Salomon saith The hope of the wicked shall perish Wherein the wicked are accursed But it wil be asked Wherein stands their misery and cursed estate I answere First in this that they be out of Gods fauour God hates them and all they doe And is not this a misery of all miseries to be cursed and miserable indeed to haue God our enemy to haue Iesus Christ the Iudge our enemy to haue all the creatures in heauen and earth against vs For as those be truly blessed that God loues and be in his fauour So they be most cursed and miserable that be out of his fauour whom his soule abhorreth and such are the wicked according to that of the Prophet Psal 5.5 The foolish shal not stand in thy sight for thou hatest all them that worke iniquitie Secondly they haue no pardon of their sinnes Luke 13.5 and so lie vnder the curse of God in danger of eternall death euery day they rise without repentance there is no pardon But the wicked cannot repent being hardened in sinne and delight in sin yea all their sinnes stand in account against them the Lord keepes them in remembrance and one day hee will bring out his Booke of reckonning I will reproue thee Psal 50.17 18. and set before thee the things thou hast done Oh full little doe wicked men thinke of this that their secret sins in hugger-mugger in darke corners committed shall one day come to reckoning and they called to a reckoning for the same and then their owne consciences will they nill they shall cry out and say Righteous is the Lord and true are his iudgements Thirdly they haue no peace of conscience Esay 57. There is no peace to the wicked saith my God but a Hell in their conscience hauing in them either an Accusing Conscience like Cain Achitophel Saul Iudas and the like or else a dead and sleepy conscience like Nabal which iudgement is no way inferiour to the former This fearfull iudgment of God vpon the wicked is nothing else but a fore-runner of those paines which are prepared for the wicked and are as it were the smoake of that fire which hereafter shall torment them Fourthly a wicked man is the heire of vengeance and the firebrand of hell and shall as sure bee damned as if hee were in hell alreadie and therefore CHRIST saith that The wicked are damned already Ioh. 3.18 and that fiue wayes First in Gods counsell before all worlds Secondly in the Word wherein their sentence of condemnation is read already Thirdly in their owne consciences which is a fore-runner of the finall iudgement Fourthly by the iudgements begun already vpon them as hardnesse of heart blindnesse of minde hatred of the light and the like means of saluation Fiftly by the horrible torment of the soule which it doth assuredly expect when the full viall of Gods wrath shall be powred vpon it O miserable and vnhappy condition woe worth the time may such say that euer they were borne Who is a wicked man Answer A wicked man described in generall Hee that liues and lies in sinne without repentance But such a man is a wicked man as Doth walke in the counsell of the wicked that doth stand in the way of sinners that doth sit in the seate of the scorners For as hee is a godly man that is carefull to shunne and auoide the bad counsell and lewd company of wicked vngodly men so he is a wicked man that loues and likes their bad counsel lewd company And as a noble mans seruant is knowne by his liuery so we may certainly iudge of men by their companie A good man loues good companie a godly man makes much of them that feare the Lord. Psal 16.3 Psal 101.6 7. Gen. 37.2.4 My eyes saith Dauid shall bee vpon the faithfull in the Land This we may see in Iacob who loued Ioseph aboue all his brethren because he had grace in him All my delight is vpon thy Saints But wicked men are like Birds of a Feather which flie together and like will to like So that if you wold aske a certaine rule how to iudge of men whether they bee good or bad godly or wicked I know not any rule more sure for a mans outward life to iudge of him then by his company And therefore as S. Iohn makes it a marke of Gods childe and a certaine signe of the loue of God to vs If we loue the brethren 1. Ioh. 3.14 so on the other side it is a fearfull note of a wicked man when hee hath no delight in the companie of Gods children and faithful seruants Psal 50.17 18. but delight onely in the company of the wicked and vngodly Vse 1 Let all wicked men lay this Doctrine to heart and be affected with it and let me say to them as Dauid said to the vngodly Psa 50.16 vnto the vngodly said God what hast thou to do to take my couenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest to be reformed and hast cast my word behind thee When thou sawest a thiefe thou consentedst vnto him and hast beene partaker with the adulterer c. These things hast thou done and I held my peace and thou thoughtest that I was like thee But I will reproue thee and set before thee the things thou hast done Oh consider this yee that forget God lest I teare you in peeces and there be none to deliuer you Oh that the wicked vngodly of the world would consider in what a cursed state they stand in what extreame danger to loose their owne soules cleane out of Gods fauour so as hee hates and abhorres them and all they do Now as Salomon saith if the wrath of the King bee as the roaring of a Lyon how much more the wrath of the eternall God who is able not onely to kill the body but to cast both soule and body for euer into hel fire Oh then be admonished say you had a farre warning repent in time liue no longer in sin turne to God with all speed while it is called to day Say with Dauid Away from me yee wicked I will keepe the commandements of my God And this remember that as bad company and the society of wicked men is a fearefull signe of a wicked man so it is most dangerous for sin is as a spirituall plague or leprosie it is of a spreading and contagious nature Prou. 6. Can a man touch pitch and not bee defiled Then may a man keepe company with the wicked and not bee corrupted Gen. 41.15.16 Ioseph liuing in the Court of Pharaoh how soone had he learnd to sweare by the life of Pharaoh Besides we shal be compelled to winke at the sins of those whom wee loue and so consenting to them are guilty of them 2. Pet. 2.8 Psal 12.5 Againe wee cannot but bee vexed with them and greeued at the heart as Lot was yea and in danger to bee
all that God could do vnto her And this was the case of cursed Pharaoh who seemed to mocke God to his face when he said I know not the Lord neyther will I let the children of Israell goe Exodus chap. 9. So then the doctrine that wee gather hence from the Text is this That euill men Doctr. 1. Wicked men proceed by degrees to be exceeding sinful doe not vsually make a stay in sinne when at first they haue committed it but they proceede by degrees to bee worse and worse Falling from one mischiefe to another First the Diuell will suggest euill thoughts into a man his euill thoughts doe tole on consent consent breedeth action action bringeth custome and custome begetteth a necessity in sinning which is the fore-runner of death This appeareth in Caine in Pharaoh and in Iudas who by steps and degrees in sinning came at the last to bee hardened in sinne Mat. 26.8 Iohn 12.5 Mat. 27.5 As in Iudas who was at the first a cunning Dissembler secondly a secret Thiefe thirdly a bold Lyer fourthly a Traytour and lastly a Reprobate And thus a wicked man as it is in the Psalme They fall from one wickednesse to another And as wee see it cleere heere in the wordes of this Text from walking to standing and from standing stocke still in sinne at length through custome come to lie downe and wallow in sinne Oh happie then is that man that sinneth least next hee that returneth vnto God soonest but most wofull is the estate of him that goeth on in sinne that with Ahab Hath solde himselfe to worke wickednesse in the sight of the Lord Psal 69.17 Iere. 13.23 Heb. 10.26 Heb. 12.17 Roman 2. For marke what followeth Can the Blacke-Moore change his skinne or the Leopard his spottes Then may they doe good who haue accustomed themselues to doe euill Where the Prophet sheweth That custome in sinning is almost an incurable disease This is a lamentable estate and this is a fearfull iudgement of God for a man thus to be left ouer to himselfe to fall thus from one euill to an other and to heape together a great measure against the day of wrath Psalme eighty one verse eleauen And the cause of all this in a man is his disobedience towards his God For this doth the Prophet make cleare when he saith My people would not heare my voyce and Israell would haue none of mee So I gaue them vp vnto hardnesse of heart and they haue walked in their owne counsells Where the Prophet Dauid sheweth That seeing they would not be reclaymed and reformed as in mercie towardes them the Lord vouchsafed them the means of reformation his word therefore the LORD gaue them ouer to the hardnesse of their owne hearts that so they might fill vp the Measure of their iniquities 1. Thessalon 2.16 and that the iust wrath and vengeance of the Lord might then fall vpon them Hence wee are taught how dangerous Vse 1 a thing it is to giue any entertainement vnto sinne at the first it will bring a man to the height of sinne in the end euen openly to professe it and to practise it with delight and greedinesse custome in sinne taketh away all sence of sinne so as by custome men come to iudge of sinne to be no sinne yea it makes it very naturall to a man so as such men who at first would haue beene ashamed to haue beene seene amongest lewd company yet by custome haue gotten such an habite of sinne that they haue growne to bee verie impudent and shamelesse like Thamar who at the first did play the whoore with a vaile as being ashamed to bee seene but afterwards grew more impudent Iere. 6.15 so many a man would haue blushed to haue beene heard sweare to bee seene drunke to bee found in vnchaste companie but through custome haue growne so impudent that afterwards would blush at nothing And when a man takes the chaire of sinne and sits downe in it and hath got a custome and taken delight in sinne how hard a thing is it for a man to leaue that sinne Iere. 13.25 Hee that hath got an habite and custome of swearing as hee growes shamelesse in it so how hardly doth he leaue it euen so of drunkennesse c. A nayle knockt into a post with many blows is hardly pulled out and sinne often committed and growne familiar with a man through custome is hardly left Custome is like a strong streame it carrieth a man into all sinne with violence And as a man by continuall labour so hardeneth his hand that it becommeth sencelesse so custome in sinne so hardneth the heart that a mans conscience becommeth sencelesse This must teach vs to repent betimes not to suffer sinne to come to such an head that it is more likely to master a man then a man it For if thou doost not repent this day thou wilt finde it harder to repent to morrow thy selfe growest weaker Note thy sinne stronger and Custome is a tyrant which will hardly be resisted therefore it shall be thy wisedome to repent with speed to delay no longer but while it is called to day to breake off thy sinnes and to turne to God for mercy Vse 2 Wee are taught hence that seeing wicked men grow worse and worse adding sinne vnto sinne and committing all iniquitie euen with greedinesse so their damnation doth not sleepe 1. Pet. 2.3 but they draw nearer and nearer their destruction yea the iudgements of almightie GOD follow them at the heeles and in the end will ouertake them Thus it was with the old world What an heap of sinnes had they gathered together adding sinne vnto sinne as drunkennesse vnto thirst Genes 6. But when the measure of their iniquity was full the Lord God was at hand with his iudgements and they could not escape This was the case of the sinfull Sodomites Genes 18. whose sins cryed vp to Heauen for vengeance howsoeuer they might glut themselues with sinne and drinke downe iniquitie like water it was but for a season the Lord would bee no longer prouoked by their wicked and sinnefull liues but sent downe fire and brimstone from Heauen vpon them euerie sinne doth helpe somewhat to increase the weight and to fill vp the measure of a wicked mans iniquitie Mat. 12.36 And that God which keepeth a Register of the workes of all men Reu 20.12 will one day giue vnto euerie man according vnto his workes And when they shall goe the way of all flesh they shall then say what hath pride profited vs and what hath the pompe of riches brought vs to 2 Cor. 5.10 When they shall see that all the dayes of their life they haue vvearyed themselues in vaine and then shall be plunged into irreuokable and intollerable torments This may serue to reprooue such Vse 3 as relying vpon their owne wittes knowledge strength and goodnes dare conuerse and keepe companie with notorious Atheistes
the worship and seruice of God to reade pray and meditate and at the least twice a day to call vpon his Name to reade the word of God and to study therein This is that the Lord commandeth his people to offer vnto him euery day the morning and the euening sacrifice at the least twice euery day they were commanded to worship God and so the holy Patriarchs were wont to worshippe God morning and euening So wee reade in Gen. 24.63 That godly Isaac went out into the fields in the euening to pray or meditate to make himselfe fit to pray And Iob 1.5 Acts 10.2 Iob rose vp earely to offer sacrifice and called his family together and this did Iob euery day and Dauid in many Psalmes sheweth that he did set some time apart euery day to worship God in praying reading meditating c. Cornelius worshipped God continually 1 The. 5.23 that is euery day according to the rule of the Apostle Pray continually And that we should not be weary of well-doing Christ spake the parable of the vniust Iudge and poore widdow to this end that we ought alwayes to meditate pray c. and not waxe faint and wearie Luke 18.1 The meaning is not that men should leaue their callings and other businesse altogether to attend vpon hearing reading meditating c. but that wee should bee much and often in meditating in prayer in reading c. and in performing these blessed dueties vnto almightie God And at the least three times a day to pray and call vpon the name of God In the morning when wee doe arise to giue vnto God hearty thankes for keeping vs the night past and to craue for a blessing at his hands ouer the day following At noone againe when when we receiue his good Creatures And at night when we go to rest And this godly practise the word of God prescribes vs and the examples of the godly doe teach vs Dan. 6.10 Daniel prayed three times a day vpon his knees vnto God and praised him as his manner was though the King had made a strict Law against it Euening morning and at noone will I pray vnto thee Psal 55.17 And againe Seuen times a day will I praise thee Psal 119.164 That is many times For the morning Earely in the morning will I direct my prayer vnto thee Gen. 22.2 Iob 1.5 And thus did Abraham Isaac Iob. Secondly at noone or mid-day so did Peter Peter went out to prayer about the sixt houre Actes 10.9 That is about twelue of the clocke or noone-tide Thirdly at night in the euening when wee goe to bedde to take our rest Genes 24. Psa 139 11 Psal 19.5 Mat. 13.23 Esa 28.3.4 wee must then remember likewise to render the Lord thankes for the comfort of the day and to craue his blessing for that night Neyther is this all but in the night time when sleepe is departed from a man and Nature is sufficed with rest he doth euen then call to minde the heauenly Doctrine of the word of God and doth muse and meditate therein as the Text saith heere euen day and night For God which hath bounded the day with the night hath set no bound to a godly mans meditation It is nothing to be first one that heareth the word secondly one that receiueth it thirdly with ioy if fourthly it shal be but for a time onely if he shall not also continue and constantly perseuer to meditate therein day and night So as we see this is our duety to set some time apart euerie day to worship God as to heare reade pray meditate c. We see men doe set apart depute and ordaine some certaine time euery day for the food of the body at the least twice a day to eate and drinke how much more then should wee bee carefull for our Soules euery day to reade meditate and to pray Of all the time we spend in this world none will be more comfortable vnto vs in death when wee shall goe the way of all flesh then that which wee haue bestowed in the seruice and worship of Almightie God There is not now one houre spent in the seruice of God but will then minister cause of ioy and reioycing neither is there now one houre spent in the seruice of sin and of Satan but the remembrance thereof will then be a terrour vnto the soule Oh that men would be wise then would they vnderstand this they would consider their latter end Deut. 32.29 This seemes to reproue the common carelesnesse of the world most Vse 1 men and women spend al their daies in delights and vanities in sports and pastimes in scraping and raking together the things of this life and in the meane time finde no time at al to serue God that in twenty foure houres hardly can spare one to serue God one to reade heare pray meditate yea how many be there that neuer open their books to reade one chapter in the Bible all the Weeke long How many be there that neuer spend one quarter of an houre in Meditation which neuer call vpon GOD from Sonday to Sonday doth not this proue men to be carnall and vngodly Do not these men do nothing of conscience or with delight and loue to GOD and his worship but all for fashion sake or feare of the Law What difference is there betwixt those men who seldome or neuer call on the name of GOD and the beast they ride on The beast arises in the morning out of his den and streakes himselfe goes to his meate and so to worke Euen so do they neuer call on the name of God In this thing wherein do such men differ from a very beast How can such look for any blessing from God vpon their labours Yea how can they chuse but feare some fearefull iudgement and curse of God to ouertake them And no doubt the cause why many ride and run earely and late and do not call on God for a blessing vpon their endeuours cannot prosper and thriue in the world No God sends sometimes iudgements plagues and punishments vpon them and all for the neglect of this godly and Christian duety it is iust with God both to crosse and to curse both them and their labours Psal 14. Againe by the rule of this doctrine they are no lesse to be reproued Note who can bee content now and then to Heare Reade Pray and Meditate c. But this must bee at their leasure when they haue nothing else to do bur to keep certaine times Mornings Noones euenings to leaue all sports pastimes delights and businesse to go to GOD and serue him and call vpon his name they cannot abide that they will not bee so tyed and restrained but as the man in the Gospell when CHRIST called him first he must go bury his father and him that would go Bid his friends fare-well So many could be content to serue God and to pray vnto him but they
We must not sleepe in sinne neither giue your selues to securitie but be carefull and circumspect that we be not suddenly ouertaken This is that charge which our Sauiour giueth Math. 24. watch therefore for you know neither the day nor houre in the which the Sonne of Man will come The iudgements of God are threatned to come vpon thee suddenly as the Winde thou knowst not whether thou shalt haue an houre or a moment of time giuen thee to repent thou mayst bee smitten with sudden death When thou risest out of thy bedde thou knowest not whether thou shalt lye downe againe When thou lyest downe vpon thy bed thou knowest not what may happen vnto thee ere it be day Prou. 27.1 Boast not of to morow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth And therfore while it is to day let vs repent and labour to bee reconciled to God in Christ that when his iudgments shall come as the winde suddenly the destroyer may passe ouer vs and wee remaine safe vnder the shadow of the Almighty Hitherto hath the Prophet described the wofull estate and condition of the wicked heere in this life Now in the next verse by way of prophesie or threatning he sets our their estate and condition in the Life to come The first Psalme VERSE 5. Therefore the wicked shall not bee able to stand in the Iudgement nor Sinners in the Assembly of the Righteous The description of a wicked man in the life to come HEere the Prophet describes the wicked vngodly man by his fearefull end and that which shall befall him hereafter And that he draweth into two phrases of speech First They shall not stand in Iudgement Secondly They shall not bee assotiates with the iust So that we see that howsoeuer now the wicked beare it out and seeme to be the onely men in the world yet in that great day of the Lord when we must all appeare before his Barre that will iudge iustly without respect of persons then these wretched men shall not bee able to stand that is to indure the sentence of the Iudge and his angry countenance but shall receiue the fearfull doome of eternall death Depart from me yee cursed Well then by this we learne that Doctr. 1. The certaintie of the day of iudgment proued Malac. 4.1 there shall be a iudgement wherein men must stand to appeare before God to giue account of their work and this we acknowledge in that article of our Faith when we say Wee beleeue that hee shall come to iudge both the quick and the dead Behold saith the Lord The day commeth that shall burne as an Ouen And all the proud and all the wicked shall bee Stubble Mat. 25 41 Acts 17.31 2. Cor. 5.10 2. Thes 1.7 8.9 Reu. 20.12 1. Pet. 3.3 and the day that commeth shall burne them vp And our Sauior aluding to that day saith Then will I say to them on my left hand c. Againe He hath appoynted a day in the which hee will iudge the world in righteousnesse Now if there were no places in the Scriptures but this Text it might suffice to proue that there shall bee a day of Iudgement But besides these Testimonies there be certaine reasons that proue the same taken from the Nature of God and his principall Attributes his Mercie and Iustice which wee must needs confesse hee is most true in both he is most merciful and most iust And therefore hauing promised it shall goe well with his Children that they shall be happy and blessed And that the wicked shall be miserable and cursed In these two respects it must needs bee that there must be a day of Iudgement For in this world who indure more misery griefe and wrong then Gods Children who are contemned mocked misused Luke 16. and by all meanes abused by wicked men They are in want sicknesse persecution in pouertie and a thousand miseries besides But the wicked flourish liue in wealth and ease and all things that heart can wish Now then seeing this is the estate of Gods children in this world full of troubles and miseries and the wicked liue at ease according to their lusts It must needs follow that there must bee a day of Iudgement when God shall shew his mercy in blessing and crowning the vertues of his children and likewise in executing Iustice vpon the wicked and vngodly O that men and women could often thinke of the time of the last iudgement Vse Oh that we could bestow that time which we bestow vpon our pleasures and foolish sports to meditate on this day O that men would bestow that time which they bestow on vnprofitable if not sinfull exercises As carding dicing decking and painting these carkasses of theirs Oh I say happy were we if wee could bestow this time in thinking of this iudgement what shall then become of vs for euermore There is no man so wrethed and desperate but he can wish with Balaam Oh that I might die the death of the righteous and that my last end might be like one of theirs Labour now then in time to become a new creature walke with God in obedience labour for sanctification and this will cause thee to stand out in this iudgement Now that the wicked shall not stand in this iudgement some may heere obiect and say This is that which we desire that we may not appeare before the face of that angry iudge whose presence is so intollerable But alas this is not all for then the wicked might seeme to be blessed if they might here delight in sin and drinke downe iniquitie like water and neuer bee called to account for the same Therefore the wicked shall appeare in Iudgement In foure respects the wicked must appeare in iudgment and yet not any whit contrarie to this Text which saith The wicked shall not stand in iudgement and that in these foure respects First in regard of their appearance there Iere. 35.21 The Lord will enter into iudgement with all flesh if with all flesh then chiefly with such kind of flesh as are species of that genus So flesh as that they are nothing but flesh that haue not the seed of the spirit remaining in them Secondly they must arise and appeare in this iudgement in respect of the sinners araignment at Gods iudgment barre For we must not onely appeare in iudgement 2. Cor. 5.10 but before the iudgement seate of Christ Thirdly they must arise and appeare in this iudgment to be indited for God will bring euery work of theirs into iudgement Eccl. 12.14 whether they bee good or euill Fourthly and lastly they must arise and stand in this iudgement to heare the sentence of the Iudge of heauen and earth passe against them Mat. 25.41 Depart from mee yee cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Diuell and his Angels A thundring Sentence indeede able if it were possible to wound to death the hatrs
of the wicked but they shall after death never die Yea euery word of the sentence seemes to be most fearfull terrible First what they shall do Depart Secondly how they shall depart Cursed Thirdly from whom From me Fourthly whither Into fire Fifthly into what fire Euerlasting fire Sixtly by what right Prepared Seuenthly with what company The Diuell and his Angels Hitherto and thus farre the wicked must arise and stand in Iudgement but after this sentence is once giuen they shall neuer rise vp to appeare in Iudgement any more But where it is said They shall not stand in Iudgement This is meant onely in respect of Gods fauour For this is proper onely to the godly thus to stand in iudgement who are bold in respect of Iesus Christ their elder Brother in whose righteousnesse they appeare Oh that all men would consider Vse 1 this high low rich poore noble and simple That no wicked man shall stand in iudgement but shall heare the fearefull sentence of eternall vengeance Depart from mee yee cursed O how ready are men to put from them this day of reckoning They seeme to haue made a league with Death Esay 28.15 and to bee at an agreement with the Graue But the Lord will disanull this their agreement and the time will come when these wicked wretches will bee glad to put their heads in an awger hole when they shall cry vnto the rockes and hils to fall vpon them to hide them and to couer them from the wrath of God the angry Iudge whom they are not able to endure Who would buy gold at such a rate or pleasures so deere to loose his soule in hell fire for euer for the pleasures of sinne for a season heere Secondly we are taught here that Vse 2 as all wicked and vngodly men bee wretched and miserable in their life So at the day of Iudgement their estate is much more fearefull for it is said here They shall not stand in iudgement but shall quake and tremble as not being able to endure the angry countenance of the Iudge Reu. 20.14 For now they shal see the books brought forth and their sinnes laid open O good Lord what shall vngodly men do then which way shall they turne them when they shall see the Iudge stand aboue them with a naked sword to cut them off and the deuils ready to execute Gods eternall iudgements on them poore soules what shall become of them How can they stand how can they endure it And yet they must vndergo it and endure it But more then this they must receiue that fearefull sentence of eternall vengeance Depart yee cursed c. So as now they must remaine in perpetuall prison in the darke dungeon of hell for euer where the paines are endlesse easlesse and remedilesse They shall haue no ease no not one drop of water to coole their tongue And this word euerlasting Torment doth euen kill the heart of the damned for if a man in hell torments might lie in torments so many thousand yeares as bee Starres in the firmament or sand on the Sea shoare Esa 30.30 it were some comfort to a damned soule that once there might bee an end thereof But alas when he hath suffered torments so many yeares the number to suffer still will euer remaine infinite God giue vs grace that we may become righteous that so wee may stand in iudgement The second part of the misery of a wicked man in the life to come is Hee shall not stand in the assembly of the Iust IN these words is noted out vnto vs a second branch of the iudgement of the wicked in the life to come That they shall be seuered and secluded from the company of the Iust Heauen is called the New Ierusalem wherein enters no vncleane thing onely this is the place where the iust do abide Heere are all the holy Patriarkes Abraham Isaac and Iacob heere are the Apostles heere are the holy Martyrs and constant witnesses of CHRISTS truth here are all the Saints that sleepe in Christ heere they rest and sing continually Praise honour and glory vnto him that sitteth vpon the Throne heere they enioy the presence of God and see his face continually Now to bee depriued of this place and to be seuered from this company it is a misery with a witnesse And this is that misery heere pointed out in this second place They shall not stand in the Assembly of the Iust The Church is to bee vnderstood two wayes Militant and Triumphant and from both of these the wicked are excluded for howsoeuer the wicked liue amongst the godly as Tares amongst the good Wheate as Cain and Esau and Iudas did amongst the godly yet they were not of the godly They went out from vs because they were not of vs But this is not directly intended in this place But of the Church Triumphant in the kingdome of heauen where the godly enioy Iesus Christ Psal 16.12 In whose presence is the fulnesse of ioy and at whose right hand is pleasure for euermore heere the wicked shall not stand in this Assembly Exod. 3. For if Moses might not stand vpon the holy ground before he had put off his shooes Oh how much lesse shall sinfull wretches stand in the presence of the euerliuing God hauing on the shooes of their sinfull affection Yea it is now most iust with God that such should be shut from Heauen the Church Triumphant seeing they neuer warred in the Church Militant Neither the sinners in the assembly of the iust Doctr. 2. All Mankinde diuided into two ranks HEere then we learne that there are two sorts of men in the world Good and Bad Sheep Goates Elect and Reprobate and heere in this world they liue together but after death in the last iudgement there shall bee two places appointed for them Mat. 25.34 one on the right hand another on the left one in honour the other in shame one in ioy and comfort the other in feare and horror And as wicked men in this life could neuer abide the company and society of the godly but did mock and scoffe at them and shun their company as much as they could so in the great day of account in that great and generall separation The sinners shall not appeare in the assembly of the righteous but shall bee seuered and sundred by the great Shepheard of the sheepe the Iudge of the whole world Now that wicked men shun and auoid the company of the godly and do desire and seeke the company of the wicked it is plaine by experience and therefore it is iust with God that at the last day they should bee seuered and secluded their company and as they loued and delighted in the company of wicked men and such as haue no feare of God before their eyes so now they shall haue their belly full of their company How did Cain hate Abel Pharaoh Moses and Aaron Saul Dauid the