great and victorious it is the power of Godlinesse that must doe it Pyrrhus his word concerning his Soldiers was Tu grandes ego fortes Surely if our Profession make vs great our faith must make vs valiant and successfull I tell you the conquest of an euill spirit is more then the conquest of a world of men Oh then what is it to conquer Legions And as it foiles Sathan so the world No maruell for if the greater much more the lesse The world is a subiect Sathan a Prince the Prince of this world The world is a bigot Satan is a God The God of this world If the Prince if the God be vanquisht how can the subiect or suppliant stand out What doe we talke of an Alexander or a Cesar conquering the world Alas what spots of earth were they which they bragged to subdue In so much that Rome which in two hundred fortie three yeares had gained but some fifteene miles about in Seneca's time when her Dition was at the largest had the neighbouring Germanie for the bounds of it Loe here a full conquest of the whole world Mundns totus in maligno To conquer the whole materiall world is not so happie so glorious a worke as to conquer the malignant and this the power of Godlinesse onlie can doe this is the victorie that ouercomes the world euen your faith And now what can the flesh doe without the World without the Deuill Surelie were is not for the Deuill the world and the flesh were both good and if it were nor for the Deuill and the World the flesh were our best friend now they haue debauch't it and turn'd it traitor to GOD and the Soule now this proud flesh dares warre against heauen Godlinesse doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beat it blacke and blew Yea kill it dead Martifie your earthly members Colos 3. So as it hath not a limbe to stir not a breath to draw Anacharsis his charge was too hard for another but performable by a Christian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hee can rule his tongue his gut his lust Sampson was a strong man yet two of them he could not rule the power of Godlinesse can rule all Oh then the great power of godlines that can trample vpon the flesh the World the Deuill Super aspidem vpon the Aspe the Dragon the Lion Or as the Psalmist Psal 91. Vpon that roaring Lion of Hell vpon that sinuous Dragon the World vpon that close biting Aspe the flesh And as great in respect of our enemies so no lesse great in respect of our selues Great and beneficiall What wonders are done by Godlinesse Is it not a great wonder to make a Foole wise to make the blind see This godlinesse can doe Psal 19. 7 8. Let mee be bold to say we are naturally like Salomons childe Folly is bound to our heart Prou. 22. 15. in things pertaining to GOD 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We were foolish saith Saint Paul Titus 3. Would any of vs that are thus borne naturals to God bee wise to saluation That is the true wisdome indeed all other is but folly yea madnesse to that The Schooles cannot teach vs this Philosophie whether Natural or Morall or Politicke can do nothing to it if yee trust to to it it is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vaine deceit as Saint Paul Coloss 2. 8. Triobularis vilis as Chrysostome It is only Godlinesse must doe it Please your selues how you list without this yee great Politicians of the world the wise God hath put the pide coate vpon your backs past vpon you his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 1. 22. If ye were Oracles to men ye are Ideots to God Malitia occaecat intellectum as he said ye quick-sighted Eagles of the world without this ye are as blinde as Beetles to heauen If ye would haue eies to see him that is inuisible the hand of your omnipotent Sauiour must touch you and at his bidding you must wash off your worldly clay with the Siloam of godlinesse Is it not a wonder to raise the dead wee are all naturally not sicke not qualming not dying but dead in sinne Colos 2. 13. Yea with Lazarus quatriduam and ill senting yea if that will adde any thing as S. Iudes trees or as they say of acute Scotus twice dead would ye arise It is only godlinesse that can doe it Yee are risen vp through the faith in the operation of God Colos 2. 12. This only can call vs out of the graue of our sinnes Arise thou that sleepest and stand vp from the dead and Christ shall giue thee life Christ is the author godlinesse is the meanes All yee that heare mee this day either ye are aliue or would be Life is sweet euerie one challenges it Doe yee liue willingly in your sinnes Let me tell you ye are dead in your sins This life is a death If you wish to liue comfortably here and gloriously hereafter it is godlines that must mortifie this life in sinne that must quicken you from this death in sinne Flatter your selues how you please ye great gallants of both sexes yee thinke your selues goodlie peeces without godlinesse ye are the worst kind of carcasses for as death or not being is the worst condition that can befall a creature So death in sinne is so much the worst kinde of death by how much grace is better then nature A liuing Dog or Toad is better then a thus-dead sinner Would yee rise out of this loathsome and wofull plight it is godlinesse that must breathe grace into your dead limbes and that must giue you the motions of holy obedience Is it not a wonder to cast out Deuils I tell you the corporall possession of ill spirits is not so rare as the spirituall is rife No naturall man is free One hath the spirit of errour 1. Tim. 4. another the spirit of fornications Ose 2. another the spirit of feare 2. Tim. 1. another the spirit of slumber another the spirit of giddinesse another the spirit of pride all haue Spiritum mundi the spirit of the world 1. Cor. 1. 12. Our storie in Guliel Neubrigensis tels vs of a countriman of ours one Kettell of Farnham in King HENRY the Seconds time that had the facultie to see spirits by the same token that hee saw the Deuils spitting ouer the Drunkards shoulders into their pots the same facultie is recorded of Anthony the Heremite and Sulpitius reports the same of Saint Martin surely there need none of these eies to discerne euerie naturall mans soule haunted with these euill angels Let me assure you all ye that haue not yet felt the power of Godlinesse ye are as truely though spiritually carried by euill spirits into the deeps of your knowne wickednesse as euer the Gaderen hogges were carried by them downe the precipice into the Sea would ye be free from this hellish tyranny only the power of Godlinesse can do it 2. Tim. 2. 23. If peraduenture God
other a positine denyall In the former what power hath Godlinesse if it haue not made vs good a feeble Godlines it is that is ineffectuall if it haue not wrought vs to bee deuout to God iust to men sober and temperate in the vse of Gods creatures humble in our selues charitable to others where is the Godliness where is the power If these were not aparantly done there were no forme of Godline if these be not soundly heartily done there is a palpable deniall of the power of Godlines Heare this then ye ignorant and seduced soules that measure your Deuotions by number not by weight or that leaning vpon your idle elbow yawningly patter out those prayers whose sound or sense yee vnderstand not yee that bring list-lesse eares seuered from your wandring hearts to the Messages sent from Heauen yee that come to Gods board as a surfeited stomacke to an Hony-combe or a sicke stomacke to a Potion Shortly ye that pray without feeling hear without care receiue without appetite ye haue a forme of godlines but deny the power of it Heare this yee that weare out the floore of Gods house with your frequent attendance yee that haue your eares open to Gods Messengers and yet shut to the cries of the Poore of the Orphan of the Labourer of the distressed Debtor ye that can lift vp those hands to heauen in your fashionable prayers which yee haue not reached out to the reliefe of the needy members of your Sauiour whiles I must tell you by the way that hard rule of Laurentius Magis delinquit diues non largiendo superflua quam pauper rapiendo necessaria the rich man offends more in not giuing his superfluities then the poore man in stealing necessaries Yee that haue a fluent tongue to talke vnto God but haue no tongue to speake for God or to speake in the cause of the dumbe Ye haue a forme of Godlinesse but deny the power thereof Shortly yee that haue no feare of God before your eyes no loue to goodnesse no care of obedience no conscience of your actions no diligence in your Callings yee haue denied the power of Godlinesse This very priuatiue denial shall without your repentance damne your soules Remember Oh remember that there needes no other ground of your last and heauiest doome then Yee haue not giuen Yee haue not visited But the Positiue denyall is yet more irrefragable If very priuations and silence speake much more are actions vocall Heare this then yee visors of Christianitie who notwithstanding all your ciuill smoothnesse when yee are once moued can teare Heauen with your Blasphemies and bandy the dreadful name of GOD in your impure mouthes by your bloody Oathes and Execrations ye that dare to exercise your saucie wits in prophane scoffes at Religion yee that presume to whet your law-lesse tongues and lift vp your rebellious hands against lawfull authority whether in Church or State yee that grinde faces like edge-tooles and spill blood like water yee that can neigh after strange flesh and vpon your voluptuous beds act the filthinesse of Sodomiticall Aretinismes yee that can quaffe your drunken carouses till you haue drowned your reason in a deluge of deadly Healthes yee whose foule hands are belimed with bribery and besmeared with the price of blood yee whose sacrilegious throats haue swallowed downe whole Churches and Hospitals whose mawes haue put ouer whole Parishes of sold and affamished soules yee whose faction and turbulencie in nouell opinions rends the seame-lesse Coat not considering that of Melancthon that Schisme is no lesse sinne then Idolatry and there cannot easily be a worse then Idolatry either of them both are enough to ruine any Church vnder Heauen Now the God of Heauen euer keep this Church of ours from the mischiefe of them both yee whose tongues trade in lyes whose very profession is fraud and cozenage yee cruell Vsurers false Flatterers lying and enuious Detractors In a word yee who euer yee are that goe resolutely forward in a course of any knowne sinnes and will not bee reclaimed yee yee are the men that spit God in the face and deny flatly the power of Godlinesse woe is mee we haue enow of these Birds euery where at home I appeale your eyes your eares would to God they would conuince me of a slander But what of all this now the power of Godlinesse is denyed by wicked men How then what is their case Surely inexplicably vnconceiuably fearefull The wrath of God is reuealed from Heauen against all vngodlinesse saith the Apostle How reuealed say you wherein differ they from their neighbours vnlesse it be perhaps in better fare no gripes in their conscience no afflictions in their life no bands in their death impunitas ausum ausus excessum parit as Bernard Their impunitie makes them bold their boldnesse outragious Alas wretched Soules The World hath nothing more wofull then a Sinners welfare It is for slaughter that this Oxe is fattened Ease slayeth the simple and the prosperitie of fooles shall destroy them PRO. 1. 22. This brasteata foelicitas which they inioy here is but as Carpets spread ouer the mouth of Hell For if they denie the power of Godlinesse the God of power shall be sure to denie them Depart from me yee workers of iniquitie I know you not There cannot bee a worse doom then Depart from me that is depart from peace from blessednesse from life from hope from possibility of being any other then eternally exquisitely miserable Qui te non habet Domine Deus totum per didit Hee who haith not thee O Lord God hath lost all as Bernard truely dying is but departing but this departing is the worst dying dying in Soule euer dying so as if there be an Ite depart there must needs be a maledicti depart ye cursed cursed that euer they were borne who liue to dye euerlastingly For this departure this curse ends in that fire which can neuer neuer end Oh the deplorable condition of those damned soules that haue sleighted the power of Godlinesse what teares can bee enough to bewayle their euerlasting burnings what heart can bleed enough at the thought of those tortures which they can neither suffer nor auoyd Hold but your finger for one minute in the weake flame of a farthing Candle can flesh and blood indure it With what horror then must we needes thinke of Body and Soule frying endlesly in that infernall Topheth Oh thinke of this ye that forget Got and contemne Godlinesse with what confusion shall yee looke vpon the frownes of an angry God reiecting you the vgly and mercilesse Fiends snatching you to your torments the flames of Hell flashing vp to meet you with what horror shall ye feele the gnawing of your guilty consciences and heare that hellish shrieking and weeping and wailing and gnashing It is a paine to mention these woes it is more then death to feele them perhorreseite minas formidate supplicia as Chrysostome Certainly my beloued if wicked
sinners did truely apprehend an hell there would be more danger of their despaire and distraction then of their securitie It is the Diuels policie like a Rauen first to pull out the eyes of those that are dead in their sinnes that they may not see their imminent damnation But for vs Tell me yee that heare me this day Are ye Christians in earnest or are yee not It yee be not what doe yee here If ye be there iâ— an hell in your Creed Ye do not lesse beleeue there is an Hell for the godlesse then an Earth for men a firmament for starres an heauen for Saints a God in heauen And if ye doe thus firmely beleeue it cast but your eyes aside vpon that fierie gulfe and sinne if yee dare Yee loue your selues well enough to auoid a knowne paine we know there are Stockes and Bride-wells and Iayles and Dungeons and Rackes and Gibbers for malefactors and our verie feare keeps vs innocent were your hearts equally assured of those hellish torments yee could not ye durst not continue in those sins for which they are prepared But what an vnpleasing and vnseasonable subiect am I fallen vpon to speake of Hell in a Chrstian Court the Emblem of Heauen Let me answer for my selfe with deuout Bernard Sic mihi contingat semper beare amicos terrendo salubriter non adulando falaciter Let me thus euer blesse my friends with wholsome frights rather then with plausible soothings Sumenda sunt amara salubria saith Saint Austin Bitter wholsome is a safe receipt for a Christian and what is more bitter or more wholsome then this thought The way not to feele an Hell is to see it to feare it I feare we are all generally defectiue this way we doe not retire our selues enough into the Chamber of Meditation and thinke sadly of the things of another world Our Selfe-loue puts off this torment notwithstanding our willing sinnes with Dauids plaâ—ue non oppropinquabit It shall not come nigh thee if wee doe not make a league with hell and death yet with our selues against them Fallit peccatum falsa dulcedine as Saint Austin sinne deceiues vs with a false pleasure the pleasure of the world is like that Colchian hony wherof Xenophons soldiers no sooner tasted then they were miserably distemperd those that tooke little were drunke those that tooke more were mad those that tooke most were dead thus are we either intoxicated or infatuated or kild right out with this deceitfull world that wee are sensible of our iust feares at the best we are besotted with our stupid securitie that wee are not affected with our danger Woe is mee the impenitent resolued sinner is alreadie falne into the mouth of hell and hangs there but by a slender twigge of his momentanie life when that hold failes he fals down head-long into that pit of horror and desolation Oh yee my deare brethren so many as loue your soules haue mercie vpon your selues Call aloud out of the deeps of your sins to that compassionate Sauiour that he will giue you the hand of faith to lay hold vpon the hand of his mercie and plenteous redemption and pull you out of that otherwise irrecouerable destruction Else yee are gone yee are gone for euer Two things as Bernard borrowes of Saint Gregorie make a man both good and safe To repent of euill To abstaine from euill would yee escape the wrath of God the fire of hell Oh wash you cleane and keepe you so There is no lauer for you but your owne teares and the blood of your Sauiour Bathe your Soules in both of these and bee secure Consider how many are dying now which would giue a world for one houre to repent in Oh be yee carefull then to improue your free and quiet houres in a serious and heartie contrition for your sinnes say to God with the Psalmist Deliuer me from the euill man that is from my selfe as that Father construes it and for the sequell in steed of the denying the power of Godlinesse resolue to denie your selues to denie all vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and to liue soberly righteously godly in this present world that hauing felt and approued the power of godlinesse in the illuminating our eyes in raysing vs from our sinnes in eiecting our corruptions in changing our liues and creating our hearts anew we may at the last feele the happie consummation of this power in the full possessing of vs in that eternall blessednesse and glory which he hath prepared for all that loue him to the perfect fruition whereof hee bring vs that hath dearly bought vs Iesus Christ the righteous to whom c. FINIS Errata FOr Scaene read Scene pag. 12. l. 2. Haillarduâ— r. Aâ—â—â—lardus p. 18. l penult none 〈…〉 marg p. 20 such r much p. 25. l. 19 for aids r finds pa. â—4 20 p. 27. l 15. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 34. 5. or as in steed read as No Creature is more humble then God The Temple of the Lord. Neat in words if foule in fact Heauy eare Deafe eare Herod within Iohn without Either all or none all The whole world is set in euill Wickednesse blinds the vnderstanding The right hand of the most high They told truth and yet lyed