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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16333	Mr. Boltons last and learned worke of the foure last things death, iudgement, hell, and heauen. With an assises-sermon, and notes on Iustice Nicolls his funerall. Together with the life and death of the authour. Published by E.B.	Bolton, Robert, 1572-1631.; Bagshaw, Edward, d. 1662.	1632 (1632)	STC 3242; ESTC S106786	206,639	329

a net full of the fury of the LORD And in the morning they shall say would GOD it were even and at even they shall say would GOD it were morning for the feare of their heart wherewith they shall feare and for the sight of their eyes which they shall s●…e Then though too late will they lamentably cry out and complaine What hath pride profited us Or what good hath riches with our vaunting brought us All those things are passed away like a shadow and as a Poste that hast●…th by And as a ship that passeth over the waves of the water and when it is gone by the trace thereof cannot be found neither the path-way of the keele in the waves Or as when a bird hath flowne thorow the aire there is no token of her way to be found but the light aire being beaten with the stroke of her wings and parted with the violent noise and motion of them is passed ●…horow and therein afterwards no signe where she went is to be found Or like as when an arrow is shot at a marke it parteth the aire which immediately commeth together againe so that a man cannot know where it went thorow Even so we in like manner assoone as we were borne began to draw to our end and had no signe of vertue to shew but we consumed in our owne wickednesse For the hope of the ungodly is like dust that is blowne away with the wind like a thin froth that is driven away with the storme like as the smoke which is dispersed here and there with a tempest and passeth away as the remembrance of a guest that tarieth but a day If a Minister who labours industriously all his life long to worke upon such as sit under him every Sabbath Of which some all the while preferre some base lust before the LORD IESVS others will not out of their formality to the forwardnesse of the Saints do what he can or presse he them never so punctually and upon purpose I say if it were possible that he might talke with any of them some two houres after they had been in hell Oh! How should he find the case altered with them How would they then roare because they had dis-regarded his Ministry What would they not give to have a grant from GOD to trie them in hearing but one Sermon more How would they teare their haire gnash the teeth and bite their nailes that they had not listened more seriously and taken more sensibly to heart those many heavenly instructions spirituall discoveries secret but well understood intimations that their state to GOD-ward was starke naught by which he sought with much earnestnesse and zeale even to the wasting of his bloud and life to save the bloud of their soules And yet for all this you will not be warned in time charme the charmers never so wisely But some of you sit here before us from day to day as senslesse of those things which most deeply and dearely concerne the eternall ruine or welfare of your precious soules as the sea●…es upon which you sit the pillars you leane unto nay the dead bodies you tread upon others looking towards heaven afarre off and professing a little sit before us as though they were right and truly religious and they heare our words but they will not do them For with their mouth they shew much love but their heart goeth after their covetousnesse And loe we are unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument For they heare our words but they do them not They are friends to the better side may go farre and even suffer somtimes in good causes c. But let us once touch them in point of commodity about their enclosures immoderate plungings into worldly affaires detaining Church-dues usury and other dishonest gaine and base niggardise If out of griefe of heart for their shaming Religion exposing the Gospell of IESVS CHRIST to blasphemy and ●…dening others against Profession we meddle with their fashions their pride their worldly-mindednesse and conforming to the world almost in every thing save onely some religious formes If we presse them more particularly upon danger of damnation to more holy strictnesse precisenesse and zeale knowing too well by long observation and acquaintance that they never yet passed the perfections of formall Professours and foolish Virgins Alas We then find by too much wofull experience if they politikely bite it not in that this faithfull dealing doth marvellously discontent them and these precious Balmes do break their heads with a witnesse and make the bloud run about their eares whereupon they are wont to fall upon us more foule such true Pharisees are they than would either the drunkard or good-fellow the Publicans and harlots do in such cases they presently swelling with much passionate heat proud indignation disdaine and impatiency to be reform'd have recourse to such weake and carnall cavils contradictions exceptions excuses and raving that in nothing more do they discover to every judicious man of GOD or any who doth not flatter them or whom they do not blinde with their entertainments and bounty or delude with painted pretences and art of seeming their formality and false-heartednesse And yet as they are characteriz'd Isa. 57. 2. They seeke the LORD daily and delight to know his waies as a nation that did righteousnesse and forsooke not the ordinance of their GOD they aske of Him the ordinances of justice they take delight in approaching to GOD They may have divine Ordinances on foot in their families entertaine GODS people at their Tables fast and afflict their soules upon dayes of humiliation as appeares in the fore-cited Chapter Verse 3. Heare the word gladly with Hero●… and with much respect and acceptation observe the messenger c. But they will not stirre an inch further from the World or nearer to GOD say what he will let him preach out his heart as they say They will not abate one jot of their over-eager pursuit after the things of this life or wagg one foot out of the un-zealous plodding course of formall Christianity no not for the Sermons perhaps of twenty yeares and that from him who hath all the while laboured faithfully so farre to illighten them as that they might not depart this life with hope of heaven and then with the foolish Virgins fall utterly against all expectation both of themselves and others into the bottomlesse pit of hell O quàm multi cum hac spead aeternos labores bella descendunt How many saith one go to hell with a vaine hope of heaven whose chiefest cause of damnation is their false perswasion and groundlesse presumption of salvation Well be it either the one or the other the besotted sensualist or selfe-deluding formalist could we speake with them upon their beds of death their consciences awaked or the day after they were damned in hell we should find them then though in the meane

And such is the Child as for its owne sake it will find good entertainment though the Father of it were unknowne Adistinct narration of the life and death of the Author you have truly and punctually as becommeth such a narration premised All his Workes do shew that he was full in what he undertooke so full as he leaves scarce any thing if any thing at all for another Author to add more than he hath done to what he hath done He had a very searching and diving gift whereby he was able to anatomize and lay open the severall parts and nerves of the points which he handled and to set out pertinent signes rules meanes and motives thereabout His expression of his mind by fit words and phrases was answerable to his invention Both very copious full of variety Take for instance this ensuing Treatise the maine scope whereof is to furnish a Christian against the evill day Therein you may observe how on the one side he discovers the false meanes which most use and how on the other side he revealeth the true meanes that are of singular use to the end intended yea and how he enforceth the same with reason upon reason the better to demonstrate the equity of the point how also he infers all sorts of Uses thereupon as Reprehension Exhortation Direction and Consolation and finally how he takes occasion from thence of an exceeding large discourse upon the foure last things which to use his owne words have beene ever holden very materiall and of speciall moment to make us by GODS blessing more humble un-worldly provident and prepared for the evill day Those foure Heads are DEATH IVDGEMENT HELL HEAVEN To add more to what he hath set out thereabouts were to powre water into the sea First read then judge and the LORD add his blessing W. G. THE LIFE AND DEATH OF Mr. BOLTON THat one age may tell another that the memoriall of the just shall be ever blessed when the persons and names of those that are otherwise minded shall rot and vanish away It hath beene the pious custome of ancient and later times to commend to posterity the eminent graces of the Saints departed Famous are those Panegyricke Orations made at the tombes of the Martyrs in the Primitive times when as their persecuting Emperours priding themselves in their lamentable deaths have left no other noyse behind them than the loud and long continued cries of spilling innocent bloud Memorable also are the Funerall Orations of the two Gregories Nyssen and Nazianzen on Basill the great And in later times to give a few instances for the number in this kinde is infinite Melancthon and Camerarius wrote the life of Martyn Luther Iunius the life of Vrsine Beza the life of Calvin Antonius Faius the life of Beza Iosias Simler the life of Peter Martyr and Dr. Humphrey the life of our most renowned Iewell This manner of honouring the Saints is warranted by GODS owne example who for ought is revealed to us tooke order for Moses buriall digged his grave covered him with molds and made for him that excellent Funerall Sermon expressed in the first Chapter of Ioshuah And that all-wise GOD who sweetly disposeth all things thinkes it needfull thus to grace his owne people that he may hereby uphold their spirits amid those many pressures scornes reproaches cruell mockings and innumerable other miseries which they endure of the world meerely for his service be they otherwise never so wise just meeke peaceable and unrebukeable amongst men Witnesse those many terrible persecutions mentioned in Ecclesiasticall Stories against the Christians though harmlesse and innocent though they prayed for their Emperours and GOD did miracles in their armies by their prayers yet for this onely cause that they honoured CHRIST and called themselves Christians so odious was that precious name unto their adversaries they were put to the extremest tortures that the utmost inventions of cruelty and rage could devise against them as Iustine Martyr and Tertullian in their learned and eloquent Apologies for them do amply demonstrate this caused Adrian the Emperour to ordaine that thenceforth none of them should be appeached barely for that name unlesse they transgressed the Lawes According to these examples and for the very same causes I have adventured to publish to the world the life and death of this man of GOD the Authour of this Work now a Saint in heaven I confesse his worth and parts deserved rather an advancement by some such eloquent Orators as I mentioned before than a depression by my pen but yet a pearle may be shewed forth as well by a weake hand as by the arme of a gyant I shall do no more And let his owne worth and workes praise him in the gates I knew him from the beginning of my youth being my first Tutour in the Vniversitie of Oxford and my selfe one of his first Schollers and from that time to the day of his death being above seven and twenty yeares none knew him better or loved him more our familiarity was such that alluding to that betweene Paul and Timothy I may say I knew his doctrine manner of life faith charity patience and now will onely relate what I have heard and seene wherein I will not exceed the bounds of modesty or truth To begin with his birth I observe that throughout the sacred Bible and writings on the persons of holy men their places of birth are ever remembred GOD loves the very ground his servants tread on The LORD shall count sayes David when he numbreth up the people that this man was borne there whereas of other men there shall be no remembrance of them they shall have none to lament or bury them but shall be cast forth as dung on the face of the earth so that I may say of them as was said of Pope Boniface the eight famous for nothing but his wickednesse intravit vulpes regnavit leo exivit canis the Prophet David renders it thus in plaine English They spend their daies in mirth and suddenly go downe into hell He was borne at Blackborne a towne of good note in Lancashire on Whitsunday Anno Dom. 1572. His parents being not of any great meanes yet finding in him a great towardlinesse for learning destinated him to be a scholler and strugled with their estate to furnish him with necessaries in that kind apprehending the advantage of a singular Schoole-master that was then in the towne He plied his booke so well that in short time he became the best scholler in the schoole and no marvell for he had those sixe properties of a scholler noted by Isocrates and others which concurring in one thrust up learning to a very high elevation 1. He was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of excellent parts and abilities of mind and of a sound constitution of body 2. He was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a very strong memory I meane such a memory as was notably actuated

earthly excellencies labours in this Chapter to abase and dishonour the pride and vanity of all humane greatnesse and to advance the neglected Mystery of his heavenly Doctrine and the glorious power of downe-right preaching which the great men amongst them esteemed foolishnesse yet indeed such as by which the LORD of Heaven and Earth saveth those that beleeve And he so farre acquaints them with the counsell of GOD in the point that he gives them to understand that upon the matter whereas the noble the mighty and wise after the flesh with all the bravery and selfe-confidence vanish and perish Meaner men of lower ranke and more contemptible are converted In the words I read unto you he appeales to their owne experience in the point and bids them look about and view well the worke of the Ministery amongst them survey and search throughly that goodly flourishing body of the Church which he had there created and collected by his eighteene months presence and paines And they shall find that not many wise after the flesh nor mighty nor noble gave their names unto CHRIST or became Professors of the Gospell But the foolish and weake things of the world carrie all away in matter of salvation and entertainement of CHRIST He renders two Reasons in the Verses following 1. That the wise men of the world may be confounded 2. And that GOD himselfe blessed for ever may have all the glory The words then being plaine Not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called I build directly and naturally this point upon them Few great men goe to Heaven Or thus Great men are seldome good I here understand greatnesse according to the world In respect 1. Of excellent learning 2. Worldly wealth and height of place Both make mighty nay many times gold is the more powerfull commander 3. Worldly honour and nobility 4. Worldly wisedome Greatnesse in any of these kinds is rarely accompanied with goodnesse few such great men as these are called converted or ever come to heaven I say Few for I finde Divines both Ancient and Moderne upon this Text to make Not Many and Few equipollent Primasius and Anselme Calvin and Piscator For proofe of the point First by Scripture Looke upon such places as these 1. Matth. 11. 25 26. At that time IESVS answered and said I thanke thee O Father LORD of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes Even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight CHRIST who knew full well the bosome of his Father casting his eye seriously upon the condition of his followers and fruit of his Ministry and seeing the Scribes Pharisees and great ones of the world not onely not entertaine and countenance but out of their proud and prophane malice disdaine and contemne the glorious Gospell and divine Messages hee brought from Heaven and a company of poore fishermen and some few other neglected underlings with an holy violence lay hold upon his Kingdome He brake out into this thankefull acknowledgement and admiration I thanke thee O Father LORD of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to Babes And then ascends to the well-head and first moover of all his Dealings with and differences amongst the Sons of men the sacred and unsearchable depth of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beneplacitum the good pleasure of his will Even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight In an humble adoration of the inscrutable and immutable courses whereof we must finally and fully rest with infinite satisfaction silenced from any further search and carnall curiosities by that awefull checke and countermaund of Paul Nay but O Man who art thou that repliest against GOD Flesh and bloud hath it old ages grumbled and repin'd kickt and cavil'd about this point but ever at length by measuring this deepest Mysterie by the line of humane reason and labouring to fathome this bottomelesse sea by the pride of their owne wits they have become wretched opposers of the grace of GOD. We behold the Sun and enjoy the light as long as we looke towards it but tenderly and circumspectly We warme our selves safely while we stand neere the fire But if we seeke to outface the one or enter into the other we forthwith become blinde or burnt It is proportionably in the present point Heere by the way from our Sauiours words wee may extract a soveraigne Antidote against those temptations and discontented reasonings which are wont to arise in our hearts sometimes when we see those great ones of the world who looke so big and carrie their heads so high not onely to carrie all before them to wallow and tumble themselves with all bravery and applause in the glory wealth and pleasure of the world to swimme downe the current of the times with full saile and prosperous winde though many times against the secret murmure and counterblasts even of their own Consciences In a word in these worst times to have what they list and do what they will but also lay about them with the fist of wickednesse and scourge of tongues to trample if it were possible the lambes of CHRIST even into the dust with the feete of malice and pride by a plausible tyranny and aide of the times iniquity to keepe them downe still and still in disgrace hunting them continually with cruelty and hate like a Partridge in the mountaines as the Pharisees did CHRIST I say when we see this let us never be troubled and take offence let us never be grieved or grow discontent or out of heart But pitty them pray for them and possesse our owne soules in patience and peace And after the precedencie of our blessed Saviour goe in private and say I thanke thee O Father LORD of heaven and earth because thou hast revealed the Mysteries of CHRIST and secrets of the saving way to me a poore wretch and worme troden under foot as an obiect of scorne and a contemptible outcast and hast hid them from the wise and the noble and the mighty from the boysterous Nimrods and proud Giants of the world Even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight And there staying a while ever magnifie admire and adore with lowliest humblest and most thankefull thoughts that dearest and dreadfull Depth of GODS free and incomprehensible love which made thee to differ Which is as it were the first ring of that golden chaine Rom. 8. 29. 30. which reacheth from everlasting to everlasting and gives being life and motion to all the meanes that make us eternally blessed Out of the rich and boundlesse treasurie whereof came that inestimable Iewell IESVS CHRIST blessed for ever and by consequent all those heavenly happinesses which crowne the glorified Saints through alleternity For so GOD loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that