his first Creation a bright shining Lucifer beautified as a precious stone and more excellent than al the Angels of Heauen in resplendant brightnesse through his pride against God lost his light glory and beautie and as he was worthy became a foule féend deiected from heauen into this Elementall world lower than al the Spheares into the Fire Ayre Earth and Water 5 I saw saith S. Iohn a starre fall from Heauen to the earth Apoc. 1. and to him was giuen the key of the bottomlesse pit Further he saith There was a battel in heauen Michael and his Angels fought against the Dragon Chap. 12. the Dragon fought and his angels But they preuailed not neither was their place found any more in Heauen And the great dragon that olde Serpent called the Deuill and Sathan was cast out which deceiueth all the world He was cast euen into the earth and his Angels were cast out with him And being thus deiected hée now neuer ceaseth compassing the whole earth Iob. 1. but in his circuite séeketh like a roaring Lyon whom hee may deuoure 1. Pet. 5. Luk. 22. Apoc. 12. For the which cause S. Iohn pronounceth this woo saying Wo to the inhabitants of the earth and of the Sea for the diuel is come down vnto you which hath great wrath knowing that he hath but a short time 6 For albeit the world séemeth to be the parent the bringer foorth and nourisher of bodies yet is it the prison of Spirits the exiling of soules and a place of all wretchednesse and paines For as the worlde is a place of sinne and transgression a Station of Pilgrimage and of woe a habitation of wailing of teares of trauaile of wearines of fearefulnesse and of shame of mouing of changing of passing and of corruption of insolence and of perturbation of violence and opprssion of deceit and of guile and finally the laystall of all wickednesse and abhomination so also by GODS Iustice it is appointed the place and pitte of punishment and euerlasting torment wherin the euill Angels that rebelled with Lucifer and the damned spirites of wicked men departed this life haue endlesse paine without rest 7 And albeit the Apostle calleth Sathan a Prince that ruleth in the Ayre Ephe. 2. yet is that Rule so slane-like and his power so weakened by the Almightie that when the Lorde intending to punish the sonnes of Adam and to strike the earth with tempestes of lightning and thunder Hée thereby also beateth Sathan and the whole rable of his hellish féendes that in their fury and rage therewith they terrifie men by ougly shapes and aparitions and by GODS permission to murther man and beast sometimes do ouer-throwe buildings Iob. 1. and doe fire and consumne houses leauing a most noysome and horrible stinke behinde them of the hellish place from whence they come For it is not the diuell but the glorious God that maketh the thunder and as testifieth Syrach Psal 29. Eccle. 43. It is the sound of the Lords thunder that beateth the earth 8 Thus by Gods iust iudgement hée raungeth like a runagate in the sphere of his Hell vntill the day of doome for which season he is let loose and yet with such prohibition and restraint that in his mallice hée can procéed no further than shal séeme fit to the mightie Iehouah his Creator and then hée shall receiue that punishment whereof S. Iude speaketh in these words The Angels which kept not their first estate 2. Pet. 3. Apoc. 21. but left thier owne habitation hee hath reserued in euerlasting chaines vnder darknesse vnto the Iudgment of the great day at which time there shall be a new heauen and a newe earth wherein shall dwell nothing but righteousnes when the are refined with the fire of Gods iustice and then al the creatures of those new heauens and new earth shall be made perfit for which perfection and restauration euery creature waiteth being now subiect to vanitie Rom. 8. for the which they groane that they may be deliuered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God For albeit the fashion and forme of this world goeth away as saith the Apostle yet they subtance shall reamine 1. Cor. 7. whether of the heauens themselues or of the Elements or of men al which shall abide for euer 9 At this time of restauration when al things shall become new and when the dead are raised vp againe to life in their corporall bodyes then shal be prepared an out-set habitation which shal be a Chaos ful of confusion deuoyd of the first most excellent thing that God made Light and in steed thereof replenished with darknesse a thousand times worse theÌ„ the palpable darknes of Aegypts plague Exod. 10. wherein the burning and intollerable tormenting fire giueth no light where the freezing colde which causeth gnashing of téeth Iob. 10. mittigateth nothing at al the burning heate 10 The holy Scripture to inable the weake capacitie of man to comprehend and vnderstand the excéeding horror and most feareful torment of this place calles it a Bottomles pit â—ophet á Dùnge on déepe large Apoc. 1. Esai 30. Apoc. 21 the burning whereof is fyer brimstone the lake of the second death which burneth with fyer and brimstone And in regard of the weeping howling roaring secréetching in that place it is compared to the valley of Hynnom neere Hierusalem where the idolatrous people at the sacrificing of their children so the Idole Moloch Iere. 32. made a confused noyse of crying howling together with singing and sounding of Instrumments that the pitifull screetching of the children tormented in that diuellesh sacrifice might not be heard And for this cause Christ calleth Hell Gehennon which the Prophet Dauid calleth the neithermost Hell 11 And albeit to men that measure all things by Philosophy and humane reason it may seeme absurde that Fyer should aflict the soules of the reprobate departed and the damned spirites in Hell forsomuch as the Agent is euer reputed more noble than the patient but no corporal body is more noble than the Spirit and according to the minde of the Philosopher in his booke of Generation Those things are only agent and patient in themselues which communicate in the same matter yet in this poynt as also in many other things which leane onely on Faith and not on humane reason we must beléeue it because the word of God so deliuereth it For the soule of Diues in Hell cryeth and shall crye for euer Luke 16. I am tormented in this flame Which is no Parable but really acted This then is no immaginarie fyer but a true corporal fyer working really vpon body soule on the soule before the day of Iudgement and on both together in a higher degrée of torment after the day of doome not by a proper vertue and naturall action which the fyer hath but as the
wil. Is this that fleshe for the which I haue committed so many fornications so many wickednesses For the which I haue so many times giuen my selfe to gluttonie and carnal pleasures Is this that face which with so great care I haue kept from sunburning O vnhappy pallace for thy sake I haue wearied my selfe by land and by seas O vnfortunate belly how became I such a foole that I would worship thée for God Haue I lost the kingdome of heauen for this most abiect body for this most foule stinke of al filthinesse and haue purchased to my selfe euerlasting torments O ye furies O ye spirits of hel why doe ye stay why teare ye me not in péeces why doe ye not bring me to nothing These such like words shal the soule vtter against the flesh with excéeding rage and hatred the which notwithstanding it liued so wel when it was here vppon earth that it worshipped the same for a Lady and God and to fulfil the lustes thereof if feared not to violate and breake the lawe and commandements of God 23 And when all are risen againe and are gathered together into the place which God hath appointed for this iudgement then shal hée appeare in the clowdes of heauen with power and great maiestie whom God hath appointed to be the iudge of the quicke and dead And he shal not come alone but accompanied with an innumerable multitude of heauenly Princes 24 The feare which shal come by reason of that maiestie shal be so great that the prophet Isaias saith Isay 2. They shall goe into the holes of rockes into the caues of the earth from before the face of the Lord and from the glory of his maiestie when he shal arise to destroy the earth Apoc. 20. And the Apostle Saint Iohn addeth I sawe a great white throne and one that sat on it fron whose face fledde away both the earth and heauen For as when the flood of the Ocean swelleth they are wont to tremble which dwel vpon the shore and yet can take no harme euen so when the Lord beginneth to poure foorth his wrath and indignation vpon wicked men the Saints also and the Angels and men which are in no peril shal after a sort tremble and feare If therefore the iust shal feare and the pillers of heauen shal shake what shal the wicked and vngodly doe 25 And in very déed so soone as the Lord shal appeare there shal be heard immediatly a great cry and howling among the Nations Mat. 24. Apoc. 1. Zach. 12. for then as the Lord himselfe saith shal al the kinreds of the earth mourne and they shal sée him whom they pearced and they shal lament for him as one mourneth for his onely son and he sorie for him as one is sorry for his first borne O how many causes of wéeping howling shal miserable and vnhappy men then haue They shal wéepe because they shal sée that their euils and miseries are past all remedy They shal wéepe because they shal sée that their repentance is too late and vnprofitable They shal weepe because they cannot appeale from Gods sentence neither can flée the iudgement at hand and it shal séeme a thing intollerable to bée at the iudgement and to heare the sentence of euerlasting condemnation They shal wéepe because when they liued here on earth they despised those which forewarned them They shal wéepe because the pleasures which are gone as a shadow haue brought vpon them endlesse sorrowes and torments To be briefe as men beset on euery side and brought into ineuitable straights destitute of al counsaile and hope they shal wéepe because they shal sée that they cannot preuaile any thing at all neither with wéeping nor yet with scratching and tearing of themselues 26 Neither wil the Iudge bée moued by any meanes with these cries and sorrowes but wil rather seperate the wéepers from those that reioyce that is to say the wicked from the godly euen as a Shepheard diuideth the Sheepe from the Goates and shal set the godly on his right hand and the wicked on his left 27 And then hée wil beginne to discusse the cause of euery one and hee wil not forget any one offence For wée shal sée all things registred in perfect bookes by which bookes all men shal be iudged I sawe saith Saint Iohn the dead both great and small stand before God and the bookes were opened and another booke was opened which is the booke of life the dead were iudged of those things which were written in the bookes according to their workes So that al our workes are written in those euerlasting bookes Thou hast scarcely committed an adulterous thought but the same wickednesse is written in Gods booke 28 And not onely Church-robbings and sacrileges parricides periuries and such like faults but also impure thoughtes and idle wordes the neglecting of good workes or the same done to no good ende shal bée brought into iudgement For so great is the excellencie estimation of Christian integritie purity that no one or the very least vice that may be is not permitted to Christian men 29 The cafe standing thus whereof I beséech you commeth it that there is in vs so great loosenesse so great carelesnesse so great sloothfulnesse and such securitie Do we not flatter our selues when so great iudgement hangeth ouer our heades Holy was the prophet Dauid a man after Gods own hart and yet he so feared this iudgement that hée saide Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant O Lord for no man liuing shal bée iustified in thy sight Holy was the Apostle Paul and yet he saith I knowe nought by my selfe and yet hereby I am not iustified it is the Lord that iudgeth me as if he should say therefore I dare not pronounce my selfe iust because he that iudgeth me is the Lord. For such are the eyes of the Lord that the starres are not cleane in his sight and many times his eyes doe beholde wickednesse where we sée nothing but holines Holy also was the friende of God Iob. 31. Iob and yet he said What shall I doe when God ariseth to iudgement and when he maketh inquisition what answere shal I giue him Why doeth this man of God so commended of Gods owne mouth who was so iust and simple that hee could say without lying I was an eye to the blinde and a foote to the lame Iob. 29.27 and againe My heart doeth not reproue mee in all my life why I say is a man of such singular innocencie so afearde of Gods iudgement namely because he knoweth that God hath no eyes of flesh and that he iudgeth far otherwhise then men doe 30 Moreouer when all mens causes are diligently discussed and examined the Iudge wil pronounce against the wicked the irreuocable sentence of eternall damnation Depart from me yee cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the diuell and his Angels O bitter word which wil
Lord 28. Let a man therefore examine himselfe and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this Cup. 29. For he that eateth and drinketh vnworthily eateth and drinketh his owne damnatiō because he discerneth not the Lords body c. Here the Apostle sheweth vs the danger of the vnworthy receiuing the Lordes body and blood and also the meanes how we may bée worthy receiuers of the same namely by examining our selues which examinatiō consisteth chiefly in foure pointes That is to say in Faith Kepentance Giuing of thanks to God and loue towards our neighbours First we must haue Faith that is to say a certaine and infallible assurance and firme perswasion that God is a mercifull Father vnto vs in the name of his Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord whom he deliuered to death for vs. Yea euery sinner must apply Christ his merites particularly vnto himselfe This Faith commeth not of vs neither is it grounded vpon vs or vpon any thing that is in vs but it commeth from God and is grounded vpon God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost and vpon the promises of the Gospell confirmed inwardly within vs by the working of the holy Ghost which cryeth in our hearts Abba Rom. 8 15 Gal. 4.6 that is to say Father Furthermore this faith is nourished confirmed and increased in vs by the holy Sacraments For in the Supper God as a good father after that he had once brought vs into his Church by Baptisme nourisheth vs spiritually with the proper substance of his Sonne Iesus Christ applying and making proper vnto euery one of vs the merit of his death and passion To this ende and purpose is it that Iesus Christ himselfe giueth vs the Bread and Wine that he commandeth vs Mat. 26.26 Mar. 14.21 Luke 22.19 1. Cor 11.14 to eate and drinke it that he saith that the Bread is his body which is giuen for vs and that the Wine is his blood which is shed for the remission of our sinnes by which words he giueth himselfe wholly vnto vs he will be out nourishment and spirituall life he wil dwell in vs by his holy Spirit and will that we abide in him by faith that through beliefe we may not perish but haue eternall life Iohn 3 36.18 Psal 8.7 Mat. 11. Heb. 1.2 Iohn 17.12.27 and 28. whereof he is the onely heyre and giuer In like sort the breaking of the Bread of the Supper serueth to the confirmation of our Faith and sure warranting of our saluation insomuch as it assureth vs and causeth vs to see with spirituall eyes that Iesus Christ was once broken with the paines of death in Hierusalem to deliuer vs from the same and to get vs eternall life Also in that that by the Commandement of Christ Iesus we take the Bread in our hands and then the Cup moreouer in that that we eate the Bread and drinke the Wine which turne into the nourishment of our bodies we are certified that by the hands of Faith we take and imbrace Iesus Christ our Lorde for our onely Sauiour and Redéemer and that by the same Faith we eate his body spiritually and drinke his blood to the hope of eternall life Nowe euery one of vs must liue by his owne faith according as wée may make our Confession in the Beliefe which is called the Apostles in that euery man saith by himselfe I beleeue in God and saith not Wée beléeue We must not here cast our braines or thinke vpon the beléeuing or vnbeléeuing vpon the worthynesse or vnworthynesse of an other man but vpon our owne For S. Paul doth not teach vs to examine other men or that other men should examine vs but he saith namely Let a man examine himselfe Therefore let euery one of vs for his owne part be assured in his heart that Iesus Christ the true Messias is come into the world to saue sinners amongst whom hée ought to account estéeme himselfe by the example of S. Paul the chiefest Let him beleeue that Iesus Christ came downe from Heauen into earth to lift him vp from earth to heauen that he was made the Sonne of man to make him the child of God that hée was conceyued by the holy Ghost and that he was borne of the Virgin Marie to purifie and cleanse his wicked conception and birth .. Let him perswade himselfe that the Sonne of God hath ourcome the Diuel to deliuer him from the tyranny and slauish subiection of the Diuell that he hath fulfilled all the Lawe louing God his Father with all his heart strength and might and his neighbour as himselfe to get him iustice that hée appeared before Pilate an earthly Iudge and receiued as an euill doer sentence of condemnation for this life to exempt him frō appearing before the terrible iudgement seate of Gods iustice to receiue sentence of death and euerlasting damnation for that he had offended one eternal and euerlasting God Let him assure himselfe Psal 22.1 that the same Iesus Christ went downe to Hell for him that is to say that hée suffered the sorrowes and terrours of the second death and of the sincere wrath of God to deliuer him that hée died a death accursed of God in that hée was hanged on the Crosse to purchase him life and blessing before God that hée rose againe for a gage and assurance of his resurrection that he ascended into Heauen for a certaine token that hée also shall ascend thither that hée sitteth on the right hand of God his Father to be for him an euerlasting Priest Teacher King defender reconciler and aduocate to be short that he shall come at his last comming for his comfort and full redemption We must also euery one of vs for his owne part make proper vnto our selues yea and make ours all the goodnesse and all the riches that is in Iesus Christ because that in giuing himselfe to vs he giueth vs also his benefits So then in that that Iesus Christ is God it is to make vs partakers of his Diuinitie in that that he is heyre and Lord of the world it is to make vs partakers of his Lordship and inheritance and that we recouer in him the gouernment of all things which we lost in Adam in that that he is well beloued of his Father it is that we may be acceptable vnto him in that that he is rich it is to make vs partakers of his riches in that that he hath all power against the Diuel Sinne Hell Antichrist the Worlde and all our enemies it is to defend and shield vs in that that he is iust and good it is to iustifie vs and make vs good in that that he is happy and immortall it is to make vs partakers of his blessednesse and immortalitie When we shall thus particularly apply all the actions and benefites of Iesus Christ our Lord and also all his essentiall qualities vnto our selues putting our whole trust in him and in his promises and distrusting
Amos. 8. and I will darken the earth in the cleere day That is to say when men thinke it to bée the high noone of their age when they thinke that they haue yet many yéeres to liue when their minde is occupied about their gaine about theyr affaires about their honors buildings mariages and pleasures when they say vnto their soule Soule thou hast much goods laid vp in store for thée for many yeeres eate drink rest and be merrie then it shall suddenly be saide vnto them Behold death is at the doore thou foole this night shall thy life be taken away from thee Eccl. 41. and whose are then those things which thou hast gotten 9 Then death vnlooked for frustrateth all our counsels cutting off the webs of our deuises and with on stroke she casteth down and layeth flatte on the ground al those Towers builded in the ayer and then what a wound doeth the heart of the sinner receiue which loueth this present life when the Physitian saith vnto him Thou must from hēceforth thinke no more of life but of death 10 Here first of all all those things which he loued in time past offer themselues vnto him from the which he shal be pulled away and seperated by death whether he wil or no. The body shal dye once but the heart shal dye so often as the things be in number which he loued Then in very déede shal the most cléere light be turned into darkenesse because those things which were aforetime occasions of great ioy shal be now horrible vexations and torments It is a most swéete and pleasant thing to them which liue to sée their louing and faithful friendes to remember their honors to think vpon the pleasures past and to come But all these things in the time of death shal be as swords as torments and most bitter potions 11 But if it be so harde a matter to bée pulled away from those things which do not so néerely touch man how bitter I pray you will the seperation bée of the body from the life and soule For such two louing familiars which haue alwaies liued sweetly together euen from the mothers wombe cannot be seperated without great gréef If the Oxe do commonly lowe mourn when his yoke-fellow which was wont to draw with him is taken away how will euery one of vs mourn when the minde shal be seperated from the body Then wil the body and the mind with teares repeate againe and againe doest thou thus seperate bitter death O death dost thou thus seperate 12 And when the cogitation of so sharp a seperation is déeply setled in our mind then gréefes follow gréefes and sorrow commeth vpon sorrow for then it commeth presently into the minde what a miserable condition the body and soule shal be in after the seperation And first of all when a man beginneth to recount with himselfe that his body after a fewe houres shall be buried in a graue or dark tombe he cannot cease from wondring at so abiect and miserable a condition What the body that now liueth which seeth which heareth whith speaketh shal it be made after one houre in a moment blinde deaffe dumbe without sense without spirit without life Shal I haue then in stead of a large pallace a base sepulchre in stead of a soft bed the hard ground for delights rottennesse for swéete smelles stinkes and in stead of seruants and familiar fréends wormes And thus this cogitation of the graue will verie sore trouble and terrifle a man in these extremities 13 But yet notwithstanding euery man feareth much more when he beginneth to consider what condition remaineth for the soule For when he beholdeth that eternity and that new Region vnknown to all men liuing which hée then alone and naked is to enter and againe when he vnderstandeth that there is to be founde in the same both euerlasting glorie and perpetual paine and misery and knoweth not of which hée shal take his part it cannot bée tolde with how great feare with what carefulnes and with what excéeding sorrow he shal be tormented When hée perceiueth plainly that after two houres he shaibe either in eternal ioyes or in euerlasting paines Is not this a crosse farre surpassing all other crosses 14 This incertainty therefore of blisse or of a cursed estate which after two houres the sinner expecteth that remembreth his sinnes feareth the iust iudgement of God without hope of remission or faith in Christ bringeth a hell in minde not to be expressed For by how much the kingdome which hée desireth is of largenes and by how much the fierie furnace which he feareth is terrible by so much greater shal this perturbation be For from the one Angels shal come to carie the faithful vp into heauen and from the other diuels shal come to cary the wicked and infidels into hell fire 15 But there is yet a farre greater perturbation then this namely that he shal cal to mind the account which he is to make to God of all his words déedes and thoughts For of it selfe it is a horrible thing to enter into iudgement with God the which horror wil wonderfully vexe and disquiet the diuels themselues For as so long as we liue they set forth vnto vs the mercie of God and doe also commend the same and do striue all that they can to keepe vs from meditating of his iustice and iudgements Euen so now on the contrary part they extenuate and make his mercy insufficient and doe set before our eies the greatnesse and seuerity of the Lords Iustice 16 Then the sinner wil begin to tremble and to fall into desperation and wil begin to reason thus with himselfe If God for the sinnes of others spared not his onely sonne wil he spare me which am guiltie of so many sinnes If this be done in the greene tree what shal befal that which is feare and drie If the Prophets if the Apostles if the Martyres after they liued godly so many yeares entred not into the kingdome of heauen without tribulations what other place can be left for me but that of hell fire which know no good that I haue done 17 If the Scripture be true which saith He wil render to euery man according to his works I which haue done so great wickednesses what should I looke for but eternal torments If the Apostle lye not as indéede he doth not when he saith That which a man soweth that shall hee reape Gal. 6. what shal hée reape but eternall death which hath made so cursed sowing If no polluted thing shal enter into the kingdome of God how shal I which am altogether filthy and vncleane haue hope to make so happie and blessed an entrance 18 Then therefore all his sinnes which he committed with so great facility when hée liued shal violently inuade the sinful man like an hoast of his enemies Then the feare of punishment wil open the eyes which sléeping securitie in sinne before had