thee good Iesus let vs remember that we must answere in thy courte when it shall be too late to intreat O Lord awake vs and make vs mindfull of our account before that wee be called for and seeing most greate god al sesecrets must then be known or pronounced pardoned O good lord let vs haue grace froÌ„ thee to confes our secret sins to take heed of such for thou keepest a depte book Lord let vs find speedily thy depe book Rased thy word answered the book of life to haue our names that when they shal be opened in the great day of thy iudgement they may bee no terror to vs. Good Christ let vs prepare our witnesses and make ready our answere without delay for we know not what wil be to morrow O lord we confes we caÌ„ haue no lesse then 4 sufficient witnesses thy word thy spirit our conscience and the conscience of our neighbours iointlie Let vs be sure of these to stop the mouth of all hellish Enimity and to seale vp to vs pardon and recoÌ„ciliation in Iesus Christ Let vs iudge our selues that our Iudgement may quickly be passed ouer that after we may iudge not be iudged O lord we know before that we must heare iustice mercilesly if we repeÌ„t not if we turne not we must be turned out if we wil not come in time we must fearfully go with out time O Lord let vs bethink vs of our estate be sure of our peace with thee els our doting will quickly appeare for we are euery moment within the compas of death the prison of hell O Lord happy are toades before Reprobates for death fully ends theÌ„ but death doth keepe the wicked to restore them and bring them out againe to iudgemente O Lord let vs see thee angrie let vs see thee pleased and so let not thy wrath death nor the last iudgemeÌ„t terrifie vs. Let thy church our king and state be blessed Let Sions ilwillers be either conuerted or confouÌ„ded send out in thy bottomles mercies a reuocation of the commission gone out against the people of this nation By vertue whereof many die many poor widdows poore orphans cry lord work what thou wilt take what thou wolâ—est be pacified Lord al thy afflicted seruants make mone to thee Lord hear in heauen and send comfort to the earth and it shal bring vp hearty praise to thee by Iesus Christ Amen A short prayer of purpose against Sathans assaults MY louing and most pitifull father who in Iesus Christ for his sake hast called me to thee by grace I am come to thee Now blessed father I finde stronger enmity then before and finde such a combination betweene Sathan and my nature with the worlde against me that my weaknes is ready to yeelde good father seing that nowe this rage of assault seems to bee for thy sake I thy poore child doe beseech thee to manage thy owne cause and make thy part good against these enemies of thine in all theire forcible assaults let them all know they haue to deal with thee so defend thy glory and this poore soule of myne that commeth trembling to creep vnder thy wings and desireth to cast liuely thy sweet fauour and neuer to be drawne from thee she we thy selfe for Christs sake and let me not be blinded in iudgement nor so weak in faith that I should be deluded thy Maiesty dishonored the enemy incoraged or thy little ones dismaied free me therefore good father from all these daungerous perplexities that in patience faith and true Godlines I may runne my race and fighte a good fight conquer that I lose not my Crowne for Iesus Christs sake Amen A short prayer at hand vpon all occasions O Christe I beleeue helpe my vnbeleefe I am tolde from thee that Sathan is conquered sinne is killed hell is shut thys wrath is pacified curse and law are fully answered and no perill can possibly befal me Good Christ let me not onely see it but liuely and ioyfully apprehend it and so stablish me and mortisse me into thy self vnchangeably against winde and storme and all that the Dragon can cast out of his mouth and so I the least of thine with many thy deare children will praise thee for euer Amen A prayer for all sorts O Lord heare vs looke mercifully vpon vs thou hast promised it commaunded vs to ask it performe thy promise and helpe vs in asking for thy sons sake Thou hast been gratious and thy mercy endures we haue been vngracious our sinnes continue let thy wrath prouoked be pacified let thy iustice stirred be stayed and satisfied in Iesus Christe our mediatour Pitty vs and pardon vs we beleeue helpe our vnbeleefe resolue vs and peswade vs remoue all dangerous doubts from vs as olde Adam liued and ruled when thou wert prouoked so let it die and be subiecte nowe thou art pacified let vs be lightned by thy word let vs be affected with it let vs haue it in high estimation and let vs follow it in our conuersation let it be our sword against the deuils temptation let vs conquer in Christ Iesu let a god conscience Iudge vs Let a continuall watch keepe vs Let the power of thy spirit arme vs Let our weaknes neuer grow to wilfulnesse let thy spirit neuer forsake vs leaue vs not ouerlong though thou tri'st vs set security aside shake of our drowsinesse quicken our deadnesse soften our hardnesse quenche all the fiery dartes of Satan in vs let vs looke back to our former state and to our present state let our heart grieue that it can bee no more grieued let our souls ioy be in Christ thy son let vs glad our selues in the holy ghost let vs be giuen to reading hearing and meditation let vs resorte to the company of thy saints let vs loath the companie of the wicked let vs be lowly conceited in our selues let vs think reuerendly of al thy children let vs rest in thee our good father-watch vs by night guide vs by day blesse vs in both with al ours publikly and priuately protect thy gospell and church preuent thy foes at home and abroad for Iesus sake amen Finis Gen. 3.9 Mat. 12.24 The first part 2. c 1.5 10 Heb. 9 2â— Art 7. August Mat. 8.22 Habâ— 2.4 Mat. 24.31 Mat 13.40 Obiect Ioh. 3. â—8 Answer Eccle. 3.17 Psal 139â— 8.9 Rom 2 11 Psal 98.9 a a wisd 5 8 b. Act. 23 â— Gen 25.33 2 Pet. 2.22 Psal â—â—â— â—37 Ierem. 4 19 â—â— Monica Apo. 13.16 Eph. â— 2 1. Pet. 5.8 1. Iohn 2.16 Anst a psal 12 1 Compa Note Inuen â—uk 12.19 Iero. The secoÌ„d part â—wis 1 9 Mat. 5 28 Bernard b. 1. Pc. 5.9 a. Iob. 3.15 Mat. 15.11 The laâ—er of sinne Prou. 4.23 om 6 23 Word Greg. Ierome â— Basil Calv. Psal 31 1â— 1. Pet 4.18 Pet. Dami Exo. 8 2.4 Poet. Gen. 3.6 Nu. 15.36 Mat. 16.22 23. Act. 5.35 Ma. 11.3.5 Eccl. 14.8 Works 1. cor 5.10 Ecle 12.14 Goods Esay 38.1 Iuk 16 21. Time Ber. Aug. Amos 6. â— Exemp Quid 1. Pc. 4.11 Epes 4.29 Psal 34.1 Iob. 27.4 Poet. Mat. 12 3â— Three kingdoms Ouid. Iob. 3.31 1. Iohn 4.5 Eccles 3. â— Greg. Iohn 14.6 â—cclesiasti 21.25 Text The third part 2. Cor. 5.10 Iohn 5 22 Math. 28.18 Ps 2.7.8.9 Psal 110 1 Iudge Rom 2 â— Iam. 4.12 Iob. 31.14 Hilâ—ion 1 Pc. 4.18 Ex. 16.18 Apo. 1.17 Dan. 8.17 Hest 7.6 Gen. 3.8 Aug. Apoc. 6.16 Psal 50.21 Psal 50.4 Rom. 2.15 Mat 25 41 Goc Apoc. 9.6 Luk. 6.25 Psal 11.6 Mat. 13 4â— Yee Curâ— Into euerl fire Mat. 22.13 Which is prepared Zeph 1.15 Apoc. 6.9 10. Phil. 1.23 Apoc. 22. Math. 〈◊〉 2. Dan. 4. Psal 14.1 Apo. 19.1 P. 44.15 Text. Act. 1 7. Marke 13 32. Arist Mat. 24.42 1 Ioh. 2.28 Eliah 1. Co. 10.11 Iam. 5.9 Mat. 3.2 Death what Heb. 9.27 2 Es 14.25 Ans Luke 23.43 Psal 90.4 Ans Gen. â— 17 Ob. Ans Aug. Heb. 9.27 Phil. 1.23 1 Co. 13.11 Exo. 33.23 Luk. 16.22 Eccle. 12.7 The vse hereof Ber. Gen. 6.3 Ionâ—s 1.4 Pl. 95.10 Mat. 25.4 Iosephu Gen. 7.23 Luke 13 3 Aug. Ecclesiasticus Poet. Psal 27.9 Chrysost Obiect Eze. 18.21 22. Aug. Iob. 1.18 Liuie Galen August Rom 6 13. Poet. Demasc Ieromes Act. 16.
intolerable lump At hath beene is and euer will bee the fond nature of man to imagine sinne a greate deale lesser than indeed it is A man would thinke that Adam through the diuels suggestion and through the abuse of his own free wil Eating of the forbidden fruite had committed but a small trespasse yet hee was guilty of euerlasting torment for the same A man would thinke that that poore man had committed but a small sin in gathering chips of meere necessitie on a Sabbath day yet hee was by the law stoned for his labour A man would think that Peter had giuen his maister good counsell when as Christ told him that he must goe to Ierusalem there suffer many things saying Maister fauour thy selfe and goe not yet he was called Sathan for his labour A man would thinke that Ananias and Saphira had committed but a small sinne when as they did detaine parte of the Apostles money for feare of afterclaps and protested the contrary with a lye yet they died both suddenly at the feete of Peter So a man would thinke that an idle word were but a smal sinne yet Christ saith heere that a great account muste bee made for the same For by thy words thou shalt bee iustified and by thy wordes thou shalt bee condemned Seeing this is true it behooueth euerie man to set a watch before the doore of his lippes and to keepe his tongue from idle and euill words that he may obtaine that blessednesse blessed is he that hath not fallen by the words of his mouth 3 We must giue an account of our workes as it appeareth to the Corinthians Wee muste all appeare before the iudgement seat of Christe and there receiue according to our works Againe the Preacher saith that God will bring to iudgement euery worke with euery secret thing whether it bee good or euill Hee that hath liued in sinne shall receiue the reward of sinne which is death and damnation and he that hath liued in faith and amendment of life shal receiue a crowne of glory whiâ—h the Lord will giue him at that day It is the duty therefore of euery Christian to labour and endeauour with all diligent carefulnesse to liue toell that at the day of iudgement he may speed well 〈◊〉 bene vmore that is liue well shoulde bee the delightsome poesie sweete perfumed Nosegay of euery christian thus liue wel that thou maiest die wel and after death eternally speed well obtayning that blessednesse Blessed are they that die in the Lord. 4 Wee must giue an account of our temporall goods howe wee haue gotten them whether iustly or vniustly how we haue spent them whether we haue cloathed the naked with them or whether we haue made naked the cloathed for them howe wee haue disposed them least there bee any debate for them after wee bee gone therefore Esay telling Ezekia that hee should not liue but die saith Dispone domum tuam c. Set thine house in order for thou must not liue but die Howe then shall those griping vultures make an account that haue by oppression vndone their brethren The worlde is grown so hard bearted that men will rather suffer their brethren to starue in the streets than to succour or relieue them the dogs shall haue the remnant of the ritch mans Table before poore Lazarus shall haue one crumme that falleth from the same How shall these flinty heartes looke for one dramme of mercy at the daye of iudgement Let theÌ„ look with what measure they haue measured to others it shall be measured to them againe let them know that it they will stoppe their ears at the cry of the poore they shall crie themselues and shall not bee heard if they will bee partakers with the Saints of the ioys of heauen their brethren must be partakers with them of their wealth on earth for this is to treasure vp treasures in heauen to layout their treasures on earth Let men therefore so vse their temporall goods and worldly ritches as they may at the daye of account receiue a crowne of immortall glory 5 We must giue an account of the time wherein wee liue and of our seuerall vocations how wee haue imployed our selues in the same Saith Bernard Omne tempus tibi impensum requiretur á te qualiter fuerit expensum id est All the time that God hath giuen thee shall bee required at thy hands how thou hast spent it Whether in the seruice of God or in the seruice of Sathan The Prince must giue an account how hee hath gouerned his kingdome whether hee hath as it becommeth Gods vicegerent mildly louingly and carefully trained his subiects vp in the worship of GOD or as a bloodie Nero and hard-hearted Tyrant cruelly oppressed them The ministers of the word of God who haue taken vppon them curam animarum the charge of soules must giue an account how they haue be haued themselues in their ministerie whether they haue preached Christ for Christ that is for the conuersion of sinners to Christ or as hirelings for lucre and gaine of worldlye trash whether they haue fedde their flocks carefully or fed vpon their flocks couetously The Magistrate must giue an account how he hath behaued himselfe in his magistracy whether hee hath sought the maintenaÌ„ce of vertue and the confusion of vice or hath his eyes beeing blinded with siluer scales maintained iniquity and oppressed the innocent The housholder how hee hath gouerneâ— his family whether in reading of holy Scriptures and prayer to the praise and glory of God or in reading of foolish fables in gaming dicing playing swearing and such like Yea euery man must giue an accounte of the time spent in his seueral calling from the highst to the lowest Let euery Christian therefore beware of mispendâ—ng his time liuing in security loosly and of loosing his time securely carelesly for there will come a day when for euery houre of thy life thou shalt giue an account how thou hast spent it according as Salomon telleth the carelesse liuer Reioyce O young man in thy youth cheere thy hearte in the dayes of thy youth and walke in the wayes of thine hearte and in the sighte of thyne eyes but know that for all these thinges GOD will bring thee to iudgement Time lost can neuer bee recouered the houre past cannot bee recalled time is painted like an olde man hauing a locke of hayre on the former parte of his head but balde on the hinder part to signifie that men should lay hold of time comming and make much of it when they haue it for being once gone it can neuer bee recouered Augustine confesseth that hee spent his time idlely when hee stoode gazing and looking on a Spider howe thee catcht a flye in her net But alas men in these daies do not onely spend their time in idlenes which is a shamefull fault amongst Christians but also in all manner
my fathers kingdome Where is now the heretique that confoundeth particular iudgement Where is now the Epicure that thinketh there is no iudgment at all Where is now the ignorant Papist that dreameth of Purgatory and hee that fondly thinketh that there is Limbus patrum and Lymbus puerorum and where are these that imagin of a place of abâ—ade betweene Heauen and Hell I turne them all together to the Hebrewes for Wisedome in this point where they shall finde that after death the soule of man is iudged Would Paul haue so earnestly desired to haue beene dissolued if hee should not presently haue bin with Christ He saith that in this world wee see in a glasse darkly We see but Gods backe ports as Moses did that is but a little of the sailour of God But then that is after this life ended we shal see god face to face that is we shall haue the full fruition of him We read of Diues and Lazarus that after death the one was iudged to heauen the other to hell which is a Parable to signifie the trueth of this particular iudgement And to conclade this poynt we read in Salomon that the dust returneth to the earth from whence it came and the spirit to God â—hâ— gaue it So that wee may learne from hence the vncertainty of the day of iudgment Wel saith Bernard Nihil certius morte hora mortis nihil inocentius that is Nothing is more certayn than death there is nothing more vncertaine than the houre of death Let euery Christian therefore that wisheth the saluation of his soule at the day of death and iudgement beware of security and carelesse liuing let no man deferre repentance and amendement of life least death come when he iâ—dâ—eth not for it and so being vnprepared he be cast into hell fire The olde world had 120. yeares to repent in Nâ—nâ—e had 40. dayes to repent in Israell had 40. yeares to repent in but thou O maÌ„ knowest not how long thou hast to liue thou haste no lease oâ— thy life thou art heere to day and gonâ— to morrow when the houres of thy life bee ended and the glasse outrunne thou must awaye death wasteth for thee in euery place and at all times therefore waste thou for it plaing as the fiue wise virgins that had the candle of faith burning in the lamps of their harts nourished which the oyle of loue and workes Ierusalem because shee could not bee brought to repentance shee was destroyed many hundred thousandes of her children were famishâ—e to death and many hundred thousands taken captiue by Titus Vespatian the Roman Emperour many cast to wilde beastes and deuoured The children of Israell because they were a stiffenecked people and a froward generation and woulde not bee brought to repentance how many thousands of them lay slaine in the wildernesse 600000. males except Ioshua and Caleb The old world because they would take no warning and could not bee brought to amendment of life the floud drowned them all except faithfull Noah and his godly family And except thou repentest thou likewise shall perish according to that of Luks Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish beware therefore and repent betimes Foelix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum Happy is he whome other mens harmes do make to beware Refuse no good motions knocking at the doore of thy heart but entertaine them willingly according to the counsell of Augustine If hee offereth thee grace to day saith hee take it make much of it for thou knowest not whether he will offer the same to morrow Make no long tarrying to turne to the Lord and put not off from day to day the longer thou remainest in thy sinne the harder it is for thee to repent for Qui non est hedie cras minùs aptus erit If thou beest not fit to amendement to day thou wilt bee lesse fit to morrow Therfore while the lord speaketh to thee make him answer while hee calleth vnto thee let there be an eccho in thine heart as was in the heart of Dauid seek ye my face thy face Lord will seek and while it is said to day harden not thine heart In no case therefore defer thy repentance for the day of death and iudgement is vncertain as saith Chrisostome Poenitenti veniam spospondit sed viuendi in crastinuÌ„ non spospondit that is the Lord hath promised pardon to him that repenteth but to liue till tomorrow he hath not promised But some there be in the world that will say the more it is to be lamented I am young I will liue a while after my hearts desire and in my olde age I will repent mee of my sinnes for God hath promised who will be as good as his word At what time soeuer a sinner doeth repente him of his sinnes from the bottom of his heart J will put all his wickednes out of my remembrance saith the Lord. And will pray to the Lord for forgiuenesse of their sinnes as Augustine said before his conuersion Ignosce pacer ignosce mihi at noli modo Forgiue mee my sinnes but not now let me sinne in my youth pardon me in myne age thus they would desire to die the death of the righteous but they would not liue the life of the righteous but let these gracelesse persons that thus deferre repentance beware of two things 1 Let them beware of sodaine death Let them take heede least they bee cut off in the middest of their sinnes as Iobs children in the middest of their bauquetting and ryoting were soddaynely slayne by the fall of the house and as the floud came vnlooked for and drowned the old world Liuis reporteth a fearefull example of sodaine death saith hee there were two olde men that frequented two harlots and presently vppon the face committed they both died sodainely the one was thrust thorow with a dagger the other died sodainely of an Apoplerie which is a disease ingendered of aboundance of grosse humors which do fill those vessels and receptories of the head from whence commeth feeling moouing of the body as saith Galene and therefore they that haue this disease are depriued of all sence feeling moouing Let euery Iustie yonker and desperate ruffian set this fearefull example before his eyes Againe the young man dieth as soone as the olde the Lambs skinne is brought to the market as well as the oldâ— crones true is that saying of Augustine vita dum crescit decrescit vita mortalis mors vitalis id est life while it increaseth decreaseth life is dying and death is liuing 2 Let all men that refuse the mercy of GOD and deferre their repentance know that repentance is not theirs at command but it is the great mercy of GOD and it is to be feared that they that haue refused it offered when they would haue it they