may increase in loue and abound in euery good word and in euery good worke so that it is not enough for Christians sometimes to doe well and to speake well to bring forth a little fruit as it were a sprinckle here a Figge and there a Grape but according to the time that they haue stood and continued in the Church and the meanes they haue had to grow vp in godlines they ought to striue to be abundant and plentifull in the fruits of righteousnesse for God will require much where hee hath committed much Whereof it would come to passe that amongst many other you shall reape these two comfors especially first that the more greene and flourishing you are in pietie and innocency of life the more yee shall become like vnto IESVS CHRIST your Lord and Sauiour who was euer eyther saying or doing some good eyther curing the sicke or raysing the dead or casting out deuils or instructing the ignorant or rebuking the obstinate as it is written of him that hee went about doing good and that hee did all things well now what greater consolation can there be to a godly mind in the whole world then to beare the image of Christs holinesse and goodnesse for they that be good and holy as Christ was good and holy they are sure to be like him in happinesse as they are like him in fruitfulnesse Whosoeuer imitateth his innocency shall be partakers with him of his glory for where Christ is there must his seruants be Iohn 14. But vnto this comfort which is very great adde a second which is not small namely that Figs Grapes or other fruits are not so delightfull and pleasing to the Husband man as the good workes vvhich doe grow vpon the Christian tree are gratefull and acceptable vnto GOD through Iesus Christ 1 Pet. 2. 5. Hence good workes be tearmed Heb. 12. the sweet fruits of righteousnesse and in the Canticles Cha. 4. ver 13. 14. Christ sayth of his Church that her plants are as an Orchard of Pomegranates with sweet fruits as Camphire Spikenard euen Spikenard and Saffran Calamces and Cinamom with all the trees of incense Myrrhe and Aloes with all the chiefe spices Oh what a comfort is this to know that the chiefest and choysest spices are not so sweet to our taste as our good works be pleasing vnto our heauenly Father But to passe on to the other part of the condition which concernes the godly in this life it might be wondred that they being for innocency of life and plentifulnesse of good fruits so like Christ so pleasing to God euen as green fruitfull Trees are to the husbandman yet as if they were the worst of all men hated of God and man they should vndergoe and suffer so many heauy and hard troubles and dangers their life being as full of miserie as it is short for continuance as Iob saith their daies as euill as few as Iacob complained they being subiect to peculiar afflictions for righteousnes sake such as Scripture calleth crosses and persecutions beside those tribulations which be common to all men so as the righteous looked vpon with a fleshly eye and considered according to their present and temporall estate might be esteemed of all men most miserable as Paul speaks of them all which beleeue and the very scumme or filth of the world and of-scouring of all things as hee writes of himselfe and fellow-helpers in the Ministery this I say might giue vnto vs iust occasion of meruailing astonishment were it not that the Scripture hath not onely taught it so plainely that God wil haue this to be the condition of the faithfull to beare the crosse to passe in to heauen through many afflictions to suffer and dye heere with Christ to haue trouble in the world to be reuiled and persecuted for Christ c. and withall hath euidently reuealed the causes of Gods counsell and will in this behalfe why his pleasure is contrary to the course custome of worldly husbandmen to bring the moyst and green tree first to the fire of affliction and afterward the dry and withered as Christ speakes here to begin his iudgement at his owne house as Peter saith 1 Pet. 4. 17. to disple and chastise the children when the bastards are left without correction Heb. 12.7 The reasons of this administration are first of all to conforme the faithfull now vnto their brethren and fellow-seruants the Prophets Apostles and other Saints vvhich haue gone afore vs Mat. 5.11 1 Pet. 5.9 but especially to their elder brother Christ Iesus who endured the shame bare his crosse and by affliction was consecrate of his Father so his will is that the rest of the children whom he hath sanctified should follow his steps dying and suffering with him that they might raigne and liue with him see Rom. 8. and 2 Tim. 2.12 Secondly to purge out corruptions in herent and remayning sinnes that they might be more fruitfull in good workes as men doe lop and cut their Vines and other trees least growing too ranke in leaues they should bring forth little fruit Iohn 19 2. 3. Therefore Iob saith the corrections which God hath sealed are sent to take downe his pride that hee may walke humbly with his God and to turne him from his enterprise that hee may liue holy and vnblameably blameably before God and men Thirdly to make man know what is in himselfe Deut. 8. 2. to his faith as gold is tryed and purged in a furnace 1 Pet. 1.7 to manifest and encrease patience Rom. 5.4 that the children of God by their strength of faith and patience which they finde to be giuen them of God to enable them to beare the burthen of the Crosse and to endure tentations to stand fast in the euill day they may grow to experience from thence by degrees come vnto that hope of glory which confoundeth not but filleth the heart with ioy vnspeakeable and glorious Rom. 5.3.4.5 1 Pet 1. Fourthly to withdraw and weane them from the loue of these wroldly things that the world may be crucified to them and they to the world Gal. 6. Also to stirre vp and excite their prayers to quicken their faith to manifest Gods power and goodnesse both in vpholding and deliuering them in their great weakenesse and feares 2 Cor. 12. Lastly to giue to the godly which now are troubled certaine demonstration of rest hereafter 2 Thes. 2. 6. and to the wicked which now haue rest strong euidence of future anguish as the Apostle teacheth in the same place 2 Thes. 1. 5. 6. your tribulations and persecutions which ye suffer are a token of the righteous iudgement of God c. For it is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them which trouble you and to you vvhich are troubled rest vvith vs. Which vvell agreeth with the doctrine of our Text that if God strike the righteous he will
of our Text was the euent that followed this mourning namely a graue speech which our Sauiour vttered by occasion thereof ver 28. Which speech is partly prohibitory Weepe not for me secondly exhoriatory but weepe for your selues thirdly comminatory threatning not a few or light ones but an heape of heauy iudgements declared by the sayings of women that had children Blessed c. and of persons of all sexes and degrees then shall they begin c. Fourthly confirmatorie rendring a reason why the Iewes must be so plagued in an allegorical sentence wherein Iesus for his innocencie and good workes which he did is likened to a greene Tree which is both fruitfull and vnfit for burning the Iewes for their wickednesse are compared to a drie tree which is both barren and meet for burning these must in no wise escape the fire of Gods vengeance when his owne Sonne a greene tree is so sore afflicted And there followed him That is came neere vnto him euen behind his backe They bewailed and lamented him that is their inward sorrow was so vehement as it brast out into teares as appeares by vers 28. What women these were that thus followed lamented though not expressed in the Text yet probable to haue beene such as had heard his doctrine of whom reade in Luke 8.2.3 Iohn 11. 1. 2. and elsewhere It is the manner at Executions and Funerals of persons of note and name that many flocke and follow to the place some out of curiositie to heare and see some out of compassion to bewaile and lament their case and their losse So it was here many followed Christ as enemies some as friends out of loue much grieued that a man so innocent and so beneficent vvhich had done so much good to so many by his doctrine miracles should so vniustly suffer First of all note here how manifold testimonie vvas giuen to Iesus of his innocencie from all sorts of persons and creatures Iudas which betrayed him affirmed him to be an innocent Matt. 27.4 Pilate which condemned him not onely with his mouth sayd What euil hath hee done Matth. 27.23 and againe I finde no fault in him at all Iohn 19.4 but by the Ceremonie of washing his hands publikely protested so much Matth. 27.24 His Wife being troubled about Iesus in her dreame sent her husband this message Haue thou nothing to doe with that iust man Matth. 27. 19. The Centurion seeing what hapned sayd Of a truth this was the Son of God Luke 23. Many people and women in our Text by their teares condemne the crueltie of the Priests and Elders and other Iewes and iustifie his integritie Yea not reasonable but euen vnsensible creatures as the Graues which opened the stones which cleft asunder the Sun which was Eclipsed the Ayre darkened all these as with one voyce did proclaime him an innocent person We read of a certaine Heathen Philosopher who vpon the strange accidents about the suffering of Iesus vttered these vvords Aut mundi machina dissoluitur aut Deus naturae patitur This serueth to the confutation and confounding of these wicked Iewes vvhich thought and still do thinke that Christ suffered as an euill doer a seducer or seditious person whereas his death had not taken away sinne from others if any sinne had beene in himselfe It became vs to haue a Sauiour separate from sinners holy vndefiled c. Hebr. 7.26 Secondly here is matter of comfort for all such as see and feele their owne iniquities with godly sorrow being humbled for them and displeased with them because they are sinnes the offences of a iust GOD and the causes of the death of an immaculate Lambe let such reioyce and be glad because Christ hauing no sinnes of his owne to suffer for therefore it must needs be he came to saue such sinners the iust to die for the vniust to seeke vp that vvhich is lost Secondly learne here our Christian dutie which is to mourne and bee touched with heauinesse for the death of godly persons as the Israelites mourned for Iacob a right good man and afterwards for Mosesan vpright Maiestrate and singular Prophet Deut. vlt. Also the Iewes lamented sore for zealous Iosiah that restorer of Religion keeping a yearely remembrance of his death see Lam. 1. ver 2. When Stephen the protomartyr a man full of Fayth and the holy Ghost dyed there was great lamentation made for him Act. 8.2 and Paul hauing said to the Christians at Melitum that they should see his face no more they fell vpon his necke and weptsore Act. 20.38 There be diuers reasons why we ought to bee affected with sorrow vvhen righteous persons are taken from vs. First Gods Commandement 1 Thessal 4.13 Eccles. 7.4 Secondly the example of holy men and of Iesus vveeping at the death of Lazarus Iohn 11.35 Thirdly because the world is continued and spared for the sake of good men Gen. 18. If ten righteous men had beene found in Sodome God had not punished it To Paul Act. 27.24 God gaue all the liues of those vvhich were in the Ship with him Certainely the iust by their prayers stand in the gap and doe stay and hold backe many iudgements that they breake not out and fall downe vpon the heads of the vvicked Againe the taking away of good men is commonly the fore-runner of some calamitie When Lot was out of Sodome then came downe fire from heauen to consume them And after the death of Iosiah Gods people vvere carried captiues into a strange Land Esay saith generally that righteous persons are remoued hence that they may not see the euill to come At a word godly persons be the props and pillers of Church and Common-wealth The meditation of this doctrine will help vs First to make better account of good men to whom wee are so much beholden that we haue them in singular loue honouring a Prophet and a righteous man because they be such Secondly this checketh three sorts of persons First those which hate the iust as Cain hated Abel and thinke them to be the troublers of the world as Achab falsly thought of Elias accusing them as enemies to Kings and States as CHRIST and his Apostles were iudged of putting them to death as euill doers as Antipas was Reu. 3. Secondly those which being shamelesly wicked doe reioyce at the fall of good men esteeming it a great benefit to be without them as they in the Psalme cheered themselues with Dauids sickenesse saying There there so would wee have it hee is downe and shall neuer rise againe Or as the Iewes triumphed when they had nayled IESVS to the Crosse and that hee had giuen vp the Ghost Thirdly such as through senselesse blockishnesse are without all feeling of sorrow when God strikes at such famous Lampes as this lying before vs which long gaue shine vnto the world by his wholesome doctrine and good life Lastly it must prouoke
the truth of Christ his predictions that as his promises so his threatnings of temporall and eternall woes they are all yea and Amen As himselfe is so be his words all faithfull and true His wisedome is such so vncontroulable as cannot be deceiued touching the euents foretold his power so inuincible as cannot be resisted and his truth so infallible as it is neuer falsified and altered Shall he speake and not doe threaten and not execute heauen and earth may sooner passe then one iot or tittle of his word should fall to ground God is not as men that hee should lye or as the sonnes of men that he should repent Let all men therefore fully assure themselues of the most certaine and vndoubted effects of Christs words to be such as is foreshewed Which on the one side must make the godly euen shout for ioy out of assurance to inioy their present happinesse to wit all good in this life as farre as shall be expedient for their saluation and all those good things promised in heauen as the sight and the presence of God in glory the company of innumerable Angels and blessed Spirits of iust men that their bodyes shall shine as the Sunne their soules be replenished vvith perfect knowledge and fulnesse of pleasure that new name that Paradise of GOD that tree of life that crowne of immortalitie that vvhite stone c. euen all that blessednesse which the word speakes of Also on the other side the vvicked which turne not and with whom there is no changes as the Psalmist speakes with feare and dread may expect and looke for that euerlasting fire blacke darknesse gnashing of teeth weeping of the eyes wringing of hands wayling of heart that euer-gnawing worme that neuer-ending torment that fellowship of the Diuell and his Angels c. wherof the Scripture makes mention for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Verse 31. For if this be done in the greene tree what shall be done in the dry THis is the AEtiologia or confirmation prouing that the Iewes cannot alwayes stand and prosper but must come downe by an argument à minori ad mains from the lesse to the more thus It is lesse likely that righteous persons which be fruitfull in good workes like greene Trees should be punished then the wicked and impenitent which be as dry and rotten wood Therefore if heauy afflictions were inflicted on Christ who was full of grace as good iuyce or sappe which burst out into fruit ripe and good much more shall miseries fall vpon barraine and vnfruitfull Iewes When the Husbandman spares not the greene wood but burneth it how vvill hee spare the dry which is farre fitter for the fire Here in the Greeke by a Sinechdoche Wood is put for Tree as Gen. 2. Wood of life and Wood of knowledge of good and euill for Tree c. And that word by a Metonimie of the effect is translated greene which in the originall is as much as moist opposed vnto dry The whole sentence for meaning is like that in Peter 1 Epist. Chap 4 v. 17. 18. If the righteous scarcely be saued where shall the ungodly and Sinner appeare And if Iudgement beginne at the house of God what shall be the end of them which obey not the Gospell Out of this our Sentence I obserue for our instruction the condition both of the righteous and of the vvicked Touching the righteous their condition is like the estate of CHRIST their head Christ being full of grace hauing the Spirit aboue measure did liue most innocently bearing plenty of good fruit teaching the people and doing good by his strange workes as well as by sound doctrine like vnto a greene tree and yet was hated in the world and sore afflicted likewise the Elect which be his members must be conformed vnto him both in holinesse and in suffering Rom. 8. 29. God hath predestined vs to be made like vnto his Sonne Hence it is that as Christ is compared vnto a greene tree so the faithfull are by the Prophet Esay Chap. 6. 1. called Trees of righteousnesse And in the first Psalme ver 3. in respect of their regeneration whereby they are ingrafted into Christ and of the grace of sanctification whereby they are inabled to beare fruit much and seasonable they are likened to a tree planted by the riuers of water which bringeth forth fruit in her due time In another Psalme the righteous man is compared to a greene Oliue which is greene and fructifies all the yeere long so the godly are holy not by starts and fits but all their life long Herein being contrary to the nature of all vvorldly trees that the longer they are the more greene they vvaxe and the more fruit they bring forth as it is written Psalm 92. 13. 14. Such as are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God they shall still bring forth fruit in their age they shall be fat and flourishing vvhereas other trees the longer they stand the lesse fruitfull they be The fruits of this our Christian tree be rehearsed by the Apostle Galat. 5. ver 22. 23. The fruit of the Spirit is Loue Ioy Peace Long-suffering Gentlenesse Goodnesse Faith Meekenesse Temperance Also in the Ephes. 5. vers 9. 2 Pet. 1. ver 5. 6. 7. From this first condition there is offered vnto the righteous matter both of admonition and of comfort They are hereby warned aboue all things to take heede of barrennesse in their profession and to studie how to be fruitfull and profitable continually carefully doing the workes both of their generall and particular Callings out of a sincere desire to glorifie God and to benefit their neighbours As earthly Husbandmen which haue planted their grounds with trees after they haue dunged vvatered trimmed and pruned them they expect that they should bring forth fruit as they may by good right and reason if they misse of their hope and their trees proue barren after all their cost and labour bestowed they cut them downe and cast them into the fire as did that man mentioned in the Gospell Luk. 13. ver 6. 7. who comming to his vineyard and finding his Fig-tree empty tooke order with the dresser to haue it hewen downe so God that heauenly husbandman which hath grafted you as Trees in the Orchard of his Church vvill proceede against you in all rigour and seueritie when hee commeth to visit you and to looke for fruit he shall finde your branches eyther emptie and bare or with a few clusters vpon them after all his paines and charge after so many gracious instructions and benefits both bodily and spirituall which ought to haue preuailed so greatly vvith you as to haue made you thinke not onely of bringing forth fruit but of increasing and abounding in fruit as the Apostle prayeth for the Colossiaus Chap. 1 v. 10. And as he exhorteth the Thessalonians that they
vs all in such cases to be touched in heart working our selues to grieue at such Iudgements when they happen that wee be not found hardened like those of whom Esay complaineth that vvhen mercifull men vvere taken from the Church they did not consider it in their heart they regarded not that God deliuered them from future euill Esay 57.1 Thus much of the first generall part The lamentation made for Iesus But Iesus turned backe to them Here beginneth the second generall part to wit the Speech or Sermon of Iesus occasioned by this Lamentation And ere wee come to examine the particulars I commend this Lesson as to all Christians yet more specially to the Ministers of Christ that they attend their Calling to the vtmost being prompt to instruct reproue and admonish as long as they may See how Iesus being set in great affliction neare to a cruell death led betweene Souldiers bound with cords yet remembreth his vocation and being sent of God into the vvorld vvith commandement from his Father to teach his will to call men to repentance hee accordingly euen to the last period of his life warneth the Iewes of their sinne and threatneth Gods iudgements for the same and as a Prophet fore-telleth their misery Thus did Ieremie vvhen the King and Princes by the malice of the Priests had cast him into prison yet euen then hee causeth Baruch to vvrite his Prophesies and to reade them to the people Also Paul being prisoner at Rome Act. 28. 31. yet euen there hee taught the kingdome of God by mouth to such as came to him and remembring Gods Word was vnbound wrote many diuine Epistles as that to Galat. Ephes. Philip. Collos. 2 to Timothy c. to the great edification of Gods Church present and future The Martyres in Q. Maries dayes Ridly Bradford Rogers c. being barred from preaching Christ out of the Pulpit yet from the prison-house wrote many godly Letters to the Brethren First these examples serue to condemne such as in health prosperitie and libertie doe grosly forget and foreslow the vvorke of their Calling whose end must be like vnto his that buryed his Talent in the earth He was bound c. Secondly they must be as a spur in the sides of good Ministers to quicken them to continue to walke in the worke of their Calling so long and so farre as they can knowing that there will be an end and their labour in the Lord shall not be in vaine And said weepe not for mee but c. This which is here translated for mee and for your selues in the originall it is read vpon me and vpon your selues that is to say weepe not for my sake but for your owne cause which prohibition is not so to be vnderstood as if Iesus had simply disallowed their weeping for him but in some respect onely for these that vvept for him vvere ignorant of the true cause of his death which they ascribed vnto his owne infirmitie and to the violence of his enemies as if he had beene compelled to dye and could not haue resisted their rage whereas none did take away from him his life he laid it downe of himselfe partly out of the great loue that hee bare to mankinde and partly to declare the obedience toward his heauenly Father vvho had appointed to redeeme the vvorld by the death of his Sonne Rom. 5. 8. Philip. 2.8 Christ therefore vvorthily blamed these Mourners weeping for him as for one enforced to dye against his will for hee dyed most voluntarily suffering death because hee would not as one that could not auoid it hauing Legions of Angels at commandement Againe this particle not is found in Scripture to signifie not alwayes an absolute but a comparatiue denyall sometimes as in Hosea Chap. 6. 6. I will haue Mercy not Sacrifice that is I desire Mercy rather then Sacrifice Likewise in Psalme 51.16.17 1 Cor. 1.17 Ephes. 6.12 and often else-where so it is here not for me but for your selues that is more and rather for your selues then for me who shall reape no losse and damage but much gaine by my death after which I shall rise againe and ascend into heauen and there raigne in glory for euer but vnto you the Iewes my death shall not be the end but the beginning of sorrows therefore mourne for the horrible Iudgements hanging ouer your owne heads and weepe not on my behalfe whose death is to my selfe both aduantage and aduancement Hence wee may learne how hard a thing it is euen for the godly to keepe a measure eyther in ioy and gladnesse or in sorrow and heauinesse but eyther wee shall vveepe more then vve should or lesse or for what cause vvee ought not so vveake and vnable vvee are to gouerne our passions Therefore vve ought to watch and pray to God to moderate them by his good Spirit If Moses that man of God and Paul that chosen vessell vvith Barnabas that Sonne of Comfort vvere foyled by their passions if Iob and Iacob so much yeelded to heauinesse as the one cursed his birth-day and the other refused to be comforted what cause haue others farre inferiour to them in graces to mistrust their owne frailetie and to flye to the throne of Grace both for pardon of all excesse in affections and for power to stay them in compasse for time to come Verse 29. For behold the dayes will come when they shall say c. THese be words of Propheticall commination or threatning prediction fore-telling the most grieuous and great tribulations which are noted and set forth by the speeches of Mothers in respect of their Children for whom they should be so distressed and perplexed as to doe contrary to custome and reason For Children and the fruit of the vvombe are a reward and heritage of God both for an ornament to their Parents as Oliue branches set about their Table Psal. 128.4 And for their adiument and defence being as sharp arrowes drawne out of a quiuer wherewith the enemy in the gate is repelled therefore such were accustomed to be held happy which had their quiuer full of them Psal. 127.4.5 Contrariwise barrennesse among the Iewes was vvont to be accounted a malediction Whence it came that Rachel did so take on with Iacob for a childe vvhen shee vvas barren Gen. 30. And that Sarah did so much couet a childe as shee gaue her Maid Agar to Abraham to vvipe away the infamy of sterilitie Hannah likewise 1 Sam. 1.7 vvept and mourned vnder this curse of an vnfruitfull vvombe yet loe such vnheard of and intollerable calamities should light vpon the Iewes for murthering Christ their Sauiour as childing and fruitfull women should pronounce them happy which were childlesse and reckon it their greatest vnhappinesse to haue Sons and Daughters and that for these considerations partly because when those euill and wofull times should come mothers should be grieued not so much for themselues
as for their Children vvhose harmes vse to moue the bowels of tender mothers very greatly no compassions to the compassions of a mother toward her distressed babes 1 Kings 3. 26. Partly for that a thing horible to thinke of more direfull to act it many mothers through rage of hunger occasioned by famine in time of the Seige should be forced to broyle and eate their owne children for food to saue their liues with the death of their sweet infants as it hapned by Iosephus report Lastly Children would be a great hinderance and clogge as it vvere at the heeles of their Parents to stay their flight by which they otherwise might haue preserued themselues as some did Wherevpon our Sauiour vttereth Mat. 24. a vvoe to such women as should be with childe or giue sucke in those dayes The cause of all these terrible Iudgements were amongst other sinnes of the Iewes as their infidelitie hypocrisie contempt of the word hardnesse of heart yet especially the extreame sauage vnthankefulnesse and barbarous crueltie in putting causlesse to a shamefull death the innocent man Iesus hauing had Prophets and iust men sent vnto them some they reuiled others they beat and ill entreated God at last sending his owne and onely Sonne him they cast out of the Vineyard and slew therefore the Lord of the Vineyard waxed hot vvith indignation and vvhetting his sword came against those Husband-men in his fierce vvrath and destroyed them with a vvoderfull destruction some fortie yeeres after the Passion of our Lord for the vvhich Christ admonisheth these people that bewayled him telling them they had greater reason to lament their owne heauie case and the affliction of their Children then to vveepe for his cause From hence wee haue sundry things for our instruction and admonition First of all we may hereby discouer the errour of such men as though there vvere two Gods one of the olde Testament and another of the new and that the God of the new Testament of the twaine vvas the milder whereas there is but one onely God and the same alwayes like to himselfe God is euer but one both for nature and for will as extreamely hating and punishing sin now vnder the Gospell as he vvas vvont to doe vnder the Law nay more extreamly because now hee hath afforded greater grace and afforded more meanes against sinne All the olde Testament cannot yeeld an example of such seueritie in punishing sinne as here is threatned touching the destruction of Ierusalem and downe-fall of the Iewes No sorrow vvas like their sorrow nor no plague vvas like vnto their plague Therefore let all men greatly feare the diuine Iustice and he vvarned to take heed how they offend and prouoke it Secondly vvee may obserue the force and poyson of sinne when it is continued in impenitently it is able to turne the nature of things to change blessings into cursings and comforts into plagues and confusions What greater earthly blessings then the fruit of the wombe Children are called a treasure giuen from God Gold and Siluer cannot purchase it Kings and Princes haue desired to haue them and could not yet through sinne these impenitent Iewes were brought to this passe through their vvickednesse I say as that they accounted their Children accurst and their greatest miserie the fruit of their vvombe Wonder not at this for seeing obstinacy in sinne can make God of a Father to be a Iudge Christ of a Sauiour and corner-stone to support to be a stone of offence to stumble at the Gospell of the sauour of life to be a sauour of death the Sacraments to be a Iudgement and not a nourishment if in spirituall things Sinne haue this power to alter their propertie what maruell though in worldly things it can preuaile so farre as to cause that to be occasion of euill which was ordayned for our good and welfare as our Table to be our snare our riches to become thornes to choake our Children to be our vnhappinesse and woe Let all obstinate sinners which liue in the seruice of sinne and notwithstanding all admonitions from Gods Word Works and Spirit and from their owne conscience also yet hate to be reformed let such take knowledge of this doctrine and lay it to heart and hasten to be reclaimed else let them feare least an houre come when those things which are now a delight to them as their wiues children siluer gold houses lands meat drinke yea the very creatures of God which be so comfortable as Sunne Moone Starres doe through their stubbornesse in sinne proue bitternesse to them euen as bitter as gall and wormewood so as it be grieuous vnto them to looke vpon these good things and to thinke that euer they enjoyed them be as heauy to them as death This God can bring to passe that men shall curse their parents their birth-day their benefits themselues and all For if God did such strange things vnto the Iewes his chosen and peculiar people his treasure whom hee tooke out of all nations to be his owne to whom he made such great promises and gaue so many and notable priuiledges the Law the Couenant the seruice of God the Adoption the Arke of the testimonie visible token of his presence If Ierusalem the Citie of the great King where was the Temple the Altar the Sacrifices the Priest-hood and where God sayd he would for euer rest and dwell yet for impenitency in their sinne were made desolate and not onely depriued of Gods protection but contrary to the order set in nature had all their blessings accursed then wee the Inhabitants in England howsoeuer wee be blessed with many prerogatiues fauours the word of God the Ministery the Sacraments good Lawes and Maiestrates long and great Peace and Plenty yet if wee will not turne from our pride couetousnes ambition vncleannesse and other sins which are too ripe and rife amongst vs wee may looke when God should bring the like confusion among vs and make vs to be a prouerbe a reproach and pointing of the finger vnto al our neighbour nations as he did the Israelites before vs. Are we better then they should God change the course of his Iustice for our sakes Furthermore if the iust God haue such sharpe and terrible vengeance to powre out against vnrepentant sinners in this world where there is a time of patience and mercy Oh how horrible and intollerable torments may the wicked which goe on in their iniquities expect to suffer in the world to come when iudgement shal be executed without mercy and where the fury of Gods wrath like a consuming fire shall breake forth in all extremity for the full and perfect punishment of sinners vvho shall be bitten and vexed with the euer-gnawing worme of a guiltie conscience and burned in a fire of hot indignation that neuer shall go out All good things being taken away nothing but euill shall be present let this be as an Iron rod to driue