life for their consciences are bereft of sence and motion by that gangrene sinne and throughly burnt with a searing Yron If a man should cut them vp he should finde no hart in them for Whoredome and Wine and new Wine haue taken Hose 4. 11. away their hart This is a plague of all plagues The stone in the bladder is a gréeuous disease so is the stone in the backe but there is no disease to the stone in the hart Some read the Bible and finding the wrath of God to smoake against sinners in the olde Testament somtime with stoning somtime with the earth swallowing her inhabitants somtime with fire brimstone from heauen they wonder why God is so gentle now a dayes as to let sinne alone which growes so ranke in all places Alas it is true wretches that we are we are all of one language quite contrary to the good language of Canaan we build Towers of Babel Towres of sinne and confusion whose pinacles spire vp to heauen and cry out in the eares of the Lord Thou God to whome vengeance belongeth thou God to whom vengeance belongeth shew thy selfe And verily if we goe on as we doe out-sinning all the regions about vs and turning vnto our owne race as a horse rusheth into the battaile we shall driue the Lord in his anger to exclaime O they haue put out my eyes as the Philistins did Sampsons my type they multiply abhominatiōs as if I had no prouidence lead me lead me to the maine pillers of the land the posts whereon the house standeth that so I may bring the realme vpō their heads be at once auenged of them for my two eyes But to answer the question I auouch i◠confidently that the Lorde doth plague the impenitent of this land more sharply and seuerely now in these dayes of peace then he did malefactors in former ages And I prooue it thus Then he punished the body now he punisheth the soule deliuering these men vp into a reprobate sence giuing the Deuill liberty to eare-marke them It is the fearefullest iudgment in the world when sin is punished with sinne and this is the iudgment of these times Wo wo wo vnto vs for we are sick of sinne vnto death and yet féele it not nay like Gadarens we driue away the Lord of life the deare Physitian of our soules If any man be desirous to know the cause of so vniuersall a desertion and embrawning of the hart I must tell him that we are poore with riches pale with beauty sicke with health euill with good Peace and Plenty the mother and daughter haue so led and pampred vs that we are waxen wantonings and kick against the Lord Search the Scripture who will he shall euer finde that leannesse of soule hath béene sent amongst Quailes that excessiue mirth gluttony and chambering make men pursie vnweildsome and to God vnseruiceable By this deare Christian brother mayest thou take a scantling of their wretched estate in this life who do nothing els but fulfill their sensuall lusts and appetites Surely me thinkes this one iudgement that vsunlly befalleth Belly-gods on earth should make our Lusty blouds afraid But alas they haue eyes and see not eares and heare not harts and vnderstand not They drinke till they be drounde in fire and shoote chaineshot of roaring oathes that make the windowes of heauen to totter in my conscience they made the earth quake so lately Tel them of it they breake iests and like the prophane Isralits rebuke the Priest Hosea 4. 4. Yet when they lye vpon their death beds tumbling and tossing and telling the clock when the flashes of hell fire present themselues to their consciences and the bloody wounds appeare which they gaue their owne soules in the dayes of their iollitye when that wilde beast Sin that hath so long slept at the dore of their harts and stird not is suddainely awaked and flyes in their bosome ready to pull out their throates when swarmes of iniquities humme like flyes about them and like Frogges scrall vpon them and croke vengeance against them then tell me if they descend not from the treble keyes of mirth to the graue keyes of sorrow tell me then if they tremble not like an Aspine leafe or like the hartlesse Deare at the noyse of the thunder-cracke Then send for Moses send for the Preacher then good people pray for me O whither shall I flie from the Arrowes of the Almightie that part my ribbes and wound me incurably Alas I thought I could haue repented at the last gaspe euen when I was fetching my soule sighes but now I finde to my paine that repentance is the guift of God O that I might dye the death of the righteous This will be the out-crye of euery one of them dye not their harts like stones within 1. Sam. 25. 37. them as Nabals did But when the date of their life is out and their soules vnbodied then is that truely brought to passe which our Sauiour pronounceth Woe bée to you that now laugh Luk. 6. 25. for yée shall wéepe and waile When they once put their heades within hell gates and heare the feareful yelling of damned spirits that féele no comfort no release no ease nor any thing but amaze and horror then will they wish wish that they had wept their eies out sighed their lungs in péeces but it will be too late Then will each of them crye out Cursed be the day wherin I was borne cursed be the paps that gaue me suck cursed be the knées that preuented me for damned I was damned I am damned I shall be for euer more O whether poore forsaken shall I go from distresse since no remooue can lessen my sorrowes euery place presents like face of misery Alas what comfort cā I haue when the God of all comfort is away Alas it is a long night that 's neuer day an vnmercifull fire that 's neuer quenched a dreadful torment that hath neuer end but lasteth for a time times no time euen for euer O hell hell thy fire is intollerable hot yet without any light to giue a soule cōfort the breath of the Lord like a Riuer of Brimstone doth kindle it O that some moūtaine would Isai 30. 33. fall on me hide me from the presence of the Lambe whom if I had kist he had not béene angry and I had neuer come to this O that I had béene borne a Katte or a Spider or a Load for so should my soule haue vanished to nothing whereas now it is substantiue alwayes dying yet neuer dead Worme of conscience when oh when wilt thou dye wilt thou neuer leaue tugging and tearing my soule Father Abraham one drop of water to coole my tongue good father Abraham Alas why go I about to blazon the armes of hell since they passe the power of any pencils expressing or mindes imagination Suppose a man laid his limmes on a
let the Rauens of the vallie picke out his eyes that curseth this ancient mother in Israel I could make more ample rehearsall of Gods speciall fauour to thée beloued Christian but the intended quantity of the booke will not suffer me Wherfore read on be not weary of well doing and for thy next taske thinke vpon thrée principall Effects of sinne that so thy sorrow may be aggrauated First ascertaine thy selfe that so long as thou weltrest in thy wickednesse without remorse touch of conscience thou art a seruant Rom. 6. 23 Luk. 15. 15 a vassall to Sinne whose wages is Death A prodigall childe thou art strayed from thy good father into a farre countrey where being all ragd and tottered eaten into the flesh with vermine thou art glad to become the deuils swinheard Which tyrant hath taken thée prisoner to do his wil. mued 2. Tim. 2 26 thée vp in a far more noysome dungeon than that wherein poore Ieremie stacke so fast This is thy state O man Why then doest thou not thrust forth teares and smoake out sighes euen breake the kall of thine heart with sorrow Is swéet liberty so yrkesome yrkesome bondage so swéet Inquire of the Foules of the ayre they will tell thée that fréedome in the wood is better than prisonment in a cage of gold Inquire of the Lions and they wil make answer that they had rather séeke their meate at God in the Wildernesse than haue it put into their mouths through the grate Inquire of the Riuers they will resolue thee that they would much sooner lye open to winde weather at home in the sea than crawle neuer neuer so calmely by the gréenest and best sented medowes I beséech thée therefore by the mercies of God that thou bewayle thy miserable vassallage The Babilonians of hell the Deuil his Angels haue led thée away captiue the cruell Edomits thy sinnes prouoake them against thée and both of them by way of mockage require a song melody of thée then sit thou downe vpon the waters bank wéeping and hanging thy harpe vpon the Willowes for mirth at such time is out of season Cast not thy selfe vpon thy Iuory bed eate not gluttonously drinke not Wine in boules but remember thy soule thine afflicted Ioseph who all this while hath his féet in hel stocks The blessed father of our Lord Iesus Christ bore thine cares that thou maist heare and suffer these wordes of exhortation and plow vp thy hart by his holy spirit for it is made of a tough and churlish kinde of clay I procéede to another Suasiue During the time of thine impenitencie all the Creatures in the world band themselues against thée conspire thine ouerthrow And the reason is for that the Lord of Hostes is marching forward whose faithfull sworne souldiers they be Is not here sufficient matter to cloud ouercast thine eies and to change thy ioy for mourning thy beauty for ashes thy Oyle of gladnes for the spirit of heauinesse At dead time of night in thy soundest sléepe the Imbers on thine hearth desire the winde in their kinde to leaue his naturall course of blowing assant and to whip them vp that so they may get matter to worke vpon The spars and rafters of thy house haue vowed to be ready to increase the flame at lesse than an houres warning Walkest thou in the stréet The tiles threaten downfall In the field the ayre will conuay infection the earth will grone vnder thy soote as loath to beare so vnprofitable a burthē Nay what wilt thou say if the silliest imperfectest creatures dog thée and make thée weary of thy life Are Frogs and Lice Caterpillers nothing with thée Doth not one poore Gnat hartning on her selfe to battaile with her Cornet which she winds so lastingly waken thée and make thée start with her feeble sting Then what would a legion of Gnats doe Ah sinfull soule and laden with iniquity is thy hart made of rubbish thine eye of Marble that the one will not giue againe the other become dankish Knowest thou not what it is to haue the stones of the field out of league with thée and the beasts of the field out of league with thée Take an example of Ionah and sée how he was handled when God mustered vp such forces against him in his displeasure After this Prophet had long laboured and toyled in Israell and could doe no good the Lord gaue him expresse charge to remooue his plow into the Nineuites fielde to shame her He vnmindfull of his commission paies the fare and is shipt For Tharshish he he is resolud While he thus strugled with diuine prouidence the Winds at their Creators commaund brake loose bad the Mariners Ionah 1. 4. deliuer Ionah The Sea sawe that and was wroth and bad the Marriners deliuer Ionah The Whale laye watching all this while and bad the Marriners deliuer Ionah The ship poore winged vessell laye swooning vpon the billowes and bad the Marriners vnballase her of Ionah Nay Ionah stood vp against Ionah and besought the Marriners to tumble him into the large Sepulcher of the sea How now mery sinner doth not the senere vsage of the man of God appall thée If so righteous a man be thus harshly intreated by the creatures where wilt thou an vngodly and vnrepentant man appeare O Sampson why sufferest thou lady Pleasure to play the Delilah dandling thée on her knée til she haue shaued of all thy goodnesse made thée wretched féeble and impotent what Samplon Sampson fend for thy self the Philistnes are vpō thée Sampson There remaineth a third effect of sinne sufficient to split thy hart be thou not insensibly blockish wilfully nefarious extreamly impious It is this All creatures in the world grone vnder the heauy burden of thy sinnes yea the Creator himselfe S. Paul affirmes this in part most excellently For we know Rom. 8. 11. saith he that euery creature groaneth with vs also and trauaileth in paine together vnto this present because it is subiect to vanitie vnder the bondage of corruption The world left being a world when Adam left béeing obedient it was neuer beautifull nor chéerfull since it waxed old in youth through manifold ataxies and disorders and at this day lyes bed-rid waiting with a seruent desire for the glorious cōming of the sonne of God When Israelits sinnes were ripe and calde for the sickle rotten cryed for the corastue what followde The harmelesse creatures must pay for it The beasts of the field and the foules of the heauen must be cut off and Hose 4. 2. 3 the Fishes of the sea must be taken away The Prophet Ieremie bewailing the pitious Lam. 2. 4. estate of Ierusalem testifieth that the very wayes of Sion and the rampart wall did lament for the iniquitie of the Iewes Sée sée my beloued how the dumbe creatures complaine vnder the intollerable waight of
priuate families O Lord our God and heauenly Father wee thy vnworthie children doe here come into thy most holy and heauenly presence to giue thée praise glory for al thy great mercies and manifold blessings towards vs especially for that thou hast preserued vs this night past from all the dangers and feares thereof hast giuen vs quiet rest to our bodies and brought vs now safely to the beginning of this day and doest now a fresh renew all thy mercies vpon vs as the Eagle reneweth her bill giuing vs all things aboundantly to enioy as food raiment health peace libertie and fréedome frō many miseries diseases casualties and calamities which wée are subiect vnto in this life euery minute of an houre and not only so but also for vouchsafing vnto vs many good things not onely for necessitie but euen for delight also But aboue all deare father we praise thy name for the blessings of a better life specially for thy most holy word and sacraments and all the good wée enioy thereby for the continuance of the Gospell amongst vs for the death of thy sonne all that happinesse which we haue thereby Also because thou hast chosen vs to life before we were and that of thy méere goodnesse vndeserued fauour towards vs and hast called vs in thine appointed time iustified by thy grace sanctified vs by thy spirit adopted vs to be thine owne children heires apparant to the great crowne O Lord open our eyes euery day more more to sée and consider of thy great and maruailous loue to vs in all these things that by the due consideration therof our harts may be drawne yet nearer vnto thée euen more to loue thée feare thée and obey thée that as thou art enlarged toward vs in mercie so we may be enlarged towards thée in thanksgiuing and as thou dost abound towards vs in goodnesse so we may abound towards thée in obedience and loue And sith deare father thou art neuer wearie of doing vs good not withstanding all our vnworthinesse naughtinesse therefore let the consideration of thy great mercy and fatherly kindnesse towardes vs euen as it were force our hearts compell vs to come into thy most glorious presence with new songs of thanksgiuing in our mouths Wée pray thée O most mercifull God to forgiue vs all our vnthankfulnesse vnkindnesse prophanes and great abusing of all thy mercies and specially our abuse and contempt of thy Gospell togither with all other the sins of our life which we confes are inumerable mo then can be reckoned vp both in omission of good things and commission of euill We most humbly intreate thée to set them al ouer to that reckoning which thy son Christ hath made vp for them vpon his crosse and neuer to lay any of them to our charge but fréely forget all and forgiue all Naile downe all our sinnes and iniquities to the Crosse of Christ burie them in his death bath them in his bloude hide them in his wounds let them neuer rise vp in iudgement against vs. Set vs frée of the miseries that are vpon vs for sin kéepe back the iudgements to come both of soule bodie goods good name Be reconciled vnto vs in thy deare sonne concerning all matters past not once remembring or repeating vnto vs our olde and abhominable iniquities but accept vs as righteous in him imputing his righteousnesse to vs and our sinnes to him Let his righteousnes satisfie thy iustice for all our vnrighteousnes his obedience for our disobedience his perfection for our imperfectiō Moreouer we humbly beséech thy good maiestie to giue vs the true sight and féeling of our manifold sinnes that we may not be blinded in them through delight or hardned in them through custome as the reprobates are but that we may be euen weary of them and much grieued for them labouring striuing by all possible meanes to get out of them Good Father touch our harts with true repentance for all sinne Let vs not take any delight or pleasure in any sinne but howsoeuer we fal through frailtie as we fall often yet let vs neuer fall finally let vs neuer lie downe in sinne nor continue in sinne but let vs get vpon our féete agayne and turne to thée with all our hearts and séeke thée whilst thou mayest be founde and whilst thou dost offer grace and mercie vnto vs. O Lord encrease in vs that true and liuely fayth whereby we may lay sure hold on thy sonne Christ and rest vpon his merites altogether Giue vs fayth assuredly to beléeue all the great and pretious promises made in the Gospell and strengthen vs from aboue to walke and abound in all the true and sound fruites of fayt◠〈◊〉 vs walke not after the flesh but after the spirite Let vs féele the power of thy sonnes death killing sinne in our mortall bodies and the power of his resurrection raysing vs vp to newnesse of life Let vs growe daylie in the sanctification of the spirite and the mortification of the flesh Let vs liue holily iustly and soberly in this present euill world shewing foorth the vertues of thée in all our particular actions that we may adorne our most holy prafession shine as lights in the midst of a crootied froward generation amongst whom we liue being gainefull to all by our liues conuersations offensiue to none To this end we pray thée fill vs with thy spirite and al spirituall graces as loue wisedome patience contentment méekenes humility temperancy chastity kindenes and affability stir vs vp to vse prayer watchfulnes reading meditation in thy lawe and al other good meanes whereby we may grow and abound in all heauenly vertues Blesse vs in the vse of the meanes from day to day make vs such as thou wouldest haue vs to bée and such as wée desire to bée working in vs both will and déede purpose and power For thou O Lorde art all in all thou wilt haue mercie vppon whom thou wilt haue mercy and whom thou wilt thou hardnest Haue mercie vppon vs therefore deare Father and neuer leaue vs to our selues nor to our owne wils lusts desires but assist vs with thy good spirite that wée may continue to the end in a righteous course that so at length we may be receiued into glory be pertakers of that immortall crowne which thou hast laid vp for all that loue thée and truely call vpon thée Further we intreat thée O heauenly father to giue vs all things necessary for this life as foode raimcut health peace liberty such fréedome from those many fold miseries which we lie open vnto euery day as thou séest méete Blesse vnto vs all the meanes which thou hast put into our hands for the sustenance of this fraile life Blesse our stock and store corne cattle trades occupations all the workes of our handes for thy blessing onely maketh rich and it bringeth no sorrows
choice fetherbed hauing before him all sightly prospects for the eye and all toothsome meates for the taste and the swéetest accorde in musick for the eare and were bound to remaine so without stirring a ioynt but for twenty yeares Oh how often would he looke vp to heauen pittifully and long for death as for a treasure rather than indure so soft a pnnishment What then will become of that vnhappy soule who hauing sported out his life must be hurried by Deuils into hell where his bed shall be a red-hot gridyron legions of damned ghosts his best sightes his dyet Dispayre his Musicke Gnashing of Téeth assisted with dreadfull shriekes and Clamorous lamentations not for twenty or forty yéeres but for as many thousands of yeares as there be drops in the Sea and Sands on the shore and then to begin fresh againe euerlastingly These motiues well respected and not ouerly suruaide what flintie hart will not riue and what sinfull soule will not houle after the maner of Dragons My most louing most déere Christian brother let me become not a suter but a beggar vnto thée For Iesus Christs sake I aske it humble thy selfe with fasting wéeping and mourning humble thy selfe with fasting wéeping and mourning For Iesus Christes sake I aske it If the nature of thine eye cannot mooue thée then let the excellencie of Gods lawe which thou hast broken perswade thée If the excellencie of Gods law which thou hast broken cannot perswade thée let the mighty Maiesty of the Lord rouze thée If the mighty Maiesty of the Lorde cannot rouze thée let the mercifulnesse of the same God allure thée If the mercifulnesse of God cannot allure thée let the pestilent effects of sinne curbe thée If the pestilent effects of sinne cānot curbe thée then let the insupportable torments of hell kill thée dead and rent thée in péeces As for thée O young man reioyce in thy Eccle. 10. 9 youth let thine hart chéere thée in the daies of thy youth walke in the wayes of thine hart in the sight of thine eies but know that for al this God wil bring thée to iudgement Brutish Epicure that postest to the Play-house at the sound of the Trumpet and giuest money to behold their vanities who set vp the Flag of defiance to vertue but wilt in no wise bee brought to the Church to mourne though the Preacher lift vp his voyce like a trumpet cry alowd Ho come and buy Wine and Milke without siluer persist Isaia 55. 1. in thy merriment doe but know that for all this God will bring thée to iudgement Théeuish adulterer that feloniously takest away thy poore neighbours little shéepe that eates of his owne morsels drinkes of his owne cup sléepes in his bosome laugh on sweare on whore on but know that for all this God will bring thée to iudgement To returne to thée brother mine whose saluation I desire in my hart those Instigations Inducemēts which the Lord hath put into my minde haue I imparted to thee And yet I finde not my selfe satisfied till I acquaint thée with certaine rubbes which Sathan will cast in thy way to stop thée from running smoothly to this godly sorrow The first Impediment is the want of the word preached For how canst thou mourne if Iohn Baptist mourne not to thée or cal thy place Bochim that is by interpretatiō Weeping Iud. 2. 4. 5. vnlesse Phineas or some zelous Prophet forbeare Incarnatiue salues and giue thée corasiues rebuke thée sharpely and sounding thy sinnes to the bottome Peter must not bawke thy wickednesse but taxe Acts. 2. 36. thée roundly and point out Iesus whome thou hast crucified else wilt thou not be prickt in thy heart nor demaund what thou shalt do to be saued O then my brother beloued and longed for my ioy my crowne I hope as euer thou meanest to haue a grudging in thy conscience for thy manyfolde corruptions be a diligent frequenter of powerfull Sermons The second Hindrance is the hope of long life Soule saith the ritch man take thine Luk. 12. 19 ease Why so Thou hast much goods laide vppe for many yeares Take héede take héede of this faulte for it is inbred The Adulterer will graunt that Adulterye ingenerall is naught but when he descends to this or that speciall Adultrye then hée varnisheth it ouer with some vayne shewe of reason and approueth it Right so thou wilt confesse by wordes of course especially when thou art crauing a bond for security that man is mortal man is mortal but when it comes to this that thou thou in particular must shortly bée borne on foure mens shoulders to the place of deade mens sculs then thou soothest thy selfe art fondly incredulous as if thy life were thine owne fée-simple Harke in thine eare Thou art a Dyue-dapper péering vp and downe agayne in a moment thou camest by the wombe and must goe by the graue Harke in thine eare Thou dwellest in an house Iob. 4. 19 of clay in a tent pitcht to day remooued to morrow and Corruption is thy father the worme thy mother and thy sister Where is 2. Cor. 5. 1 louely Absolon Where is strong Og wonted to streake himselfe on his bed of yron Dead All all goe naked out of the world thou boughtest life and must pay for it with death Assure thy selfe whosoeuer readest this booke that ere many yeares or decades of months be past Death mounted on his Reuel 6. 8. pale horse will rap at thy doore and alight carry thée away bound head and foote to a land darke as darknesse it selfe What then remaineth but that thou presently make Ioh. 19. 41 thy graue with Ioseph of Arimathea in thy Garden the place of thy delight mourning each daye amidst thy most tickling pleasures as if the Sunne of thy life were sure to set at night When shall I pray for thée saith Moses to Pharaoh To morrowe answers Exod. 8. 9. Pharaoh He should haue said To day Be not a kinne to Pharaoh For if thou play the ignamous and sloathfull seruant beginning to eate and drinke with the drunken Math. 24. 49. 50. thy Maister Christ will come in a day when thou lookest not for him and in an houre that thou art not aware of and will cut thée off and giue thée thy portion with hypocrites there shall be wéeping and gnashing of téeth The third let is Companie especially merie Company Therefore the Prophet Dauid Psal 4. 4. would haue vs examine our selues quietly on our Beds It is storyed by the Euangelists that Peter went out from the Luk. 22. 62 concourse of people in the high Priests hall and then he wept bitterly It is better to goe to the house of mourning than of feasting Eccles 7. 4. saith Salomon The king of glorye sometime so dignifieth the Gentleman that he knockes at his hart by his holy spirit and bids him open the doore that he