fauour he is with-holden sometimes bribes blind his eies and peruert the right sentence But it shall not be so with this Iudge of the whole world His sentence is a righteous sentence he will iudge according to trueth he is able to finde out any cause and will examine it to the bottome hee feareth no mans person he will not be moued with fauor to conceale the truth And as for rewards hee contemnes them all therefore no doubt hee will proceede according to iustice This serueth for the comfort Vse 1 of Gods people in this world we see oftentimes the righteous cause is troden vnder foot mens lands and liuings are detained and taken from them by vnrighteous Iudges and that vnder colour of Law Well let men haue patience and know this that there wil come a day wherin there shal be Iustice and true Iudgement doone vnto them Here thy cause shall be heard it shal be righted for Christ Iesus will bee a righteous Iudge for the poore the fatherlesse and the widow Againe we see how the members of CHRIST which make conscience of sinne and care of their liues to heare the word and to walke accordingly they be disgraced and despised of the world Well let vs learn here to possesse our soules with patience for there will come a day of reckoning when as our righteous cause will bee heard and we shall haue iustice and all the contemners of Christ Iesus and persecutors of his poore members shall feele the smart of it Vse 2 Secondly seeing Christ Iesus the Iudge commeth thus with might and Maiestie not as a Sauiour or Mediator but as a Iudge It must admonish all men and women now to repent and turne vnto God in the time of mercy Esay 55.6 to seeke the Lorde while he may be found and to call vpon him while hee is neere Now while we liue Iesus Christ commeth vnto vs by his Ministers as a Sauiour to saue our Soules in mercie to bring vs to Repentance But after this life hee will no more come as a Sauiour or a Mediator but as a mightie Iudge full of Maiestie full of Might Power and Glory And therefore looke how men die so shall the Iudge finde them If thou die in thy sinnes and doest not repent and seeke for pardon at the hand of the Iudge whilest thou liuest heere There is no hope of mercy after death For how death leaueth thee so shall iudgement finde thee Cain died many thousand yeares agoe and Iudas in their sins so shall the last day find them For after death there is no mercy but iustice and iudgement And one fitting thereon NOw who this is which sate vppon this Great White Throne The Person of the Iudge described Reu. 14.14 you may see in the Reuelation of Saint Iohn the foureteenth chapter and the foureteenth verse I sawe a White Cloud and one sitting on it like the Sonne of man hauing on his head a golden Crowne and in his hand a sharpe Sickle So that wee see that it is the Sonne of man euen CHRIST IESVS GOD and man that shal be the iudge And so doth Saint Mathew call him Mat. 25.31 When the Sonne of man cometh in his glorie and all his holie Angells with him then shall hee sit vpon the Throne of his glorie And againe he titles him by the name of a King Verse 24. Then shall the King say to them on his right hand c. This is taught by the Apostle Wee must all appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ .1 Cor. 5.10 True it is that our Sauiour Christ is King Priest and Prophet a true Prophet in whom vvas contayned all the secrets and whole counsell of God A true high Priest whose Sacrifice alone was able to put avvay the sinnes of the vvhole world But when he comes in the Throne of his Maiestie to iudge the quicke and the dead he shall not come as Priest or Prophet for these Offices of Christ are finished For his Propheticall Office he hath sufficiently reuealed the whole counsell of God his Father to his Church and People First by his holy Prophets then by himselfe after by his Apostles and Minsters And therefore seeing that his Prophetical Office is finished he calles not himselfe a Prophet but a King Againe CHRIST IESVS our Priest hauing once for all offered vp that Propiciatory Sacrifice for the sinnes of all the Elect now this Office of a Priest is likewise finished and this Sacrifice must be no more iterated and repeated But now hee commeth as a King in all Maiestie and Glorie For though his Propheticall and Priestlie Office be accomplished yet his Princely Office is not finished But now CHRIST IESVS the Iudge of quicke and dead shall beginne to manifest himselfe to be a King to all Nations to men and Angells Novv shall hee shevv himselfe to be King of Kings and Lord of Lords full of all Diuine and Heauenly power and glory For that now at the name of CHRIST euery knee shall bow When our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST liued on earth he came in misery very base and lowly euery childe durst look him in the face Then euery base fellow euery sinfull wretch durst mock him and spit in his face Herod and Pontius Pilate and the rabble of the Iews durst then vse him at their pleasure But now Hee shall come as a King full of maiestie and glorie guarded and attended vpon with many thousands of heauenly Souldiours euen all his holie Angells and then he will make Herod and Pontius Pilate yea the greatest Kings and Monarchs to stoope Nay then all his enemies shall tremble and quake Zach. chap. 12 ver 10. and not dare to open their mouthes against him Oh then what a terrour may this bee to all vvicked and vngodlie sinners that liue in sinne to see him come in that wonderfull Maiestie to be their Iudge whom they haue contemned vvhose members they haue persecuted and whose word and glorious Gospel they haue not regarded but troden vnder foot for he shall come with a sharpe two-edged Sword to cut them in peeces and a consuming fire to burne vp all vngodlie sinners And as hee is a King to the vvicked so is hee a King to the godlie Hee alone hath the Scepter of Dauid to the endlesse comfort of those that bee the children of his Kingdome For who is it that curbs Leuiathan snaffles the Diuell brideleth his force and malice Surely this our King Who is it that cuts the throate of sinne in his members and taketh away the strength of sinne Surelie this King of Kings Who breaketh the brasse barres of Death and pulleth out the sting of Death Our sinnes that they sting not our soules to the eternall death None can doe that but this our King CHRIST IESVS Who opens the gate of heauen who puts his spirit into the hearts of his children making them to crie Abba Father to lift vp their soules and with ioy to long
Word a drunkard c. they think themselues to be iolly fellowes and who but they Alas alas their case is feareful poore soules they doe not see they be the sonnes of death the heires of vengeance and the wrath of God the fire-brands of hell nay euen death and hell it selfe Vse 2 Heere wee may see what a horrible and cursed thing sinne is in the sight of God for sinne maketh men become guiltie of eternal death and firebrands of hell as we see when the traitour is executed for treason his son smarteth for his sinne Euen so sinne which is treason against the maiesty of God when wee haue brought it foorth it bringeth vs to death and hell For death and hell is the reward of sinne And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire Would you know what shall become of the profane wretches of the world would you know what shall become of the blasphemer would you know what shall become of the adulterer drunkard idolater swearer c. S. Iohn saith here in plaine termes They shall be cast into the lake of fire Thus was the rich Glutton Luke 16. for his gluttony drunkennesse want of pitty c. cast into this wofull lake of fire And thus shall all impenitent sinners one day be cast into this wofull Lake of fire Now if a Blasphemer or an Adulterer c. should haue but this punishment to holde his little Finger in the flame of a candle one houre how could hee endure it But if a man should bee roasted on a Gridiron or boyled in a Cauldron of molten lead what miserie were this whose heart wold not quake and melt to thinke on it O these are nothing in comparison of these most extreme and endlesse torments in this lake of fire when both body and soule shall both burne and boyle and as it were fry in the scorching flames which cannot bee quenched All men almost are afraid to commit Treason because Traytors are so grieuously punished they are hanged drawne and quartered But alas men be not afraid to commit Treason against the King of Heauen though they must bee cast into a lake of fire for euermore Men are afraid to offend the Prince for feare of death And yet our Sauiour bids vs Not feare them that can kill the body and can do no more but feare him that can cast both body and soule into hell fire And yet wee see that men and women bee more affraid to offend man then God that can cast both body and soule into hell fire If wee should see a little child fall into the fire and heare it cry pittifully and the very Bowels should bee burnt out O how it would grieue vs and make our very hearts bleed within vs How much more then should it grieue vs to see not a childe but euen our owne bodies and soules cast away for euer by sin into the lake of fire that cannot be quenched If a man should come amongst vs and cry fire fire thy house is all of a flaming fire thy Corne thy Cattell thy Wife and Children and all that thou hast were consumed with fire Oh how would this astonish vs that would make the very haire to stand vpright on our heads and teares to gush out of our eyes Behold then and see the Spirit of God cries out vnto vs Fire euen the dreadfull fire of hell gapeth ready to deuoure not thy house thy corne or thy cattell but thy poore soule and that for euermore Oh how should this breake our hard and flintie hearts asunder and make our soules to bleed if wee haue any sparke of grace any care of our soules that they may not bee tormented in this Lake of Fire for euer I will leaue the further handling of this poynt vntill I come vnto the next verse where the holy-Ghost saith agayne the better to make it sinke into our verie hearts That Whosoeuer is not found written in the Booke of Life shall be cast into this lake of fire Now the better to expresse what is meant by this Lake of Fire Not a bodily death nor a materiall fire like to ours But the holy-Ghost meaneth heere euen the second death that is not of the bodie onelie Double death but of eternall death and damnation both of bodie and soule for euermore This is the second death and by this we may see there is a double death there is the first death and the second death The first death is the separation of the soule from the body this is common to all the children of GOD doe die this death aswell as the wicked yet there is a difference For death is no curse to the children of God because Christs death hath taken avvay the Sting of death that it can not hurt the children of God No it is as a doore to let our soules into the Kingdome of Heauen But the second they neuer taste of No childe of God needes to feare the second death Rom. 8.1 For there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus Wherein the second death consisteth Now as the first death is onely the seperation of the soule from the body so the second death is a totall and finall seperation of both soule and bodie from God for euermore And this second death doth stand principally in these three points First that all the wicked and vngodly sinners that liue and die in their sinnes they shall be seuered from the glorious and blessed presence of GOD for euer Which shal be punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glorie of his power 2. Thes 1.9 O what a wofull death is this to be plucked and torne from the blessed and comfortable presence of God whereas our Sauiour CHRIST saith Matth. 5. â—8 that our happines and all the ioy of GODS children shall stand in the beholding of God and being in his presence for euermore Then what miserie and what woe will this be vnto the wicked to be cast out of the glorious presence of God for euer seeing that he alone is the fountaine of Life and of happinesse Secondly the second death stands in this that wicked men and women shall not onelie be seuered in body and soule from the blessed and glorious presence of God for euer but they shall be cast into the lake of fire and haue all their abode with the diuels and all the damned spirits in hell where shall be no ioy nor comfort nor ease but weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth If a man should be cast into a deepe and darkesome dungeon full of Toades and Serpents what comfort I pray could he haue but to wish for death This is the death that all the impenitent sinners must die They must be cast out of the sweet and comfortable presence of the Lord CHRIST IESVS and bee throwne into a Lake of Fire and Brimstone there to be tormented for euermore Mat. 25 41 Thirdly
an especiall grace of God to iustifie a poore sinner that must be saued And whosoeuer is not iustified cannot be saued Iustification hath two parts First the pardon of sinne secondly the imputation of Christs righteousnesse For that before a man can be iustified hee must repent him of his sinnes know them hate them and begge the pardon of them and then Christ Iesus will assure vs of the pardon of them And therefore if wee would know whether we be iustified or not we must looke whether we haue truely repented yea and haue beene truely humbled for our sinnes and got the pardon of them all Secondly that wee may bee truely iustified wee must haue a true faith in Christ Iesus to lay hold vpon him to be perswaded and assured in our soules that Christ died for me shed his Bloud for me obeyed the Law for me and will couer all my sinnes in his Righteousnes So then marke the conclusion where there is repentance there is Remission of sinnes where there is remission of sins there is iustification and where there is iustification there is saluation And on the contrarie parts where there is no repentance there is no remission of sinnes where there is no remission of sinnes there is no iustification and where there is no iustification there is no saluation O then what shall become of those that liue in sin delight in sin and neuer as yet could shed one teare for their manifold and grieuous sinnes They can not finde themselues to bee iustified they can haue no pardon of their sinnes so long as they liue in sin And therefore if you would knovv vvhether you shall be saued or not labour first of all to repent and to lay hold on Christ by Fayth that so he may couer your sins in his Bloud Thirdly fruite of Election is sanctified And this is a speciall marke of Gods childe 2 The. 2.13 to be regenerate to be sanctified Now Sanctification standeth in two parts first they must dye vnto sinne secondly they must rise to righteousnesse And would you know then assuredly whether your names are written in the Booke of Life Looke vnto your soules If you finde that you are sanctified if you hate your olde sinnes and filthie wayes if you loue Vertues and delight in all holy dueties then it is a certaine token that ye belong vnto God Rom. 8.1 For there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ But if you do sauour the things of the flesh lying in the old sins Drunkennesse c. why then certainely you haue no assurance of saluation that you can be saued But you must needes sing this dolefull Song I know not what shall become of my poore Soule whether I shall be saued or damned Nay if thou liue in sinne thou maist iustly feare that thou art a firebrand of hell For Hee that is borne of God sinneth not 1. Ioh. 5.18 And Let euery one that calles on the name of the Lord depart from iniquity 2. Tim. 2. Thus to die to sin and to liue to righteousnes is a sure token that wee belong to God Thus you see how a man may come to know whether hee be elected and ordayned to Life or not Now let vs see what vse ariseth hence Seeing God hath his Booke Vse 1 of Life in which be written the names of all those that shall bee saued and none of them shall perish hence cometh endlesse comfort to all Gods children If thou finde that thou art the childe of God and thy name is written in Heauen nothing can hurt thee though thou bee poore sicke full of sores in prison hated contemned yet nothing can hurt thee Nay all the gates of Hell can not preuaile against thee no damnation can come vnto thee For if God do iustifie who can condemne for at the day of Iudgement Christ Iesus will take his Booke of Life and call vs saying Come yee blessed So as we shall not come to a terrible Iudgement but to a louing Sauiour Secondly seeing that it is so excellent a thing to haue our names written in this Booke to be the Elect childe of God we should labour for this aboue all things in the world for without this wee can haue no sound comfort either in life or death And therefore our Sauior bids vs in the tenth of Luke not to boast our selues of Learning of Wisedome of Riches whereas these are but vaine things but to reioyce that our names bee written in heauen Thirdly seeing God hath a Booke of Life and hath written downe the very names of euery man and woman that shall be saued and hath withall shewed vs the way that leads vnto Life and vnlesse we walk in this way we can not come vnto it It is our wisedome to walke in the way that leades to Life in the practise of Godlinesse VVee are Vesselles of Honour and therefore must liue soberly iustly and godly in this present world Not to serue sinne and Sathan any longer But as the redeemed of the Lord to walke from strength to strength from vertue to vertue from one degree of Perfection to an other till at length wee appeare before the Lord and there to reape the happie revvard euen the ful fruition of all happinesse and that for euermore The end of the second Sermon The great Assize THE THIRD SERMON REV. 20.12.13 And the dead were iudged of those things which were written in the Bookes according to their workes 13 And the Sea gaue vp her dead which were in her and Death and Hell deliuered vp the dead which were in them and they were iudged euery man according to their workes COncerning the Booke of Life we haue heard already what is meant by it namely the Councell and Decree of GODS Election whereby hee hath chosen certaine men and women from out of the lump of Mankinde vpon whom hee will bestow Eternall Life Secondly wee haue learned that a man may nay euery Christian man and woman ought to be assured that his name is writen in it Thirdly wee did set downe some means out of the word of God Rom. 8.16 whereby a true Christian may be assured hee is elected namely 1. Cor. 2 First the testimony of Gods Spirit which cannot lie Secondly by the fruites and effects of Election as Vocation Iustification Sanctification loue of the Brethren 1 Ioh. 3.14 and obedience vnto all the Commaundements of God And therefore it stands vs all in hand to labour for this assurance of Election else wee cannot be saued Luke 10.20 and without it wee can haue no true ioy vnto our soules Surely mens carelesnesse in this poynt is great Nay their care to make their Lands and Leases sure will be a means to condemne them for their want of care in this point Now Saint Iohn proceedeth in the Description of this last Iudgement After what maner all men shal be iudged euen as it was declared vnto him by the Lord Iesus Christ
Saint Paul doth proue this with many reasons 1 Cor. 15. If the dead rise not againe then is not Christ risen And if Christ be not risen then is our Preaching vaine c. And why should we thinke it impossible for God to raise our bodies out of the dust Wee see a poore ignorant man is able of Ashes to make a verie beautiful Glasse How much more then is the Euer-liuing and almighty God able to raise our bodies out of the dust But you will say are mens bodies eaten of fishes men eate them againe How is it possible to saue the bodies of men thus consumed to dust and mingled with the bodies of fishes and of beasts I answere that though it be impossible to men yet it is not impossible to God For he that created all our bodies of nothing can make them againe of something namely of their owne matter and to seuer their bodies from all other matters As wee see that a Gold-smith can seuer one matter from another So then this place doth proue and confirme that Article of our faith that wee beleeue the Resurrection of the dead For howsoeuer a man dieth by Sea or by Land in his bed or in the field Saint Iohn saith heere the Sea shall giue vp all that haue beene drowned death and hell that is the Graue shall deliuer the dead in them so as all must come to Iudgement of what death soeuer they die O then see beloued how the diuel bewitcheth many a poore ignorant soule Vse When he is in miserie in great distresse and calamitie the Diuell hee perswadeth him to become his owne executioner to end his misery and to end his shame by hanging himselfe cutting his owne throate drowning himselfe c. And wee know and heare that hee preuaileth much by these meanes in these dayes Some being in disgrace as Achitophel some with the guilt of sinne and of conscience as Iudas and some being crossed with wife and children cut their throates or otherwise make an end of themselues Now they foolishly thinke by this means to end their griefe Alas alas they do by this means euen hasten their ovvne destruction And doe as if a man should to auoyd a little smoake cast himselfe head-long into a flaming fire So they to auoyd this little griefe of their body plunge body and soule into eternal torments For what ease is it for a man to kill himselfe or cast away himselfe seeing they must come to Iudgement though they kill themselues or drowne themselues Why the water and the Graue must one day deliuer vp their dead And therefore hence let vs learne to arme our selues if Sathan shall tempt vs to such horrible facts to cast away our selues c. Let vs answere him Wee may not cast away that which Christ hath bought with his owne bloud Nay let vs answere him That wee shall not thereby end our miserie but encrease it Now if you demand of me by what meanes the dead shall then arise at the last day I answer It is by the mighty power of the voice of CHRIST The houre shall come saith CHRIST in the which all that are in the Graues shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and come forth Iohn 5.28 And to shew the wonderful power of the voice of Christ it is compared to the sound of a Trumpet the lowdest and the shrillest of all Instruments And the Lord Iesus himselfe shall descend and come with a shout 1 The. 4.16 and with the voyce of the Archangell and with the Trumpet of God and then the dead in Christ shall arise first Such shall bee the power force of this voice of the Lord IESVS as that it shal be heard ouer all the whole world Nay though men haue laine many a thousand yeares rotten in the Graue yet they shall heare it and come forth to iudgement Nay the very diuels and damned spirits in spite of their teeth shall be constrained to appeare at his Voyce No Prince no Monarch no King no Angell shall bee able to absent themselues but they must all bee enforced to obey the Voyce of the Sonne of GOD and come to Iudgement Vse O then seeing wee must all heare the voice of the Lord IESVS at the day of Iudgement and wee cannot but come forth of our Graues vnto Iudgement Oh let vs now obey his Voyce in the Ministerie of the Gospel now embrace the Gospell and the voyce of his Ministers If wee will not now leaue sinne heare CHRIST IESVS speaking vnto vs in his Word and embrace his Gospell then let vs well know that wee shall one day heare another Voice when wee shal be compelled to come before him to be condemned Thus you may see that all the dead must arise and come to Iudgement and you see how and by what meanes our bodies shall be raised namely by the mighty and the wonderfull power of the voice of the Lord Iesus Let vs now come to the Vses First seeing of vvhat death soeuer men shall die either by fire or water or howsoeuer they must one day come to iudgement Let vs then beware of that vngodly thought and diuelish perswasion that runnes in most mens minds namely that thinke that when they die there is an end of all their miserie And though they haue beene grieuous and horrible sinners yet if they can escape till death all is well And thus they thinke that they and their sinnes shall be buried together No no poore soules they doe much deceiue themselues Howsoeuer thou diest thou shalt come to iudgement And death is so farre from ending thy misery that it is a broade gate to let thee in into it Luke 16. For so soone as the Glutton died hee was presently in hel in torment And therefore let vs take heed how we wish as foolish men do in their sicknesse or age or miserie O I would I were dead then I should bee out of my paine O no no if thou bee not the child of God and a repentant sinner it had beene better for thee neuer to haue beene borne or to bee a Toade or Serpent And thou shalt finde that death is so farre from easing thy paine that it shall bring thee ten thousand times more paine and torment euen in hell fire for euer Therefore let vs not thinke that death shall end the miseries of wicked men Secondly seeing all men must rise to iudgement and by what meanes soeuer they die they must bee called to accompt this is a wonderfull comfort to Gods poore children Who abides more trouble and griefe then they Who be more hated reuiled crossed and wronged then they So as their life here for the most part is nothing else but a life of miserie But their comfort is heere in this that they shall rise againe and then the case shall bee altered then our miserie shall bee turned into felicitie ioy and happinesse Hast thou beene poore heere then thou shalt bee rich and
the third thing wherein this second death doth consist is that all reprobates shall bee punished with euerlasting perdition they shall bee tormented in body and soule with vnspeakable torments the wrath and vengeance of God shall seize vpon them and feed on them as fire doth on pitch or brimstone where they shall bee euer burning and boyling and yet neuer consumed euer in paine and torment and neuer haue ease And to shew the wonderfull torment of hell of this second death our Sauiour compareth it vnto a furnace of fire Mat. 13.24 Now what a woefull torment is it to bee cast into a furnace of fire and to lie many thousand yeares therein this is a torment that cannot be expressed Againe he saith that Their worme sh ll not die Esay 66.24 and their fire shall not bee quenched Now how should a man doe if hee should haue a worme alwayes crawling in his belly gnawing alwaies at his heart This is the estate of all wicked men and women They shall alwaies haue a worme euen griefe and anguish of heart euer gnawing at their hearts and biting at their consciences And this worme shall neuer die nor kill them but euer gnawing and wounding them So then you see by this which hath been spoken what this second death is and also wherein it doth consist Now all the Question will be Who shall be cast into this Lake of Fire VVho are they that shall die this second death Who they bee that shall partake of the second death which is such a miserable and wofull death For there is no man nor woman that liueth I thinke but they suppose that they shall escape this death they hope that they shall be saued and so escape this flaming fire And therefore now you shall see who they be that shall be cast into it Looke they are there marked out vnto vs Reu. 21.8 The fearefull and vnbeleeuers and abhominable and murtherers and whooremongers and sorcerers and lyars c. shal haue their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death So then rhe holy-Ghost telleth vs that all impenitent sinners shall bee damned 1 Cor. 6.10 shall be cast into this lake of fire which is the second death Then what a strange thing is this The Holy-Ghost tells vs who shall be damned and cast into the Lake of Fire all impenitent sinners the Blasphemer the Drunkard c. and yet no man almost will beleeue this Well the Spirit of God cannot lie He sayth That all the wicked and vngodlie sinners shal be cast into the lake of Fire which is the second death now tell neuer so wicked a wretch of his sinnes of his swearing c. And what will they say Tush GOD is mercifull I hope I shall be saued Is not this I pray to giue the Holy-Ghost the lie Tell the drunkard or the profaner of the Lords day c. they shall be damned doe they beleeue this Oh no no For if they did beleeue it how durst they be so bold to liue in sinne Well hovvsoeuer these vile wretches say they hope to be saued aswell as the best of them all yet know this is the truth of God the holy-Ghost telleth vs plainly That all vnbeleeuers and theeues and murderers c. shall be cast into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone which is the second death But to you whose hearts doe tremble for feare of these things whose soules doe melt for feare of this second death now if you would know how to escape this Lake of Fire and how to auoyde this second death which is th' eternall damnation and torment both of body and soule you shall see how the Spirit of GOD doth not onelie shew you how to escape hell but to come to heauen not onely to auoide damnation in this Lake of fire but to obtaine saluation and ioy in the blessed and glorious presence of Almightie God for euermore Now see what the Holy-Ghost doth teach thee in the sixth Verse of this chapter Blessed and holie is hee that hath his part in the first Resurrection for on such the second death shall haue no power But they shall bee the Priests of God and of Christ and shall raigne with him a thousand yeares that is for euermore So then would you know what manner of men and women shall escape the second death and eternall damnation in this lake of hell fire why the holy-Ghost saith They and none but they that haue their partes in the first Resurrection So then it is manifest in these words that there be two resurrections and also a double death The Children of GOD they haue a double resurrection and one death But all wicked and vngodly sinners they haue one resurrection and a double death So then let vs see what is meant by this first resurrection namely our rising out of the graue of sinne to newnesse of life This is the first resurrection Ephes 2.1 You that were dead in trespasses and sinnes hath hee quickned Rom. 6.4 And we are buried with Christ in Baptisme that like as he rose againe to the glory of the Father euen so wee should walke in newnesse of life So then would you know whether you shall escape eternall fire in hell euen this second death then looke vnto your owne soules Are you dead to all your old sins and new sins Are you quickned in the inner man Do you hate sinne as well when it is committed by your selfe as by others Doe you labour to mortifie and to keepe vnder the workes of the flesh and walke in all holy duties and obedience both vnto God and men Rom. 8.1 For there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ which walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit Blessed and holy are they that haue part in the first resurrection where he shews that none shall be blessed none shall haue part in the first resurrection and be freed from the second death but such as be sanctified to liue a godly life that are partakers of the first resurrection And therefore if you desire to bee blessed to escape the second death which is the euerlasting damnation both of bodie and soule then labour heere to liue a godly life For these two Iustification and Sanctification cannot be seuered And this is a very great comfort to all the true members of Christ Vse that do repent and leaue their sinnes and liue a godlie life though they be in miserie in pouertie in want and in the end die the first death of the bodie yet they shall bee freed from the second death that is from eternall death the gates of hell shal not preuaile against them And therfore as you loue your soules as you desire to be blessed and to escape eternall damnation which is the second death Labour I say to haue a part in the first Resurrection to die vnto sinne and to liue in newnesse of life But
as for wicked and vngodly sinners that liue in sinne delight in sin that haue no part in the first resurrection their case is wofull they be subiect to the secōd that is eternall death and damnation for if ye liue after the flesh Rom. 6.8 ye shall die And therefore deceiue not your selues as many do which thinke if they come to Church heare the word receiue the Sacraments all is well they hope God will be mercifull to them they hope they shall not bee damned Well marke what I say thou maist come to church duly thou maist heare the word of God as long as thou liuest thou maiest receiue the Sacrament as often as thou wilt but if thou haue not thy part in the first resurrection that is vnlesse thou liue a godly life vnlesse thou mortifie thy filthy sinnes and vngodly desires vnlesse thou become a new creature surely surely thy estate is lamētable and thy part is in the lake of fire and brimstone which is the second death And therfore let no man deceiue himselfe and sooth himselfe because he heares the Word professes the Gospel receiues the Sacramēt that therfore he is well enough No no though thou heare neuer so much if thou liue in sin in swearing drunkennesse c. thy estate is as wofull as before because thou art not freed from the second death And marke this difference The children of God haue two resurrections and one death they rise from sinne in this life to newnesse and holinesse of life and they rise at the last day to eternall life in Heauen and therefore truely blessed But alas gracelesse and godlesse sinners that haue two deaths and but one resurrection they die in sinne here they are dead in sin and delight in sinne heere and so they die the first death of the body and eternall death the second death of body and soule in hell And as they neuer had part in the first resurrection so the second resurrection is onelie to iudgement to death and to damnation And therefore if you would liue when you bee dead you must die to sin whiles you be aliue Only the penitent sinners shal liue for euer in eternal life onely those which die to sinne shall escape the second death But the impenitent sinner that liues and delights in sinne here he shall die for his sinnes eternally nay hee shall neuer taste of the life to come But as hee would not labour to haue his part in the first resurrection so he shall be sure to haue his portion in the second death which is so fearefull a thing that it might make euen flintie hearts to breake in peeces to lie in fire burning for euer without anie ease or end O let vs looke vnto it and liue a godly life and labour to haue part in the first resurrection and then shall the second death doe vs no harme but wee shall liue for euer in heauen with God 15 And whosoeuer was not found written in the Book of life was cast into the lake of fire THE former verse did shew to vs the execution of the last Iudgement vpon all wicked and vngodly sinners and of that we spoke the last time Now in this Verse wee may obserue the different estate of the children of God and of the wicked for as there bee but two sortes of men Good and Bad Elect and Reprobate Penitent and Impenitent the children of GOD and the limbes of Sathan So there bee but two places Heauen and Hell Ioy and Paine the Right hand and the left and the reward shall be according either Blessed or Cursed for so Saint Iohn saith heere The Elect shall haue eternall life But they that be Reprobates shall be cast into the lake of fire First concerning the Elect and those that be chosen in Iesus Christ and whose names be written in Heauen As their liues do differ from the wicked and vngodly so their estate after this life is farre different for they shall be blessed for euer And if you do aske what is this Blessednesse that all the Elect shall haue I answere with Paul 1. Cor. 29. The eye of man neuer saw it nor it neuer entred into the heart of man to conceiue the hundreth part of this happines yet we may out of the word of God gather some taste of it as it is described vnto vs in the word of God And first formost this blessed state of the godly at the last day stands in this That God shall be all in all vnto vs what good thing soeuer the heart of man can wish 1. Cor. 15.28 that will God be vnto vs. If thou desire wealth why GOD will be it vnto thee If honour or pleasure why Almighty God wil be all in all vnto vs nay euery childe of God shall haue a kingdome Matth. 25. come yee blessed c. Reue. 21. Secondly in the Kingdome of Heauen there shall bee no wants for wee shall bee freed from all sinne and all wants in body and soule shall be supplied And though now wee see God but in part yet then wee shall behold him face to face 1. Cor. 15.28 to our eternall comfort we shal euermore liue in his blessed presence Iohn 17.3 Reuel 21. Psa 17.15 Reu. 22.3 and reigne with him for euer Thirdly all the Elect shall be like vnto Christ Iesus so saith Paul Phil. 3.2.1 Hee shall change our vile bodies make them like his glorious body Christ was most holy pure incorruptible and glorious euen so shall wee be we shall be for euer freed from both sinne Sathan death and hell Fourthly in heauen we shall reape endlesse ioy and happinesse Psal 16.11 and shall delight in praysing of God for euer so as wee shall keepe a perpetuall Sabboth and rest in the seruice and worship of God for euer And this shall be done to all which feare GOD and whose names bee vvritten in the Booke of Life O then cursed be these men and women which thinke Vse and say Matt. 3.14 It is in vaine to serue the LORD O no then men shall know it is not in vaine to serue the Lord Nay God will put a difference betweene them that serue him and serue him not And this should encourage all men to labour to abound in all holy duties seeing God will reward euen the least worke of faith If thou giue but a cup of cold water in the name of Christ verily thou shalt not loose thy reward Though our workes cannot merite yet hee will in mercy for Christs sake thus Crowne the good workes of his children And seeing a few shall be saued ô let vs labour to be of the little Flocke let vs aboue all things seeke this Kingdome of God If thou winne this thou art happy and blessed though thou loose all the world besides And if thou loose it thou art miserable wretched though thou winne the whole world O then what mad men are we if