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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	eternal_a	good_a	reward_n	7,006	5	8.9757	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A04503	An excellent treatise touching the restoring againe of him that is fallen written by the worthy, Saint Chrysostome to Theodorus a friend of his, who by leud liuing, was fallen from the Gospell; fit to read for reclaiming their hearts which are in like case. Englished (out of an auncient Latin translation, written in velume) by R.W. With an annexed epistle of comfort from one friend to another, wherin the Anabaptists error of desperation is briefly confuted, and the sinne against the holy Ghost plainly declared.	John Chrysostom, Saint, d. 407.; Cottesford, Thomas. Epistle of comfort.; Wolcomb, Robert, b. 1567 or 8.	1609 (1609)	STC 14631; ESTC S121653	61,720	216

hold on it vex●th and alwayes reserueth to the torment And therefore it is termed vnquenchable not onely because it cannot be quenched it selfe but b●cause it doth not quench or sley them it taketh For the Scripture saith that sinners put on immortalitie to wit profitable not to honour of life but to perpetuitie of correction Now the force of the punishment and that punishment of that fire which is so forcibl●●o voice will serue to declare no speech will serue to vtter for in good or euill things subiect to corruption there is nothing like them Neuerthelesse that wee may conceiue some motion of that fire and torment The torments of hell set foorth in their colours call to mind in him that hath a burning ague what tribulation what anxietie of the bodie and soule standeth on each side and by this temporall maladie gather what those torments be which are inflamed with an eternall fire which are watered before that horrible iudgem●nt s at with a fierie streame of tormenting waues There what shall wee doe What shall we answere Nothing shall be t●ere but gnashing of t●eth but schritching and weeping and too to late repentance no way any helpe being found and euery way the torments increasing without any comfort Wee shall ●ee none but the executioners and tortors dreadfull to bee beholden and which is woorst of all we shall haue no solace of the very aire For vtter darknes shall compasse the place of torments and the fire which as it hath not a nature of consuming so hath it not of illumining but it is a darke fire the flame thereof giuing no light So that to them that are in it what feare what renting of their bowels what dismembring of their bodies what crosses there be to euery sense no tongue can tell And as the sortes of torments doe varie and differ so proportionably euerich one to his sinnes hath his paine multiplied Now if thou shouldest say how can the bodie continue in so wretched and such an endlesse tormenting Consider what things now and then in this life betide vs and by these small things coniecture great How that some times we see some troubled with long sicknes yet their life to indure and howbeit the bodie bee dissolued by some death yet the soule is not dissolued nor consumed whence it is apparant that when the body shall also become immortall no death may kill the soule or body For in this present life it cannot be that the punishment of the body should bée both grieuous and perpetuall but the one yeeldeth to the other for that the body cannot abide both But when each shall put off corruption th● corruption afore receiued shall end but the incorruption gotten shall be endlesse So let vs not thinke the very exceeding greatnesse of punishment will cause an end of dolor but as I said our sinnes shall aggrauate the chastisement and the incorruption of the bodie or soule shall not limite it Tell mee now what space of sensualitie and dainties will thou liken to these torments Let vs if we list bestow on delights an hundreth yeeres adde thereto an hundreth moe and tenne times an hundreth what benefit will there be gotten of it if we consider this euer-remaining paine May not the whole time of this life wherein wee seeme to take pleasure in pastimes and wallow in wantonnesse be reckoned as the dreame of one night in comparison of that eternitie Is there any therefore who to haue a delightsome dreame one night would vndertake sempiternall paines Or take that for this or this for that I disprayse not as yet delights nor vnfolde the bitternesse of them because the time serueth not for such speeches nowe but then I shall be occasioned when I see thee able to auoid the same For because thou art addicted to them thou mayest ghesse wee doted if we auouch that pleasure which all men reckon acceptable and gladsome were yrkesome and sowre But if by the mercy of God thou maiest escape out of this sort of sickenes at that time yea at that time thou shalt finde out what bitternesse yea what bane sensualitie hath Nowe m●ane while let vs imagine that pastimes and pleasure and voluptuousnesse are honest and comely What shall we say to the punishments laide vp in store for them What shall we say to them because the delights vade like a shadow and hastily flie away but the paine abideth for eu●r and euer Grant the time and space of pastime and punishment were all one is there any so foolish or so depriued of his fiue wits that would chuse to tolerate one day of paine for a day of pleasure sith the pangs of one houre and euery vexation of the body commonly causeth vs to forget all the time past consumed in delight Wherefore forasmuch as we may be ridde if in a moment we be turned from euery of those tormenting chastisements and inioy eternall goodnes why deferre we why stay we why doe we not vse the bountifulnesse of God For this is prouided by the vnspeakeable and infinite clemencie of God that labour and toile should not bee stretched farre nor be long or endlesse but short and as I may say for a minute of an houre Such is this present life if it be conferred with that euerlasting 2. Cor. 4. The clemency I say of God hath prouided that in this fleeting short life there should be labors and agonies but that in the life eternall there should be crownes rewards of good workes that trauell should soone be ended ●ut the reward of good deeds should last for euer And euen as this maketh them glad that through induring of toile inioye a crowne so it shall grieue and trouble those in the time to come that see they haue lost for a little and small time of delights perpetuall good things and haue sought for still induring euill things Let vs not therefore incurre this anguish of soule let vs awake while wee haue time And loe now is the acceptable time now is the day of saluation now is opportunitie of repentance and a time wherein repentance will not be fruitlesse But if we be carelesse of our life wee shall sustaine in hell not these calamities alone whereof we haue spoken but a more grieuous mischiefe For to be excluded from blisse and to be debarred from the things prepared for the Saincts causeth such affliction such wofulnesse as if no outward punishment tormented it were sufficient It surpasseth all paines of hell to want that beatitude the fruition of which lay in thy power For muse I desire you on the state of that life Heauenly blisse set foorth as much as a man may consider ●t for as it is in deed no ●peech can vtter Yet let vs comprehend an image thereof to the vtmost it may be by that we haue read and the darke speeches we haue receiued It is said of it in a certaine place Reu. 21.4 Isai 35. There shall

that sinketh shal draw with it the worker Rewardes in the life to come of workes both good and bad If the multitude of euils shal ouer-poyse it will pull the worker to hell but if the good works shall be greater they will resist and repugne against the euils and will bring their worker to the place of the liuing euen from the gates of hell This is not phantastically imagined of my braine the diuine Scriptures disassent not from it for this the word of God speaketh Thou * Psal 62 12. Mat. 16.27 Differēces of ioyes plagues in the life to come Caluin Iustitu lib. 3. cap. 25. sect 10. Bulling in Comment Erasmus in Paraphras in 41 vers cap. 15. 1 Cor. rewardest euery one according to his worke For not in hell onely but in the kingdome of God there shall be many differences * Iohn 14.2 In my fathers house saith he are many dweling places And againe * 1. Cor. 15.41 There is another glory of the Sunne and another glory of the Moone What is more wonderfull then that he sheweth how exactly the measure of our deedes shall be weighed One starre saith he differeth from another starre in glory that by it he might shew that amongst all and euery one that shall be in that kingdome there will be a difference Therefore sith wee know all this let vs not withdraw our selus frō goodworks neither yeeld to sloth sluggardie the presence of despaire And admit we cannot attaine to the clearenesse of the Sunne or Moone yet we must desire the brightnes of a starre howbe●t inferior to them let vs seeke at the least for some light by our good deeds let vs labour to be sound worthy to inlarge somewhat the shining of heauen If we cannot be gold if we cannot be precious stones yet let vs be in stead of siluer onely let vs now be turned into that matter which fire may consume that we be not found to be wood hay or stubble let vs be euen the last in goodnes not the first in euill * By often adding a little there will arise a great heape as wittily said Hesiodus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Small good workes conioyned with faith and repentance go not without reward And as worldly riches increase when euery small gaine is regarded so it fareth in heauenly riches in increasing the which no little good deede must be cōtemned Surely it is an absurdity seeing our Iudge doth not deny a reward for * Mat 10 a cup of cold water for vs to say that vnlesse wee doe great things it wil be nothing auaileable Yea this more I ad that he that despiseth not small and little things will by little and little come to great things and * Eccl. 19.1 he that contemneth small things which concordeth with the Scripture shall fall by little and little And therefore I thinke for this cause our Lord and Sauiour did ordaine for small things great rewardes For what is lesse than to visit the sicke And yet for this small worke hee hath laid vp a great reward And againe what is so easie as to giue the hungry bread the thirstie drinke the naked raiment and to seeke out him that is shut vp in prison Yet these things that be so little and small he reckneth so great as that he accounteth them ministred not to man but to himselfe and for them hath promised the celestiall kingdome Wherefore most deerely beloued enter enter the waye to eternall life and put on againe * My yoke is light my burden light This burden is not the weight of him that is loden but the winges of him that flieth For birds haue burdens of their feathers which on earth they beare of them they are borne into the heauen Augustine the yoake of Christ which is easie and his burden which is light recouer the vertues of thy mind make thine end according to thy beginning let not the treasure of spirituall graces gotten by such labour decay and they will verely perish if thou persist in euils exasperate the wrath of God against thy deedes But before thou loose much of thy treasure and before thy manured field be surrounded with hurtfull deluges if thou exclude the entrance and stop the ouerflowing of sinne thou maist bring it againe to his pristine fertility and by husbanding make it very battle Arise therefore arise and shake off the dust from thee arise from the earth and straightway beleeue mee thine enemy will be affraid For he threw thee downe as though thou shouldest neuer rise vp but if he shall see thee to rise from the earth and lift thine eyes towards the heauens incontinent thy boldnes will out-countenance him * Resist the deuil and he will flie ftom you Jam. 4.7 If one flie the deuill he is a Lion if one resist he hath for he is Belzebub that is a God of flies no more power than a weak flie according to the old verse Hostis non laedit nisi cum tentàtus obedit Est leo si cedis si stas quafi musca recedit and the more ready thou art the more fearefull he will be and the more thou presumest the more fraile and infirme thou makest him Thinke also on this that the more hardinesse God shall indue thee withall the more he will weaken both his boldnesse and might If so be thou haue affiance in my wordes me thinketh I see towards thee the mercy and aide of God but thine aduersary to be affrighted by reason of shame and confusion Me thinketh I perceiue now in my mind that with all gratefulnes and fauour euery vertue allureth thee to her hold on then earnestly labour chearefully runne forward willingly Thou shalt find no want of me in that I can but I will still reason with thee in speech I will continually exhort and stir thee vp both present with liuely voice and absent with letters Albeit I perswade my selfe if thou gladly read this I haue now written there will bee no cause why thou shouldest seeke for farther medicines Deo soli sapienti laus gloria TO THE Reader IF the wicked would earnestlie consider the terriblenes of the day of the Lord it must needes bee that they would either wholy renounce sinne or at least not so much bee delighted therewith VVhich Chrisostome right wel perceiued for that so copiously so liuely as it were with a pencile he depainteth that day and time On the other side to ponder equally the rewards that in heauen abide for them who in this life seeke chiefly the setting forth of Gods glory the benefitting of their neighbour who bewailing theyr sinnes with true and vnfayned repentance by the hand of faith lay hold on Gods promises auayleth not a little to the abandoning of sinne and iniquitie VVherefore gentle Reader in the sentences following I haue vsed this order that those which appartaine to the second comming

whom he will not spare not those which haue sinned but those which haue not repented and not onely not repented but once or twise admonished of their faults haue refused to obey For in that he saith I told you before and tell you before as though I had beene present the second time so write I now being absent he signifieth thus much that being warned they contemned counsell For which cause I feare me the same will fall out to vs and although the same Paule who threatned the Corinthians bee not at our elbowes yet Christ is present who spake by him and if wee perseuer in hardnesse of heart he will say to vs I will not spare you not onely in the time present but not in the time to come neither Wherefore let vs preuent his face by confession We will acknowledge our sins and in confession intend not to com mit them againe assuring our selues of remission Ecclus. 21.1 Pro. 18.17 Or he that is first in his cause is iust and let vs power out our hearts in his sight * Hast thou sinned Saith the Scripture doe so no more pray for thy fore-sins that they may be forgiuen thee And againe * The iust is an accuser of himselfe in the beginning of his speech Let vs not then looke till our aduersary accuse vs but let vs preuent him by confession and so make the iudge more fauourable towards vs. And surely this I assuredly know thou confessest thy transgressions and mournest for thy selfe but this I doe not alonely require of thee for I would haue the amendment of the things to come arise of the confession of the things past and so I would haue it done that whilest thou doest it be thou ascertained of forgi enesse For euery one that doth ought vnlesse he know the thing he hath in hand will profit him goeth about it either carelesly or not seriously For example he that soweth seed vnles he be sure and certaine there will be raine that the earth will send forth the blade and that the fruit will ripen he will neuer reape And as none would faine spend labour in wast nor bestow diligence in that which shall not be beneficiall vnto him so he that soweth sorrow teares and confession which is without hope vnprofitable cannot cease from sinne being holden fast by incredulity But as the husband man which hath no hope to reape fruit careth not to driue off the birds from his corne or beasts or any other nociue things right so he that soweth confession with teares and hopeth not it will be gainefull putteth and driueth nothing from his heart which may hurt repentance Repentance is hurted if it be enwrapped in such euils as hee was first When one buildeth and another breaketh downe Ecclus. 34 24. what profit haue they then saith the scripture but labour And he that is purged from the touching of a corse and againe toucheth the dead what auaileth washing So he that fasteth to decline sinnes and goeth backe againe to them who will heare his prayers Ecclus. 26 29. And againe it is said when one departeth from righteousnesse to sinne the Lord appoynteth such to the sword And as a dog is odious that licketh vp his vomite againe Prou. 26.11 so is a fool● whē he returneth to his transgressions So then this sufficeth not to accuse thy selfe by declaring thy sinnes but doe it with that zeale that hope of iustification may proceede of repentaunce and so you may bridle your soule to commit neuer the thinges againe of which you haue made confession One for to giue censure against himselfe is common to the faithfull and faithlesse Many actors on stage which represent vnchast queanes whormongers call themselues sinners and naughty folke but not with purpose to amend and therefore in very deede it is no confession For they speake it not for griefe of heart nor with bitternesse of teares nor with hatred of the things they confesse as if they would no more eyther heare or doe the like but the words be all the matter which they blab out with their lips not touched or pinched in minde but after a sort hunting for praise throgh the elegancie and trimnesse of speech which they vse to theyr auditors Neither are sinnes so greeuous when they are colorably declared as whē indeed they are committed Againe some are so benummed with ouer-great despaire and are so deuoyde of sence that making like account of good illreport with great impudency they disclose their sinnes as though they were another bodies But I would haue thee to do nothing so neither for despaire to come to confession but with good and sure hope of forgiuenes the very roote of despaire being cut off Now the root of despaire is sloathfulnes and not the root onely but the nurse too * A man is caused to thinke that any good thing is hard and not possible to be obtained by him or any other through too great bashfulnesse which when it ruleth in ones affection he thinketh it may be eased by no good thing And because sloathfulnes is a certaine deiectiue pensiuenes of the spirit it commeth to passe that despaire ariseth of sloath Thom. Aquin. lib. 2. s p. q. 20. de desper For as a garment breedeth mothes and nourisheth them also so sloath doth not alone beget desperation but nourisheth and fostereth it Insomuch that they wax and grow togither the one being cut off the other without question maneth and decreaseth Wherefore separate this link of sinnes and breake their yoake By the yoake of thy soule I meane vice whereto as it were a yoake the life of man is tyed for when the thought of man is not right the axle-tree of life is carried headlong Harken yet what more we will say Often times it falleth out that a man amendeth many and great sinnes by repentance yet he committeth faults after the good he hath wrought And this is it which layeth chiefely despaire on the soule because she seemeth to pull downe that shee builded and vainely to haue spent all her trauell this cogitation I say depriueth the soule of hope and confidence Contrariwise we must thinke what way this bad hurtful thought may be expelled namely that vnlesse the good we doe and the amendment gotten by repentance prohibited and were as it were a contrary weight to our sinnes there were no stay but that wee should be carried downeward into the depth of mischiefe And as a strong habergion suffereth not a keine and poysoned dart to pierce the intrals of the body but in some part stoppeth the force therof so is it certain that he that carieth hence many good thinges and many bad shall find some ease in his punishment and he that shall depart without any goodnesse and with great store of euill what should I speake of his punishment For there questionlesse good and bad workes shall be rewarded and each as it were shall be ballanced and the part