may bring forth Prov. 27.1 Prov. 27.1 thy day is this present day and therefore saith the Apostle To day if you will hear his voice Heb. 3.7 Heb. 3.7 nay to speak further this day saith Iob is past already we are but of yesterday Job 8.9 Job 8.9 nay as if a day were too long for the life of man most resembles it to the grasse that grows up in the morning and is cut down in the evening Psal 90.6 Psal 90.6 and Gregorie compares it to Ionahs gourd that came up in a night and perished ere the day was come Jonah 4.10 Jonah 4.10 The evening and the morning make but one day Gen. 1.5 but * Quem dies videt veniens superbum hunc dies videt abiens jacentem our day is oft times an evening without a morning and oft times a morning without an evening Nay yet to go lower as if half a day were more then our life could parallell Moses compares it to a watch which is but the fourth part of a night Psal 90.4 Psal 90.4 yea and as if this were longer then our life doth last the Scripture calls it but an hour John 5.25 John 5.25 The hour is coming and now is saith Christ nay our life is but a minute or if we can say lesse a moment in a moment they go down to the grave saith Iob Job 21.13 Job 21.13 and in a moment shall they die saith Elihu Job 34.20 Job 34.20 And a lying tongue is but for a moment saith Solomon Prov. 12.19 Prov. 12.19 and our light affliction is but for a moment saith Paul 2 Cor. 4.17 2 Cor. 4.17 Lo here the length of our little life this is the gradation that God makes of it at first a matter of seventie years but these were tythed from seventie to seven this number again was made no number one single year a year nay a moneth nay a day nay an hour nay a minute nay a moment as soon as we were born we began to draw to our end Wisd 5.13 Wisd 5.13 There 's but one poor moment which we have to live and when that is spent our life is gone How but one and a moment one is the least number that is and a moment the shortest time that ever was O what mean men to plot and project for the time to come as if this life would never be done O consider of the littleness of the time that thou hast to live O consider of the greatness of the matter that depends upon it thy body soul heaven and hel all hangs on this thread a short life a few dayes Few and evill have the dayes of my life been You have learned Moses Arithmetick to number your dayes practise a while and you find this use Vse 1 God shortens your time you that are unregenerate lest you defer your repentance it is said of the Devil that he is busie because his time is short Revel 12.12 Rev. 12.12 and are you worse then Devils is not your time shorter and yet are you more negligent how do you give way to that old serpent he delayes no time to bring you to hell and ye neglect all times to get you heaven What is your life but a Jonas gourd suddenly sprung up and by and by withered again and gone whatsoever ye do your wheel whirls about apace in a word ye die daily and you all know thus much that you have every one of you a poor soul to save I have wondered at men that desire time after time one time after another why if your souls perish the day will come soon enough It makes me weep said one of a better stamp when my hour-glasse is beside me and I see every drop of sand follow other so speedily Your dayes are but few and yet who knows whether this day his sunne may set Take heed you unregenerate if death come unawares it is the price of your souls how you are provided Who alas would defer to be good that knows not how soon he may go to judgement The enemie keeps a daily watch a friend prepares for your welcome and are you such enemies to your selves that never are prepared to welcome death Vse 2 But to speak to thee whosoever thou art that readest regenerate or unregenerate the best counsel thou canst learn is to be still in a readinesse think every day thou risest to be thy day of death and every night thou goest to bed that thou art laid down in the grave if thou shouldest forget will not each object be a remembrancer thy sheets of thy winding-sheet thy coverings of thy clasping dust thy sleep of thy death with whom I may say truly thou shakest hands every night who can forget his grve that lies him down in his bed and who then would not so provide himself as if every night he went to his grave Our dayes are but few and the night will be ere long that we die indeed What are we but Tenants at will in this Clay Farm the foundation of all the building is a small substance alwayes kept cold by an intercourse of air the pillar is but a little breath the strength some few bones tied together with dry strings howsoever we piece and patch this poor cottage it will at last fall into the Lords hands and we must give surrender onely in this tenour Few and evill have the dayes of my life been You now see the time of our Lease to the full out life lasts but dayes our dayes are but few who is so fond to settle his care on this Lease that so soon is exspired nay with a blast is gone out The man that is wedded to this world enjoyes neither length of dayes nor a day of joy as he is mortall so is he miserable you shall see my Text joyn both the hands nothing indeed but death can loose the bonds the dayes of my life are few the few dayes of my life are evill few in number evill in nature neither many nor good but few and evill Evill OUr life is but dayes our dayes are but few our few dayes but evil Into what a sea of misery have I now rushed sail Evill life evill dayes but few yet evil There waits on our life Sinne Punishment Both these are evil Sinne as the father playes the Bankrupt Jam. 1.15 and Punishment the sonne must pay the debt first Lust conceives and brings forth sinne then sinne being finished brings forth death Here is both the work and wages first we commit and then we suffer evil The evils we commit are sinnes and see what a troop of enemies march about us if you exspect the battel in array what say you to those evils originall these are the inheritance which we have from our first parents it is the same infection that distilled from them abides in us and therefore the same punishment is due to us that fell on them
will you do whither will you go to whom will you pray the Angels are offended and they will not guard you God is dishonoured and he will not hear you onely the Devil had your service and onely hell must be your wages Consider this ye that forget God Psal 50.22 lest ye be torn in pieces and there be none to deliver you It is cruel for your souls thus to suffer to be torn and torn in pieces and so torn in pieces that none may deliver you Better this Worldling had been a worm a toad an adder any venomous creature then so to live and thus to have died yet hither it is come his sickness is remediless his riches comfortless his torments easeless still he must suffer and there is none to deliver he is torn torn in pieces and none may deliver him What need you more now we are come to this period his glasse is run his Sunne is set his day is finished and now this night the verie night of Death his soul is required and received of him Lo here the dismall dreadfull terrible time of this mans departure it was in the night a night of darkness drowsiness sadness sinne death and destruction Vse 1 Who will not provide each day against this fearfull night howsoever we passe away our time in sinne we must of necessitie ere it be long lie gasping for breath upon our dying beds there shall we grapple hand to hand with the utmost powers of death and darknesse what should we do then but sow our seed while the seed-time lasteth we have yet a day and how short this day is God onely knows be sure the night cometh wherein none can work Joh. 9.4 and then what a fearfull time will come upon us I know there be some that dream of doing good in another world or at least will deferre it longer till some time hereafter such vain hopes of future performances hath undone many a soul I must work the work of him that sent me Joh. 9.4 while it is day saith our Saviour The way-faring man travels not in darknesse but while the day shines on him then he knows he is under the protection of the Laws the light of the Sunne the blessing of heaven Joh. 11.9 Are there not twelve hours in the day if any man walk in the day he stumbleth not because he seeth the light of this world but if a man walk in the night he stumbleth because there is no light in him Do good then and lay hold of every season which may get you to heaven Let the whole course of your life be a conscionable preparative against death Suppose every day your last as if at night you should be called to account before that high and great tribunall in a word whatsoever you think or speak or do say thus with your self Would I do thus and thus if I knew this night to be my last Who is it would sinne if he thought at that instant he must go to judgement Vse 2 But if we neglect the day be sure the night will come to our condemnation where be those wonders that so dazled our eies while the day shone on them Where is Absaloms beautie Jezabels paint Sauls personage nay where is this wretched Worldling he had a day to work out his own salvation and that being lost at last came night before he had gone two steps toward heaven Joh. 12.35 O beloved walk while yee have light that ye may be children of the light You may be sure the meanest soul that hath the work of grace upon it death is to him no night but the day-break of eternall brightnesse This may make us in love with the sincerity of religion this may make us to labour and never cease labouring till we have gotten out of the state of nature into the state of grace O that I could say of every one of you as Paul of the Ephesians Ye were once darkness but now are ye light in the Lord. Ye were once carnall but now are ye spirituall ye were once unregenerate Ephes 5.8 but now are ye a first-fruits dedicated to God If it were thus with you then to your comfort upon your dying beds you should meet with a glorious troop of blessed Angels you should feel the glorious presence of the sweetest comforter you should see the glorious light of Gods shining countenance you should have a night if it were night turn'd all into a mid-day Now the Lord give you such a day whensoever you dye through Christ our Lord. You have heard the time of Deaths arrest This night Now for the party wee 'll make a privy search and if we stir one word we shall finde him at next doore it is thy soul Thy Soul THe party under arrest is the rich mans Soul no warranty could prevail no riches satisfie no strength rescue death now demands it and there 's none can redeem it therefore This night they will have his soul Every man hath a jewell better worth then a world Observ and the loss of this is so much more dear by how much it is more precious What profits it a man to gain a world and to lose his soul said our Lord and Saviour Mat. 16.26 Mat. 16.26 Nay what are a thousand worlds when the soul is valued Give me leave to ope the cabinet and you shall see the jewell that is arrested it is the Soul The Soul what 's that Substantia creata invisibilis incorporea immortalis Deo similima imaginem habens creatoris sui Aug. in lib. de definitione animae Dicearchus it is saith Austin a substance that is created invisible incorporeall immortall most like to God as bearing the image of its Creator Please you that we illustrate this description and you shall see how every word shews forth some excellencies as the glorious lustres of this glorious pearle the Soul First if you ask what is the Soul 't is a substance How fond were the opinions of some Philosophers one would have it to be nothing vox praeterea nihil and how many of us are of this opinion Doe not we live as if we had no souls at all The epicure is for his belly the ambitious for his body but who is he that provides for his soul Sure we imagine it to be nothing valuable or how should our estimation of it be so grosse and vile to prefer the body to neglect the soul There were other Philosophers vvent a pace yet further and they gave it a being Galen but vvhat no better then an accident that might live or dye vvithout death of the subject this they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 humorum a certain temper composed of the elements or nothing but the harmony of those humours in the body Is this the soul then of all creatures are men say vve 1 Cor. 15.19 of all men are we saith the Apostle most miserable most unhappy
Angels on both sides waiting whether of them should have the prey now alas then wouldst thou say The soul to depart from the body were a thing intollerable to continue still therein were a thing impossible and to deferre this departure any longer supposing this hour thy last hour no Physick could prevail it were a thing unavoydable what then would thy poor soul do thus invironed with so many straights O fond fools of Adams sinne that neglect the time till this terrible passage how much wouldst thou give if thus it were for an hours repentance at what rate wouldst thou value a dayes contrition worlds are worthlesse in respect of a little respite a short truce would seem more precious then the Treasures of Empires nothing would then be so much esteemed as a trice of time which before by moneths and years thou lavishly mis-spent Think on thy sinns nay thou couldst not choose but think Satan would write them on the curtains of thy bed and thy agashed eyes would be forced to look upon them there wouldst thou see thousands committed not one confessed or throughly repented then too late thou wouldst begin to wish O had I lead a better life and were it to begin again O then how would I fast and pray how repent how live Certainly certainly if thou goest on in sinne thus would be thy departure thy carkass lying cold among the stones of the pit and thy soul by the weight of sinne irrecoverably sinking into the bottome of that bottomless burning lake Vse 2 But to prevent this evil take this use of advice for thy farwell whilest yet thy life lasteth whilest yet the Lord gives thee a gracious day of visitation ply ply all those blessed means of salvation as prayer and conference and meditation and Sermons and Sacraments and fastings and watchings and patience and faith and a good conscience in a word so live that when this day or night of death comes thou mayest then stand firm and sure as yet thou art in the way of a transitory life as yet thou art not entred into the confines of Eternitie if now therefore thou wilt walk in the holy path if now thou wilt stand out against any sin whatsoever if now thou wilt take on thee the yoke of our Saviour Christ if now thou wilt associate thy self to that sect and brotherhood that is every where spoken against if now thou wilt direct thy words to the glorifying of God and to give grace unto the hearers if now thou wilt delight in the word the wayes the Saints the services of God if now thou wilt never turn again unto folly or to thy trade of sin though Satan set upon thee with his baits and allurements to detain thee in his bondage but by one darling delight Psal 116.15 one minion-sin then I dare assure thee dear right dear would be thy death in the sight of the Lord with joy and triumph wouldst thou passe through all the terrours of death with singing and rejoycing would thy soul be received into those sacred mansions above O happy soul if this be thy case O happy night or day vvhensoever the nevvs comes that then must thy soul be taken from thee You may think it now high time that we bid this far-wel-funerall Text adieu then for conclusion let every word be thy warning Lest this be thy time provide for this and everie time 1. Thess 5.6 lest the night be dreadfull Do not sleep as do other but watch and be sober lest thy soul should suffer desire the sufferings of thy God to satisfie lest death require it of thee by foree offer it up to God with a cheerfull devotion and lest this of thee be fearfull who hast lived in sin correct these courses amend your wayes and the blessing of God be with thee all thy life at the hour of death now henceforth and for ever AMEN FINIS Doomes-day MATTH 16.27 Then shall he reward every man according to his works THe dependance of this Text is limited in few lines and that your eyes wander no further then this verse therein is kept a generall Assize the Judge Officers Prisoners stand in array the Judge is God and the Son of man the Officers Angels and they are his Angels the Prisoners men and because of the Gaol-delivery every man If you will have all together you have a Iudge his circuit his habit his attendants his judgments a Iudge the Son of man his circuit he shall come his habit in the glory of his Father his attendants with his Angels what now remains but the execution of justice then without more adoe see the Text and you see all the scales in his hande our works in the scales the reward for our works of just weight each to other Then hee shall reward every man according to his works This Text gives us the proceeding of Doomes-day which is the last day the last Sessions the last Assize that must be kept on earth or is decreed in heaven if you exspect Sheriffs or Judges Plaintiffs or Prisoners all are in this verse some in each word Then is times Trumpet that proclaims their coming Hee is the Judge that examins all our lives Reward is the doom that proceeds from him in his Throne Man is the malefactour every man stands before him as a prisoner Works are the inditements and according to our works must go the triall howsoever we have done good or evill Give me yet leave this Judge sits on trials as well as prisoners it is an high Court of appeal where Plaintiffs Counsellors Judges all must appear and answer would you learn the proceedings there is the Term Then the Judge hee the sentence shall reward the parties very man the triall it self which you may finde in all to be just and legall every man his rewards according to his works We have opened the Text and now you shall have the hearing Then THen when the answer is Negative Positive First Negative Then not on a sudden or at least not at this present This life is no time to receive rewards the rain and Sun pleasure both the good and bad nay oftentimes the bad fare best and Gods own children are most fiercely fined in the furnace of affliction Job 9.24 Matth. 16.24 The earth is given into the hands of the wicked saith Iob but if any man will follow mee he must take up his cross saith our Saviour Ioy and pleasure and happiness attend the ungodly while Gods poor servants run thorow the thicket of briers and brambles to the kingdome of heaven but shall not the Iudge of all the world do right Gen. 18.25 a time shall come when both these must have their change Mark the upright and behold the just for the end of that man is peace but the transgressours shall be destroyed together and the end of the wicked shall be cut off Psal 37.38 Psal 37.37 38. The effect of things is best known to
off the burthen Matth. 11.28 Rev. 21.6 do they thirst after righteousness just then is the fountain of the water of life set wide open unto them are they contrite and humble in spirit Esay 57.15 just then are they become thrones for the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity to dwell in for ever O then come and welcome Christ excepts none that will not except themselves He died for all and be would have all men to be saved But yet let us be cautelous secondly he purged our sinnes and ours with a limitation the vse of Physick we say consists in application and howsoever our Saviour hath purged our sins yet this purge of his is nothing beneficiall to us unlesse there be some means to apply it As then it is in all other Physick so in this we must first take it secondly keep it 1. Take it for as the best plaister if not laid to can cure no wound so Christ himself and all his precious merits are of no virtue to him that will not apply them by faith when you hear the Gospel preached believe it on your parts believe Christ is yours believe that he lived and died and sorrowed and suffered and all this for you to purge your souls of your sinnes 2. But having taken it you must secondly keep it as men take Physick not onely in belief that it will do them good but in hope to keep it by the virtue and strength of the retentive parts so we take Christ by faith but we retain him by holiness these two faith and holiness are those two bonds wherewith Christ is united unto us and we unto Christ so that if we be of this number then truly may we say that he purged our sinnes for the both died for us and by virtue of our faith and holinesse through him his death is applied to us to us I say not in any generall acception but as we are of the number of his Saints for we had sinned and they were our sinnes onely that he effectually purged and washed away Vse And this lesson may afford us this use that howsoever the free grace and mercie and goodnesse of Christ Jesus is revealed and offered to all men universally yet our Saviour takes none but such as are willing to take upon them his yoke he gives himself to none but such as are readie to sell all and follow him he saves none but such as deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and live soberly righteously and godlily in this present world in a word he purgeth none or cleanseth none by his bloud from all sin but such as walk in the light as God is in the light who make conscience of detesting and declining all sins and sincerely set their hearts and hands with love and carefull endeavour to every duty enjoyned them why these are the men onely to whom his death is effectuall and therefore as we mean to partake of his merits or to have good by his death let us become new creatures It is true indeed and we cannot but maintain it that to justification nothing but faith is required but this caution must be added it must be a faith that purifies the heart that works an universall change that shews it self in the fruits if therefore any of us would come in let us have ready our answer as a late Divine speaks the dialogue betwixt Christ and a true Christian on this manner First saith he when God hath enlightened the eyes of a man that he can see where this treasure is what then Why saith the Christian I am so enflamed with the love of it that I will have it whatsoever it cost me yea saith Christ but there is a price upon it it must cost thee dear a great deal of sorrow and trouble and crosses and afflictions Tush tell me not of price saith the Christian whatsoever I have shall go for it I will do any thing for it that God will enable me Why saith Christ wilt thou curb thine affections wilt thou give up thy life wilt thou be content to sell all thou hast I will do it saith the Christian with all my heart I am content to sell all that I have nothing is so dear unto me but I will part with it my right hand my right eye nay if hell it felf should stand between me and Christ yet would I passe through it unto him This beloved this is that violent affection which God puts into the hearts of his children that they will have Christ whatsoever it cost them yet understand me I pray you It is not to sell our houses or lands or children but our sinns that I mean the Lord Jesus and one lust cannot lodge together in one soul no if we are but once truly incorporated into Christ we must take him as our Husband and Lord we must love honour and serve him we must endeavour after sanctification puritie new obedience abilitie to do or suffer any thing for Christ we must consecrate all the powers and possibilities of our bodies and souls to do him the best service we can we must grieve and walk more humbly because we can do no better and thus if we do though I cannot say but still we shall sin so long as we live on this earth yet here is our comfort 1. Joh. 2.1 2. We have an Advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sinnes I say for our sinnes effectually if we believe in his Name for it was for us he died and they were our sinnes he purged and this is that great benefit we receive from our Saviour in that he by himself hath purged our sinns And now our sinnes being purged our souls recovered I may well end this Text onely I shall give it one visit more and so Farwell You see the maladie Sin the remedie a purge the Physician he the patient himself our selves for our infirmities were laid on him and his sores became our salves by whose virtue we are healed Blesse we then God for the recovery of our souls and be we carefull for the future of any relapse whatsoever these relapses are they we had need to fear indeed for in them the diseases are more dangerous sinns are more pernicious Matth. 12.44 and men become seven times more the children of Sathan then ever they were before Now then we are healed be we studious to preserve it all the dayes of our life and we shall find at our death that he that purged our sinns will save our souls we need not any other Purgatory after death no when our souls shall take their flights from our bodies then are the Angels readie to conduct them to his Kingdome and thither may we come for his sake and his onely who by himself in his own person hath purged our sinnes AMEN FINIS Heavens happiness LUKE 23.43 To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise HE that purged our sinns is
ULTIMA The last things in reference to the First and Middle things OR CERTAIN MEDITATIONS on Life Death Judgement Hell Right Purgatory and Heaven Delivered by ISAAC AMBROSE Minister of the Gospel at PRESTON in AMOUNDERNES in LANCASHIRE Deut. 32.29 O that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end Ecclus. 7.36 Whatsoever thou takest in hand remember the end and thou shalt never do amiss LONDON Printed for J. A. and are to be sold by Nathanael Webb and William Grantham at the Grey-hound in Pauls Church-yard 1650. To the Reader READER NOt to stay thee too long at the doore come in and thou mayst in this fabrick see these severall partitions Here is Mans misery in his Life Ser. 1. Death Ser. 2. Judgement Ser. 3. The Execution Ser. 4. Gods mercie in our Redemption Ser. 5. Salvation Ser. 6. The first part may bring thee to a sight and sense and sorrow for sin the second to a sight of Christ and a comfort in Christ and these are the principall means of conversion Nor is the work unprofitable if thou beest converted use them as daily Meditations and they will keep thee from sin and help thee towards heaven One of our Worthies can tell thee that Nothing more strongly bends men to sin then securitie or incogitancie of these things If thou ask what things he answers The end of our creation and redemption the certaintie of death the uncertaintie of life the severe account we must give the just retribution we shall have the miserie of the damned in hell the blessedness of the Saints in heaven these things being sadly and frequently thought upon would quench our burnings and lustings after sinne And true thou mayest find it that such good thoughts and an inordinate life are scarce consistible Will you hear another A serious and fruitfull meditation on these things so blessed M. Bolton hath ever been holden very materiall and of speciall moment to make us by Gods blessing more humble unworldly provident and prepared for the evil day And I take it every one of these following subjects would be an excellent theam or matter for our deliberate meditation See the Middle things Chap. 7. Sect. 4. Read then and practise these Meditations and I trust by these means thy end will be Heavens happiness So ends this work and to that end solely next to Gods glory I built it for thee Farewell Thine in all services I may for thy souls salvation I. A. Lifes Lease GEN. 47.9 Few and evil have the dayes of my life been WHen Pharaoh was Egypts King Joseph Pharaohs Steward and Jacob Josephs father there was a great famine which Pharaoh had dreamed Joseph fore-told and Iacob suffered God that sent Ioseph to Pharaoh brings Iacob to Ioseph the same providence so disposing of all that yet some food must be in Egypt when nothing was found in all the land of Canaan Thither come welcome as you may see in the storie Pharaoh salutes Iacob with this question What is thy age How many are thy dayes How many alas but few what are they alas but evil Thus we find Iacob at his Arithmetick the bill is short and the number but a cyphar Will you hear him cast his accounts First they are dayes and without all rules of falshood by subtraction few by addition full of evil contract all and this is the sum of all Few and evil have the dayes of my live been This Text briefly is the Lease of Iacobs life God the chief Lord inricht his substance yet limits the grant of his time will you question the Lease for what time no more but my life saith Iacob but a life what years no years but dayes saith Iacob but dayes how many not many but few saith Iacob but few how good not good but evil saith Iacob who can blaze the arms of life that finds not in it Crosse and Croslet the lease but a life the tearm but dayes the number few the nature evil nay when all is done we see all is out of date the dayes are not but are past they have been Few and evil have the dayes of my life been We must you see invert the Text and begin with that on which all hangs it is but my life saith Iacob Life VVOuld you know what is that take but a view of Nature and Scripture these will sufficiently describe our life First Nature whose dimme eye sees thus far what is it but a Rose Ut rosa Paestano languet adepta jugo Tifernas Ut herba solstitialis Plaut saith Tifernas which if you view in its growth the cold nips it heat withers it the wind shakes it be it never so fair it withers be we never so lively immediately we die and perish A Rose that is too beautifull Life is but grasse saith Plautus green now withered anon thus like the flower that is cut in Summer as soon as we are born Death is ready with his Sythe as soon as we are dead Angels gather in the harvest on whose wings we are carried to that Barn of Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philemon Grasse no saith Philemon life is no better then a counterfeit picture what if the colours be fair and the resemblance near the shadow of death Scena est ludus quoque vita Luscin Cum parumper se ostendisset mox se abscondit Anonymus Rodol Agric. Tu quicscis securus in modum gliris sepultus jaces Philonius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aristophanes and the Curtains of our grave will darken all A picture that is too honourable life is a worse resemblance but a Play saith Luscinius we enter at our birth and act all our life presently there is an exit or a back return and away we go shutting all up with a sudden Tragedie A Play that is too large Anonymus being asked what was life he shews himself a little then hides himself amain his meaning was this our life is but a little show and no sooner are we seen but immediately are we hid and gone A show that is too pleasant life is nothing but a sleep saith Philonius we live secure and Dormise-like we slumber away our time when all is done as if all this were too little we sleep again and go from our grave the bed to that bed our grave A sleep that is too quiet it is nothing but a dream saith Aristophanes all our worldly pleasures are but waking dreams at last Death rouzeth our souls that have slept in sinne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pind. in Pyth. Vita quid nisi mortis imago Cato then lifting up our heads and seeing all gone we awake sorrowing A dream or the dream of a shadow saith Pindarus the worst the weakest dream that can be imagined sure one step further were to arrive at deaths door and yet thus farre are we lead by the hand of Nature nay if you will lower death suâ—ceeds life and life
is but the image of death saith Cato Here is a true picture of our frailty life is like death indeed so like so near together that we cannot differ each from other See here the condition of our life what is it but a Rose a Grasse a Picture a Play a Show a Sleep a Dream an Image of death such a thing is life that we so much talk of Vse And if Nature give this light how blind are they that cannot see lifes frailty you need no more but mark the Destinies as Poets feign to spin their threds one holds another draws a third cuts it off what is our life but a thread some have a stronger twist others a more slender some live till near rot others die when scarce born there 's none endures long this thread of life is cut sooner or later and then our work is done our course is finished Are these the Emblemes of our life and dare we trust to this broken staff how do the heathen precede us Christians in these studies Their books were skuls their desks were graves their remembrance an hour-glass Awake your souls and bethink you of mortality have you any priviledge for your lives are not Heathens and Christians of one Father Adam of one mother Earth the Gospel may free you from the second not the first death onely provide you for the first to escape the second death O men what be your thoughts nothing but of Goods and Barns and many Years you may boast of Life as Oromazes the Conjurer of his Egge which he said included the felicity of the world yet being opened there was nothing but Wind Think what you please your life is but a Wind which may be stopt soon but cannot last long by the law of Nature But secondly as Nature so Scripture will inform you in this point The life of man is but of little esteem what is it but a Shrub or a Brier in the fire As the crackling of thorns under the pot so is the life or laughter of the fool momentary and vanity Eccles. 7.6 Eccles 7.6 Nay a shrub were something but our life is lesse no better then a leaf not a tree nor shrub nor fruit nor blossome We all fade as a leaf and our iniquities like the wind have swept us away Esay 64 6. Esay 64.6 Yet a leaf may glory of his birth it is descended of a Tree life is a Reed sometimes broken at least shaken so vain so infirm so inconstant is the life of man What went you out to see a reed shaken with the wind Matth. 11.7 Matth. 11.7 Nay a reed were something our life is baser indeed no better then a rush or flag Can a rush grow without mire though it were green and not cut down yet shall it wither before any other herb Job 8 11 12. Job 8.12 What shall I say more what shall I crie a rush All flesh is grass and all the grace thereof as the flower of the field the grass withereth the flower fadeth surely the people is grass Esa 40.7 Esa 40.7 I am descended beneath just patience but not so low as the life of man as all these resemble life so in some measure they have life but life is a smoke without any spark of life in it thus cries David My dayes are consumed like smoke my bones are burnt like an hearth Psal 102.3 Psal 102.3 Yet is here no stay the smoke ingenders clouds and a cloud is the fittest resemblance of our life Our life shall passe away as the trace of a cloud and come to nought as the myst that is driven away with the beams of the Sun Wisd 2.4 Wisd 2.4 Neither is this all clouds may hang calm but life is like a tempest it is a cloud and a wind too Remember that my life is but a wind and that mine eye shall not return to see pleasure Iob 7.7 Job 7.7 Nay we must lower and find a weaker element it is not a wind but water said that woman of Tekoah We are as water spilt on the ground which cannot be gathered up again 2. Sam. 14.14 2. Sam. 14.14 yet is water both a good and necessary element life is the least part of water nothing but a foam a bubble The King of Samaria that great King is destroyed as the foam upon the water Hos 10.7 Hos 10.7 I can no more and yet here is something lesse a foam or bubble may burst into a vapour and What is your life it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time and afterwards vanisheth away Iam. 4.14 Jam. 4 14. Lesse then this is nothing yet life is something lesse nothing in substance all it is it is but a shadow We are strangers and sojourners as all our fathers were our dayes are like a shadow upon the earth there is none abiding 1. Chr. 29.15 1. Chr. 29.15 See whither we have brought our life and yet ere we part we will down one step lower upon a strict view we find neither substance nor shadow Psal 39.5 onely a meer nothing a verie vanitie Behold thou hast made my dayes as an hand breadth and mine age is nothing in respect of thee surely every man living is altogether vanitie Psal 39.5 Psal 39.5 Lo here the nature of our life it is a shrub a leaf a reed a rush a grasse a smoke a cloud a wind a water a bubble a vapour a shadow a nothing What mean we to make such ado about a matter of nothing I cannot choose but wonder at the vanitie of men that runne rid toil travell undergo any labour to maintain this life and what is it when they have their desire which they so much toyl for we live and yet whilest we speak this word perhaps we die Is this a land of the living or a region of the dead We that suck the air to kindle this little spark where is our standing but at the gates of death Psal 9.13 Psal 9.13 Where is our walk but in the shadow of death Luke 1.79 Luke 1.79 What is our mansion-house but the body of death Rom. 7.24 Rom. 7.24 What think ye Is not this the region of death where is nothing but the gate of death An non haec regio mortis ubi porta mortis umbra mortis corpus mortis and the shadow of death and the body of death Sure we dream that we live but sure it is that we die or if we live the best hold we have is but a lease God our chief Lord may bestow what he pleaseth to the rich man wealth to the wise man knowledge to the good man peace to all men somewhat yet if you ask Who is the Lessor God Who is the Lessee Man What is leased This world For what terme My life Thus Jacob tels Pharaoh as the Text tels you Few and evil have the dayes of my
life been This is the Lease and now you have it let us see what use you will make of it Vse 1 It is a bad life some live Come say they and let us enjoy the pleasures that are present Wisd 2.6 7. and let us cheerfully use the creatures as in youth let us fill our selves with costly wine and oyntments and let not the flower of life passe by us What a life is here Can it be that pleasures wine and oyntments should have any durance in this vale of miserie Suppose thy life a continued scene of pleasures hadst thou Dives fare Solomons robes Davids throne Croesus wealth livedst thou many years without any cares yet at last comes death and takes away thy soul in the midst of her pleasures alas what is all thy glory but a snuff that goes out in a stench Couldst thou not have made death more welcome if he had found thee lying on a pad of straw feeding on crusts and crums Is not thy pain more grievous because thou wast more happie Do not thy joys more afflict thee then if they had never been O deceitfull world that grievest if thou crossest and yet to whom thou art best they are most unhappie Vse 2 But to speak to you who have passed the pikes and pangs of the new birth would you have life indeed and enjoy that joy of life which is immortall then hear revive watch and awake from sinne were you sometimes dead in sinne O but now live in Christ Christ is the life Iohn 14.6 John 14.6 Were you sometimes dumb in your dying pangs O but now abide in Christ Christ is the word of life Iohn 1.1 John 1.1 Are you as yet babes in Christ feeble and but weak through lifes infirmities why then use all good means eat and be strong Christ is the bread of life Iohn 6.48 John 6.48 Here is a life indeed would you not thus live for ever then believe in God and in Iesus Christ whom he hath sent and this is life eternal Iohn 17.3 John 17.3 O happy life which many a man never dreams of So much they strive to protract this brittle life which but adds more grief that they forget Christ nay they forget their Creed which begins with true life God and ends with life never-ending Life everlasting Others that hope for heaven fix not their thoughts on earth if you be Gods servants lift up your hearts above for there is life and the God of life the Tree of life and the Well of life the life of Angels and the Life everlasting One sand is run and the Text is lessened but as you have the lease so you may now exspect to know the date the lease is but a life the date lasts but dayes Dayes NOt weeks nor moneths nor years or if a year the best Arithmatick is to reduce or break it into Dayes so we have it in the last translations The dayes of the year Here then is the Summe a Year Fraction Dayes First a Year in the Spring is the youthfull spring of our age in the Summer is the aged time of our youth in the Autumn is the high noon or middle of our age when the Sun which is our soul rules in the Equinoctiall line of our life in the Winter we grow old and cold the nips of frost strip the tree of our life we fall into the grave and the earth that nourished us will then consume us See what is man a Spring of tears a Summers dust an Autumns care a Winters wo Read but this map and you need travell no further to enquire of life The first quarter is our Spring and that is full of sinne and miserie the infant no sooner breathes but he sucks the poyson of his parents in Adam all sinned and since his time all were defiled by his sinne Is it not Natures rule that every man begets one like himself And is it not Gods rule that every sinner begets another no better then himself How may a foul vessell keep sweet water or how may an earthy sinner beget an heavenly Saint we are all in the same state of sinne and so we fall into the same plunge of sorrow the child in his cradle sleeps not so secure but now he wakes and then he weeps cold starves him hunger pines him sores trouble him sicknesse gripes him there is some punishment which without sinne had never been inflicted It is wonderfull to consider how Nature hath provided for all creatures birds with feathers beasts with hides fishes with scales all with some defence onely man is born stark naked without either weapon in his hand or the least thought of defence in his heart birds can flie beasts can go fishes can swim but infant-man as he knows nothing so neither is he able to do any thing indeed he can weep as soon as born but not laugh as some observe till fortie dayes old so ready are we born to wo but so farre from the least spark of joy O meer madnesse of men that from so poor naked and base beginnings can perswade our selves we are born to be proud And if this be our Spring what think ye is our Summer Remember not the sinnes of this time prayes David Psalme 25.7 Psal 25.7 and why their remembrance is bitter saith Job Job 13.26 Job 13.26 If mirth and melody should never meet with end this were an happy life Rejoyce O young man in thy youth let thine heart chear thee in the dayes of thy youth walk in the wayes of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes but remember for all these things God will bring thee to judgement Eccles 11.9 Eccles 11.9 This judgement is the damp that puts out all the lights of comfort could not Solomon have given the rains but he must pull again at curb Must youth rejoyce But for all this remember what a barre stands here in the very door of joy alas that we should trifle thus with toyes which no sooner we enjoy but in grievous sadnesse we repent our follies The wise man that gave libertie to his wayes what cries he but vanitie and after vanitie of vanities and at last all is vanitie what was the wisdome of Achitophel a vain thing what the swiftnesse of Hazael a vain thing what the strength of Goliah a vain thing what the pleasures of Nebuchadnezzar a vain thing what the honour of Haman a vain thing what the beautie of Absolon a vain thing Thus if we see but the fruit that grows of sin we may boldly say of laughter thou art mad and of joy what is this thou doest Eccles 2.2 Eccles 2.2 And if this be our Summer what may be our Autumn an hour of joy a world of sorrow if you look about you how many miseries lie in wait to ensnare you there is no place secure no state sufficient no pleasure permanent whither will you go The chamber hath its care the house hath
its fear the field hath its toyl the Countrey hath its frauds the Citie hath its factions the Church hath its Sects the Court hath its envie here is every place a field where is offered a battell or if this were better consider but your states the Beggar hath his sores the Souldier hath his scarres the Magistrate hath his troubles the Merchant his travels the Nobles their crosses the great ones their vexations here is every state a sea tossed with a world of tempests or yet if this were happier bethink you a little longer of your fleeting joys the sweet hath its sower the Crown hath its care the world hath its want pleasure hath its pain profit hath its grief all these must have their end here is a dram of sugar mixt with an Epha of bitter Is this manhood that is subject to all these miseries Nay what are these in comparison of all it suffers It is deformed with sinne defiled with lust outraged with passions over-carried with affections pining with envie burthened with gluttony boyling with revenge transported with rage all mans body is full of iniquitie and his soul the bright image of God through sinne is transformed to the ugly shape of the Devil And if this be our Autumn what I pray is the Winter then our Sun grows low and we begin to die by degrees shew me the light which will not darken shew me the flower which will not fade shew me the fruit which will not corrupt shew me the garment which will not wear shew me the beautie which will not wither shew me the strength which will not weaken behold now is the hour that thy lights shall darken thy cheeks wrinckle thy skinne be furrowed thy beautie fade and thy strength decay Here is the ambition of a long life thy lease lies a bleeding and death raps at the door of thy heart to take possession O forcible entrie will not pleasures delay cannot riches ransome dares not strength defie Is neither wit nor wealth able to deceive nor bribe what may rent this house that the soul may but lodge there one night longer Poor soul that dies or departs in unremedied pangs our sinnes may run on score and repentance forget her dayes of payment Yet our lease shall end the date exspire this body suffer and the soul be driven from her house and harbour See the swift course of our mortall Sun at North and South in our mothers womb and tomb both in one year Vse Consider this yet that forget God you have but a year to live and every season yields some occasion to tell you ye must die In childhood what is your chest of clouts but a remembrance of your winding sheets In youth what is your mirth and musick but a summons to the knell In manhood what is your house and enclosure but a token of the coffin In age what is your chair or litter but a shew of the beer which at last shall convey you to your graves Man ere he is aware hath drest his herse every season adding something to his solemnitie Where is the Adulterer Murtherer Drunkard Blasphemer Are you about your sinnes look on these objects there is a sunne now setting or a candle burning or an hour-glasse running or a flower decaying or a Traveller passing or a vapour vanishing or a sick man groaning or a strong man dying be sure there is something puls you by the sleeve and bids you beware to commit such enormities Who dares live in sinne that considers with himself he must die soon And who will not consider that sees before his eyes so many a remembrancer Alas we must die and howsoever we passe from childhood to youth from youth to manhood Senectutem nemo excedit from manhood to age yet there is none can be more then old here is the utmost of our life a Spring a Summer an Autumn a Winter and when that is done you know the whole Year is finished The summe is a Year the Items are Dayes And what Dayes can ye exspect of such a Year my text in relation to these dayes gives us two attributes the first is few the second is evil if you consider our dayes in regard of the fewnesse which this word seems rather to intimate you may see them in Scripture brought to fewer and fewer till they are well near brought to nothing If we begin with the beginning we find first that the first man Adam had a lease of his life in fee and as Lawyers say To have and to hold from the beginning to everlasting but for eating the forbidden fruit he made a forfeiture of that estate of this he was forewarned In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death Gen. 2.17 Gen. 2.17 And this he found too true Because thou hast eaten of the tree whereof I commanded thee Thou shalt not eat what then amongst other curses this was one Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return Gen. 3.19 Gen. 3.19 After him the longest life came short of the number of a thousand years The dayes of Methusalem saith Moses were nine hundred sixtie and nine years Gen. 5.27 Gen. 5.27 and had he come to a thousand which never was attained by man yet a thousand years are but one day with God 2. Pet. 3.8 2 Pet. 3.8 yea but as yesterday saith Moses A thousand years in Gods sight are but as yesterday Psalme 90.4 Psal 90.4 But what speak I of a thousand years no sooner came the floud but the age of man of every man born after it was shortened half in half These are the generations of Sem saith Moses Gen. 11.10 Gen. 11.10 to wit Arphaxad and Selah and Eber none of which three could reach to the number of five hundred years the longest liver was Eber and yet all his dayes before and after his first-born Peleg were but four hundred sixtie and four years Gen. 11.16 17. Gen. 11.16 17. nay as if half a thousand were more then too much you may see God halfs their ages once again Peleg lives as long as any man after him and yet his dayes were neither a thousand nor half a thousand nor half of half a thousand no no more then two hundred thirtie and nine years Gen. 11.18 19. Gen. 11.18 19. but this was a long life too If we come to arrive at the time of Jacob we shall find this little time well-near halfed again when he spoke this text he tells he was one hundred and thirtie years old and after this he lived no longer then seventeen years more so that the whole age of Iacob was but seven score and seven an hundred fortie and seven years Gen. 47.28 Gen. 47.28 Nay to leave Iacob a while and to come a little nearer our selves in Moses time we find this little time halfed again he brings seven score to seventie The dayes saith he of our age are threescore years and tenne
and though men be so strong that they come to fourscore years yet is their strength then but labour and sorrow so soon passeth it away and we are gone Psal 90.10 Psal 90.10 Here is halfs of halfs and if we half it a while sure we shall half away all our time nay we have a custome goes a little further and tells us of a number a great deal shorter we are fallen from seventie to seven in lifes leases made by us Nay what speak I of years when my text breaks them all into dayes Few and evil have the dayes been so our former translation without any addition of years at all and if you mark it our life in Scripture is more often termed dayes then years the book of Chronicles which writes of mens lives are called according to the interpretation Words of dayes to this purpose we read David was old and full of dayes 1 Chron. 23.1 1 Chron. 23.1 and in the dayes of Iehoram Edom rebelled 2 Chron. 21.8 2 Chron. 21.8 So in the New Testament In the dayes of Herod the King Matth. 2.1 Matth. 2.1 and in the dayes of Herod the King of Iudea Luke 1.5 Luke 1.5 In a word thus Iob speaks of us our life is but dayes our dayes but a shadow we know nothing saith Iob and why so our dayes upon earth are but a shadow Iob 8.9 Job 8.9 Lo here the length of our little life it is not for ever no Adam lost that estate he that lived longest after Adam came short of the number of a thousand years nay that was halfed to somewhat lesse then five hundred and that again halfed to little more then two hundred Iacob yet halfs it again to a matter of seven score and Moses halfs that again to seventy or a little more nay our time brings it froÌ„ seventy to seven nay Iacob yet brings it from years to daies few and evil have the dayes of the year of my life been Vse 1 Teach us O Lord to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts unto wisdome Psal 90 12. Moses Arithmetick is worthy your meditation learn of him to number pray to God your teacher think every evening there is one day of your number gone and every morning there is another day of miserie coming on evening and morning meditate on Gods mercy and your own miserie Thus if you number your dayes you shall have the lesse to account for at that day when God shall call you to a finall reckoning Vse 2 But miserable men who are not yet born again their dayes run on without any meditation in this kind What think they of but of long dayes and many years And were all their dayes as long as the day of Joshuah when the Sun stood still in the midst of heaven yet it will be night at last and their Sun shall set like others True God may give some a liberall time but what enemies are they to themselves that of all their dayes allow themselves not one 1. Pet. 3.10 If any man long after life and to see good dayes let him refrain his tongue from evil and his lips that they speak no guile How live they that would needs live long and follow no rules of pietie many can post off their conversion from day to day sending Religion afore them to thirty and then putting it off to fourtie and not pleased yet to overtake it promise it entertainment at threescore at last death comes and allows not one hour In youth these men resolve to reserve the time of age to serve God in in age they shuffle it off to sicknesse when sicknesse comes care to dispose their goods loathnesse to die hope to escape maâ—tyrs that good thought O miserable men if you have but the Lease of a Farm for twenty years you make use of the time and gather profit but in this precious farm of Time you are so ill husbands that your Lease comes out before you are one penny worth of grace the richer by it Matth. 20.6 Why stand ye here all the day idle there are but a few hours or dayes that ye have to live at last comes the night of death that will shut up your eyes in sleep till the day of doom You see now the term of our Lease our Life lasts but Dayes and although we live many dayes Luke 19.42 Matth. 6.12 yet in this thy day saith Christ and Give us this day our daily bread say we as if no day could be called thy day but this day if there be any more we shall soon number them my text tells you they are not many but few Few and evill have the dayes of my life been Few OUr Lease is a Life our Life is but Dayes our Dayes are but Few The Phoenix the Elephant and the Lion fulfill their hundreds but man dieth when he thinks his Sun yet riseth before his eye be satisfied with seeing or his ear with hearing or his heart with lusting death knocks at his door and often will not give him leave to meditate an excuse before he comes to judgement Is not this a wonder to see dumb beasts outstrip mans life The Phoenix lives thousands say some but a thousand years are a long life with man Methushalem you saw the longest liver came short of this number and yet could we attain to so ripe an age what are a thousand years to the dayes everlasting If you took a little mote to compare with the whole earth what great difference were in these two and if you compare this life which is so short with the life to come which shall never have end how much lesse will it yet appear As drops of rain are unto the sea Ecclus 18.9 and as a gravell stone is in comparison to the sand so are a thousand years to the dayes everlasting But will you haue an exact account and learn the just number It was the Arithmetick of holy men to reckon their dayes but Few as if the shortest cut were the best account The Hebrews could subduct the time of sleep which is half our life so that if the dayes of men were threescore years and ten Psal 90.10 here 's five and thirty years struck off at one blow The Philosophers could subduct the time of weakness which is most of life so that if vivere be valere that onely a true life which enjoyes good health here 's the beginning and the ending of our dayes struck off at a second blow The Fathers could subduct all times not present and what say you to this account were the dayes of life at noon man grown to manhood look ye back and the time past is nothing look ye forward and the time to come is but uncertain and if time past and time to come stand both for ciphers what is our life but the present and what is that but a moment Nay as if a moment were too much look
at Scripture and you will see it brought to a lesser passe Job for his part goes about to subduct the time of his birth which is the bud of life Let the day perish saith he wherein I was born nay let it not be joyned unto the dayes of the year nor let it come into the count of moneths Job 3.6 Job 3.6 Solomon could subduct not onely childhood but the time of youth too which is the strength of life Take away grief out of thine heart and cause evill to depart from thy flesh for childhood and youth both are but vanity Eccles 11.10 Eccles. 11.10 Paul could subduct the time of sinne which is the joy of life She that lives in pleasure lives not nay she is dead while she is alive 1. Tim. 5.6 1. Tim. 5.6 Summe all and suppose that the time of birth and childhood and youth and sin were gone to what an epitome were mans life come Think of this all ye that travell towards heaven had we not need to make haste that must go so long a journey in so short a time How can he choose but run that remembers his dayes are few nay that every day runs away with his life The workman that sets a time for his task he listens to the clock and counts the houres not a minute must passe but his work goes onwards how then do we neglect our time while we should serve God Work while it is day John 9.4 2. Cor. 6.2 saith Christ and this is the day of salvation saith the Apostle Would you know your task you must work would you know the time it is this day a great task a short time had we not need with Moses to number our dayes lest we loose a minute It is true of all numbers we cannot skill to number our dayes we can number our sheep our oxen our fields our coyn but we think our dayes are infinite and never go about to number them The Saints that went before us cast another account Moses had his tables Job had his measures all agree both for measure and number magnitude and multitude our life is but short our dayes are but few Few and evil they have been Give me leave a little to amplifie on this point would we throughly know the shortness of out time the fewness of our dayes I shall then set before you the magnitude of the one and the multitude of the other And first for the magnitude of the time of our life A man say the Philosophers is Microcosmus a little world little for goodness but a world of wickedness Of this world if you 'l have the dimensions according to the rules of Geometricians the length breadth and depth of our short life then first for our length from East to West from our birth to our buriall I need not to take so many paces as will make mille passus a mile our little life bears no proportion to such a length I dare not say as Stobaeus relates that our life hath the last of a cubits length Psal 39.5 for that 's more then the Scripture will afford it it is but a span or hand breadth saith David that 's little nay Alcaeus in carmine Lyrico saith it is but an inch long that 's lesse nay Punctum est quod vivimus adhuc puncto minus saith Plutarch All our life is but a prick a point yet lesse saith Seneca it is a point that we live and lesse then a point that 's less then either I can say or you conceive What is it not a mile but a cubit but a span but an inch but a point nay less then that here 's little longitude of life Well but our latitude perhaps is greater no take a measure if you please from one pole to another as we stand betwixt the terms of life and death and weresoever we are death is within an hand-breadth of our life if we be on the sea there 's but a thick board betwixt us and drowning if on the land there 's but a shoe-sole betwixt us and our grave if we sleep our bed is our bodies grave and there 's but a sheet perhaps a winding-sheet betwixt us and it when we are awake our bodie is our souls grave and there 's but a few skins as say Physicians betwixt death and us What is it but the breadth of an hand of a board of a shoe-sole of a thin sheet of a small skinne there 's little latitude you see Well but our profundity may help all this go to therefore and see what that is I shall not lead you down many steps for indeed there are not many steps to lead you down in one word come to the centre of the heart of man The Grecians to expresse the shallowness of this life give the same name to the heart that they do to death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the heart the authour of life and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is destiny the worker of death to shew that as every man hath an heart so death hath a dart for every man Christians mortals consider your magnitude in all these dimensions alas how is it that many of you make your selves so great what mean those titles which you take upon you Your Greatnesse Your Highnesse your I know not what O consider the mortalitie of your bodies and that will tell you the just * Mors sola fatetur quantula sunt hominum corpuscula Juvenal Psal 90.10 scantling of your selves 2. For the multitude of our dayes he was branded with the name of a fool that thought he had many years to live Moses tells us The dayes of our years are threescore years and ten Psal 90.10 But now as you heard we value our life but at seven years as if six years we had to labour and to do all we had to do but the seventh were a Sabbath to rest with God Revel 14.13 Revel 14.13 nay yet the Scripture comes somewhat lower and because a plurality might cause a securitie it bestows but a unitie upon our years thus Jacob in this text reckons of a great number of one year The dayes of the year of my life are an hundred and thirty year Gen. 47.9 Gen. 47.9 nay Austin comes shorter and compares our life to a quarter of a year like Jehoahash reign which lasted about three moneths time 2 Kings 23.31 2 Kings 23.31 nay the Scripture descends from moneths to dayes Few and evil are my dayes saith Iacob implying that this life is but a few dayes or but * Vita nostra non diuturna sed diurna one day as some would have it which is the meaning of Christs prayer Give us this day our dayly bread Matth. 6.11 Matt. 6.11 And yet that we may not think our death a great way off the Scripture tells us it is not a day to come no boast not of to morrow for thou knowest not what a day
but wonder to see how busily thou heapest up riches yet knowest not who shall eat the grapes of thy planted vineyard God gave thee a countenance erected towards heaven and must it ever be groveling and poring on the earth God gave thee a soul to live with his blessed Angels and wilt thou make it a companion fitter for no other then brute beasts Eccles 5.12 There is an evil sicknesse saith Solomon that I have seen under the Sunne and what is that but riches reserved to the owners for their evil See here the just judgement of a righteous God to this end is thy riches thou wouldest live at ease and outlast many years therefore thy life is but miserable and thy death must be sudden thy dayes are but few and thy few dayes are evil Vse 2 But to comfort all you that live in the fear of God it may be your dayes are evil and what then this is to make tryall of your love to God and a tryall it is of Gods love to you First it makes a tryall of your love to God Certainly if you have but a spark of this love your dayes cannot be so evil but in the midst of those evils you shall find some inward consolations that will sweeten all Gen. 29.20 It is memorable how Iacob for Rachel serves Laban seven years but yet saith the Text they seemed to him but a few dayes for the love he had to her Nay after Laban had deceived him in giving him blear-eyed Leah in stead of beautifull Rachel Iacob then serves him another seven years prentiship love makes the heart chearfull in the worst of sufferings though Iacob was consumed with drought in the day and frost in the night Gen. 31.40 which many and many a time made his rest and sleep to depart from his eyes yet his love of fair Rachel sweetens all his labours Why thus thus will it be with you that wait on the Lord your God what though miseries come upon you as thick as hail-storms in a sharp winters day you may remember you have a better master then Laban a better service then Iacobs a fairer prize then Rachel who is your master but such an one as will surely keep his covenant even the Lord your God what is your service but such a one as is most glorious and honourable even a light burden a perfect freedome what is your prize but such a one as surpasseth all prizes whatsoever even the beauty of heaven the beatificall vision of our blessed God If then you but love God as Iacob did Rachel what matters it how evil your few dayes be nay be they never so evil and were your dayes never so many yet an hundred a thousand years spent in Gods service they would seem but a few dayes for the love you bear to him O Lord work in us this love and then command what thou wilt persecution affliction the Crosse or death no service so hard but we shall readily obey thee Secondly as your evils of sufferings try your love to God so they are a tryall or token of Gods love to you 2 Cor. 4.17 Our light affliction which is but for a moment causeth unto us a farre more excellent and an eternall weight of glory and if this be the end who would not endure the means O divine mercy therefore the dugs of this life taste bitter that thereby God may wean us from the love of this world to attain a better Certainly God is good unto us in tempering these so fitly bitternesse attends this life that thou maist sigh continually for the true life Wouldst thou not run through dangers for a kingdome wouldst thou not fetch a crown for fear of a thorn nay who would not go to heaven although it were with Eliah in a whirlwind I count saith Paul that the afflictions of this life are not worthy of the glory which shall be shewed unto us Rom. 8.18 Come then ye that thirst for long life believe in God and you shall have life eternall All is well that ends well though a while we sink in miseries yet at last the joys of heaven will refresh us then shall we live in love rejoyce in hymns sing forth in praises the wonderfull works of our Creatour and Redeemer this is that life of heaven and when our life ends here Lord grant us life everlasting Thus farre have you seen the state of our life this lease breeds sorrow but the reversion is our joy no sooner shall this life exspire but God will give us the purchase of his Son that inheritance of heaven comfort then thy soul that wades through this sea of miseries and the Lord so assist us in all our troubles that he lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil Amen Have been OUr life is but dayes our dayes are but few our few dayes but evil and now when all is done we find all is out of date Few and evil have the dayes of my life been This last word is the leases exspiration and why have been If you will needs know the reason The time that is past is best known to Jacob. And the life of Iacob is but as the time that is past First the time that is past is best known to Iacob Olim meminisse juvabit Virg. old men can tell old stories and something it delights them to remember the storms gone over them We all know how Many years we have lived Great miseries we have suffered Iacob tells you as you may tell each other our years have been few our few years have been evil To make this good Have they not been few Let me ask some old man whose hairs are dipt in snow Eccles 12.6 whose golden ewer is broken whose silver cord is lengthened how many be thy years It may be thou wilt answer Psal 90.10 as Moses gives the number a matter of threescore years and ten or fourscore years I cannot say but it is a long time to come but alas what are these fourscore years now they are gone Tell me you that have seen the many changes both of Moon and Sun are they not swiftly runne away you may remember your manhood childhood and I pray what think ye was it not yesterday is it not a while since who will not wonder to see how quickly it is gone and yet how long it was a coming The time to come seems tedious especially to a man in hope of blisse the time now past is a very nothing especially to a man in fear of danger go down to those cast-away souls that now suffer in hell flames and what say they of their life but as soon as we were born we began to draw to our end Wisd 5.13 Wisd 5.13 go down to those putrified bodies and find amongst them the dusts of Adam Seth Enosh Kenan Mahalaleel Jered Enoch Methushalem every one of whom lived near to the number of a thousand years are
they not dead and what is their epitaph but they lived and dyed Gen. 5. Gen. 5. Gen. 47.9 To summe up all in one and to make this one serve for all Iacob is an hundred and thirty years old for so you see it registred in Gods book yet now being demanded to tell his age he answers but Dayes and his dayes are but Few how should they be many that now are gone already these few dayes they have been Scribit in marmore laesus 2. And as time past tells our dayes so it counts all our miseseries who cannot remember the miseries he doth suffer The poor the sick the banished the imprisoned the traveller the souldier every one can write a Chronicle of his life and make up large volumes of their severall changes What is the history of the Bible but an holy brief Chronicle of the Saints grievous sufferings See the miseries of the Patriarchs described in the books of Moses see the warres of the Israelites set down in the books of Ioshua see the afflictions of David in the books of Samuel Ezra Nehemiah Esther Iob every one hath a book of their severall calamities and if all our miseries were but thus abrevitaed I suppose the world would not contain the books that should be written There is no man so cunning to know his future condition but for those things which have been every one can reade them Look then beloved at the time now past and will you not say with Iacob your dayes have been evil Evil for your sinnes and evil for your sufferings if you live more dayes what do you but increase more evils the just man sinnes seven times a day and every one of us perhaps seventy times seven times do we thus multiply sins and think we to subract our sorrows think but of those storms that already have gone over our heads famines sores sicknesses plagues have we not seen many seasons unseasonable because we could find no season to repentance Our Springs have been graves rather then cradles our Summers have not shot up but withered our grasse our Autumns have took away the flocks of our sheep and for our latest Harvest the heavens themselves have not ceased weeping for us that never yet found time to weep for our selves And as this procured the famine so famine ushered the pestilence O the miseries miserable that at this time fell upon us Were not our houses infected our towns depopulated our gardens made our graves and many a grave a bed to lodge in it a whole family Alas what an hideous noise was heard about us In every Church bells towling in every hamlet some dying in every street men watching in every place every where wailing and weeping or groning and dying These are the evils that have been and how should we forget them that have once seen them with our eyes Call to mind time past Recole primordia Bern. was the rule of Bernard what better rule have we to square our lives then the remembrance of those evils which our lives have suffered Look back then with Iacob and we have good reason to redeem the time past because our dayes have been evil 2. But there is yet another reason why these few evill dayes have been As the time past is best known to Iacob so the life of Iacob is but as the time past Go to now saith St. Iames ye that say to day or to morrow we will go into such a City and continue there a year and buy and sell and get gain and yet ye cannot tell what shall be to morrow James 4.13 James 4.13 It is a meer presumption to boast of the time to come can any man say he will live til to morrow look back ye that trust to this staff of Egypt there is no man can assure you of this day Man knoweth not his time saith the Preacher Eccles. 9.12 Eccles 9.12 As near as it is to night it may be before evening some one of us may be dead and cold and fitter to lodge in our graves under earth then in our beds above it nay assure your selves our life is of no long continuance what speak we of to morrow or this day we are not sure of that least of times division a very hour watch therefore saith our Saviour and will you know the reason for ye know neither the day nor the hour when the Sonne of man will come Matth. 25.13 Matth. 25.13 The man with ten or twenty dishes set before him on his table when he hath full intelligence that in one of them is poyson will he not refuse all lest in eating of any be runne upon the hazard of his life What is our life but a few houres and in one of them death must needs come watch then for the hour is at hand and we know not how soon it will seiz upon us This hour the breath thou drawest may be thy infection this hour the bread thou eatest may be thy poyson this hour the cup thou tastest may be that cup that must not passe from thee But what speak we of this hour seeing it is come and gone The sweetest ditty that Moses sung were his briefs and semibriefs of life and what is it but a watch Psalme 90.4 Psal 90.4 what is it but a sleep Psalme 90.5 Psal 90.5 we watch when it is dark we sleep when it is night if then our life be no more but a night-work what is truer then this wonder our life is done our dayes they have been You may think we go farre to prove so strange a paradox yet Job goes further what are we but of yesterday for our dayes upon earth are but a shadow Job 8.9 Job 8.9 See here the chronologie of mans frailtie we have a time to live and when is it think you not to morrow nor do day nor this hour nor last night it is as long since as yesterday it self Are not we strangely deceived What mean our plots and projects for the time to come why our life is done and we are now but dead men To speak properly In the midst of life we be in death our whole life being truly if not past yet as the time past that is gone and vanished The similitude or resemblance will runne in these respects the time past cannot be recalled suddenly is vanished And so is our life can we recall that which is fled away the the life that we led yesterday you see it is gone the life that we led last night it is past and done the life that we led this morning it is now a going nay it is gone as soon as we have spoken Nicodemus saying according to the flesh was true How can a man be born which is old can he enter into his mothers womb again and be born John 3.4 John 3.4 How should a man recall that is past can he receive again the soul once given and begin to live
man never so great in power and spreading himself like a green bay tree a tree most durable a bay tree most flourishing a green bay tree that is most in prime if any thing will stand at a stay what is more likely yet he passed away saith the Psalmist and lo he was gone I sought him but be could not be found Psalme 37.35 36. Psal 37.35 36 We cannot stay time present how should we recall time past See here the man on whom the eyes of the world are fixt with admiration yet for all this he passeth without stay he is gone without recall I sought him but to find him is without all recovery Time was that Adam lived in paradise Noah built an Ark David slew Goliah Alexander overcame the world where be these men that are the wonder of us living we all know they are long since dead and the times they saw shall never come again How fond was that fiction of Plato Annus Platonicus that after the revolution of his tedious year then he must live again and teach his Schollers in the same chair he sate in our faith is above his reason for the heavens shall passe away the elements shall melt with heat and the earth with the works therein shall be burnt up 2 Pet. 3.10 2 Pet. 3.10 Where then is the life of Plato when all these things shall turn to nothing we may now for his learning praise him where he is not and he may then for his errour be damned and tormented where he is Is there any man with skill or power can call back but yesterday once onely we read of such a miracle but it was onely by the hand of God Almighty Hezekiah was sick 2 Kings 20. 2 Kings 20. and to confirm the news that he must recover he requires a sign What shall be the sign that the Lord will heal me and that I shall go up into the house of the Lord the third day this was no temptation for you see how the Prophet gives him satisfaction This sign shalt thou have of the Lord wilt thou that the shadow go forward tenn degrees or go back tenn degrees Hezekiah thinks of death and the Prophet restores his life not onely a time of fifteen years to come but of ten degrees now gone and thus it was observed in the diall of Ahaz This was a miracle that but once happened since the beginning of the world he then that sleeps away his time in exspectation of Hezekiahs sunne may sleep till his death and then not recall one minute of his life as the time so our life if once past it is irrevocable irrecoverable 2. And as it cannot be recalled again so suddenly it is vanished Longitudinem hujus vitae sentiri non facit nisi spes vivendi nam nihil videtur esse celerius quâm quicquid in ea jam praeteritum est Aug. in Psal 6. Certè videres vitam tuam non fuisse diuturnam Aug. in Psal 36. Nothing makes life long but our hope to live long take away those thoughts of the time to come and there is nothing swifter then the life that is gone Suppose then thou hadst lived so long as from Adam to this time as Austin saith Certainly thou wouldest think thy life but short and if that were short which we think so long how long is our life which in comparison of that is so extreamly short The time once past we think it suddenly past and so is life gone in a moment in the twinckling of an eye so soon indeed before it can be said This it is In every one of us death hath ten thousand times as much as life the life that is gone is deaths and the life yet to come is deaths our now is but an instant yet this is all that belongs to life and all the life which any of us all is at once possessed of here is a life indeed that so soon is vanished before it can be numbered or measured it is no time but now yet staies not till the syllable now may be written or spoken what can I say the life that I had when I began to speak this word it is now gone since I began to speak this word May we call this life that is ever posting towards death Do we what we can could we do yet more all we do and all we could do were to no purpose to prolong our life see how vve shore this ruinous house of our body vvith food vvith raiment vvith exercise vvith sleep yet nothing can preserve it from returning to its earth vve go and vve go suddenly vvitnesse those tvvo Cesars vvho put off themselves vvhilest they put on their shoes Fabius styled Maximus for his exploits and Cunctator for his delaying yet could not delay death till notice might be taken he vvas sick but hovv manie examples in this kind have vve daily amongst us you knovv how some lately have gone safe to bed and yet in the morning were found dead and cold others in health and mirth laid down by their wives and yet ere mid-night found breathless by their sides What need we further instances You see how we go before we know where we are the life that we had what is it but a nothing the life that we have what is it but a moment and all that we can have what is it but a fleeting wind begun and done in a trice of time before we can imagine it In a word our Sunne now sets our day is done ask Jacob the Clock-keeper of our time this Text tells the hour and now struck you hear the sound our dayes are gone few and evil they have been The Conlusion Occasioned by the death of CHARLES BRIDGEMAN who deceased about the age of twelve in the yeare of our Lord 1632. he was a most pious sonne of a most pious mother both now with God HEre I thought to have finished my Text and Sermon But here is a sad accident to confirm my saying and whilest I speak of him what can I say of his state his person his birth his life of all he had and of all he was but that they have been Sweet rose cropt in its blossome no sooner budded but blasted how shall we remember his daies to forget our sorrows no sooner had he learnt to speak but contrary to our custome he betook him to his prayers so soon had grace quelled the corruption of his nature that being yet an infant you might see his proneness to learn nay sometimes to teach them this dutie who waited on to teach him his devotion not long after he was set to school where he learned by book what before he had learned by heart the sweet care good disposition sincere religion which were in this child all may remember which cast but their eyes upon him O God hovv hast thou bereaved us of this Gem Sure it is as it was said of another for this cause onely
now art thou arrayed in the shining robes of Heaven and all the Host do triumph at thy corronation Sweet soul how am I ravished to think upon thee What joy is this The Patriarchs salute thee the Prophets welcome thee the Apostles hug thee all hands clap for joy all harps warble all hearts are merry and glad O thou Creatour of men and Angels help us all to Heaven that when our dayes have been we may all meet together in thy blessed Kingdome I have done turn back by the same thread that led you through this labyrinth and you shall have in two words the summe of this whole Text. The time of our Lease what is it but our Life what is this Life but a number of few dayes what are these dayes but a world full of evil But a life but dayes but few but evil can we adde any more Yes Life is life howsoever we live and better you think to have a bad lease in being then our life to be quite extinguished nay be not deceived this life is but death the dayes that we spend they are past and done few and evill they have been Thus ends the Text with the exspiration of our Lease yet is not all done when we loose this life we have another free-hold prepared in Heaven and this is not leased but purchased not for a life but inheritance not for dayes but for ever Crosse but the words of my Text and many and happy shall the ages of thy life be in Heaven for ever and ever Amen FINIS Deaths Arrest LUKE 12.20 This night thy soul shall be required of thee MAns Bodie we say is closed up within the Elements his Bloud in his Bodie his Spirits in his Bloud his Soul in his Spirits and God or Sathan in his Soul Who holds the possession we may guesse in life but then is it most apparent when we come to death The tree may bend East or West or North or South but as it falleth so it lieth Our affections may look up or down towards heaven or hel but as we die we receive our doom and then whose we are shall be fully made manifest to all the world There is a parable of poor Lazarus Luke 16. whose life was nothing but a catalogue of miseries his body full of sores his mind full of sorrows what spectacle could we think more pitifull whose best dainties were but broken crumbs and his warmest lodging but the rich mans gates Here is a parable of a certain rich man who enjoyes or at least purposeth a delicious fare he hath lands vers 16. Vers 16. fruits vers 17. 17. buildings vers 18. 18. and if this be the Inventorie what is the summe see it collected in the verse succeeding Soul 19. thou hast much goods laid up for many years now live at ease Eat drink and take thy pastime These two estates thus different how should they be but of divers tenures Matth. 6.24 No man can serve God and Mammon See Lazarus dying and the Angels carry him in-Abrahams bosome See this rich man dying and they that is devils require his soul God receives one and his soul is in heaven Sathan takes the other and drags down his soul to hel he is comforted that received pains and thou art tormented that wast full of ease this is the doom and that he may undergo this death now gives the summons This night thy soul shall be required of thee The Text we may christen Deaths Arrest it is we that offend his Majestie of heaven and his precepts are given unto Death to attach our souls See here a president a rich man taken on a sudden who must instantly appear before the Judge of heaven when this night What thy soul Why it is required Of whom of thee Or if this will not find the offender see yet a more narrow search every word is like some dark closet therefore we will open the windovvs that you may have full light This Text is Deaths Arrest vvhich as it must be executed so it admits of no other time but This This what this day whilest the Sun gives light to the vvorld and the light gives pleasure to the eie this vvere some comfort no but then suddenly vvhilst all sleep securely not This day but This night And vvhat this night Is it to attach the bodie of some great personage vvhose looks might affrighten Officers had they come by day No let his bodie rot in dust vvhilest the Soul must ansvver his defaults it is not thy body 't is thy soul And what of his soul Is this a subject liable to arrests rather can they beg it at his hands or vvill he yield it at their fair intreaties no it is neither begg'd nor intreated but by vertue of Gods Writ it is required And hovv required of his sureties bound for his good appearing he hath many friends and all either have or vvould have entred bonds no he must go vvithout bail or main-prize it is not required of his sureties but himself not of others but of thee is thy soul this night required You hear the Texts harmonie of each string vve vvill give a touch and first note the time this night This. Doctrine NO other but This were it a fortnight a seven-night any but This night and his griefs were lessened the news is more heartlesse in that it comes more sudden You may observe Then are the greatest losses when they come on us by heaps and without fear or suspicion of any such matter Here was a man swimming in his fulnesse and a sudden death robs him of all his treasures To give you a full view see his possessions and how great was the losse because of the suddennesse This night First those goods whereof he boasted are now confiscate not a peny not a dram not a mite shall be left him save onely a token of remembrance I mean his winding-sheet which he carries along with him to his grave Secondly his goods and grounds both were took from him at his death he that commanded so much of earth must now have no more earth to pleasure him but a grave what a change was this his grounds were fertile Vers 16. and they brought forth plenteously but a blast of death hath struck both the fruit and ground and nothing is now left him but a barren Tombe Thirdly his lands and houses both went together You may guesse that great demeans must have stately Halls we read of his building and especially of his Barns when these were too little for his store he tells us he will pull them down and he will build greater He never thinks of any little room in the bowels of the poor Was his harvest so great that his barns would not hold it Whence came the blessing but from God How is it then he forgets God that bestowed this blessing It is written When ye reap the harvest of the Land ye shall not reap
how it is required when this night a fearfull sound unlookt-for message speedy dispatch no more delays nor days onely this night for then must his soul be taken from him You see all his losses and now to contract them there is one griefe more then all that all is lost on a sudden Losses that come by succession are better born with but all on a sudden is the worst of all yet such is the misery of man when he goes all goes with him and he and all pass away on a sudden As in the days of Noah they ate and drunk married and gave in marriage and knew nothing tell the floud came and took them all away so is the coming of the Son of man Matth. 24.38 Mat. 24.38 How many have been thus took tripping in their wickedness Belshazzar in his mirth Herod in his pride the Philistims in their banquetting the men of Ziklag in their feasting Jobs children in their drunkenness the Sodomites in their filthiness the Steward in his security this Churle in his plenty miserable end when men end in their sin Call to mind this O my soul and tremble sleep not in sin lest the sleep of death surprize thee The hour is certain in nothing but uncertainties for sure thou must dye yet thou knowest not on what day nor in what place Certa mors incerta hora. nor how thou shalt be disposed when death must be entertained Do you not see most dye whiles they are most busie how to live he that once thought but to begin to take his ease was fain that very night whether he would or no to make his end would you have thought this Psal 37.35 39 he but now flourished like a green bay tree his thoughts full of mirth his soul of ease but I passed by and loe he was gone gone whether his body to the grave his soul to hell in the middest of his jollity God threats destruction Devils execution death expedition and thus like a Swan he sings his funerals There is that saith I have found rest and now will I eat continually of my goods and yet he knoweth not what time shall come upon him and that he must leave those things to others and dye Ecclus 11.19 Eccles 11.19 The higher our Babel-tower of joy is raised the nearer it is to ruine and confusion Sodome in the heat of their sins had that showr of fire poured on their heads Nebuchadnezzar in the height of his pride became suddenly a beast that ruled before as a King once for all here was a man solacing singing warbling out pleasant songs of ease and pastime but O the misery in the middest of his note here is a suddain stop he dreames of longs and larges he hears of briefes and semi-briefes no longer a day but this very night and then shall thy soul be taken from thee See here the many losses of one man his goods his grounds his houses his friends his time his soul and all on a sudden whilest the word is spoken this night Vse 1 Our neighbours fire cannot but give warning of approaching flames Remember his judgment thine also may be likewise Ecclus 38.22 unto me yester-day and unto thee to day Whose turn is next God onely knows who knows all Is not madness in the hearts of men whiles they live Eccles 9.3 In the least suspition of loosing worldly riches all watch and break their sleep you shall see men work and toyl and fear and care and all too little to prevent a losse but for all these losses which are linked together our riches lands houses friends time and soul and all we have there is few or none regards them O that men are so carefull in trifles and so negligent in matters of a great importance It is storied of Archimedes that when Syracuse was taken he onely was sitting secure at home and drawing circles with his compass in the dust Thus some we have that when the eternall salvation of their souls is in question they are handling their dust nothing but suites or mony-matters are their daily objects but alas what will your goods or grounds or houses or friends avail you when death comes Where did ever that man dwell that was comforted by any of these in that last and sorest conflict Give me a man amongst you that spends the span of his transitory life in grasping gold gathering wealth growing great inriching his posterity without any endeavour or care to treasure up grace against that fatall hour and I dare certainly tell him whensoever he comes to his deaths bed he shall find nothing but an horrible confusion extremest horrour and heaviness of heart nay his soul shall presently down into the kingdome of darkness and there lye and fry in everlasting fires Nor speak I only to the covetous though my text seem more directly to point at them but whosoever thou art that goest on daily in a course of sin in the fear of God unbethink thee of mortality some of you may think I speake not to you and others I speake not to you the truth is I speake to you all but to you more especially that to this day have sinned with delight but never as yet felt the smart for sin upon your souls or consciences O beloved this is it I call for and must call for till you feel a change a thorow-change in you would but some of you at this present examine you consciences and say whether have I not been inordinate in drunkenness or wantonness or coveteousness whether have I not sworn an oath or told a lye or dissembled in my heart when I have spoken O who can say amongst you I am clean I am clean and assure your selves if you are guilty you must either feel hearts grief or you can never be provided for deaths dismall arrest If you were but sensible of sin if you felt but the weight and horrour of Gods wrath for sin I am verily perswaded you would not take a quiet sleep in your beds for fear and horrour and heaviness of heart what is it but madness of a man to lye down in ease upon a feather bed and to lodge in his bosome that deadly enemy sin But horrour of horrours what if this night whilest you sleep in your sin death should arrest you on your beds This I tell you is no wonder are not sudden deaths common and ordinary among the sons of men How many have we heard that went to bed well over night for ought any man could tell and yet were found dead in the morning I will not say carried away out of their beds and cast into hell fire whether it be so or no the Lord our God knows but howsoever it is with them if we for our parts commit sin and repent not thereof by crying and sobbing and sorrowing for sin it may be this night and that is not long to you may sleep your last in this world and
fearfully out of this miserable world I know not what you have seen but there is very few which have not heard of many too many in this case What were Judas thoughts when he strangled himself that his bowels gushed out again What were Cains visions when he ran like a vagabond roaring and crying Gen. 4.14 Whosoever findeth me shall slay me What are all their affrights that cry when they are a dying they see spirits and Devils flying about them coming for them roaring against them as if an hell entred into them before themselves could enter it I dare instance in no other but this wretched miser What a night was that to him when on a sudden a darknesse seized on him that never after left him Thus many go to bed that never rise again till they be wakened by the fearfull sound of the last Trumpet and was not this a terrour whose heart doth not quake whose flesh doth not tremble whose senses are not astonished whilest vve do but think on it And then vvhat vvere the sufferings of himself in his person He might cry and roar and vvail and vveep yet there is none to help him his heart-strings break the blessed Angels leave him Devils still exspect him and novv the Judge hath pronounced his sentence This night in the dark they must seiz upon him Yet this was not all the horrour it was a night both of darkness and drowsiness or security in sinne He that reads the life of this man may well wonder at the fearfull end of so fair beginnings walk into his fields and there his cattel prosper come nearer to his house and there his barns swell with corn enter into his gates and there every table stands richly furnished step yet into his chambers and you may imagine doun-beds curtain'd with gold hangings nay yet come nearer we will draw the curtains and you shall view the person he had toiled all day and now see how securely he takes his rest this night he dreams golden dreams of ease of mirth of pastime as all our worldly pleasures are but waking dreams but stay a while and see the issue just like a man who starting out of sleep sees his house on fire his goods ransacked his family murthered himself near lost and not one to pitie him when the very thrusting in of an arm might deliver him this and no other was the case of this dying miser at that night while his senses were most drowsie most secure death comes in the dark and arrests him on his bed Awake rich Cormorant what charms have lulled thee thus asleep Canst thou slumber whilest death breaks down this house thy bodie to rob thee of that jewell thy soul What a deep dull drowsie dead sleep is this O fool this night is thy soul assaulted see death approaching Devils hovering Gods justice threatning canst thou yet sleep and are thine eyes yet heavie Behold the hour is at hand and thy soul must be delivered into the hands of thine enemies heavie eies he sleeps still his care all day had cast him into so dead a sleep this night that nothing can warn him untill death awake him That thief is most dangerous that comes at night such a thief is death a thief that steals men Latro hominis which then is most busie whilest we are most drowsie most secure in sinne Heark the sluggard that lulls himself in his sinnes Yet a little more sleep a little more slumber is not his destruction sudden and poverty coming on him like an armed man Prov. 6.11 Prov. 6.11 Watch saith our Saviour for you know not when the master of the house cometh at even or at midnight at the cock-crow or in the morning lest coming suddenly he should find you sleeping Mark 13.35 Mark 13.35 36. Was not this the wretchednesse of the foolish virgins how sweetly could they slumber how soundly could they sleep untill mid-night they never wake nor so much as dream to buy oyl for their lamps imagine then how fearfull were those summons to these souls Behold the Bridegroom go ye out to meet him Matth. 25.26 Sudden fears of all others are most dangerous was it not a fearfull waking to this rich man when no sooner that he opened his eyes but he saw deaths uglinesse afore his face what a sight was this at his door enters the King of fear accompanied with all his abhorred horrours and stinging dread on his curtains he may read his sinns arrayed and armed in their grisliest forms and with their fieriest stings about his bed are the powers of darknesse now presenting to his view his damnable state his deplorable miserie what can he do that is thus beset with such a world of wofull work and hellish rage his tongue faulters his breath shortens his throat rattles he would not watch and now cannot resist the crie is made the mid-night come God sounds destruction and thus runs the proclamation This night so drowsie thy soul must be taken from thee And yet more horrour it was a night of drowsinesse and sadnesse How is he but sad when he sees the night coming and his last day decaying Read but the copy of this rich mans Will and see how he deals all he hath about him he bequeaths his garments to the moth his gold to rust his body to the grave his soul to hell his goods and lands he knows not to whom Whose shall these things be Here is the man that made such mirth all day and now is he forced to leave all he hath this night It is the fruit of merry lives to give sad farwels You that sport your selves and spoyl others that rob God in his members and treasure up your own damnations will not death make sorrie hearts for your merry nights a night wil come as sad as sadnesse in her sternest looks and then what a lot will befall you O that men are such cruell Caitiffs to their own souls Is this a life think ye fit for the servants of our God revelling swearing drinking railing what other did this miser he would eat and drink and revell and sing and then came fear as desolation and his destruction on a sudden as a whirl-wind If this be our life how should we escape his death Alas for the silly mirth that now we pleasure in you may be sure a night will come that must pay for all and then shall your pleasures vanish your griefs begin and your numberlesse sins like so many envenomed stings run into your damned souls and pierce them through with everlasting sorrow away with this fond Prov. 14.13 foolish sottish vanitie The end of mirth is heavinesse saith Solomon Prov. 14.13 What will the sonnes and daughters of pleasure do then all those sweet delights shall be as scourges and Scorpions for your naked souls Then though too late will you lamentably cry out Wisd 5.8.9 What hath pride profited us or what profit hath the pomp of riches
adornas Hugo de claustro animae not so much for the body as for the souls good to this purpose saith Hugo Why cloath we the body in silks which must rot in the grave and adorn not the soul with faith and good works which one day must appear before God and his Angels O think of this day this night this hour of death for then must your Souls be taken from you Thus far you see the rich mans arrest God injoyns it death serves it the time was this night and the party is his Soul God give us grace to provide our souls that when death arrests we may be ready and then O God have thou mercy on our Souls Shall be required THe originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They shall require it wherein you have the Sergeants Arrest The Sergeants They and the arrest it self They require his soul Wee 'll first take a view of the Sergeants They who not God he knows not sinners what should he do with a drunken profane covetous sensuall soul he that never so much as thought on God in this life will God accept of the commending of his soul to him at his death no the Lord of heaven will none of it he that forsook God is justly forsaken of God See the true weight of this balance he would not receive Gods grace into his soul and God will not receive his graceless soul into heaven But who then will the Angels take it no they have nothing to do with the soul of a dying sinner the Angels are onely porters for the souls of the just Poor Lazarus that could neither go nor sit nor stand for sores it is he must be carried on the wings of Angels but for this rich man not the lowest Angell will do him poorest service Who then will the Saints receive it no they have no such commission to receive a soul that blind opinion which every one may blush at that Saint Peter should be heavens porter and that none may go in but to whom he will open if it be true why may not a Saint help a departing soul Away with this dreaming folly not Peter nor Paul nor all the Saints of heaven have any such priviledg if God will not hear us what will our prayers do to Saints Heaven is too far off they cannot hear or were it nearer they will not cannot help it is God must save us or we perish ever Who then are the Sergeants not God nor Saints nor Angels no there is another crew Death and Devils stand in a readiness and they are the parties that arrest this prisoner Stay what would death have the soul cannot die and for the body no matter who receives it O yes there is a death of the soul as well as of the body I mean not such a death whereby it may be annihilated but a second death that shall ever accompany it this is a death of the soul that will always keep it in deaths pangs But not to speak of this death there is another death temperall that shall sever the soul and body each from other these two twins that have lived together since their first espousall these two lovely ones that were made and met and married by the hands of God these two made one till death them depart and make them two again now is their rufull time of divorce when death comes he gives over the body to the grave and arrests the soul to appear in presence before Gods high Tribunall Such a Bayliffe hath now laid hands on this rich mans soul when he least thought on 't death comes on a sudden and arrests his person O wretched worldling who is this behinde thee call we this Gods Sergeant What grim ugly monstrous visage is this we see have ever any of you seen the grisly picture of death before you how was it but with hollow eyes open skull grinning teeth naked ribs a few bones knit together with dry strings as presenting to your eyes the most deformed image of a man in moldes But what 's that in his hands an hour-glass and a dart the one expressing the decreasings of our life and the other deaths stroke that he gives us in our death Such emblemes are most fit to express mortality and imagine such a thing to arrest this rich man would it not terrifie him whilest looking back death suddenly claps him on his shoulder away he must with this messenger all the gold and pearl of East and West cannot stay him one hour now rich man what avails all thy worldly pleasure Hadst thou in thy hands the reigns of all earthly kingdomes wert thou exalted as the Eagle Obad. 1.4 and thy nest set among the starrs yet all this and whatsoever else thou canst imagine is not worth a button where did that man dwell or of what cloth was his garment that was ever comforted by his goods or greatness in this last and sorest conflict See worldling death requires thy soul no bribe will be taken no entreatie will prevail no riches rescue nothing at all redeem death death is impartiall But O horrour death is not all see yet more Sergeants Devils and Dragons are about thy bed and these are they that will hurrie away thy soul to hell How Devils O worldling stay thy soul and never yield it better to die a thousand deaths then to leave it in their hands but alas thou canst not choose thy last hour is come and here is neither hope nor help nor place of any longer terrying See but the misery of a miserable soul what shall it do whither shall it fly from these damned Furies would they take it and teare it into nothing it were somewhat tollerable but to teare it in pieces and never to make end of tearing to give it torments without all patience or resistance this is that load which it cannot bear and yet O extremity it ever ever must be born Think on this O my soul and whilest thou hast a minutes stay in this body call upon God to prevent this arrest of Devils was it not think yee a terrour to this rich man when so many hell hounds waited for his soul we read of one man Hartmundus Schedel in vit Pap. who being took away with a Devill through the air was said so to roar and yell that many miles distant his noise was heard to many a mans trembling And if a soul had but the organs of a sound what a shreek would it make being seized on by a Devil witness the cries of many desperate souls when as yet they are safe in their beds how do they roar and rage how do they call and cry Help help us save us deliver us from these fiends about us these are those evening wolves enraged with hellish hunger these are those ramping Lyons ever ready to devour our souls these are those walkers up and down the earth which are now come and entred into this rich mans lodging
dreadfull of hel yet coveting death in a continuall torment yet his own tormentour consuming himself with grief and horrour impatience and despair till at last he ended his miserable-miserable life And now beloved if such be the departure of a sinnfull soul O who would live in sinne to come to such a departure For my part I dare not say these parties thus miserable in their own apprehensions are now among Devils in hell I find the Authours themselves to incline to the right hand besides what am I that I should sit in Gods Chair onely this I say that their miserable deaths may verie well give warning to us all nor need you think much at me for uttering these terribilia terrible stories for if sometimes you did not hear of Gods judgements against sinne a day might come that you would most of all crie out on the Preacher To this purpose we have a story of a certain rich man who lying on his death-bed My soul said he I bequeath to the Devil who owns it my wife to the Devil who drew me to my ungodly life and my Chaplain to the Devil who flattered me in it I pray God I never hear of such a Legacy from any of you sure I had better to tell you aforehand to prevent it then not telling you to feel it And let this be for my Apologie in relating these stories Vse 2 But for a second Use give me leave I pray you to separate the precious from the vile Now then to sweeten the thoughts of all true penitents the souls of Saints are not required but received Rejoyce then ye righteous that mourn in Sion what though a while ye suffer death is a Goal-delivery to your souls not bringing in but freeing out of thraldome Here the good man finds sharpest misery the evil man sweetest felicity therefore it is just that there should be a time of changing turnes The rich mans Table stood full of delicates Lazarus lacks crums but now he is comforted and thou art tormented Luke 16.25 Wo unto you that laugh for you shall mourn Luke 6.25 Luke 6.25 Blessed are you that mourn for you shall rejoyce Matth. 5.4 Matth. 5.4 Happy Lazarus who from thy beggary and loathsome sores wert carried by Angels into Abrahams bosome happy Thief who upon thy true repentance and unfeigned prayer wert received from the Crosse to the Paradise of thy Saviour happy are all they that suffer tribulation Death shall lose their souls from bonds and fetters and in stead of a Bayliff to arrest them shall be a Porter to conduct them to the gates of heaven There shalt thou tread on Serpents trample on thine enemies sing sweet Trophies were not this enough thy Conquests shall be crowned by the hands of Seraphims triumphed with the sound of Angels warbled by the Quire of Spirits confirmed by the King of Kings and Lord of Hosts Happy Soul that art not required by Devils but received by Angels and when we die Lord Jesus send thine Angels to receive our Souls You see now Deaths Arrest and what remains further save to accept of some Bail But what Bail where you have the Kings Commandment from his own mouth this requiring is not of any other but himself of no suretie but of thee saith God must thy Soul be required Of thee ONce more you see I have brought this rich man on the stage his doom is now at hand and Death Gods messenger summons him to appear by Requiring of his soul but of whom is it Required had he any Sureties to put in or was any Bail sufficient to be taken for him no he must go himself without all help or remedie it was he that sinned and it is he must pay for it Of thee it is required How of thee Sure Death mistakes we can find thousands more fit none more fearfull there stands a Saul near him his armour-bearer behold a Judas such will outface deaths fury nay rather then if fail in its office they will not much question to be their own Deaths-men but this Of thee who art at league with hell in love with earth at peace with all is most terribly fearfull Stay Death there stands a poor Lazarus at the gates like Job on his dung-hil his eyes blind his ears deaf his feet lame his bodie struck with Boyls Job 7.15 and his Soul choosing rather to be strangled and die then to be in his bones were not this a fit object for deaths crueltie would he spare the rich he should be welcome to the poor but Death is inexorable he must not live nor shall the Beggar beg his own death for another Of thee it is required But Death yet stay thy hand here 's a better surety what needs death a presse when he may have volunteers there stands an old man as ready for the grave as the grave for him his face is furrowed his hairs hoary his back bowing his hammes bending and therefore no song is fitter then old Simeons Luke 2.29 Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace Youth is loath but Age is merry to depart from misery let Death then take him that standeth nearest deaths-door No the old must die but the young may he must die soon yet be sure thou shalt not live long Of thee it is required Cannot this serve let death yet stay his hand there stands a servant waiting at this rich mans beck as if he would spend his own life to save his Masters he can make a Pageant of Cringes act a whole speech of flatteries every part owes him service feet to run hands to work head to crouch and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of a Mistris so the eyes of his servants look unto the hands of their Master but where be these attendants when death comes was ever any Master better then Christ were ever any servants truer then his Apostles yet see their fidelitie must their Saviour die one betrayes him another forswears him all run from him and leave him alone in midst of all his enemies what then is the trust of servants the rich man may command and go without if death should require them they would not or if they should desire death hee will not his arrest concerns not the servants it is for the Master himself he that command others now death commands him Of thee it is required Will not all do Let death but stay this once there stands a friend that will loose his own to save his life Greater love then this hath no man saith our Saviour when any man bestoweth his life for his friends John 15.13 John 15.13 Riches may perhaps procure such love and get some friend to answer deaths quarrel which he ows this man Jonathan loves David David Absolon and sure it was a love indeed when Jonathan preserves the life of David and David wisheth a death to himself in the stead of Absolon O my sonne Absolon 2.
judgment seat the rosie wounds of our Saviour still bleeding as it were in the prisoners presence These are the wounds not as tokens of infirmity but victory Aquin. supplem Q. 90. A. 2. ad secundum and these now shall appear not as if he must suffer but to shew us he hath suffered See here an object full of glory splendor majesty excellency and this is He the man the judg the rewarder of every man according to his works The Judge we have set in his Throne and before we appear let us practice our repentance that we answer the better Vse 1 Think but O sinner what shall be thy reward when thou shalt meet this Iudge The adultery for a while may flatter beauty the Swearer grace his words with oathes the Drunkard kiss his cups and drink his bodies-health till he bring his soul to ruine but remember for all these things God will bring thee to judgment Eccles 11.9 Cold comfort in the end the Adulterer shall fatisfie his lust when he lies on a bed of fire all hugged and embraced with those flames the swearer shall have enough of wounds and blood when Devils torture his body and rack his soul in hell the Drunkard shall have plenty of his Cups when scalding lead shall be poured down his throat and his breath draw flames of fire in stead of air as is thy sin so is the nature of thy punishment the just Iudge shall give just measure and the ballance of his wrath poize in a just porportion Vse 2 Yet I will not discomfort you who are these Iudges dearest favorites Now is the day if you are Gods servants that Sathan shall be trod under your feet and you with your Lord and Master Christ shall be carried into the holiest of holies You may remember how all the men of God in their greatest anguishes here below have fetcht comfort by the eye of faith at this mountain Iob rejoyced being cast on the Dung-hill that his Redeemer lived and that he should see him at the last day stand on the earth Iohn longed and cried Come Lord Iesus come quickly and had we the same precious faith we have the same precious promises why then are we not ravished at the remembrance of these things certainly there is an happy faith wheresoever it shall be found that shall not be ashamed at that day Now therefore little children abide in him 1 Joh. 2.28 that when he shall appear we may have confidence Confidence what else I will see you again saith our Saviour-Iudge and your heart shall rejoyce Joh. 16.22 and your joy no man taketh from you O blessed mercy that so triumphes against judgment our hearts must joy our joyes endure and all this occasioned by the sight of our Saviour for Hee shall reward every man according to his works We have prepared the Iudge for sentence he hath rid his circuit in the Clouds and made the Rain-bow his chair of state for his judgment seat his Sheriffes are the Saints that now rise from the Dust to meet their Iudge whom long they have exspected the summons is sent out by a shout from heaven the cry no sooner made but the graves flie open and the dead arise stay a while till I ready them you have seen the Iudge and now we prepare the judged He is the Iudge every man the judged and He shall reward every man according to his works Every man THe persons to be judged are a world of men all men of the world good and bad elect and reprobates but in a different manner To give you a full view of them I must lead your attentions orderly through these passages there must be a Citation Resurrection Collection Separation follow me in these pathes and you may see both the men and their difference before they come to their judgments First there is a summons and Every man must hear it it is performed by a shout from heaven and the voice of the last Trump Surgite mortui venite ad judicium Jeronymus super Mathaeum Verc vox tubae terribilis cui omnia obediunt elementa petras scindit inferos c. Chrysost 1. ad Corin. 15. the clangor of this Trump could ever sound in Ieroms eares Arisr yee dead and come to judgment the clangor of this Trump will sound in all mens eares it shall wake the dead out of their drouzy sleep and change the living from their mortall state make devils tremble and the whole world shake with terrour A terrible voice a Trumpet shall sound that shall shake the world rend the rocks break the mountains dissolve the bonds of death burst down the gates of hell and unite all spirits to their own bodies What say you to this Trump that can make the whole Universe to tremble no sooner shall it sound but the the earth shall shake the mountains skip like Ramms and the little hills like young sheep it shall pierce the waters and fetch from the bottome of the Sea the dust of Adams seed it shall tear the rocky Tombes of earthly Princes and make their haughty minds to stoop before the King of heaven it shall remove the center and tear the bowels of the earth open the graves of all the dead and fetch their souls from heaven or hell to reunite them to their bodies A dreadfull summons of the wicked whom this suddain noise will no less astonish then confound the dark pitchy walls of that infernall pit of hell shall be shaken with the shout when the dreadfull soul shall leave its place of terrour and once more re-enter into her stinking Carrion to receive a greater condemnation what terrour will this be to the wicked wretch what wofull salutations will there be between that body and soul which living together in the height of iniquity must now be re-united to enjoy the fulness of their misery Joh. 5.28 29. The voice of Christ is powerfull the dead shall hear his voice and they shall come forth they that have done good unto the resurrection of life and they that have done evill unto the resurrection of condemnation You hear the summons and the next is your appearance death the Goaler brings all his prisoners from the grave and they must stand and appear before the Judge of heaven The summons is given and every man must appear Death must now give back all their spoils and restore again all that she hath took from the world What a gastly sight will this be to see all the Sepulchers open to see dead men rise out of their graves and the scattered dust to flie on the wings of the wind till it meet together in one compacted body Ezekiels dry bones shall live thus saith the Lord I will lay sinewes upon you and make flesh grow upon you and cover you with skin and put breath in you and you shall know that I am the Lord Ezek. 37.6 Ezek. 37.6 This dust of ours shall be
sinners actions nothing shall be hid when this book is opened for all may run and read it stand and hear it How fond are we that imagine heavens eye such is this book to be shut upon us Do we not see many run to corners to commit their sins there can they say Let us take our fill of love untill the morning for darkness hath covered us and who seeth us who knoweth us Esai 29.15 Prov. 7.18 Esay 29.15 But are not the Angels of God about you 1 Cor. 4.9 We are a spectacle to the Angels saith the Apostle I am sure we must be to both to Angels and to men and to all the world O do not that before the Angels of God yea before the God of Angels which you would shame to do in the sight and presence of an earthly man Alas must our thoughts be known and shall not dark-corner sins be revealed must every word and syllable we speak be writ and recorded in Gods memorable book and must not ill deeds ill demeanours ill works of darkness be disclosed at that day yes God shall bring every work unto judgment with every secret thing be it good or evill Eccles 12.14 Eccles 12.14 Wail yee wicked and tremble in astonishment Now your closet-sins must be disclosed your private faults laid open Gods keeps the account-book of every sin every transgression Imprimis for adultery Item for envie blasphemy oaths drunkenness violence murther and every sin from the beginning to this time from our birth to our buriall the totall summe eternall death and damnation this is the note of accounts wherein are all thy offences written the debt is death the pay perdition which fury pays over to destruction But there is another book that shall give a more full I cannot say but a more fearfull evidence then the former which is the book of every mans conscience Some call it the book of testimony which every man still bears about him There is within us a Book and Secretary the Book is Conscience and the Secretary is our soul whatsoever we do is known to the soul and writ in our book of conscience there is no man can so much as commit one sin but his soul that is privy to the fact will write it in this book In what a wofull case will thy heart then be in what strange terrour and trembling must it stand possest when this must be opened and thy sinnes revealed It is now perhaps a book shut up and sealed Liber signatue clausus in die judicii aperiendus but in the day of judgement shall be opened and if once opened what shall be the evidence that it will bring forth there is a private Sessions to be held in the breast of every condemned sinner the memorie is Recorder grief an Accuser truth is the Law damnation the Judgement hell the Prison Devils the Jaylours and Conscience both Witnesse and Judge to passe sentence on thee What hopes he at the generall Assize whose conscience hath condemned him before he appear Look well to thy life thou bearest about thee a book of testimonie which though for a time it be shut till it be full fraught with accusations yet then at the Day of Doom it must be opened when thou shalt read and weep and read every period stop with a sigh every word be enough to break thy heart and every syllable reveal some secret thy own conscience upon the matter being both witnesse Judge accuser and condemner But yet there is another book we read of and that is the book of life Herein are written all the names of Gods elect from the beginning of the world till the end thereof these are the golden leaves this is that precious book of heaven wherein if we are registred not all the powers of hell or death or devils shall blot us out again Here is the glory of each devout souldier of our Saviour how many have spent their lives spilt their blouds runne upon sudden deaths to gain a perpetuall name and yet for all their doings many of these are dead and gone and their memories perished with them onely Christs souldier hath immortall fame he and onely he is writ in that book that must never perish Come hither ye ambitious your names may be writ in Chronicles yet lost writ in durable marble yet perish writ in a monument equall to a Colossus yet be ignominious O were you but writ in this book of life your names should never die never suffer any ignominy It is an axiome most true they that are written in the eternall leaves of heaven shall never be wrapped in the cloudy sheets of darknesse Here then is the joy of Saints at that Day of Doom this book shall be opened and all the elect whom God hath ordained to salvation shall see it read it hear it and greatly rejoyce at it The Disciples casting out devils return with miracles in their mouths O Lord say they even devils are subject to us through thy name True saith Christ I saw Sathan as lightning fall from heaven notwithstanding in this rejoyce not that the spirits are subject unto you but rather rejoyce because your names are written in heaven Luke 10.20 Luke 10.20 And well may the Saints rejoyce that have their names written in Gods book they shall see them to their comfort writ in letters of gold penned with the Almighties finger ingraven with a pen of a diamond thus will this book give in the evidence and accordingly will the Judge proceed to sentence Vse 1 Consider thou that readest what books one day must be set before thee a time will come when every thought of thy heart every word of thy mouth every glance of thy eye every moment of thy time every office thou hast born every companie thou hast used every sermon thou hast heard every action thou hast done and every omission of any duty or good deed thou hast left undone shall be seen in these books at the first opening of them thy conscience shall then be suddenly clearly and universally inlarged with extraordinary light to look upon all thy life at once Gods memory shall then shine forth and shew it self when all men looking on it as a reflecting glasse they shall behold all the passages of their misspent lives from their births to their burials Where is the wicked and deceitfull man wilt thou yet commit thy villanies treacheries robberies murthers debates and impieties Let me tell thee if so to thy hearts-grief all thy secret sinnes and closet villanies that no eye ever lookt upon but that which is a thousand times brighter then the Sunne shall then be disclosed and laid open before Angels men and devils and thou shall then and there be horribly universally and everlastingly ashamed never therefore go about to commit any sinne because it is midnight or that the doors are lockt upon thee suppose it be concealed and lie hid in as great darknesse as
it was committed till Dooms-day again yet then shall it out with a witnesse and be as legible in thy forehead as if it were writ with the brightest stars or the most glistring Sun beam upon a wall of chrystall Vse 2 As you mean the good of your souls amend your lives call your selves to account while it is called to day search and examine all your thoughts words and deeds and prostrating your selves before God with broken and bleeding affections pray and sue that your names may be writ in heaven in that Book of life This will be the joy of your hearts the peace of your souls the rest of your minds yea how glad will you then be to have * It is a question whether the sinnes of Gods people shall be manifested at that day some say they shall be manifested not for their ignominy or confusion but onely that the goodnesse and grace of God may be made the more illustrious and for this they urge Matth. 12.36 2 Cor. 5.10 Revel 20.12 Others say they shall not be manifested 1. Because Christ in his sentence onely enumerates the good works they had done but takes no notice of their sins 2. Because this agrees best with those expressions that God blotteth out our sins and that they are thrown into the bottome of the sea 3. Because Christ is their bridegroom friend advocate and how ill would it become one in such relations to accuse or lay open their sins which of these opinions is truest is hard to say Heb. 6.10 all these books laid open by this means I speak it to the comfort of all true hearted Christians shall your obedience and repentance and faith and love and zeal and patience c. come to light and be known God is not unrighteous to forget your works of labour and love No all must out especially at that day when the books shall be open our works manifested and as we have done so must we be rewarded for then he shall reward every man according to his works The books are opened and now are the matters to be examined there is first a view and then a tryall The Law-book whereby we are tryed contains three leaves Nature the Law and the Gospel the Gentiles must be tryed by the first the unbelieving Jews and Gentiles by the second and the faithfull Jews and Gentiles by the last Those that confesse no God but nature must be judged by the law of nature those that confesse a God no Christ must be judged by the Law of God without the merits of Christ those that confesse God the Father and believe in God the Sonne shall be judged by the Gospel which reconcileth us to God the Father by the merits of Christ Atheists by the law of nature infidels by the law of God Christians by the Gospel of our Saviour Christ To the statutes of the former who can answer our hope is in the latter we appeal to the Gospel and by the Gospel we shall have our tryall They that have sinned without the law Rom. 2.12 shall perish without the law and they that have sinned under the law shall be judged by the law Rom. 2.16 But God shall judge the secrets of all hearts of all our hearts by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel Rom. 2.12.16 Vse Vel te totaliter absolvit vel te capitaliter damnat John 16.9 Let this then forewarn us what we have to do It is the Gospel that will either throughly justifie thee or extremely condemn thee The Spirit shall convince the world of sinne saith Christ and why so but because they believe not on me John 16.9 There is no sinne but infidelitie no righteousnesse but faith not that adulterie intemperance malice are no sinnes but if unfaithfulnesse remain not all these sinnes are pardoned and so they are as if they were no sins indeed How quick a riddance true repenting faith makes with our sinnes they are too heavie for our shoulders and we cannot bear them faith onely turns them over unto Christ and we are disburthened of them whereas there would go with us to judgement an huge kennell of lusts an armie of vain words a legion of evil deeds faith instantly dischargeth them all and kneeling down to Jesus Christ beseecheth him to answer for them all howsoever committed O then make we much of faith but not of such a faith neither as goes alone without works it is nothing at this judgement to say I have believed and not well lived the Gospel requires both faith to believe and obedience to work not onely to repent and believe the Gospel Mark 1.15 Mark 1.15 but to obey from the heart that form of doctrine Rom. 6.17 Rom. 6.17 True indeed thou shalt be saved for thy faith not for thy works but for such a faith as is without works thou shalt never be saved we say therefore A justificando non à justificato works are disjoyned from the act of justifying not from the person justified heaven is given to us for Christs merits but we must shew him the fair copie of our lives O then let this move us to abound in knowledge and faith and repentance and love and zeal and clothing and feeding and lodging the poor members of Christ Jesus and howsoever all these can merit nothing at Gods hands yet will he crown his own gifts and reward them in his mercy Say then dost thou relieve a poor member of Christ Jesus dost thou give a cup of cold water to a Prophet in the name of Prophet Matt. 10.42 Christ doth promise thee of his truth he will not let thee lose thy reward certainly he will not so thy works be done in faith why this is the covenant the glad tidings the Gospel to live well and believe well O let not that which is a word of comfort to us be a bill of inditement against us albeit in our justification we may say Be it to us according to our faith yet in our retribution it is said as you have it before you in this Text read unto you Then he shall reward every man for manifestation of his faith according to his works A little to recall our selves The Prisoners are tryed the Verdict's brought in the inditement is found and the Judge now sits on life and death even ready with sparkling eyes to pronounce his sentence This we must deferre a while and the next time you shall hear what you have long exspected The Lord grant us an happy issue that when this day is come the sentence may be for us and we may be saved to our endless comfort Shall reward VVHat Assize is this that affords each circumstance of each prisoners triall the time is Then the Judge is He the Prisoners Men the evidence Works Non coronat Deus merita tua tanquam merita tua sed tanquam donasua Aug. lib. de grat lib. arbit cap. 7. which no sooner given in but
done so we must be sentenced for then he shall reward every man according to his works Thus you have heard the sentence of the just and wicked and now is the Judge rising from his glorious seat the Saints that were invited guard him along and the sentenced prisoners are delivered to the Jaylers to be bound in burning Steel and Iron the reward of Execution The sentence being past in all prescribed order the Execution must needs follow but as there is a double sentence so a double retribution first for the wicked who immediately after the sentence shall be chased into hell the Execution being speedily and fearfully done upon them with all horrour and haste by the Angels O what a scriech of horrour will be heard what woes and lamentations will be uttered when Devils and Reprobates and all the damned crew of hell shall be driven into hell whereunto they shall be thrust with violence never to return again How desperate is their case when none will comfort them the Saints deride them Angels mock them their own friends scoffe them devils hate them the earth groans under them and hell will swallow them Down they go howling and shrieking and gnashing their teeth the effect of a most impatient fury The world leavs them the earth forsakes them hell entertains them there must they live and die and yet not live nor die but dying live and living die death in life life in death miserable ever If the drowning of the old world swallowing up of Korah and his complices burning up of Sodom with brimstone were attended with such terrours and hideous out-cryes how infinitely transcendent to all possibilitie of conceit expression or belief will the confusions and tremblings of that red-dread-fiery day be It is not a few but many nor many onely but all the wicked of the earth being many millions of men shall be dragged down with all the Devils of hell to torments without end or ease or past imagination then to speak it again that I may the deeper imprint it in your minds and memories sure there was horrible shrieking when those five filthy Cities first felt fire and brimstone drop down upon their heads when those Rebels saw the ground cleave asunder and themselves and all theirs Go down quick into the pit Num. 16.33 when all the sonnes and daughters of Adam found the floud rising and ready to over-flow them all at once But the most horrid cry that ever was heard or ever shall be heard in Heaven or in Earth in this world or in the world to come will be then when all the forlorn condemned reprobates upon sentence given shall be violently and unresistably haled down to hel neither shall any tears or prayers or promises or suits or cryes or yellings or calling upon Rocks and Mountains or wishes never to have been or now to be made nothing be then heard or prevail in their behalf nay yet more to encrease their torments there is not one in Earth or Heaven that will speak one word in their behalf but without mercy without stay without any farewell at all they shall be immediately and irrecoverably cast down into the bottomless pit of easeless endless and remediless torments Oh! what then will be the gnawings of the never-dying worm what rage of guilty consciences what furious despair what horrour of mind what distractions and fears what tearing their hair and gnashing of teeth In a word what wailing weeping roaring yelling filling heaven and earth and hell O miserable Caitiffs catcht and wrapt in the snares of Sathan What need we more this is the Judges charge the Sheriffs Commission Matth. 22.13 the sinners execution Take them away cast them into utter darknesse there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth A darknesse indeed that must ever be debarred from the sight of heaven no sunne-shine ever peeps within those Walls no light no fire no candle alas nothing is there but Clouds and darknesse thick smoak and fierie sulphure and such is the portion of sinners the Reward of the wicked Vse What faith or fear have the wicked that go dancing and leaping to this fire as it were to a Banquet or like Solomons fool that runneth and swiftly runneth to the stocks Prov. 7.22 is this our pleasure to sinne a while and burn for ever for one small spark of silly joy to suffer universall and perpetuall pains Who buyes at so dear a rate Fear and the pit and the snare are upon thee O inhabitant of the Earth and he that fleeth from the noyse of the fear shall fall into the pit and he that cometh up out of the pit shall be taken in the snare for the windows from an high are open and the foundations of the earth do shake the earth is utterly broken down the earth is clean dissolved the earth is moved exceedingly the earth shall reel to and fro like a drunken man and shall be removed like a Tent and the iniquity thereof shall be heavy upon it so that it shall fall and rise no more Esay 24.17 Esay 24.17 18 19 20 22. O miserable fear to the wicked If the Earth fall how shall the sinners stand Nay They shall be gathered together as prisoners in the pit and they shall be shut up in the prison never more to be visited released or comforted Be forewarn'd then beloved least you also come into this place of torment Luke 16.28 It is a fearfull prison and God give us grace so to arraigne judge cast and condemne our selves here that we may escape this execution of the damned hereafter I have no will to end with terrour Then to sweeten your thoughts with the joy of Saints look upwards and you may see a blessed company After the wicked are cast down into hell Christ and the blessed Saints ascend into heaven From the Tribunall Seat of Judgement Christ shall arise and with all the glorious companie of Heaven march towards the Heaven of Heavens O what comely march is this what songs of triumph are here sung and warbled The voice of thy Watchmen shall be heard they shall lift up their voice and shout together for they shall see eie to eie when the Lord shall bring again Zion Esay 52.8 Esay 52.8 Here is a victorie indeed the souldiers in arrayed order both Marching and Triumphing Christ leads the way the Cherubims attend the Seraphims burn in love Angels Archangels Principalities Powers Patriarchs Prophets Priests Evangelists Martyrs Professours and Confessours of Gods Law and Gospel following attend the Judge and King of glory singing with melody as never ear hath heard shining with Majestie as never eye hath seen rejoycing without measure as never heart conceived O blessed train of souldiers goodly troop of Captains each one doth bear a palm of victory in his hands each one must wear a Crown of glory on his head the Church Militant is now Triumphant with a finall overthrow have they conquered Devills and now must
fire Alas to what end there is no help to extinguish fire that must burn for ever your Buckets may quench other fires not this no milk nor vinegar can extinguish that wild-fire it is a fire which no means can moderate no patience can endure no time can for ever change but in it whosoever wofully lies their flesh shall frie their bloud shall boil their hearts consume yet they shall never die but dying live and living die death in life life in death miserable ever This is that consideration which shall bring all the damned Reprobates to shriek and houl everlastingly were they perswaded that after millions of years they should have one year of pleasure or after thousands of millions they should have some end of torment here would be a little hope but this word Ever breaks their hearts asunder this ever ever gives new life again to those insufferable sorrows and hence it is that when all those millions of years are done and gone then God knows must the wheels of their torment whirl about and about Alas the fire is durable the heat continuall the fuell immortall and such is the end of Tares they must burn without end Bind them in bundles to burn them Lo here the fire of hell which compared to ours on earth it differs in heat in light in fuell in durance Let your souls work on these objects that they never come nearer to those flames Vse 1 Who amongst us would dwell with devouring fire who amongst us would dwell with everlasting burnings Esay 33.14 Beloved as you tender your souls and would escape the flames reform your lives whiles you have yet a little time You hear it sounded in Synagogues and preached in pulpits what sound but heaven or hell joys or torments the one befalling the good and the other the just end of the wicked Do we believe this truth and dare we commit sinne whose reward is this fiery death upon due consideration how is it that we sleep or rest or take a minutes ease lesser dangers have bestraught some out of their wits nay bereaved many of their lives how is it then that we run headlong into this fire yet never weigh whither we are going till we are dropping into the pit whence there is no redemption Look about you while it is called to day or otherwise wo and alas that ever you were born be sure a time will come when miseries shall march Angels beat alarms God sound destruction and the tents of his enemies be all set on fire Bind them in bundles to burn them Vse 2 Or yet if comparisons can prevail suppose one of you should be taken brought along to the mouth of an hot fiery furnace then comparing sinne with its punishment might I question you how much pleasure would you ask to continue there burning but one year how much would you say surely not for all the pleasures and treasures that all this world can afford you How is it then that for a little sinne that endures but a moment so many of you so little regard eternall punishment in hell fire If we should but see a little child fall into the fire and his very bowels burnt out how would it grieve us and make our very hearts bleed within us how much more then should it grieve you to see not a child but your own bodies and souls cast away for a momentany sinne into the lake of fire that never shall be quenched If a man should come amongst us and cry Fire Fire thy house is all on Fire thy corn thy cattell thy wife thy children and all thou hast are burning all together how would this astonish us making both the hair to stand upright on our heads and the tears to gush out of our eyes Behold then and see the spirit of God cries out Fire fire even the dreadfull fire of hel gapeth ready to devour not thy house thy corn or thy cattel but tâ—â— poor soul and that for evermore O then how should this break your flinty hearts asunder and make your souls bleed again and again if you have any spark of grace this me thinks should move you to a strict 〈…〉 if you have any care of your souls this me thinks should make you to walk humbly and purely carefully and consciâ—â—â—â—bly towards God and towards man if not what remains but fire fire Bind them in bundles to burn them Or yet if example can perswade us more meditate on the miserable condition of that namelesse rich man Suppose you saw him in hel torments compast about with furies fires and all that black guard below his tongue flaming his eyes staring his conscience biting his soul suffering his body all over-burning in that fire of hel O lamentable fight but to make it more lamentable hearken how he roars and cryes through the extremitie of pains O torment torment how am I tormented in this fire my head my heart my eies my ears my tongue my tongue is all on fire what shall I do whither shall I flie for succour within me is the worm without me is fire about me are devils above me is Abraham and what glorious star is yond I see but Lazarus poor Lazarus in his bosome what is a beggar exalted and am I in torments Why Abraham father Abraham have 〈◊〉 on me See here a man burning schorching frying in hel 〈◊〉 one dram of mercy one drop of water to a tormented soul Oh I burn I burn I burn without ease or end and is there none to 〈◊〉 me Come Lazarus if Abraham will not hear let me beg of thee â— beggar and howsoever I denied thee a 〈◊〉 â—f bread yet be so good so charitable as to dip the tip of thy finger in water and cool my tongue It is a poor suit I ask not to dive but dip not thy hand but finger not all but the tip of it not in sâ—â—â— but water not to quench but to cool not my body but my least member be it my tongue onely no ease so little no grant so poor no remedy so small but happy were I if I could obtain it though I begged it with tears and prayers of a thousand thousand years continuance But see Abraham and Lazarus denie my suits I burn and neither God nor Saint nor Angel takes pitie on me and shall I cry for help on devils alas they are my tormentors that lash me and cut me with their whips of burning steel and iron O beloved what shall we say to the roaring rage of this tormented wretch Alas alas how little do men think on this they can passe away time sporting and playing as if they went to prison but for a few weeks or dayes just like men who having the sentence of death past upon them run fooling and laughing to the execution but when once hell mouth hath shut her self then shall they find nothing but eternity of torments in the fear of God take heed in time of this
then of thorns Thus for the beginning what then is the increase of this This increase say Physitians is when the symptomes more manifestly appear either of life or death and no sooner was our Saviour born but he had manifest tokens evidently showing that for us he must die If you run through his life what was it but a sicknesse and a purge Consider his parcitie in abstinence his constancie in watching his frequencie in prayer his assiduity in labour But how soon and Herod makes him flee into Egypt and live an exile in a strange land At his return he dwels at Nazareth and there is accounted Jesus the carpenter Mark 6.3 When he enters into his Ministerie he hath no house to repose him no money to relieve him no friends to comfort him See him first set on by Satan then by men he is led into the wildernesse by the spirit and there he fasts fourty dayes and fourty nights without bit of bread or drop of water The devil seeing this opportunitie begins his temptation who presently overcome the Jews follow after him with hue and cry mark but their words and works In word they call him a glutton a drunkard a deceiver a sinner Matt. 11.19.27.63 John 9.24.10.20.8.48 Psal 35.12 a mad-man a Samaritane and one possessed with a devil Good words I pray is not he the anointed of God the Saviour of men yes but they rendred me evil for good and hatred for my good will said the Psalmist in his person When therefore he did miracles he was a sorcerer when he reproved sinners he was a seducer when he received sinners he was their favourer when he healed the sick he was a breaker of the Sabbath when he cast out devils it was by the power of devils what and how many unjust contumelies indured he of the Pharises who sometimes cast him out of the citie accused him of blasphemy cryed Out upon him he was a man not worthy to live And as they say they do observe but their works First they send officers to apprehend him but they being overcome with the grace of his speeches return onely with this answer John 7.46 Never man spake like this man Then took they up stones to stone him but by his miraculous passage whiles they are a conspiring his death he escapes out of their hands John 10.39 then lead they him to an hill thinking to throw him down headlong and yet all would not do for ere they are aware of it Luke 4.30 he fairly passeth through the midst of them all At last his last passion draws near and then men and devils combine in one to make him at once wretched and miserable He is despised and rejected of men yea he is a man full of sorrows saith the Prophet and hath experience of infirmities Esay 53.3 Esay 53.3 Or for a further inquirie let us do what our Saviour bids Search the Scriptures John 5.39 for they are they which testifie of him We have but two Testaments in the whole Bible and both these give full evidence of Christs miserable life In the Old Testament it was prefigured by Adams penalties Abels death Abrahams exile Isaacs offering Jacobs wrestling Josephs bonds Jobs suffering Davids mourning yea the Prophets themselves were both figures and delivered prophesies of our Saviours afflictions Thus Esay of him Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows yet we did not esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted Esa 53.4 Esay 53.4 Thus Jeremy of him He gives his cheeks to him that smites him he is filled full with reproach Lam. 3.30 Lam. 3.30 Thus Daniel of him After threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be slain and shall have nothing Dan. 9.26 Dan. 9.26 Thus Zechary of him What are these wounds in the midst of thy hands and he shall say With these wounds was I wounded in the house of my friends Zach. 13.6 Zech. 13.6 But come we to the New Testament and in every Gospell we may not onely read but see him suffer Matthew who relates the history of his life what writes he but a tragedy wherein every chapter is a scene Look through the whole book and you read in the first Chapter Matth. Chap. 1 Ioseph will not father him in the second 2 Herod seeks to kill him in the third 3 Iohn the Baptist would needs out his humility deny him baptisme in the fourth 4 he fasts fourty days and fourty nights and is tempted in the wilderness in the fifth 5 he fotetells persecutions and all manner of evill against his Apostles in the sixth 6 he teacheth his church that strict course of life in fasting praying giving of almes and forgiving of enemies in the seventh 7 he concluds his Sermon made on the top of a mountain in the eighth 8 he comes down and towards night hath no house to harbour in nor pillow to rest his head on in the ninth 9 he is rebuked of the Pharises for not fasting in the tenth 10 all men hate his disciples for his sake in the eleventh 11 they call him that knew no excesse a glutton and a drunkard in the twelfth 12 they tell him how he casts out devils through Beelzebub prince of devils in the thirteenth 13 they are offended at him and derive his pedigree from a Carpenter in the fourteenth 14 Herod thinks him to be Iohn Baptists ghost in the fifteenth 15 the Scribes reprehend him for the breach of their traditions in the sixteenth 16 the Sadduces tempt him for a token in the seventeen 17 he pays tribute to Cesar in all the rest he foretels and executes his passion now count not chapters but hours from that hour wherein he was saught for untill the sixth hour of his crucifying one betrayes him another apprehends him one binds him another leads him bound from Pilate to Herod from Herod back again to Pilate thus they never leave him till his soul leave the world and he be a dead man amongst them You have seen the beginning and increase and we 'll now draw the Curtains that you may behold the Bridegroom where he lyeth at Noon day to wit in the state or vigour of his grievous sufferings This state or Akmen say Physitians is when nature and the disease are in greatest contention when all the symptomes are become most vehement so that neither nature or the infirmity must needs have the victory and although say Divines all Christs life was full of miseries Kecker Syst l. 3. c. 4. yet principally and chiefly is that called his passion in Scripture which he indured two days before death and to this extream passion saith a Modern is the purging of sins chiefly attributed Come then ye that passe by behold and see if there was ever any sorrow like unto this sorrows which is done unto him in the day of Gods anger Lament
them all if patience be in our calamities they are no calamities but comforts this is that comfort that keeps the heart from envie the hand from revenge the tongue from contumely and often overcomes our very enemies themselves without any weapons at all Come then and do you learn this lesson of our Blessed Redeemer are you stricken so was Christ of the Jews are you mocked so was Christ of the Souldiers are you betrayed of your friends so was Christ of his Apostle are you accused of your enemies so was Christ of the Pharisies why complain you of being injured and maligned when you see the Master of the house himself called Beelzebub Hereunto ye are called saith Peter for Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps 1. Pet. 2.21 1. Pet. 2.21 Vse 3 Thirdly as Patience from his life so we may learn Remorse from his Passion Is it nothing to you all ye that passe by Lament 1.12 O look on him and let this look breed in you a remorse and sorrow for your sinnes Our Saviour labours in the extremities of pangs his soul is sick his bodie faints and would you know the reason Why thus is the head wounded that he might renue health to all the body we sinne and Christ Jesus is heavie and sore and sick and dies for it his soul was in our souls stead his body endured a Purgatory for us that we both in body and soul might escape hell-fire which our sinns had deserved who but considers what evils our sinnes have done that will not grieve and mourn at the sinne he hath committed Oh that my head were a fountain of tears that I might weep day and night for the sinnes of the daughters of my people We have sinned we have sinned and what shall we say to thee O Saviour of men Alas our sinnes have whipped thee scourged thee crowned thee crucified thee and if I have no compassion to weep for Thee yet O Lord give me grace to weep for my self who have done thus to Thee O my Saviour O my sinnes It is I that offend it is thou must smart for it Fourthly we may yet learn another lesson Christ saith Paul humbled himself and became obedient to the death even the death of the Crosse Phil. 2.8 Philip. 2.8 and is it not our parts to be obedient to him who became thus obedient for us We may gather Humility from his birth and Patience from his life and Remorse from his Passion and to make up the posie here is one flower more Obedience which that Tree also yielded whereon he suffered Iohn 14.15 If you love me saith our Saviour keep my Commandments How blessed Saviour If you love me Who will not love thee who hast so dearly loved us as to give up thy dearest life for the ransome of our souls But to tell us that there is no better testimonie of our love then to obey his commands he woes us with these sugared words whose lips like Lillies Cant. 5.13 are dropping down pure Myrrh if you love me If you love me learn obedience of me keep my Commandments and to move us the more if all this cannot what love and obedience was there in him think you Consider and wonder That the Sonne of God would banish himself thirty three years from his glorious Majestie and what more would be born man and what more would be the meanest amongst men and what more would endure the miseries of life and what more would come to the bitter pangs of death Quò descendit humilitas Aug. medit 7. and what more would be made obedient to the death even the death of the Crosse a degree beyond death O Sonne of God whither doth thy humility descend but thus it must be the Prophets had foretold it and according to their prophesies the dayes were accomplished When he himself must be purged He was born he lived he suffered he died and thus runne round the vvheels of those miserable times When he had by himself purged our sinnes You see the Time's past and a nevv Time must give you the remainder of the Text the Time is when the Person He and he it is that in order vvill next come after onely have you the patience till vve have the leisure to dravv out his picture and then you shall see him in some mean proportion Who had by himself purged our sinnes He VVE have observed the time When he purged and now time it is that you know the Physician who administers it the Apostle tells you it is He that is Christ our Saviour who seeing us labour in the pains and pangs of sinne he bows the heavens and comes down he takes upon him our frailty that we through him might have the remedie to escape hell fire Come then and behold the man who undertakes this cure of souls Cant. 2.8 He cometh leaping upon the mountains skipping upon the hils saith Solomon in his Songs and would you know his leaps saith Gregory Greg. hom 39. See then how he leaps from his Throne to his Cratch from his Cratch to his Crosse from his Crosse to his Crown downwards and upwards like a Roe or a young Hart upon the mountains of spices His first leap downwards was from heaven and this tels us how he was God from everlasting so said the Centurion Surely this man was the Sonne of God Mark 15.39 Mar. 15.39 How else the sinne of man could no otherwise be expiated but by the Sonne of God man had sinned and God was offended therefore God became man to reconcile man to God Had he been man alone not God he might have suffered but he could not have satisfied therefore this man was God that in his man-hood he might suffer and by his God-head he might satisfie O wonderfull Redemption that God must take upon him our frailty had we thus far run upon the score of vengeance that none could satisfie but God himself could not he have made his Angels Embassadours but he himself must come in person no Angels or Saints could neither super-erogate but if God will save us God himself must come and die for us it were sure no little benefit if the King would pardon a Thief but that the King himself should die for this Malefactor this were most wonderfull and indeed beyond all exspectation and yet thus will the King of heaven deal with us he will not onely pardon our faults but satisfie the Law we sinne against God and God against whom we sin must die for it this is a depth beyond founding an height above all humane reach what is he God But we must fall a note the Creatour is become a Creature if you ask what Creature I must tell you though it were an Angel yet this were a great leap which no created understanding could measure what are the Angels in respect of God he is their Lord they but his servants
Peter what doest thou Is not he the beauty of the heavens the Paradise of Angels the brightness of God the Redeemer of men and wilt thou notwithstanding all this let him wash thy feet no leave O Lord leave this base office for thy servants lay down the towell put on thy apparell see Peter is resolute Lord doest thou wash my feet no Lord thou shalt never do it Yes Peter thus it must be to leave thee and us a memoriall of his humility I have given you an example saith Christ that ye should do as I have done unto you Vers 15. and what hath he done but for our sakes is become a servant yea his servants servant washing and wiping not their hands or heads but the very meanest lowest parts their feet And yet there is a lower fall How many hired servants said the Prodigall at my fathers house have bread enough Luk. 15.17 and I die for hunger and as if our Saviours case were like the Prodigals you may see him little lower then a servant yea little better then a beggar Yee know saith the Apostle the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ that though he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor 2 Cor. 8.9 2 Cor. 8.9 poor indeed and so poor that he was not worth a penny to pay tribute till he had borrowed it of a fish Mat. 17.27 Matth. 17.27 See him in his birth in his life in his death and what was he but a pilgrim that never had house to harbour in a while he lodges in an oxen-stall thence he flies into Aegypt back he comes into Galilee anon he travels to Jerusalem within a while as if all his life were but a wandring you may see him on mount Calvary hanging on the cross was ever any beggars life more miserable he hath no house no money no friends no lands and howsoever he was God the disposer of all yet for us he became man a poor man a mean man yea the meanest of all men and this another step downwards But this now low enough men are the image of God ay but the Son of God is not used as a man but rather as a poor dumb beast appointed to the slaughter what was he but a sleep said Esay of him Esai 53.7 Esay 53.7 a sheep indeed and that more especially in these two qualities First as a sheep before the shearer is dumb so he openeth not his mouth and to this purpose was that silence of our Saviour when all those evidences came against him he would not so much as drop one syllable to defend his cause if the high Priests question him What is the matter that these men witness against thee Matthew tells us that Iesus held his peace Mat. 26.63 Matth. 26.63 If Pilate say unto him Behold how many things they witness against thee Mark tells us that Iesus answered him nothing Mark 15.5 Mark 15.5 If Herod question with him in many words because he had heard many things of him Luke tells us that he answered him nothing Luk. 23.9 Luk. 23.9 As a poor sheep in the hands of the shearer he is dumb before his Judges and accusers whence briefly we may observe Christ came not to defend but to suffer condemnation Secondly as a sheep he is dumb and as a sheep he is slain Esa ibid. He was led saith the Prophet as a sheep to the slaughter O Jesu art thou come to this to be a man who art God a sheep who art man and so for our sakes far inferiour to our selves nay worse a sheep how not free as one that is leaping on the mountains or skipping on the hills no but a sheep that is led led whether not thither as David was who could say of his Shepherd that he fed him in green pastures and led him forth besides the waters of comfort no but led to the slaughter He is a sheep a sheep led Psal 23.2 a sheep led to the slaughter and such a slaughter that were he a dumb creature yet great ruth it were to see him so handled as he was by the Jewes And yet will his humility descend a little lower as he was the poorest of men so the least of sheep like a lamb saith the Apostle Act. 8.32 Act. 8.32 and Behold the Lamb said Iohn the Baptist even the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world Joh. 1.29 Joh. 1.29 This was that Lamb which the Paschall Lamb prefigured Your Lamb saith God to the Israelites shall be a Lamb without blemish and the bloud shall be a token for you that I will pass over you Exod. 12.13 Exod. 12.5 and 13. But was ever lamb like the Lamb of God he is without blemish saith Pilate I find no fault in him Luk. 23.4 Luk. 23.4 and the sprinkling of his bloud saith Peter is the right token of election 1 Pet. 1.2 1 Pet. 1.2 Such a lamb was this Lamb without blemish in his life and whose bloud was sprinkled at his death in life and death ever suffering for us who had he not done so should for ever and ever have suffered our selves Tell me O thou whom my soul loveth where thou feedest saith the Church in Canticles tell me yes If thou knowest not saith our Saviour go thy way forth by the foot-steps of the flock Cant. 1.8 Cant. 1.8 Our Saviour is become a man a sheep a lamb or if this be not humility enough he will yet take a leap lower What is he but a worm and no man yea the very scorn of men and the outcast of the people Psal 22.6 Psal 22.6 Did you ever think we could have brought our Saviour to thus low a degree what beneath a lamb and no better then a worm Heaven and earth may well ring of this as being the greatest wonder that ever was there is any bitter potion due to man which the Son of God will not partake of to the utmost dregs and thereforâ— if Iob say to the worm Iob 17.14 Iob. 25.6 thou art my sister and mother nay if Bildad say Man is a worm and the son of man is but a worm which is more then kindred behold our Saviour stooping thus low himself what is he but a man nay as if that were too much a worm and not a man as sung the Psalmist of him I am so low that unless we think him no body we can down no lower and yet here is one leap more that if we take a view of it we may suppose him to be nothing in esteem a No-body indeed Look we at every man in respect of God and the Prophet tells us All nations before him are as nothing Esai 40.17 Esai 40.17 And if man be thus why sure the son of man will be no lesse see then to the wondrous astonishment of men and Angels how greatness it self Ex omni seipsum ad nihil redegit
washed his hands before the multitude saying I am innocent of the bloud of this just man Matth. 27 24 Matth. 27.24 but alas did Pilate so favour him as to free him no he fears to condemn him being innocent and yet dares not absolve him being so envyed as he was by the Iewes what then can a little water what can Iordans floods what can rivers of wine and oile do towards the washing of those hands that had power to release him and would not he knew they had delivered him of envy Matth. 27.18 Matth. 27.18 he confesses I find no fault in this man Luk. 23.14 Luk. 23.14 he tells him that he had power to crucifie him and he had power to loose him Iohn 19.10 Joh. 19.10 and yet fondly would he wash away the guilt of his unjust sentence with a little water on his hands no Pilate that ceremony cannot wash away thy sin that sin I mean which thou and the Gentiles in thee committed in delivering of Jesus to the will of the Iewes Luk. 23.25 But if delivered to the Iewes sure it is well enough he is their Country-man Kinsman of the stock of Abraham of the Tribe of Juda of the Family of Ioseph but this rather aggravates then allaies his misery that his own people should degenerate into Traitors not a Gentile but a Jew to be his Executioner what torment had not been a lenitive and a recreation in comparison of this Daniels Den the three Childrens Furnace Esays wooden Saw Israels fiery Serpents the Spanish Inquisition the Romish Purgatory are all as far short in torture as the last of them in truth to the malice of a Iew witness our Saviours death when they all conspired not onely to scourge him mock him buffet him slay him but to slay him in such a manner as to hang him on nailes and to make the Cross his Gibbet But what no comforter amongst them all do the Gentiles condemn him will the Jewes crucifie him and is there none to pity him Yes what say we of his Disciples that heard him followed him Luk. 10.1 and were sent of him by two and two into every City and place whether he himself should come Would you think that these seventy Luk. 10.17 for they were so many in number which for a time did his Embassage with joy would now have forsaken him yes if you mark it many of them went back Joh. 6.66 and would walk no more with him some stumble at his Doctrine others at his passion but all were offended as it is written I will smite the Shepherd and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered Matth. 26.31 Matth. 26.31 Yet if the Gentiles reject him they do but like Gentiles who were ignorant of God if the Iewes hate and maligne him Matth. 23.31 it is but their old wont of killing the Prophets if the Disciples that are weaker faint and waver in faith Matth. 8.26 it was no more then was said of them O ye of little faith but what say we to the twelve Apostles those Secretaries of his mysteries stewards of his mercies almners of his bounties will they also go away and leave him comfortless alone no can Peter say Master to whom shall we go thou hast the words of eternall life Ioh. 6.68 Joh. 6.68 or if he will have deeper protestations I am ready to go with thee saith Peter into prison and to death Luk. 22.33 Luk. 22.33 to death yes though I die with thee I will not deny thee and thus said all his Disciples Matth. 26.35 Matth 26.35 and yet like Ionas Gourd when the Sun beates hottest how soon are they all gone and vanished away loe one betrays him another forswears him all run from him and leave him alone in the midst of all his enemies And yet if his Apostles leave him what say we to Mary his mother and other his friends these indeed wait on him seeing sighing wailing weeping but alas what do those tears but increase his sorrows might he not justly say with Paul What mean yee to weep and to break my heart Act. 21.13 Acts 21.13 Pity and of all other feminine pity it is the poorest helpless salve of misery but howsoever it was to others this was so far from any salve to him as 't is one of his greatest tenderest sores about him Luk. 23.28 Daughters of Ierusalem weep not for me but weep for your selves and your children O see the wonder of compassion which he bears to others in his passion he hath more care of the women that follow him weeping then on his own mangled self that reels along fainting and bleeding even unto death the tears that drop from their eyes is more to him then all the bloud in his veins and therefore careless as it were of his own sacred person he turns about his blessed bleeding face to the weeping women Luk. 23.38 affording them looks and words too of compassion of consolation weep not for mee but weep for your selves and your children But O blessed Saviour didst thou flow unto us in showrs of Bloud and may not we drop a tear for all those purple streams of thine yes Lord thou dost not here forbid us weeping onely thou turnest the stream of our tears the right way that is to say homewards into our own bosomes pointing us to our sins the truest cause of thy sufferings But as for comfort to our Saviour whence trow ye may it come if we compass the earth the Gentiles Iewes his Disciples Apostles Mary his own Mother and all other his friends they are but as Iobs miserable comforters all but let us go up into heaven John 16.2 and there if any where be his comforters indeed alas what comforters If you imagine the Angels it is true they could attend him in the Desart and comfort him in the Garden but when he came to the main act of our Redemption not an Angell must be seen how not seen no they must not so much as look through the windows of heaven to give him any ease at all nor indeed were it to any purpose if they should for who can lift up where the Lord will cast down O yee blessed Angels how is it that your Hallelujahs cease that your songs which you warbled at his birth are finished at his death that your glorious company which are the delight of happy souls is denied to him who is the Lord and Maker both of you and them why thus it must be for our sakes I am full of heaviness said our Saviour in his type and I looked for some to take pity but there was none and for comforters but I found none Psal 69 20. Psal 69.20 And yet if the Angels be no comforters he hath a Father in heaven that is nearer to him Ioh. 10.30 I and my father are one saith our Saviour and it is my Father that honoureth mee Ioh.
of Megiddon O weep or if you will not weep for him yet weep for your selves and your own sinnes alas have you not cause your sins were his murtherers and your hands by your sins were imbrued in his bloud Secondly stay not here but when you have mourned and wept over your Saviour then hate those sinnes that wrought this evil on your Saviour Which that you may do effectually send your thoughts a far off and see your Saviour in his circumcision in the garden and when you have done so then follow him a little further behold the tears in his eies and the clodded bloud that came from him when his cheeks were nipped his head crowned his back scourged his hands and feet nailed his side opened and then O then see if you can love those sins that have done all this villany love them said I no if you have any share in Christ I hope you will rather be revenged on your sins rather you will every one say O my pride and my stubbornness and my looseness and my uncleanness and my drunkenness these were the nailes and the whips and the spear that drew bloud from my Saviour therefore let me be for ever revenged of this proud subborn rebellious heart of mine own let me for ever loath my sin because it brought all this sorrow on my Saviour Is not this ordinary with men should any one murther your Father or friend whom you highly regarded and honoured would you brook his sight or endure his company nay would not your hearts rise against him would you not prosecute the Law to the uttermost and if you might be the Executioner would you not wound him and mangle him and at every stroak cry out Thou wast the death of my Father thou wast the death of my Father and is the heart of a man thus inraged against him that hath but murthered his friend or his father O then how should your hearts be transported with infinite indignation not against the man but against sinne that hath shed the precious bloud of your father your Master your God your King your Saviour O follow follow after these sins with an Hue and Cry bring them to the Bar set them be-the Tribunall of that great Judge of heaven and cry Iustice Lord justice against these sins of mine these slew my Saviour Lord slay them these crucified my Saviour Lord crucifie them Why thus persue and never leave them untill if it possible may may you see these sins bleed their last never think you have done enough but still give your corruptions one hack more confess your sins once more and say Lord this pride and this stubbornness and this looseness of heart these are they that killed my Saviour and I will be revenged of them Thirdly stay not here neither but when you have mourned for your sins and sought revenge on them then by Faith cast them all on the Lord Jesus Christ ease your own souls of them and hurle your care on him that careth for you all Certainly there is no way to wash you clean from your sin but onely by Christs blood and how must you apply this but by Faith now then in the last place have faith rence your soul as it were in the bloud of this immaculate Lamb and though you are polluted and defied yet questionless the bloud of Jesus Christ will purge you from all sin Heb. 9.13 14. If the bloud of Buls and Goats saith the Apostle and the ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the bloud of Christ who through the eternall Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living God You may talk of a Purgatory why here is the Purgatory that true Purgatory the fountain that is laid open for the house of Iudah to wash in and I pray you mark it it is not onely for justification but being applyed by faith as effectuall for sanctification not onely for the expiation of sin that it be not laid to your charge but withall to purge your Consciences from dead works to serve the living God O then as you tender your souls believe and cast your selves upon Christ for salvation and for pardon of sins Do you not see him bleeding on the Cross Do you not hear him graciously offering to receive your sin-wearied souls into his bleeding wounds what should you do then but cast your selves with all the spirituall strength that you can at least with infinite longings and most hearty desires into the bosome of your Saviour say with your selves the fountain is opened and here will we bathe for ever Come life or come death come heaven or come hell come what come can here will we stick for ever nay if you must perish tell God and man Angels and devils they shall pluck you out of the hands and rent you from between the armes of your blessed bleeding Redeemer your soul-purging Saviour Thus if you believe you need not to droop for your sins but to go on with comfort to everlasting happiness the bloud of Christ no question will make way for you into heaven Yea saith the Apostle by the bloud of Iesus we may boldly enter into the holy places by the new and living way which he hath prepared for us Heb. 10.19.20 through the veile which is his flesh Such is the blessed fruit of this bloud and the Lord make it effectuall unto us to bring us into heaven even for his sake who by himself thus purged our sins You see the Purge given and taken onely a time it must have and then follows the Evacuation Hee purged What the ill humour is Sin the extent of it Our sin of both these together at our next meeting Now the Lord so prepare us that this Purge may work in us the everlasting wel-fare and health of our souls Our sins SIn is our sickness and to cure us of it the Law yields corrasives the Gospell lenitives but especially Christ yields that Physick Purgative which evacuates sin To consider Christ as a man of sorrows and not a Saviour of sinners were but a melancholick contemplation to behold his wounds and not so to think on 'em as they were our selves addes but more sorrows to our other miseries but when we call to mind that his bloud was our ransome that his stripes were our cures then with all our hearts we pray his bloud be upon us and our children And why not this bloud saith the Apostle speaks better things then the bloud of Abel Heb. 12.24 For Ables bloud cryed revenge but Christs bloud speaks mercy and to our comfort be it spoken if God heard the servant he will much rather hear the son yea if he heard his servant for spilling how much more will he hear his Son for saving and regaining our souls In the words are two parts 1. The ill huâ—our evacuated Sin 2. The extent
here disposing of Paradise at the same time when he hung on the Crosse even giving up the ghost he is dealing Crowns and Kingdoms to a poor penitent soul thus like a glorious Sun that breaks through the watrie clouds ere it appear unto us our Saviour the Sun of Righteousness shoots forth his rayes of Majesty through all his sufferings on a dejected sinner Two malefactours suffer with him the one railes on him saying If thou be Christ save thy self and us but the other prayes to him Lord remember me when thou comest to thy Kingdome in the midst of his thraldome he proclaims his Kingdome and whom he sees a Captive he believes a Lord Lord remember me is it not strange that through so many such thick clouds of misery this dying thief should behold his glory but where grace aboundeth what marvel is it 1. Cor. 2.15 The Naturall man knoweth not the things of God but he that is spirituall discerneth all things No sooner was this penitent thief converted a Christian but on a sudden even on the very rack of torture he confesseth himself a sinner and Christ his Saviour and therefore desires to be remembred of him when he comes to heaven Thus pouring out his soul in prayer the Bridegroom that became an Harp saith Bernard his Crosse being the wood himself stretcht on it the strings and his words the sound heark how he warbles the most heavenly musick that was ever chanted to a departing soul To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise The words are a Gospel such as the Angels brought to the Shepherds Luke 2.10 Luke 2.10 Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy here is tidings good tidings joy and great joy the greatest happiness that could ever befall a mortall now waits on a malefactour at that time when the execution was a doing death approching and the horrours of hell laying hold upon him when a word of comfort would have been most seasonable like apples of gold in pictures of silver Prov. 25.11 then comes our Saviour as a messenger with a pardon and he bids him be of good chear there was happiness towards him when to day what thou shalt be with me where in Paradise Not a word but speaks comfort to the afflicted soul be he howsoever afflicted for the present yet there shall be a change and the more to sweeten it Here is the Celerity to day Certainty thou shalt be Societie with me Vbi or place where all joy is enjoyed in Paradise These are those four heads that issue out of Eden may God give a blessing to the watering that you may bear good fruit till you are planted in that garden whereof it is spoken To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise We begin with the certainty of this promise Thou shalt be c. Thou shalt be TO this purpose was that asseveration Verily verily I say unto thee Nor is it enough that he affirms it but he assures it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou shalt be Will and shall is for the King and what is he lesse that bestows Kingdomes on his servants here was a poor man desires onely to be remembred of him and in stead of remembring him he tells him he shall be with him how but as a coheir of his Kingdome Blessed thief that had such a gift and that made unto him with such assurance as this was It is the promise of our Saviour who to put him out of all doubt he tells him it shall be so Thou shalt be with me in Paradise Whence observe That Salvation may be made sure to a man Observ If you would needs know the means howsoever it was true in this thief it is not by any immediate suggestion or revelation Christ is now in heaven and the holy Ghost works not by enthusiasmes or dreams Fidelium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non nititur revelatione sed promissionibus Evangelii The assurance of our salvation depends not upon revelation but on the promises of the Gospel there then must we search and see and if our hearts be rightly qualified thence may we draw that fulness of perswasion with Abraham who staggered not at Gods promises being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able to perform Rom. 4.21 Rom. 4.20 21 This doctrine we have confirmed by David Psal 35.3 Psal 35.3 Say unto my soul I am thy salvation By Peter in the 2. Pet. 1.10 2. Pet. 1.10 Make your election sure By Paul in the 1. Cor. 9.26 1. Cor. 9.26 I therefore so run not as uncertainly From all which we may argue David would never pray for that which could not be nor would Peter charge us with a dutie which stood not in possibility to be performed nor would Paul serve God at randome uncertain whether he should obtain any good or prevent any mischief no but as one that was sure that by so doing he should attain everlasting life and without so doing he could not avoid eternall death We may then be sure if conditions rightly concur and seeing this is a point we would be all glad to know that we are sure to be saved I shall beg others help Gods assistance and your patience till we have opened the windows and given you a light of the lodging Cant. 1.7 where securely our souls may rest at noon day Some lay the order thus that to assure us of heaven we must be assured of Christ and to assure us of Christ we must be assured of faith and to assure us of faith we must be assured of repentance and to assure us of repentance we must be assured of amendment of life Others tell us of more evidences and we shall reduce them to these heads The testimonie of our spirits and the testimonie of Gods Spirit It is not our spirit alone nor Gods Spirit alone makes this Certificate but both concurring and thus Paul tels us Rom. 8.16 Rom. 8.16 The Spirit it self beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God 1. Our first assurance then is the testimonie of our spirit and this witnesseth with Gods spirit two wayes By Inward tokens Outward fruits Inward tokens are certain speciall graces of God imprinted in the spirit of a man as godly sorrow desire of pardon love of righteousnesse John 5.10 faith in Christ for he that believeth on the Sonne of God hath the witnesse in himself saith the Apostle Outward fruits are all good deeds holy duties new obedience and hereby we are sure that we know him if we keep his Commandments 1. Joh 2.3 1. John 2.3 To say then we are sure of heaven and to live a life fitter for devils what a fond saying is this no if we have a true testimony we must be of good lives it is our holinesse and justice and mercy and truth that will be our best assurance 2. Pet 1 10. and so the Apostle assures us If
brought us all those things are passed away as a shadow or as a Poste that passeth by Look on this man as he lies on his bed of death here is neither smile nor dimple All the daughters of musick are brought low Eccles. 12.4 His voice is hoarse his lips pale his cheeks wan his nostrills run out his eyes sink into his head and all the parts and members of his body now lose their office to assist him Is this the merrie man that made such pastime Sweet God! what a change is this Esa 3.24 In stead of sweet smell there is a stench in stead of a girdle a rent in stead of well-set hair baldness in stead of beauty burning in stead of mirth mourning and lamentation weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth Must not sadnesse seize on that soul which incurs this doom Here is a malefactour stands at bar indited by the name of Fool charged with the guilt of treason condemned by the Judge of heaven and this night the saddest that ever he saw is that fearfull execution that his soul is taken And yet more horrour It was a night of sinne and this doth encrease the sorrow Psal 116.13 How dear in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints and we may say on the contrary How abominable in the sight of the Lord is the death of the wicked Was not this a grief to be took thus tripping in his wickedness even now whilest he was busily plotting his ease and pastime death stands at his door and over-hears all his plots and projects It was a death to his soul to be took in his sinne hear how he roars and cries O that I had lived so virtuously as I should had I embraced the often inspirations of Gods blessed Spirit had I followed his Laws obeyed his Commands attended to his will how sweet and pleasant would they now be unto me We and alas that I had not fore-seen this day what have I done but for a little pleasure a fleeting vanity lost a Kingdome purchased damnation O beloved what think ye of your selves whilest you hear this voice you sit here as senseless of this judgement as the seats the pillars the walls the dust nay as the dead bodies themselves on which you tread but suppose and it were a blessed meditation you that are so fresh and frolick at this day that spend it merrily use it profanely swearing revelling singing dancing what if this night while you are in your sin the hand of death should arrest you Could I speak with you on your death-beds I am sure I should find you in another case how but sorrowing grieving roaring that your time were lost and these words not heeded whiles the time well served how would you tear your hair gnash your teeth bite your nails seek all means possibly to annihilate your selves and can nothing warn you before death seize on you take heed if you go on in sinne the next step is damnation It was the Apostles advice Rom. 13.11 Now it is high time to wake out of sleep for now is our salvation nearer then when we believed Rom. 13.11 If this wretched man had observed the present time how happy had he been this hour of his departure But as Officers take malefactours drinking or drabbing so is he nearest danger when deepest in the mire of pleasure Look at all those that are gone before us and which of them thought their end so near while they lived so merrie I must needs tell you there is a fire a worm a sting a darkness an hell provided for all wicked wretches and there most certainly must you be this night if you die this day in your naturall state of sinne Lord that men should be so strangely bewitched by the Prince of the air as for the momentarie enjoyment of some glorious miseries bitter-sweet pleasures heart-vexing riches desperately and wilfully to abandon God and to cast themselves headlong into the jaws of Satan Such a prodigious madnesse seized on this Worldling he sings he revels he dallies Plin. l. 7. c. 23. then dies Thus greatest euils arise out of greatest joyes as the ears vvith vehement sounds and the eyes vvith brighter objects so many by felicity have lost both their sense and being Gallus dies in the act of pleasure 2 Sam. 4.7 Num. 11.33 Ishbosheth dies in the middest of sleep the Israelites die in their day of lust this Worldling dies in that night of sinne even then on a sudden his soul is taken And yet more horrour it vvas a night of death and this vvas the vvorst of all the darkness drowsiness sadness sin all vvere nothing to this all nothing in themselves if death had not follovved Aristot lib. 3. mor. cap. 6. this is that most terrible of all terribles all fears griefs suspicions pains as so many small brooks are svvallovved up and drovvned in this Ocean of misery Novv rich man vvhat saiest thou to thy barns buildings riches lands Do these pleasure thee in this thy extreme and dying agonie Thou liest this night on thy departing bed burthened vvith the heavie load of thy former trespasses the pangs come sore and sharp upon thee thy brest pants thy pulse beats short thy breath it self smels of earth and rottennesse vvhither vvilt thou go for a little ease or succour vvhat help canst thou have in thy heaps of gold or hoord of vvealth Discip de temp serm 118. ex Hum. in tract de septuplici timore should vve bring them to thy bed as vve read of one dying commanded that his golden vessels and silver plate should be set before him which looking on he promised to his soul it should have them all on condition of his stay with him but the remedie being silly at last most desperately he commends it to the Devil seeing it would not stay in his body and so gave up the ghost Alas these trifling treasures can no more deliver thee from the arrest of that inexorable Serjeant then can an handfull of dust Wretched men vvhat shall be your thoughts vvhen you come to this miserable case full sad and heavie thoughts Lord thou knovvest you may lie upon your beds like vvild buls in a net full of the furie of the Lord In the morning thou shalt say would God it were evening and at even thou shalt say would God it were morning for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see Deut. 28.67 Deut. 28.67 Here is the terrour of that night of death vvhen you may vvish vvith all your hearts that you had never been born if the Lord once let loose the cords of your conscience vvhat account vvill you make of crovvns of possessions all these will be so far from healing the wound that they will turn rather into fiery Scorpions for your further torments Now now now is the dismall time of death what