We haue heard whither the soule of this rich man went to wit to hell here is further shewed what followed there And first what this rich man sawe and secondly what he said He sawe Lazarus and spake to Abraham He sawe Lazarus to wit with the eyes of his minde the eyes of his body being fast closed vp in the graue and he spake to Abraham but with an intellectuall tongue Which sheweth that all that followeth is a parable-part of Scripture For soules in proper speech haue neither eyes to see nor tongues to speake with It is said hee lift vp his eyes the more to increase his desire of that he could not haue and sorrow for being denied it And that his eyes being lift vp he sawe Abraham a farre off or saluation farre from the wicked Psal 119.155 and which more augmented his paine Lazarus in his bosome As farre as heauen and hell are asunder so farre off saw he Abraham and with the Mole-warp he onely opened his eyes at his death and saw him and Lazarus with him in blisse But as in his life time he turned his eyes from Lazarus so now at his death God turned his face from him and so he sawe what he was not better but worse for seeing And how could it be otherwaies hauing such a feeling of the torments he was in and liuely sense of the fâ—uours he lost by seeing Lazarus so happy and himselfe so miserable For might he not now say What hath pride profited me or what profit hath the pompe of riches brought me Wisd 5.8 Thus he sawe too late and with late repentance at his death what before he would not see Which teacheth that death which is preuented of the righteous preuenteth sinners The rich man in the Gospel who promised to himselfe a life of many yeeres had not the poore life of one night to prepare for death which tooke him away in his couetousnesse Luk. 12.19.20 And Agag said merrily the bitternesse of death is past when the same houre bitter death which he thought to be past pierced him to the heart being hewen in peeces before the Lord in Gilgal 1. Sam. 15.32.33 And what warning had Herod when vpon his roiall throne in the sight of all his flatterers hee was suddenly stricken with death by an Angel Act. 12.23 When the old world thought least of a change the flood of death came Luk. 17.27 And Sodome with her Cities thought least of death when her end came suddenly by fire from heauen v. 29. As therefore the diuels said to Christ so are the wicked driuen to say to death Art thou come to torment vs before our time Math. 8.29 At 50 at 60 at more yeeres it is euer out of time and they say with Iehoram Is it peace 2. King 9.23 They know not if it be The reasons They haue no hope in death and in this life onely they haue their pleasure and heauen Secondly they cannot cease to sinne and therefore cannot be in the minde to looke for death that casteth into hell for sinne Thirdly they are the inhabitants of the earth vpon whom death commeth suddenly as the snare vpon the bird Luk 21.35 An instruction to thinke of euery present day as of the day of our death Vse and to doe that euery day that we would gladly be found doing at our dying day For death giueth no warning more then the theefe of his comming Math. 24.43 And how soone are we gone or how suddenly may our death come perhaps before we goe out at these doores perhaps at home perhaps in our way as we are going home some adulterers haue bene taken in their filthy sinne by death as Zimri and Cozbi were Num. 25.7.8.14.15 Some haue withered in death as Ieroboamâ— hand breathing cruelty 1 King 13.4 Some drinking themselues drunken haue so died Math. 24.50 And some dancing on the Sabbath haue fallen downe dead in the dance Should not these examples be warnings to vs should they not leade vs to Christian watchfulnesse or are we surer of our life then these were But who considereth that prophaning the Sabbath swearing whoring drinking and being drunken the same day or houre may take him that tooke them suddenly or doe we thinke to goe to heauen with a paire of dice in our hands and a helâ— of oathes in our mouths But though this rich man sawe Abraham yet the text saith that He sawe Abraham a farre off Not to his comfort but further tormenting As he beheld Lazarus so God now beholds him a farre off And as farre was the rich man from Abraham as hell is farre from heauen and as miseries without ease or end are from ioy and pleasures endlesse This reacheth that as the wicked are farre from Gods law Psal 119.150 so Gods saluation is farre from the wicked Psal 119.155 Sinne and saluation are two ends that can neuer meete The Prophet saith as he loued not blessing so shall it be farre from him Psal 109.17 And this made Paul to wish that King Agrippa in his great pompe had bin such as he was Act. 26.29 not to wish himselfe such as Agrippa was in all his roialty For he would not change coats with him nor exchange estates though it were to haue a Princes life for a prisoners The reasons The wicked are not so neere to saluation as hypocrites who though they seeme to liue in the suburbs of it as he who was among the other ghests not hauing his wedding garment yet shall neuer be saued Math. 22.11.13 being not painted tombes but sinkes foule without and foule within Secondly they must neede be farre from God that is from his saluation to whom he will say as he doth to all wicked sinners depart Math 7.23 25 41. Psal 6.8 Thirdly they are the haters of God and such shall not come in his presence nor neere him Psal 1.5 68.1 Fourthly Moses might not stand vpon holy ground till hee had put off his shooes Exod. 3.5 how much lesse may the wicked stand vpon heauens ground hauing not put off the foule shooes of their filthy sinnes An instruction to goe farre from wickednes Vse if we will come nere to God to turne to the Lord by repentance if we would not haue the Lord by our impenitencie to turne from vs. And whither shall we goe if we goe from him He hath the words and with him is the well of eternall life Ioh. 6.68 In his presence is the fulnes of ioy Psal 16.11 and fulnesse of all miseries in our absence from him With him is light without him we abide in darknes for euer And now should not this enforce vs to loue his presence in the assembly and his familiar presence in heauen now to seeke him in his word that heereafter wee may find him in his Kingdome nowe to haue him that we may haue him euer and now to liue to his glory that after death he may drawe vs to himselfe and shewe vs his glory But farre from
a torch of example to leade them And so we if we profit not to good order by the seemely order of the vnreasonable and insensible creatures that serue God in their kind shall haue witnesses inough against vs out of that simple hoast or muster The winds and Sea obeyed Christ for he rebuked the winds and said to the Sea be still and presently they obeyed the winds ceased and the Sea was calme Mar. 4.39 Now if angry persons heare this to whom it is said Be angry and sinne not Eph. 4.26 and yet will not be calmed by the word putting away wrath the winds and Sea shall condemne them The beast that will drinke no more then it needes may depose against those that sit at the wine and strong drinke all day long The Ant that prepareth her meate in Summer that is while it may be had condemneth those sluggards and idle destitute of vnderstanding who neither Summer nor Winter care for any thing Pro. 30 25. The locusts that goe forth by bands that is strongly tegether and not weakely by few in a companie are witnesses against the diuisions of Christendome that separately make themselues a prey when iointly they might make a beautifull army v. 27 And the Spider that laboureth so busily about her web and takes hold of her thread with such industry and constancie is a shame to the slothfull in their vocation who take no holde of Time for any good purpose vnder the Sun v. 28. Loe here who may be our teachers or will be our accusers though man should say nothing Let vs therefore among so many witnesses walke circumspectly not as fooles but as wise so I come to that which is common both to this rich man and Lazarus Verse 22 And it was so that the Begger died c. That which was common to the rich man and Lazarus is that they both died For in the beginning of the verse it is said the begger died and in the end of it that the rich man died also Now to die properly is to haue the soule seuered from the body and so all must haue poore and rich that die This poore man was bitten to death of the dog of hunger and the other rich man though he felt no hunger yet could not auoide the dart of death for both the poore and rich died Where we learne that the state or condition of the poore and rich is one concerning death Doctr. 1. and that the Law of it is vniuersall One dies as well as another the wise man as the foole Eccles 2.16 and all flesh is grasse Esa 40.6 The flesh of poore men and the flesh of Kings is grasse and both cut downe by death the coursest grasse and the finest flower of grasse Death is the worme in euery gourd mortall Ion. 4.7 and Princes die like other men Psal 82.7 The point is plaine by the experience of all the ages both of time and persons past and therfore the Prophet in the Psal 89. V. 48 maketh this question What man is he that liueth and shal not see death As much as if hee had sayd No man living but shall So Saint Paul It is appointed as by a Statute of euerlasting Parliament and appointed to men that is to euery man to one as well as to another That they shall once dye Heb. 9.27 And dust shall returne to dust as it was Ecclesiastes 12.7 Behold we the famous men before vs that gouerned the people by counsell and in whose doctrine were wise sentences or consider wee those great ones that wee reade of who commaunded the sea and drie land making the beasts of the earth the fishes of the sea and the fowles of the ayre to serue for their delight are they not all turned to their dust and is not all their glory fledde as a shadow Hat not iust and mighty death couered their large bodies ouer with those two very short words Hic â—acâ—t Here lyes to witte the body of such and such a Monarch Potentate and Emperour of the earth Was not the graue their house and did they not all make their bedde in the darke Iob. 17.13 Some of their iourneyes in this pilgrimage of life were shorter some longer but was not their graue the common Inne where they lodged at night and what difference in death betweene them â—ucar Dialog Among many dead Ghosts as it is in the fable one would needs know which was Philip King of Macedon Answer was made Hee that hath the balde heade is Philip All haue balde heads saith he he that hath the slatte nose is Philip sayth the other Al haue flat noses sayth hee He with the hollow eyes is hee sayth the other and that hath the bare ribbes and ratling bones but all are such and haue such sayth he Then sayde the other I perceyue then there is no difference in death betweene the begger and the King In a cast of Counters one hath the place of pounds another of shillings a third of pence and euery one as he that casts the account shall thinke good to lay them but put them all into a bagge and what difference is there So what difference betweene those that are worth thousands and those that are worth nothing being once put together in the common bagge of the earth Salomon in all his glory was not so glorious as the Lilly sayth the second Salomon Math. 6.29 And what is a Lilly or what eternity is there in that flower of grasse It is sayde that euery Lilly hath his worme in his roote and can wee thinke that the Lilly of flesh is without Surely the worme of death gnawes vpon vs so soone as we begin to liue in the womb be we borne poore or of Princes and when we come into the world innumerable petty deaths are sent vpon vs for transgression Wormes eate vs aliue and wee are but wormâ—s meate being in our house of corruption That which hath some shew to day is to morrow rolled vp and layde aside in the clodde of the earth Abraham was the friend of God in his generation Sampson was strong and Iob iust and none so wise as Salomon and yet death hath rolled vp all those Worthies and buried their bones in Golgotha Since the fall of Adam there is no entring into Paradise but by the burning Seraphims or blazing fittes of death Gen. 3.24 It was sayde to Adam and the same may bee sayde to all that come of Adam Thou art dust Gen. 3.19 That is thou art but matter for the earth and for death that reigneth ouer all flesh Finally as in the parable the Labourers came into the Vineyard Math. 20.1.3.5.6 so shall those Labourers go out some at one houre some at another some in their infancy or dazon of day Some in their third houre young some when they are men in their sixt and ninth houre and some when they be old men in their eleuenth and last houre But all must goe out of this
vineyarde of life that liue and the longest day of the longest liuers life is but till night the night wherein no man can worke Iohn 9.4 I conclude therefore that all are mortall poore and rich The Reasons It is iust that God giue to euery one the wages of his workes but the wages of sinne is death Rom. 6.23 and therefore iust it is that hee who sinneth and all are sinners should dye Secondly sinne â—â—â—nt euer all and death by it Rom. 5.12 and therefore all rich poore and all must die Thiâ—dly God say de to Adam In the day that thou eatest of the tree which I haue forbidden thee to eate or touch ther shalt dye the death Gen. 2.17 Now Adam did eate and what was sayd to him was spoken to all Man-kinde in him and therefore not he onely must dye but all must dye that were in his loynes Fourthly wee are all one mans sonnes Adams and haue one mother our common mother the earth Iob. 17.13.14 And whither must Adams sonnes goe but whither Adams sinne sends them and to whom is the childe to bee brought but to his owne mother Fiftly (b) Austen one calleth life a sicknesse and hee that hath the sicknesse of life how can hee chuse but dye Sixtly by death God declares his power seeing that by it he translates his Elect to life and that eternall therefore is death called by Dauid The way of all the liuing 1. King 2 2. and by Hâ—zechiah in his song The doore of the graue Esa 38.10 For as meÌ„ enter into their houses by the doore and goe to their places by the way so doe they passe to their graues by death and remoue to their Countrey by the same as by their common way One vseth this comparison As the herbe breedes the worme and the worme so bredde eates the herbe that is bredde in so sin brought in death and death brought in by sinne destroyeth sinne to the righteous the sinne that caused death If sinne had not beene death had neuer been and yet to the Elect deaths being only doth away sinne not because they die but because they receyue that grace in death and not before they dye Seuenthly there is a common subiection to death that the godly by such subiâ—ction may learne to make the more of Christ and of their saluation by him when they shall perceyue that that which they so much abhorre and feare I meane death in kinde is by his dying made no death to them but their doore to the kingdom of heauen Heb. 2.14 15. Lastly the law of death takes hold of all that the godly beeing vnder the arrest of it as well as others though not vnder the tyranny of it as the wicked might enter into life by that gate by which Christ their head passed to his glory the gate of putting off this mortal and earthlie house in death But doe the rich dye as well as the poore Vse 1 the King as the begger Then let the great ones learne not to despise meaner persons at their feet nor insolently to aduance themselues aboue them for they haue one Mother and goe to one house Corruption is Father to both both haue one Sister the Worme and both shall lye downe together in the dust Iob 17.13 14 16. Heere the poore man dyed and dyed not the rich man as well as hee Doth not this sword deuoure one as well as another 2. Sam. 11.24 Is not the mouth of it the graue that receyueth rich and poore and what is one heape of dust better then an other in the darke chambers of the dead Difference of persons serues but for this life after it all goe to one place and great men play better parts on the high stage of this world then meaner doe but when the play is done on goes their owne apparrell againe the common weare of mortality all are clad alike with corruption wormes Who considering this as hee should doth not see and confesse that there is neyther profit nor worth in these vain things And who seeing and confessing so much will be so proud of that which is nothing M. Carew on this text What saith one doe great possessions and this greatnesse to bee rich in grounds auayle men when a peece of ground of fiue foote must containe them What better for their stately houses when bound hand and foote they must bee put in the straite house of a simple coffin What better for their rich apparrell when a sheete of no great shew must shrowde them And what doeth their daintie fare and sweete meate profite them with the sowre sauce of repentance Wealth they may haue but no wealth can buye them of death for here it is sayde A rich man dyed All reioycing therefore and swelling aboue others by reason of this earthly glory is very vaine and vnworthy a Christian that is redeemed with a price for better things in an inheritance that fadeth not But further If the Law of death be vniuersall Vsâ— 2. then it is no inheritance to be here and here wee haue no continuing City that is wee haue no state of perpetuity in those earthly Cottages The terme wee haue in them is short and simple compared with our enduring house in heauen Our warning out of them beginnes with the first moment of our naturall life for so soone as wee beginne to liue we beginne to die and the place wee haue hath no foundation where the place wee shall haue is sure and eternall And should not all this moue vs to take present order for another and better life Hee that knowes hee shall remoue out of the Tenement hee hath within a quarter or halfe a yeare is very improuident and weake witted if within that short bound of time hee prepare not some other house to come vnto So for vs that inhabite these houses of clay seeing our warning is shorter and our change may bee sooner then halfe a yeare or quarter perhaps to morrow perhaps this present day or houre how improuident and simple are wee if wee care not to assure vnto vs another and farre better house then those we haue here that wee may say with the Apostle Wee know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle bee destroyed wee haue a building giuen vs of God an house not made with hands but eternall in the heauens 2. Cor. 5.1 But some say with Peter It is good to be here Math. 17.4 as if they should say No where so well as in these corruptible possessions and therefore they build tabernacles in them not one for Christ one for Moses one for Elias but for this child and for that And so as there is no rememberance of death in their doing I say no remembrance of death for due thoughts of death will so distaste them of earthly things that they will finde small rellish in them and be ready to say with Esau Loe I am aâ—mosâ— dead and what is this birthright
to me Gen. 25.32 Where contrarily promising to themselues long life and their lease may be out to morrow they lay vp all their treasure in their barnes and full bagges Luk. 12.19 not caring for their other house till this be taken from them A reproofe therefore to those Vse 3 who as if they forgate the common way of all the liuing make it a strange thing to die and who liue as if there were no house of darknes to passe vnto nor way in death to walke in but the ignorance of a way so beaten by so many how can it be excused And yet if we find any little alteration or change in our stomacke in our body or bones how doe we wonder at it how passionate be we and how pettish for it as if it were some great wonder that any of Adams children should sicken die How will such be able quietly and with any peace to beare the comming of death the Lord himselfe when they are so agast at the approch of these his purueiers or petti-petti-deaths whom he sends before to prepare for his comming How haue such remembred euery day to looke for death and euery houre to prepare to die or rather how haue such forgotten to esteeme of euery day as of their last day and to prepare for euery houre as for their dying houre But of this I haue spoken largely in my Sermons of life and death specially the first and second theâ—e Thus we haue heard that it is common both to rich and poore to die Yet in the order obserued in the text this poore godly man he that was in such misery pained with such hunger died first It was to hasten him to glory and from the euils he endured here And so we secondly learne Doctr. 2. that the deaths of the righteous are their gaine or a speedy taking of them from euils present and to come So saith Esay the righteous that is they that loue righteousnes and haue it imputed are taken away or gathered from the euill to come Esa 57.1 That is both from the euill of sinne and from the euils that come by sinne and this taking away is in their bodies for the graue in their soules for glory Thus was d 2. King 22 20. Iosuah taken away a good King and a good King young Euils were neare therefore was he taken from those euils and plagues at hand Enoch also he that is reported of that he pleased God Heb. 11.5 was for his great gaine walking among sinners taken vp to God Gen. 5.24 And thus the Lord sheweth himselfe to be a rewarder of them that seeke him Hebr. 11.6 or that walke with him as Henoch did The blessed dead that die in the Lords as Christians or for the Lord as Christian martyrs are taken or haue rest from their labours that is euils present saith S. Iohn Apoc. 14.13 And when the cheekes of the godly are blubbered with weeping for the euils they see and euill things they suffer of the vnworthy world God doth not delay by taking them out of the world to himselfe to wipe all such teares of paine and crying from their eyes Apoc. 21.4 Esa 25.8 The reasons The Lord remembreth whereof they are made and knoweth that as dust they will quickly be moued with the wind of long troubles and therefore will not contend for euer with them that is ouerlong lâ—st the spirit should faint before him Esa 57.16 Also if the rod of the vngodly did rest alwaies vpon them they might put foorth their hand to wiâ—kednesse Psal 125.3 So should God lose his good subiects which he will not doe and therefore will not suffer them to be tempted aboue that they be able 1. Cor. 10.13 Secondly the world is not worthy of such Hebr. 11.38 or the righteous are a blessing that the world cares not for Now a blessing vnregarded or vsed vnworthily may worthily be taken away Where therefore the wicked set so little by the righteous God doth hasten to take them away for their plague and the euerlasting good of his children Thirdly in this life the godly haue nothing but losse vpon losse as the losse of their good labours the losse of their good name and the losse of their time here Besides for their afflictions their death onely makes an end of them life and misery being as two twins that are borne together and must die together And is it not then the great aduantage of the righteous and their great preferment by death that by it they are drawne out of so many and fatall euils into the blessed rest and glory of God in the which they shall continue euer So long as they abide here in their tents of warre they must not put off their harnesse at any time day and night they must lie in the field expecting a battell wherein is no time of truce For if Satan be ouercome at one time at another hee will set vpon them onely death ends the battell not to his auaile but to theirs They that die in those battells are ouercome in those other the Saints neuer ouercome till they die and is not their death then their vndoubted aduantage and gaine that so die But doth God take away the righteous speedily and soonest because the world is not worthy of them Vse 1 as the wicked are vnworthy to liue in the world Then they that suruiue the righteous haue iust cause to feare that for their vnworthinesse such are taken from them and because they no better regarded them nor Gods loue by them Some reioice when a good man dies not because he is taken from labour to rest from death to life but because they hated him for his goodnes and desired rather his roome then his company here but let such know that Lot being departed out of Sodome fire and brimstone will come quickly after Gen. 19.17.23.24 For the wheate being gathered into the barne what shall be done with the tares shall they not being bound vp for the fire be set on a burning Math. 13.30 When the godly Lazarus is dead not long after dieth the vngodly Dines but Lazarus is in Abrahams bosome and the rich man in hell in torments Assoone as Noah is in the Arke the world that mocked him is in their graue of waters and most of them in their center of fire Therefore when the righteous perish the wicked behind them haue great cause to howle and weepe but no cause to laugh or be merry except this may make them glad that making no good vse of their happy ends their owne vnhappy end is not farre off that waiteth for them to damnation Now consider this yee that forget God lest he teare you in peeces and there be none to deliuer you Psal 50.22 Let Lazarus let the godly be regarded while they liue with you lest for your contempt of such God take them to blisse and send you to hel Or if God remoue some yong and in their tender bud
sparing you in your threescore and stubberne roote know that it is done of the Lord either to bring you to repentance or if you will not repent to harden you further to destruction Further is the death of the righteous the righteous mans gaine Then let not the godly man feare to die Vse whose preferment is such by death that Christ in life and death is his aduantage Philip. 1.21 That which is bitter to worldly men is pleasure to him that which is wofull to them is ioy to him that which bringeth them into misery draweth him out and what takes him out of the prison of life casts them into the prison of hell No maruell then if the wicked be loth to die but great maruell that the godly should feare to die For for the wicked specially the rich such as this rich man here they are well and cannot hope that their remoue shall be to better or so good and therefore their change to a place they know not whither and to a life they know not what must needes much trouble them and no maruell if they who know no better life leaue this against their willes But for the righteous that are called in hope and to better things in Christ it were strange seeing their dimittis is in peace with Simeon that with Simeon they should not desire the day of libertie 2. Tim. 4.8 which is the day of their death and that they might be loosed to wit from their fetters here to be with Christ Philip. 1.23 This life to them is but a very vale of teares and they be in the world as Iacob in Labans house Gen. 30.31 How then can they so much loue this vale and Labans house of so many and continuall vexations as not to desire with the change of the place a change in these matters miseries and conditions of mortall life Who would not depart with Iacob and desire to depart with Simeon in such a case Luk. 2.29 Gen. 31.17.18 Death in it selfe is full of bitternes and by nature to the nature of man The very king of feare Iob. 18.14 and who looking vpon death with the visour vpon his face and armed with sinne will not giue backe at his approach and say O stay me a little Psal 39.13 But when death shall bee considerd with the aduantage that is as it is to the righteous and as Christ hath taken from it the visour of feare to them and to all that loue his comming the day of death as the day of the Iewes deliuerance from Haman cannot but be a feast day and a good day Est 8.17 a day of deliuerance from the Haman of hell from the power of sinne and powers of darknesse The Apostle considering this desired to bee gone shall wee thinke in a desperate moode as they that care not which end goes forward No but he did it vpon good and iust grounds knowing the happinesse that wayted for him and which waiteth for all that haue his thirst to bee with Christ The feare of death is naturall so children feare to goe in the darke but the feare of it for it selfe is weake For many times death passeth with lesse paine then the torture of a limme But the death to be feared is the death that hath sinne in it and the reason of the feare because sinne that brought it is fearefull Now the godly mans death is no such death hauing the teeth of sinne pulled out of it that it cannot bite his death is but his sleepe in his bed and rest from his labours and therefore to him to dye is no more then to goe to his rest at night or hauing escaped the sea to come to the hauen where he would bee Psal 107.30 And who would feare so to doe But their best preferment is where here they are absent from Christ there they shall euer be with him where here they please God weakely and offend him daily there they shall both please him and enioy pleasures with him for euer and where here they are strangers there they shall be at home in their owne Countrey and proper ayre with the whole blessed Trinitie the Father Sonne and holy Ghost So much for that which is common to the rich man Lazarus and for their different estates on earth their different estates after they left the earth follow And was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome The difference that was betweene the rich man and Lazarus after their death was greater then before in their life here for Lazarus went to heauen It is sayde that the Angels carried him as in their hands thither The other went to hell It is sayde hee was in torments in hell Here hee that could not bee brought by the meanest in the rich mans house into the wicked rich mans kitchen is carried by the angels which for that purpose attend the godly at their death into the bosome of Abraham that is into the glorious heauen of Gods presence where Abraham is and whither all Abrahams children come Hee that could haue but the dogges here to beare him company hath now the welcom company of the Angels to attēd him Hee whom no man regarded the Angels now honour And he now feedeth on the tree of life that could not haue the offals of the Rich mans table to feede on Is not this a great change But such honour had he and such honour haue all Gods Saints Further in these words and in Lazarus two things may bee considered as by whom he was carried and whither He was carried by the Angels sayth the Text that is by those spirituall heauenly and most excellent substances that minister before the glory of God continually for these glorious spirits Gods good Angels and those flames of fire his Ministers doe by diuine commandement minister to the heyres of saluation diuersly whiles they liue and sweetely at their death Heb. 1.14 The place whither Lazarus was carried is Heauen called by a kind of Periphrasis or kind of speech Abrahams bosome or the bay of rest from all stormes below And so wee see that the glory of the godly beginneth in their death as the glory of the wicked endes in theirs But to returne to the Angels and in briefe to tell you what they are as the word telles mee they are substances created without bodies the time when was within the 6. dayes the place where was in heauen Of these an innumerable company fell quickly and together for as they were made within the 6. dayes so within that time they fell and these we call now Diuels that is Angels by their creation but diuels by their fal for which they are Chained vp in vtter darknes Iude. 6. The other Angels which also are innumerable stood and euer shall stand by grace in the puritie and righteousnesse wherein their Makers hand at first set them And these are the Angels that this Scripture speaketh of which are called Angels for their seruice and ministery for
we vnciuilly carry our selues and shall we forget our holy calling in the worthy presence of the Angels shall we make their waiting vpon vs tedious vnto them by behauing our selues otherwaies in their sight then beseemeth their high persons and the honorable birth of a Christian And now that we are all of vs before God in the Ministery and at prayer let vs specially take heede how we demeane our selues lest the Angels that grace our assemblies with their presence when they returne to heauen complaine of our vnchristian inciuilitie in this holy place As if they should say to God we were in such an assembly professing thy name and worship but whiles thou wast speaking to them by thy word and Minister some were talking some girding at the Preacher some laughing and fleering some making gaudes and mouthes some flat along not in prayer but in a slouenly rudenesse perhaps in their drousie drunkennesse and some were fast asleepe Is this a good report and should we not dread to be thus spoken of to God Further let them consider this who when they are priuate care not what they say or doe and what steames they send vp of a corrupt and vnsauory dunghill within in all their talke to their priuate acquaintance without any grace to the hearers Such forget that the Angels are neare who want not eares as they be full of eyes that is are not slowe to heare as they be quicke to see and how can they then be hidden This is to grieue the Angels and to make the God of Angels to grieue them So farre for the persons that caried the soule of Lazarus the place followeth to which they caried it Into Abrahams bosome The place of comfort to which the Angels brought the soule of Lazarus is here called Abrahams bosome by a trope or figure because as the fathers bosome is the place of the childes rest so heauen is that bosome of eternall rest into which Abraham the father-beleeuer with all the children of promise which are beleeuers are receiued in their soules till the day of the resurrection And it is no other but the bay or hauen of repose from all stormes mortall whereinto Abraham hath put long since and all shall who walke in the steppes of his faith Indeede some of the fathers haue spoken doubtfully of it and the Papists tell vs that it is the Limbus or brimme of hell where all our fathers were till Christ descended to bring them out But can that which is a place of ioyfull and happy rest be the brimme of hell can that which is and is called a glorious kingdome be hell Math. 8.11 Can it be a prison or place of custody that is called so often in the Scriptures the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God Can that be so neare vnto and border vpon the place of torments into hell which by Abrahams speech of it in the 26. verse following is so farre remoued that there is a great gulfe or gaping pit betweene and can Abrahams bosome which is simply good be taken for that which as a father saith is neuer taken for good Chrysâ—stome saith It is the poore mans paradise In honoâ— de Diuite Is paradise hell and Austen in the place before denies it to be hell or any part of hell and how then can it be the skirt of hell And Tertullian in his fourth booke against Marcion saith that hell is one thing and Abrahams bosome another Then Abrahams bosome cannot be hell nor the canopie of hell What shall I further say this already spoken is sufficient to cleare this Scripture from sending the soule of Lazarus to hell or to any part of hell and therfore Abrahams bosome in this text is no other then heauen the seate of God and of the blessed Saints in light an harbour of rest from the waues and Sea of this troublesome world vnto it is the soule of Lazarus brought presently after his death from whence learne that after this life of paine and labour there is nothing but ioy and peace to the righteous so saith Esay He that is the righteous person of whom he spake in the former verse shall enter into peace that is presently after his death enter or make his entry vpon it Esa 57.2 God reckened with those in their death who had receiued their Lords money The account came not till they died and therefore saith the text When the Maister of those seruants returned who is said to returne when dust returneth to the earth as it was and the spirit to God that gaue it Eccles 7 he said to the good seruant and faithfull Enter into thy Maisters ioy Math. 25.21.23 That is into ioyes vnspeakeable and glorious 1. Pet. 1.8 or such as the Maister hath prepared for all his faithfull seruants after they haue serued their course and time here He saith not enter first into the fire of paine and when that hath well purged thee I will take thee to ioy But without any more adoe receiue that ioy whereof as the fountaine had no beginning so the riuers that come from it shall haue no end Receiue thy Maisters ioy in that and in these So that there is no pause or stay made by the Lord at the deaths of the godly but presently they passe from death to life not painfull but truly ioyous and full of pleasures for euer The voice from heauen said the same and the Spirit sealed to it for so saith the Spirit that is speaketh so and no otherwaies then the voice spake which is Blessed are the dead in the Lord that is the godly dead and the reason is they to wit immediately after such a death rest from their labours Apoc. 14.13 not in the purgatory of Papists where is no rest but in the paradise of God where is true ioy and the plentifull redemption of the Saints The Apostle Paul saith Those that sleepe in Iesus God will bring with him 1. Thes 4.14 His meaning can be no other but that assoone as they sleepe in Christ or die in him God hath them presently in his hand and keeping who will keepe them till the time come that he hath appointed to deliuer them vp to testifie whoÌ„ he hath receiued Thus it is plaine that the godly enter vpon happines presently so soone as they goe henceby death The reasons The voice from heauen saith so and so saith the Spirit Apoc. 14.13 Two witnesses without all exception which being so doth not the law say that in the mouth of two or three witnesses euery word shall be established Mat. 18.16 Ioh. 8.17 But these two from heauen are more and more sure then a thousand on earth and therefore what they say is sure and must stand Secondly how shall the day of death be better to the righteous then the day in which they are borne as the Scripture speaketh if they who goe hence come not out of paines but exchange them nor end their misery but continue
must open our eares vnto it where they hate admonition we must heare and increase in learning Prou. 1.5 Increase I say as they that liue by their meate and haue a good digestion for the righteous the more they eate spiritually the more they may Fooles say to the Prophets Prophesie not Amos 2.12 that is speake as wee would haue you or say nothing and these are fooles indeed but Christians that are godly wise say to the Prophets that is to those that teach thē in the word Prophesie right things to vs Esa 30.10 that is tell vs of our faults that we may amend them and wherin we faile tell vs that we may do better hereafter or Let the righteous smite vs to wit with the seuerity of the Law for that shall be a benefite Psal 141.5 that is that shall doe vs good indeed and saue vs from the sweet but killing poison of flattring lips and let not their tongues nor let them that haue such tongues destroy vs. The last answer of Abraham or his answer to this rich mans reply followeth Ver. 31. Then he sayde if they heare not Moses c. Ahraham perceiuing that words could not satisfie this importunate cuntentious rich-man breaks off al further talke with him and leaues him telling him at parting which he had tolde him before that Moses and the Prophets must be heard to saluation and that not beleeuing the Word it is impossible to beleeue without it though men should come from the dead vnto vs. And thus hee concludes the Parable and all speech with this rich man in it The conclusion is that which already was spoken of and the repetition thereof is safe for vs Phil. 3.1 for besides that it stands vpon a sure ground of truth it is auouched twice the better to assure vs Gen. 41.32 And it teacheth that there is no perswading of him that will not bee perswaded by the Word written Therefore sayd the counterfeit Samuel to reprobate Saul Wherefore doest thou aske of me seeing the Lord is gone from thee 1. Sam. 28.16 as if he had sayde How shall I perswade thee when God by his word can not and what answer can I make when his Prophets will make mone v. 15. So Ieremie They haue reiected the word of the Lord and what wisedome is in them Ier. 8.9 that is the word cannot teach them and what then shall teach them wisedome Therefore Moses speaking of the ordinances and lawes which God had commaunded telleth the people that to keepe and do them is their wisdome Deut 4.5.6 his meaning is that if they will be truly wise or made wise vnto saluation it must be by the ordinances lawes written or if not by these by nothing And Christ sends the Iewes to the Scriptures to search them not to dead mens graues to rake in them Ioh 5 39. As if he had sayde eyther there or no where For to resolue the Iewes concerning Him whome the Father sent what could do it sooner or so well as the Word that is mightie in operation liuely for edification Hebrewes 4.12 The reasons First nothing is written in Moses and the scriptures that is not written in the heart of nature Rom. 2.14.15 And what naturall Man doeth not confesse the effect of the Law as that which is so deepely engrauen in him that he cannot rubb it out-by any pretences or colours to the contrary Secondly the prophecyes that went before are daily fulfilled And what will they beleeue who shal doubt of that which they haue heard which they haue seene with their eies and which euen their hands in some sort haue handled of the word of life 1. Ioh. 1 1. But all these are contained in the word written and therefore they that refuse to heare it what wil they heare Thirdly it is safe to heare Moses the other writings of holy men in scripture but safe no way Sathan transforming himselfe as hee doth into an angel of light to leane vnto things not written or rest vpon vn written vanities taken vp vpon credite of sathā the father as of lyers so of lies Ioh. 8.44 and wherfore hath God giuen vs a most sure word of the Prophetes 2. Pet. 1 19. but that we shold not leaue a certainty for an vncertaintie or goe frō that which will surely leade vs in our way to that which wil be sure to lead vs out Fourthly the word written containeth the promises of a most excellent life and that Sternall in heauen also the threatnings of a most intollerable death and that euerlasting in the hells If then a short life of pleasures short and vaine so moue vs how can we but be moued with the long life of those pleasures that are for euer And if wee be so much troubled to heare of death which in some ends all paines and beginnes all ioyes that haue no end how can that but shake all our bones as with a most violent wind that speaketh of the death that is endles which all reprobates die are neuer dead Therefore not to be moued with all this what can moue vs So it is sealed vp for a sure truth that what the word of God cā not do that no word of man or Angell can doe They that will not be healed by it are incurable so saith my text neither wil they be perswaded thogh one rose frōthe dead again A terrour to those that cannot be perswaded by the word whether Atheists in life or opinion For Vse such go against all principles and lights both of grace nature And they that so doe what can perswade them but the Magistrates staffe and what answer must be made them but silence 2. Kings 18 36. How wretched then is the condition of those popish poore people that cannot come at the word to be perswaded by it and of their popish leaders that thinke to perswade without it And what doe such but bury Christ in stead of being buryed with Christ also by making ignorance the Mother of deuotion which is the step-mother of religion what do they but keepe him still in his graue But let vs of christian England to whom this day-starre of the gospel hath so long appeared and in such glorie brightnes vnder the two Sunnes of Q. Elisabeth of infinite worthy memory of our dread Soueraign K. Iames now liuing and the happines of our land the glory of all Christendom let vs I say the Christians of bappy England follovv to wit in obedience this starre of the Worde to the house where Christ is borne Math. 2.9 and auoyde or turne from by our conformitie with it the house where the dead are and whose guests are in the depth of hell Pro. 9.18 So shal we bee partakers of those ioyes which Lazarus hath in Abrahams bosome and escape the torments and place of torments wherein Abraham left this Rich-man and wee leaue him And pray wee that wee may imitate Lazarus and be like him and not be as this cruell Rich-man doing as hee did and ending vvhere he left lest being like him in vvickednes our revvard bee like his in hell From which woefull Pit of death Eternall Hee that bought vs with a price saue vs and that by Faith in him only who only is the Sauiour Iesus Christ the righteous to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost bee praise for euer in all the Churches Amen FINIS
OF THE RICH MAN AND LAZARVS Certaine Sermons By ROBERT HORNE LVKE 12.21 So is he that gathereth riches to himselfe and is not rich in God GALAT. 6.10 While we haue therefore time let vs doe good vnto all men but specially to them which are of the houshold of faith LONDON Printed by Ber Alsop for IOHN HODGETS 1619. TO THE VVORTHY IVSTICE OF CHESTER Sir Thomas Chamberlaine Chiefe Iustice of his Maiesties Councell in the Marches of WALES Right Worshipfull I Haue presumed vnder your worthy Name to send forth a few Obseruations such as they are on the Parable of the Rich man and Lazarus A Scripture that may well beset by the Preacher to an age of such fulnesse of sinne as ours is An age and time wherein vngodlinesse Preface to the trunesse of Religion which as the a L. of Plessis once sayde was wont but to whisper men in the eare and lispingly to speake between the teeth doth now most boldly and without all blush of shame with open mouth call vpon both Bench and Pulpit for protection Diues hath many sonnes at this day sprung from his loines of cruelty and the contempt of the poore and for his brethren among vs they be not (b) Luc. 16 28. fiue onely but more then fiue hundred all which liuing in no feare of God or death and impudently in all the deedes of sinne require the sharpest edge of Discipline Gods and mans Therefore and toward the reformation of so many as God shall incline to reade with some conscience the ensuing Discourse I haue to my poore skill done somewhat in this fearefull Parable of Diues That little which is done is according to the Scriptures and humbly commended to your Worship by One that doth loue and reuerence You for the good parts of Iustice and Piety which are noted to be in you by those that know you and appeareth by this that you spare no trauell and accept no faces of men or letters in matters of publike hearing whether in Terme or out And who can but commend this mind of yours in so scarce a world of iust and painefull Magistrates Your piety in Gods matters is testified sufficiently and plainely by your exemplary obedience to Gods Sabbothes where your good affection to the Word in a louing affabilitie to the Preachers thereof is obserued and reuerenced by as many as truly know you And for the integrity of your mind in Court causes you haue as many witnesses as the Court hath eares And indeed how can Iustice badly follow that hath so good fore-leaders I write not this to giue titles onely in your person Sir I desire to stirre vp others of like place to beare you company in so good a way of piety integritie and in corrupt iustice if they be behind Also my desire is by so true a relation of so many good offices and effects of your chiefe Stewardship in the Marches performed among vs by you matters which haue a good report of al men of the truth it selfe humbly to prouoke you to goe forward in this narrow path wherein sofew now walke of sincere and conscionable Magistracy So shal you one day heare this comfortable saying Mat. 25.21 c It is well done good seruant faithfull But I may not say much in the Preface where so little is sayd in the Booke it selfe and therefore to conclude I say good Sir gâ—t ground of the common enemy dayly as I trust you doe and keepe what you get Let no man let nothing pull this hope from you â—nto which you are entred till you haue finished the dayes of your faith here and the Ancient of dayes take you to those dayes of endlesse life which He hath prepared in His Kingdome of glory for all that loue and waite for his comming as I doubt not you doe and pray you may doe so still and with increase that is more and more to the true good of your seuerall charges and the sure good of your own soule for which hee prayeth and will pray Who is Your Worships humbly to be commmaunded for his best in the Gospell ROBERT HORNE From Mrs. Danets house neere Ludlow the 19. of May. 1619. OF THE RICH MAN AND LAZARVS Luc. 16.19.20 c. There was a certaine Rich man which was clothed in purple and fine linnen and fared well and delicately euery day c. THis chapter is chiefely directed written against Pharisaical couetousnes and delicacie exhorting to liberalitie and a care of the poore and this vnder two parables the first of the Steward who did wisely though not iustly Luc. 16.1.2 c. the other of the rich man and Lazarus v. 19.20 c. The parable of the vniust Steward doth not warrant any pickery or vnfaithfulnes in stewards but only doth implie that as hee made him friends vniustly so wee should both iustly and wisely make vs friends of this Mammon of wealth v. 9. by dispersing abroad Ver. 9. that the fountaines of our liberalitie may runne ouer to all that neede Prou. 5.16 The Pharises that were couetous hearing this Ver. 14. v. 14. thought that Christ spake foolishly and dangerously in so saying they could not endure that their sore of couetousnes should be touched and when his hand came neere it they put it from them with a scoffe and mocked him they would neuer beleeue but any man might serue God and gather riches or how should the Common-wealth stand and how should one man bee aboue another or would hee haue all men alike as if they had thus reasoned against him as against one that spake both absurdly and impiously Ver. 15. But vers 15. hee tels them that desire of riches and loue of themselues had so blinded them that they sawe not where they were nor in what dangerous wayes and that because they held themselues wise therefore they iudged him foolish and his doctrine that was wise ridiculous but that that pleased them God abhorred and so he commeth to the Scripture now read v. 19. which I take to be not any story or thing done but as was said a parable where his chiefe purpose is to disswade these Pharises from cruell hardnes and a carnall life by the example of this rich man hung vp as it were in chaines in hell for a terrour to others because he fed himselfe curiously and fed not poore Lazarus And heere vnder the persons of the rich man and Lazarus we haue two sorts or states of men such as were then in the world are now and shall be to the end of time In both which we may note their different states and that which is common to them their different states are heere on the earth or after they left It in their liues they differed very much and after their deaths much more for the rich man was finely clothed or clothed with soft and gorgeous rayment and for his fare it was delicate and of the best euery day v. 19. the
giueth vnto the poore shall not lacke so hee that hideth himselfe from him shall haue many a curse that is many a plague from God Prou. 28.27 One is he shall beg a drop of cold water in hell and it shall not be giuen him Another and that which containeth all miseries plagues and curses is hee himselfe shall crie and not be heard Prou. 21.13 A pitilesse eye that will not visit his brother and a mercilesse eare that will not heare of his brother in his necessity God will not spare and good men will not pitie and so that shall be verified which Iames faith and threatneth to such or the holy Ghost by him There shall be iudgement mercilessâ— to him who hath shewed no mercy I am 2.13 The fruites that he reapeth are such as the seede which he hath sowen He hath sowen the seede of cruelty and he shall reape it he loued not mercy and his iudgement shall be without mercy he would not open his gates to the poore and God who openeth his gates to them will shut them against him hee would not giue them the bread of his dogges and God will not giue him the bread of heauen He hated the poore and he that loueth his poore will hate him he denied the crummes which Lazarus asked and could not haue in hell that drop of water which he asked So much for that which is spoken of the rich man while he was vpon the earth that which is spoken of Lazarus followeth Verse 20. And there was a certaine Begger named Lazarus This poore man may be the patterne or mould of that other state of men which we shall haue alwayes with vs but so as by neither states of rich or poore it can be knowne or iudged whether a man be loued or hated of God Eccles 9.1 For no man can say This is a rich man therefore God loueth him My reason is the one of these was rich and not loued not because he was rich but because he was naught The other was loued though poore not because he was poore but because he was good So that this diuersitie of states is indifferent and from God prouided that the rich man become lawfully rich and the poore man be made poore as Lazarus heere by sicknesse and sores not by any intemperate spendings And this teacheth that pouerty and riches are not simply euill Doctr. 1. but by abuse Abraham Isaac Ioseph Iob and others were rich men and yet good men And Ruth and Lazarus were poore and not euill Paul an excellent Apostle and yet a poore man 2. Cor. 4.8 Also Peter a worthy Apostle said to the poore creeple Siluer and gold I haue none and rich Salomon was a figure of the riches which we haue in Christ The reasons The Lord maketh poore and maketh rich 1. Sam. 2.7 or the poore and rich together as passingers who comming from coutrarie quarters meete in one mid way and so he that is rich to day may be poore to morrow but what followes The Lord is the maker of them both That is he that made them makes this change in them Prou. 22.2 Now what God hath made or doth make cannot be euill Gen. 1.31 Secondly it is good that some should be full to giue and some empty to receiue what is giuen Deut. 15.11 And if no man were in want who shall be serued and who would doe seruice as now necessitie compelling them or how could mercy be shewed if there were not any to exercise mercy on Thirdly God that by his lawe hath forbidden to steale doth by the same lawe allowe to a man his interest and peace in that which is his Exod. 20.15 And if he haue such title to it by Gods allowance his hauing of it cannot be simply euill An instruction contentedly to beare a poore estate Vse 1 seeing it is not euill and not couetously to affect a wealthy life seeing it is not good but by good vse If our purse be full of money and our soule be as full of wickednes what better are we or rather how much worse For we haue euill in our heart and more opportunities by a wealthy estate being euill to vtter it A rich euill man may farre goe beyond a poore euill man in deedes of wickednes And what dost thou knowe what bad wares are in thy heart which the venom of riches must needes make worse because more communicable by the infectious aire of thy example and authoritie being made rich and great Which being so what hast thou gotten by thy wealth so much desired but more weapons to wound thy soule deeper to death Besides can thy riches saue thee from death Heere we haue a man that was very rich and yet died or can they deliuer thee from hell Be as rich as thou maist as rich as thou haue gone to hell Nay they cannot cure thee of a poore ague or from the least of Gods stroakes saue thee how much lesse can they saue thy body from death or thy body and soule from eternall death This secondly should excite vs if we haue wealth Vse 3 to be thankfull to God for it for hee maketh rich or if we be poore to be contented for he maketh poore Not to helpe our selues by vnlawfull or cunning shifts when we are poore noâ— when God hath made vs rich to defie him as it were by vsing our wealth to his dishonour and by trusting to the broken staffe of riches Trust not in robbery saith Dauid and if riches increase trust not in them Psal 62.10 As if it were robbery and so it is and that against God so to doe Salomon likewise bids vs not to leane to our owne wisdome that is shifts or fetches as if he had said though you haue wealth in abundance and the world at will trust not to that for what trust is in that but make God your trust Some take their wealth of God and thanke the diuell for it by giuing praise with Belshazzar to their gods of gold and siluer Dan. 5.4 not to the true God who giues them their gold and siluer Some also in necessitie will bowe downe to sinne in one false tricke or other to helpe themselues Such care not to lye and to dissemble and to sweare falsely or to sweare anything for an aduantage and some hauing abundance trust their whole weight vnto it as to a staffe that will neuer faile But God breakes that staffe suddenly which they thinke will hold euer and in a moment they are turned out of all I need not to goe farre for examples we haue inowe dead and liuing and let the liuing lay it to heart whatsoeuer the dead did And now more particularly for Lazarus Lazarus is described heere by certaine attributes and effects The attributes are his miserable condition of life his name and his sores The effects are proper to himselfe or out of himselfe in other The proper effects are he lay at the rich mans gate house and desired a
brothers by father and mother For by the mothers side they partake with him in flesh and in spirit by the fathers Now if such be full brothers to Christ then are they deare children to God in Christ and he that is so well pleased with him in him cannot be displeased with them Nay if Christs halfe brothers as I may say partakers of flesh as he and comming from his creation as men Apoc. 3.14 haue so many shun shines of his common fauour in outward things shall not the children that are begotten with the word of truth and haue a better nature poured into them then these sonnes by creation haue be farre more respected then they and shall they not haue the double blessing who haue issued from the wombe of God in the regeneration Fourthly God said to Abraham and what he said to him is spoken to all the faithfull in him Feare not Abraham neither be afraide yee seede of Abraham I am your buckler and your exceeding great reward Gen. 15.1 Now hee that is so to the righteous must needes be much vnto them and much tender them Fiftly the Lord hath made a couenant with such as are godly though they be poore so they be poore and godly of his saluation and blessing and sooner shall his couenant of the day and night be broken sooner shall it cease to be day and night in their seasons then he will violate the couenant he hath made with his people of their safetie and peace Ier. 33.16.20.21 But we see that God hath kept his word more then fiue thousand yeeres for day and night and will he for that which is more deare vnto him by his owne mercy and the merit of his Sonne goe from his promise to the righteous in their saluation For saluation belongeth to the Lord and this blessing is vpon his people Psal 3.8 An instruction if we would haue Gods fauour to loue and followe righteousnes Vse 1 for he must respect and practise pietie that would haue God to be fauourable So saith Dauid He hath chosen the man that is godly Psal 4.3 Not euery man but the righteous man and he knoweth that is defendeth the way of the righteous where the way of the wicked neither so knowne nor assisted by him must needs perish Psal 1.6 If then we would haue a sure naile in Gods safetie and not wauer or doubt when many are shaken we must thus be established And who would not be preserued when thousands perish Euen Balaam would die the death of the righteous Num. 23.10 He that loued not righteousnes desired to die as the righteous but because he desired his last end whose beginnings middle to it he neuer cared for he had his end not in peace as the righteous but in blood For he was slaine with the sword of the children of Israel among the cursed Midianites Num. 31.8 It is alwaies thought to be the best husbandry and for worldly husbandrie it is most to affect that that will be sure to doe vs the most earthly good and therefore if siluer be offered we preferre it before brasse as we doe gold before siluer if we may haue it And he were but a foole or mad man who running for a crowne of gold would be cast behind for the taking vp of euery pin or point that might be laid in his way This good husbandry would be seene in our care to be good the onely way to be happy and safe in dangers and that other folly and madnes would be auoided in out race of religion as the apparent losse of our crowne of glory 1. Cor. 9.24.25 c. And here let vs knowe and remember that gold compared with the way of righteousnes is infinitely worse then it yeaâ—viler then the basest copper compared with the finest gold and the vilest clay set in like comparison with the purest siluer And what comparison betweene a crowne of gold and the crowne of righteousnes Or were it folly yea madnes for pinnes and trifles to lose the prize of an earthly crowne and is it not greater both folly and madnes for the trifling pinnes of this life to lose the crowne of the next and for vncertaine rest or rather certaine vnrest to aduenture nay lose all surety of true peace and sound happines here and hence The Apostle S. Paul when he speaketh of the happinesse of our other life magnifieth the same farre aboue all temporall felicities both for worth and continaunce and therefore calleth it a farre most excellent and eternall weight of glory 2. Cor. 4.16.17 To be excellent is much to be most excellent is farre more and more yet to be farre most excellent but that which is added of being an eternall weight of glory surpasseth them all as it is said of the vertuous woman by Lemuel or Salomon in the Prouerbes of Salomon Prou 31.29 Saluation then which the Scripture calleth the saluation of God being so excellent or farre most excellent a commodity besides temporall safety other blessings temporall into the bargaine should incite vs to become holy and righteous as Lazarus that we may find the fruit which he did though we haue not his name that is may find Gods helpein deed as he had it in name and deede A comfort to those whose consciences are vpright and set in the care of religion Vse 2 For God much respecteth them though the wicked mocke them for it They that take Habakukes course and tremble at the word shall be in Habakukes case and haue rest that is securitie in the day of affliction Haba 3.16 Such are a house built vpon the seuen pillars of God Prou. 9.1 And that which is so built and by so wise a builder must needes stand in all weather and changes Math. 7.25 Wicked men are as chaffe and dust that are driuen away with a small winde of aduersitie Psal 1.4 but as possible it is for a man with his little finger to ouerturne a mountaine or high hill as to ouerthrowe the hopes and quiet estate of the righteous Psal 125.1 The gates of hell and all the diuels in hell cannot preuaile against a true Christian Math. 16.18 whose best welfare and safety is not as a cottage builded on rotten props but as a castle that standeth on mighty pillars Let the wicked then with their fellowes in euill Iob. 21.15 Mal. 3.14 blaspheme the good way of righteousnes saying that it is to no purpose to be so godly and precisely religious and that they are more wise that take more libertie here we see that the righteous haue a foundation and that he who hath builded them as mount Sion is that maisterbuilder whose worke abideth euer All the haires of their head are numbred Math 10.30 True it is that the raine and floods may beate vpon this house and it may leese as did Peter Math. 26.70.72.74 a few tiles in the wind yet can it not fall for it is grounded on a rock Math. 7.25 God hath not
will that bee of two such friends and louers so long kept asunder How will the soule welcome her companion and yoke-fellow in the crosses and tempests of this life How louingly will they enter together into their Masters ioy Where before it was full of sores sicknesse and paine now it shall be a sound body for euer in which shall bee neither sickenesse nor paine hereafter It did hunger and thirst it shal neuer hunger and thirst any more It was a mortall body now it shall neuer dye againe 1. Cor. 15.44 It was dull and lumpish it shall bee as the glorious body of Iesus Christ Philip. 3.21 Light and actiue able as speedily and with as naturall a motion to ascend vpward as it is to goe downeward It was a sorrowfull and weeping body now All teares shall bee wiped away Apocal. 21.4 It shal sorrow and weepe no more Finally both body and soule in louing armes together shall reigne with Christ for euer They shal walke in the path of life their glory shal be greater in the pleasures of the Lord then we can coceiue or mans tong vtter And therfore as it was said at the crowning of Salomon that the people so reioyced that is with such an exceeding great ioy that the earth rang againe 1. King 1.40 So how can any pleasures be wanting where the true Salomon and his royall Spouse shall both be crowned together with glory in the Kingdome of Heauen Such honour haue the Saints and therefore great without question is their preferment euery way and so much greater because presently at their death they receyue in their blessed soules but the moyty of that happy estate which they are sure to haue whole and full at the resurrection This doctrine is wickedly crossed by the Papists in their Article of the soules passing to the paines of Purgatory presently after death Vse 2 specially where they make the paines there and burning therein as intollerable and great as those paines and that burning which is in the helles of the damned saue that there is a comming out of Purgatory but no redemption in hell But how are the godly comforted as Lazarus here at their death when after their death they are thus tormented and where they thus labour in Purgatory how can they bee sayde to rest from their labours Did the theefe that went to Paradise goe to Purgatory Luk. 23.43 or did Saint Paul who desired to bee with Christ desire to bee with him in Purgatory Philip. 1.23 Indeede to be with Christ as the Apostle there speaketh is best of all And though it be not possible as one sayth eyther to finde Christ in hell or to misse him in heauen yet a Christian should bee of the mind to desire rather to bee in hell with Christ then in heauen without him But shall wee thinke that the Apostle was ignoraunt where Christ was when he so earnestly desired his dissolution to be with him And if hee knew as no doubt but hee did that hee was in heauen then there is as little doubt but his desire was at his death to bee in heauen with him If it be said that the case of these two was extraordinarie as being the case of two Martyres who therefore presently went to heauen It may be answered for the theefe that his death was not a Martyrs death though his saluation was extraordinary for the Papists owne doctrine is that they who suffer as Martyrs must suffer as voluntaries for Christ and with intent of making satisfaction to God by such martyrdome but the theeues punishment was for himselfe onely against his will and without that satisfying mind that is required in a Martyr Luk. 23.41 And if any had neede to goe to Purgatory for the end that the Papists send their dead thither why not this conuerted theefe seeing hee had so short a time to purge in after his conuersion But for Saint Paul though hee were a Martyr for Christ yet where doth it appeare when hee spake these words I desire to bee loosed to bee with Christ that he knew hee should so suffer for him Indeede it was prophesied that hee should bee bound aâ— Ierusalem for him Act. 21.11 It was also sayde in general terms That bands and afflictions did abide him in euery city Act. 20 2â— But it cannot bee shewed that he then knew certainely that by Death he should glorifie God as a Martyr True it is that hee was ready not to be bound onely but to dye at Ierusalem for the name of the Lord Iesus Act. 21.13 Yet how doth it appeare that he was certaine he should die for it there or otherwhere But why should Martyrs bee exempt more then other Saints from Purgatory It seemes that this Apostle of the Gentiles though a Martyr did not exempt himselfe from the common estate of all the blessed after death for when hee had spoken of such afflictions as the Elect suffer here of the glory to come hee immediatly speaking in the plural of all Saints addeth Wee know that when our earthly house is destroyed wee haue a building giuen vs of God 2. Cor. 5.1 As if hee should haue sayde So soone as wee lay downe the one we receyue the other so soone as wee remoue from the body wee dwell with the Lord 2. Cor. 5.8 and so soone as we put off corruption wee put on glory This is the common fauour of the Elect and not the particular priuiledge of one more then of another So Purgatory prayers are put out of office and Purgatory fire is proued iniurious to the peaceable deaths of the godly departed in the faith of Christ Thur farre for the estate of Lazarus after his death the contrary estate of the Rich-man after his death followeth The Rich man also dyed and was buried Wee before noted that death is the common roade-way of rich and poore for Lazarus dyed and the rich man also dyed That that followeth after his death is the next thing to be considered And this concerneth him in his body or soule That which concerneth him in his body is That it was buried I doubt not but solemnely and in great pompe The old Translator sayth Hee was buried in Hell as it were in his owne Parish but we reade no such thing in the originall Greeke It sayth onely He was buried Lazarus belike was not or not with such a traine of followers because he was poore therefore his Buriall is not spoken of Which therefore doth not condemne the buriall of the dead but their sinfull partiality who follow the rich though wicked to their graues and neglect the poore though godly to honest their buriall The duety of reuerend buriall is a necessary Christian duty and it is not reproued here saue that it was a good duty ill done and to a person vnworthy and vainely done From hence learne that the body of a Christian the soule being departed from it Doct. is reuerently to be put into the earth It iâ—
ease in hell Doct. 1. The fiâ—st branch of it nor end of hell or no going out of hell nor end of torments in hell For where hell is there are torments and in hell there is no redemption that is comming out This is the doctrine and this doctrine is a roote of two branches The first that there is an extremitie of torments in hell The second that these torments in hell are endlesse For the extremitie of the torments it is expressed in the Scriptures by things most dreadfull and terrible out of measure as vnquenchable fire Math. 3.12 a lake of fire burning with brimstone Apoc. 19.20 and a lake of fire and brimstone Apoc. 20.10 Of all torments none is so extreame as by fire for fire and all destruction by fire is terrible But it is more and most terrible euer to flote vpon a riuer of fire nay euer to be ouer head and eares in a burning lake of fire and brimstone Terrible needes must this be iâ— any thing in the world be terrible Therefore Esay crieth out Who can dwell with the deuouring fire who can dwell with the euerlasting burning Esa 33.14 As if he had said no man can And yet the damned whom God will throwe into it shall by the power of his iustice be strengthened for their greater increase of torments vnspeakeable to be in it and to burne in it world without end Further and for further terrour it is called vtter darknesse Math. 22.13 where is fire yea a whole lake of it and no light or a darke land couered with deadly obscuritie where the light that â—s is darkenesse Iob. 10. â—1 22 It were terrible to be in a dungeon of darknes for a short time how terrible then to be in this hell of darknesse for euer They that loue darknes more then light shall haue inough of it here and passe from affected darknes to vtter darknes from one darknes to another We reade of torments inuented by men and of cruell ones indeede inflicted by heathen-men vpon Christians as fornaces of fire caldrons of boiling oile brasen Bulles and that Moloch in the valley of Hinnom where Idolators burnt their children to the dwell 1. King 11.7 But hell is larger then so and the thing exceedes all report 1. King 10.7 Nebuchadnezars fornace was heated seuen times Dan. 3.19 this more then seuenty times seuen To be shut vp in the belly of a brasen Bull ouer a small fire and there to be till the heate kill him must needes be a lingring and terrible death but hell is much worse and without end Therfore doth the Prophet Esay compare hell to Tophet Esa 30.33 and Mathew speaking of it calles it Gehenna Math. 5.22 That is Tophet because of the lamentable screakings of children sacrificed in that fire but the screakings of young and old in the Tophet of hell the fire and burning there is both intollerable and eternall Thus hell torments must needes be great in respect of the extremitie The reasons The greater sufferings the greater torment The sufferings spoken of are exceeding great and yet farre lesse then any of those that are prepared for the damned in the Tophet of hell For these earthly may be expressed and conceiued those in hell cannot Secondly the wrath of God shall then be executed to the full against sinners and vpon sinne which is executed more fauourably here and with some mixture of clemencie Also the diuels are in place and put in office to further the affliction in that lake of torments Thirdly if those torments that afflict the body onely be so great and intollerable how great and intollerable must they be that shall afflict both soule and body in hell The torments of hell are vniuersall in all the parts of the body and tender powers of the minde together all at once shall be tormented The paines of this life are for the most part particular in some part of the body or in some facultie of the soule and yet how extreame they sometimes proue to be and how insufferable they that feele them can tell The tooth-ache is but the griefe of one part perhaps but of one tooth and yet some hauing it in some extremitie haue wished themselues out of the world the like of the stone strangury and the like What then when euery part shall be racked and euery facultie tormented and when they shall crie out in hell with this rich man O I am tormented in this flame Luk. 16.24 One speaking at the crosse of those tortures to which that cursed parricide M. Henry Greenwood at 〈◊〉 crosse Rauilliack the murderer of the last french Henry was put vnto writeth thus His arme that did that cursed act was taken from his shoulder his nailes pulled from his hands and feete his flesh piece by piece fet from him with hote burning pincers and burnt before his face and he rent asunder in the end with foure horses This is much but the booke written of his terrible and deserued death speaketh of much more and yet all this and more might without any pulles or the least touch of the soule haue bin endured if the cause had bin good for which he so died But in this lake of brimstone and fire that is neuer quenched all parts as head armes legs hands feet what not all shal be tormented and euer tormented not in an artificiall fornace as that of France but in the great wine presse of the wrath of God Apoc. 14 â—9 and in that horrible burning which the breath of the Lord like a riuer of brimstone doth kindle continually Esa 30.33 Some pieces of flesh shall not onely be set from them as from that french parricide with burning pincers but if this be a torment as who can deny it all the flesh on their backes shall be so or rather much worse tormented by diuels in hell His nailes were pulled from his fingers and feete once they shall be tormented euer as if theirs were euer so One arme was taken from his shoulder c Books of the terrible and deserued death of 〈◊〉 Râ—uillâ—acke the booke saith by consuming it in terribl maner in fire and brimstone here all the members of their body shall euer burne in fire and brimstone and neuer be consumed Hee was rent by horses and diuels shall racke these in euery member If his breasts were pinched and seared the brawne of his armes and thighes the calfe of his legges and other fleshy parts of his body if into the holes of his flesh that the burning pincers made were powred scalding oyle rosin pitch and brimstone as the booke saith which made the tormented creature to yell out with horrible outcries like some tormented soule in hell surely the damned in hell shal haue inough of such things hippe and thigh And yet I haue said nothing of the soule nor her torments that exceede all this besides that it shall be so and much worse for euer Now who will deny these things well
Abraham to our Father Math. 3.9 For to receiue the seales of the couenant without the writing and when we haue no promise from God in our sinfull courses what is it but to take that which is none of ours and with great sinne steale Gods seales and prints which we must bring backe againe with shame when he that strictly obserueth all mens wayes shall say Depart from me yee workers of intquitie I know you not Luk. 13.27 Somuch for this rich mans request in the maner the matter of it followeth Haue mercy on me c. The matter of this rich mans request is generally for mercy and more specially wherein he desireth Abraham to shew him mercy As that he would be so good to him as to send Lazarus c. And the mercy which he craued is here limited to the sending downe of Lazarus to him with a very small quantitie of water to coole his tongue tormented in a flame of fire that neuer goeth out But yet by Abrahams answere in the next verse it appeareth that he failed euen of so small a drop of mercy because while he liued he would shewe no mercy to Lazarus at his gate And so we see that they shall receiue no mercy who will shewe none Doct. So Salomon He that stoppeth his eare at the crying of the poore be himselfe shall cry and not be heard Prou. 21.13 His meaning is plaine as much as if he had said he that turneth himself away in his compassions from the needy crying to him for some reliefe shall cry that is fall into such miseries as shall make him cry and be neuer the better and S. Iames sayth that mercilesse men shall receiue no mercy Iames 2.13 His meaning is that they who pitie not their brethren in their afflictions turning away their eares that they may not heare them and also their eies that they may not looke vpon them shall themselues come into troubles remedilesse and not be pitied We haue the example in that mercilesse seruant who being born with in his debt of the ten thousand talents would not beare with his fâ—llow seruant in the hundred pence Mat. 18 24.28.30 The master without al mercy cast him into prison till he should pay all that was due vnto him ver 34. which he could neuer doe Thus the brethren of Ioseph supposing they had beene met with in their owne measure confessed that the trouble which they feared was iust Gen 42.21 and that they were paid iustly and truly in their owne coine The Reasons It is but right that they should bee done by as they haue done to others Iudg. 1.7 and good reason that they who neither regarded the commandement of God nor the crie of his people nor the members of his Sonne nor their owne flesh should bee as little regarded when they are in necessity as they regarded God and their needy brother in their good dayes Secondly it is but after their owne measure and the mouth of truth hath spoken it that with what measure we mete it shall be measured to vs againe Math. 7.2 and so because their hearts were shut vp to others Gods eares are shut vp to them Thirdly such shall haue iudgement mercilesse Iames 2.13 and after iudgement there is no hearing An Item therefore to mercilesse men with admonition to al now and here to shew such mercy Vse as they mean to receyue hence and hereafter an other day to doe to others as they would haue God to â—oe to them and if they would be refreshed in another world to refresh Gods poore in this if they would haue him to receyue them to receyue his poore and to shew mercy as they would haue mercy But this was spoken of very largely before on verse 19. Doct. 2. and Vse 2. onely thus much further Thou that art vnmercifull to thy poore brother and so swellest against him here in this thy day Remember that his day may come and thy pride come downe when thou maist haue as great need of mercy as he and in thy need be denied as thou deniedst him If men would consider this I meane cruell men and hard harted or if they would beleeue what is written and thinke what may come they would bee much more both tender-hearted and open-handed then now they bee laying vp mercy in the sure custody of a mercifull heart That wherein this Rich man craued mercy followeth And send Lazarus that hee may dip the tippe of his finger in water c. As this rich man was greatly tormented at the sight of Lazarus thus exalted in glory so hee is made here to bow downe low at the gate of a righteous person Pro. 14.19 by crauing such a smalâ—hing in such humble maner of Lazarus whom he had so much despised for to beg of Lazarus who begged of him and to begge a smaller matter then some crummes from his table euen one droppe of water and yet to bee denied by him who then drunke of the riuer of the water of life could not but be a great fall heart breaking Hee that liuing on the earth had so many seruants to ride or goe at his commaund had not nor could haue one in hel to fetch him in a dish one poor drop of colde water to coole the burning of his tongue in that burning lake This could not but adde to his torments if any thing could bee added Lazarus contrarily who had none to helpe him while he liued being now dead in body and in soule glorified is not onely honoured with long life but hath this honour added also that the rich man who refused to helpe him seeketh helpe of him by Abraham And so we learne that there is no wicked man or other here so great Doct. 1. but may haue need of the poorest and meanest godly man whom he here despiseth This Rich man would haue Abraham to doe him so much pleasure as to send Lazarus to him to hell that is from the bosome of blisse to the bottomlesse lake to ease him though neuer so little there It is a true prouerbe that the euill shall bow before the good Prou. 14.19 that is the godly shall haue obeysance done vnto them and the wicked shall doe it so proude Haman sought his life of her whose life he sought Hest 7.7 and Iacobs sonnes were brought vpon their knees and greatly humbled before Ioseph whom they hated and sold Gen. 42.9.10.11 c. Saul was twice at the courtesie and in the mercy of Dauid whom hee persecuted to the day of his death 2. Sam. 24. and 16. Chapters Also Shimes that rayled at him 2. Sam. 16.5.6 was made to bow vnto him 2. Sam. 19.16.19 And what honour was Haman enioyned to doe to Mardochas a poore Iew whom before hee could not looke vpon with any patience Hest. 6.10.11 He must gloriously set him on horsebacke and leade his horse and what greater a fall could hee haue saue his last fro the halter then to see his
which is not to iustifie but more to condemn him for as he called him father in no obedience so now he cals him sonne with no comfort Hee called him father and would not doe as a sonne and now hee calleth him sonne and will not bee as a father to him Besides he bids him remember for a further scourge of his conscience in the late losse of all his delights past which hee could not but remember with horrible torment and griefe And here wee learne that the pleasures of sinne leaue a bitter and wofull losse of remembrance in the conscience for hereafter Doct. therefore Zophar in Iob speaking of the reioycing of the wicked how short it is and of all the ioy of hypocrites which is but for a moment sayth that sin which once was sweet in the mougth of the sinner and which hee hid vnder his tongue to wit as sweete sugar shall turne in his bowels as meate doth in the stomacke and hee shall haue a loathsome remembrance of it in the vomite of those deadly morsels which hee shall bring vp againe for God shall draw it out of his belly Iob 20.12.13.14.15 And here that which Abner sayde to Ioab concerning the sword which was drawne without mercy may truly bee applyed to sinne Shall it not bee bitternesse in the later end 2. Sam. 2.26 That is though it please for a time yet after a while what pleasure can it promise or giue when the best end of it is bitternesse The louely lookes of wine when the pleasant eye of it is in the cuppe and when as Salomon sayth it moueth therein aright that is leapeth or spirteth in it hath in those that take it immoderately a very bitter after taste the end of it biteth as a Serpent and stingeth as an Adder Prou. 23.31.32 they feele pleasure at the first but they shall finde sorrow and paine at the last with Remember drunken sonne thou hast had thy pleasures here Salomons young man is bidden to reioyce that is to take his fill of the delights of life if no perswasion can turâ—e him but what is the reckoning and what will all that dainty cheere cost him The wise King tels him as one that knew something by his owne deare bought experience That for al this God willbring him to iudgement Eccles 11.9 that is the reckoning will come and God williudge him to damnation for it He also shall bee remembred and therefore this Remember Sonne is an Item to him Esay speaking of such as placed all their delight in that which we at this day call good fellowship preparing for that troupe and furnishing the drinke offerings for that number sayth speaking in Gods person and name I will number you to the sword there goes the reckning that is as yee prepared for sinners so yee shall speede as those sinners and as you gaue them drinke so yee shall drinke of their cup Esa 65.11.12 to destruction for saith the Lord My seruants shall eate and yee shall bee hungry my seruants shall drinke and yee shall be thirsty my seruants shal reioyce and yee shall be ashamed and my seruants shall sing for ioy of heart and yee shall criefor sorrow of heart and howle for vexation of mind vers 13.14 The meaning is Heere my seruants fare ill and yee well hereafter all shall be contrary when that sting of remembrance that hath daggers-prickes beginning to pricke and you to feele it Ieremie also may come in as a witnesse who in this very case saiâ—th That the wayes and inuentions of the wicked in Iudah shall end in much bitternesse and as it were in the point of a weapon that shall pierce to the heart Ier. 4.18 Therefore say the despisers of God in the booke of Wisedome being pricked of their owne consciences Wee fooles thought his life speaking of the godly mans life madnesse and his end without honour but now he is counted among the children of God and his portion is among the Saints Wisd 5.4.5 When they heard this saying in the voice of their consciences Remember sonnes they changed their note and beganne to say What hath our pride profited vs and what good hath the pompe of riches brought vs All these things are past like a shadow and as a Poste that passeth by verse 8.9 Thus the pleasures of sinne end in a very bitter remembrance The reasons The pleasures of sinne are a sweet poyson that much vexeth those that cate it and for riches ill vsed Christ compareth them to thornes Math. 13.22 Now athorne in the foot causeth great paine but what prickings come from such thornes in the conscience Also the lusts of sinne are but baites that haue hookes in them and when the baite of sinne is gone the hooke abideth still in the sinner Secondly it is a part of the sinners punishment to feele continuall gnawings and pullings after sinne committed by that worme that dyeth not And if so here how much more in that lake that burneth with fire and brimstone where sinners shall receyue all their penny worths together Thirdly the pleasures of the wicked goe away in their death if they continue till they dye as they often doe not But to haue beene happy and to bee miserable what can it bring but horrible vexation and death before the time and how can it but torment the sinner to remember that he who once was full of pleasures is now filled with paine and hee who had so much liuing now dead hath nothing that is nothing but misery sorrow and his iust desert in the paines of hell and second death And admonition not to feede vpon the sweet meate of sinne Vse 1 though neuer so well sawced by him that bids vs to eate but to our destruction at least to a great distemper and generall disorder in our Christian healths or Christian state If any would entise vs by the colour of the wine let vs consider that the colour of it is deceitfull and as we heard hath a biting losse of remembrance in the end of it Prou. 23.32 When the strange woman that is the harlot flattereth with her words Prou. 2.16 let vs auoyde her as wee would some deepe ditch Prou. 22.14 a whore is a deepe ditch full of great danger hee that falleth into it shall hardly rise againe not weake men only but strong men haue beene deceyued by her as Sampson nor simple men onely but the wisest as Salomon Prou. 7.26.27 Perhaps thou mayest bee called out of the good way by such as say Come cast in thy lot with vs wee shall finde precious riches and fill our houses with spoyle Prou. 1.13.14 that is doe as wee doe and you shall bee rich as wee are but consent thou not for there will be a bitter remembrance of all these things one day What got Balaam by the sweet wages of sinne which hee loued was hee not cast away by them Iude 11. Such wages of sinne preuayle much at this day with too many and
with none more theÌ„ those that should be most free bestowers of the sacred inheritance of the Church but for those Patrones of Church lidings that should bee faithfull doorekeepers in Gods house and yet giue no free entrance into the doore of the sheepe but sell that way for money to Simoniacall Hirelings such as will open the doore soonest and best with a siluer key let them not forget that these greedy morsels will come vp again in an vp braiding conscience at the day of their death if they repent not now in their day and strike them with a remembrance that will sticke as close to them as this of Abraham to Diues Remember Sonne or Church-robber Remember that heere thou soldest heauen and thy part in heauen for money I might thus goe through the land but it shall not neede onely this is needfull that euery priuate person remember that his sinnes whatsoeuer they proue to bee if hee repent not for them and forsake them will leaue a bitter after-sent in his mind for the time to come And let all young and olde and all remember this A terror to greedy sinners Vse 2 for one day they shall heare the voyce of their conscience in these two vpbraiding words Remember sonne I may adde remember daughter or daughters of pride remember Remember Cain how thou slewest thy brother and remember Iudas how thou soldest thy master and remember Saul how thou persecutedst thy friend Diues thou that wouldest not giue thy crummes to Lazarus remember Sodome thou that didst so vexe thy good neighbour remember Sinners of the old world ye that did nothing but eate and drinke and marry and giue in marriage till yee were all buried in that vniuersall graue of waters remember And yee that in this world and now eate and drinke and take your ease neyther caring for heauen nor fearing hell or iudgement this that is spoken to the rich man in hell may one day bee spoken to you there Remember Sinne is an hypocrite honey in your mouth and poyson in your stomacke if the honey which is in it deceyue you the poyson that is in it will kill you When the honey of sinne hath spent his pleasure the poyson that is in sinne will worke by incurable vpbraidings then comes Remember sonne Then wee must answer for all that cannot answer for one all the sports of our youth all the sinnes of our life all the lyes wee haue tolde all the oathes wee haue sworne all the pleasures that wee haue beene louers of more then of God our drunken cups and companies our whoredoms our oppressions our pride our thefts our slanderings of the Gospell and of our neighbour all these and all such as these will one day remember vs or bee remembred to vs though we would forget them there is a Table of remembrance kept and a booke of Items which will bee found in all consciences that are not purged before they goe hence for conscience followeth sinne as hell doth death and then they shall heare of all that here would not endure to bee told of any nothing shall then bee concealed where here nothing must bee knowne O therefore let vs now remember as wee should that hereafter we may not remeÌ„ber or be remembred as we would not too late or as this Rich man in hell So much for the manner the matter of Abrahams reply followeth That thou in thy life time receyuedst thy pleasures c. The matter of Abrahams reply by deniall standeth in two things which made the Rich mans request impossible to be granted The first in this verse the second in the next The first is because hee had his heauen of pleasures here which ended with his end in death The second because God had inuiolably shut vp the way as with an euerlasting barre between heauen and hell The first is taken from the iustice of God which requiteth those with pains who for their pleasures here put his poore as Diues this poore man to paine The second is taken from his ordinance eternall which is that there shall neuer bee any release out of hell or passage and path-way betweene heauen and bell and this in the next verse The first thing in this first reason of denial is taken from the contraries of pleasures and paine here where by pleasures we are to vnderstand not lawfull pleasures but the pleasures of sinne and by paine the paines of pouerty and hunger in godly Lazarus not relieued nor any way pittied by mercilesse Diues For simply this Rich man could not be condemned because he had pleasures here and Lazarus paine but because he altogether here followed his pleasures and would not with his crummes ease this poore mans paine as if Abraham had sayd Thou hast liued to thy seâ—fe and â—â—â—ther to God nor thy neighbour Thy belly was th◠〈◊〉 thy lusts and pleasures thy gods In these thou hast 〈◊〉 and no way in Gods obedience therefore art thou tormented now and shalt bee euer This was Abrahams meaning and therefore it condemned not the Rich man that he was wealthy and had some pleasures here but because hee was rich and cruell and because drunken with the pleasures of life because his minde was altogether set vpon worldly vanities and in euill workes and neuer a whit vpon heauenly things and no time vpon goodnesse We heard before that riches coÌ„sidered in themselues and not abused by their owners doe not bolt the doore of heauen against any as neyther do the pleasures of life vsed lawfully and well for then no Rich-man could bee saued nor any that liueth in any pleasures here but b Augustine poore Lazarus is in rich Abrahams bosome and godlinesse hath the promises of this life and of that which is to come 1. Tim. 4.8 And as riches and pleasures doe not in themselues barre any out of heauen so neyther doe pouerty and paine for themselues bring any thither for Lazarus was not saued because hee was poore and in paine but because in these hee trusted in God and waited for his saluation To winde vp and to come to the point That which condemned this Rich man was the abuse as hath beene sayde of his wealth and pleasures heere and because the soule of his delight was in them not delighting in God hating his poore From whence we learne Doct. 1 that they who heere are drowned in pleasures and in the loue of their belly must heereafter looke to liue in paine and misery as this Rich man in the torments of hell for ever So it is threatned to the young man who cheared himselfe with the joy and delights of youth following euery pleasure and pleasant obiect that his heart could imagine or eye see that for all these things he should bee brought to iudgemen to witte to the iudgement of condemnation Eccles 11.9 Also when spirituall Babylon was fallea the doome shee receyued for her life of pleasures was So much as shee
liued in pleasures so much giue yee to her of torment and sorrow Apoc. 18.7 that is weight for weight or as shee could make no end of her pleasures so let her haue no end of her sorrowes and put her deepe in hell as her soule was deepe sunke in hellish lusts And therefore Paul speaking of the lusts of youth bids men to flye from them 2. Tim. 2.22 not to goe foot-pace from them as it that would serue but to flye as much as if he had said they will speedily ouertake you to perdition if you turne not speedily as vnder wing from them to the life of righteousnesse with them that call on the Lord with a pure heart Iob sayeth as much in effect where hee confesseth that God might iustly haue rooted out his plants if his heart had walked after his eye Iob 31.7.8 I will not say how fitly or vnfitly rather this was spoken vnto or of God by him concerning the counsels of the Almighty which are alwayes iust yet sure it is that that holy man was perswaded that they iustly deserue a cutting off who walke after their eyes heere that is after them in vanities and that there is no hope for such but in their sound repentance Looke not then if thou belong to Christ for ioy and prosperity continually on earth or to haue thy heauen here and in another world For it is a foule errour vnder the Sunne and the dotage of those fooles who make this world their heauen make heauen nothing And if it bee true as it is most sure that they who will follow Christ must swimme after him in a sea of burning glasse Apoc. 15.2 that is bee cast as into a sea or follow him in a whole sea of miseries here then to enioâ— and feele in this life in soule and body perpetual ease pleasure and content cannot but be an vnfit thing for a true Christian and heyre of a better life The point therefore is plaine that there is no hope of a better life if wee haue our hope onely in this The reasons How can we come through aduersity to happinesse if wee suffer no troubles here How can our teares be wiped away when we haue shed none how can we be like our head if wee will bee crowned with rose-buds where he was crowned with thornes and if wee doe not suffer with him how can wee reigne with him The Cattell that goes in the best pasture is for slaughter where that that feedes on the bare Common is for store so they are for the Axe rather then for any continuance who liue altogether at ease in the best pastures of Sion where they that are kept on the bares Commons of troubles for well doing are the Lords owne store Secondly a man drowned is past helpe and what helpe for those that are drowned in the pleasures as it were a whole sea of sinne Thirdly here they sayd to God Depart from vs Iob. 21.14 hereafter God will say to theÌ„ Depart from mee yee workers of iniquitie Here they serued their pleasures and had no pleasure to serue God heereafter their pleasures shall leaue them which they serued God whom they would not serue shall condemne them Here they would not bee saued and hereafter they shall not for Christ will say to such as to Ierusalem I would but yee would not Math. 23.37 Fourthly the tenour and order of Gods iustice is inuiolable Now it is a special part of the glory of his iustice as to shew forth his mercy on the righteous so to execute his fierce wrath vpon vnrighteous persons and sinners Rom. 2.6 therefore the widdow that liueth in pleasures is say de to be dead while she liueth 1. Tim. 5.6 I conclude then that the life of pleasures is a dead life or life of death I meane of second death And it is so that men cannot in the manner that this Rich man did liue here in pleasures Vse 1 and hereafter in heauen then in what case and taking are the pampered full fed Mates of our dayes with other tipling companions who serue their belly and not the Lord Iesus Christ Rom. 16.18 where is their hope and what coÌ„fort haue they or can they haue that euer they shal be saued in this course or if God in the mean while should call them away by death what good end can they make out of so bad beginnings Let them consider this who take no pleasure in the seruice of God and take so much pleasure in vanity who vpon the Sabboth leaue the Communion of the Saints at Gods house to haue communion with sinners at Tauernes or in some Alehouse and who day after day fill themselues with wine and strong drinke and seeke not the Lord as they haue done so they meane to doe still to morrow as to day Esa 56.12 Let them also consider who are so tender and keepe themselues so tenderly that no winde may blow vpon them the webbe of their life runs all in an euen thread there is no knot in it concerning these outward things or as it is in the Psalme They prosper alwayes and increase in riches Psal 73.12 Their seede it established in their sight and their generation before their eyes Iob 21.8 But will it be euer so Iob sayeth The candle of the wicked shall bee put out their eyes shall see their destruction and they shall drinke of the wrath of the Almighty ver 17.20 though there bee no changes in their life nor bands in their death Psal 73.4 and though their branch bee greene yet shall they bee cut off before their day Iob 15.32 that is sooner then they thinke the flame shall drye vp their branch v. 30 when their night is once come where are they They haue had their pleasures here their good dayes are all past gone that which is behind when they go down to their graue is sorrow and darkenesse and the euill day that shall neuer leaue them Iob the righteous and Iude the Apostle say They are appointed to it Iob 21.30 Iude 4 or kept and reserued for it So 2. Pet. 2.9 And what comfort can there be in such pleasures or short dayes of pleasure whose end is with such bitternes and the recompence eternal death What hope of such sottish men turned into beasts and mastered with sensuality what fooles that for pleasures so vaine and dearely prized will giue heauen in exchange 〈◊〉 their part in heauen Honours wealth and pleasures are casuall vnâ—table deare and deceitfull penny worthes Let vs therefore learne to vse them without trust and to want them without griefe so may wee haue them heere with comfort and not be worse for them when wee goe hence but take wee heede of all that fellowship which for the wayes it taketh may well bee called the damned fellowship or damned crew of such as haue their pleasures here These things are but chaffe and who would with such earnestnesse follow that chaffe of weâ—ltâ—
with mee to wit as my wife helper Gen. 3.12 Thus also most vile reprobates impute their damnation to Gods will that cannot be resisted Rom. 9.19 And that reprobate that hid his talent sayde I knew that thou wast an hard man Math. 25.14 speaking against Gods seuerity but nothing of his own sinne So they sayd that Gods wayes were not equall who themselues were equall no way Ezech. 18.29 The like we reade of Cain for he when God reproued him for the bloud of his brother speakes not of his great murther but of his ouer hard punishment Gen. 4.13 He thought that God was too sharpe and spake too seuerely to him for it It is plaine therfore that it is the nature of the wicked to blame God and not blame worthy man The Reasons Wicked men are proud by nature and proud men will bee in no fault Secondly the Deuils children such as the wicked bee are contrary to Gods children and therefore where they iustifie the Lord these iustifie themselues Thirdly the wicked beeing his children who abode not in the truth and whose name is slaunderer must needes do his works and say as hee will haue them Iohn 8.44 Fourthly such men are the vowed enemies of God and what care such what they say of him and how they charge him Here then we see whose children Vse and children of what stocke and parentage they are who complaine of God when they should giue him glory in his iudgements They are not of the house of Dauid neyther haue they Dauids spirit in them for he confessed his fault that God might be iustified in his sayings and pure when he iudgeth Psal 51.4 He blamed not God when he had told him by Nathan That euill should be raysed against him out of his own house that the sword of death should strike it that his wiues should be defiled that the child should die 2 Sam. 12.11 but cōfesseth as it was that he had deserued no lesse that God in so doing was holy righteous and iust v. 13. Nor did Eli charge God when he threatned the destruction of his house by young Samuel but subscribed that he might iustly do what Samuel had sayd 1. Sam. 3.18 for sayth he It is the Lord who can do nothing but wel And with him subscribed Hezechiah in a like message sent him from God 2 Kin. 20.19 But what did Herod when Iohn reproued him He could not beare the rebuke of his mouth but sent him to Warde for beeing so bolde with the King Mar. 6.17 So the Iewes when Steuen iustly charged them in stead of iustifying the Lord in that iust reproofe they rather iustified themselues in their wickednesse and in madnesse ran vpon him and with stones murthered him Act. 7.51.57 And what shall we say of our owne times when Gods hand lyes vpon vs in some generall or priuate strokes for sin doe we confesse our sins and that God in visiting for them is righteous or do we not rather murmur and take on in the affliction as if he dealt hardly or too cruelly with vs in smiting so for so small matters Doe we say as Daniel O Lord righteousnes belongeth vnto thee and to vs open shame or the confusion of our faces Dan. 9.7 or doe we not rather breake out by impatience and bitter cursing at the least by fretting against God and his righteous iudgments as too galling and rigorous The condemnation that is of themselues some haue learned here of a damned soule in hell to transferre not iustly vpon themselues but vniustly vpon God that they haue wrong to be damned for say they how can we chuse when God will haue it so Rom. 9.19 But this Rich man knew by himselfe that the loue of the word could finde no entrance where the loue of worldly pleasures had filled the heart so it had in his fiue brethren and therfore he was perswaded that all labor of teaching by the word should be in vaine and lost vpon them And here we secondly learne Doct. 2. that worldly couetousnesse and voluptuous life quench in natural men all desire of saluation by the Word for such will not come to the Assemblies with the bidden guests who absented themselues by their Farmes and yokes of oxen from it Luk. 14.18.19 or if they come they are sure to come without all affection of hearing thither their mind goeth after their couetousnesse Ezech. 33.31 Their wits are so exercised taken vp with thoughts about worldly things that they haue neyther leasure nor mind to attend to the word deliuered or hauing spēt all edge this way before they come being come they fall asleepe when they should heare or if they be awake and listen a little they haue neither loue nor liking to that which is taught The Reasons Worldly riches and voluptuous life are thornes Luk. 8.14 as therefore thorns make the sowne fields vnfruitfull so the thorns ofriches and voluptuous life make the word where it is taught vnprofitable Secondly these are enmity to God Iam. 4 4 and what enemy will not in corruption doe all he can to destroy his enemie Thirdly they that follow these lusts are called if they bee men adulterers and if women adulteresses I am 4.4 not corporall but spirituall which is farre worse for corporall adultery is against the second Table but this is against God in the first and a man may be a corporall Adulterer as Dauid and yet not hate God but hee that goes a whoring from him by a worldly and couetous heart cannot but stand vp against him as the hater of him and enemy of his couenant An instruction to emptie our mindes and hands of all thorns of earthly cares and pleasures Vse 1 before we come to the meanes of saluation in the assemblie lest as thornes in our sowen fields they make the word barren and without fruit in our hearing They that plough and sowe their fieldes will rid vp by the rootes all Bryers thorns and bushes So should they vse no lesse dilgence to free their hearts frō the thornes and bushes of bad affections that come to heare and this fore-skin of a couetous and wanton heart should likewise be circumcised by the spirit of God in a new creature if they will heare with pleasure and commoditie Ier 4.4 But they who come stuff with worldly lusts shall goe away emptie of heauenly fillings So saith blessed Marie in her thankfull song He hath filled the hungry with good things but the rich he sendeth away emptie to wit of things that are truely good Luc. 1.53 and so their hearing is made damnable and with sinne vnto them A like instruction to be contented with a meane Estate Vse 2 and to refrain from all desire of hauing much in the worldlie part For the world is a dangerous morsell 1. Tim. 6.9 Most men go a whering after it and the best men cast but too wanton an Eye vpon it Which maketh the Lord in these outward things rather
to keepe his children short for their good then to surfet them with fulnes And here he dealeth with them as wise Parents with their children whom they truely loue For when they perceiue them to abuse vnto wantoÌ„nes a full allowance they will draw back their hand in a sparer portion So God perceiuing his children because they be full-fed wantonly to take pleasure in the gauds fashions of this world doeth therefore many times keepe them low denie them that pleÌ„ty of these worldly things that the wicked haue He knoweth how weake our braines are to beare the strong Wine of prosperity and therefore Hee sometimes makes vs to drinke bitter aduersities out of a weaker cup. And who can deny that it is farre better to creepe with safety then to clime to destruction so better to keepe on the low ground then to rise and fall And now thirdly this damned soule though he could not be ignorant how litle nay how nothing the necromancy that he spake of could profit any to true conuersion seeing the word is sufficient yet because hee loued to be contentious and to take side against godly truth hee holdeth himselfe fast to his former false ground which was that good might be receyued by the preaching of men from the dead But this is after as truely denyed by Abraham as it was falsly auouched by him Doct. 3. vers 31. where we learn that none from the dead did euer yet conuert soule Therefore it was forbidden to the Israell of God to aske counsell at the dead Deut. 18.11 And among other sinnes wherewith the Lord professed himselfe to haue been angred by rebellious Israell one was that they remained among the graues Esa 65.4 that is as it is expounded Esa 8.19 were Necromancers and sought vnto them that had familiar spirits and that could diuine But Lazarus the brother of Martha was raised by Christ after he had bin foure daies in his graue Io. 11.39 Did the Iews for that beleene nay but rather they consulted to put him to death Ioh. 12.10 Also Christ raysed himselse from the dead Why did not the Iewes care to heare him rather they bribed the souldyers to belye his Resurrection Math 28 12 13 14. Further when Christ rose many dead Saints his bed fellowes rose with him and were seene in the holie cittie Math 27.52.53 were the Iewes euer a whit the better for it to their conuersion nay but they were more hardned rather in their vnbeleâ—fe The reasons That this cannot open the heart in the point of Faith must needes shut it And nothing can turne the heart to God but that which hath power from him so to doe which power the Word onely hath not the lying Diumations of the dead Secondly there is no conuersion without Faith But what faith is to be giuen to deuils in dead mens skinnes Thirdly that which is able to conuert the heart hath a promise from God and blessing thereunto But is any such promise made to that which prouoketh him so much as Necromancie is sayd to doe and doth he blesse that which himselfe hath forbidden The vse is against the kingdom of darknes in Popery Vse set on foot and kept going by Necromancies and sundry apparitions of the dead all damnable and fabulous but those are sooner and more beleeued then the Word and Scripturein all that darke and superstitious climate of Papisticâ—l Paganisme To such the Apostle sayth If the Gospell bee hid it is to them that are lost 2. Cor. 4.3 but this was spoken of in the vse of the first doctrine of the former verse Lastly this contrarying mind in Diues doth as it were hold vs the light to see what frowardnes naturally is shut vp in all stubborne Christians And it teacheth Doct 4. that it is the property of a very froward person to reiect the Word They that were very froward in Iob say de to the Almighty Depart from vs to wit in the gouernment of thy word We desire not the knowledge of thy wayes that is wee desire not thy acquaintance in the truth as neyther thy presence among vs by it in the mouths of thy seruants Iob 21.14 or what care wee whether thou bee among vs in thy comman dements which we loue not rather we desire thy roome then thy company in such matters So of Israel that would not heare the Lord himselfe sayth Israel would none of me Psal 81.11 the meaning is They who reiect my Word reiect Me are they not persons very froward that so doe They that would not haue Christ to reigne ouer them with his word are called by himselfe enemyes Luc. 19.27 by Esay rebellious or froward enemies Esa 30.9 and are they not wicked and sinners indeede such as will helpe the dâ—â— who rebell against God in his owne soueraigntie and the parts of his Dominion The reasons The patterne of such frowardnes wee haue here in a very rebellious soule damned in hell Secondly the Word is the Lords scepter and they that reiect it put downe their Soueraigns scepter This were treason against an earthly Maiestie can that other bee lesse or better then rebellious frowardnes or treason in the highest point of treason against the Lord Thirdly such mean to liue quietly in all sinne seeing they reiect the word that reproueth sinne and the scornfull sinner And are they not most wickedly froward who say of sinne This is my rest here will dwell to wit in the chayre of sinne with the worst of sinners Psal 1.1 Fourthly they that meditate in the law and they that delight in it are and are said to be very obedient children therefore they are froward children and vngodly by the true rule of contraries who cannot abide the Word much lesse abide to meditate in or reade it A reproofe of Popish both Masters and Schollers Vse 1 who as we heard preach and beleeue that it is dangerous to haue the Word of God among them that is among the common sort of them in a tongue they vnderstand or in their mother tongue for such cannot but carry the brand of persons frowardly wicked But there are in our owne profession who heare it and reade in it and yet reiect the nurture of it in their liues and reason against it in their talke as this Rich man here Surely if there be not much rebellious wickednesse in this then was this damned soule in hel in some thing tollerable or not very ill An admonition therefore to all that would auoide the blot note of very froward persons se 2 or persons frowardly wicked and rebellious to God not to crosse his Word eyther with their conuersation or tongues and where the wicked as Antipodes goe against the footings of it to walke with it in a right path and to adorne it with their obedience in a holy life where froward persons and very wicked speake against the Word our reasoning must bee for it where they shut their eares we
beggar and Lazarus was vexed with sores and hunger desiring the coursest bread or crummes of bread that fel from the richmans table v. 20.21 After death the beggars soule was glorified in the bosom of Abraham being caried thither by the Angels but of his buriall there is no mention The richmans body was gloriously buried in the earth and his soule pittifully buried in hel v. 22.23 and this is common to both that they both died v. 22. Thus standeth the scope and summe of these fiue first verses Luc. 16.19 and the summe of all is to aduise men to spend their goods well and not vpon their lusts not to forget mercy and to be liberall to Christs poore that their fountaines that is their estate and possessions may be blessed vnto them Prou. 5.18 But let vs returne to the rich man and heare what is said of him There was a certaine Richman c. The text speaketh of a certaine rich man but without any name or of a rich man not named because as one saith God takes no care of the wicked neither remembreth their names Doctr. Where we learne that sinners are in no credit with God the wicked and him that loueth iniquitie doth his soule abhorre saith Dauid Psal 11.5 that is such are so farre from hauing credit with him that he hateth them and not superficially but from his very soule Yea they shall well know that hee hates them by raining vpon them the raine of snares of fire and brimstone and stormie tempest v. 6 he whose countenance beholdeth the iust v. 7. will not suffer sinners to stand before him Ps 1.4.5 Iob saith God will not take a wicked man by the hand Iob 8.20 Iobs meaning may well be that he will not giue him so much countenance as men giue to a man when they giue him their hand or he will not offer them his hand and if they offer theirs he will pull away his sure it is that as he will not cast away a perfit man so he will not helpe the euill doer Iob. ibid. He that made the remembrance of Iosiah as honie in all mouths Syr. 49.1 put out the memoriall of Amalek Exod. 17.14 and hee that said to Moses I know thee by name Exod. 33.12 saith to all wicked doers I know you not Matth. 7.22 25.12 God hath threatned to dishonour them 1. Samuel 2.30 And Dauid Gods king and folower Reasons will make no mention of them Psal 16.4 Secondly they be the enemies that he will roote out and who except he meane to dissemble which vile affection is farre from God will countenance those whom he meanes to destroy Thirdly other-wayes God shall should doe as much for the children of wrath as hee doth for his deare children and that which he hath forbidden as euill to speake good of euill Esa 5.20 himselfe should offend in which once to thinke were blasphemy Fourthly shame is an inseparable companion of sinne as glory is of goodnes which should not be so if sinners should haue credit with God who should receiue shame both from God and godly men Vses Vse 1 A terrour to wicked sinners for though they care not for the fauor of God yet by loosing it they shall loose that whicâ—â—â—â—y more esteeme the fauour of men They thinke bâ—â—â—â—e they set against God by fleshly courses they shall â—â—â—ast be set by by fleshly men but they cannot be hiâ—â—â—â—g 1. Tim. 5.25 and this hope will faile them as it haâ—â—â—â—ne many who for a while spread as the greene bay Psa 37.35 and after a little while were cut downe as the greene grasse Psal 90.5 6. Hest 7.1.8.9 to day in great grace at Court to morrow or before night in great disgrace in prison In the turne of the wheele turned from honor to basenesse and from open liking to open contempt A comfort to the righteous Vse 2 for they haue Gods countenance though they cannot haue bad mens good willes they are in with God who can and will maintaine their true credits whosoeuer speakes against them and if God be with them mens euill willes shall be reconciled or doe them no harme Nay when the name of the wicked shall rotte Prou. 10.7 that is rotte aboue ground as his carcasse doth vnder the memoriall of the iust shall be blessed and their glory (a) Mat. 26 13. without end He that hath the keeping of their names will preserue their good name as sure as he doth their saluation therefore is it written that they shall be had in euerlasting remembrance Psal 112.6 And is it not so Is not Naboths name now in all mouthes better then either the cursed name of Ahab that was sold to sinne or the carrion-name of Iezebel that was giuen to dogges and who doth not now more honour Mardochas that was so poore and dispised then hee doth insolent Haman whose name so shone for a time lightned with the glorious beames of his Princes countenance vpon him And what comparison now betweene Peter Paul Iames with other Apostles and Martyrs of Christ and their persecutors the one so simple in the world and the other so great Which was clothed in purple c. But now againe to this rich man who is described heer 's by his clothing and by his fare for his clothing it was too curious and with too much pride and affectation else both colour and finenesse might haue bene tollerated in so rich a man for it is not vnlawfull for great men to put on other that is more costly both apparell and colours then poore men may But this man put on pride with his apparell and wore his garments as the effects of a lofty minde with the contempt of the poore or he wore strange apparell and such as stood altogether in the putting on therefore is his apparell censured and he for wearing it Where learne that all intemperance in apparell Doctr. and abuse of apparell is vnlawfull to all as when it is other then belongeth to the sexe Deut. 22.5 which may cause and be leader to some horrible sinne when it is costly that is aboue our estate and meanes with excesse or with stretching of the cloth 1. Tim. 2.9 when it is light for the fashion or colour called Prou. 7.10 whorish apparell and Zephanâ— 1.8 strange raiment when it is not made according to temperance and shamefastnes which is the Apostles fashion 1. Pet. 3.3 but according to euery new fashion that comes when as heere it is put on and worne with the impeachment of hospitalitie and other charitable deeds to the poore for so attiring our selues we after a sort vnclothe them and wearing our apparell with such contempt weare out theirs And lastly when it is worne as the ensigne of an arrogant and hautie minde such was the flaring apparell of the daughters of Sion so much and sharply censured by Esa 3.16.17.18.19 c. And God will cloth such for their garments of glory which garments of shame
pleasures here that euery winde scattereth Psal 1.4 Who but fooles would so much disquiet themselues about vaine shadowes pursuing this pleasure that commodity and those preferments earthly and knowing how much they may cost vs who would couet them that loue their saluation and would not heare Sonne thou hast had thy pleasures here A reproofe of those who count them the onely happie men that alwayes b liue at rest Vse 2. and haue their fill of pleasures in this world for had not Diues Mal. 3.15 to whom Abraham yet saith therefore or because of that thou art tormented Now are they happy that are tormented or is there any happines in that and are they not rather as Oxen fatted to the day of slaughter And if so the state of the crosse in this life is much rather the plaine and direct way to true happines For through many afflictions we enter into the kingdome of GOD Acts 14.22 this is the way wherin CHRIST led and we must follow being conformeable to our head in sufferings By these God brings his children into a neerer acquaintance with him who but for them would be straungers to their owne Father and who by them or by means of them are made to seeke him diligently Hos 5.15 Worldly happines then being such an hinderance to true happines how can they be happy indeed that are most happie that way and how can it be to them a blessed thing to haue no affliction in their hearts or vpon their bodyes and estates when to be afflicted some such way is their best way to glorie euerlasting Of Lazarus it is said that he receiued paine Lazarus was deare to GOD and hee greatly loued him yet Lazarus whom God so loued liued in no ease the Text sayth in paize Doct. 2. From whence we may gather as was noted before that the godly are vsually most afflicted This was spoken of before vpon these words of the 20 verse Which was layd at his gate c And the Lord will haue it to be so for these reasons First that the Flesh might haue no cause to reioyce before him 1. Cor. 1.29 Secondly that men might desire godlinesse for it selfe who other wayes would bee godly or seeme to be that they might for it enioy some ease and prosperitie heere Also this would make them to seeke earthly things in matters that are pure and heauenly Thirdly that they might seeke him and depend vpon him onely which thâ—y will do in their troubles and hardly do when they are at more liberty And fourthly that the members might be like their head who was a man of sorrows No cause therfore to suspect the Gospell Vse to be the wrong way to paradise because it would bring vs thither by troubles rather by this that it is preached to the poore Luc 4.18 and that the poore receyue it Luk. 7.22 We may be sure that if there bee any more direct way to heauen then other this is it And we know who they were that sayde Doe any of the Rulers beleeue in him Iohn 7.48 If then thou bee poore and in distresse let not that condition of thy profession in so neare a similitude to Christ dismay thee but reioyce rather that thou art so like to thy Sauiour in that wherein was the least worldly shew and the greatest heauenly glory For now thou standest not vpon any weake prop of flesh but vpon the strong pillar of Israel in whose name thou trustest So much for the first impossibility in Abrahams reply the second followeth Verse 26 And besides all this between vs and you there is a great gulfe c. Heere wee haue the second parte of Abrahams reply wherein hee further sheweth how impossible it is that this Rich mans estate should bee bettered or bee other then it is for hee sayth betweene vs and you c. as if he had sayd God by an euerlasting ord nance and law hath barred the way from vs in heauen to you in hell betweene there is a gulfe or gaping pit and no bridge ouer And there is no hope of euer comming nearer then wee be Further if any would come from vs to you which is not to bee imagined they cannot and as they cannot so they neuer will This is Abrahams meaning Where we learne that the state of wicked men after this life is vnchangeable and euer the same Doct. They that are in hell can neuer come out as they that are in heauen can neuer come thence and so wee see the impossibilitie of getting out of hell being once in for which it is called the deepe Luk. 8.31 and of which Esay speaking sayth He hath made it deepe Esa 30.33 and therefore deepe because the damned there are so cast downe that they neuer rise Psal 140.10 Christ sayth of him whom he sent to the hels Binde him hand and foot Math. 22.13 as if he had sayde by stripping him of all meanes of defence and wayes of escaping let him goe and neuer returne For they who are cast with their hands and feet bound into such a deepe how can they come out This was spoken of before vpon the 23. verse the words And beeing in hell in torments c. Doct. 2. there But is there no comming out of hell Then take wee heede how wee come there that is Vse While wee are in the way of grace let the deepe of hell call to deepe repentance as if One deepe should call to another Psal 42.7 Here let vs come ouâ— of our sinnes by conuersion to God that hereafter we come not with our sinnes or in them to the place where is no comming out If now wee humble our selues wee shall bee exalted in due time 1. Pet. 5.6 not cast downe as they who goe to hell are but exalted for to bee exalted is to ascend vp not to bee sent into the deepe One speaking of the afflicted here for sinne sayth truly The deeper in hell the higher in Heauen His meaning is the more men feele it here for sinne the further they are from it and from sinne that casteth into Hell for euer A reproofe of Origens error Vse 2 which was that after a time the soules which are in hell shall come out and that at last or after a thousand yeares the Deuils themselues shall bee saued Also the speeches of harrowing hell and of bringing soules out of Purgatory that is soules out of the fire of Hell are lying speeches the faith and speeches of Papists and the current doctrine of the blind world of Christendome till within these hundred yeares for they that are in Hell neuer come out and the estate in which we dye is constant and the same for euer Cain and Saul and Iudas and al reprobates as they fell in their bodies so they shalâ— rise in them to iudgement no better in person nor in better manner A comfort to those whose hope is in death and whose death is peace at the last
Vse 3 for as they dye with much comfort so they change not after death but are much and eternally comforted their soules presently and soule and body after a while In this hope they lay vp their flesh and in this sure hope of a better vnchangeable eternal life they lay vp as in sweet sugar the hardest parts both of their life and death here They know that they so rest in the hands of God whose wayes as his gifts and calling are all without repentance Rom. 1â— 29 that they shall not bee remoued for euer And this hath made many to passe through the very flames of fire to God with a ioyful calmnesse It made our godly fathers as may be seene at large in the eleuenth to the Hebrewes quietly and gladly to suffer much and great aduersity for they saw him that chaÌ„geth not and looked for their abiding City Heb. 13.15 And should not may not this in as good assurance and with like hope encourage vs as for a price to set forth as they did to death So to runne that wee may obtaine 1. Cor. 9.24 So to fight that wee may ouercome 2. Tim. 4.8 And so to seeke Gods face of fauour here that wee may continually see his face of glory in heauen and euer bee with the Lord Psal 17.15 So much for Abrahams reply This rich man is supposed to reioyne as followeth Ver. 27.28 Then hee sayde I pray thee c. Here wee haue a further proceeding made in this Parable and vnder the person of a rich man in hell by the figure Prosopopoea And in this the Rich man is brought in againe making another request which is also denyed From which supposed request the Papists would gather that the blessed Saints in heauen haue care of their friends on earth that is in speciall and carnall manner of those friends whom they knew familiarly and loued dearely in the world But they gather that which the Text neuer scattered and it would bee remembred that these words are the words of a Parable and not of a thing done the drift whereof is as may appeare by the answer made or supposed to bee made plainely to proue that they who in this life refuse to giue credite to the Scriptures and word of God may hope in vaine to bee called by men from the dead I will not deny but Christian charity abides in the Saints in glory not by speciall remembrance of one more then of another for such charitie in them extendeth it selfe indifferently and generally to all here liuing or yet vnborne whom they loue as themselues yet it is ill proued from the example of a damned spirit in hell for what charity where is nothing but all hellish hate and bitternesse And to say that the godly in peace should be troubled particularly or in speciall manner about their friends affayres below what were it but much to derogate from their true rest in the place where they haue fulnesse of ioy and pleasures for euer Psal 16.11 And now where request is made by a spirit damned in hell that Lazarus who was dead might bee sent to the brethren of his fathers house to teach them Wee learne that the doctrine of teaching men Doct. by men from the dead is a doctrine from hell Esay calles it a going or doctrine of going from the liuing to the dead Esa 8.19 and Abazia is sayd to haue departed from God for his health when he sent to the god of Ekron or in that Idoll to the Deuill for it 2. King 1.3.16 The like of Saul who also was taught from hell as Abazia was 1. Sam. 28.8 Therfore God by Moses calles it a turning after those that worke with spirites that is with Dâ—uils or a whoring after them Leuit. 20.6 for how can it bee a doctrine from any place but hell that teacheth men thus The reasons First the Text is plaine for it for this was the request of one damned in hel Secondly such doctrine is not from Heauen and that which came from Heauen speaketh otherwaies and contrarily Verse 29.31 Now that which is not from heauen or according to heauenly truth is from hell for there is no third way Math. 21.25 Thirdly also such doctrine is a meane by wandring from God to make men to beleeue lyes 2. Thess 2.11.12 and is there any thing in this kind of teaching but what is hellish and diuelish Here we may see what to iudge of those who forsake the word which is written Vse for dead mens newes it is sure they are followers of hellish doctrines for such doctrines are the teachings of Sathan the Doctor a person damned in hell the chaire contrary to Him who sitteth in his chaire in Heauen And what is in all this but what is hellish and from Sathan in all points and whose followers are they and of what that follow thus Are they not Sathans followers and followers of Sathans lyes against the word of God So much for the Rich mans second request Abrahams second supposed replie followeth Ver. 29. Abraham sayd vnto him They haue c. In this second replie Abraham tells the rich man plainly that they get nothing by all their labâ—ur who forsaking the Word looke for Reuelations and who will be taught after their owne fancies not by Gods teaching nor by the ordinarie way and meanes appoynted by him Against such God himselfe complaines by his Prophet saying Should not a people enquire at their God Esa 8.19 and therefore the meaning of these words is that the Word deliuered by Moses and the Prophets and accordingly since by Christ and his Apostles is the only ordinary meane to conuert sinners to God and therfore they that refuse grace by it shall no way receiue it from the Graues of the dead This I conceyne to be the meaning of Abrahams second answere to this rich man and to be the onely reason why this second petition was made and this peremptorie replie secondly made vnto it wherein for orders sake wee may note his answer in substance and the vse that Abraham maketh of it The answer in substance is that God hauing ordained the Word written to be the onely ordinary meane for the calling of his fiue Brethren and all Christians yet liuing to repentance it onely is sufficient and all meanes diuided from it vaine and vneffectuall Which first teacheth that the only sealed rule of faith to saluation Doct. 1. is the Scripture and word of God written This is that path that leades to the Way the Truth and Life Christ Iesus For so saith He who is all these vnto vs Ioh. 14.6 and therefore he biddeth the Iewes to search that is exactly to search or as Hunters who strike euery bush seeking the game they hunt for and to search the scriptures that is what is written not vn written vanities For saith he in them yee thinke to haue eternall life and they testifie of me That is in them yee may finde Christ and in him