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
bad A terrour to all that make it their trade to eate and drinke in excesse Vse 2 for such offend to eternall death In the dayes of Nee they ate they dranke that is they did both excessiuely Luk 17.27 and as they were drowned in such excesse so they were in the waters that tooke them away So Sedom burning with such lusts was burnt with fire and burneth now in hell fire Iude. 7. Christians are called to serue in the hall not in the kichen to serue God and not that which carnall men make their god the belly We must put on the Lord Iesus Christ Rom. 13.14 and shall we thinke to put on him and to keepe on flesh The body is but the garment of the soule and is the garment better then the body the body then the soule Or is not the body more worth then raiment and so the body lesse worth then the soule being but the raiment of it Why then is there so much care for the belly to feede it when the soule is so little cared for to saue it specially seeing that in such care of our bellies and little care of our soules we can haue no hope to be saued Let them consider who giue their time and soules to this vngodly loue of meates and drinkes in excesse There are that gather by the Omer and eate by the Ephah Exod. 16.36 that is where one dish were inough they must haue tenne and plaine Maister Nabal must feast like a King 1. Sam. 25.36 Though there was oddes betweene Beniamins messe and his brethrens fiue for one Gen 43.34 yer now men fare but coursely except they fare better or as well as farre their betters doe The sinne of Eli his sonnes hath taken hold vpon these dayes wherein the custome of our temperate Ancestors is not kept For meane persons are not contented with sod flesh they must haue Manna and Quailes sod and rosted too or they fare not well 1. Sam. 2.15 In our quaffing cuppes we sacrifice to health and speake of healths when we prepare for nothing lesse and the contrarie followeth wherein we doe as some of the heathen did in the daies of sacrifice to their idols for health for sacrificing for health they banqueted drunkenly to the preiudice of their health But take we heede of the pottage so red Gen. 25.30 that is of the wine when it sheweth red in the cup Prou. 23.31 and of our morsells when they baite vs with their pleasantnes in the dish least with Esau that was prophane and a cunning hunter of these things we thinke the time long till we haue eaten and drunke away the blessing One telles a tale of a certaine Bird which hath the face of a man and yet is so fierce of nature that sometime in her hunger she will prey vpon Man This Bird saith my Author comming to the water to drinke and seeing a face in it which is her owne like the face of that Man which before she deuoured in great sorrow for one slain by her so like her selfe she neuer after either eats or drinkes but beates herselfe to death I will not iustifie the tale but me thinkes all drunkards and great deuourers not for any want as that Bird but for wanton and damnable pleasures should conceiue great sorrow greater then that Bird did for killing of one not like themselues but their very selues Me thinkes if they would see that face in their cuppes of wine and glasses of strong drinke the face of that Christian man whose graces and vertues so many in one man they haue beene the death of they could not hauing reason which the Bird we spake of hath not and being greater murtherers by farre but pierce themselues through with many sorrowes not to death but to true life by sound repentance Or how can they heare either of a strong man or a sober man or a wise man and not be wounded with stings of horrible feare in the loude crie of their consciences telling them that they haue slaine so many men in themselues And may they not say of wise we haue made our selues fooles of strong weake of sober by calling drunken and more then brutish by the custome of sinne But when they shall enter into meditation of a farre worse estate by such lusts in the body cruelly pulled vpon them to damnation if God be not mercifull to them nay if they be not mercifull to themselues to weepe presently and bitterly for all their vnsober conuersation and turne to God in a iust hatred of a course of life so murderous and vngodly I say when they shal thinke rightly of their estate so pittifull and terrible caused by themselues how can they but be amazed with a horrible dread and so passe the rest of their dayes in feare that they come not into condemnation But specially this cruell rich man was condemned in that which he did because he did it with the contempt of the poore Then though a man goe not apparelled as this man did nor fare as he fared that is sumptuously or choisely euery day yet if with him he forget to stretch out his hand to the needy he may be damned as he was though he haue not that which he had yet if he lacke that which he had not namely the care of the poore he may goe to hell For there are more waies to hell then one and the vnmercifull as well as the theefe and murtherer shall goe thither Not only hee that getteth his goods ill but he that spends them ill and wantonly or holds them in couetously and cruelly when there is neede of his mercy shall beare his condemnation whosoeuer he be We may see it heere in this rich man for we doe not reade either that he gate his riches and wealth ill or tooke any thing by oppression from the poore and Lazarus it was sufficient matter to his condemnation in hell that he did not vse his riches well and to the reliefe of the poore in miserie Where learne againe Doctr. 2. that Christians if they would not be damned must not onely not oppresse the poore members of Christ but relieue and doe for them in their necessitie as God hath dealt the measure vnto them of his power and gift to doe it with For the sentence of the great day proceedeth against the damned on Christs left hand in this forme of words Depart from me yee accursed into euer lasting fire The reason is giuen For I was an hungred and yee gaue me no meate I thirsted and yee gaue me no drinke I was a stranger and yee lodged me not naked and yee clothed me not sicke and in prison and yee visited me not The Iudge doth not say I was hungry and yee tooke away my bread and thirsty and yee deceiued me of my drinke or I was harbourles because yee made me so and naked for you kept away my clothes Nor doth he say I was sicke and yee afflicted me nor yee cast
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-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
it nor be in happines but be troubled still Eccles 7.3 Thirdly the speech of Abraham to the rich man must needes be true which is that Lazarus now dead is comforted Luk. 16.25 But how comforted after death and wherein if hee were not then in pleasures as the other was in paine Therefore the preferment of the godly is great by their happy death Vse 1 Psal 97.11 Here They sowed in teares there they shall reape in ioy Psal 126.5 Here vpon tempestuous seas there at anchor in their owne roade and porte of peace Here in their bondage there in their Iubilee of redemption Here in trauell there deliuered Here taken from the societie of men there admitted into the society of the Angels and of the perfect spirits of iust men Here in their strange Countrey there in their owne house Here liuing by faith there by sight and here absent from the Lord but there in his presence No eye hath seene nor eare hath heard nor heart can conceiue what God hath prepared for those that loue him sayth Saint Paul 1. Cor. 2.9 We haue seene many strange things we haue heard of more and the heart that is so large how can it but conceiue more then eyther Eye can see or eare heare of that is not onely more strange but most wonderfull things And yet one speaking of this great glory of the Saints in Heauenly places sayth If thou seest any admirable thing say it is not it for then thou shouldest not see it And if thou hearest of any excellent thing yet say it is not it for then thou shouldst neuer haue it Or lastly if thou canst conceiue as thou mayest some strange thing indeed and passing wonderfull say also it is not it for then should it not enter into thy heart And then can any greater preferment befall the dead in Christ then to bee raysed to that which no eye can see nor eare heare of nor heart mortall conceyue Wee cannot conceyue Adams excellent estate in the earthly Paradise and how then shall wee bee able to conceyue the vnconceyueable happy life of the righteous in the heauenly Paradise of God or if our eyes dazle at the light of the Sunne how will they sinke into their holes to behold the light of the sonnes of God in glory When the Queene of the South beheld the glory and attendance that Salomon had the order of his Realme the array of his seruants the variety of his waiters and attendants their dyet their places their happy life to serue in the presence of so wise a King beeing rauished therewith shee brake forth and sayde Happy are thy men Happy are these thy seruants which stand continually before thee and heare thy wisedome 1. King 10.8 But when the godly shall see with open countenance in whose presence they stand and shall stand euer with what company namely of Cherubims and Seraphims Angels Thrones Dominions Patriarkes Priests Prophets Apostles Confessors Martyrs and all blessed soules in what place to wit the Court of Heauen not Salomons earthly Court how not as strangers like the Queene of the South but as the royall Queene of Salomon married to Christ the true Salomon with the crowne of righteousnesse for euer there to behold the blessed Trinity the Father Sonne and holy Ghost there to bee and liue continually in the presence of God and beautifull countenance of Iesus Christ How can they containe themselues What Halle-luijahs will they sing to God Almighty of his prayse and saluation What ioy will they not conceyue to see the thousands there that prayse the Lord day and night Will they not breake out and say Happy are wee and vnspeakeably happy that shall stand thus before God the Father and the true wisedome of God the true Salomon Iesus Christ his sonne for euer there to heare his wisdome and to behold his glory For the particularities of this place and for the sundry kindes and measures of glory therein I list not to bee curious and what I had to teach thereof by the Scriptures I haue written already in a Sermon (b) The third sermon of life and death on Esay 57.2 onely as one very well sayeth God send vs thither and we will be contented with the lowest roome Yet to say somewhat more and not much of our great preferment in heauen and as it were to set it in our eye for the better raysing of our mindes thither Let vs goe vp with Moses into mount Nebo and see at a blush Deut. 34.1 2.3 4. Apoc. 22.10 and farre off the heauenly Canaan or with Iohn the Diuine into Gods mountaine and with a like quicke but darke sight behold as in some short Carde or Mappe the Ierusalem aboue that wee may withdraw our sight from the Deuils mountaine of things below Math. 4.8 The place is Heauen called by the Apostle The third heauen 2. Cor. 12.2 and elsewhere the Bridegroomes Chamber Apoc. 19.5 Math. 25.10 A very large and princely roome Lightned with the glory of the Lambe Apoc. 21.23 The company good as wee heard and the time of our being there world without end though the company were good yet if the roome were straight and vnpleasant it were nothing and though the roome were large and pleasant the company beeing naught it would little delight a good man And though both were as heart could desire for themselues yet if our time in them were short our departing from them would bee as vncomfortable but here the roome company and time do all three conspire to make our ioy full Psal 16.11 Apoc. 21.25 Further for the happinesse of the soule after death before the body come vnto it at the resurrection the happinesse of it must needes bee great seeing it shall ceasse to sinne and shall bee wholly ioyned to the Lord in truth and neuer displease him any more The knowledge the wisedome the vnderstanding of it darkened here in this mid-vale shall in that cleare firmament receyue a glorious shining by the face of Christ that Sunne of righteousnes It shall bee no more knowledge and wisedome and vnderstanding in part but this in part shall bee done away and wee shall bee absolutely wise absolutely wee shall vnderstand know and loue God absolutely wee shall serue him and keepe an absolute Sabboth to him Heb. 4.9 Esa 66.23 There shall bee no more ignorance of God nor distrust in God no more contempt of Teachers nor neede of teaching no more Magistrate and Subiect Pastor and people for Christ shall bee our Temple Apoc. 21.22 Our foode that is our spirituall foode shall bee The tree of life Apoc. 22.1 Our Teacher and Gouernour shall bee God and Christ themselues for then God shall bee all in all vnto vs 1 Cor. 15.28 not mediately as heere by the Word and Sacraments but immediately without these and directly by himselfe without Magistrate or Minister And for the body when it is come to the soule at the Resurrection what a comfortable meeting
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—
to call to wit too late with this Rich man in hell and not bee heard Prou. 1.24.28 And if they bee not heard how can they bee deliuered and if they bee how can the Scripture be true A terror to those who vse so ill the short time of their repentance seeing when they be gone hence Vse they shall find no way to it though as Esau they seeke it with tears Heb. 12.17 Besides what fooles and how vnwise are they who will purchase eternall torments with so short pleasures May they not say as a King once sayde who being inforced in an extreame thirst of water to yeelde himselfe to the enemie after hee had drunke of the water so dearely bought brake out into these words For how short a pleasure what a Kingdome hauâ— I lost So what ioyes haue I lost and of what continuance and what miseries haue I gained and how endlesse for lesse then a dish of water What madnesse to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season and after to lye in torments of fire for euer This Rich man would haue giuen the world if the world had beene his to giue to haue beene ridde of his torments but one poore houre or to haue had any little ease of them in hell but if all the Angels and Saints of Heauen would as wee may not thinke they would haue begged of Christ for him they could haue done him no good in that place of torments Therefore while there is hope and while the Lord may bee found let vs seeke him to witte in the way of obedience to the Gospell Esay 55.6 If yee will not come into this place of torments where there is no comming out heare Moses and the Prophets in the olde Testament and Christ in the New Luc. 16.28 Come to Church Heare reuerently at Church and practise carefully when yee are gone from Church Repent yee of your sinnes and that to day that is while yee may call and be heard conuert and bee healed It can be no good husbandrie in you or any to put off your sowing till the time of reaping come and to pay for a few simple trifles the losse of your precious soules for euer O thinke of these things now in these dayes of mercy and while the gate is open striue to enter The soule is more worth then all the world and all riches pleasures and profites are but losse and dung in comparison of it Further to be seuered from God Christ in the torments of hell is a plague aboue all plagues mortall and earthly Now is the time to redeeme thy poore soule I say now because thou knowest not what may happen in an houre and in a moment wee are taken away O therefore now and presently goe about it now and presently abandon thy short pleasures that thou mayest reigne with God for euer in the long life of his saluation And now and presently mortifie sinne in thy earthly members that thy soule may be saued in the day of the Lord and thy bodie and soule may ioyfully meete at the resurrection of all bodies in the kingdome prepared for them and there bee for euer Here wee reade of a great man in Hell or of a great rich man in torments in hell Doct. 3. which teacheth that no wicked ones how great soeuer are for that or because of such eminence exempt from the place and condemnation of hell Therefore Tophet to which hell is compared and the burning Tophet is sayd to be prepared for the King Esa 30.33 I may say for Kings and all in kingly places that doe wickedly And Samuel sayde to all Israel not only if yee doe wickedly yee shall perish but if your king doe wickedly yee and your King shall perish 1. Sam. 12.25 not subiects onely but King and Subiects The Lucifer of Babylon must to hell as well as the meanest in Babylon Esa 14.9.12 that commits iniquity The Reasons The soule that sinneth shall dye Ezech. 18 4. It is spoken of euery soule and person poore and rich Secondly the sinne that it committed is eyther punished in Christ or shall be in thâ—se that are committers of it whosoeuer they be for vnder other termes God neuer yet pardoned sinne and Christ who tooke vpon him the sinnes of his Elect descended to the hels in the sufferings of his life and death to answere his Fathers iustice and for his peoples faults But are al kings are all great ones in Christ Hath Christ suffered for all that are Noble and for all that are rich and mighty doth not the Scripture say Not many wise not many mighty nor many noble are called 1. Cor. 1.26 Now if many be not and but few are they that are not called must suffer for that and all that which Christ neuer suffered for them and where but in Hell and what torments but of Hell Thirdly he that iudgeth his people with equity and the world with true iudgement Psal 98.9 should goe against his owne rules of doing that which is equall and iust if hee should not reward euery one according to his worke and proceede to iudgement without respect of persons Act. 10.34 But it is blasphemy in an high degree once to thinke that howsoeuer wickednesse among men be in the place of iudgement Eccles 3.16 the Iudge of all the world will not deale iustly An admonition to great ones to serue the Lord in feare Vse Psal 2.11 and not to beare themselues vpon their great wealth aboue that which is meete for how soone fearfully may they bee brought downe in a moment and what will all their glory and riches helpe them when their pompe must descend with them to the pitte of corruption And how can they redeeme their poore soules and what ransome will they giue to God for them when a whole world will not bee taken for the redemption of one soule This Rich man in hell and infinite thousands in hell as rich as he while they liued can say as much now And what difference betweene the poore vngodly and the vngodly rich in hell though great on earth seeing their chambers of fire and burning pitch in the infernall Lake are like saue that their torments may bee and it is like are greater for looke how much they gloryed in themselues and liued in delights so much shall they haue torments and sorrow Apoc. 18.7 Now had it not beene better for such while they liued here to haue liued vnder the nurture of the word to haue come humbly and duly to it and with as great reuerence and loue as the poorest soule But They hated him that rebuked in the gate Amos 5.10 and therfore wish too late with this Rich man in Hell that they had not been such fooles and mad men to crosse their owne saluation So much for the place whither the soule of this Rich man went Now we come to shew what followed there He lift vp his eyes and sawe Abraham a farre off c.
enemie so horsed and in such honour and himselfe made the man that must honor him Let no man therefore though neuer so great thinke but hee may haue neede of a meaner then himselfe before hee dye The Reasons All Christians are fellow members in the Christian body Now in the naturall body the head cannot say to the foot the highest to the lowest member I haue no need of thee 1. Cor. 12.21 Besides all members haue not one office and no member but hath some vse Rom. 12.4 Secondly the receits of the best are with imperfection and therefore the best may neede Thirdly all Christians are brethren and what brother may not sometimes need the helpe of his brother Therfore the Apostles question mixed with reproofe is Why doest thou despise thy brother Rom. 14.10 An admonition to great ones Vse not to exalt themselues too insolently and proudly aboue their meaner brethren for the wheele of things may turne their Sunne may bee remoued and the first may be last Math. 20.16 or theyr next course may bee to bee inferiours where now they are superiours for Whosoeuer exalteth himselfe shall be brought low Luk. 13.11 Then their own measure may bee returned and as they despised others so themselues may bee despised they may stand vnder their sentence fall vnder their hands and lye down at their feet which would bee considered of by those who looke so high aboue persons better then themselues because God hath made them rather richer and greater And thou that feest a poore man though a good man and despisest him remember that God can and perhaps will make thee as he is in respect of pouerty and so thy contempt of thy brother may come home to thy selfe Adonibezck the tyrant could say As I haue done so it is done to me Iudg. 1.7 And Iosephs enuious brethreÌ„ did say As we thought to our brother so it is come vnto vs Gen. 42.21 And so it is a true word Selfe doe selfe haue But in the flames of hell what would this Rich man chiefly haue to bee eased as being greatly though not onely tormented He sayth his tongue belike because hauing abused that member as most doe eyther to blasphemie to a rayling against Gods word Ministers and children or some other wayes hee was grieuously tormented in it True it is that soules haue no tongues but he felt in his soule what his tongue had done And this teacheth that men shall be punished as in that measure Dâ—ct 2. Eco â—1 22.23.24 25. so in that member and thing wherin they offend Ieroboams hand was put forth against the Prophet 1. Kâ—â— 13 4 and that hand which he put forth against him dryed vp The lost sons curious taste of meats and drinkes was payd backe vnto him in that courser taste of the huskes which the Swine cate Luk. 15.16 So our first Parents abused their eyes Gen. 3.6 and God opened both their eyes v. 7. that is punished them that way and in that wherein they finned for they sought his dishonour and saw their own shame and Zacharias the father of Iohn the Baptist because he doubted with his tongue Luk. 1.18 was by the Angel stricken dumbe in his tongue vers 10. Further also Nadab and Abihu the sonnes of Aaron offered strange fire and God coâ—sumed them strangely with fire from heauen Lenit 10.1.2 So Dauid himselfe sinning in another mans wife 2 Sam. 11.4.5 was requited by his sonne in his owne wiues Chap. 16.22 And the Israelites lusting for flesh had it and their punishment in it for it came out at their nostrils Num. 11.20 And thus it is plaine that men haue beene punished in that member and thing wherein they haue offended The reasons God would haue vs to take knowledge of his iudgement and how can we better then when hee so directeth them against our faults and members faulting that wee may see him pointing as with the finger to vs nay standing ouer vs in so particular a seueritie For so he sheweth vs the nature and quality of the offence by proceeding in such maner and with such speciall choyce against it Secondly this course and manner of punishing the member offending is vsed by Princes often in their proceedings against malefactors in their Kingdoms where for the breeding of more terrour in others the member first suffereth that hath first or chiefly offended So Rauilliacke he that murdered the last Henry of France lost first the hand wherewith he did it and when a Noble man plots any treason against his King his King will haue the head that deuised it (b) So 2. Macab 15.32 33. Now if Kings to good purpose and iustly doe thus when God doth so wee must not doubt but hee that is King of Kings doth it both iustly and necessarily to admonish others An admonition to vse well all those members and parts Vse that wee would not haue to bee punished â—eere or tormented in hell Some that haue abused their tongues to cursing and swearing while they liued at their death had neuer a tongueeyther to confesse their sinnes or to craue pardon So when the fift Angell had powred out his Viall vpon the throne of the beast the beasts creatures that blasphemed God with their tongues were tormented in their tongues and gnew them for sorrow Apoc. 16.10 I reade of a Seruingman in Lincolneshire who had still in his mouth Gods precious bloud and at his his death M. Perk. of the gouernment of the tongue pa. 72 out of Phil. Stâ—bâ— bloud issued out most fearefully as in great streames from all parts of him from his mouth nose eares wrists knees heeles toes and all other parts not one free and so dyed Thus bloud was paide with bloud the bloud of Christ prophaned with a fountaine of bloud from all his body Some for abusing others eares by words of slaunder haue lost their owne and many whose feet in youth were nimble to dance the morrice at more yeares had neuer a foote nor legge to carry them voide of aches issues and other slubbers they that did spoyle were spoyled and shee that fed vpon bloud fed the dogs Drunkards seeke red wine and haue red eyes Ezech. 39 10 1. King 21 2â— Prou 23.29.30 And is not drunkennesse it selfe often punished with dropsies and filthy whoredom also with filthy diseases Hath not that member in some been pittifully taken that became the instrument of their wanton sinne What are these but warnings to vs and happy are wee if other mens harmes can make to beware but if wee will not learne by others wee may bee taught by our own feeling Of this bee sure without repentance whatsoeuer member or thing thou abusest here to bee punished with the losse or in the anguish of that thing or member heere or hence If thou abusest all thou shalt be punished in all And for riches that many regarde more then they doe the Kingdome of Heauen if thou dote vpon them and make gods of them