teeth of wild beasts hot glowing fornaces caldrons of boyling oyle fiery braseÌ„ bulls powning to death in morters rouling in barrels of nayles roasting vpon spits boring with augers parting the nayles from the fingers ends with needles nipping the flesh with pincers renting asunder the ioynts with wild horses can we I say thinke of these and the like most mercilesse and pitilesse torments and not be moved Could we Our hearts certainely should be harder then the hardest yron Yet behold my text leadeth you to the sight of farre more grievous torments in regard of which all those foresaid agonies and as many besides as ever haue wrested or may wring the spirit of man are only shadowes and counterfeits It sheweth you though there be never so many already in the bowels of Hell to empty her storehouses and to part her punishments among them yet hath shee in store an vnmeasurable portion to bestow vpon her children that now liue or are yet vnborne such a portion as may not be refused a patrimonie of howling weeping and gnashing a patrimonie of darknesse blacknesse and obscuritie a patrimonie of fire brimstone and the wrath of God There shall they be tormented before the Holy Angels and before the lambe and shall bee a gazing stocke vnto the blessed Saints who shall not pitie them but reioyce to see their coÌ„fusion And the c Rev. 14.11 smoake of this their torment ascends for evermore giving them rest neither day nor night and it continueth for a time and times and no time even when time shall bee no more Rev. 10 6. When time shall bee no more yet then continueth their torment and that in such a measure as no eye hath ever seene the like no eare hath ever heard the like no tongue hath ever vttered the like no heart hath beene is or shall bee ever able to conceaue the like And this I hope may suffice for the explication of my text Now that we doe not like sleepy Adders passe our times in a dreame let vs awake our selues Why should wee bee that ground by the d Mat. 13.4 highway side or that e Vers 5. stony or that f Vers 7. bushie ground The good g Vers 8. ground it is that receaues the seed beares brings forth fruit Since we haue brought our eares to heare the word let vs keepe our hearts here also It is not meete our hearts should be like many of your waiting men who thinke their dutie fully done if they wait vpon their Masters to and from the Church though they heare not one word of the sermon themselues But so they shal never learne Christ Nor we if when we present our bodies in this and the like places wee send our hearts vpon other businesses to attend our private affaires Let vs therfore lay these things whereof we haue heard to our hearts and be assured they will be for our profit The consideration of the terror of the Iudge of Hell fire and of the torments there to bee endured may moue vs to thinke with our selues how neere that day of iudgement is and therevpon to provide our selues against the comming of the Iudge Touching this point if the day of iudgement were at hand sixteene ages since as the Crier in the wildernesse proclaimed Mat. 3.2 as the Disciples taught according to their charge Mat. 10.7 and as Christ himselfe preached Mat. 4.17 if in those daies the end of the world were come as S. Paule saith 1. Cor. 10.11 if then was the last time as S. Iohn tels vs 1. Iohn 2.18 if at that time the end of all things drew neere as S. Peter affirmeth 1. Pet. 4.7 Can we religiously thinke that yet this day of the LORD is farre of In the time of the Apostles there were two heresies concerning this second comming of Christ the one refuted by S. Peter the other by S. Paule S. Peter 2 Pet. 3.3 wisheth vs to vnderstand that in the last daies which then were come there shall be mockers walking after their own lusts and saying where is the promise of his comming For since the fathers dyed all things continue alike from the beginning of the creation Miserable men to bee perswaded that the day of the LORD shall never come because it is deferred But such iesting scoffing and mocking at that fearefull day vsed heretofore and hitherto practised by the whole progenie of vnbeleevers may be vnto vs a good argument that this iudgement shall speedely be hastned For so saith the Holy Ghost by the Apostle 1. Thess 5.3 when they shall say PEACE and SAFETIE then shall come vpon them suddaine destruction St Peter in his answere to such deceavers saith first that the LORD differeth not very long to come to iudgement For saith he verse 8. one day with him is as a thousand yeares and a thousand yeares as one day alluding to the words in Moses prayer Psal 90 4. A thousand yeares in thy sight are as yesterday when it is past and as a watch of the night as if he should haue said were it possible for a man to liue a thousand yeares yet those thousand yeares are assoone passed over in respect of God as one day only is in respect of a so-long-living man Yea those thousand yeares are but as a watch of the night that is they are of very short continuance For the old Iewes divided the night into foure watches and appointed to every watch three houres as may appeare by the conference of these places Mat. 14.25 Luk. 12.38 Exod. 14.24 The words then suffering this exposâ—tion that a thousand yeares in respect of the Lord are but as a watch of the night but of three houres doe plainely shew that Peter meant not to speake any thing distinctly of a thousand yeares but of a long time so his meaning is that innumerable yeares are but as a short time with God He might as well and truely haue said two thousand eight or ten thousand years with God are but as one day And this is his first answere to such as aske where is the promise of his comming His second answere is verse 9. when he saith The LORD is not slacke concerning his promise as some men count slacknes but is patient towardes vs and would haue no man to perish but that all should come to repentance Where it being manifest that the LORD differreth his comming only for our good to giue vs time to turne vnto him is it meete we should mocke at the slacknesse of his comming You see the first Heresie refuted The second is quite opposite to this set abroach by certain false teachers who taught the Thessalonians that the daie of the LORD was so nigh as that it should happen within their age Where by the way note the exceeding subtilty of Sathan slyly leading vs into one of the extreams to make vs belieue either that the day of the Lord shall never come or else that it shall come within such a
blasphemers of the holy Spirit who doe not onely fulfill the full measure of those Pagans sinnes but contemne also the Graces given vnto them the knowledge whereto they haue beene called and that good Spirit whereof the Pagans were never made partakers Now looke we backe for a while to those markes wherewith they are noted against whom our Apostle in this place denounceth If they bee duely considered they will moue our hearts to wisdome One is they haue beene once lightned that is they haue been endued with the knowledge of God and that not onely by the heavens though they b Psal 19 ◠declare Gods glory nor only by the firmament though that sheweth his handy worke nor onely by other his creatures though in them also his eternall power godhead appeareth and shineth for of this light all nations are made partakers but they haue beene lightned also with his holy word This hath beene a c Ps 119 105. lanterne to their feet and a light vnto their paths When they found it they did greedily tast of it and it was vnto them the ioy and reioycing of their hearts And can we think that any thus lightned are neere vnto cursing Yea the d Heb. 6.7 Scripture telleth vs that they may so fall away as that it shall be impossible for them to be renued againe by repentance Heb. 6.6 Indeed the earth which drinketh in the raine that commeth oft vpon it and bringeth forth hearbes meet for them by whom it is dressed shal receaue a blessing of God but that earth which beareth thornes and briers is reproued is neere vnto cursing the end thereof is to bee burned Presume wee not then beloved in the Lord. Whosoever 1. Cor. 10.12 thinkes he standeth may fal O! worke we out our salvatiō with feare trembling An other marke of theirs is they haue tasted of the heavenly gift This heavenly gift is eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6.23 It is that great salvatiō that is in Christ Iesus so called by Christ himselfe speaking to the woman of Samaria Iohn 4.10 This gift they haue not only knowne but haue also tasted of it Would you know what taste this is One expounds it thus Suppose a banquet provided wherein are many sweet pleasant and dainty meates At this banquet the bidden guests must be set downe they see the meats they taste thē they eate them they disgest them they are nourished strengthened by them The vnbidden guests it is not so with them They indeed may see the meates yea more then so happyly they may be permitted to handle them and taste of them to feele how good they are but eate or feed of thē they may not Apply this and in the vnbidden guests tasting of those dainety meates you shall perceiue this taste of the heavenly gift resembled They haue tasted of the heavenly gift that is they haue gladly sometime receaved it and reioyced in it like Herode who did gladly heare Iohn Baptist preaching Mark 6.20 like the second kinde of naughty ground that ioyfully receaved the seed Mat. 13.20 Herod may willingly heare the preaching of the word and yet be accursed the naughty ground receiving the seed with ioy in the end may be burned Many may haue a taste of eternall life of that great salvation which is in Christ Iesus and yet may finally fall away Presume wee not then beloved in the Lord. Whosoever thinkes he standeth may fall O! worke we out our salvation with feare and trembling Their third marke is they haue beene made partakers of the holy Ghost that is many graces of the spirit of God haue beene given vnto them They may repent like Iudas Mat. 27.3 confesse their sinnes like Pharaoh Exod. 10.16 loue God as Saule did 1. Sam. 10.9 They may desire to be like Gods children in happinesse as Balaam desired when he said O let my soule die the death of the righteous let my last end be like his Num. 23.10 They may shew liking to Gods Ministers reverence them and feare to displease them as Simon Magus did who at Philips preaching beleeved wondred at his miracles and kept cōpany with him Act. 8.13 They may be zealous in the profession of the gospell as the Galatians were who receaved Paule as an Angell and if possible would haue plucked out their eies to haue done him good Gal. 4.16 Thus may they be qualified yea much better then thus and yet may finally fall awaie Presume we not thē beloved in the Lord. Whosoever thinkes he standeth may fall O! worke we out our salvation with feare and trembling Their last marke for I omit the rest as being all reducible to these fowre their last marke is They haue receaved the knowledge of the truth that is they haue caused their f Ezech. 3.3 bellies to eate and haue filled their bowels with that sweet roule as sweet as any hony in their mouthes they haue receaved the word of God in their hearts in such abundance as that they are become preachers of the word for they haue g Heb. 6.5 tasted of the good word of God and of the power of the world to come they haue tasted it indeed but only haue they tasted it Here let me once more remember you of the resemblance of tasting You know that Cookes which are busied in preparing of banquets haue commonly as much feeling and seeing of the meates as any other and yet there is none that eateth lesse of it then they their stomackes are so cloyed with the smell taste thereof so is it here it may come to passe that the preacher which dresseth and provideth the spirituall food may eate least of it himselfe so labouring to saue others himselfe may proue a reprobate It hath beene thought that some of them which built the Arke were not saved in the Arke but certaine it is not only thought so certaine it is that diverse spirituall builders of Christs Church shall not be saved with the Church They may by vs be takē for Gods sheepe because they are kept in the same pastures and folded in the same fold with vs they may by vs be taken for Gods sheepe though indeed they be very Goates There is a day to come wherein the h 2. Pet. 3.10 heavens shal passe away with a noise and the elements shall melt with heate the earth with the workes that are therein shall be burnt vp then may Demas alleage for himselfe his old and once-true religion and Iudas for himselfe his Apostleship and many others for themselues their prophecying in Christs name but al in vaine For that iust Iudge will professe vnto them i Mat. 7.23 Luk. 13.27 I never knew you depart from me yee workers of iniquity Presume wee not then beloved in the Lord. Whosoever thinkes he standeth may fall O! worke we out our salvation with feare and trembling Having thus considered their markes finding that they haue
any more by these meanes to bee illuminated since they are fallen away from the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead when they shall rise againe they shall rise to their own damnation and last of all since they are fallen away from the doctrine of eternal iudgement needs must it come to passe that eternall iudgement shall devoure them It is no more but this since they are fallen away wholy from Christ since they haue troden him vnder foot since they haue despised those sweet graces of the holy spirit wherewith they were once lightned they shall be fed with wormewood and be made to drinke the water of gall and somewhat happie were they were this all But this is not all for let all the rivers and streames of fresh water which glad the Citie of God and comfort the soules of the faithfull runne also into their soules they will resist them and driue them backe they will admit no entrance for any perswasion of the graciousnesse and kindnesse of the Lord though it be preached to them ten thousand times they haue sinned against the holy Ghost and condemnation is their portion There remaineth no more sacrifice for sinne No more I say For Christs blood which was once shed for mans ransome may be shed no more The price which was once paid for man may be paid no more all the riches of Solomon all the treasures of Ezechias al the silver al the gold within the bowels of the earth could never haue mounted to so high a reckoning Christ hath once spared his own most pretious blood for mans redemption but will spare it no more Wee may not now looke for more Christs for more passions They that will goe into captivitie againe let thē go but they shall not returne they that wil sel thē selues to the will of their enimie let them sell themselues but they may never hope for a second ransome they that will sinne after that they haue received the knowledge of the truth let them so sinne but there remaineth no more sacrifice for their sinne They which haue eares to heare let them heare If it bee true that they which sinne willingly after that they haue receaued the knowledge of the truth may so fall away as that no sacrifice may remaine for cleansing of their sinne what may bee hoped for of vs in whom willingnesse is no day wanting to our sinnes It is a true saying excusatio omnis tollitur vbi mandatum non ignoratur If the commandment be knowne no excuse may serue for the breach thereof I shall not make it a false saying though I doe a little invert it excusatio omnis non admittitur vbi mandatum ignoratur though the commandement bee not knowne yet every excuse may not serue for the breach thereof Peter gaue vnto the Iewes a shield of ignorance wherewith they might partly defend themselues against the weapons of Gods wrath and that not in any common cause but in the vilest and bloodiest fact that ever yet the sunne saw attempted I knowe saith he that through ignorance you did it as did also your governours Act. 3.17 speaking of their slaughtering the Lord of life I knowe saith he that through ignorance you did it as did also your governours Yet that they should not leane too much vpon this broken reed of ignorance in the 19. vers he adviseth them to repent returne that their sinnes might bee done away Here we see that Ignorance must be beaten vnlesse it be cleansed by repentance The like cloake had S. Paul gotten to cast over his blasphemies his tyrannies his mercilesse persecutions of the Church I was saith he receaved to mercy because I did it ignorantly through vnbeleefe 1. Timoth. 1.13 I was saith hee receaued to mercy because I did it ignorantly through vnbeleefe And here also we see that ignorance must be beatē vnlesse it haue mercy to cover it And surely could ignorance haue pleaded for her owne innocency never would the blood of Christ haue cryed to the Father vpon the Crosse Father forgiue them they knowe not what they doe Luke 23.34 And here againe wee see that ignorance must be beaten vnlesse it bee forgiven by the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ What Is ignorance of the Lordes will sure to bee beaten with rods and shall not our contempt of his will our carelesse and vnprofitable knowledge of his lawes bee requited with scourges Shall Tyre and Sidon and Sodome wherein was never vertue done that might haue reclaimed them shall they I say burne like stubble in Hell fire Shall the smoake of their torment ascend for evermore And shall Corazin and Bethsaida and Capernaum whose streetes haue beene sowne with the miracles of Christ and made fat with his doctrine shall they escape vntouched and not drinke downe the dregges of endlesse destruction Diverse Cities of the East and West Indies devoted to the worship of Devils shall once wring their hands for that they haue knowne so litle and I feare me I may too truely say that Oxford shall once rend her heart for that shee hath known so much to no better purpose for surely were shee so fruitfull in good works as shee ought to be there could be no such report of her as there is of ignorance in her Citizens of corruption in her Colleges of idlenes loosenes of life in her seniors of wilfull impudent and contemptuous behaviour in her juniours Dictum sapienti You will not marvaile to see the wildernesse lie wast and desert but if a ground well husbanded and manured yeeld no profit that deserues cursing Our ground in all likelyhood should bee well husbanded and manured Here is much preaching much hearing but where is any profit What our Saviour said of the Scribes and Pharisees dicunt non faciunt they say do not may truely be spoken of vs we see we heare we say we know but doe not O let vs not still be sicke of Adams disease desiring rather to eate of the tree of knowledge then of the tree of life We may and must be carefull of knowledge vnto sobriety but we must haue a regard also of profiting thereby that the fruit of a good life bringing eternity of daies to come may wait vpon our knowledge For S. Peter assureth vs that it is better for vs never to know the way of righteousnes thē after we know it to turne from it 2. Pet. 2.21 The same is also taught vs by my text If we sinne willingly after that wee haue receaved the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinne THE FOVRTH SERMON HEBR. 10. VER 27. 27 But a fearfull looking for of iudgement and violent fire which shall devoure the adversaries I should not trouble you with any long rehearsall of that which heretofore I delivered vnto you Yet the sonne of Sirach chap. 22.8 perswading me that many exhortations may bee spent as vpon men that are asleepe who when the Sermon is done wil