giuen out If thou doest eate thou shalt die the death so seeing he hath diuersly and most notoriously offended therefore hath God appointed a day to sit in iudgement to make this sentence more sure and knowne and to put it in ful execution We read of Enoch that holy man Wisd 4.10.14 that hee walked with God that is that he pleased him was beloued of him so that wheras he liued among sinners God translated him and tooke him vp into heauen least wickednesse should alter his vnderstanding For his soule pleased God and therefore God hasted to take him away from wickednesse least he should giue his consent vnto sinners and fal into the selfsame condemnation with them But because wee haue grieuously offended his maiesty therfore shal we be brought before his iudgement seat For righteousnesse is immortall but vnrighteousnes bringeth death Thus then through the bane of sin wee are subiect vnto Gods wrath and heauy iudgemeÌ„t which in the end of the world at the second comming of Christ shall bee pronounced against vs. According to that we read Eccle. 11.9 Reioyce ô yoong man in thy youth let thy heart cheare thee in the dayes of thy youth and walk in the waies of thy heart in the sight of thine eies But know that for al these things God will bring thee to iudgement But here many of vs follow the course of the stream with all other Atheists vngodly persons who because they see that God delayeth the time of his comming to iudgement therfore they think there shal be no iudgemeÌ„t at all Of whom the holy Apostle S. Peter doth thus prophecie in his 2. Epistle Chap. 3.3 Some mock at the iudgement day as though it should not be This first vnderstand saith he that there shal come in the last dayes mockers which will walke after their lusts And say where is the promise of his comming For since the fathers died all things continue alike from the beginning of the creation Seed time haruest sommer and winter one generation decayeth and an other commeth in place thereof And because they see the same course of the world to continue that was from the beginning they are ready to say as those of whom I made mention when I opened vnto you the doctrine of resurrection Our life say they is but a breath and so forth and when we are dead there shall be no more remembrance of vs and therefore we will doo thus and thus euen what we list Which is a token of Gods iudgement vpon theÌ„ who sometime suffereth the obstinate offender to do in a maner what hee list as we read Ps 81. v. 11.12 So I gaue them vp to the hardnesse of their heart and they haue walked in their owne counsels Where we must not imagine that they can doo any thing against Gods will who doth so bridle and restraine them that they shall do no more then that which hee will suffer them God doth not onely restraine and bridle them but furthermore sends his fearefull iudgements vp-them oftentimes to ouertake them that they may knowe there is a God that iudgeth the earth Gods iudgements in this world and that such malefactors are further reserued vnto the day of iudgement And therefore we see so many strange and wonderfull examples of Gods wrath daily before our eies Which strange examples we cannot say are wrought by meÌ„ or by chaÌ„ce because they passe the compasse of mans reason how they shuld be wrought how they shuld come to passe but that we may say as Pharaohs enchaunters said This is the finger of God that is to say this is the worke and punishment of God when he bringeth vpon men and women sore plagues sudden death and strange ends so that we cannot otherwise chuse but confesse it to be so These punishments God doth send not onely to feare vs from the like offences that they haue committed vpon whom God hath exercised and executed his iust iudgement but also that wee may bee put in minde that there is a iudgemeÌ„t to come and that hee hath begun the anger and wrath of his fierce iudgement here vpon earth Which plagues and punishments are fore-tokens and as it were manifest signes of the iudgement to come The feeling of this iudgement engraffed in vs by nature Yea there is an inward feeling of this iudgement engraffed in vs by nature For they that commit any sinne as murder fornication adultery blasphemie and many other the like albeit they can so conceale the matter that none aliue do know it or be priuy vnto it yet oftentimes they haue a griping in their conscience and they feele as it were the very flashings of hell fire within them Which is a strong reason to shewe that there is a God before whose iudgement seate they must answere for their sinnes offences and misdeeds Some suppresse the knowledge of the latter iudgement Yet such there are who being possessed with an euill humor and ouercome of their naughtie wicked desires that the coÌ„sideration of Gods heauy iudgement to come cannot preuaile to moue them to relâ—nt or to haue any remorse of their euill life but rather they endeuour to suppresse the feeling of that which by nature and by the light of reason is engraffed within theÌ„ and are desirous willingly to forget it As S. Peter speaketh of them 2. Pet. 3.5 This saith he they willingly know not that the heauens and earth are reserued vnto fire against the day of iudgement and of the destruction of vngodly men they willingly know not So when it comes into mens consciences that there is a iudgement to come and when they feele an inward feare within them for their misdeeds they doo not take profit by this inward feeling of Gods iudgement whereby it pleaseth God to call them to the knowledge of themselues to be humbled in his sight to call for mercy forgiuenesse of sinnes to turne to God in newnesse of life that so they might preueÌ„t Gods iudgement be saued But they are so mightily ouercome of sinne and of their euill desires which rule and raigne within them that they turn this inward feeling and this inward calling of God to their owne hurt And as the fashion of the world is they desire to put away such sad thoughts betake themselues to merry coÌ„pany and pleasant conceits or else to other pastimes of carding dicing bowling such like So that the diuel through their owne coÌ„sent holdeth him still in his chaines whereas they might seeke meanes to be deliuered from the subiection whereby the diuell retaineth them in his seruice and keepeth them within his power if they themselues were any thing willing to be deliuered and set free By a sad looke saith the wise man Eccle. 7.4.5 the heart is made the better And it is better to be in the house of mourning theÌ„ in the house of laughter When the holy Apostle S. Paul Act.
TWO TREATISES One of the Latter day of Iudgement The other of the Ioyes of Heauen 1. Cor. 15.52 In a moment in the twinckling of an eye shall the Trumpet blow and the dead shal be raised and we shal be chaunged that are found aliue Mat. 24.22 Except those dayes should bee shortened no flesh should be saued but for the elects sake those dayes shal be shortned Imprinted at London by Thomas Creed and are to be solde at his house in the Olde Change at the signe of the Eagle and Childe 1600. The Epistle to the Reader GEntle Reader my desire hath bene of a long time to set downe vnto thee the Excellent the Decaied and the Restored Estate of man if by Gods grace I might or may as yet in good time performe it Wherof I haue finished a great part the which if God giue good successe in due time shall be added to that which is alreadie published wherein I haue set downe the Excellent Estate of man by declaring how God created him after his Image The thing that I haue aimed at both in that and this or any thing else that hereafter I shall do is only to profit and to do good And therefore at this time and according to this time and troublesome dangerous dayes of this world prognosticating the vtter ruine and decay thereof I haue thought good by this Treatise of the Latter Iudgement to put you in remembrance that you may be ready and prepared when the Trumpet shall blowe and when we shall be called to our account That euery one of vs in the meane time may haue this in our minde and in our mouth Good Lord prepare vs to thy kingdom and shorten the daies of sinne Ezekias desired to haue his dayes prolonged And vnto Iosias it was pronounced for a blessing that his time should be shortned Which of these two was the better choyce that I leaue to thy resolutiō perswading thee to that which I take to be best Suprema cogita Cor sit in aethere Foelix qui potuit mundum contemnere Thine to his power S. I. A TREATISE OF the latter day of iudgement Act. 10.36 to 43. Ye know the word which God hath sent to the children of Israel preaching peace by Iesus Christ which is Lord of all Euen the word which came through all Iudea beginning in Galile after the Baptisme which Iohn preached To wit how God annointed Iesus of Nazareth with the holy Ghost and with power who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the diuell for God was with him And wee are witnesses of all things which hee did both in the land of the Iewes and in Ierusalem whom they slew hanging him on a tree Him God raised vp the third day and caused that he was shewed openly not to all the people but vnto the witnesses chosen before of God euen to vs which did eate and drinke with him after he arose from the dead And he commaunded vs to preach vnto the people to testifie that it is hee that is ordained of God a Iudge of quicke and dead EVery one no doubt is desirous to know what shall bee done at the latter day at the day of doome and iudgement A doctrine very necessary to them that haue any care of themselues and of their owne saluation and very profitable also to prouoke vs to the loue knowledge and feare of God And so much the more profitable and necessary it is by how much the nearer that day is at hand and approacheth beeing as our Sauiour Christ saith hard at the doores Concerning these words which I haue read vnto you I shall require you to haue regard vnto these principall matters First what is the cause why this generall iudgement shal be Diuision Secondly the declaration of this iudgement Thirdly who shall be the iudge Lastly how it pertaineth to the wicked to the godly wherunto I haue thought good to ad an exhortatiō the better to be prepared The cause wherfore Christ shal come to iudgement principally is no other but that which procured death vnto vs and the last generall iudgement shall make that matter more certain not only that this bodily death which is a seperation of our soule body for a time shal not serue the turne be inough to satisfie that punishment which we haue deserued but also that some shall be deliuered to eternal death both of body and soule as indeed we should be all in that estate were it not for the benefite of Christ his death The sinne transgression of Adam as also the sins and transgressions of vs al was is the cause why God is displeased with vs and why his wrath is vpon vs and why we are subiect vnto death and why wee shall appeare before the iudgement seate of God Psal 90.9 For when thou art angry saith the Prophet All our dayes are gone we bring our yeares to an end as it were a tale that is told wee consume away in thy displeasure Thou wilt set our misdeeds before thee and our secret sinnes in the sight of thy countenance Our misdeeds haue procured death had not Christ died for vs and rose againe from death to deliuer vs from feare They were the cause why we were shut out from heauen had not Christ ascended vp into heauen to procure vs an entrance they had brought vs to the fearefull iudgement of God and to the heauy and wofull sentence of euerlasting condemnation and endlesse destruction if by the meanes of our Sauiour Christ we might not be deliuered from it For when we were at hell gates and appointed to destruction he came with this ioyfull message Come againe ye children of men As indeed his first comming here on earth was to saue and not to destroy and to call sinners to repentance that they might bee receiued into the fauour of God and haue their sinnes forgiuen them but this his second comming at the latter end of the world shall be to iudge to tender vengeance and to destroy those sinners who in this life were against his glory and their owne saluation to call them now to account whom when time was he called to repentance and who now shall be punished by the extremitie of the wrath of God Who if they had well regarded it in their life time might haue bene receiued into fauour their sinnes being forgiuen so that at the day of iudgement they should not haue beene put to any hazard for them nor ventured the daunger of losse of body and soule for them Here in this life they might haue escaped that which in that day they shall not be able to auoyd We see in all well ordered Realmes that if it were not for offences committed and for the manifold outrages of robbers theeues and murderers the Iudges needed not ride their circuit neither shuld there be any iudgement heard of But as before that man had disobeied God this sentence was
24.26 in the presence of Felix the gouernour disputed of righteousnesse temperance and of the iudgement to come Felix trembled therwithall did suppresse this matter by betaking himselfe to other businesse Go thy way saith he for this time and when I haue conuenient time I will call for thee Hee vsed not this inward feeling of the knowledge of Gods iudgement to the best that is to repent and to turne to God but as a worldly minded man hee would haue no such dumps to daunt his minde and to hinder him from his vain pleasures althogh then and at that time he were full deeply toucht in conscience Well although some do mock at the iudgement day as though it should not come or else suppresse the knowledge thereof within themselues that they may follow their lusts eate and drinke and rise vp to play that they may enioy the vanities and pleasures of this transitory world so long as they liue in the world yet they and we together with them may learne two profitable lessons First because as wee thinke it is long before God doo come to iudgement although oftentimes he beginneth his iudgement here vpon earth by strange examples which as I haue said are the forerunners of his last iudgement we may learne I say that with God a thousand yeares which we count a whole world is but as yesterday that is past and therefore that it is not long though it seeme so vnto vs. Secondly that God hereby sheweth his patience and long suffering his great compassion and mercy in that hee would not the death of a sinner but waiteth for our repentance and amendment and thinketh that in good time we will hate and auoyde our wicked and shamefull life and turne to him that we may be saued for hee would haue all men to come to repentance And therefore the holy Apostle S. Paul Ro. 2.4 doth greatly rebuke and speake against them who eyther make little account or despise the riches of Gods bountifulnesse and patience and long suffering not knowing that the bountifulnesse of God leadeth to repētance But we after our hardnes and hearts which either cannot or will not repent heape vnto our selues wrath against the day of wrath and of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God For indeede it is like to be with vs as it was in the dayes of Noah they cared not for Noahs warning and preaching vnto them and rather made a mocke of it they followed their owne hearts desire and did whatsoeuer seemed good in their owne eyes So shall not we in this last Iron age of the world regard any warning nor respect the counsell of thē that wish vs good neither thinke of iudgement nor what shall befall vs being greatly doted vpon the pleasure of sin which at the last shall vanish and in time to come shal haue a bitter reward Wheras if we forethink with our selues of these heauy matters of the wrath of God which shall be perceiued by his iudgement which we must of force endure if we repent not I say if we should forethink these matters we should learn truly to fear God to forgo our selues that is deny our naughty desires sins and pleasures that so Gods wrath might be diminished toward vs and that hee might not enter into iudgemēt with vs. As saith the Prophet Ps 90.11 Who regardeth the power of thy wrath for euen as a man feareth so is thy displeasure How the godly ought to be affected seeing the sin and the flourishing estate of the wicked Here also the mindes of the faithfull and godly are to be prepared to patiēce that although they see many vngodly minded men to make a mocke of the iudgement to come and so to continue in their sinfull liues and doo what they list that they are not punished in this world by Gods iudgemēts plagues and punishments yet let vs perswade our selues that they shal not escape though God suffer long and though we in our weake mindes think it too long For althogh the wicked may say within themselues vauntingly and yet full vainely as the Prophet Esay Chap. 28.15 reciteth their speeches We haue made a couenant say they with death and with hell are we at agreement though a scourge runne ouer and passe through it shall not come at vs. Yet their couenant with death shal be disanulled and their agreement with hell shall not stand And when a scourge runneth ouer and passeth through are they not sometime trode downe by it and taken away when they make litle or no reckoning of any such matter The holy Apostle doth giue the reason of the certaintie of their punishment if not in this world yet in an other 2. Pet. 2.4 For if god spared not the Angels that had sinned but cast them downe into hell Nay if Gods iudgement begin at his owne house and if God doo punish his owne people And if the righteous scarcely bee saued where shall the vngodly and sinner appeare 1. Pet. 4.17.18 Wherefore let vs not be as they were of whom the Prophet Malachy speaketh Chap. 3.15 Wee count the proud blessed euen they that worke wickednesse are set vp and they that tempt God yea they are deliuered from all daungers So that it is in vaine to serue God and what profit is it that we haue kept his commandements and that we walked humbly before the Lord of hosts These are the speeches of many weake and discontented and decaied mindes because they see the flourishing estate of the wicked But as it is said in the Reue. Chap. 22.11 They that be filthy and will so continue without amendment let them see what shall be the end and let them be filthy still Hee that is vniust let him be vniust still So also it is said on the contrary part They that are iust and righteous let them bee righteous still and they that are holy let them be holy still let them not faint in the course that they haue taken in hand but remember what is written in the selfesame Chapter The comming of the Lord to iudgement is at hand Surely saith he I come quickly and let vs wish Euen so come Lord Iesus And as for the rest let vs perswade our selues thus as we reade 2. Pet. 2.9 The Lord knoweth how to deliuer the godly out of temptation and to reserue the vniust vnto the day of iudgemēt to be punished The Lord knoweth his best time and when it is most expedient that we should be deliuered In the meane time let vs not faint and vtterly cast away our hope if God doo not presently punish the wicked For God doth so order his punishments and his iudgements that although he suffer the wicked for a time which indeede if we do rightly consider is but a moment of time yet he will not leaue them vnpunished at the last as we vse to say It is neuer too late that comes once Againe seeing that God hath appointed a
say they is a day of blacknes darknes the earth shal tremble before him the heauens shall shake the Sun the Moone shal be dark and the stars shal withdraw their shining This day is great and very terrible and who can abide it it commeth cruelly with wrath as fierce anger and hee shall destroy the sinners out of the earth And because the world should haue some time to forethink themselues our Sauiour Christ hath giuen some warning by the signes that shall come before this iudgement day As that there shall be false reachers abroad in the world who shal deceiue if it were possible the very elect and chose children of God Math. 24.24 Warres and seditions Nation shall rise against Nation and Kingdome against Kingdome the father in matters of religion shal be against the sonne and the sonne against the father the mother against the daughter one friend against an other great earthquakes in diuers places hunger pestilence bitter persecution of them that shall professe Christ and his Gospell Charitie shall waxe cold among men men shall leade a leaud and sinfull life altogether carelesse of the Iudgement to come The Gospell shall be published and fewe shal regard it it shall bee preached through the whole world for a witnesse vnto all Nations to make them without all excuse and then shall the end come Feareful things shall be seene the sea and the waters shall roare and mens hearts shall faile them for feare and for looking after those things which shal come on the world The Sunne shall be darkened and the Moone shall not giue her light the starres shal fall from heauen and the powers of heauen shal be shaken wherby the horrible trembling of the world is meant together with the alteration and ouerturning of the whole course of nature And after all these things then shall appeare the signe of the Sunne of man in heauen What effects the signes of the latter day shal worke in the mindes of men The consideration of which signes shall worke diuersly both in the godly and in the wicked For the hearts of the wicked shall be hardned made worse by these signes as King Pharaohs hart by Gods strange punishmēts was more and more hardned vntill the time of his destructiō and that he was vtterly ouerthrowne in the red sea These signes as they shal moue the godly minded partly to repentance in consideration of theyr sinnes and partly to comfort in respect of ioyes to come so the wicked contrariwise shall be giuen to dispaire and to curse the houre that euer they were borne And this is a secret iudgement vpon them that they shall be blinded euen vntill the very houre of their destruction so that when they would seek for remedy there shal be none The godly they wish for the comming of the Lord Come Lord Iesus come quickly for they know that his comming shall end their miseries and begin their ioyes as Christ himselfe doth comfort them Luk. 21.28 And when these things begin to come to passe then looke vp and lift vp your heads for your redemption that is the full accomplishment of the same draweth neare For then as saith the Apostle 1. Thes 4.17 Shall wee bee caught in the cloudes to meete the Lord in the aire and so shall we be euer with the Lord. The last circumstance of this iudgement is Sudden that it shall come vpon the sudden and that most fearefully to the wicked 1. Thes 5.3 For when they shall say peace peace and all in safetie then shal come vpon them sudden destruction as the trauel vpon a woman with child and they shall not escape As it fell out to the rich man in the Gospell Luk. 12.20 Soule saith he take thy ease eat and drinke take thy pastime for thou hast much good laid vp for many yeares But he heard doleful words O foole this night will they fetch away thy soule from thee Or as when Nabuchadnezer vaunted himselfe of his stately buildings a fearefull voyce came suddenly vnto him O King Nabuchadnezer to thee be it spoken thy kingdome is departed from thee Or as when his sonne King Belshasar Dan. 5.6 feasting and hanquetting among his Concubines suddenly there appeared a hand writing vpon a wall declaring the end of his Kingdome and his death This sudden destruction shall worthily fall vpon them who haue made a mock of this iudgement who then shall feele the dint of Gods reuenging sword and they that imboldned themselues in all wicked waies and euill naughtie practises shall then know how far they went a stray The wicked whom no lawe could refraine from their licentious life and who haue died to the sight of men in peace after they haue long enioyed their lusts and diuers pleasures after much violence and wrong which they haue offered after many misdeeds which mans lawes should haue corrected and yet let passe although they haue escaped the iudgement of man yet then shall they receiue according to their deedes But to the good and well disposed it is a watch-word when they heare that the Iudgement day shall be vpon a sudden Let vs therefore with the fiue wise virgins haue oyle in our Lampes remembring Christ his forewarning That which I say vnto you I say vnto all men watch And so much briefly for the second part of the diuision of this Text namely of the description and declaration of the latter Iudgement Who shall be the Iudge The third generall matter which I proposed vnto you was concerning the Iudge and who it should be And as it was said of the Iudgement that it should be sudden so also shall the comming of the Iudge be Mat. 24.27 For as the lightning commeth out of the East and shineth into the West so shall also the comming of the sonne of man be He that was equall with God and tooke vpon him the shape of a seruant hee that was abased despised and persecuted of sinfull men hee shall come in power and great glory to iudge the world and to be reuenged of his enemies He whom God hath placed at his right hand farre aboue all principallitie power might domination and euery name that is named not in this world onely but also in that that is to come hee it is that is ordained of God a Iudge of quicke and dead Whose comming shall not be as at the first poorely and basely but with great maiestie and after a most glorious wonderfull and most dreadfull maner He shall descend from heauen not to come downe on the earth but to sit on the cloudes as his tribunall seate and throne of Iudgement hee shall come with a shout and a maruellous great noise with the voyce of the Archangel and with the sound of the last Trumpet For the Trumpet shall blowe and the dead shall be raised 1. Cor. 15. and hee shall shewe himselfe with thousands of his mighty Angels and that in flaming fire rendring vengeance vnto them
good treasure of the heart we bring forth good But I say vnto you saith Christ that of euery idle word that men shall speake they stall giue account thereof at the day of Iudgement When as wee shall aunswere for our selues beeing altogether vnable to aunswere one for a thousand Yea so much the more grieuous it shall bee because wee shall open all the secrets of our heart and bee enforced to confesse our misdeeds and to keepe backe nothing all must bee manifest And not as it is in this world when vpon the humble confession of our sinnes to God wee may cry for pardon and hope to be forgiuen but then shall but confession be to our open shame confusion and endlesse destruction Wherefore this day of iudgement may well bee called the day of Reuelation when as all things that are now hid shall then be reuealed and made known Secrets opened Here on earth many things are kept close hid and hudled vp But God shall tighten faith the Apostle things that are hid in darknesse 1. Cor. 4.5 and make the counsels of the heart manifest And at that day Ro. 2.16 God shall iudge the secrets of men by Iesus Christ. In this life many great and sinfull deedes are not punished but remaine hid and vnknowne and the parties passe as guilolesse and without all faulte who thinke themselues cleare inough so long as they can keepe their owne counsell But our Sauiour Christ Luke 8.17 sheweth the matter to be cleane contrary Nothing is secret that shall not bee euident neyther any thing hid that shall not be knowne and come to light The which in Eccle. 12.14 is more manifest God will bring euery worke vnto iudgement with euery secret thing whether it be good or euill Which is not set downe to driue vs to dispaire although no doubt we are priuie to many hainous sinnes the which we would not for all the worlds good should bee knowne abroade and in euery mans mouth yea such sin that are forcible inough to driue vs to dispaire yet seeing at the iudgement day they shall be reuealed be they neuer so secret wee are moued hereby to call for mercy while God doth graunt vs life and to pray with the Prophet O Lord deliuer mee from my secret faults from my secret sinnes from my secret offences This therefore that our secret hidden faults shall come to light iudgement is a very profitable lesson for vs whereby we may learn to feare what we do although wee may keepe it close from men as also that we may bethinke our selues of that which is past and pray for forgiuenesse and be more warie and circumspect in time to come so that it keepeth vs in the feare of God so long as we liue and let this be vnto vs in stead of Auricular confession in remembrance whereof in euery time and place wee may flye and auoyd all sinne whether it be secret or open whereof if we take not heed we may incurre the daunger of Gods wrath and heauy iudgement And at the day of iudgement shall God bring all matters to light as we may read Reue. 20.12 And I sawe the dead both great and small stand before God and the bookes were opened that is their conscience and another booke was opened which is the booke of life And the dead were iudged of those things which were written in the bookes according to their workes It is not onely God Conscience that shall bring our secret sinnes to light but euen our owne consciences shall bewray vs as the last place of Scripture alleadged Reue. 20.12 dooth testifie where by the bookes that were opened our owne consciences are vnderstood which shall be most ready to reueale all things According to that in the Epistle to the Romaines Chap. 2.15 Which shew the effect of the law written in their hearts their conscience also bearing witnesse and theyr thoughts accusing one another or excusing at that day when God shall iudge the secrets of men by Iesus Christ. And full truly is it spoken that a mans conscience is in steed of a thousand witnesses For when time shall serue there shall not neede many accusers or store of euidences to be giuen vp against vs seeing that our conscience which is our secret storehoue shall declare all although it bee neuer so much against our will and that without any cōstraint or comparison Wherof we haue a sufficient and manifest tryall euen in this life For tell me who is it among vs but must of force confesse and dooth perceiue so much in himselfe that hee cannot no nor may not forget his sinnes and misdeedes for our conscience will not suffer it and especially the more notorious bad and wicked our deedes haue beene the more fresh and fresh they are and will bee in our remembrance They will come into our mindes when wee little thinke of any such matter and if wee would neuer so faine wee cannot put them away from vs and when they come into our mindes and remembrance they bring dumps and sorrow inough Which is a token and a most apparant signe and proofe of the iudgement day vnto the which time all our sinnes are reserued to bee iudged Before we commit any wicked or notorious deed our conscience within vs doth grudge against it and would full faine bridle and restraine vs from it if it were possible but after wee haue done the deed it is a torment vnto vs and that more grieuous inwardly to our mindes then any whip or scourge to the body can bee because the one is but for a time the other lasteth long and shall endure By which inward griefe conceiued and sorrowe of conscience many are driuen to dispaire and doo thinke so bad of themselues for theyr wicked vnlawful vngodly deeds that they are desirous to reuenge the matter vpon themselues and to be their owne tormenters before the iudgement day come But if there be any that can say their conscience is cleare let thē reioyce and giue God the praise and thankes who hath preuented them with his grace and preserued them from euill And as a guiltie conscience is his owne tormenter so a good conscience is a continuall feast He or shee that is not charged or rather ouercharged by their owne conscience they haue a continuall ioy within them so if our owne hearts condemne vs God is greater then our hearts and knoweth all things And what miserie trowe we doo the wicked of the world liue in For the Lord hath said There is no peace vnto the wicked when in all their life is feare and terror carrying in their breasts tormenting furies to hold them day night in feare of endlesse destruction And what should those heauy dumps and inward feares signifie but that there is a iudgement and that there is a hell as well as a heauen Their hearts doo droope and their consciences are affrighted and God by his secret power dooth worke this feare and
compared to a warfare because wee ought to fight with it and to resist all euill tentations So also is it wel compared to marchandise because we ought alwayes to be painfull according as God hath appointed The marchant increaseth the wealth and honor of the cōmon-weale and hath wherwithal he may be liberal vnto others rich vnto himself In like sort hath God created vs to his honour and that by that vocation whervnto he hath called vs we shuld set forth his glory as we are borne to the benefit one of an other so in our vocation ought we to do good to al as much as lyeth in our power And by the performance of our dutie according to Gods commaundement we shall be able to assure our selues of Gods fauour and blessing towards vs. Let vs redeeme the time saith the Apostle for no dout we haue spent much of our time euilly And so redeeming the time that is granted vs in honest vertuous and godly affaires and exercises we shal be kept from wicked rhoughts ydle words and shamefull deedes whereby we are made guiltie of Gods wrath and heauy iudgement A wonder it is to see that many to whom God hath giuen excellent gifts do least vse them eyther to Geds glory or the benefite of their countrey Yea rather they are giuen to abuse them turning them to the dishonour of God and to the hurt of others and to the shame of themselues And I would to God this might come into their mindes that vnto whom and vpon whom God hath bestowed much much also of them shal be required Many I say withdrawe themselues from doing good and suppresse the good gifts of GOD within them and consume their yeares in ydlenesse and vanitie as though it should neuer be said Stand foorth and giue account of thy Stewardship And as there is no kind of life more commendable in the sight of GOD and men then that which doth shewe forth in practise the goood graces that God hath bestowed to the comfort encouragement and furtherance of others so is there nothing more to bee dispraised then to suffer Gods gifts to lie hid and as it were to be buried within vs and to wrap vp that talent in a napkin as the Gospell speaketh which was put into our hands to vse to great commoditie aduantage The more our time is idly spent the more we haue to answere and the more that we haue spent the time in good endeuours the lesse we haue to feare Nay when the latter day of iudgement shall come happy shall they be of what degree or calling soeuer happy shall that seruant be that is founde to bee so painefull For vnto him it shall bee giuen and from him that had a a talent and vsed it not well it shal be taken And this shall be their glory and crowne of reioycing when it shal be said in the presence of all the people of the world then assembled It is wel done good seruant and faithfull thou hast bene faithfull in a little I will make thee ruler ouer much enter in into thy maisters ioy It is wel done good seruant and faithfull As I would the contrary sentence might fear them that are vnmindful and carelesse to spend the time wel which shal be pronounced then and at that day against them Cast that vnprofitable seruant into vtter darkenesse there shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth Cast that vnprofitable seruant into vtter darkenesse Now most fitly to this warning Watch. to spend our time well is this counsell giuen vs to watch For this iudgement shall come as a snare vpon the whole earth and shall come at vnawares to the ydle wicked and carelesse And better watching there cannot be then to spend the time well For so wee shall bee sure that whether wee sleepe or wake wee bee the Lords come death come life it cannot fall out amisse vnto vs. It is said that the last iudgement shall come as a theefe in the night and also that the inhabitants of the world shall for the most part if not all of them be giuen to their pleasures and all licenciousnesse and loosenesse of liuing as it was in the dayes of Lot when Sodome and Gomorra were burnt with fire and brimstone from heauen and as it was in the dayes of Noah when the windowes of heauen were opened and when the floud came and ouerwhelmed them all That so iudgement may proceed most iustly against them that shall then be ouertaken in such filthy and vngodly kinde of liuing Well are we counfelled by the Euangelists by the Apostles if at leastwise we can suffer their counsell to take deepe roote in our hearts Now the end of all things saith the Apostle S. Peter is at hand be ye therefore sober and watching in prayer Likewise also his fellow Apostle Let vs not sleepe as do other where sleepe is taken for a carelesse and lewde life but in all godly and vertuous exercises let vs watch and bee sober For God saith hee hath not appoynted vs vnto wrath but to obtaine saluation by the meanes of our Lord Iesus Christ which dyed for vs that whether wee wake or sleepe we should liue together with him Take heed therefore saith the Euangelist S. Luke 21.34 vnto your selues least at any time your hearts be oppressed with surfetting and drunkennesse and cares of this life which matters the Apostle meaneth by sleeping and least that day come on you at vnawares Watch and pray continually that yee may bee counted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to passe and that ye may stand before the sonne of man And because we know not when this iudgement shall be neither as the Euangelist Mar. 13. saith Do wee know when the maister of the house will come to call his seruants to their reckoning whether it will be at euen or at midnight at the cock-crowning or in the dawning least if he come suddenly hee should find vs sleeping and ill occupied therefore let vs also harken to the counsell of our Sauiour Christ which doth iumpe and agree with the former Take heed saith hee watch and pray for ye know not when the time is or shall bee when the trumpet shall blowe to call you to iudgement And these things which I say vnto you I say vnto all Watch. Not to be curious Because we know not when this generall and last iudgement shall be wee are willed to watch and to be in a readinesse against that time but not to be curious to search Gods secrets It is not for you saith our Sauiour Christ to his Disciples to knowe the times and the seasons of this waighty matter which God hath kept in his owne knowledge and this is a miserie of all miseries But the nature of man as it is wholly desirous of newes so is it wholly giuen to knowe those things which are hidden and must be hidden and yet are wee so presumptuous as to creepe and