a thousand miseries Gowts Consumption Fevers Stone Strangury death are the portions of this worlds wantons And when that goes from us or we from that it gives a bitter farewell to the lovers of it Though a man live many dayes â—â—t let him remember the dayes of darknesse which will come first or last and then farewell profit farewell pleasure farewell honour the white sticke must be broken worldly comforts must vanish and if yee have not built your nest in the Rocke Christ the wind will take you the world will spew you out and whither then Doe they stumble at the offence of their companions It is at they know not what stil Call for them all whom you are loth now to offend in pleasing GOD and what can they doe As the Winter brookes they passe away faith Iob. Are they touched for sinne They will bee glad to bee rid of them away from mee yee wicked I will keep the Commandements of my GOD. Doth the wrath of GOD come They can say alas my brother alas his glory but as the wrath of man cannot accomplish the righteousnesse of GOD so nor the power of man can stand with comfort against the wrath of GOD. Doth poverty come as an armed man A worldly friend will help once a godlie friend will helpe twice but daily to hang upon the pockets and purse-strings of others is like a curst wife a continuall dropping away with such a like fellow from off the earth the land is not able to beare such a loathsome guest Doth death come with this Iron Law You must goe and make your bed in darkenesse where they must say to corruption thou art my mother to the Worme thou art my brother and sister Where are their companions now One stands by and weepes but cannot helpe another would come but feares the flashes of reproofe for godlesse courses but let them all come can they deliver their bodies from the grave and their soules from the hand of Hell The Redemption of a soule cost more than so they must let that alone for ever What matters it then to offend such so they may please God Doe they now stumble at the lapses and falls of those that seeme better than themselves Is it not still at they know not what If a Christian sinne it is not because hee is a Christian but because hee is a Christian no more it is not the profession but the person that is in all the fault Hee that is a good Christian should answer like that blessed Martyr who when hee was asked what was his name hee answered Christian what was his Countrey answered Christian what were his hopes thoughts words and deeds Hee answered Christian He was a Christian all over and if it bee otherwise Christianity must not bee blamed but sinne in him and Sathan out of him that put on that faire hood to cover their deformitie Besides sinne shall condemn them not justifie the wicked stumbler They shall goe to hell for that without Repentance the wicked shall not goe to Heaven for being worsâ— because they are bad And what doe they stumble at now Is it at the peaceable end of sinners It is still at they know not what For it is not ever true that wicked men finde such a calme when death approacheth somtimes Hell fire flasheth upon them then sometimes they miserably cry out I am damned I am damned I must to Hell and when it is true GOD Satan and themselves have an hand in it God justly seales them up to hardnesse of heart and then like the Leviathan they laugh at the Speare Satan covers their sins and lockes in their thoughts to dreame of golden Mountaines Hee labours to make their life and death to be an heaven here that hee may the more cunningly bring them to hell hereafter Themselves have accustomed themselves to sinne and custome in sinne takes away the sense of sinning and so like Nabal their heart dies like a stone And put case that Gods good people be disquieted when death appeareth They draw neere to GOD and see themselves abominable as Esau They have a circumcised heart and so are tender at the least touch which Satan perceiving hee drives home with all his rage and skill to slander his godly course because his time is but short Thus now ye have the whole Proverbe which sets forth a rule to your miserable example to shew the miserable estate of those that are and walk and stand and sit in the darke wayes of sin and wickednesse What shall I say to you Young men O that I could speake to your hearts so powerfully that yee may be rowzed from lying under the dominion of sinne any longer Oh that my Doctrine might drop as the raine and my speech might distill as the dew as the small raine upon the tender herbe and as the showers upon the grasse Yee have heard the woe woe woe to wicked men Sometimes this keepes them off from vertue and grace and sometimes that Here they stumble and there they stumble before behind on this side and on that and at last tumble into despaire and Hell for evermore Francis Spyra stumbled thus when hee cried out I would faine be in Hell to try the worst that God can doe And that outlandish wretch thus who would have given all to his soul not to forsake him but when nothing would serve the turne but he must die he commended his soule to the devill to be carried into everlasting torments And that English wretch thus I give my goods to the King whom I have cozened my body to the earth and my soule to the Devill And that other wretch not worthy of a name thus My soule I bequeath to the devill who ownes it my Wife to the Devill who drew mee to my ungodly life and my Chaplaine to the Devill who flattered mee in it But deare young men doe not yee so Lay hold of eternall life and pull your selves by the mighty power of GOD into that way Vse no arguments to pull your selves into or keepe your selves in the way of sinne Quit your selves like men and the God of Heaven stand by you for your helpe and succour Now is the accepted time now is the houre of salvation God hath shot a warning peece from Heaven stand not out but vaile to him before he shoot the vollies of his vengeance against you irrecoverably Yee have many motives to make you look about you now for grace and glory First your age is a most unsettled age pestered with many lusts of youth which drop by drop may fall upon you till you are suddenly over head and eares That which hath been formerly fained of Hercules that he stood in two wayes ready to take either is true of you For as a strait tree which is loose at the root standeth trembling and being unsetled with a little
extended to them is among the secrets of his government and past our cognizance It is an old lesson never to bee forgotten That secret things belong to the Lord our God but those things that are revealed to us and to our children for ever But what is all this to our examples in this Warning-peece If you apply it aright you shall know how to use them to your good Bee sure therefore to see Gods hand in both and his anger against sin in both without that such judgings could not ordinarily come into the world Bee sure also not to extend GODS justice further than what you see or heare Thus farre God hath gone goe you no further Cannot GOD take up his people and whippe them soundly for sinne but presently the rash world must cry out They are bastards and not fâ—r GODS rest Indeed you see or heare that one of them had a debauched and wicked life God saw it and thrust him downe to the gates of hell and so he did fearefully judge him in this world Yet withall hee had such remorse confession selfe condemnation desire of others good and of his owne though with despaire that God hath given us reasons of charity to his soule and kept the rule of certainty to himselfe onely Notwithstanding let no man of such a course presume God comes as a swift witnesse against such and will make his sword drunke with their bloud For hee will wound the hairy scalpe of every one that goes on still in wickednesse You see also or heare that the other of them had a great deale better life It is true also that thus much being confessed hee closed too long and too much with the world as all that knew him well complained He was also unthankfull to a parish who had beene loving to a poore father of his in a free gift of a good maintenance from them when hee would not bee perswaded both befor the setling of any Will and before the setling of his last to give a poore pittance out of his great estate to that loving Parish for pious uses hee having no children of his owne God saw this too and whipt him to the purpose before hee went hence and was no more seene Would not GOD have an irreligious world see how ne-necessary it is to breake off a wicked life by Repentance and how usefull to honour GOD with our riches It would make a good mans heart to bleed that the world should have a second floud of sinne by some and that by others pious and publike workes should bee neglected opposed and grumbled at as if mens riches were their owne and they might doe with them what they list as if they were gods Shall private persons and affaires not worth a dunghill to the businesses of GOD bee the onely object of bounty and munificence If in such a case GOD withdraw his countenance and frowne is it not worthy our notice Let God bee GOD and doe his owne worke in sparing their soules for ever as hee pleaseth yet let him shew us examples too of what wee ought to doe or what wee shall suffer For if wee doe not amend for ought I know he may and will doe according to our patternes take away our comforts here and our comforts for ever and ever which is infinitely more I shut up all in a word Looke upon your examples and feare and tremble If they have found GOD thus angry who have beene overtaken by indulged and over powring infirmities how will he look upon you if ye neglect and scorn after such warnings Yet look upon them so as you leave not Charitie behinde Yee may have hope to conceive well of them who were judged in this world because yee knew not their hearts Yee can have no hope to conceive well of your selves in so doing because yee know your owne hearts better You are apt in excusing some to flatter your selves and in accusing others to justifie your selves too farre Neither of these can doe well in the day of your account which I desire may bee comfortable unto you in the day of our LORD IESUS CHRIST 1 Cor. 10.11 All these things happened unto them for ensamples and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come FINIS Imprimater Thomas Weekes Cap Domest Epis Lond. Not onely as they but worse So he was accounted of all about us some years before he dyed So may a good man have by some distemper or over-powring temptation to lash some sin for the example of others I meane an uncomfortable death not judging his eternall estate Gen. 29.26 2 Sam. 1.19 20 c. Act. 9.39 Magis vi vorum sola tia quam mortuorum subfidia This yong man is called miserable Not in respect of Gods judgment final For from him are many arguments of hope 2 Tim. 2.16 Phil. 3.12 Gal. 3.9 Mar. 5.26 Col. 4.14 But in respect of his own feeling 1 Pet. 3 15. This had a deepe ground Christmasseday 1635. And next his owne apprehension upon it Manifested by many fearefull speeches And plaine judgments against himselfe Prov. 1.24 25 26 27. The Text Pro. 4.19 1. Connected v. 1 10. Verse 14. Vers 15. Vers 16. Vers 17. Verse 18. Verse 9. 2. Divided 3. Expounded Propos 1. 1. What the way of the wicked is Psal 1. ult 2. How it is darkenesse Negatio lucis primitivae Luk. 1.19 Ioh. 9.39 Ioh. 8.12 Esa 61 3. 2 Tim. 1.10 Ioh. 3.19 Eph. 4.19 Rom. 1.31 Eph. 5.30 Esa 57.21 Mat. 8.12 Psal 69. Ephes 5.8 Luke 12. Luk 19.2 1 Tim. 6.9 Eph. 6 10. 1 Ioh. 2.11 4. Why the wayes of the wicked are darkenesse Venebrae à tenendo Exod 10. Ioh. 12.35 Vivant aliud agendo nibil agendo aliter â—gendo 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nox a nocendo Ier. 8.4 5. Psalm 14. Lamen 1. Esa 3.9 Appli 1 Ioh. 2.13 1. Hence wicked men are convinced of their miserable estate Ob. Though they see it not Sol. Ioh. 5 41. Ob. And though they feele it not Sol. Object Potentia est dispositio rei ad actuÌ„ Potentia naturalis vi principii interni 2. Potentia obedientialis vi principij externi Ioh. 2. Act. 26.18 2. Therefore thinke it not strange to see the wicked doe shamefull things Ob. Though they doe think their darkenesse not the cause of their shame because they know much Sol. Surgunt indocti rapiunt coelum nos doctores trucimur in innum Esay 66.2 2. Therefore be exhorted to avoide the wayes of wicked men Apoc. 16.15 1 Thes 5. Luk 19.41 42. Ob. Sol. To your hurt though you thinke it will doe you little or no hurt Exo. 10.24 Propos 1. What it is to stumble Mat. 11.19 Ioh. 8.48 Acts 6.11.13 Acts 18.13 Acts 24.5 Rom. 7. Iohn 3. Acts 2. 3. At despaire of their owne strength Ioh. 6.65 66 67. 2. Of Gods strength 4. At the world Matth.
â—3 Matth 22. 5. Aâ— scandall Being loath to offend their wicked companions Ioh 3.1 Ioh. 12.42 43. And being offended at the lives of professors Tit. â— 1 Thes 4.12 1 Cor. 10.32 which they easily espy though they are in darknesse Iames 1. From a light not from without but from within Iames 3. 6. At the peaceable end of sinners Psal 73. And the troubled deaths of the Godly 3. They stumble because they know not at what 1. They know not who they are that sinne 2. Whom they sinne â—gainst Micah 6. 1 Ioh. 1. Rom. 3. 2 Cor. 5. 3. What sinne will worke 2. They know not 1. The necessity of repentance Luk. 13. 2. Nor the work of it 3. Nor the worth of it 3. They know not the power of GODS wrath Psal 91. In the workes of this justice 2 Pet. 2.4 Genesis 4. Gen. 6.5 Gen 8.21 Gen. 19 Ezek. 16. Hebr. 9 Rom. 8 3. 2 Cor. 5.21 Rom. 11. Deut. 22.41 42. 2 Pet. 3. Deut. 29.19 20. 4. They know not what they can do in good because they try not Esa 59.29 1 Cor. 11.24 25. Tit. 3.5 Eph. 6. Phil. 4.13 5. They know not what is the power of Gods mâ—â—â—y Si peccantibus multo magis poeniâ—atibus Esa 66. Matth. 11. To embrace penitents Esay 1. Mic. 7.18 Esa 7.20 Esa 28.21 Opus justitiae est opus alienum Acts 〈…〉 They know not how weake all the world is if it were on their side 1 Cor. 7. Eccl. 11. Esa 41.16 7. They know not how little their companions can do for them Psalm 119. Iames 1. Psalm 6. Prov. 6. Psal 49. 8. They know not that the falls of Christians is because they are not Christians enough 9. They know not that sinners end is not alwayes peaceable And when it is Durities hominis peccatum ob duratio judicii Dei it yeilds no comfort Consuetudo peccandi tollit sensum peccati 1 Sam. 25. And yet the unquiet end of the godly may Esay 6. Appli Therefore let this proverbe sinke into your harts Deut. 32.2 Many have thus stumbled But do not you young men stumble thus 2 Cor. 6. Consider your motives to look about you Your age is most unsetled 2. You will easily savour ever of your first liquor Eccl. 1.15 3. Yee are now subject to the horriblest sinnes 4. Your sins will cry loudest Psal 25.7 Iob 13.26 2 Tim. 2.22 Iob 21.17 Iob 20.11 5. Your age hath no priviledge to sinne Eccl. 11.6 Eccl. 11.5 Psal 119.5 Therefore stumble not at any of these blockes Think how soone yee may dye Iob 21.23.24 25. And then what danger will follow With fearfull complaints in vaine Mic. 6.7 Luk. 13.7 Mat. 7.25 and 25 12. I Sam. 2.25 Ier. 9.1 Vses of examples 1. To threaten Deut. 24 9. Iosh 22.20 1 Sam. 6.6 2. To reproach Iudg. 10.17 Mic. 6 5. 3. To comfort Deut. 3.21 Esa 54.9 4. To maintaine truth Iam. 2.21 Rom. 4.2 3. 5. To disswade from vice 1 Cor. 10.7 8 9 c. Exo. 32.6 Num. 25.9 Num. 21 6. Numb 14.37 6. To forewarne 2 Cor. 11.3 Why examples are of such use 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iam. 1.2 3. A threefold benefit by examples 1. Observation 2. Illustration 3. Declaration of providence The world doth not make this benefit How men doe make use of examples of Iustice And how they should from the several waies of Gods shewing Iustice 1 Cor. 11.32 Psal 55.23 Deut. 29.29 The Application of the use of examples to this Warning-peece Psal 68 21. Dan. 4.27 Prov. 3.9
at what To stumble is to take an argument of offence at something to make them fall still into the wayes of wickednesse As when the Iewes took these arguments against Christ to conclude against faith in him He is a man gluttonous a wine bibber a friend of Publicans and sinners Wee say well that thou art a Samaritan and hast a Divell And when the Iewes took these arguments against Stephen We have heard him speake blasphemous words against Moses against God against this holy place and the Law And when the Corinthians raised this foundation against Saint Paul This fellow perswadeth men to worship GOD contrary to the Law and Tertullus in a slanting speech before Foelix wee have found this man a very pestilence a mover of sedition among all the Iewes in all the World These are arguments of offence to make them that doe receive them still to fall into sin new sins old sins all sins But whereat ordinarily doe wicked men stumble Ordinarily at sixe sorts of things when they would flatter themselves in their wayes of darkenesse Either Ignorance or presumption or despaire or the World or scandall or the peaceable end of sinners and the contrary of those that have lived more strictly They stumble at ignorance on both hands Sometimes they stumble at the ignorance of sin and so they fall to sin and care not feare not When Iosiah knew not sin his sweet nature stumbled with the times but when he heard the Law of God read he rent his clothes and melted to the very heart When Saul lived a Pharisee the death of Stephen was nothing it could be swallowed up upon a full stomack but when the Law came and shewed him what sinne was when hee saw sinne revive to pricks wound and kill then he mourned under his captivity Sometimes they stumble at the ignorance of Repentance They are like Nicodemus who cannot heare of a new life but hee dreames of entring his mothers wombe againe and like Peters hearers who when they sinned knew not what they did and when they were pricked at the heart for sin knew not what to doe Men and brethren what shall we doe to be saved They stumble at presumption that God will any time accept of them upon any termes Therfore at what time soever saith one GOD desireth not the death of a sinner saith another Christ saith Come unto me saith a third God will that all men should bee saved saith a fourth Every presumptuous wretch layeth some sure foundation which might be sound and sweet to a true penitent which yet will not serve his turne when he is to try the strength of it no more than Sampsons greene Cords could binde him or a rope of sand can pull down an impregnable Castle They stumble at despaire and at that on both sides too Sometimes they despaire of their owne strength Alas all the waies of vertue grace and glory are too hard for me I must lie downe in shame confusion sinne and sorrow but not move a foot to Heaven When Christ preached that no man could come to him except it were given him of his Father many of his Disciples went backe and walked no more with him in so much as CHRIST complained to the twelve Will yee also forsake mee If Christ bee such a manner of person that accesse to him is so hard so much above our power that we must be beholding to a Father whom wee are not acquainted with then farewell Christ welcome world who are more familiar Sometimes againe they despaire of GODS strength and mercy for them Christ cannot save them GOD will not save them Let strength and mercy bee what it will on high it is too high for them What is that to me I am the worst of unworthy sinners This cast out Cain hanged Judas damned both and any other that delight in such a downefall They stumble at the world of honour pleasure profit The stony hearers stumbled at the care-cloth the thornes of cares for worldly pelfe The unworthy Guests stumbled at the new bought purchases of Farmes and Oxen and so much as at the new married Wife I cannot come The rich worldling at the new Barnes and store for many dayes His soule did so alwayes live in them that hee thought hee should alwayes live with them Thus they stumbled and fell The huge blocke of the World was too great for them to leape over into heaven and therefore downe they fall and breake their neckes into the wayes of sinne They stumble at scandall and at that they trip dangerously on both hands Sometimes they are loth to offend their wicked companions what shall I forsake them scandalize them goe without them though in a better way make them that are my friends my foes to neglect and scoffe at mee This made Nicodemus come to Christ by night This made many of the chiefe Rulers believe in him but they confessed him not lest they should bee put out of the Synagogue for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God Sometimes againe they take offence at the lives of those that seeme to bee more godly than themselves and are so at least by profession Indeed these should bee very carefull to adorne the doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ and therefore many excellent exhortations are spent upon them in the most sure Word of GOD. Sometimes they are called upon to behave themselves wisely to them that are without Sometimes to walke honestly towards them that are without sometimes to give no offence neither to Jew Câ—â—iaâ— nor Church of GOD yet are they not so carefull in the workes of holinesse righteousnesse and sobriety as they ought This is soone espied by wicked men and so made an argument to stumble at You will say They are in darknesse how then can they spie such a hole in the coat of him that is better than themselves I le tell you when men see a thing that may further them in the way to Heaven they do receive it inward by the meanes of the spirit and the sweet beames of grace which shine about them For every good giving comes from the Father of lights but when they see any thing that helpes them onward to Hell they have a power of seeing from within As a Cat sees in a darke night by fyring the aire to her selfe and for her owne uses so wicked men being set on fire of Hell can in their darkest state easily kindle a light for their owne uses to find fodder for their soules in their way to Hell-ward They stumble Lastly at the peaceable end of sinners Truly they dyed like Lambes There are no hands in their death just like the good thiefe upon the Crosse which with quiet and sweet reaches after grace and glory breathed out his soule to GOD notwithstanding all the wickednesse of
both of sinne and judgement of those hee dearely loved And if we be versed in his Booke wee may observe that he hath beene pleased to make many uses of such examples Sometimes by them hee doth threaten Remember what the Lord did unto Myriam Did not Acham the sonne of Zerah commit a trespasse in the accursed thing Wherefore doe you harden your hearts as the Aegyptians and Pharaoh If yee doe as they have done yee shall bee punished as they have beene Sometimes by them hee doth reproach unthankefull people Did not I deliver you from the Aegyptians and from the Amorites from the children of Amon and from the Philistims O my people remember what Balack King of Moab consulted and what Balaam the sonne of Beor answered from Shittim to Gilgal Are yee not ashamed to offend such a GOD as I who have neither beene a barren Wildernesse nor a dry Land Sometimes by them he comforteth and strengtheneth the hands of the weak Thine eyes have seene all that the Lord your God hath done unto these two Kings This your trouble is as the waters of Noah to mee as I have said they shall no more goe over the Earth so nor your afflictions shall overwhelme you Will you be dismaied in any trouble or cast off your confidence as if Gods hand were tyed up now more than in those dayes Sometimes by them hee doth maintaine great points of godlinesse Was not Abraham our Father justified by workes Not to glory in before God for Abraham beleeved God and it was counted to him for righteousnesse but to make him stand out against the blasphemies of the world the accusations of Conscience and the upbraidings of a dead faith And will not yee who must bee the children of Abraham or perish walke in the way of so worthy a Father Sometimes by them hee doth disswade from vice Bee not Idolaters as were some of them Let us not commit fornication as some of them did and fell in one day three and twenty thousand Let us not tempt Christ as some of them also tempted and were destroyed of Serpents Neither murmure as some of them murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer if yee goe on in such a way and will not be disswaded yee will meet with the same plagues which they have found or worse Sometimes by them he gives promonition and caution I feare least by any meanes as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty so your mindes should bee corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ Will yee not take heed lest lesse policy make you to fall as Eve fell which was full of bitternesse to her and hers All this use and more hath our good God made of examples not onely because like leaking Vessels we are apt daily to runne out and to forget our fashion which we saw in the Glasse if it be not still represented to us but also because of the singular profit of examples For as they profit a world of people they being like a burning Beacon giving light before men and being like fire whereat we may give light to thousands of Candles so doe they last long and hold out to the worlds end as the poore Widowes mites and Lots Wifes transmutation Neither is it in vaine that GOD hath taken such a course as this It is all for our good that wee may know how to use examples according to their severall natures But among the rest you may reape a threefold benefit by them First an Observation of the customes and usages of the Church and enemies of it This will bee an adjument to wisdome which is ordinarily attaineable by experience of our owne dayes and memory of others Next an Illustration of the faith and manners of others what ever they be For examples doe not make faith and manners but give patternes of Gods rules for the more Expedite practise of them And lastly a declaration of Gods ordinary providence in his acts of wisedome goodnesse mercy justice and the like From these two uses the world doth mostly too farre wander For want of the first the Church is many times filled with Schismes and disorders For want of the second faith and manners are not so cleared and examples are taken up as necessary Lawes which onely shew a lawfulnesse where the rule of Scripture doth not oppose For want of the third God passeth by and wee know it not Let him bee never so wise by the neglect of the example we admire it not Let him be never so good by the neglect of the example we love it not Let him be never so mercifull by the neglect of the example we imbrace it not Let him be never so just by the neglect of the example wee doe not feare and tremble and avoide the rockes of sinne and hence it is that I have beene induced to propound these examples unto you also It may bee that sometimes men doe observe the way of GOD in the whirewind of justice but either they are willing to thinke it not so great as it is or to judge it to reach further than our good God intendeth it If men do think the first it is because they would flatter themselves in like sinnes Loth they are to thinke that God should punish that which they love or that danger should happen to them who have done as they meane to doe still If men judge the second it is because they want charity and judgement in the wayes of God Sometimes GOD gives an example of his justice which begins here and continues for ever and ever as in many of the drowned first world and roasted Sodomites God never made mee so skilfull in his Throne businesse as to define peremptorily that every suckling and infant of those miserable ones were cast into the bottomelesse hell Hee onely sayes that the floud did sweepe them away and they were burned with fire and brimstone and there leaves us to leave the rest to GOD. They were not in the Arke indeed nor was Iob in the visible Church as Isaac and the rest of the Patriarchs were yet might the All-eye looke upon them as he pleased and judge or spare Sometimes God gives an example of his justice which dies here and for ought wee know may end in glory Thus we are said to bee judged that wee might not bee condemned by the world No man will judge Iosiah or Ionathan for their untimely deaths They died in peace though they died in warre in peace with God in warre with men Nor will they resolvedly reprobate the soules of Er and Onan Nadab and Abihu Ananias and Saphira or their likes Their sins were great and grievous yea damnable and therefore GOD brought fearefull judgements upon them and as hee hath said so hath hee done bloudy and deceitfull men shall not live out halfe their dayes But for their soules and how farre his justice