hee should be a warning to all vngodly sinners Hee gaue his bodie to all kinde of vncleanenesse pride drunkennesse c. Hee gaue his tongue to lying swearing and cursed speaking and now is his body tormented and would giue euen a whole world if he were Lord ouer it for one drop of water to coole his flaming tongue O let him be a warning to all sinners and teach vs to vse our bodies well to look to our eies to our eares and to set a VVatch before our mouthes for feare lest wee dishonour GOD by them and bring endlesse woe vnto our selues Well then you see that as it is an exceeding great ioy to Gods Saints that they shall rise againe so is it a terrour vnto the wicked that they shall Rise againe to Iudgement 1. Sam. 2. It were well with the wicked man with the Drunkard c. if their bodies might neuer rise if they might rotte and perish in corruption and that their soule might be euen as the soule of a beast a vapour vtterly to be extinguished But now there is more behinde they shall one day come to iudgement And therefore Saint Iohn telleth vs in this place that he saw the dead both great and small stand before GOD. Euen our dead bodies must rise eyther to honour or dishonour eyther to ioy or to paine to saluation or damnation And therefore let vs bethinke our selues of this betimes Both great and small Great and Small who These words may admit a double exposition for it may seeme this that by Great and Smal is meant those that be great men growne or else small children young and old all must appeare For wee see that many die euen little children young Infants of a span long some againe die men of yeares Well both great and small must appeare none shall be so yong or so little but that they must stand before GOD and none so great or so strong but they must appeare likewise Secondly by great and small may be vnderstood all sorts and degrees of men and women great men and great women poore men and poore women All sorts and conditions must come to iudgement as well the prince as the subiect as well the rich as the poorest Begger as though Saint Iohn should haue said I saw all men that euer haue beene or shall be to the end of the world none shall be wanting the rich and poore yong and old high and low married and vnmarried bond and free all must stand before God Oh what a wonderfull assembly will this be to see so many millions of thousands It is a great sight to see an Armie of men of a thousand But heere shall be a thousand thousands Euen all men women and children that euer haue beene or shall be to the worlds end None shall be wanting the rich and poore yoong and old high and low bond and free all must stand before God and therefore it is well called the day of the Lord when all the of-spring of Adam shall stand before God Seeing S. Iohn saw the dead both great and small Vses diuerse 1. stand before God that is al sorts of men and women high and low rich and poore bond and free all must appeare and hold vp their Hand at the Barre of this great Iudge Surely this ought to moue all men both great and small rich and poore to make conscience of their liues to repent of all their euill wayes to turne to GOD by true repentance for you see here no excuse can serue the turne no auoyding of this appearance all must appeare the very Diuells themselues 2. Cor. 5. Esay 30. and all the damned spirits must come to iudgemēt Tophet is prepared for the King the Iudge the Gentleman the rich man if they be wicked their riches shall not be excused nor the poorest shall not be forgotten Surely and if we haue any care at all what shall become of our poore soules at this day It ought to perswade al men both poore and rich both Minister and People to repent to turne to Almighty God to leade new liues that then we may reioyce with ioy and comfort This did make Paul to labour to keepe a good conscience Acts 24.16 before God and all men and why Because there would come a day when all must arise to iudgement and giue a straight accompt of all their thoughts wordes and workes And the same reason should mooue vs likeiwse to keepe a cleare conscience And what is the cause that men liue in sinne and defile their bodies with many thousand filthy sins Surely because they thinke not of this day whē they must stand before God If they could but thinke of this day that they must all come to a reckoning O it would stay and bridle their carnall hearts from many foule and filthie sinnes which novv they commit with greedinesse 2. Cor. 5.11 Acts 17.3 This will be a blessed day to all the children of God to heare the Iudge say vnto them Come yee blessed O happy day O blessed voyce But to the vngodlie sinners that liue in sinne to the Drunkard Blasphemer c. this will be a terrible and fearefull day to heare the woefull voyce of the Iudge Go yee cursed into c. Oh dolefull voyce Oh heauie newes O fearefull Sentence O woe and ten thousand woes to all vngodly sinners woe then to the blasphemer woe to the drunkard c. woe vnto all vngodly and wretched sinners for there is no escaping of this Sentence All must appeare all must stand before God all must come to their answere None shall be so great to escape or so small to be forgotten And then woe to them that shall rise to this fearefull and woefull Sentence and heauy newes of condemnation Oh it had beene good for such men if they had neuer been borne or had beene brought foorth as loathsome Toads or Serpents for then beginnes their eternall misery and condemnation O then againe and againe let vs bethinke our selues that wee must come to iudgement we must be called to a reckoning wee cannot escape the Sentence of Iudgement by anie meanes whatsoeuer Agayne vvhere Saint Iohn saith He saw the dead Heere Vse 2 is matter of endlesse comfort to all the poore members of Iesus Christ In this life who is more full of woe vvho more full of payne in bodie and soule then Gods children Long and tedious sickenesses many annoyances Some be sore from top to toe as Iob was some maymed in bodie as the poore man was Iohn 5. Well when our bodies shall now arise they shall not bee weake or lame or maymed but a perfect body sound and a glorious body All paine shall haue an end all woe shall cease But as for the vngodly Psal 1.6 it is not so with them But they shall arise that both bodie and soule may goe to hell together Stand before God I sawe the dead c. Heere wee see againe
we doe neuer seeke for this or dreame of heauen till wee haue one foot in hell let vs not then thinke to gaine a kingdome so easily we cannot go to heauen on beds of dowlne but we must striue to enter therein And as life is sweet ioy riches honor and pleasures are sweete so to haue them for euer without feare of loosing this is a blessed thing for so it is with them that bee in possession of this Kingdome they shall be out of feare to loose it but shall raigne with Christ for euermore Thus in some sort you may conceiue the blessed and most happy estate of all the elect and faithfull children of Almightie God which ought to moue vs to repent and turne to God But what shall become of the rest the vngodly sinners of them whose names be not written in the Booke of Life Alas poore wretches poore soules it grieues me to think of them it would make a mans heart to melt to thinke on their most wofull miserie And I quake to speake or to thinke what shall become of their soules for euer The Holy-Ghost saith heere They shall be cast into the lake of fire What shall become then of the swearer drunkard c. They shall be cast into the lake of fire Matth. 25. for so saith Christ Goe ye cursed c. This is their end and this is their portion for euermore Ah poore wretch Ah vile creature ah miserable sinner it had beene good for them if they had neuer beene borne or beene made rather Toads or Serpents then Men. For besides that that they shall be cast out of the glorious and comfortable presence of God and his holy Angels they shal be cast into this lake of fire for euer Concerning which Lake of fire into which all impenitent and hard-hearted sinners shall be cast for euer I will set downe three speciall points First the perpetuitie of it Secondly the extreamitie of it And thirdly that it is remedilesse All which considered mee thinks it should make the flinty hearts of sinners to melt and to breake in peeces for feare they doe come into this place of torment into this lake of fire And seeing the spirit of God doth repeate it againe and againe that all reprobate sinners shal be cast into the lake of fire it is to shew that men doe little consider of that they doe not tremble at it And therefore he beates vpon it to teach vs it is a speciall poynt to bee thoght on to mollifie our hard hearts And first concerning this lake of fire In that it is named heere A lake of fire this noteth to vs the extremitie of the torment that it is a place of endlesse woe vnspeakeable paine The Scripture giues it sundrie names to set forth the vnspeakable torment thereof Reu. 21.8 All wicked impenitent sinners shall be cast into the lake of fire For of all torments none is so extreme as fire And Christ saith There shal be weeping Luk. 13.28 wayling c. And it shal be most hot and yet most colde strangenesse of this fire c. Againe Their worme shall neuer die Marke chap. 9.44 That worme which shall gnaw their consciences euen the torment of their consciences O what a wofull thing is this for a man or woman to haue a worme continually to gnaw their bowels within neuer to let them alone or to giue them any rest Such shall the misery be of the wicked Againe Tophet is prepared for the King hee cannot escape and it is deepe and large and the burning therof is fire much wood and the breath of the Lord as a riuer of brimstone shall kindle it Esay 30.33 So as the wrath of the Lord shall be as bellows to blow it and as a riuer of brimstone to maintaine it By this you may alittle conceiue the extreamitie of this wofull Lake of hel fire But if I had the tongue of men or Angels I could neuer expresse it to the full For as the ioyes of heauen be vnspeakeable so the torments of hell can not be expressed at what time the totall wrath of God shall seize vppon the reprobates both body and soule and shall feed vpon them for euermore Now to the end you may the better conceiue the extreamitie of it you must know that the torments of hel they be vniuersal euen in all the parts of the bodie and faculties of the soule at once the mind the wil the conscience the affection the head the heart c. all at once shall be tormented The paines in this life they are for the most part particular in some part of the body but in this fire the sinner shall be tormented in all parts at once and yet we may see that some pains there be as is the stone c. which men would not willingly haue for a whole world Alas what a woefull thing will this be to be thus tormented euen in all and euerie member so extreamly Let one example serue in this point The rich Glutton cries out Oh I am tormented in this flame Luk. 16. The torment and heate was so great that hee would haue giuen euen a whole world if he had beene Lord of it for so much water as would haue stucke to ones finger to haue cooled his flaming tong Tongue tongue Soule soule Thus you see that this fire is most extreame and wofull and yet men wil not beleeue it they feare it not But let vs thinke vppon the most wofull and extreme paine of this Lake of fire and let vs make that vse which CHRIST teacheth vs If thy right hand or foote that is anie thing neuer so sweete neuer so profitable neuer so deere or neere vnto vs Let vs cut them off and cast them from vs that is let vs forgoe and forsake them all For it is better to goe poore to heauen then rich to hell It is better to goe naked to Heauen then in costly apparell to Hell O let all carnall men all vngodly sinners that liue in pleasures sports or pastimes yea let them know they shall pay full deerely for these things euen the losse of their soules in hell for euermore Secondly as the paines of Hell be easelesse and most extreame so they be endlesse and perpetuall no end of them for euermore So Abraham tels the rich Glutton You that bee there cannot come hither Luke 16. and so sayth S. Iohn Reuel 21. It is a lake of fire brimstone that burneth for euer So Go ye cursed into euerlasting fire Mat. 25.41 It can neuer be quenched when as damned sinners shal lie therin many thousand yeares yea as many as there be Starres in Heauen and yet neuer to haue an end If a man should but once euerie thousand yeares take one spoonfull of water out of the Sea how many thousand thousand yeares would be expired before he should haue emptied the same O consider this you that forget GOD Consider this you which
Word a drunkard c. they think themselues to be iolly fellowes and who but they Alas alas their case is feareful poore soules they doe not see they be the sonnes of death the heires of vengeance and the wrath of God the fire-brands of hell nay euen death and hell it selfe Vse 2 Heere wee may see what a horrible and cursed thing sinne is in the sight of God for sinne maketh men become guiltie of eternal death and firebrands of hell as we see when the traitour is executed for treason his son smarteth for his sinne Euen so sinne which is treason against the maiesty of God when wee haue brought it foorth it bringeth vs to death and hell For death and hell is the reward of sinne And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire Would you know what shall become of the profane wretches of the world would you know what shall become of the blasphemer would you know what shall become of the adulterer drunkard idolater swearer c. S. Iohn saith here in plaine termes They shall be cast into the lake of fire Thus was the rich Glutton Luke 16. for his gluttony drunkennesse want of pitty c. cast into this wofull lake of fire And thus shall all impenitent sinners one day be cast into this wofull Lake of fire Now if a Blasphemer or an Adulterer c. should haue but this punishment to holde his little Finger in the flame of a candle one houre how could hee endure it But if a man should bee roasted on a Gridiron or boyled in a Cauldron of molten lead what miserie were this whose heart wold not quake and melt to thinke on it O these are nothing in comparison of these most extreme and endlesse torments in this lake of fire when both body and soule shall both burne and boyle and as it were fry in the scorching flames which cannot bee quenched All men almost are afraid to commit Treason because Traytors are so grieuously punished they are hanged drawne and quartered But alas men be not afraid to commit Treason against the King of Heauen though they must bee cast into a lake of fire for euermore Men are afraid to offend the Prince for feare of death And yet our Sauiour bids vs Not feare them that can kill the body and can do no more but feare him that can cast both body and soule into hell fire And yet wee see that men and women bee more affraid to offend man then God that can cast both body and soule into hell fire If wee should see a little child fall into the fire and heare it cry pittifully and the very Bowels should bee burnt out O how it would grieue vs and make our very hearts bleed within vs How much more then should it grieue vs to see not a childe but euen our owne bodies and soules cast away for euer by sin into the lake of fire that cannot be quenched If a man should come amongst vs and cry fire fire thy house is all of a flaming fire thy Corne thy Cattell thy Wife and Children and all that thou hast were consumed with fire Oh how would this astonish vs that would make the very haire to stand vpright on our heads and teares to gush out of our eyes Behold then and see the Spirit of God cries out vnto vs Fire euen the dreadfull fire of hell gapeth ready to deuoure not thy house thy corne or thy cattell but thy poore soule and that for euermore Oh how should this breake our hard and flintie hearts asunder and make our soules to bleed if wee haue any sparke of grace any care of our soules that they may not bee tormented in this Lake of Fire for euer I will leaue the further handling of this poynt vntill I come vnto the next verse where the holy-Ghost saith agayne the better to make it sinke into our verie hearts That Whosoeuer is not found written in the Booke of Life shall be cast into this lake of fire Now the better to expresse what is meant by this Lake of Fire Not a bodily death nor a materiall fire like to ours But the holy-Ghost meaneth heere euen the second death that is not of the bodie onelie Double death but of eternall death and damnation both of bodie and soule for euermore This is the second death and by this we may see there is a double death there is the first death and the second death The first death is the separation of the soule from the body this is common to all the children of GOD doe die this death aswell as the wicked yet there is a difference For death is no curse to the children of God because Christs death hath taken avvay the Sting of death that it can not hurt the children of God No it is as a doore to let our soules into the Kingdome of Heauen But the second they neuer taste of No childe of God needes to feare the second death Rom. 8.1 For there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus Wherein the second death consisteth Now as the first death is onely the seperation of the soule from the body so the second death is a totall and finall seperation of both soule and bodie from God for euermore And this second death doth stand principally in these three points First that all the wicked and vngodly sinners that liue and die in their sinnes they shall be seuered from the glorious and blessed presence of GOD for euer Which shal be punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glorie of his power 2. Thes 1.9 O what a wofull death is this to be plucked and torne from the blessed and comfortable presence of God whereas our Sauiour CHRIST saith Matth. 5. â—8 that our happines and all the ioy of GODS children shall stand in the beholding of God and being in his presence for euermore Then what miserie and what woe will this be vnto the wicked to be cast out of the glorious presence of God for euer seeing that he alone is the fountaine of Life and of happinesse Secondly the second death stands in this that wicked men and women shall not onelie be seuered in body and soule from the blessed and glorious presence of God for euer but they shall be cast into the lake of fire and haue all their abode with the diuels and all the damned spirits in hell where shall be no ioy nor comfort nor ease but weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth If a man should be cast into a deepe and darkesome dungeon full of Toades and Serpents what comfort I pray could he haue but to wish for death This is the death that all the impenitent sinners must die They must be cast out of the sweet and comfortable presence of the Lord CHRIST IESVS and bee throwne into a Lake of Fire and Brimstone there to be tormented for euermore Mat. 25 41 Thirdly
saith 1. Cor. 15. Wee shall not all die but we shal be changed they that be liuing at his comming Then how doth this place agree with them seeing S. Iohn saith heere He saw the dead Heere is none spoken of but the dead no mention of the liuing I answere Saint Iohn saith Answ that He saw the dead Not that he saw not the liuing too For he saw no doubt both quicke and dead stand before God But hee speaketh heere onelie of those of whom there might be some doubt For if the dead and they which haue beene rotten so many thousand yeares shall appeare and stand before God How can we thinke that any of the liuing shall be wanting if that they which haue beene dead for sixe thousand yeares and are turned to ashes shall be brought to iudgement then no doubt they which be found liuing when Christ shall come to iudgement So then it is euident that though Saint Iohn speake heere onelie of the dead because there might be most doubt of them yet he said in a vision all men both quicke and dead stand before almightie God at the Barre of IESVS CHRIST Doct. Comfort to the godly that they shall rise againe I saw the dead Hence may wee rayse a double Doctrine First a notable comfort for the soules of Gods children namely that the dead bodies of Gods children do not perish they are not cast away and lost when they die but they shall rise againe They shall bee purified and made a glorious bodie and they shall stand in the presence of the Lord Iesus Christ and shall see his glorie And therefore let vs not thinke that when death commeth and separateth the soule from the body that then the body doth perish and is cast away No no it shall rise agayne it is but layd in the Graue as in a sure Chest and there it is at ease and lieth asleepe as in a bedde of dowlne But when CHRIST IESVS shall come to iudgement it shall rise againe For we must know that euerie true beleeuer is made a member of CHRIST And not onely our soules are vnited to Christ but euen our dead bodies when they be layd in the Graue they still remayne the deare members of his mysticall Bodie and therefore shall not perish but rise againe to glorie And for our further confirmation in this poynt of Resurrection Resurrection proued let vs see how it is confirmed to vs by the testimonie of the holy Scriptures as that of Daniel Dan. 12.13 They that sleep in the dust shall avvake some to euerlasting life and some to euerlasting shame And the Lord God by the Prophet Hoseas doth make vnto his Church this gracious promise Hosea 13.14 I will redeeme thee from the power of the graue I will deliuer thee from death O death I wil be thy death O graue I will be thy destruction This is cleared by the testimonie of Iesus Christ himselfe Ioh. 5.28 The houre shall come in the which all that are in the graue shall heare his voyce and they shall come foorth And they that haue done good shall goe into the resurrection of Life and they that haue done euill vnto the resurrection of condemnation This is taught by the Apostles of Christ Iesus in diuers places of their Epistles As Beholde I shew you a Mysterie 1. Cor. 15.52 we shall not all sleepe but we shall be changed and that in the twinckeling of an eye at the last Trumpe And this is that vvhich all of vs confesse to beleeue as one of the most principall Articles of our faith The resurrection of the dead Phil. 3.21 So that we see it is cleere that the godly and the wicked shal both arise But the ends of their resurrection are different the one shall rise to life eternall the other to perpetuall shame and eternall destruction So that howsoeuer it shal be a ioyfull day to the godly that haue the sting of Death taken away from them through Christ his death yet the wicked shall haue no benefite by it and therefore vnto them it cannot properly be called a Resurrection no more then the taking of a malefactour out of prison to be executed can be called a Deliuerie But it shall be with the godlie and the wicked at that day as it was with Pharaohs seruants Genesis chapter 40. both of them were taken out of prison but the one of them to be restored to his Office to minister before the King but the other to be executed and put to a cruell death Euen so shall it be with the godly and the wicked at the last day Both shall arise out of their graues as out of a prison but the one to be euer with the Lord ministring praises vnto him for euermore the other to be banished from his presence and sent into euerlasting condemnation For vnto them alone is the resurrection a benefite where remission of sinnes goes before as we are taught in the Creed This must needes be a great comfort to GODS Children Vse 1 when wee can say with Iob chap. 19. I know that my Redeemer liueth and that I shall see him with these eies This same body shall arise this verie bodie for substance thogh purged and cleansed from sinne yet the same for substance shall rise againe and these my eies which haue beene carefull to seeke Christ Iesus to seeke his glorie to reade his blessed Word to releeue the poore members of CHRIST that these my eyes shall see my blessed Redeemer to my endlesse ioy And these mine eares which haue beene carefull to heare thy holy word to saue my soule they shall heare his sweet and blessed voice saying vnto me Come yee blessed of my Father For the bodies of GODS children shall not perish but shall rise to glorie and be made like vnto the glorious Bodie of Iesus Christ Oh how this should moue all men and women 1. Cor. 15 to vse their bodies well to the honour of Christ Iesus seeing hee will not let them perish but will crowne them and glorifie them for euer Secondly this must needes bee a fearefull terrour vnto all profane and filthy sinners who bestowed their bodies wholy in the seruice of sinne and Sathan They shall looke on him whom they haue pierced and shall lament Zachar. 12.10 For euen their dead bodies shall rise too but how to iudgement to torment and to burne for euer in the lake of fire and brimstone Thou hast set open thy wanton and adulterous eies to beholde vanitie thou hast delighted to heare vanitie more then goodnes thou hast vsed thy tongue to lying deceipt swearing c. and hast runne to vaine sportes and pastimes on the Lords day to the dishonor of CHRIST IESVS to serue the Diuell and thine owne flesh Oh know that thy bodie shall one day rise againe to iudgement to torment to be cast into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone Consider the rich Glutton Luke 16.