6. hee doth so confect and compose his heauenly medicines that they may minister grace to euery penitent patient This was Salomons course beeing King and Preacher of Ierusalem as it is in the twelfth of Ecclesiastes He prepared many Parables Eccles 12.9 and it followeth there immediately The words of the wise are like goads and nayles fastened by the Master of the assemblies And surely Parables and similitudes haue much life in them they haue a maruailous piercing and fastening property a piercing of the intellectuall faculty like goads and a fastening in the memory like nayles They pierce the vnderstanding forasmuch as ordinarily nihil in intellectu quod non prius fuerat in sensu the senses are the soules windowes to conuey in the light of knowledge Therefore it pleaseth God to teach vs heauenly things by earthly Chrysost quo supra And as nurses speake to the Infant in the Infants language so hath the Lord guided the tongues and pennes of his sacred Orators and Secretaries that they should speake to vs not so as he could inable them but so as we might he able to vnderstand them Againe Parables are very powerfull to worke vpon the Conscience They set before a man as it were in a glasse his vertues commended or his vices condemned in another and cause him before he is aware to giue sentence against himselfe Thus our Sauiour by the Parable of the housholder and the husbandman Mat. 21.41 extorted from the chiefe Priests and Pharises that fearfull doome vpon themselues Luke 19.22 Hee will cruelly destroy those wicked men That by the confession of their own mouthes they might be condemned Thus Nathan by a Parable drew from Dauid that sharp sentence vpon himselfe 2. Sam. 12.5 The man that hath done this thing is the sonne of death Yea such a strong impression it wrought in him that it made him retire himselfe with deep sorrow to bewaile his sin Psal 51. as his mournefull penitentiall Psalme doth manifest When Moses saw the burning bush which I may call a visible Parable as representing the state of the Church which may be opprest but can neuer be supprest he sayd I will turne aside Exod. 3.3 and see this great sight so should we sequester our meditations to the due consideration of this our Sauiours cloze and application of an excellent Parable The 3. generall point Especially if we consider the Quid. what it is that hee saith for behold it is matter of Ioy and ioy is that which euery one desires to haue and heare of because a ioyfull heart causeth good health Prouerb 17.22 whereas a sorrowfull minde dryeth the bones Neither is this earthly but heauenly ioy Earthly ioy is rather desolation August Epist 121. then consolation as S. Augustine saith It is like the siluer streames of a swift riuer Chrysost in Psal 5 which glides away smoothly and fals suddenly into the brackish Sea but the celestiall ioy is constant and permanent There is ioy in heauen And no maruell for no sorrow can haue accesse thither Reuel 21.10 The place yeelds ioy it is a goodly City a glorious Kingdome Mat. 25.34 There as the Psalmist saith there is ioy and gladnesse in the Tabernacles of the righteous where the Angels sing Halleluiaes to the blessed Trinity And as the place so the presence yeelds ioy there are not onely The spirits of iust and holy men and innumerable company of Angels Heb. 12.22 and Iesus the Mediator of the new Couenant but there is also the presence of God Psal 16.11 in whose presence is the fulnes of ioy and at whose right hand are pleasures for euermore Bern serm 1. in Rom. 14.17 Here Gods seruants gaudent in spiritu there de spiritu Their ioy here ariseth from the sence there from the presence of Gods blessed Spirit But who are they that reioyce thus in heauen Before I answere that I must remoue some Romish Rubbish The Rhemists in their Annotations on this place write thus The Angels and other celestiall spirits reioyce at euery sinners conuersion therefore our inward repentance is knowne to them and betwixt the Angels and the blessed soules of Saints there is no difference in this case the one being as highly exalted as the other and as neere God in whom they see and know all things Lord what a number of falshoods are wrapt vp here in a few words First the Romish doctrine controwles this Remish note for if the soules of the Patriarches were as they teach then in Limbus Patrum how could they bee sayd to bee as neere God as the Angels Secondly those that haue taken vpon them to marshall the host of heauen haue denyed to the Saints this propinquity of place Thirdly to affirme that the Saints doe know our inward repentance is both false and impious as being an incroachment vpon Gods Royall prerogatiue 1. King 8.39 who only knows the hearts of all men Fourthly Whereas they say that betweene the Saints and Angels there is no difference in this case Euen in this case there is a maine difference For the Angels Heb. 1.14 being ministring Spirits may by conuersing with men iudge probably of their conuersion by their conuersation but how can the Saints hauing no such office designed them Fiftly That place in the two and twentieth of Mathew Mat. 22.30 assumed by the Rhemists for proofe of their Paradox is by them grossely peruerted They shall be as the Angels of God in heauen For albeit the Saints are like to the Angels in this that they are freed from infirmity iniquity and mortality Fulgent de Passion Dom. lib. 3. It followeth not as Fulgent saith yet that they are therefore like to them in all things is a non sequitur And this is the Rhemists fallacy They take that simpliciter which is spoken secundum quid as they might haue learned of their owne Iansenius yea of themselues if they had but reuiewed their owne Annotation vpon that place Lastly whereas they say that the Saints and Angels see all things in God it is a vaine and idle conceit For the Angels who are as neer God as the Saints are and do see as much in him as the Saints doe were ignorant of the Gentiles infranchisment Ephes 3.10 till it was made knowne to them in the Churches by the Apostles preaching And our Sauiour saith they know not the day of Iudgement Mat. 24.36 Neither doth this conceit make the Saints equall to the Angels onely but both Saints and Angels to Almighty God in respect of that incommunicable Attribute his Omniscience whereof no creature is capable So that this Romish speculum Trinitatis is but speculum vanitatis Their glasse as they call it of the Trinity is indeed a glasse of vanity Leauing therefore those celestiall spirits Who they are that reioyc for the repentāce of a sinner the Saints to such celestiall ioyes as
Kindnesse Loue. In a word let vs labour to abound in euery good worke that may make vs pleasing and acceptable vn o God let vs bring forth good fruit Abundanter Plentifully 3 Perseuerantly Thirdly and lastly lest all our labour proue but in vaine we must bring forth good fruit Perseueranter Perseuerantly For to what purpose is it if a Souldier at the first onset couragiously encounter with the Enemy and before he hath obtained the victory throw away his Armes Or what doth it profit a Mariner to commit himselfe to the Sea and to enioy the benefit of a faire gale of Wind euen vnto his desired Ports mouth if then the wind doe turne and so turne him backe againe before hee can thrust into the Port Happily thou hast beene just and hast done that which is lawfull and right as it is in Ezec. 18.5 Ezek. 18. More particularly as the Prophet there expresseth himselfe Thou hast not eaten vpon the Mounâ—aines nor lift vp thine eyes vnto Idols nor defiled thy neighbours wife nor oppressed any but hast restored to thy Debtour his Pledge thou hast spoyled none by violence thou hast giuen thy Bread to the Hungry and couered the Naked with a Garment thou hast not giuen forth vpon Vsury neither taken any Increase thou hast withdrawen thy hand from iniquitie executed true Judgement betweene man and man thou hast walked in Gods Statutes and kept his Iudgements to deale truely Thus farre hast thou gone and in these good courses thou hast continued a long time and in so doing hast done well But tell mee what will all this thy righteousnesse auaile thee if afterward thou shalt fall away from God 2 Pet. 2.20 and intangle thy selfe againe in the filthinesse of the world like the Dog that returneth to his owne vomit and the Sow that is washed to her wallowin the myre Ezek. 18. If the righteous turne away from his righteousnesse and committeth iniquitie shall hee liue saith the Lord. No All his righteousnesse that he hath done shall not bee mentioned In his trespasse that hee hath trespassed and in his sinne that hee hath sinned in them shall hee dye Ezek. 18. Yea It had been better for him neuer to haue acknowledged the way of Righteousnesse 2 Pet. 2. as the Apostle speaketh then after hee hath knowne it to turne from the holy Commandement deliuered vnto him For the latter end of that man is worse then the beginning If therefore thou wouldst make sure worke for the good of thy Soule and store vp comfort for thy selfe against the day of death and that great day of wrath then thou must not relye vpon thy former righteousnesse Luke 12.19 as the Rich man in the Gospell did vpon the store he had treasured vp in his Barnes and say Soule take thine ease and freely disport thy selfe hence-forward in the delights of sinne for thou hast already brought forth good fruit plentifully which will serue thee for many yeares No thou must bring forth good fruite Perseuerantly for it is not here said euery tree Quae non fecit which hath not brought forth good fruit but euery tree non faciens not bringing forth good fruit shall be hewen downe and cast into the fire So that fecisse non sufficit it sufficeth not formerly to haue brought forth good fruit vnlesse thou continue in so doeing perseuerantly No man saith Christ Luke 9.62 putting his hand to the Plough and looking backe is fit for the Kingdome of Heauen Bernardus Sola perseuerantia singularis summi regis est filia saith a Father ea enim sola est haeres regni Coelorum Perseuerance is the only Daughter of the King of Heauen for she only is Hâ—ire to the Kingdome of Heauen â—herefore saith our Sauiour to his Disciples Matth. 24.13 Qui perseuerauerit hâ— that continueth to the end shall bee saued Reuel 2.10 and to the Church of Smyrna Be thou faithfull vnto the death and I will giue thee a Crowne of Life And vpon these termes doth Saint Paul assure himselfe and euery faithfull Christian a Crowne of righteousnesse I haue fought a good fight 2. Tim. 7.8 and haue finished my course I haue kept the faith Hence forth is laid vp for me the Crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue mee at that day and not to mee only but vnto all them also that loue that his appearing The absolute necessity of this Perseuerance for all such as expect the Happinesse of a better life hath so deepely sunke into the thoughts of Gods Children in all ages that they haue constantly resolued to suffer the bitterest torments the pregnant malice of the Diuell and his Factors could inflict vpon them rather then to loose the blessed hope of their Heauenly inheritance If therefore wee respect our Future Haâ—pinesse let vs not bee like thâ— plant Ephemeâ—on which doth spring and flourish and fade in a day but as the Oliue tree flourishâ—th and fru ifieth all the yeare long so let vs continue in bringing forth good fruit perseuerantly To be short the way to Heauen though it be Narrow yet it is Long and our life at the Longest but Short Let vs therefore that we may the better compasse so great a Iourney get vp betimes out of our beds of Sinne euen in the morning of our age at the first houre of the day and quickly make our selues ready that so we may set forth betimes towards the Celestiall Canaan And when we haue once set our feete in the way of righteousnesse the dâ—rect and only Rode to that Holy Citie If at the end of our liues when we can trauaile no longer wee would rest in Abrahams bosome let vs labour to imitate him in his iourneying vnto the terrestriall Canaan that is Gen. 12 9. let vs eundo pergere still bee going forward from grace to grace whatsoeuer Remoraes doe encounter vs in the way whatsoeuer afflictions doe befall vs hauing our eies fixt vpon those heauenly ioyes whereof the troubles and afflictions of this life are not worthy The older we grow in yeares the more let vs grow in goodnesse Let our Workes our Loue our Seruice our Faith Reuel 2.19 our Patience be like the Thyatirians more at the last then at the first Thus like good Trees bringing forth good fruit presently plentifully perseuerantly wee shall at length bee brought by him who is Alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending Reuel 1.8 vnto the beginning of that vnspeakable Happinesse which shall haue no ending But happily you will reply in the words of Saint Paul 2 Cor. 2.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who is sufficient for these things Is not our Father an Amorite and our Mother a Hittite The best of men by Nature is no better then a Briar Micha 7.4 Math. 7. a Thorne a Thistle And doe men gather Grapes of Thornes and Figges of Thistles Ex Spinis non nascitur Rosa Such as is the Tree such is the Fruite T is true And therefore to bring forth Good fruit presently plentifully perseuerantly we must be ingrafted into the true Vine and abide in it I am that Vine saith Christ Iohn 15.5 and yee are the branches He that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth good fruit For without me ye can doe nothing verse 6. If a man abide not in mee hee is cast forth as a branch that is withered and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned But how are we ingrafted into Christ by Faith How doe wee abide in Him By Loue. How doth He abide in vs by his Holy Spirit through whose gracious opperation we are inabled to bring forth the good fruits of the Spirit Now for asmuch as no Arme of Flesh can command this Faith this Loue this Holy Spirit Therefore O LORD GOD wee doe here in all humilitie addresse our selues vnto thy diuine Maiestie entirely desiring thee in mercy to looke downe from Heauen vpon vs miserable wretches heere on earth Wee acknowledge O Lord and thou knowest that of our selues wee haue no power to order our wayes aright vnto thee for wee are a crooked generation a people by nature the children of wrath so that if thou shouldest leaue vs to our selues we must looke for no lesse then like fruitlesse Trees to bee hewen downe and cast into the fire But good God remember that thou art our Creatour and we thy Creatures that thou art our Father and wee thy children Oh neglect not the work of thine Hand neither suffer vs thy children to perish but looke vpon vs in the sweet compassions of a tender hearted Father for the blood of Christ pardon all our sinnes past throw behinde thy backe those cursed fruits we haue hitherto continually brought foorth to the dishonour of thy Great and Glorious Name that they may neuer be layd vnto our charge and enable vs for the time to come to doe what thou requirest and then require what thou wilt and we will doe it O Lord stretch foorth thine hand and engraft vs by a true and liuely Faith into the Body of thy Sonne Iesus Christ Dwell in vs O heauenly Father and blessed Sonne by thy holy Spirit that by the gracious and powerfull operation thereof like good trees we may bring forth good fruit that we may euery day more and more abound and increase in grace and goodnesse till wee come to bee perfect men in Christ Iesus Graciously heare vs most mercifull Father and graunt vs whatsoeuer thou knowest to bee good for vs and that for thy Sonne and our Sauiour Iesus Christ his sake To whome with thee and the blessed Spirit bee ascribed of vs and of all thy Saints all praise power and Glory for euer Amen FINIS
they doe certainly and happily inioy They are the holy Angels and the blessed Trinity euen by generall consent of Antiquity that doe here reioyce The Angels reioyce The holy Angels are those amici vicini mentioned in the sixt verse those friends which haue idem velle idem nolle Concurre in will with Almighty God and those neighbours that are neere to him in the place of blisse and happinesse Now the Angels do thus reioyce in respect of themselues in respect of vs in regard of Almighty God They reioyce in respect of themselues Quia numerus eorum repletur Anselme in Ephes 4. Because their society is repayred by the accession of repentant sinners which was diminished by the fall of the reprobate angels They reioyce for vs in regard of the singular benefits that accrew to vs by repentance For as the damned spirits would be glad of our confusion so these blessed Spirits reioyce for our conuersion they are our nurses Psal 91.11 and carry vs in their hands and therefore reioyce for our aduancement when by repentance wee are deliuered from the power of darkenes Colos 1.13 and translated into the Kingdome of Christ Iesus They are our guard Psal 34.7 and doe pitch their tents about vs so that they mourne when they see vs in Satans campe and reioyce when by repentance wee returne to our Captaine Christ Iesus They reioyce in regard of God for Angeli eos amant Chrysost ad Pop. Antioch ho. 22. qui Dominum suum diligunt The Angels loue those that loue their Lord and Master And as a good and loyall subiect reioyceth in the honor of his Soueraigne and the inlargement of his dominions so do the Angels reioyce when they see their Lord honored and his Kingdome inlarged by the repentance of a sinner Therefore S. Bernard cals Lachrymas poenitentium Bern in Cant. serm 30. vinum Angelorum The teares of repentani sinners the wine of Angels because they make them glad Thus as Iobs friends after he was freed from his heauy afflictions Iob 42.11 came to comfort him so the Angels our good friends when they see vs freed from the heauy burden of sinne doe reioyce for vs. The blessed Trinity reioyceth Verse 24. Againe the blessed Trinity reioyceth for our conuersion 1 God the Father is that indulgent Father who reioyceth here for the returne of his Prodigall Son He that protesteth so solemnely Ezech. 33. As I liue Ezech. 33.11 I delight not in the death of a sinner and calleth so passionately and compassionately Turne you turn you for why will you dye O you house of Israel must needs reioyce for the conuersion of a sinner For more honor redounds to Almighty God By the restoring of man that fell then by the creatioÌ„ of the Angels Beda Aquiu 1. sec q 11. Ar. 9. restauratione hominum quà m creatione Angelorum as Beda saith Yea The conuersion of a sinner saith the schoolman is a more glorious worke then the Creation of the world because the one is transient the other is permanent Therefore as Abraham Gen. 21.3 8. the father of the faithfull reioyced at the birth of Isaac and feasted it at his wearâ—ing so our heauenly Father reioyceth at our new birth A heauenly banquet Greg. and it yeeldes coeleste conuiuium when wee are weaned from our corruptions 2 As God the Father who created vs so God the Son who redeemed vs reioyceth for our conuersion He that in the dayes of his flesh mourned for the hardnesse of mens hearts Marke 3.5 and reioyced in the Spirit when hee saw Satan cast down like lightening Luke 10.21 and poore sinners rescued out of the pawes of that roaring Lyon cannot but be sensible of the happy condition of his seruants He that when he was on earth sighed wept sweat fasted prayed shed his blood for the saluatioÌ„ of sinners being now in heauen must needs reioyce for a sinners conuersion when he sees that his fasting sweating bleeding his sighes prayers and teares are not spent in vaine According to that in the three and fiftieth of Esaiah Verse 11. Hee shall see of the trauaile of his soule and shall be satisfied 3 God the Holy Ghost who sanctifieth vs Ephes 4.30 reioyceth For as we grieue the Spirit of God by our sinnes so we make him glad by our repentance as the carefull Phisicion is glad for the recouery of his sicke patient You are the Temples of the Holy Ghost 1. Cor. 3.16 sayth the Apostle Now when these temples shall bee like the Egyptian temples wherein was nothing but a Cat or a Crocodile the Spirit of God mournes but when these temples shal be clensed by repentance and become like the Arke which held the holy things of God hee reioyceth Thus as a man hauing taken paines in setting watering and cherrishing some faire plant greeues to behold it eaten with the Canker but when he sees the Canker killed and the tree become flourishing and fruitfull reioyceth in his labour So God the Father who hath planted vs with a diuine hand God the Sonne who hath watered vs with his precious blood God the holy Ghost who cherrisheth vs with the influences of grace beholding the Canker of corruption fretting in our soules mournes but seeing this Canker killed by repentance and vs like good trees become fruitful in good works reioyceth exceedingly NOw this ioy of the elect Angels For whom this ioy is in heauen and the blessed Trinity is for one sinner that repenteth Almighty God who hath recorded in his Kalender the Booke of Life the names of all the Elect neglects not one of them So that Whosoeuer shall offend one of these little ones Mat. 18.6 it were better that a Mill-stone were hanged about his necke and hee cast into the depth of the Sea Iohn 10.11 Luke 15.4 He that is the good Shepheard seekes after that one lost Sheepe and reioyceth so when hee hath found him Chrysost serm 168. Quia in vno inuenit omnes because in finding that one hee findes euery one One linke of his golden Chaine must not be broken because it is the dissoluing of the whole So that if â—ny one of his goe astray he sends after him to reclaime him and when this wandering sinner returnes by vnfained repentance hee reioyceth more in him then in ninety nine iust persons Luke 17 17. But as our Sauiour said concerning the Lepers nouem vbi sunt Where are the nine so may I say Where are these ninety and nine iust persons Surely it is here as it was there the writ wil be returned with a non sunt Verse 18. inuenti they are not to be found Salomon tels vs Eccles 7.20 that there is not a iust man vpo earth that doth good and sinneth not S. Iohn saith If we say 1. Iohn 1.8 Iames 3.2 We haue no sin we deceiue
and choisest fruit he bringeth forth for euen our best actions were they narrowly scanned in some thing or other Carnis putredinem sapiunt Lib instit de Justif fidei Cap. 10. as Caluin noteth doe sauour and relish of the Corruption of the Flesh happely they haue leaned to some sinister respect or haue not beene performed with such sincerity and alacrity as God requireth 5. To make our workes meritorious there must be a Paritie there must bee some proportion and equalitie betweene that Good we doe and the reward wee receiue for it Now what Parity what Proportion betweene our workes which are but temporall and finite and the reward which is eternall and infinite The Naturall Phylosopher and any one that is not a mere naturall will tell vs that Finiti ad Infinitum nulla est proportio there is no proportion betweene that which is finite and that which is infinite Therefore our choicest fruits our best workes being defectiue in euery one of these fiue particulars which ought necessarily to concurre for the making of them meritorious it is strange there should liue in this great light of the Gospell any that dare attempt such a worke of darkenesse as to stampe mans workes with the Character of Merit Sure I am in the Word of God we cannot so much as finde the Word Merit Indeed God doth very frequently in the Sacred Scripture promise a reward to the godly and hence they fondly collect that the godly doe merit by the holinesse of their liues as if between reward and merit there were a mutuall relation that no reward is giuen but vpon a presupposed merit For answer whereunto I may tell them as our Sauiour the Sadduces Matth. 22.19 That they erre not knowing the Scriptures for as the Learned haue obserued that which by Saint Mathew is termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Reward Math. 5 46. Luc 6. 32. is by Saint Luke termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grace fauour or thankes to signifie vnto vs that when God rewardeth the righteousnesse of men the reward is not to be ascribed to any worth or dignity in the Creature but wholly to the benignitie of the Creator not to any desert or merit in Man but vnto the meere grace and mercy of his Maker For as Saint Paul 2 Ephes 8.9 2 Ephes 8.9 a place worth the noting By Grace we are saued through Faith and that not of our selues it is the gift of God not of workes lest any man should boast himselfe The Case being so cleare we may be bold to affirme that most blasphemous is the practise of the Papists who both in Pulpit and Presse so stiffely contend to enthronize the imperfect impure workes of sinnefull man in the Chaire of Merit in which nothing by right but the holy and perfect obedience of the Sonne of God can sit My beloued I dare confidently affirme it for trueth and you may boldly take it vpon that terme that no Mortall by building him vp a Babel of his merits can euer reach Heauen Heauen being a transcendent too high for the short reach of humane merit The sairest face hath some Mole or Freckle the soundest Pomegranate some rotten Kernell Corruption is a great part of the best yea the best euen from their conception are wholly ouer-runne with corruption from which they can neuer be throughly purged till the soule and the body by death be parted and put asunder by reason whereof euen our best actions are stained our best fruits wee bring forth are foulely blemished and wil not endure the Iust eye of heauen to behold them as they are in themselues the serious consideration of this made the Prophet Dauid thus pray vnto God Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant Psal 143 2. for no flesh is righteous in thy sight Therefore my beloued instead of standing like Proud Pharises vpon the tiptoes of of our owne goodnesse let vs with the Penitent Publican truely humble our selues before the throne of his Sacred Maiestie for our manifold transgressions which bring vs vnder the curse of the Law for the manifold sinfull imperfections and blemishes euen in the best fruits that euer wee brought forth for which we stand guiltie before him Let vs reiect the menstruous and rotten ragges of our owne righteousnesse Esa 64.6 wholly relying vpon the louing mercies of our heauenly Father which hee hath set forth vnto vs in his Sonne Iesus Christ who himselfe alone by his most perfect and all-sufficient obedience hath merited our redemptiō from the wrath to come and purchased for vs a Kingdome that cannot be mooued Heb. 12.28 This hath he done for vs but how vnder condition of our new obedience of putting off the olde Ma◠and putting on the new of forsaking the crooked paths of Sinne and following the straight way of Righteousnesse So that being redeemed and bought with the price of the Lambe wee must not thinke we may liue according to the lusts of our owne hearts and whatsoeuer seemeth good in our owne eyes for this is nothng else but a trampling of the blood of Christ vnder our feet a turning of the grace of God into wantonnesse the onely way to make our selues vncapable of that inestimable bounty of our blessed Redeemer No no such as are Iustified by the blood of Christ and haue any sauing portion in his bitter death and passion are also sanctified by his blessed Spirit vnto all holy obedience to bring forth good fruite the fruit of good liuing This is the true Character and cognisance of such as are of the houshold of Faith For as the tree is knowne by the fruit Iames 2.18 so is Faith made manifest by the workes of righteousnesse The bringing foorth of good fruite is via Regia the Kings yea euery Christians high-way wherein he must walke if he make any account to attaine vnto that Spirituall Caanaan to be a free Denizon of the holy Ierusalem that city aboue the mother of the elect For as among the Antique Romanes the two Temples of Vertue and Honour were so contriued that none could haue accesse vnto the latter vnlesse hee did take the former in his way So it is with vs God in his eternall decree hath set downe this resolution which like the Lawes of the Medes and Persians will admit of no alteration that none shall obtaine the life of Glory but such as liue in the state of Grace The penny is paid onely to such as labour in Gods vineyard Matth. 20.2 The Crowne of righteousnesse is laid vp only for those that fight a good fight 2. Tim. 1.6 7. and finish vp the course of their liues in the faith of Iesus Christ Hence that of the Prophet Dauid Psal 37 27. Eschew euill and doe good and liue for euer To draw vp all in a word though we can neuer bee saued for bringing forth good fruit yet we can neuer be saued without it such is the necessitie
be crownd with glory happinesse in the highest heauens In regard wherof Justus dum per mortem e vita tollitur non exciditur sed in vberius solum transfertur Fran. Luc. Brugiens in locum wheÌ„ by Death he is taken out of this life he cannot be said to be hewen down but rather transplanted into a more fruitful soile On the other side the vngodly man that bringeth not forth good fruit but is barren in all goodnesse and only fruitfull in the daÌ„nable works of darknes he shal die but a death far different froÌ„ that of the righteous for being besotted with the pleasures of sinne and hauing his affections fast glewed to the things of this world when Death arresteth his Body his Soule wil depart out of it like sawdust grated out of the belly of an hard Oke with much labour and striuing so vnwilling and loth it will be to breake vp house and bid farewell vnto the world Yea for as much as he neuer endeuoured to keep a good Conscience toward God and man therefore his guiltie Conscience like the euill Spirit which vexed Saul 1 Sam. 16.14 shall most fearefully wracke and torture him and a wounded spirit who can beare Prou. 18.14 saith the Prouerbialist and thus in the anguish and bitternesse of his Soule he shal be broken like a tree Iob 24.20 the Axe of Death shall cleaue rent his soule and body asunder with all violence and terror he shall bee hewen downe saith my Text. But is this all shall this Tree thus fell'd there lie and rest and rot where it falleth I meane shall his soule and body thus parted so perish as that he shall cease euer to haue a being any more and consequently a feeling of any further misery Certainly though sinful man be like vnto the beasts that perish yet he doth not perish like the beasts whose bodies are turned into ashes and their spirits vanish as soft ayre and are no more No his soule is an immortall substance and his body though in the eye of a carnall Sadducee it seemeth so to perish as that it shall neuer haue a being any more yet it shall at the last day by the power of God be restored to its iust proportion for after Death there must come a Iudgment particular of the Soule when it departeth from the body generall of Soule and body at the generall resurrection So that this fearfull hewing downe is but as the Prologue to a more tragicall feareful Scene it is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the beginning of sorrowes the forerunner of more fearefull torments For after the axe of Death hath with all violence cleft and rent his Soule and Body in sunder after that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee is thus hewen downe it followeth in the next place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bee is cast into the fire hee is throwen headlong into the flames of Hell And this second penaltie his exastion The second pâ—naltie an Exastion is indeed principally that which causeth his dissolution to be so comfortles full of terrour For when the hand of God lyeth heauy vpon him to hew him downe by death it is not the separation of his soule body that doth so much trouble him nor the leauing his beloued world that doth so much afflict him no nor the cruel gnawings of his guilty conscience that doe so wrack torture him otherwise then ioyned with the present apprehension of being cast into this fire which he then foreseeth will most certainly befal him afâ—er his dissolution And no maruell if the apprehension thereof strike such a dread terror into his departing soule Et hic â— c. 9. for what Aristotle that heathen oracle of learning said of the naturall death of the Body as one who saw no farther then the twilight of Nature would giue him leane may more truelâ— be auerred of this second penalty that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most terrible of terribles As Zeuxis that excelleÌ„t painter desiring to draw Junocs picture exactly viewed al the Agrigentine Virgins with a curious eye pickt out fiue of the choycest Pieces Nature did afford amongst them out of which for the composition of her picture he abstracted and expressed with his pencill what he apprehended more accurate and excellent either for proportion or beauty So the liueliest resemblance can be framed of this fearfull penalty is by presenting vnto our fantasie all the torments that euer seized vpon the sons of Adam in this vally of misery and out of them to make choice of such as are most exquisite acrimonious and intolerable and out of these if it were possible to extract a Quintessence and to inflict this quintessence of tormeÌ„t vpon one man and yet when we haue done all this this all is as nothing we shaâ—l haue framed but a dull a weake Idea of this penalty For the Eie hath not seen the Eare heard nor hath it entred into the Heart of Man 1 Cor. 2.9 as what ioyes God hath prepar'd for those that loue him so what sorrowes he hath laid vp for those that leaue him And therfore as the Painter presenting the sorrow of the father of Iphigenia when she was to be sacrificed drew him with his face couered as confessing his Art insufficient to expresse in his visage a griefe of that degree so being at this time according to my propounded Method to present so terrible fearfull a penaltie as to be cast into hell fire my best course I coÌ„fesse were to cast ouer it the vaile of silence as being best coÌ„scious of my own insufficiency for a task of such transcendeÌ„cy Yet vnwilling my particular weaknes should frustrate the generall expectation of so Honourable an Audience And fearing my silence in a point of such importance may occasion some to sleight their owne ruine and neglect their speedy reformation For such is naturally our slauish disposition that notwithstanding all the gracâ—ous and glorious promises of the Gospell vnlesse the terrors of the Law be punctually propounded vnto the vnderstanding and so reflect and beate vpon the Conscience wee walke without either feare or wit in the wayes of vngodâ—inesse and as if wee had taken a liberall Dosis of Opium are cast into a Spirituall Lethargie and fall into Hell before we so much as dreame of Damnation Therefore a word or two more particularly for the description of the fearefulnesse of this particular penaltie For I intend not though the case might iustly require it to entertaine you with a particular discourse of the seuerall punishments wherein all the powers and parts of each damned Wretch to his greater terror shall haue their share as those Positiue of intollerable cold the Worme that neuer dyeth palpable darkenesse the horrid aspect of the Deuils and infinite moe the least of all which is most horrible Pectori generoso non tam molestuÌ„ est rerum angugustia premi quam