for the twi-light and saith None eie shall see me And in another place How shall God know can he iudge thorow the darke cloud But verily verily though the adulterer doe neuer so closely and cunningly conuey his sin vnder a canopie yet the time will come when it shall be disclosed to his eternall shame For God will bring euery worke to iudgement with euery secret thought whether it be good or euill For he hath set our most secret sins in the light of his countenance And hee will lighten the things that are hid in darknesse and make the counsels of the heart manifest For this cause Iob saith When I sinne thou watchest me and wilt not purge me from my sinne Phila. Now you haue shewed vs the causes of adultery I pray you shew vs the remedies Theol. There be six remedies for adultery which no doubt will greatly preuaile if they be well practised Phila. Which be they Theol. Labour Abstinence Temperance Praier Restraint of senses Shunning of womens company and all occasions whatsoeuer Phila. Well sir now you haue waded deepe enough in the second signe of damnation I pray you let vs proceed to the third which is couetousnesse And as you haue laid naked the two former so I pray you strip this starke naked also that all men may see what an vgly monster it is and therefore hate it and abhorre it Theol. I would willingly satisfie your mind but in this point I shall neuer do it sufficiently For no heart can conceiue or tongue sufficiently vtter the loathsomnesse of this vice For Couetousnesse is the foulest fiend blackest diuell of all the rest It is euen great Beelzebub himselfe Therefore I shall neuer be able fully to describe it vnto you but yet I will do what I can to strip it and whip it starke naked And howsoeuer that men of this earth and blind worldlings take it to be most swéet beautifull and amiable and therefore do embrace it entertaine it and welcome it as though there were some happinesse in it yet I hope when I haue shewed them the face thereof in a glasse euen the true glasse of Gods word they will be no more in such loue but quite out of conceit with it I will therefore hold out this glasse to them Saint Paul to Timothy brandeth this sinne in the forehead and boareth it in the eares that all men may know it and auoid it when hée saith Couetousnesse is the root of all euill Our Lord Iesus also giueth vs a watch-word to take héed of it saying Take heed and beware of couetousnesse As if he should say touch it not come not neare it it is the very breath of the diuell it is present death and the very rats-bane of the soule The Apostle laieth out the great danger of this sinne and doth excéedingly grime the face of it when he saith that the end of all such as minde earthly things is damnation Let all carnal worldlings and muckish minded men lay this to heart and consider well of it lest they say one day had I wist Phila. Good sir lay open vnto vs the true nature of Couetousnesse and what it is that we may more perfectly discerne it Theol. Couetousnesse is an immoderate desire of hauing Phila. I hope you doe not thinke frugality thriftinesse and good husbandry to be couetousnesse Theol. Nothing lesse For they be things commanded being done in the feare of God and with a good conscience Phila. Doe you not thinke it lawfull also for men to doe their wordly businesse and to vse faithfulnesse and diligence in their callings that they may prouide for themselues and their families Theol. Yes no doubt And the rather if they doe these things with calling vpon God for a blessing vpon the works of their hands and vse praier thanksgiuing before after their labor taking héed all the day long of the common corruptions of the world as swearing cursing lying dissembling deceiuing gréedy getting c. Phila. Wherein I pray you doth couetousnesse especially consist Theol. In the gréedy desire of the mind For we may lawfully doe the works of our calling and play the good husbands and good huswiues but we must take héed that distrustfulnes and inward gréedinesse of the world doe not catch our hearts For then are we set on fire and vtterly vndone Phila. Sith couetousnesse is especially of the heart how may we know certainely when the heart is infected Theol. There be foure speciall signes of the hearts infection Phil. Which be they Theo. The first is an eager and sharp set desire of getting Therefore the holy Ghost saith He that hasteth to be rich shall not be vnpunished And againe An heritage is hastily gotten at the beginning but the end thereof shall not be blessed The Heathen man also saith No man can be both iustly and hastily rich The second is a pinching and niggardly kéeping of our owne that is when men being able to giue will hardly part with any thing though it be to neuer so holy and good vse And when at last with much adoe for shame they giue somthing it commeth heauily from them God wot and scantly The third is the neglect of holy duties that is when mens minds are so taken vp with the loue of earthly things that they begin to slacke and coole in matters of Gods worship The fourth and last is a trusting in riches and staying vpon them as though our liues were maintained by them or did consist onely in them which thing our Lord Jesus flatly denieth saying Though a man haue abundance yet his life consisteth not in the things that hee hath Luke 12. 15. These then are foure euident signes and tokens whereby we may certainly discerne that meus harts and intrailes are infected with couetousnesse Phila. You haue very well satisfied vs in this point Now let vs vnderstand the originall causes of Couetousnesse Theol. There be two speciall causes of Couetousnesse The one is the ignorance and distrust of Gods prouidence The other is the want of tasting and féeling of heauenly things For till men taste better things they will make much of these till they feele heauen they will loue earth til they be religious they will be couetous Therfore the cause is soone espied why men are so sharpe set vpon these outward things and doe so admire riches worldly pompe pleasures and treasures Because they know no better they neuer had taste or feeling of those things which are eternall Phila. Now as you haue shewed vs the causes of Couetousnesse so let vs also heare of the effects Theol. If I once enter into this I shall bée entar gled and wound vp in a maze where I know not how to get out againe For the euill effects of this vice are so many and so great that I know not almost where to begin or where to end Notwithstanding I will enter into it get out
fire vpon Gods Altar were consumed with fire He that blasphemed and transgressed the third commandement was stoned to death He that brake the fourth commandement in gathering sticks vpon the Sabbath was likewise stoned Absolon transgressing the fift Commandement was hanged in his owne haire Cain transgressing the sixt in flaying his brother Abel was branded with the marke of Gods wrath Sichem the sonne of Hamor transgressing the seuenth in defiling Dina the daughter of Iacob was slaine by Simeon and Leui the sons of Iacob Achan sinning against the eight Commandement in stealing the wedge of Gold and the Babylonish garment was stoned to death Ananias Sapphira sinning against the ninth commandement in liing and dissembling were suddenly smitten with death Ahab transgressing the tenth commandement in ceueting and discententment was deuoured of dogges Or if you will haue originall sinne therein onely forbidden then infants are therefore punished with death Thus we sée there is no dallying with God but if we sin we are as sure to beierkt for it as the coat is on our backe Therfore let vs not deceiue our selues nor make light of sin For sin is no scar-bugge and we shall one day finde it so And howsoeuer we make light of some sins yet in very déed all sinne is odious in the sight of God yea all sin is hainous and capital in this respect that it is against a person of infinite being it is against God himselfe it is against the highest Maiesty For the greatnesse of the person offended doth enhaunce and increase the greatnesse of the sinne As for example If a man raile at a Justice of peace hée shall be stocked if hée raile being the sonnes of idlenesse will step short in the end of that they looked for For the spirit saith The sluggard lusteth but his soule hath nought We must therefore leaue bare words and come to déeds For our Lord Iesus saith Not euery one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doth the will of my father which is in heauen Where wée sée Christ in plaine tearmes doth exclude out of his kingdome all those whose Religion consisteth onely in good words and smooth spéeches but make no conscience to practise the Commandements of God Dauid hauing made some good preparation for the building of the Temple and perceiuing his sonne Salomon to haue stuffe and prouision enough to perfectt and finish it doth most wisely incourage him to the worke in these words Vp and be doing and the Lord shall be with thee Oh that men would follow this counsell of Dauid That they would vp and bée dooing And not sit still and doe nothing that they would leaue words and countenances and set vpon the practise of Gods Law and study with all care and conscience to bée obedient to his will Then assuredly God would be with them and blesse them and much good would come of it For the Scripture saith In all labour there is profit or increase but the talke of the lips onely bringeth want Phila. Most mens minds are so wholly drowned in the loue of this world that they haue no heart to obey God nor any delight in his commandements Theo. The greatest part of men are like vnto the Gadarens which estéemed their Swine more then Christ As wée sée in these our daies how many make more account of their kine and shéepe then of the most glorious Gospell of Christ They highly estéeme dung and contemne Pearle They are carefull for trifles and regard not the things of greatest moment And therefore may very fitly be compared to a man who hauing his wife and children very sicke doth vtterly neglect them and is altogether carefull for the curing of his hogs eares Phila. We are somewhat digressed from the matter we had in hand I pray you therefore if you haue any more matter of good counsell to giue vnto Asunetus that you would presently deliuer it Theol. I haue little more to say saue onely I would aduise him often to remember and much to muse of these nine things The euill he hath committed The good he hath omitted The time he hath mispent The shortnesse of this life The vanity of this world The excellency of the world to come Death then the which nothing is more terrible The day of iudgement then the which nothing is more fearefull Hell fire then the which nothing is more intolerable Phila. This is short and sweet indeed You haue touched some of these points before in this our conference But I am very desirous to heare somewhat more of the two last which yet haue not beene touched Theol. Sith you are desirous I will briefely deliuer vnto you that which I haue receiued from the Lord. First concerning the day of iudgement I find in the volume of Gods booke that it shal be very terrible and dreadfull For The sonne of man shall come in the clouds of heauen with power and great glory S. Peter saith The day of the Lord shal come as a thiefe in the night In the which the heauens shall passe away with a noise the elements shall melt with heat the earth with the works that are therein shall be burnt vp The Apostle telleth vs that at the comming of Christ all the whole world shall bée of a light fire and that all castels towers goodly buildings gold siluer veluets silkes and all the glittering hue glory and beauty of this world shall be consumed to powder and ashes For he saith plainly The heauens and the earth which are now are reserued vnto fire against the day of iudgemēt and of the destruction of vngodly men Moreouer he doth strongly prooue that as the world was once destroied by water so the second time in the end thereof it shall be destroied by fire The Apostle Paul doth witnesse the same thing For he saith Christ shal come from heauen with all his mighty Angels in flaming fire And in another place he noteth the terrour of his comming to iudgement saying He shall come with a shout with the voice of the Archangel the trumpet of God We sée by experience that the comming of mortall Princes to any place is with great pompe glory They haue great traines and troupes behind them and before them They are accompanied with many Nobles goodly Lords and gallant Ladies doe attend vpon them The Sword-bearer Trumpetters and harbengers go before many flaunting and stately personages follow after Now then if the comming of mortall Princes be so pompous and glorious how much more glorious shall the comming of the sonne of man be in whose sight all mortal princes are but dust The Scriptures doe affirme that his second comming vnto iudgement shall be with such resplendent and vnspeakeable glory that euen the most excellent creatures shall blush at it For the Sunne shall be darkened the Moone shall not giue her light
presence of God Secondly that it is an eternall fellowship with the diuell and his angels Thirdly it is a féeling of the horrible wrath of God which shall seize vpon body and soule shall feed on them as fire deth vpon pitch and brimstone for euer The scriptures do note the extremity of it in calling it a lake that burneth with fire brimstone for euer in saying there shal be weeping gnashing of teeth in affirming that their worme dieth not meaning the worme that gnaweth their cōscience or their torment of conscience the fire neuer goeth out in tearming it Tophet which is deepe and large the burning thereof is fire and much wood and that the breath of the Lord as a riuer of brimstone doth kindle it All these things hée terrible to our senses and yet can they not fully expresse the thing as it is indéed For no heart can conceiue or tongue expresse the greatnesse and extreamity of the torments of hell As the ioyes of heauen neuer entred into the heart of man no more did the torments of hell All the torments and troubles that fall vpon men in this life are but as sparkles of the fornace of Gods totall wrath All fires are but as it were pictures of fire in comparison of hell fire For as one writeth Hell fire is so extreamely hot that it wil burne vp a man seuen mile before he come at if Yet the reprobates being alwaies in it shall neuer be consumed of it As the Salamander is alwaies in the fire and neuer consumeth so the wicked shall be alwaies in the fire of hell neuer consume For hell is a death alwaies liuing an end alwaies beginning It is a grieuous thing to a man that is very sick to lie vpon a featherbed how much more vpon a hot gridiron but how most of all to burne alwaies in hell fire neuer be consumed An other extreamity of it consisseth in this that the torments of hell are vniuersall that is in euery memberat once head eies tongue téeth throat stomacke backe belly heart sides c. All punishments of this life are particular For some are pained in their head some in their backe some in their stomacke c. Yet some particular paines are such as a man would not suffer to gaine all the world But for a man to be tormented in all parts at once what sight more lamentable who could but take pity of a dog in the stréet in that case Thus then wée sée that the extremity of Hell torments is greater then can be conceiued or vttered For who can vtter that which is incomprehensible We can go no further in comprehending that which is incomprehensible then to know it to be incomprehensible Phila. As you haue shewed vs the extremitie of Hell torments so now proceed to the perpetuity Theol. The Scriptures do set forth the perpetuity of hell torments in saying they are for euer The wicked shall be cast into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone for euer The fire neuer goeth out When as many hundred thousand yéeres are expired as there be stones by the Sea side yet still there be so many more to come For that which hath no end can neuer come to an end If all the Arithmeticians in the world were set a worke to do nothing but number all the daies of their life euen the greatest numbers that they could possibly set down and should in the end adde all their numbers together yet could they neuer come any thing néere to that length of time wherein the wicked shal be tormented If the whole circumference of the heauens were writtē about with figures of Arithmeticke from the East to the West and from the West to the East againe yet could it not containe that infinite time and innumerable yéeres wherein all vnbeléeuers shal suffer eternall torture For in things infinite time hath no place For time is the measure of those things which are subiect to measure Therefore because Hell torments are infinite they cannot be measured by any time neither can that which is infinite be diminished For if you subtract from that which is infinite ten thousand thousand millions of milions yet it is thereby nothing diminished or made lesse Put case a man should once in an hundred thousand yéeres take a spooneful of water out of the great Ocean Sea how long would it be ere hée had so emptied it Yet shall a man sooner empty the Sea by taking out a spoonfull once in a hundred thousand yéeres then the damned soule shall haue any ease Therfore a certain writer saith If a damned soule might be tormented in Hell but a thousand yeeres and then haue ease there were some comfort in it sor then there would be hope it would come to an end but saith he this word euer killeth the hart Oh consider this yée that forget God! O yée carnall worldlings thinke on this in time For if you will not now be moued in hearing you shal be thē crushed in péeces in feeling What auaileth it to liue in all possible pleasures and carnall delights héere for some 60. yéeres and then to suffer this eternall torment What shal it profit a man to win the whole world lose his soule they be more then mad which will hazard their soules for a little profit and a few stinking pleasures But this is the nature of men they will haue the present swéet come of it what wil though they pay neuer so deare for it though they goe to the highest price though hey lose their soules for it Oh the vnspeakeable blindnes madnes of the men of this world The diuell hath put out their eies therfore leadeth them whither he list For who cannot lead a blind man whither he list Nahash the Ammonite would make no couenant with the Israelites but vpon condition that he might put out all their right eies So the diuel doth couenāt with al the wicked to put out both their eies that he may lead them directly into Hell Phila. Now sir a word or two more of the remedilesnesse of hell fire Theol. The scriptures do affirme that as the torments of hel are extreme so they are without all hope of remedy as it is written A man can by no meanes redeeme his brother he can not giue his ransome vnto God so precious is the redemption of the soule and the continuance for euer To this purpose Abraham said to the rich man being in hell torments Betwixt you and vs there is a great gulfe set so that they which would goe from hence to you cannot neither can they come from thence to vs. Our Lord Jesus also saith What shall a man giue for the recompence of his soule Where our Sauiour doth plainely affirme that there is no ransome or recompence though neuer so great to be giuen for a damned soule For the soule being in Hell can neuer be released it is