to draw vs vnto brotherly loue and vnity O how good and pleasant a thing it is for brethrē to dwel together in vnity And so the diuel he maketh choise of both these to draw vs to the committing of iniquity sometimes vsing but one of these and sometimes ioyning them both for the strengthning of his temptation In the 22. of Numbers one of these was sufficient to draw Balaam vnto sinne for though he had receiued a commandement from God that he should not go with the princes of Moab to curse the people of Israel yet when he cōsidered that Balacks offers would proue cōmodious to him he resolueth vpon the iourney with them and his Asses thrise reuolt could not stay him But in the third of Genesis there the diuell vseth both and with them both he preuailed against our mother Eue for albeit she knew well that she should dye the death in eating of the forbidden tree yet because she saw that it was good for meat and pleasant to the eyes she tooke thereof and did eate That then these deceitful temptations of the diuel may be reiected first that no commodity do draw thee from the wayes of life to sinne let that saying of our Sauiour Christ be alwaies in thy mind what shal a man get if he win the whole world Math. 16.26 and loose his owne soule what shall a man get if by vsury oppression of the poore extortiō false weights false measures and the like he shall be able to purchase much land Luk. 16.19 and with the rich glutton go in purple and fine linnen and fare deliciously euery day when as these commodious sinnes as he accounteth them shall bring no lesse discommoditie vpon him then hel fire And secondly that no pleasure preuail with thee remēber that sin though it be sweet in the mouth yet it wil be bitter in the belly that though it be pleasāt in the beginning yet it will be painfull in the end that the diuell dealeth herein with vs as vnconscionable Mercers and Drapers deale with their chapmen For as they neuer shew vnto their chapmen the middle part fag end of their wares which perhaps are stark naught but onely the vpper part thereof which commonly is very good so this maister Mercer the diuel he sheweth alwaies to his sinfull chapmen the vpper part of his wares namely the present pleasure delectation and delight of sin but as for the middle part of his wares which is remorse of conscience and the fag end of his wares which is Gods vengeance these he neuer sheweth For beloued if men should see before hand with the spirituall eyes of their soules either the middle part of sinne which is remorse of conscience or the end of sinne which is Gods vengeance either in this life or in the other then out of doubt whē the diuel shal offer his wares vnto the sale as to the couetous man his neighbors vineyard to the adulterer his neighbors wife to the taylour long bils to the retailer false weights and so in the rest they will all answer if there be any sparke of grace or goodnesse in them as the Athenian Orator did vpon the like proffer Non emam tanti poenitere I wil not buy repentance so deare And thus at last haue you seene those impediments and lets why so few do finde the way of life The impediments ex parte quaerentis in our selues that seeke the way are three blindnesse of reason peruersnesse of will and want of perseuerance and the lets ex parte retrahentium are three likewise the world with his inticements the flesh with her allurements and the diuell with his suggestions vnto sinne And now to conclude Hom. 1. ad pop Antioch Saint Chrysostome in his first homily to the people of Antioch doth require a reward for a sermon which he made against the blasphemers of Gods name The onely reward beloued which I wil craue for my sermon is this that it would please Almighty God so to worke in the hearts of all you that haue now bene partakers of it that you may say and say truly of my sermon as Tully in his Academicks saith of Varros bookes Nos in nostra vrbe peregrinantes tanquam hospites tui libri quasi domum deduxerunt We who heretofore in this our city of London by the blindnesse of our reason the peruersnesse of our wils and want of perseuerance haue erred from the wayes of life and by the inticements of the world the allurements of the flesh and the suggestions of the diuell haue wandered vp and downe in the plaines of sinne and in the vallies of iniquitie are thereby now brought home againe vnto the wayes of life and reduced into the number of that little flocke whereof that great Shepheard and Bishop of our soules Christ Iesus is the head The which God the Father grant for his Iesus Christ his sake to whom with the blessed spirit three in Trinitie but one in Vnitie be ascribed all honour and glorie for euermore FINIS THE LAST IVDGEMENT TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL IOHN BREVVSTER ESQVIRE SIR among many patrons of vertue and Theologicall endeuours I presume to rank your name who as I know you not inferiour to the best for a Fautor of learning and a louer of Pietie so I present you here with such a worke best fitting your addiction and most worthie your patronage And howsoeuer I may seeme officiously bold to publish these things without free consent of the Author as I confesse I do yet out of earnest desire to raise him from obscuritie to a deserued eminence in the worlds account and throughly moued with pitie that so heauenly things should perish with the breath they were deliuered as if eternitie should fade with a moment I haue aduentured to giue them longer life seconding my boldnesse with a strong presumption that I shall frustrate needlesse doubts and herein deserue your good opinion And on this hope I rest committing the sequele to your serious view and my attempt in this to your fauourable construction Yours in all affection and dutie C. B. MATTH 25.15 Watch therefore for you know neither the day nor the houre when the Sonne of man will come AS when children hauing ouer-slept themselues and begin to cry as fearing the correction of their seuere maisters their indulgent mothers do commonly comfort them with one of these two things as first that there is no time yet past and secondly that their maister is a gentle man and will forgiue them In the very same manner do the carnall and carelesse worldlings of this age deale with those their acquaintance and friends who haue fetched a long and a deepe sleepe in sinne and securitie For whereas their counsell to them should be that which Saint Paul hath Ephes 5.14 Awake thou that sleepest and stand vp frō the dead and Christ shall giue thee light these men cleane contrary to take away all feare of iudgement to come in
but when as God shall haue opened the eyes of our vnderstanding then with Dauid may we see the wonderfull things of Gods law and then with him may we runne the way of his commandements when as God shall haue set our hearts at libertie But before we do all euen the best of vs lie lame and impotent like the cripple at the poole of Bethesda Iohn 5.5 all the dayes and yeares of our times are spent like his without the case of our infirmities and the vertue of the waters of life like those waters in that poole can neuer comfort vs. Seeing therefore that mans reason since the fall of our first father Adam is so cleane perished and decayed in it selfe that of it selfe it is not able to make choise of that which is good it remaineth for a truth that vnlesse Gods grace do accompanie mans reason as the Angel did Toby do go before it as the starre did before the wise men vnto Christ man shal neuer be able to walke in the way nay he shall neuer be able to find out the way that shold leade him vnto life but he shal go on like a naturall and carnall man in that broade beaten path which leadeth vnto death So that you see mans reason being not able to discerne good from euill the way of life from the way of death and by the fall of Adam preuailing ouer all the sonnes of Adam to be one maine let in vs why so few of vs do find out this way of life 2. Peruersnesse of will But let vs grant that mans reason were such in him and so well rectified as that he could discerne good from euill the way of life from the way of death yet is there a second let impediment in man and that is peruersitas voluntatis the peeuishnesse the peruersnes of his will It was the error of the old Manichees and it is at this day the practise of many prophane Christians euermore to cast their sinnes vpon God excusing themselues and accusing him as the author of their iniquities but the Scriptures are all directly against this for as they make God to be the sole cause and author of all happinesse and good that befalleth man so do they make man the sole cause and author of all euil that betides himselfe It is Gods owne speech in the Prophet Hosea 13.9 Perditio tua ex teô Israel salus ex me O Israel thy saluation is from me but thy destruction and ruine from thy selfe As some locks there are which will lock without a key but without a key they neuer can be opened so without a key I meane without any other meanes then their owne proper sinnes men may shut vp the the gates of Gods kingdome against thēselues but without the key of Gods mercy and gracious goodnesse to them it neuer can be opened And as the Magitians of king Pharaoh had indeed power to bring plagues into the land of Aegypt Exod. 7. but had no power to remoue the plagues thence so men of them selues may be the authors of death vnto themselues but to giue vnto themselues either the life of grace or the life of glory they haue no ability God is so farre from barring vp the gate of his kingdom against any that he setteth it wide open vnto all I will not the death of a sinner but that he liue be saued in the Gospel Come vnto me all yee that labor and are heauy laden Math. 11.28 and I will refresh you but such is the peruersenesse of mans will such the obstinacy and rebellion of his corrupt nature that though God doth offer grace yet mā wil not accept it though he do as it were chalke him out the way that should leade him vnto life yet he will not walke in it yea though he lay before him the crowne of eternall glory as his reward and recompence yet will he take no labour or paine for it If then man by following the sway of his crooked corrupt will and by reiecting the good meanes which God giueth for his saluatiō do eternally perish let him not lay the fault vpon God but vpon his owne peeuish peruerse will You shall see the truth of this by a most familiar example and yet such a one as a whole generall Councell hath thought fit for the illustration of it If two men should fall out of a ship Con Colonien and there were no way to saue them but by casting forth a rope vnto them whereby they might be drawne vp if one of them shall lay holde of it and be drawne vp but the other in the peeuishnes and peruersnes of his will shall refuse the meanes of his deliuerance is it not a cleare case that he which layes hold vpō the rope is saued by the great kindnesse of him that threw it out but the other which obstinatly refuseth it perisheth by his own peruerse will Euen thus and no otherwise doth the case stand with vs for by one mā sin hath entred into the world and we are all cast out as it were from that arke of innocency in which we were created But behold the great mercy of God vnto man he casteth forth if I may so speake a rope to saue vs he hath sent his sonne into the world Iohn 3.16 That whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life If then thou dost lay hold vpon this meanes of thy saluation by the hand of a liuely faith thou must acknowledge God to be the author thereof but if in the peruersnes of thy will thou dost refuse it then thy perishing it proceedeth from thy selfe from thy obstinate and rebellious will This Saint Austin knew to be most true and therefore he was bold to say Non est punitor Deus antequà m peccator homo God neuer doth become a punisher till man first becomes a sinner and we see it to be true in that speech of Samuel vnto Saul 1. Sam. 15.26 thou hast wilfully cast away the Lord and this saith Samuel is the cause of thy reiection why the Lord hath cast away thee This peruersnes of will was that which in the daies of our Sauior kept the people of the Iewes from finding the way of life and this is that which in these dayes of the Gospel keepes many of vs frō finding it As Christ said vnto thē Math. 23.37 so may he not as truly say vnto vs Quoties volui sed noluistis How often wold I but you wold not hath not God to vse that speech in the Gospel piped vnto you by vs and you haue not danced Luke 7.32 hath not he mourned vnto you by vs and you haue not wept 2. King 4.31 haue not we the Prophets by the appointmēt of our maister Christ layed the staffe of Gods iustice and Gods mercy vpon you that are dead in sinne as Gehezi did his maisters staffe on the dead child and like
heretofore bene and it is at this day the foundatiō root of rebellions treasons murthers thefts of such damnable machiauelliā policies as are hardly to be found euen among the Gentiles as it was the speech of Agrippina the Emperour Neros mother when she heard that her sonne Nero should be Emperor Sueton. in Nerone but yet should kill his mother in his Empire Occidat modò imperet Let him kill me so he may be Emperour so I pray God that by the perswasion of the diuell it be not a setled resolution in the hearts of many Let me perish not temporally with Agrippina but eternally both in soule and body if so be in this life I may haue places of preferment either in church or common-wealth Riches Now for the wealth and riches of the world that they likewise as well as worldly honours are a meanes to draw vs from the wayes of life it is a case clearely decided by our Sauiour Christ in the 19. of Saint Mathew Mat. 19.20.21 for when the yong man had made this question vnto Christ Maister what shall I do to attaine eternall life and Christ his answer was Keepe the commandements and his reply to that was I haue kept them from my youth vp and Christ his replication to him againe was Yet thou wantest one thing Sell all that thou hast and giue it to the poore at that saying saith the text he departed sorowfull and the cause of his sorow is there noted to be this He had great possessions and was rich and therefore our Sauiour is bold in the 23. verse to set downe this as a conclusion that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdome of heauen But were it not a case thus cleared by our Sauiour Christ yet if we will but looke into the qualities and conditions of rich men we shall find their wealth to haue bene and to be vnto them an occasion of many grieuous and grosse sinnes by meanes whereof they are kept from the wayes of life For to begin first with the sinne of pride a sinne so hatefull in Gods eyes that it cast our first parents out of Paradise and Lucifer from heauen to hel to begin I say with the sinne of pride mark it when you wil you shall see that where store of wealth is there commonly is store of pride and therefore among other charges which Saint Paul giues to Timothy this is not left out 1. Tim. 6.17 namely that he should charge rich men that they be not high minded And the heathen man Tully describing the qualities of the rich In Orat. de lege Agrar ad Quirit which for the most part are very intollerable among others he setteth downe pride for one and his instance is in the men of Campania Campani semper superbi bonitate agrorum fructuum The men of Campania are euer high minded and proud in regard of the store of fruites and of corne which their country yeeldeth and it is not only true in them 2. Lib. Rhet. but as Aristotle saith it holdeth in all rich men in al countries whatsoeuer But if this sinne of pride did onely accompanie our earthly riches it were well sed ecce venit Gad behold there are a great companie of sinnes more for as they do breed in vs pride of heart to the contempt of our poore neighbours so do they corrupt our memories to the forgetfulnesse of God This Moses knew to be true and therefore he giueth this caueat to the children of Israel Deut. 6.10 When the Lord thy God hath brought thee into the land which he sware vnto thy fathers to giue thee with goodly cities which thou buildedst not with houses full of all manner of goods which thou filledst not with vineyards and Oliue trees which thou plantedst not when thou hast eaten and art full then take heed and beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God Yea so common a thing it is for worldly riches to make men forget God that Salomon himselfe though he were wiser then other men and so consequently better able to resist sinne yet he maketh it his earnest sute vnto God O Lord giue me neither pouertie nor riches Prou. 30.8 not pouerty lest I steale and take the name of my God in vaine not riches least I be too full and deny thee and say Who is the Lord For albeit I perswade my selfe that there be many both in this citie and in other places of the land who in a thankfull remembrance of Gods goodnesse and bountie to them do confesse with Iacob Gen. 32.10 I came ouer this Iordan with my staffe and lo I haue now gotten two bands I came poore and without prouision to this place and lo I haue not onely gotten great wealth but such honour also that I sit with Princes yet looke we generally vpon the courses of the rich and we shall find it to be true that as the Moone when she is at the ful she is then farthest from the Sun of whom she doth receiue her light so men when they are fullest of earthly riches and blessings they are then commonly farthest from God from whose fulnesse they haue receiued them And as pride and forgetfulnesse of God do accompany our earthly riches so a third euil of them is that they make men to offend and sin in luxury In the twelfth of Luke and 19. verse the great rich man whose grounds brought foorth fruite plentifully he thinkes on nothing but his belly Soule now thou hast much goods for many yeares liue at ease eate drinke follow thy pleasure And in the fifteenth of Luke the yonger of the two brethren hauing receiued that portion of goods which belonged to him he spends it all in few dayes in gluttonie and venery Fourthly whereas the word of God is a speciall meanes to bring vs to saluation these worldly riches choke the word and make it vnfruitfull You may see it in the thirteenth of Saint Mathew Mat. 13.22 where our Sauiour expounding the parable of the sower saith thus He that receiues the seed among the thornes is he that heares the word but the care of the world the deceitfulnesse of riches choke the word in him and he is made vnfruitful Fiftly whereas it is a true note of the true child of God euermore to be weary of this sinful world Philip. 1.23 and to desire with Saint Paul to be dissolued and to be with Christ these earthly riches do make those which haue them loth to die yea with a good will a rich man would not so much as thinke of death saith the wise man O death Eccles 41.1 how bitter is the remembrance of thee to a man that liues at rest and ease in his possessions And as worldly riches are an occasion of these euils so lastly are they the cause of Idolatry yea the couetous affectation of them saith Saint Paul Ephes 5.5 is Idolatry And
death and in our will are most ready to apprehend it yet for want of perseuerance and continuance in so good a course currimus non comprehendimus many of vs indeed do runne but few of vs attaine our iourneys end Of these three therfore in their order And first for the blindnes of our reason which being not able to discerne the way of life from the way of death and by the fall of Adam preuailing ouer all the sonnes of Adam is the first maine let in vs why so few of vs do find out this way of life 1. Blindnesse of reason The time was when in man there were these three things wisedome of heart puritie of life strength of bodie but the soule of man by the suggestion of Sathan by the delectation which the apple promised and by the consent which man yeelded fell from that high and beautifull Trinitie His wisdome was turned into blindnesse of heart his strength was turned into weaknesse of bodie and the puritie of his life was changed into vncleane behauiour so that concerning his strength that is now no better then a broken reed as Rabshakeh spake of Aegypt 2. King 18.21 and therefore Dauid most aduisedly in the 28. Psalme and 7. verse said Thou O Lord art my strength The puritie of his life that Esay 64.6 said Esay is like a stained and polluted cloth and as for our reason and vnderstanding it is cleane decayed in Adam All the knowledge and vnderstanding of man is either morall naturall or logicall all which three in man by sinne are perished For the end of morall knowledge being this to prefer good things before euill things mans reason in this is so corrupted that the euill things of this world which haue but an appearance of good are preferred before good things indeed and the good things indeed they are reiected You shall see this in the example of King Saul 1. Sam. 15.30 for to be honorable in the sight of God being true honour indeed and to be honorable in the sight of men being bonum apparens but an outward shadow or an appearance of true honour the reason of King Saul there is so blinded that he refuseth to be honored in the sight of God and he desireth the Prophet rather to honour him before the people And whereas the end of our naturall knowledge is to preferre those things which are most profitable for the vse of man our reason for the most part is so blinded herein that we preferre in our iudgements the things that are most hurtfull And lastly whereas the end of our logicall or discoursing reason is to discerne truth frō falshood vanitie from lies this likewise is so corrupted in vs that we all as the Prophet Dauid saith Psal 4.2 follow vanitie and seeke after leasing so that man hauing thus wonderfully lost his reason wherein he was created that which God spake in an Ironie concerning man the very beasts of the earth may say and say truly Gen. 3.22 Man is become like one of vs and they haue their warrant for it out of the 49. Psalme and last verse Man being in honour vnderstood not but is like the beasts that perish nay in this he is farre worse then the brute beasts Esay 1.3 for the Oxe knowes his owner and the Asse his masters crib but Israel hath not known my people hath not vnderstood Mans reason without Gods grace is euen as Sampson without his guide when his eyes were out Iudg. 16.26 without whose direction he could not finde the pillars of the house nor can the natural carnal man find any pillar or principle of his faith without Gods grace guiding his steps to it Salomon saith in the fourth of Ecclesiastes and tenth verse Vae soli Wo be vnto him that is alone and in this it is most true for if mans reason be without Gods grace to guide it wo be vnto it it fals down and there is none to helpe it vp and therefore our Sauiour makes a manifest distinction betweene these two Gods grace and mans reason in that speech of his to Peter Math. 16.17 Blessed art thou Symon the sonne of Ionas for flesh and bloud hath not reuealed this vnto thee but my Father which is in heauen It was not flesh and bloud it was not naturall and carnall reason but Gods grace from aboue guiding his reason that made Peter lay hold vpon Christ the way of life and made Christ to pronounce him blessed Therefore a little after when as Gods grace and mans reason were separated and that Peter with carnall perswasions sought to dehort Christ from his passion vers 22. Sir pittie thy selfe this shall not be vnto thee Christ then biddeth him auant not by the name of Peter or the sonne of Ionas or Cephas but of Sathan himself Come behind me Sathan Peters reason was then alone and the light of Gods grace had withdrawne her influence and therefore no maruell if his counsell were such as was both against his owne and against the worlds saluation The Prophet Dauid was well acquainted with this blindnesse of mans reason and therefore he doth vtterly reiect it as his guide in the way of life and betakes himselfe wholy to the guidance of Gods good spirit Psal 143.10 Let thy good Spirit O Lord leade me into the way of righteousnesse and Psal 27. Thou Psal 27.1 O Lord art my light and my saluation my light against ignorance my saluation against impotencie and in the 119. Psalme Giue me vnderstanding O Lord and I shall keepe thy law For as it was not possible for the Israelites to passe through the red sea Exod. 14. if God by a speciall miracle had not prepared their way and made a passage for them Chrysost hom 40. in Math. so for man to passe from the wayes of death vnto the wayes of life from the wayes of sin to the wayes of righteousnes without the speciall mediation and helpe of diuine grace it is not possible This grace is that which is all in all vnto vs and of this may that of our Sauiour be most truly verified Iohn 15.5 Fulgent de praed ad Maxim lib. 1. Without me you can do nothing This is praeueniens cooperans subsequens it preuenteth vs that when we are downe we may rise vp it accompanieth vs to vphold vs in our right course and it must stil follow vs til we come to those eternall beatitudes For can we promise any more to our selues in finding out this way of life then Dauid in the 119. Psalme I will runne O Lord saith he the way of thy commaundements when thou hast set my heart at libertie Can we runne with our feete before our heart be prepared or can we runne with our heart before God had enlarged it Can we runne the way without the way which is Christ Iesus a way which we cannot see till our eyes be enlightened not so
aspexit Remember Lots wife how she was brought indeed out of Sodome because she beleeued God but was changed by the way into a pillar of salt because she looked backe God hath commaunded vs as he did Lot and his wife that wee should come out of Sodome that is that we should forsake our sinnes and not so much as looke back vnto sinne but runne in hast till we come into heauen which is our Zoar. If therefore with Lots wife we wil looke backe in our way to the pleasantnesse of sinne we shall be sure with her to tast the bitternesse of her punishment for as she vbi respexit Gen. 19.26 ibi remansit where she looked backe there she stood still and came not vnto Zoar where her life should haue bene saued so if once we haue abandoned sinne which is the broade way that leadeth vnto death and haue entred into a holy and religious course which is this narrow way that leadeth vnto life if then with Lots wife we go not forward but looke backward to our former delights of sin it is impossible for vs to come to Zoar that is vnto heauen where our soules and bodies should be saued They are our Sauiour Christ his own words in the ninth of Luke and the last verse No man putting his hand vnto the plough and looking backe is fit for the kingdome of God Exod. 16.26 The Israelites were commanded not once in a moneth nor once in a weeke but euery day to gather Manna except vpon the Sabboth day to teach them and to teach vs that till such time as we come vnto that eternall Sabboth of our euerlasting rest in heauen we must neuer stand still in the way of a godly life but euery day be going forward Apelles posie was Nulla dies sine linea Let no day passe from me without drawing one line at the least and Titus the Emperor was wont to say Sueton. in Tit. Amici diem perdidimus Ezech. 47.4 that he had lost that day in which he did no good As the waters in Ezechiel rose by degrees first to the ankles then vnto the knees then vnto the loines and lastly to the head and as the wheate which Christ speakes of Mark 4.28 grew vp riper and riper first there was a blade then the eare then the full corne and lastly came the haruest so like those waters we must grow higher and higher till we come vnto our head Christ and like that wheate we must grow riper and riper til we come to the haruest which is the end of the world There is in Persia a stone called Selenites Plin. lib. vlt. cuius interior candor cum Luna crescit decrescit whose inward whitenesse increaseth and decreaseth as the Moone The deuotion of Christians must not be like this stone still changing and continuing no longer in one moode then a sparrow lights vpon the ground but we must proceed in the way of righteousnesse euen as Abraham went to Canaan that is we must eundo pergere still be going and as those kine of the Philistines which bare the Arke of God 1. Sam. 6. though they were milch had calues at home yet without turning either to the right or left hand they kept on their way to Bethshemesh so hauing once ioyned ourselues vnto the yoke of Christ and bearing the arke of his law vpon our shoulders in the way of a vertuous life though we haue many allurements to draw vs backe as those kine had their calues yet without turning either to the right or left hand we must keepe our way to Bethshemesh that is vnto the house of the Sunne for so the word signifieth where the Son of God raigneth In the 13. of Saint Matthew the kingdome of God is described in this manner It is as a grain of Musterdseed at first the least of al seeds Math. 13.31 but when a man hath sowne it in his field it becometh first an herbe then the greatest of herbs thirdly a tree lastly the birdes make arbours and shades in the bowes of it Now why should the kingdome of God be compared vnto this seede which is still increasing verily no better reason can be giuen for it then this that we may all learne not to stand still in our Christian growth but to preseuere and go on from grace vnto grace till we become perfect men in Christ Iesus As the star neuer ceased going Math. 2.9 till it came vnto the house where Christ was so if we be once entred into the way of a holy and religious life we must neuer stand still but continue still going till we come vnto heauen where God is If we haue faith we must then go from faith to faith if we haue loue we must continue and abide in loue if we haue zeale we must labor to be consumed with zeale if we giue almes we must go a step further and giue it with chearfulnesse and as God hath continued a chaine of his good graces vnto vs first by predestinating secondly by calling Rom. 8.30 thirdly by iustifying fourthly by glorifying vs so must we continue a chain of our graces towards God by giuing al diligence 2. Pet. 1.5.6 as the Apostle Saint Peter speaketh to ioine vertue with our faith and with our vertue knowledge and with our knowledge tēperance and with our temperance patience and with our patience godlinesse and neuer leaue ioyning the linkes of that golden chaine there ioyned till our bodies and soules come to be disioined But beloued if the want of any vertue is to be lamented in this age it is the want of this vertue of all vertues perseuerance For if we take a view of all estates of men euen from the highest to the lowest shall we not be so far frō finding any increase or growth in Christian duties any going forward in the way of righteousnesse from grace vnto grace Indies deficit in agris agricola Cyp. con Deme. and from strength vnto strength that we shall rather finde an vniuersall falling away and defection in them Is there not now as S. Cyprian iustly complained in his time a daily defectiō in the world both of men and of mens manners Is there not a defection of the husbandman in the field of the marriner at the sea of citizens in townes of townsemen in villages Is there not a defection of innocency in the court of iustice in iudgement of concord in friendship of workmanship in arts of discipline in manners Where is that zeale vnto the word that hunger thirst after the waters of the wel of life that was wont to be amōg vs Do we still thirst after these waters of the well of life 2. Sam. 23. as Dauid for the waters of the well of Bethlem Nay rather are we not come vnto that fulnesse and satietie Numb 11.7 that we euen loath these waters of life as Israel loathed Manna If it were not so
mortuus sum non sentio non attendo non curo siqua verò sunt Christi haec viuuÌ„ inueniuÌ„t paratuÌ„ Concerning these earthly and worldly matters I haue no sense or feeling of them by my reason I condemne them and from my heart I abandon them but if there be mention made of Christ and of finding the waies of life then my decaied spirits gather strength then all the powers and faculties of my soule will me to cry with the Prophet Dauid Paratum est cor meum Psal 57.7 Domine My heart is ready ô Lord my heart is ready For otherwise if cleauing by an inordinate affection and loue to this world and the things of it we neglect and reiect the waies of life Deut. 3.27 as Moses from the top of Pisgah might behold with his eyes the land of Canaan but might not enter into it as the Syrians did heare Elisha speake whom they desired to take 2. King 6.29 but could not take him so with the outward eares of our bodies we may heare of the ioyes of another life and with the intellectuall eyes of our minds we may see that great glory which the iust shall haue heareafter but our selues shall neuer come into heauen our selues shall neuer be partakers of it And as Lysimachus king of Lydia hauing yeelded himself into the hands of his enemies for a cup of cold water to quench his thirst cryed out Plutarch O me hominem infoelicem qui tantillae voluptatis gratia tantum amiserim regnum ô miserable and wretched man that I am who for so short a pleasure haue parted with so glorious a kingdome as the kingdome of Lydia so when we shall see in the last day that by yeelding too much vnto this world and the things of it we haue parted with the wayes of life and so consequently haue yeelded vp our selues into the hands of our spirituall enemies we shal mourne and lament we shall sigh and wring our hands and all the dreadfull torments which we shall then suffer shall not wound and vexe vs so sore as this one consideration namely when we shall call to mind that for the momentary and traÌ„sitorie pleasures of this word we haue parted with that same exceeding 2. Cor. 4.17 eternall surpassing weight of glory in the kingdome of heauen And thus much shall serue to haue spoken of the world and of the things of the world which is the first enemie that opposeth himself against man to keepe him from the way of life I com to the second enemy and this is Caro. The carnall lusts and desires of the flesh â—th lib. 10. c. 5 Aristotle disputing of the nature and efficacie of pleasure saith this that a man which taketh greater delight in instrumentall then in vocal musick if he heare the same musitian both to play vpon his instrument and to sing the pleasure and delight which he conceiueth in hearing of the instrument doth so leade away his affections that he hath no care at all of the voice and as this is true in musick so is it true saith he in all other things when we intend two things at once that which breedeth the greater pleasure and delight for the most part doth euermore exclude the lesse There being then in man two kinds of affections carnall and spirituall and all men for the most part taking greater delight in their carnall then in their spirituall affections of necessitie it must come to passe that their carnall affections do swallow vp their spirituall and so consequently they are so farre from finding the waies of life that there is in them no desire no lust at all vnto it The sect and companie of the Epicures who maintained carnal pleasure to be the onely summum bonum of this life did swarme in greater abundance then any other sect did non quòd veri aliquid afferat Lactan. de falsa sap cap. 17. sed quia multos populare nomen voluptatis inuitat not because saith Lactantius there was any truth at all in their doctrine but because the popular name of carnal pleasure is able to draw a world of men to it Saint Paul confesseth of himselfe Rom. 7.18 that in his flesh there dwelt no good thing and that he saw a law in his members rebelling against the law of his mind and not that only vers 23. but that it led him away captiue to the law of sinne insomuch that for very griefe of heart he breaketh out into these words Miser homo vers 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death Saint Hierome writeth of himselfe In Epist ad Eustoch that albeit he led a most strict and austere life in the wildernesse exercising himselfe continually in prayer and bringing his body vnder by long and often abstinence yet notwithstanding that he was vehemently assaulted by the lusts and desires of the flesh euen as Saint Paul was And surely if the mortified flesh of these Saints of God mortified no doubt by prayer and by long and often fasting did notwithstanding as themselues confessed leade away their soules captiue to the law of sinne then may we well conclude that the vntamed flesh of vs vnbridled men will forcibly and with violence misleade our soules from the way of life Our Sauiour Christ speaking of his owne passion is so farre from the feare of death in himselfe that he armeth his disciples against it saying that he would go to prepare a place for them Iohn 14. â— but afterwards when he was to die vnto the world and to go to his father then he seemes to be of another mind then transeat à me Calix Luke 22.42 Father if it be thy will let this cup passe from me And what was the reason of this surely that in the 26. of Mathew and 41. verse The spirit is ready but the flesh is weake The spirit indeed of many men is prone vnto that which is good they desire so to runne the race of a godly life here that hereafter they may receiue a crowne of glory but so it is that mans life is as Iob speaketh Iob 7.1 Gal. 5.17 Militia super terraÌ„ a warfare vpon earth the flesh still lusting against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and that which is most to be lamented in most of vs the flesh extinguisheth the spirit Sampson was a strong and valiant man Iudg. 14.6 he encountred a Lion and ouercame him but encountring with the fury of his owne lustful passions he could not master them Messes incendit alienas Iudg. 16.17 Ambros in Apol Dauid vnius ipse mulieris accensus igniculo messem suae virtutis amisit He set fire indeed on the haruests of other men but himself being inflamed with the fire of lust lost the haruest of all his vertues Salomon built a goodly Temple vnto God but in the meane time his
punishment into hell fire The Epicure saith Tertullian doth estimate all sorrow and punishment after this maner Modicus cruciatus est contemptibilis Tertul. aduers Gentes cap. 45. magnus non est diuturnus If the punishment be but small then a man of any spirit will contemne it and if it be great this is the comfort that it cannot last long But saith he the Epicure deceiues himselfe because the lawes of God do promise either an euerlasting reward to the obseruers or a perpetuall punishment to the breakers And therfore the sentence runs not thus Ite in ignem Go into fire though that had bin a great and a grieuous punishment but to make it the more grieuous and the more terrible they are commended in ignem aeternum into euerlasting fire Grieuous were the punishments that were inflicted vpon Adam for his sin Gen. 3. for first he was cast out of Paradise and then he was sent into a place of thornes and thistles there to eate his bread in the sweat of his brow all the dayes of his life but far more grieuous wil be the punishmēt of Adams wicked children at the day of iudgement for first they shall be depriued of heauen a place more beautifull then Paradise and then they shall be cast into a burning lake which is a farre worse place then a place of thornes and thistles And whereas Adam found this comfort in his punishment that there was a donec in terram in it that at last there wold be an end the end of his life was the period of his punishment yet the punishment of his wicked posteritie shall admit no limitation of time but they shall go saith the Iudge into euerlasting fire that is they shall burne for euer and euer in that lake of fire Indeed is were some comfort if they were to suffer this punishment no more thousands of yeares then there be sands on the sea shore or grasse piles vpon the ground or no more millions of ages then there are creatures in heauen in earth and in the sea for then were there some hope that at last there would be an end But to be sent in ignem aeternum into euerlasting fire that is continually to burne and neuer to be burned vp and after infinite millions of ages to be as farre from an end as at the first entrance into this torment this is so seuere and rigorous a doome as neither the tongues of Angels or of men are able to expresse it And as the rigor of the doome appeares first by the punishment of losse in that they are commaunded out of Gods presence Depart from me and secondly by the punishment of sense in that they are sent not onely into fire but into euerlasting fire So to make it euery way complete that nothing more might be added to it vnto the former words of this sentence Depart frō me into euerlasting fire the Iudge doth adioyne these latter which is prepared for the Diuell and his Angels Men that are in misery they are commonly of this mind and nature that they would not haue their friends and acquaintance come into the like misery and therefore the purple glutton Luke 16.27 being in hell maketh this request vnto Abraham Father Abraham send Lazarus I pray thee to my fathers house that he may testifie vnto my fiue brethren least they also come into this place of torment And as men are loth to haue their friends companions in their misery so are they as loth to haue those their companions who wil helpe to augment and increase their miseries but the wicked that their sentence of condemnation might appeare the greater they shal not only alwayes burne but their companions in this fire shall be the Diuell and his Angels When the Iewes sate in iudgement vpon our Sauiour Christ they resolued vpon these three things against him first that he must be taken from among them secondly that he must die the shamefull and ignominious death of the crosse and thirdly to do him the greater disgrace as they thought to vexe him the more he must die in the companie of two theeues And therefore hereafter when Christ shall come in his glory to iudge the sinnes both of Iewes and Gentiles he will resolue vpon three the like for them which they resolued for him For first as they could not abide his presence and therefore they cryed tollite take him away so he will not abide their presence but will say vnto them Discedite a me Depart from me And secondly as they resolued vpon no honorable death for him but such a death as was inflicted vpon vile and ignominious persons so the maner of dying which he allotteth vnto thē is such as belōgeth only vnto people that are cursed And last of all as they which did die with Christ were no better then theeues so their friends in tormēt are the fiends and their companions in fire are the diuell and his angels And therfore for the conclusion of this point remember onely that short but sweete caueat which S. Austin giueth writing vpon the 80. Psalme Si non times mitti quó vide cū quo If thou art not afraid to burn for thy sinnes in hell yet be afraid to burne with such hellish companions as are the diuell and his Angels And thus haue you seene the terror of Christ his cōming vnto iudgement as by other other circumstances so especially by the rigor seuerity of the Iudgement sentence which first depriueth them of heauen Depart from me and thē adiugeth them to hell Go into fire Thirdly there to burne not for a time but for euer into euerlasting fire and that with no better cōpanions then the diuell and his Angels I come now to the third point and this is 3. That the time of this terrible coming vnto iudgment is vncertaine For we know not saith my text either day or houre when it will be In the third verse of the chapter going before the 24. of Mathew the disciples of our Sauiour being desirous to be resolued of a double doubt first at what time the temple of Ierusalem shold be destroyed and secondly when his last coming vnto iudgment should be our Sauiour Christ for their better instruction telleth them that there shall be warres and rumours of warres that nation shall rise against nation and kingdome against kingdome that there shall be pestilence and famine earthquakes in diuers places All which signes with many other in that chapter though some haue restrained to the first question of the destruction of Ierusalem yet according to the iudgement of the most interpreters they containe a mixt answer vnto both and are signes not only of the particular desolation of Ierusalē but also of the finall dissolution of the whole world in the day of iudgemēt And grant this yet no other collectiō can fitly be gathered hence but that which Saint Austin long since obserued Modum patefecit tempus celare voluit He