and pillars of great magnificence he was ready to adore saying Talem intus Iupiter nisi fallor olympius aulam Possidet attonitum sic me veneratio tentat Ioues Bower I thinke can shew no more So am I tempted to adore As if pompe were more necessary then life or Superfluity more commendable in a fewe then ynough for all ⧠The Conclusion NOw let me not holde you ouer long As I professed in the beginning to say nothing of open sinnes but of these close and cloaked sinnes which are sinnes notwithstanding and full of iniustice so haue I said no more then nature teacheth vs as well as law diuine what a monster Cupiditie is and how grossely it misleades vs and how contrary to it owne selfe more then other Cupidities are I beganne with Plutarke a heathen wise man In his Moralls and I will ende with him Hee tels vs plainely that no Cupidity so fighteth with it selfe as this of riches doth All other desires are more for vsing then possessing This contrary more for possessing then vsing Wee desire not meate to absteine from it we desire not wine to forbeare it wee desire not warme cloathes to lay them vp but when wee haue eaten wee are satisfied when wee haue drunke wee haue enough when our gowne is on it is cumber to put on more and if wee haue our pleasure at any time we haue done with it soone Onely riches when wee haue them our thirst is not alaide wee still desire more The more we haue the more we couet Semper auarus eget new rents and new commings in asswage not our appetite while wee liue but the medicine increases the disease To this wee may adde What hinders vs more in our iourney to heauen then this vntoward Cupidity what stoppes vs to doe iustly with our neighbour friend or brother but Cupidity what makes vs grate vpon him and draw what we can from him but this what blindes vs so that we see not our debt to the poore but this for so the Scripture cals it debitum Eccl. 1.4 a debt Declina pauperi aurem tuam et redde debitum tuum render thy debt to the poore Who can abide to heare this ye will say they be lewde folke now a daies and vnthankfull and it is no charity to giue them How then I talke not of giuing them I speake of debt It is our abundance as I said before and not their goodnesse that makes it theirs If they be badde they must liue to amend Mat. 5. God sends raine vpon the iust and vniust and our debts we must pay both to good and badde whereof this debt is one to the poore howsoeuer cupidity blindes vs and casts a vaile ouer our eies that we cannot see it Poets faine Cupid blinde euen so is Cupidity It couereth our vnderstanding turneth reason awry it strengtheneth passion weakeneth iudgement rayseth pride puts downe pitty fireth enuy cooleth charity preacheth parsimony hateth hospitality is open handed to take close fisted to giue no not to himselfe robbes the king of that is his the subiect of his the common of theirs nor willingly giues any body their own We may call it in a sort a sinne against nature that beareth such a sting against it selfe and owne honour O thinke not lesse of it because it is lesse seene The more hidden a sinne is the more dangerous I haue discouered vnto you many a sinnefull practise to day which it may bee yee haue not heard of Contemne them not I beseech you For such as these will damne a man when euill custome biddes him bee secure 2. Reg. 24. That sinne of Dauid in numbring of his men how soone would he haue seene it if the Prophet as it is thought had not tolde it him first and yet this ignorance escaped not punishmēnt his kingdome was plagued for it seuenty thousand lost their liues at a clappe And how would Saul haue acknowledged his sinne 1. Reg. 15. in sauing the best things of Amaleck to serue God with as he thought if Samuell had not stept in with due reprehension and yet pretence of reason was no barre to Gods iudgement that fell out heauy vpon him Long before that Gods seruant Moyses Num. 20. how had hee knowne his offence of conniuence with the peoples contradiction if God had not admonisht him presently before it grewe greater Gen. 38. Or the Patriarke Judas his iniustice to Thamar vntill shee had shewne him his Ring 3. Reg. 13. and staffe and then he said Iustior me est The harlot was iuster then he Long after this the man of God who was sent to ouerthrowe the altar of Jeroboam and foresaw the things that hapned three hundred yeares after yet knew he not the thing that was present which was his owne sinne of light beliefe vntill knowledge came to him accompanied with punishment whereof a Lyon was both messenger and executioner It is no rare thing amongst sinners not to see their fault vntill they be told of it Saint Bernard complaineth of himselfe that he hath set vp a vice for a vertue sometimes Now what thinke yee I pray you of all these and what of your selues are ye stronger and better sighted then they might yee not bee deceiued all this while in your courses as well as they and if we haue a plague or plagues in our country may it not be for some of these hidden sinnes though there were no other And may not the good bee punished for the badde as they were in Iosuaes dayes for the sinne of onely Achan yea Ios 7. Amos 8. may it not be for these enormities alone that God does threaten to set the earth in an vproare and to make the dwellers thereof to wring their hands for vsing the poore so hardly for buying them out with siluer and making vse of their neede How much better is it therefore for vs to take warning by these and to furnish our selues in time with sufficient knowledge especially where ignorance will no way excuse Omnis via virirecta sibi The Spirit of God foretels vs as it now prooues that euery one thinkes hee is in the right when he is not nor is like to bee Prou. 21. where he is his owne iudge and partiality holds plea. I tolde you Plutarkes rule wee must summon our selues before our friend or friendes in doubtfull businesse and Scriptures accord with it Vae soli Woe bee to one alone Eccl. siastes 4. For if his witte and selfe conceipt once giue him a fall who can raise him againe We liue in miserable blindnesse heere in the world For while we be in sinne Prou. 21.4 wee haue no other light but sinne Lucerna impiorum peccatum We haue no other torch-light to goe before vs but ill custome a darke dazeling light and therefore haue neede of one to leade vs by the hand Coecus amor our loue blindes vs. Coeca libido Sap. 4. our dayly
heauen what is God who is the summe and substance of all reward and felicitie We that be Christians haue much more knowledge then heathens had Our light of reason is doubled with our light of faith annexed therunto by which wee both see more then we see with our eye what we beleeue we beleeue more then had we seen with eie What seek wee more We beleeue that heauen is truely great and our reward vnspeakeably great What seeke we further into the secrets of God to know how Let vs not be curious in matters not belonging to vs yet Let vs not destroy faith with too much curiositie If God would condescend to giue vs a sight of heauen and of our glory there we should rather refuse it with humilitie then expect it with importunitie Wee should rather say to him Satis domine thy promise is asmuch to me Lord as if I were there to see it It is enough to me that I knowe it is so O let me not see vntill it please thee to call This should be our speech to God and much heede wee ought to take that we diminish not his faith with least doubt of his promise or desire to haue it prooued by sence Sence knowledge derogats from faith knowledge If we see it once it is faith no more And wee may offend in it ere wee bee aware For hee that searcheth into Maiestie shall bee ouercome of glory Prou. 25. As much to say as he that will enter into Gods counsell before hee be called shall be punished as Phaeton was his owne pride will ouerthrowe him This alone may suffice for the greatnesse of our reward yee apprehend it with faith and that is enough yea a great deale more then any eloquence in the world can paint vnto you I omit therefore to speake of many things besides that would expresse this greatnesse As also of the many names whereby it is called in holy writ and ancient fathers which would greatly testifie the greatnesse of it As where it is called Mons pacis the Mountaine of peace where no disquiet or brabble can reach at vs and that which Princes haue much adoe to performe with all their power and policie is there done with ease No warre or dissentation can approach this hill where hearts and mindes are all one one will in all and there is not found a second It is called Domus dei Eccl. 4.17 Psal 22. The house of God Or if ye will Gods court and wee his courtiers or seruants in ordinary or if yee will Gods hospitall and wee his olde souldiers when age hath weakened vs infirmity disabled vs and death put downe the barre that we may fight no more O happy they that can get a place there where al sit rent free shal haueoile for their wounds ease for cumber pleasure for their paine and all things prouided for their hand and can neuer say this they want or this they would haue more Apoc. 3. Heauen is called also new Hierusalem and well may it bee so called For olde Hierusalem is in the enemies hands while all good people groane and will neuer linne grieuing I feare till God shall make them free of the new It is many times called regnum coelorum Mat. 5. Mat. 19. Luk. 7. the kingdome of heauen Let vs consider of this world a little A king and a kingdome are relatiues And he that hath a kingdome must needes bee a king What is a kingdome worth if a man should buy it or who hath price enough to buy a kingdome with It is a rare fortune to rise of nothing to be kings and yet such fortune some haue had Saul Dauid Ieroboam Iehu Darius and diuers Emperours and it is not euery ones fortune yet may it be euery ones fortune to haue a farre greater in heauen and it lyeth in his owne will Hee may haue his crowne there his robes and purple there and those more glorious there then we can imagine heere Iac. 3. And in this sence S. Iames doth call vs heires of the kingdom that God did promise Rom. 8. S. Paul doth likewise call vs heires of God and ioynt heires with Christ more then this he saith we shall reigne together with him Homer illiad For kigns are not there as they be heere where one crowne royall none can haue but one Non bona res multi domini rex vnicus esto Two kings in a kingdome will neuer stand long In heauen quite contrary It is no disgrace to a king to haue many fellowes Yea Angels themselues reioyce exceedingly and Christ our Lord disdaineth not to set vs by him 2 Tim. 2. and to communicate his crowne with vs. Saint Paules word is conregnabimus We shall bee fellow kings with him this were treason heere But wee must knowe that by this word king are vnderstood two great titles The one of necessity the other of honour the one a title of paine and charge begotten of common good for preseruing of peace and iustice among men the other a title of honour and greatnesse deserued by themselues or their ancestours or both In the right of the one 2 Pet. 2. Apoc. 20.19 ibid. 44. he carrieth a sword ad vindictam in right of the other he weareth a Crowne on his head as a conquerour The one needlesse in heauen where all be good the other needfull in heauen to despite the diuell and them that be bad And this kingly honour no king hath more on earth then soules haue in heauen 1. Pet. 5. who acknowledge no superiour there but God as kings doe heere Onely their crownes differ the one is of gold the other is of glory they differ also not a little in there estates the one is for life the other for euer And therefore in our creede it is called by another name Vita aeterna or life euerlasting Our estate in our kingdome there is for life but wee shall liue for euer How farre better this then your fee simple heere which yee say yee haue for euer yet cannot haue longer then for life nor so long neither many times And if they that follow you waste it where is your fee simple It may rightly bee called fee simple a simple for euer But ours not so it will bee for euer which no violence can wrest from vs no rust or moth weare away no time nor oldenesse wrinkle or disfigure no sickenesse consume no wrong hazzard or misinformation call in question Our estate there pure perfect and indefeazable tyed to no condition charged with no incumbrance or feare of forfeiture Subiect to no law like a king no mans vassall and doing no mans will but our owne and ours none of our owne but Gods What an inexplicable greatnesse is this and yet I cannot leaue it so the more I haue said the more me thinke I haue to say But I will bound my selfe to one or two considerations more and so
sence be not pleased wee bidde the spirit adeiw In the one sence Saint Paul said Rom. 7. Psal 41. Who shalldeliuer me from this body of death and holy Dauid When shall I come and appeare before the face of my God And in another place Woe is mee that my habitation is prolonged Psal 119. thinking euery minute an hower and euery day a yeare vntill they were dissolued Phil. 1. Psal 13. and were with Christ in the other sence Dixit insipiens in corde suo The foole said in his heart there is no God Or if hee said it not yet his actions say that when he beleeues not Gods promises but makes him a politician to tell vs he is at hand when we haue twenty thirty or forty yeares yet to liue as many haue No no hee deales not politikely but faithfully with vs and if wee see not his words to be true in this we are blinde and see nothing Psal 89. Holy Dauid saith the daies of man are threescore and ten yeares these seeme great to children but to our first fathers in the old testament this was no age And if we should now liue ordinarily so long wee might haply haue some excuse for our wearinesse But alas what are these threescore and tenne yeares They are nothing to speake of and so runne out They that haue them thinke them quickely gone Wee heare olde folkes confesse it and why should wee not beleeue them when they say as they finde we beleeue the Sentinell what he sees from a high tower because he is higher then we and we beleeue the sea-man what he discouers from aboue the toppe-saile seeing farther then we So ought wee beleeue our elders and ancients when they speake what they haue prooued and wee shall say the same when we come to the same yeares And they say no more but what our Patriarke Iacob said the daies of my pilgrimage said he are an hundred and thirtie Gen. 47. little and euill Holy Job said breues dies hominis sunt our dayes are but short And he asketh a question thus Iob 14. nunquid non paucitas dierum meorum finietur breui Will not the fewnesse of my daies be soone ended Marke these words fewnesse and soone ended and yet he had an hundred and forty yeares to liue after and when hee spake it hee was in extreame paine when euery hower might seeme a day to him These men I hope will be beleeued what they say Compare now the Prophet Dauids sayings to these both speaking from one spirit of truth Holy Iacob and Iob say the daies of man are short Holy Dauid saith our yeares are threescore and tenne therefore I say the time of threescore and ten are short and quickely gone and consequently our reward at hand How will this argument bee answered one telsvs that all the earth as bigge as it is and full of great kingdomes is no bigger then a pinnes head in comparison to the vast and huge firmament and we easily beleeue it when the learned tell vs it though our sence doth not reach it And yet how little or nothing our pilgrimage is heere euen his that liueth longest a matter of so common experience and which our owne infirmities and dayly indispositions minde vs of we perswade our selues notwithstanding that it is a long time and neither will authority reason or warning by others once mooue vs or beate vs from this moth-eaten hold we haue of long life forsooth and time enough yet Three or fourscore yeares are a long time with vs in Gods seruice though short enough in our desires But let them be as long as men will haue them Suppose threescore and tenne be great and grieuous to holde out to the end withall in vertuous life See whether God in this also haue not done very much for vs that we may haue no cause to alleadge against him if we will make benefit of it How many be there I pray that liue to threescore and tenne Doth euery man liue till he be old I will saymore Doth euery one liue to halfe those yeares I will be bolde to say and I thinke I can prooue it that halfe thove that are borne into the world doe neuer come to fiue and thirty yea more then this hardly two parts of three come to see fiue and thirty And this I prooue two waies First by the many multitudes of them that dye betweene the cradle and fiue and thirty As appeareth by sextons and Churchclarkes whom I haue heard affirme that they bury two of the yonger halfe which are vnder fiue thirty for one of the elder halfe from thirty fiue to seuenty Secondly principally by a suruey of housholds families and towneshippes throughout the land be it in citty towne or country and that in this manner Deuide any of these into three and scarce the third part is fiue and thirty My selfe haue noted that two parts of three are alwaies vnder fiue and thirty Vnlesse it be in princes houses and hospitals If the family be nine persons sixe of them be vnder if fifteene tenne of them be vnder If there be thirty in a house twenty at the least are vnder and so forward in proportion Ye will say this may be true not because they bee dead that should make vp the number euen but because they marry away or prouide themselues otherwise ere they come to that age Well then Follow them where they goe and where they settle they must be some where Still yee shall finde all one and the same proportion wheresoeuer they become But to leaue these and come to those that are entred the latter halfe of thirty fiue and vpward there the oddes is much greater an hundred to one Titleman saith a thousand to one that they neuer shall see Seauentye Now what is become of all those that were once fiue and thirty with him are they not all dead but halfe a dozen or not so many in a parish before they come to seauenty or any thing neere it yet thus it is in all places and countries There is a multitude of the younger sort all of an age but of olde folkes but a fewe and almost none in comparison And therefore it is I thinke that holy Dauid said dies amorum nostrorum ni ipsis c. Psal 89. The daies of our yeares in themselues are threscore and tenne In themselues they are so many but in vs not so many or in very fewe of vs. It is a time limited to vs to which most fewe doe euer attaine As if a man should say it is tenne mile to such a towne to goe the next way ouer rocks and places vnpassable but the common way is twentie In it selfe that is tenne but to vs it is twenty Euen so it is with mans age There be that liue to those great yeares but so fewe that a man needes not feare it if he would not liue long and it were folly to hope