godly therefore may comfort themselues with this that in time to come though not presently and out of hand there shal be a seperation The kingdome of heauen is likened vnto a drawe net cast into the sea that gathereth of all kindes of things which when it is full men draw to land and sit and gather the good into vessels and cast the bad away So shall it bee at the end of the world the good and the bad shall be parted after that the trumpet hath blowne and the dead bee raised Againe the seed sowne is the word of God preached The field wherein it is sowne is the world the good seed are they which with an honest heart heare the word and keep it and bring forth fruite and these be the children of the Kingdome and the tares are the children of the wicked and the enemie that soweth them is the diuell and the haruest is the end of the world and the reapers be the Angels As then the tares are gathered and brent in the fire so shall it be in the end of the world The sonne of man shall send forth his Angels and they shal gather and they shall seperate Math. 13.39 When the regions and parts of the earth are white then is the time of haruest As we read in the Reue. 14.15 That the Angel cried with a loud voyce to him that sate on the cloud Thrust in thy sickle and reape for the time is come to reape for the haruest of the earth is ripe As though he saw the time when the number of Gods elect and chosen children should bee fulfilled and the sinnes of the vngodly and wicked come to a full measure And the Angel thrust in his sharpe sickle on the earth and cut downe the vines of the vineyard of the earth and cast them into the great Wine-presse of the wrath of God So shall the bad bee seperated from the good as a shepheard seperateth the sheepe from the goates and the Iudge who is meant by the shepheard shall commaund the sheepe to be set on his right hand and the goates on the left the good and the bad And then will hee addresse himselfe to giue sententence and to take order for the execution of his iudgement And who shall stay or hinder this iudgement Sentence or who shall auoyd the fiercenesse furiousnesse of his wrath Shall the king be deliuered by the multitude of an host No he shal be but as one man naked and vnarmed and without helpe and hee that shall come to iudge him commeth with infinite thousands of Angels The strength of the strong man shall then stand him in no stead but in stead of strength he shall bee resolued into feare and weaknesse The wealth of the rich man shall not ransome him for riches shall not preuaile in the day of wrath Before so wise so vpright such a Iudge of that courage thou shalt stand whom neither feare shall daunt nor fauour shall moue nor gold shal bribe and corrupt him neither any entreaty or prayer then at that time shall perswade him There shal be no respect of persons no falsifying of the cause no colours nor excuse to blinde him no learning no men of lawe shall defend thee no wit nor pollicie shall go beyond this Iudge no speech nor flattery shall preuaile with him in a word what shall worldly helpes doo when the world it self shal vanish awaye Nothing that shall be deuised shall turn his mind nothing shall alter or reuerse his iudgement it shall passe without deniall and without all reuocation For then shall hee come to iudge the world righteously and to minister true iudgement vnto the people And thus after that the sheepe be seperated from the goates shall iudgement be executed and sentence shall be giuen in such sort and order as we read it set down Mat. 25.34 Then shal the king that is the Iudge say to thē on his right hād Come ye blessed of my father inherit yee the kingdome prepared for you frō the foūdatiōs the world But to thē on his left hand he shal say Depart frō me ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is preparêd for the diuell and his angels And these shall go into euerlasting pain and the righteous into life eternall By reason of which fearefull sentence the wicked shall haue good cause to say to the mountaines and to the Rocks Reue. 6.15 Fall on vs and hide vs from the presence of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the lambe For the great day of his wrath is come and who can stand They shall desire to hide thēselues in dens amōg the Rocks and moūtains but yet shal they not auoid his presence they shal desire death shall not find it seeke after it and yet shall death fly frō them And as the diuels as we read in the Gospell besought Christ that he would not torment them before their time so now shal the time of the terrible wrath of God be whē the diuels together with all the people that haue either forgotten or not regarded and highly displeased God to the vtter hazard of their soules shal be cast into hell and throwne into endlesse torments And therefore shall his comming be in flaming fire to render vengeance against the sinners of the earth who not onely shall be depriued from the presence of God and from the glory of his power and frō the company of the blessed Angels and redeemed soules but that which is far worse and more grieuous and lamentable they shall be punished with euerlasting perdition and destruction And the Angels that seperat the good from the bad shal then gather out of his kingdome all things that offend and them which do iniquitie and shall cast them into a furnace of fire there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth When as the iust and godly shall shine as the Sunne in the Kingdome of their father and when the accursed sort shall go downe by a by way a backe way and a blacke with many a sigh and sob from God from the Angel from the Saints from ioy from glory from blisse with the fiends of Hell to suppe in the pallace of darknesse with the princes of horror at the table of vengeance in the chaire of calamitie with the crowne of death vpon their head hauing nothing before their eyes but infinite torments prepared for them 4. By the sentence pronounced and last iudgement giuen How this iudgement pertaineth to the godly and to the wicked an entrance is laid open vnto me to declare vnto you how this iudgement pertaineth to the wicked and vnto the godly which was the last thing in this treatise of the latter iudgement that I purposed to speake vnto you of Vnto the which I haue thought good to adde an exhortation that wee may be prepared against the time hauing oyle in our lampes with the fiue wise virgines that waited for the comming of the
good treasure of the heart we bring forth good But I say vnto you saith Christ that of euery idle word that men shall speake they stall giue account thereof at the day of Iudgement When as wee shall aunswere for our selues beeing altogether vnable to aunswere one for a thousand Yea so much the more grieuous it shall bee because wee shall open all the secrets of our heart and bee enforced to confesse our misdeeds and to keepe backe nothing all must bee manifest And not as it is in this world when vpon the humble confession of our sinnes to God wee may cry for pardon and hope to be forgiuen but then shall but confession be to our open shame confusion and endlesse destruction Wherefore this day of iudgement may well bee called the day of Reuelation when as all things that are now hid shall then be reuealed and made known Secrets opened Here on earth many things are kept close hid and hudled vp But God shall tighten faith the Apostle things that are hid in darknesse 1. Cor. 4.5 and make the counsels of the heart manifest And at that day Ro. 2.16 God shall iudge the secrets of men by Iesus Christ. In this life many great and sinfull deedes are not punished but remaine hid and vnknowne and the parties passe as guilolesse and without all faulte who thinke themselues cleare inough so long as they can keepe their owne counsell But our Sauiour Christ Luke 8.17 sheweth the matter to be cleane contrary Nothing is secret that shall not bee euident neyther any thing hid that shall not be knowne and come to light The which in Eccle. 12.14 is more manifest God will bring euery worke vnto iudgement with euery secret thing whether it be good or euill Which is not set downe to driue vs to dispaire although no doubt we are priuie to many hainous sinnes the which we would not for all the worlds good should bee knowne abroade and in euery mans mouth yea such sin that are forcible inough to driue vs to dispaire yet seeing at the iudgement day they shall be reuealed be they neuer so secret wee are moued hereby to call for mercy while God doth graunt vs life and to pray with the Prophet O Lord deliuer mee from my secret faults from my secret sinnes from my secret offences This therefore that our secret hidden faults shall come to light iudgement is a very profitable lesson for vs whereby we may learn to feare what we do although wee may keepe it close from men as also that we may bethinke our selues of that which is past and pray for forgiuenesse and be more warie and circumspect in time to come so that it keepeth vs in the feare of God so long as we liue and let this be vnto vs in stead of Auricular confession in remembrance whereof in euery time and place wee may flye and auoyd all sinne whether it be secret or open whereof if we take not heed we may incurre the daunger of Gods wrath and heauy iudgement And at the day of iudgement shall God bring all matters to light as we may read Reue. 20.12 And I sawe the dead both great and small stand before God and the bookes were opened that is their conscience and another booke was opened which is the booke of life And the dead were iudged of those things which were written in the bookes according to their workes It is not onely God Conscience that shall bring our secret sinnes to light but euen our owne consciences shall bewray vs as the last place of Scripture alleadged Reue. 20.12 dooth testifie where by the bookes that were opened our owne consciences are vnderstood which shall be most ready to reueale all things According to that in the Epistle to the Romaines Chap. 2.15 Which shew the effect of the law written in their hearts their conscience also bearing witnesse and theyr thoughts accusing one another or excusing at that day when God shall iudge the secrets of men by Iesus Christ. And full truly is it spoken that a mans conscience is in steed of a thousand witnesses For when time shall serue there shall not neede many accusers or store of euidences to be giuen vp against vs seeing that our conscience which is our secret storehoue shall declare all although it bee neuer so much against our will and that without any cōstraint or comparison Wherof we haue a sufficient and manifest tryall euen in this life For tell me who is it among vs but must of force confesse and dooth perceiue so much in himselfe that hee cannot no nor may not forget his sinnes and misdeedes for our conscience will not suffer it and especially the more notorious bad and wicked our deedes haue beene the more fresh and fresh they are and will bee in our remembrance They will come into our mindes when wee little thinke of any such matter and if wee would neuer so faine wee cannot put them away from vs and when they come into our mindes and remembrance they bring dumps and sorrow inough Which is a token and a most apparant signe and proofe of the iudgement day vnto the which time all our sinnes are reserued to bee iudged Before we commit any wicked or notorious deed our conscience within vs doth grudge against it and would full faine bridle and restraine vs from it if it were possible but after wee haue done the deed it is a torment vnto vs and that more grieuous inwardly to our mindes then any whip or scourge to the body can bee because the one is but for a time the other lasteth long and shall endure By which inward griefe conceiued and sorrowe of conscience many are driuen to dispaire and doo thinke so bad of themselues for theyr wicked vnlawful vngodly deeds that they are desirous to reuenge the matter vpon themselues and to be their owne tormenters before the iudgement day come But if there be any that can say their conscience is cleare let thē reioyce and giue God the praise and thankes who hath preuented them with his grace and preserued them from euill And as a guiltie conscience is his owne tormenter so a good conscience is a continuall feast He or shee that is not charged or rather ouercharged by their owne conscience they haue a continuall ioy within them so if our owne hearts condemne vs God is greater then our hearts and knoweth all things And what miserie trowe we doo the wicked of the world liue in For the Lord hath said There is no peace vnto the wicked when in all their life is feare and terror carrying in their breasts tormenting furies to hold them day night in feare of endlesse destruction And what should those heauy dumps and inward feares signifie but that there is a iudgement and that there is a hell as well as a heauen Their hearts doo droope and their consciences are affrighted and God by his secret power dooth worke this feare and
clime into Gods vnsearchable counsell althogh it be denied vs. Wherefore let vs be content to keepe our selues within the bounds of modestie and not to be curious and desirous to knowe more then the Angels who are altogether ignorant hereof much lesse shal we be able to reach vnto it but the more we desire to know it the further off shal we be from it Some haue bene so bold as to set down the time and haue fained heauenly reuelations for the certaintie and assurance of their speeches yet their vanitie hath beene disprooued when the time hath beene expired How much better shall it bee for vs to lay aside all such vanitie which stands vpon vncertaintie and giue our selues to such a carefull meditation that wee may not bee vnprepared when wee shall bee called Curious searching can nothing profit vs but a wise and godly foresight and forecast may stand vs greatly in stead whereby wee shall not bee taken at vnawares as the vngodly are like to be who forecasting no danger shall suddenly fall into destruction If wee cannot sufficiently make answere vnto the Iudge Prayer before whose iudgement seate wee shall stand as doubtlesse wee shall not bee able to answere one for a thousand let vs prepare our hearts by confession of our sinnes and by prayer for forgiuenesse of them and let vs say with the Prophet Enter not into iudgement with vs O Lord for in thy sight shall no flesh bee iustified O Lord forgiue vs our sinnes and let not thy wrathfull displeasure light vpon vs. Who would be vnprepared against the time that shall come and yet it is vncertaine to teach vs to haue the more care seeing that after death hath arrested vs we shal be broght into the court of Gods iudgement and then no other issue no other way but either heauen or hell And who would not haue a great regard to this matter For the tryall of this iudgement shal be seene in the anguish of death and as it were at the last gaspe when our consciences shall bring heauy things to our remembrance and the diuell by his accusations shall put vs in great feare and driue vs well-neare to dispaire And the nearer wee begin to approach to the tribunall seate of Gods iudgement the greater shall bee our feare and more grieuous vnto vs then the bitter pangs of death it selfe Watch therefore and pray that thou mayest be prepared against this time and against this iudgement Wherefore the Lord in mercie Conclusion graunt vs a godly and a peaceable passage and that throgh his desert that dyed for vs it would please him to mittigate and asswage all these terrorus and feares and let vs with all speede approach to the throne of grace to finde helpe in time of need Whereas the wicked which are carelesse in their lifetime at the poynt of death and at their last passage out of the world shal be so assaulted on euery side by their owne cōscience condemning them and the diuell accusing them and the horrour of euerlasting torments to come ouerwhelming them that they shall bee driuen to crie out against that iudgement that hangeth ouer their heads and wayteth for them at the doore Such shall the day of iudgement bee to vs as is the last day of our life and looke what the course of our life is when we are called vnto iudgement for after our death immediately commeth iudgement and so shall our iudgement be Neither are we therefore to thinke that our last deedes onely shall come to examination but wee ought to be prepared euery moment least death doo take vs vnprouided For they which in the anguish of death and in the vpshot of their liues shal be found vnready it is hardly to be thought that their resurrection shal be happy And therefore our Sauiour Christ hath said He that perseuereth Perseuere and holdeth out well to the end he shall be saued The which that we may do let vs be prudent Noahs to build the Arke of a good conscience before the floud of iudgement do ouerflowe prouident Iosephs to lay vp the graine of golinesse in the barns of our harts before the dearth of mercy shal be like vnto painful ants to prouide the food of the soule before the winter of iustice do approach tractable patients to take the preparatiue of repentance before the pangs of death doo come wise virgines to haue ready the lampe of faith and the oyle of vertue before the Bridgrome Christ Iesus shut vp the doores good stewards to prouide for the tabernacle of heauen before we loose the office of this life And let vs not straine curtesie to see who will go first but let vs remember that euery one is to answere for himself and God hath many messengers For either sicknesse will come or age will come nay death will come suddenly and speedily and after a while we shall rise againe and the Iudge will come who will neither be led by fauour or request nor blinded and stopped from proceeding with bribes and money nor then will allowe of too late repentance because then shall be the time of execution of his iustice The day of iudgement shall come in the which pure harts shall more preuaile then faire words and a good conscience then great treasure And though some may thinke that that day is far off yet let them be sure their last time will come on apace and wee knowe not how soone that houre shal be and when God wil appoint the time Good it were and most happy for vs if euery one of vs were so affected and so prepared as it is reported of a holy father S. Ierome whose words were these euen the declaration of his heart For out of the heart out of the abundance thereof the mouth speaketh Whether I eate sath he or drinke or whatsoeuer I do me think I heare this sound alwayes in my eares Arise ye dead and come to iudgement Arise ye dead and come to iudgement Let vs follow his example confirmed by the Apostles counsell Watch and pray withall perseuerance that wee may keepe the garment of innocencie and labour the worke of God in the day of this life Wherefore seeing that day shall bee comfortable to the godly which shal be fearefull to the wicked let vs endeuour before this iudgement come to be among the godly and the righteous and that our cōsciences may cleare vs so wel that wee may feele within our selues a desire of this second comming of Christ rather then any trēbling at the remembrāce of it The which let it not be done by any fained flattery of our selues but in sinceritie truth knowing this assuredly that whosoeuer shal not be found written in the booke of life shal be cast into the lake of fire where their portion shal be nothing else but weeping gnashing of teeth That wee may not bee caught in the flaming fire rendring vengeance but that we may
be placed in the heauenly Ierusalem and reckoned amōg the saints of God that the day of iudgement may not be a day of eternall condemnation vnto vs but euen the perfection of our saluation and redemption and the beginning of all ioy comfort While we liue here in this world let vs be alwayes ready by spending the time well For as we sowe so shall we reape As the holy Apostle doth put vs in minde Gal. 6.7.8 Bee not deceiued God is not mocked For he that soweth to the flesh by practising the workes of the flesh shall therefore reape corruption or rather as if he had said condemnation But he that soweth to the spirit by mortifying the deeds of the flesh by the good motions of Gods spirit shall there hence reape euerlasting life Which sentence I pray God print in all our hearts and so graciously prepare vs vnto the day of iudgement Now the very God of peace keepe vs in all well doing and in all good workes to do his will working in vs that which is pleasant in his sight through Iesus Christ to whom be praise for euermore Amen 2. Pet. 36. The world that then was perished ouerflowed with water 2. Pet. 3.7 But the heauens and earth which are now are kept by the same word in store and reserued vnto fire against the day of iudgement and of the destruction of vngodly men vers 9. The Lord is not slack but patient vers 10. Howbeit the day of the Lord will come as a theefe in the night in the which the heauens shall passe away with a noyse and the elements shall melt with heate and the earth with the workes therein shall be burnt vp Seeing therefore that all these things must be dissolued what manner persons ought ye to be in holy conuersation and godlynesse Looking for and hasting vnto the comming of the day of God by the which the heauens being on fire shal be dissolued But we looke for new heauens and a new earth according to his promise wherein dwelleth righteousnesse Wherefore beloued since ye looke for such things be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blamelesse And suppose that the long suffering of our Lord is saluation 1. Pet. 4.7 Now the end of all things is at hand Be ye therefore sober and watching in prayer Luk. 21.34 Take heed to your selues least at any time your hearts be oppressed with surfetting and drunkennesse and cares of this life and least that day come on you at vnawares For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth Watch therefore and pray continually that ye may be counted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to passe and that ye may stand before the Sonne of man Arise ye dead and come to iudgement The end of the first Treatise A TREATISE OF the Ioyes of Heauen 1. Cor. 2.9 But as it is written The things which eye hath not seene neither eare hath heard neither came into mans heart are which God hath prepared for them that loue him IF the holy Apostle S. Paul being taken vp into Paradice heard such words which cannot bee spoken and are not possible for man to vtter as he testifieth of himselfe 2. Cor. 12.3 How should I take vpon mee to shewe you those Ioyes which neither eye hath scene nor eare hath heard nor euer entred into the heart of man Herein I know mens mindes wil run vpon needlesse curiosities which is no part of my dutie to satisfie as also to shew you mine owne deuices and imaginations were a thing to set forth my owne folly But so far forth as mans reason may search but there we must stay for mans reason in spirituall affaires is altogether foolishnesse nay rather so far forth as Gods word doth instruct vs we may be desirous to learne as also to be content although many things bee hid from vs. Let it therefore be sufficient vnto vs if wee may haue but a taste of those Ioyes and that it pleaseth God in a measure to graunt vs some knowledge of them Adam beeing in the earthly paradice knewe not all the secrets and commodities thereof and how shall wee thinke to attaine to the full knowledge of heauenly Paradice But seeing God doth graunt vs the vnderstanding of these matters but after a sort he doth it for our good that seeing those ioyes that we can conceiue are surpassing excellent and yet the heauenly ioyes do surmount our cōceits by many degrees further we might the more be drawne in loue with God himselfe who hath ordained such rare vnspeakeable incomprehensible and endlesse excellencies for them that loue him and liue in his obedience As also considering our own great vnworthinesse we might with the Prophet Dauid breake foorth into the praises of God 14.4.3 and say Lord what is man that thou hast such respect vnto him or the sonne of man that thou so regardest him Now as the Prophets doo stir vp the peoples mindes to serue and honor God by setting before them the temporal blessings of this life and thereby giuing them an earnest of greater blessings to come so is the happie estate of euerlasting life described vnto vs by such earthly comparisons as our natural capacitie can conceiue That we beholding in minde and contemplation those wonderfull Ioyes which we can conceiue we may grow into admiration of those heauenly and incredible excellencies which are altogether past our conceit and farre beyond our reach and vnderstanding For as spiritual blessings do far surpasse corporall blessings so heauenly ioyes do far exceed al earthly glory Yea and these stately secrets of an other life are so much hidden from flesh and bloud that all the learning of the wise men of the world can come nothing neare them That in this case they may truly say with the Astrologers of King Nabuchadnezzer Dan. 2. It is a rare thing and there is no other that can declare them but God himselfe whose dwelling is not with flesh The Turkish Paradice But let vs a little behold what flesh and bloud hath set downe concerning these ioyes of heauen In the Turkish Alcoran that is a booke which they vse in stead of a Bible which Booke Mahomet their Prophet left vnto them as the learned haue searched out thus the ioyes of heauen are set downe Their Prophet promiseth them garments of silke of all sorts of colours bracelets of gold and amber parlours and banquetting houses vpon flouds and riuers vessels of gold and siluer Angels seruing thē bringing in gold milk in siluer wine lodgings furnished cushens pillows and downe beds most bewtifull women to accompany them gardens and orchards with harbors fountains springs and all manner of pleasant fruits riuers of milk honey and spiced wine all manner of sweet odours perfumes fragrant sents and to be short whatsoeuer the flesh shall desire to eate Thus fleshly people haue a fleshly religion
thy minde with varietie and rauishing thy sences with infinite delight And this may make vs more eager after those ioyes because we shall not be long without them For the time of this life is but short and the time of this thy tryall in this world is but in a manner a moment If our time here should be a thousand yeares what is it to one day in the world which hath no night which be it that it hath a sun-rising yet shall it neuer haue a sun-setting an entrance and beginning there is into these ioyes but the termes and date thereof cannot be tolde And as the torments of hell whereof I haue heretofore spoken are endlesse so are the ioyes of heauen beyond all time as they are remedilesse for out of hell there is no redemption so are these ioyes without all change alteration as they are cōfortlesse so these exceed in al maner of cōforts al without reach without nūber without measure Thus haue I shewed you the ioyes of the kingdome of heauen and yet haue I not shewed them for neither can I vtter them nor yet can you cōceiue them But that which I haue already spoken is sufficiēt though not for the worthines of the cause or for the satisfying of our infinit desires yet for edifying cōfort and instructiō And if I should lead you alōg with my owne deuices imaginatiōs it were but a matter to delude you againe neither be you desirous to knowe more then is fit and conuenient For when we haue spoken all or the learnedst in the world expressed al yet al must fal short of this marke to vtter the truth of those ioyes For if no eye hath euer seen them not hart of man can cōceiue them how is it possible I say not for me to declare them but for any tongue to vtter them But that which we doo know let vs gather to our good to our necessary instructiō leauing off to search where god wil giue no vnderstanding Hidden they are and vnknowne that wee might the more earnestly desire them For knowne things growe out of loue The consideratiō of these ioyes already recited may be sufficient to establish vs to cōfirme vs that there bee not in any of vs an vnfaithful heart to depart way frō the liuing God And who wold depriue himself of those ioyes if they were no other but such as euen our owne minds might imagine or our own hearts conceiue In this case let vs be content there to make a stop where Gods word hath set a full poynt And blessed be God who to incourage vs in the way of godlinesse hath graunted vs thus to behold these incredible ioyes thogh it be but in a shadow and as it were vnder a vaile Howbeit to shew you all these ioyes Application and not to apply them seemeth altogither without vse and without life The profitable instructions therefore that herehence may arise are more then I can vtter yet giue mee leaue to recite some And thinke not hardly though I stay you a litle longer For to heare the discourse of those things which pertaine to the kingdome of heauen I my selfe which haue searched more then any of you should in this respect forsake my dyet and forget to heare how the Clocke goes or the day passes Suppose we are now busie in the field at haruest vnmindfull to come euen to our owne houses and surely this is a farre better haruest and a better graine and commoditie then we can gather in When it pleased God I shuld deuise this for your good it was with comfort and now I vtter it it is with comfort and therefore I doubt not but that you that heare it heare it also with comfort To growe out of loue with the world The first instruction for our vse may be this to learne to growe out of loue with this present world and with the transitory pleasures and profites of the same that so we may prepare our iourney to our long home and to our wished home and to those houses and heauenly habitations whose leases shall neuer be expired to our heauenly Canaan and to his newe and most bewtifull Ierusalem Howbeit for the most part wee are so doted and bewitched with the glistring ioyes of this present fading world that no exhortation or perswasion shal lightly preuaile to withdrawe our mindes from thence Which thing may liuely be set forth to your viewe by reciting of a Parable of the custome of a certaine Common-wealth people and Nation which were woont to chuse their king from among the poorest sort of the people to aduance him to great honour wealth and pleasures for a time But after a while when they were aweary of him their fashion was to rise against him and to despoyle him of all his felicitie yea the very cloathes off his backe and so to banish him naked into an Iland of a far countrey where bringing nothing with him hee should liue in great miserie and be put to great slauery for euer Which practise one King at a certaine time considering by good aduice for all the other though they knew that fashion yet through negligence and pleasures of their present felicitie cared not for it tooke resolute order with himselfe how to preuent this misery Which was by this meanes he saued euery day great sums of mony from his superfluities and idle expences and so secretly made ouer before-hand a great treasure into that Iland whereinto he was in danger daily to bee sent And when the time came that indeede they deposed him from his kingdome and turned him away naked as they had done the other before he went to that Iland with ioy and confidence where his treasure lay and was receiued there with exceeding great tryumph and placed presently in greater glory then euer he was before This citie or common-wealth is this present world which aduanceth to authoritie poore men that is such as come naked into this life and vpon the sudden when they looke best for it doth it pull them downe againe and turneth them naked into their graues and so sendeth them into an other world where bringing no treasure with them they are like to finde litle fauor and rather eternall miserie The wise King that preuenteth this calamity is euery one which in this life according to the counsell of Christ dooth seeke to lay vp treasure in heauen against the day of theyr death when they must bee banished hence naked as all the Princes of that Citie were At which time if their good deedes doo followe them as God promiseth then shall they be happy men and placed in much more glory then euer this world was able to giue them But if they come without Oyle in theyr Lampes then is there nothing for them to exspect but this I knowe you not This sum of mony is not so much our good deeds as the forgiuenes of our manifold offences the amēdmēt of our sinfull
liues that godly religious care of the life to come That which we are so greatly in loue withall the Apostle giues vs counsel to the quite contrary Loue not the world neither the things that are in the world 1. Ioh. 2 he addeth the reason because the world passeth away But he that fulfilleth the will of God abideth for euer Heauen is not in this life and we must looke to bee weaned from this world if euer we wil looke to be in heauen The ioyes of heauen and the desires of the world are quite contrary for they are too heauy a burthen and doo hinder vs from mounting vp so high And herein for the most part wee may be resembled vnto the Grashopper which is borne and bred liueth and dyeth in the same ground The Grashopper hath wings and hoppeth vp a litle but presently falleth downe againe So many of vs haue often good motions vnto godlinesse and the life to come and againe all is gone in a moment and we returne to our olde affections in this world as though all our portion were onely in this life Those foules that feede grosly neuer flye high and they which feed their hearts with things belowe cannot haue their affections in heauen The ioyes of heauen being so rare and excellent and so surpassing woonderfull that they might remoue these heauy lumpish and grouelling desires of this world The carelesse earthly and worldly minde hath no sight nor sence nor feeling of these ioyes But as the oxe is fatted in the pasture and the byrd singeth sweetly and feedeth without feare and suddenly the one is driuen to the slaughter and the other is taken in the snare So they that are giuen to the world are lulled a sleep in securitie vntil the time that death striketh with his dart and endlesse destruction ouerwhelmeth thē But where is that man or woman which can say with the Apostle I desire to bee dissolued and to be with Christ which is best of all Phil. 1. For they that say such things declare plainely that they seeke a countrey Heb. 11.14 Desiring a better counttey then is to be found in this world that is a heauenly and for them hath God prepared a Citie Heb. 13.14 For here we haue no continuing Citie no continuing habitation let vs therefore seeke a better habitation to come which is of longer continuance and free from all miseries The next fruite is that the remembrance of these ioyes These ioyes teach vs patience teacheth vs patience in affictions in troubles and didistresses For how troublesome soeuer this life is here yet there shal al troubles miseries and wrongs be aboundantly recompenced And the Apostle speaketh truly Rom. 8.18 The afflictions of this present time are not worthy of the glory which shall bee shewed vnto vs. In the 126. Psal They that sowe in teares saith the Prophet shall reape in ioy And hee that now goeth on his way weeping and beareth foorth good seed shall doubtlesse come againe with ioy and bring his sheaues with him Woe bee to you saith Christ that now laugh for you shall waile and weepe Luke 6.25 And therefore happy shall they bee in an other worlde who haue in good causes suffered wrongs committing themselues vnto God This time of heauenly ioyes Heauenly ioyes compared to a haruest is compared vnto haruest and what care dooth euery one take to prouide good and choise seede that theyr haruest may fall out accordingly Thy seede is thy thoughts thy words thy deedes and conuersation Therefore let mee exhort you as the Apostle dooth Galla. 6.7 Bee not deceiued GOD is not mocked for whatsoeuer a man soweth that shall hee also reape For hee that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption but hee that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reape life euerlasting Looke how wee sowe so shall wee reape such as our seede is such also shall bee our haruest The date of this our life is but short but the remembrance of a life well ledde shall bee comfortable for euer and this shall for euer and euer bee our endlesse haruest still gathering still encreasing and neuer payring The last thing in the aforesaid 21. Holinesse Chapter of the Reuelation is that there shall enter into this heauenly Ierusalem no vncleane thing And as it is in the Prophecie of Zechariah Chap. 14.21 In that day there shall bee no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of Hostes The Canaanites were a lewde people and for the same were driuen out of the land and if they were not worthy to dwell on earth much lesse shall they be worthy to be receiued in heauen Dearely beloued saith the Apostle S. Peter 1. Epist. 2.11 Abstaine from fleshly lusts bridle them keepe them vnder for they fight against the soule Collo 3.1 If ye be risen with Christ seeke those things which are aboue where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God Set your affections on things which are aboue and not on things which are on earth and mortifie your immoderate affection and euill concupiscence Remember this peremptory word No vncleane thing shall enter there Mat. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Heb. 12.14 Follow holynesse without the which no man can see God And God graunt vs this wedding garment of holynesse that we may goe in with the bridegroome for we know what befell to him that wanted it Mat. 22.11 Let vs worke our owne saluation with feare and trembling being desirous to receiue a kingdome which cannot bee shaken let vs pray for grace whereby we may so serue God that we may please him with reuerence feare And seeing we haue precious promises 2. Cor. 7.1.2 Pet. 1.4 and that more surer then the heauen and the earth Heb. 6.13.18 let vs cleanse our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh spirit and grow vp into ful holinesse in the fear of God For as they that thus do his will shal enter in through the gates into the Cittie and their right shal be in the tree of life So without shal be dogs and all vnclean persons Reu. 22.14 Let not my last exhortation be forgotten among you Enter in at the strait gate for it is the wide gate and broad way that leadeth to destruction and many there be which goe in thereat Because the gate is straight and the way narrow that leadeth vnto life fewe there be that finde it To adde vnto these Gods mercie one of the greatest ioyes one of the greatest ioyes among all is Gods mercie whereof wee haue a sweete taste in this life For were it not for that none of vs all should enter into that place where thosse ioyes are to be found For as our first parents by Gods iust anger according to their due desert were cast out of Paradice and an Angel set with a sword drawne to keepe the way that no flesh should return thither so the onely gate to let vs in again is Gods mercy Wherof as the godly and most righteous that are stand in great need so let none of vs all either abuse Gods mercy or presume of his mercy least we misse of the same This mercy is called the rich mercy of God for no treasure is comparable vnto it and as it passeth all vnderstanding so cannot the deepest reach of man conceiue any part of the depth or height therof the compasse the largenesse the widenesse and breadth of it is such that it cannot bee measured and therefore may it well be called as it is indeed both infinit and incomprehensible And because no tongue of man can speake it let Angels bring the message As we reade Luk. 2.14 Glory be to God in the high heauens and peace in earth and towards men good will The Lord of his goodnesse direct our steppes to this throne of mercy and cloath vs with the garment of mercy And the Lord this day set his print and seale vpon you Thus I perswade my self I haue now wonne some and whom I haue wonne the Lord in mercy keepe and so I discharge my selfe For we are all by our owne disposition like vnto tottering walles still readie to slide still readie to fall And therefore I would I might say as it was saide to him that suffered with Christ This day shall ye be in Paradice And if this day your hatts be throughly conuerted surely this day you are in Paradice It was no comfort to Adam and Eue to remember they wer in Paradice seeing themselues now cast out And if we be once placed in Paradice then let vs looke to our standing that we fal not For as we are mortal so are we mutable and nothing so familiar with vs as to chaunge Deu. 5.29 Vnconstant God knowes we are the Lord make vs stedfast And the remembrance of these heauenly ioyes which wee haue now heard let that make vs stedfast euen to the end Deo soli omnis laus fit gloria Et gratia in seculum FINIS