not permitte vs to giue the prime dayes vnto the Deuill and the Dogge dayes to him to poure out our wine to the world and serue him with our dregges Amend saith my text heere is no time speciall annexed and therefore is our payment presently required And as we must amend without deferring so must wee continue without back-sliding Wee may not repent by quames and startes but go through stitch Fatte promisings may not haue leane performances It is a principle in the Ciuill Law Nihil praesumitur fuisse actum dum aliquid superest ad agendum To begin a thing is pleasant and for varieties sake many will do so much but the prise and praise is at the end Some in the world resemble Snayles which push out a long payre of hornes but beeing touched neuer so little they drawe them in againe Such a one was 2. Chr. 15. Asa carefull to doe good till the goute did take him 1. Sam. 14. 27. Others are like Ionathan who will follow the chase hard till they come where hony is But true repentance may not be by lease or after the manner of Bethulia Iudg. 7. 30. a composition for fiue dayes wee may not say one day Gloriapatri the second filio the third spirituo sancto and after that come to sicut erat in principio Dan. 2. 32. 33. this were Nabuchadnezers image the head of brasse the breast of baser mettall and so neerer the ende Luk. 18. worse and worse still But we must follow repentance Gen. 32. as the widdow did her sute keepe our hold as Iacob did in wrestling Amend to day amend to morrow runne on not for a time but euen our whole time actu continuo with a continued act Moderately at the first constantly in the middest cheerefully to the end All the trees in GODS Orchard must bee Palmes and Cedars Palmes which bring forth fruit betimes Cedars whose fruites lasteth very long Consider well the manifold dangers which followes the want eyther of speed or of continuance First our liues of all things are most vncertaine Short are Iob. 13. the dayes of man saith Iob who also amonst the Philosophers is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man of a day old Salomon Eccle. 2. surueying mans life calleth it Vaine and then thinking not that word sufficient correcteth himselfe and calleth it vanity but Dauid goeth yet further and Psal 6 2. tells vs. That man is lighter then vanity too Euen as Psal 90. 9. a thought in the braine wherof there may be no fewer then ten thousand in one day What answer was made vnto him that promised ease vnto his soule many yeares thou foole this night shall thy soule be taken Luk. 11. 19 20. from thee Young men saith Seneca haue death behind them olde men haue death before them and all men haue death not farre from them Mee thinkes the Lord threatneth an vtter ruine vnto all the World The Earth not long since hath trembled the Lightes of Heauen haue beene often darkened Rebellions haue beene raised Treasons haue beene practised Plagues haue beene dispersed Windes haue blustered Waters haue raged and what wanteth there now but fire for vs from Heauen to bee consumed And is it nowe time to buye to sell to eate to drinke to liue securely in sinne as they did in the dayes of Noah and thinke of nothing else Is it nowe time to say vnto GOD as the Niggard doth Prou. 3. vnto his neighbour Cras reuertere come againe to morrow or as that drowsie sluggard doth yet a Prou. 6. 10. little sleepe yet a little slumber yet a little folding of the handes The foolish Virgins supposed that the Bridgroome would not come like an Owle or Baâ—te in the night there is time enough saide they what needes all this hast but poore fooles they were excluded O My beloued many thousands are nowe no doubt in hell who purposed in time to haue turned from their sinnes but being preuented by death are for euer condemned Let therefore the vncertainety and shortnesse of our liues teach vs to watch because we know not the houre to do good whilst we haue Mat. 25. Gal. 6. time to make hast into the promised rest and alwayes Heb. 4 let vs esteeme it as an imminent danger to line in that estate wherein wee would bee loath that death should finde vs. Secondly badde customes are dangerous and Iob. 20. 11 greatly to bee feared Hee that from his youth hath liued wickedly in his old age shall haue sinne in his bones Can the Black-moore change his skinne or the Ier. 13. 23. Leopard his spottes no more may hee doe good sayth GOD who is accustomed vnto euill It is a true speech vsed amongst Physitions Custome is another Nature A Child brought vp in closse prison can there sport and play when hee that lately saw light and had his liberty can do little else but bewayle his Captiuity The Isralites beeing long in bondage Luk. 13. were loath to depart the Woman which had an infirmitie eighteene yeares called not vpon CHRIST Luk. 19. as the Leapers did Sinnes are not like Disseases in the body The older the sorâ—r sed consuetudine plus quam ciues studio plus quam hostes saith Saint Augustine the older the sweeter and yet the more toothsome the more troublesome for Custome not resisted becommeth a Necessity Olde Sinners are compared to Lazarus in his graue First they stinke they are corrupt and become abhommable Ps 14. 1. 3. as the Psalmist speaketh Secondly they haue a greate stone of Custome rowled vpon them which can hardly be remoued Ioh. 11. 43. CHRIST must grone and crye aloud before Lazarus can bee raised Thirdly their seete and handes are bound they cannot imploie them to any good action And lastly their faces are couered hauing by the darkenesse of their sinnes lost the sight of GOD. Againe ancient sinnes are by the Prophet compared vnto Chaynes where one lincke one sinne doth draw on another First commeth secret suggestion after suggestion Cogitation after cogitation Affection after affection Delight after delight Consent after consent an Act then many actes make a Custome Custome bringeth Despayre despaire a Defence of sinne defense a Boasting in it and this is the next steppe to condemnation Here is the Chaine of sinn wherein euerie lincke is more heauye then an other the former are the easier the latter alwayes the harder to bee shaken off Peter at the first did but denye CHRIST afterwardes hee denyed him with an oath at last hee did curse and swcare and for-swore him-selfe The Disciples of Mat. 26. CHRIST could not caste out a Foule Spirit that had remayned in one from his child-hood Hee that hath had long possession will plead prescription Mar. 9. A Language saith Bassill first learned is not soone forgotten and a custome long retayned is not quickly changed It is therefore very dangegerous
not to examine or trie our selues before wee bee indged not to vse phisicke before wee bee deadly sicke not to repent before wee can sinne no more It wil be too late to come to the kaye when the ship is launched too late to transplant trees when they be growne in yeares too late to apply a medicine where the disease is desperate too late to resist enemies when they haue gotten and fortefyed the hold too late to season flesh when it crawleth with wormes or to mend a house when it is on fire So standeth the case with him that hath lined long in sinne what is there no hope of Saluation for him Non dico saluabitur non dico damnabitur saith Saint Augustine I will not say he shall be saued I will not say he shall be damned The Theefe was receined in the end of his dayes Where vpon Origen writeth thus There is no man which hath cause to dispayre of pardon seeing CHRIST said vnto the Theefe Amen dico tibi c. verily this day shalt Thou bee with me in Paradise and yet may we not too much presume of pardon because CHRIST sayde not Amen dico vobis c verily this day shall You bee with mee in Paradise Wherefore let vs remember before wee sin that CHRIST pardoned not the multitude and thereby feare his iustice And after we haue sinned let vs remember that CHRIST pardoned the theefe and thereby hope for mercy Et si paenitentia est sera tamen indulgentia non est fera saith Lombard GODS mercy is aboue our misery and an euening sacrifice is accepted by him And yet on the other side wee neuer read that CHRIST cured one blind man often that he healed the same Leapers diuerse times that hee raised Lazarus twice Antiochus prayed for mercy at the ende of his life and was not heard 2. Macha 6 Hee that sayeth at what time soeuer a sinner doth repent I will put away his wickednesse saith also Eze. 33. it is good for a man to beare the yoak from his youth Lam. 3. 27. for olde age is like to flint you may breake it before you can soften it and therefore the wiseman aduiseth to bow downe the neck of thy sonne whilest hee is Eccl. 10. 12 young to beate sinne on the sides to nippe it on the head while it is a child for it will else grow stubborn and get the Mastery In youth sinnes are few and fecble but by continuance they grow to be as strong as Gyants and increase into mighty Armies Besides they are a burden heauier then the whole earth They made wicked Angells to fall like thunder-bolts Iud. vers 6. from the Highest Heauen into the lowest Hell they caused GOD to complaine Behold I am pressed vnder Amo. 2. 13 you as a Cart is pressed that is full of sheaues The creatures grone vnder this burthen beeing by mans sinne subiect to vanity and corruption and shall Rom. 8. 22. crooked age be able to sustaine it A thousand to one wee shall bee constrayned to crie out with Cain My Gen. 4. 13. sinne is heauier then I am able for to beare Thirdly we must remember that the longer wee continue in sinne the farther and greater space we runne from our GOD. Your Iniquities saith GOD makes a Separation betwixt mee and you And is there Esa 59. 2. any likelyhood that he who hath beene running from his GOD forty threescore perhappes fourescore yeares together who with the prodigall is runne into a farre Countrey can returne againe in the space of sixe dayes sixe houres sixe minutes For it may be his sicknes vnto the time whereof hee deferreth his conuersion will not be sixe daies sixe houres sixe minutes long and how is it possible then to returne vnto GOD Say that the forceable working of the holy spirit like a great gale of wind bee able to blow thee home vppon the sodaine yet art thou not sure for to haue it Nay GOD hath told thee Because I haue called and you refused you shall call vppon mee and I will not Pro. 1. 28. answer you A dolefull and heauy doome for a dying man Lastly let vs euer remember that in time of sicknesse wee thinke most vppon that wee most feele Death beseegeth vs Sinn affrighteth vs our wiues grieueys our children with-drawe vs beeing many wayes distracted how shall wee then amend being then at the weakest how can wee resist Sathan who is then at the strongest now hee must haue vs or else euer loose vs nowe therefore standeth the redde Dragon ready to deuoure his prey Vaunting him-selfe against CHRIST IESVS I neuer dyed for these I neuer was whipped crucified tormented for them I neuer promised them eternall life not Paradise not the ioyes of Heauen And yet loe howe they followe mee vnto their liues ende Avaunt Sathan in the Name of CHRIST IESVS And let all true Christians Amend speedilie Continually 4. There is punishment threatned Yee shall all perish Amongst the Philosophers to perish doth vsually signifie A returning vnto nothing which the Creatures of GOD doe naturally abhorre For euer since that first blessing Increase and multiplie there Gen. 1. hath beene in the Creatures a naturall desire to preserue themselues In this philosophicall sense is not the word here to bee vnderstood It were a peece of happinesse to impenitent persons if they might become as though they had neuer beene But death shall depart from them and as the Heart of Prometheus was say the Poets alwayes eaten with Vultures Apo. 9. and not deuoured so shall it bee with these They shall euer perish and neuer bee consumed In the Scriptures To perish is a word of a large extent contayning in it the plagues of the Soule the punishment Pro. 21. of the body the wrath and curse of Dan. 2. Psal 1. GOD vpon the Reprobates in this world and Ioh. 10. 28. in the world to come euerlasting condemnation The meaning then of the word perish First is this You shall haue in this life the face of GOD against you Heauen shal be as Yron and Earth as Brasse vnto you Cursed shall you bee in the Citty cursed in the Fieldes cursed shall you bee in your Barne cursed in your Store cursed in the fruites of your Wombes cursed in the fruites of the Earth cursed in your heards of Cattle cursed in your flocks of sheepe cursed shall be your going out cursed shal be your comming in your Honours your Pleasures Deu. 28. your Riches your Children all the blessings of GOD shall bee turned into curses vntill you be destroyed and perish vtterly This is the portion of the impenitent in this world Secondly the meaning of the word perish is this you shall in the world to come bee euerlastingly condemned Which the Schoole-men haue reduced to two kindes of torments poena damni paena sensus 1. the torment of losse or wanting 2. the torment of sense
and feeling the effect of both is this you shall loose the ioyes of Heauen you shall feele the paines of hell The ioyes of Heauen are these of such valewe or the losse of them so great as should moue vs to repentance what those ioyes are and by consequence how great their losse is wee may behold as in a Glasse darkely but tongues of men and Angells can in noe wise expresse S. Paul being rapt into the third 2. Cor. 12. Heauen heard there such things as cannot bee vttered First we may roue at them by that high price which is set vpon them CHRIST the Sonne and onely Sonne of GOD not by Adoption but by nature louing and best beloued bought them not with money but with bloud not with the bloud of Goates and Rammes but with his own blood not with the bloud of head handes or feete but with his owne heart bloud And as hee prayed soundly for them him-selfe so hath hee prized them vnto his Friends and Children None can enter into them but by many tribulations They cost Paul a beheadding Peter a A 14. 22 crucifiyng Steuen a stoning millions of Martirs a racking or burning a torturing a tormenting GOD 1. Cor. 10. who is faithfull and true hath not deceiued his Son nor ouer-sold his ioyes vnto his Saints And therfore vnspeakeable are those ioyes which CHRIST hath purchased and his Children obtayned thorowe a world of miseries Secondly we may conceiue of them by taking a view of inferior beauties Looke vpon the meddows consider sayth our Sauiour the Lillies of the field how they growe and florish I say vnto you that Salomon in all his glory was not like to one of these all Salomons glory not like to one Lilly Hath GOD put such glory and gladnesse vpon the grasse of the field hath hee so gorgiously attired them which to day haue a being but to morrow are cut downe and cast into a furnace how much more then shal Luk. 12. 2â— be the glory and ioy of you O yee of little faith Thirdly wee haue a resemblance of these ioyes in CHRISTS transfiguration when as his face did Mat. 17. shine as the Sunne and his rayment was as white as snowe For hereby we learne what glory our bodyes shall haue in the day of the resurrection when as S. Paul tells vs wee shall beare the image of the heauenly 1. Cor. 15. and bee like the Sonne in glory Fourthly the place of blessednesse doth informe vs of these ioyes First it is a place of puritie and holinesse no vncleane thing shall enter thereinto Secondly Apo 21. a place of beauty and brightnesse as cleare as cristal glistring as Iasper the twelue gates are twelue pearles the sireetes like gold and shining glasse Thirdly a Apo. 22. place of roomth and largenesse O Israel how great is the house of GOD and how large is the place of his possession Baruch 3â— into this pure bright large place of glorie shall true Conuertes enter for where I am saith CHRIST there shall my seruants bee and that is Ioh. 12. not all but Kingdomes shall bee giuen vnto them Come yee blessed of my Father possesse a Kingdome Luk. â—2 29 and in this Kingdome the Lord him-selfe will honor Luk. 12. 37 them with his owne attendants and there shall they raigne for euermore Fiftly wee may make coniecture of these ioyes by reflecting our eyes vpon those innumerable perilles which we haue heere escaped For if such as are deliuered from the daungers of the Sea do wonderfully reioyce when they come vnto the shore Much greater then is the ioye of those who hauing beene tossed in the waues of this World troubled with sinnes with Sathan with the fraylties of the flesh with the feare of hell Quorum periculum probat periuntium multitudo saith Gregorie whose dangers appeares by the multitude of those that perish are nowe arriued at Heauen for their Hauen and are wholie freed from all their miseries Quanto fuit maius periculum in praelio tanto maius gaudium in triumpho as Saint Augustine well speaketh the more dangers escaped the more ioyes increased as the most doubtfull battell maketh the most ioyfull victory Lastly though wee knowe not what it is to behold the Face of GOD yet herein consisteth the Exo. 33. 18 highest degree of happinesse and therefore are the ioyes of the Saintes in Heauen super-Superlatiue Esa 33. 17. because their eyes doe alwayes see their King in his glorie It is a pleasing sight and delight-some vnto the eye to behold the Sunne Sed illud est verum gaudium saith S. Bernard non quod ae creatura sed quod de creatore concipitur but that is the true and onely ioy indeede which is conceiued from the Creator not from the Creature Iohn leapt in his Mothers wombe when but the Mother of his maker came neere vnto him the Wise-men reioyced exceedingly when they but sawe his Starre The Bethshemits were comforted at the sight of his Ark were these causes of great and vnwonted gladnesse Then are the Saints rauished with ioy in Heauen who behold theyr Creator face to face If the people shouted for ioy so as the earth did ring againe with the sound of their noyse when Salomon was 1. King 1. proclaimed King O what a Hallaluiah is there in Heauen at the sight of the King of Peace crowned in his Throne of Glorie Huic comparata omnis aliunde iucunà itas maeror est omnis suauitas dolor omne dulce amarum omne decorum foedum saith Saint Bernard In comparison of this all ioy is sadnesse all sweetnesse sowernesse all beauty blacknesse yea all the delights in the World put them together which haue beene which are which shall bee to the day of Iudgement all are but as a droppe of water to the mayne Ocean in respect of that blessednesse which wee shall drinke from the euer liuing fountaine of the face of GOD. For if wee finde such store of sweetnesse in a peece of one little Creature bee it Sugar or Honie or such like what shall wee not finde in the Creator if the foote-steppes of the goodnesse of GOD abound in pleasures what hath not the fountaine of goodnesse GOD himselfe The consideration whereof caused Moyses to sue vnto GOD that hee might see his glory Compelled Dauid oftentimes humbly to request that hee might behold the face Psa 27. 8. of his GOD and when GOD said vnto him Psa 80. seeke my face his heart answered as an Eccho O Lord I will seeke thy face And as a man not contented hee trebleâ—h his request O thou shepheard of Israel cause thy face to shine vpon mee that I may bee saued Twice more hee prayeth O thou shepheard of Israel c. His saluation and eternall happinesse hee reposeth in the sight of GOD for hee knewe full well that in his presence there was fulnes of ioy for euermore Let mee