Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A07452
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A sermon of repentance. Preached by George Meriton Doctor of Diuinity, and one of his Maiesties chaplaines in ordinary
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Meriton, George, d. 1624.
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1607
(1607)
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STC 17839; ESTC S112669
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18,865
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40
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place of punishment afford that place of confusion of darknesse of chaines of most horrible shapes but euen Math. 22. Ecchoes of woes Well then suppose one to be burning in a lake of fire hauing a Viper at his heart alwayes gnawing and stinging his soule imagine boyling brimstone to bee powred vppon him that with the heat thereof hee is scalded with the smoake thereof hee is stifled and with the noysome sauour continually choaked let him weepe wayle wring his handes and stand gnashing of his teeth let him be euer languishing and pining with want of foode denay him all things which may any waie ease him Conceiue yet further that he is bound handes and feete that he is affrighted and tormented with vgglie Diuells and compassed round about with horrible darkenesse Thinke well of the misery of such a man and know that these are the paynes of an impenitent wretch in hell These the paynes nay my beloued these are not the tenth part of Hels torments CHRIST calleth them Euerlasting paynes As they are extream without decreasing so are they endlesse without all redemption Math. 25. There are sighes with-out pittying cries Verl last without moning lamentation with-out relecuing a flood of black flimes euer flowing ibi dolores torquent animas non extorquent puniunt corpora non finiunt as Prosper speaketh there is a Death which alwayes liueth and a Life which alwayes dyeth there hee that tortoreth fainteth not and hee that suffereth fayleth not There is Euer parching fire for warming loue Euer banishment for reconcilement Euer heauinesse for singing Euer darknesse for shining Euer fetters for crownes Euer gnashing of teeth for clapping of handes Euer miserable immortality and immortall miserve Alasse who is able saith Esay to dwell in euerlasting burnings Esa 33. 14. It were some comfort in the middest of afflictions to thinke that one day they will come vnto an end and the damned spirits in hell had they but a little hope that after the space of manye thousand thousand yeares they should bee released this little sparke in the middest of their flames would in some sort make them ioyfull but Euer to burne Euer to boyle Euer to weepe Euer to wring Euer to bee in chaynes to suffer vnsufferable torments Euerlasting paynes This is that which cutteth heart-strings a sunder Yet is not this all For as they are eternall with-out redemption so are they Generall with-out exception For first all suffer them and iudge you what a dolefull sight it will bee to see infinite millions of males and females continually without any intermission hacking and hewing their teeth together to heare howling and crying Woe woe be vnto vs that euer wee were borne to heare one Diuel one damned Ghost calling vnto another to strike to rend to kill to spoyle to heape on coales to poure on Brimstone like one that is pressing to death who calleth for more waights to bee cast vpon him Secondly as they all suffer in all parts in all the members of their bodies in all the powers of their soules they haue corporall flames with-out and spirituall flames with-in no part no power is free Hast thou offended with thy Head thou shalt haue scalding hast thou offended with thine Eyes thou shalt haue weeping hast thou offended with thy Mouth thou shalt haue howling with thy Tongue thou shalt haue scorching with thine Eares thou shalt haue yelling with thy Nose thou shalt haue stincking with thy Feete thou shalt haue fettering with thy Handes thou shalt haue wringing with thy Heart thou shalt haue gnawing in thy Soule and Body burning and boyling Pro disparibus generibus peccatorum sunt disparia tormenta suppliciorum saith Saint Augustine euery man shall receiue according to his seuerall 1. Pet. 1. workes Coniecture yet further of Hells tortures by things of no accompt Put thy foote into a seething bath and how dost thou grieue what sorrow dost thou conceiue if thou beest vexed with a sharp burning ague how dost thou tosse and tumble and art out of quiet is the scalding of thy foote or a fit of an Ague so grieuous vnto flesh and bloud which are but Flea-bitings no though thou did dest abide them thy whole life long O howe then wilt thou bee able to endure euerlasting burnings Will CHRIST now profit thee who stretched his armes out â—pon the Crosse for sinners No hee will now NOW IESVS CHRIST our Lord and GOD Euen the Father which hath loued vs and giuen vs euerlasting consolation by his spirit and good hope through grace purge our dead consciences and stablish our hearts in euery good word and worke vnto the end that beeing made the seruants of GOD wee may haue our fruit in holinesse and in the end eternall life Amen Laus DEO
not permitte vs to giue the prime dayes vnto the Deuill and the Dogge dayes to him to poure out our wine to the world and serue him with our dregges Amend saith my text heere is no time speciall annexed and therefore is our payment presently required And as we must amend without deferring so must wee continue without back-sliding Wee may not repent by quames and startes but go through stitch Fatte promisings may not haue leane performances It is a principle in the Ciuill Law Nihil praesumitur fuisse actum dum aliquid superest ad agendum To begin a thing is pleasant and for varieties sake many will do so much but the prise and praise is at the end Some in the world resemble Snayles which push out a long payre of hornes but beeing touched neuer so little they drawe them in againe Such a one was 2. Chr. 15. Asa carefull to doe good till the goute did take him 1. Sam. 14. 27. Others are like Ionathan who will follow the chase hard till they come where hony is But true repentance may not be by lease or after the manner of Bethulia Iudg. 7. 30. a composition for fiue dayes wee may not say one day Gloriapatri the second filio the third spirituo sancto and after that come to sicut erat in principio Dan. 2. 32. 33. this were Nabuchadnezers image the head of brasse the breast of baser mettall and so neerer the ende Luk. 18. worse and worse still But we must follow repentance Gen. 32. as the widdow did her sute keepe our hold as Iacob did in wrestling Amend to day amend to morrow runne on not for a time but euen our whole time actu continuo with a continued act Moderately at the first constantly in the middest cheerefully to the end All the trees in GODS Orchard must bee Palmes and Cedars Palmes which bring forth fruit betimes Cedars whose fruites lasteth very long Consider well the manifold dangers which followes the want eyther of speed or of continuance First our liues of all things are most vncertaine Short are Iob. 13. the dayes of man saith Iob who also amonst the Philosophers is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man of a day old Salomon Eccle. 2. surueying mans life calleth it Vaine and then thinking not that word sufficient correcteth himselfe and calleth it vanity but Dauid goeth yet further and Psal 6 2. tells vs. That man is lighter then vanity too Euen as Psal 90. 9. a thought in the braine wherof there may be no fewer then ten thousand in one day What answer was made vnto him that promised ease vnto his soule many yeares thou foole this night shall thy soule be taken Luk. 11. 19 20. from thee Young men saith Seneca haue death behind them olde men haue death before them and all men haue death not farre from them Mee thinkes the Lord threatneth an vtter ruine vnto all the World The Earth not long since hath trembled the Lightes of Heauen haue beene often darkened Rebellions haue beene raised Treasons haue beene practised Plagues haue beene dispersed Windes haue blustered Waters haue raged and what wanteth there now but fire for vs from Heauen to bee consumed And is it nowe time to buye to sell to eate to drinke to liue securely in sinne as they did in the dayes of Noah and thinke of nothing else Is it nowe time to say vnto GOD as the Niggard doth Prou. 3. vnto his neighbour Cras reuertere come againe to morrow or as that drowsie sluggard doth yet a Prou. 6. 10. little sleepe yet a little slumber yet a little folding of the handes The foolish Virgins supposed that the Bridgroome would not come like an Owle or Baâ—te in the night there is time enough saide they what needes all this hast but poore fooles they were excluded O My beloued many thousands are nowe no doubt in hell who purposed in time to haue turned from their sinnes but being preuented by death are for euer condemned Let therefore the vncertainety and shortnesse of our liues teach vs to watch because we know not the houre to do good whilst we haue Mat. 25. Gal. 6. time to make hast into the promised rest and alwayes Heb. 4 let vs esteeme it as an imminent danger to line in that estate wherein wee would bee loath that death should finde vs. Secondly badde customes are dangerous and Iob. 20. 11 greatly to bee feared Hee that from his youth hath liued wickedly in his old age shall haue sinne in his bones Can the Black-moore change his skinne or the Ier. 13. 23. Leopard his spottes no more may hee doe good sayth GOD who is accustomed vnto euill It is a true speech vsed amongst Physitions Custome is another Nature A Child brought vp in closse prison can there sport and play when hee that lately saw light and had his liberty can do little else but bewayle his Captiuity The Isralites beeing long in bondage Luk. 13. were loath to depart the Woman which had an infirmitie eighteene yeares called not vpon CHRIST Luk. 19. as the Leapers did Sinnes are not like Disseases in the body The older the sorâ—r sed consuetudine plus quam ciues studio plus quam hostes saith Saint Augustine the older the sweeter and yet the more toothsome the more troublesome for Custome not resisted becommeth a Necessity Olde Sinners are compared to Lazarus in his graue First they stinke they are corrupt and become abhommable Ps 14. 1. 3. as the Psalmist speaketh Secondly they haue a greate stone of Custome rowled vpon them which can hardly be remoued Ioh. 11. 43. CHRIST must grone and crye aloud before Lazarus can bee raised Thirdly their seete and handes are bound they cannot imploie them to any good action And lastly their faces are couered hauing by the darkenesse of their sinnes lost the sight of GOD. Againe ancient sinnes are by the Prophet compared vnto Chaynes where one lincke one sinne doth draw on another First commeth secret suggestion after suggestion Cogitation after cogitation Affection after affection Delight after delight Consent after consent an Act then many actes make a Custome Custome bringeth Despayre despaire a Defence of sinne defense a Boasting in it and this is the next steppe to condemnation Here is the Chaine of sinn wherein euerie lincke is more heauye then an other the former are the easier the latter alwayes the harder to bee shaken off Peter at the first did but denye CHRIST afterwardes hee denyed him with an oath at last hee did curse and swcare and for-swore him-selfe The Disciples of Mat. 26. CHRIST could not caste out a Foule Spirit that had remayned in one from his child-hood Hee that hath had long possession will plead prescription Mar. 9. A Language saith Bassill first learned is not soone forgotten and a custome long retayned is not quickly changed It is therefore very dangegerous