for it I have not purchased it by perjurie or frâ—nds but by good and lawfull means So it is mine own and I may do with mine own as I think good These men consider not the doctrine of oâ— Saviour here and els-where It is the bread of the hungrie sayeth S. BASIL which 〈◊〉 back it is the garment of the naked which thou retainesâ— It is the money of the poore which thou treasurest up although it were thine own It is covetousnesse not to distribute of thine own It is true that men are truly masters of their own and to keep it up is not against justice strictly so called Yet it is against charity and liberality it is against that fidelity also which thou oughtest to thy soveraign Lord who gave thee these things Whence hast thou these goods of thine from thy self Naked came thou into the world naked must thou go out again From fortune to say so it were impiety It is GOD then who hath given them It is God that maketh both the rich and the poore sayeth SOLOMON And why hath he made the rich and another poore could he not make him rich also certainly he could but he hath made him poore thee rich that he might try thee by riches and him by povertie that thou might obtaine the reward of bounty and fidelity and he the reward of patience Thou art the steward therefore of GOD he hath committed these goods unto thee not only for thine own use but also that thou might dispense theÌ„ to others Therfore when thou standest before his Tribunell He will crave 〈◊〉 count of thy dispensation He will say What hast thou done with that which I have trusted the with Whose necessity hast thou suplied What poore diseased person hast thou succoured What fatherlesse or widow hast thou relieved Will thou answer it is true I have keeped mine own within fast doores and locks I have secured it and preserved it with all vigilancy and care but I have neither robbed nor stollen from other men If thou have no more to say heare that dreadfull saying of our Saviour When I was hungrie yeâ— fed me not whom I was naked yee clouthed me not depart from me yee cursed into everlasting fire Secondly Observe here that the goods that this man horded up were cornes It is a remarkable thing that our Saviour intending to set down the paterne of a covetous man maketh choise of an Horder up of cornes Yee see this man was a Vutualer who resolved to keep up his cornes to his best advantage and marke I pray you that he went nor through the countrey to fere stall by boying from other men but only purposed to hord up that which had grown up in his own land S. BASIL upon this place considering this giveth a most grave and serious admonition to these that desired to gaine by Victuall Beware sayeth he That thou wait for the necessity of other men that thou may sell dearer Go not to shute up thy barnes till the prices he raised He that raiseth the prices of cornes draweth down upon himself the curse of the people Desire thou not famine that thou may have gold wish not the publick clamity for thy gaine Be not thou a couper of humane calamities lâ—st while thou seekest gaine thou find the Wrath of GOD take heed that thou afflict not them whom GOD hath afflicted Thou seest gold and knowest the stamp goodnes of it but considerest not the necessity and sore heare of thy brother Thus S. BASIL who thereafter representeth the distresse misery of a poore-man in time of death brought to that necessity that he is fain to sell one of his children to be a slave to have Victuall to the rest He hath no gold sayeth he and it may be he never hoped to have any he hath no other meant almost but is constrained to sell his own children c. S. AMBROSS in the 5. chap. of his book of Naboth sayeth He saw a poore-man brought to this straite what distresse sayeth he was in this mans soul while he consulted which of his children he should sell shall I sell the eldest but he is my first borne and the first that called me father shall I sell the youngest mine heart bloodeth for his tender age shall I sell this child looking to the third but in him I see mine own face or the face of his mother shall I sell the fourth but he is of a pregnâ—â—t ingine and of a sweet inclination What a strange cambate was here betwixt naturall affection on the one part and necessity on the other natural affection suggested what miserable manâ— will thou sell thine own children will thou be more cruell then the beasts can thou return to this house which thine own hands have bereaved of thy children can thou eat that bread which is bought with the blood of thy children Notwithstanding of this necessity prevailed telling him this thou must do or else thou must die and all thy children before thine eyes What heart if not of stone if not of a tygre but would be moved with such a misery Let us therefore I beseech you beware of sinning against God and our brethren in this kinde Bread is the immediate means of maintaining mans life and therefore to raise the print of it is to take away the life of poore-men their wives and children Look not to the colour of the gold which thou getteth by this uncharitable dealing look not to the dainties which by that gold thou was furnished with but remember remember the blood of the poore if God would open thine eyes thou should see thy table droping with their blood thou should see that it is not wine that thou doeth see in thy cup how delicious soever it seemeth unto thee but the very blood of the poore people The LORD grant that we may rightly consider this and that for the merits of Christ c. THE SECOND SERMON Upon the XII Chapter of S. LUKE Vers 19. AND I will say to my soule Soule thou hast much goods laid up for many years take thine ease eat drink and be merry Vers 20. But God said unto him thou Fool This night thy soule shall be required of thee c. WEe have seene the Plenty of this covetous Wretch represented here by our Saviour We have heard his foolish Consultation wicked resolution concerning his goods Now followes his resolution concerning himself In the first vers now reade And I will say to my soule Soule Thou hast much goods c. 2. The Judgement of God concerning him his Sentence pronounced against him but God said Thou soole this night c. Concerning himself he resolveth to promise himself rest and joy and that because of his abundance as if his life had 〈◊〉 therein And I will say to my soul He addresseth his speech unto his soul and laboureth to perswade it of rest and happines for it is
are sâ— fraile and vaine We trouble our selveâ— about many things which are needles and worthles but there is one thing only necessarie even to provide for that good part which shall never be taken away Secondly The consideration of Eternity and of that Kingdome wherein God shall reigne in us and we with him for ever should encourage us against travailes and comfort us against all troubles wherewith wee encounter here First it should encourage us against all our travailes Our flesh is ready to faint under the burden of pains and travailes that must be endured in the service of God but all that wee endure this way should seeme light if righty compared with the reward of this eternal Kingdome In it is eternall rest And Eternall rest saieth holy AUGUST is worthie of eternall traveles Yee see what travailes Souldiours are content to undergo for the hope of a small gaine They go to warre in their youth they continue it may be almost al their dayes that they may gaine some little thing to sustaine them in their old age which both is short and uncertaine yet what are they not content to suffer for this What hunger what thirst What heat what cold To how many dangers necessâ—ties and wounds do they expose themselves Alace should not we be content to suffer much more for this glorious and eternal Kingdom A Kingdome wherein we shall be equal with the angels wherin wee shall be joynt heirs with Christ yea wherein wee shall bee made one spirit with God enjoying his inâ—inite Essence and entered into the fulnes of his joy wherein we shall continue not an hundreth or a thousand years or ages but unto all eternitie What travaile or pains can we take in serving God which may be compared with this glory and the eternitie of it Secondly This should also comfort us against our troubles afflictions that we meere with in the service of this great King Heare what S. PAUL saieth Rom. 8. I reckon that the afflictions of this present life are not worthie to be compared with that glory that shall be revealed in us And againe The light afflictioâ—s that endure but for a moment worketh for us a farre more exceeding and eternall weight of glory Blessed are these sufferings which draw after them this great eternall Reward Blessed is that hunger and thrist which bringeth us to be satisfied with the fatâ—es of Gods house and to drink of the rivers of his pleasure for ever Blessed is that contempt which is followed with eternal honour Blessed is that povertie which is followed with eternal treasures Blessed is that sorrow which is followed with eternal joy we ought not therfore to faint for the miseries distresses that we meeâ—e with here for God and his righteousnesse We may not think that he forgetteth or forsaketh us because we are exposed to them he looketh to this eternitie for which by these sufferings he prepareth us Who could be more miâ—erable then Lazarns who was full of sores could not haue so much as the crumes that fell from the rich mans table who seemed more happie then the rich man who swimmed in wealth and pleasure yet now experience teacheth that farre more blessed were the sufferings of the one then the pleasures of the other Now Lazarus findeth being in Abrahams bosome where he shall bee to all eternitie The trueth of our Saviours sayings Blessed are they that hunger and thrist for they shall be satisfied Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted So They that wandred in sheep-skins and goat skins in dens and mountains and caves of the earth afflicted desture tormeÌ„ted Heb. 11. 37. 38. Would haue seemed to haue been men forsaken of God But indeed were deare unto him and Now find by experience That blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousnes for great is their reward in heaven Thirdly The consideration of this eternitie should make all men to tremble and feare to offend God the effects of whose wrath are everlasting If thou be the enemie of God thou shall be deprived of his Eternall Kingdom there can be no greater losse for it is the losse of an infinite and eternall good Thou shall be subjected to most grievous and eternall pains To the fire that never shall be quenched to the worme that never shall die In a prison eternall and in darknes eternall Who would for all the joyes and honours and riches of this world be content to burne a hundreth year in fire and yet take a thousand and ten thousand millions of ages from eternitie and it is as fresh to begin as it was before O dreadfull eternitie who is able to conceive the greatnes of it what strength of man or angell is able to endure the burden of it Alace we are afraied of nakednes povertie and contempt here These seeme to us so terrible monsters that to eschew them we care not what we do even against God and against conscience but what are these to eternall fire and to eternall darknes and to the eternall companie of the Devill his Angels Would God this eternitie were alwayes before our eyes and deeply settled in our hearts It alone were enough to beat down all our pride to breake the hardest heart and daunt the stoutest courage of bold impenitent sinners It alone were enough to make us detaste all wickednes froÌ„ which this eternall evil springeth Who would delight in the fulfiling of his Lust if he considered deeply that his Lust will kindle a fire which will burn both the soul the body for ever that it will breed a worme which shall ever live to torment him who would delight in the inordinate desire of riches if he considered that this is the roote of all evill which whill men follow after pierceth them through with everlasting sorrowes and maketh them to fall into a temptation and snare and in many foolish and noysome Lusts which drowne men in everlasting Perdition Lastly The consideration of this eternitie should make us carefull of the right use of this present time Since though it be but a moment yet from the use of it our eternall well or wo dependeth in particular First this should make us carefull not to mispend our time in things unnecessare unprofitable The time is short and precious in respect of the use of it thou are still hasting to the Tribunall of the great Iudge who is to passe an eternall sentence of thy Bodie and Soul what folly then is it to spend the short time upon things which will availl us nothing then Hee might be justly accounted a foole who having occasion of a market wherein he might gaine as much as might make him rich all his life time would go and spend all his money and time in buying of trifâ—es of no worth Even so is it with us who waste our time by sport or idle coÌ„ference things not only unprofitable but
us in it Hence our Saviour hath commanded us To watch alwayes because wee know neither the day nor the houre of our LORDS comming Every day and houre we should have our loins girded with the girdle of mortification of our affections and the torches or lamps of good works shining in our hands If thou give thy self but to folly this night what knowest thou but thy sentence shall be This night thy soul c. What assurance of thy life hast thou more then he let us learne to be wise by such examples They teach us a most profitable lecture they who have been so overtaken say to us as it were as my Judgment was so also shall it be with thee yesterday to me and the day to thee Yesterday I was where thou art I had this same thoughts of long life and happines which thou hast here and yet even then my body was condemned to the dust and my soule brought before the Tribunall of GOD to give an account and to receive the sentence of justice What knoweth thou but it shall be so with thee to day Would God wee did rightly consider this That we might number our dayes and apply our hearts to wisdome esteeming of every day as if it were our last day and doing that in it which wee would wish to bee doing if death were come Secondly he sayeth They shall require thy soul He sayeth not he shall die but That his soul shall be required or taken away The words import first that this should be done to him against his will resisting and strugling to the contrary 2. that this should not be done by chance but by justice that he might receive his sentence according to his doings 3 It is said They shall take to signifie that the devils as the executioners of GODS Justice were ready to execute vengeance upon him Here is a dreadfull sentence whereby the soul is taken away The soul the precious soul the redemption whereof ceaseth for ever The soul which is of more worth then all the world What profiteth it a man to gaine the whole world if he losse his soul The soul which is our divine part the Breath of GOD and Stamp of his Countenance The soul for which the precious Blood of Iesus was shed The soul the soile which if it were rightly manured should bring forth the fruit of immortall joy That this soul should be taken away unavoidably first to judgement thence to intollerable torment what wo and misery Hence we may perceive what sorrow and anguish was in the soul of this covetous man or in any like wretch When Belshazzar Daniel 5. 6. saw the hand-writting against him on the wall that he was numbred weighed and divided His countenance was changed his thoughts were troubled within him the joynts of his loins were loosed and his knees did smite one against another such is the anguish and the agonie of the wicked when GOD putteth forth his Finger and writteth on their body by an incurable disease that their dayes are numbred finished when he wakens their conscience writteth therin that they ar weighed and found to be light and that they must be divided from their houses lands wife children friends yea and that the soule must be divided from the body and that the one must go to be the meat of wormes the other to eternall fire If such a man look back to his life his sins which he thought evanished his negligence and coldnes in Gods service ambition covetousnesse malice whordomâ— c. rush upon him like so many furies to gnaw his conscience to rent his heart in pieces and tell him that as he hath had their sweet so must he have their bitternesse If he look before him he sees GOD ready to cast him away and to say depart from me thou cursed c. The good Angels ready to forsake him and the devils ready to snatch up his soul He seeth that within half or quarter of an houre he must change his bed it may be of repose which his children and friends stand about with a bed of fire with a company of horrible spirits with everlasting chains everlasting darknes O what unspeakable anguish is this what is there in this earth that can countervaile it It is not so with the death of the Godly Though nature in them also shune death yet grace in end prevaileth Their soule is not taken from them but they deliver it and recommend it into the hand of GOD the Father and redeemer of spirits In thy Hands I recommend my spirit for thou hast redeemed it O Lord GOD of trueth sayeth David Psal 31. 5. They are content to go out of the body as out of a prison and grave They desire to be disolved and be with Christ They depart in peace because their eyes have seen the Salvation of GOD. They count the last day of their life the first of their happinesse the birth day of eternity which shall draw aside the courtaine and make them clearly see which before they saw but obscurely They know that day shall free them of all stormes and put them betwixt the Armes of their Father And turne their trouble into rest their mourning into joy and their basnes into glory They have reason therfore to be content when it pleaseth GOD to call The LORD grant that we may live their life that so we may die their death and that for the merits of Christ c. THE FIRST SERMON Upon the VI Chapter of S. IOHN Vers 43. JESUS therefore Ansirered and said unto them murmure not among your selves Vers 44. No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him and I will raise him up at the last day OUr blessed Saviour having entred upon a most heavenly discourse concerning the Dignity of himself and the happines of them who receive Him as they ought having entred I say upon this discourse in the preceeding words He taketh occasion from the murmuring of the Jews at that which he said to prosecute this same discourse more particularly and more fully in these words that I have reade and in many after following Particularly in these words yee have to consider the occasion of this discourse which was the murmuring of the Jews insinuated there And Iesus answered unto them saying murmure not among your selves 2. Yee have an heavenly instruction given to them and to us all in them concerning the way by which we come to Him No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him 3. Yee have the happines of them who are so drawn by vertue thereof unto Christ And I will raise him up at the last day And Iesuus answered and said unto them murmure not among your selves These words insinuate as we said that the occasion of our Saviours following discourse was the murmuring of the Iews whereof yee may reade immediatly before my text