Of the Rich Man and Lazarus, Commentary on Luke · Chapter:verse 16:23
Verſe. 23.
And being in hell in torments.
For this rich mans eſtate in his ſoule, it was miſerable and pittifull, though his buriall were glorious. Here was a change indeede, not more ſudden then fearefull to ſinners. A little before ruffling in wealth; now his ſoule is in hell, and his body among the wormes. So many at this day, flaunt it in great brauery: and the next newes we heare, is, their bodies are in graue, and their ſoules God knowes where. Yea many die, and becauſe we heare no more of them but that they be dead, we neither regard how they died, nor what is like to come of them, dying without repentance. Therefore this terrible example is left as a warning to vsus, in time to conſider what followeth after death: and that is, a life after this life, either in ioy vnſpeakable, or in torments endleſſe. For with the laſt breathe in our bodies, we goe preſently in our ſoules to heauen or hell: good men to heauen, bad men to hell, Hebr. 9.27. Though men liue as beaſts, yet they ſhall not die as beaſts: that is, if they liue wickedly and die in ſinne, the beaſts death ſhall be farre better then theirs. For, they in their death end their miſery; thoſe in death, doe but beginne theirs, that ſhall hauehave no end.
But to come to the words themſelues, it is ſaid, that the rich mans ſoule was in hell in torments: and here is ſhewed wither his ſoule went, to wit, to hell; and what followed there. For the firſt: hell, or the place of hell is here deſcribed by thoſe paines of ſenſe which are in it: and they are called hell torments. For hell is not onelyonly a place of cuſtody as priſons here; but of cuſtody and torment: therefore, is this rich man ſaid to be in hell in torments. He that dwelt in a ſtately pallace while he liued, now dead, dwelleth in an inglorious place of torments. He that had braue fellowes for his companions, hath for companions now, the diuell and his Angels: He that fed delicately, is now fed with fire and brimſtone. He that had his pleaſure here, is now tormented: and he is ſaid to be tormented in hell; both in regard of the extremitie of torment, and eternitie of terme there. Which teacheth that there is no eaſe in hell,Doct. 1. The fi…ſt branch of it. nor end of hell, or no going out of hell, nor end of torments in hell. For where hell is, there are torments: and in hell, there is no redemption; that is comming out.
This is the doctrine; and this doctrine is a roote of two branches: The firſt, that there is an extremitie of torments in hell; The ſecond, that theſe torments in hell are endleſſe. For the extremitie of the torments, it is expreſſed in the Scriptures, by things moſt dreadfull, and terrible out of meaſure; as vnquenchable fire; Math. 3.12: a lake of fire, burning with brimſtone: Apoc. 19.20: and a lake of fire and brimſtone, Apoc. 20.10. Of all torments none is ſo extreame as by fire: for fire, and all deſtruction by fire, is terrible. But it is more, and moſt terrible euer to flote vponupon a riuer of fire; nay, euer to be ouer head and eares in a burning lake of fire and brimſtone. Terrible needes muſt this be, i… any thing in the world be terrible. Therefore, Eſay crieth out: Who can dwell with the deuouring fire? who can dwell with the euerlaſting burning? Eſa. 33.14. As if he had ſaid, no man can. And yet the damned (whom God will throwe into it) ſhall by the power of his iuſtice be ſtrengthened for their greater increaſe of torments vnſpeakeable, to be in it, and to burne in it world without end.
Further, and for further terrour, it is called vtter darkneſſe: Math. 22.13: where is fire, yea a whole lake of it, and no light: or a darke land couered with deadly obſcuritie, where the light that …s, is darkeneſſe Iob. 10.…1.22. It were terrible to be in a dungeon of darknes for a ſhort time: how terrible then, to be in this hell of darkneſſe for euer? They that louelove darknes more then light, ſhall hauehave inough of it here, and paſſe from affected darknes to vtter darknes, from one darknes to another. We reade of torments inuented by men, and of cruell ones indeede, inflicted by heathen-men vponupon Chriſtians: as fornaces of fire, caldrons of boiling oile, braſen Bulles, and that Moloch in the valley of Hinnom, where Idolators burnt their children to the dwell: 1. King. 11.7. But hell is larger then ſo, and the thing exceedes all report. 1. King. 10.7. Nebuchadnezars fornace was heated ſeuen times: Dan. 3.19: this more then ſeuenty times ſeuen. To be ſhut vp in the belly of a braſen Bull ouer a ſmall fire; and there to be till the heate kill him, muſt needes be a lingring and terrible death: but hell is much worſe, and without end. Therfore doth the Prophet Eſay compare hell to Tophet: Eſa 30.33: and Mathew, ſpeaking of it, calles it Gehenna, Math. 5.22, That is Tophet: becauſe of the lamentable ſcreakings of children, ſacrificed in that fire: but the ſcreakings of young and old in the Tophet of hell, the fire and burning there, is both intollerable and eternall.
Thus hell torments muſt needes be great in reſpect of the extremitie.
The reaſons. The greater ſufferings, the greater torment. The ſufferings ſpoken of are exceeding great, and yet farre leſſe then any of thoſe that are prepared for the damned in the Tophet of hell. For theſe earthly may be expreſſed and conceiued, thoſe in hell cannot?
Secondly, the wrath of God ſhall then be executed to the full againſt ſinners and vponupon ſinne, which is executed more fauourably here, and with ſome mixture of clemencie. Alſo, the diuels are in place and put in office to further the affliction in that lake of torments.
Thirdly, if thoſe torments that afflict the body onelyonly, be ſo great and intollerable, how great and intollerable muſt they be that ſhall afflict both ſoule and body in hell? The torments of hell are vniuerſall in all the parts of the body, and tender powers of the minde together: all at once ſhall be tormented.
The paines of this life are (for the moſt part) particular, in ſome part of the body, or in ſome facultie of the ſoule: and yet how extreame they ſometimes proue to be, and how inſufferable, they that feele them can tell. The toothache is but the griefe of one part, perhaps but of one tooth; and yet ſome hauing it in ſome extremitie, hauehave wiſhed themſelues out of the world: the like of the ſtone, ſtrangury, and the like. What then, when eueryevery part ſhall be racked, and eueryevery facultie tormented? and when they ſhall crie out in hell with this rich man, O, I am tormented in this flame? Luk. 16.24. One, ſpeaking at the croſſe of thoſe tortures to which that curſed parricide,M. Henry Greenwood at … croſſe. Rauilliack (the murderer of the laſt french Henry) was put vntounto, writeth thus:
His arme that did that curſed act was taken from his ſhoulder: his nailes pulled from his hands and feete: his fleſh piece by piece, fet from him with hote burning pincers, and burnt before his face: and he rent aſunder in the end, with foure horſes. This is much; but the booke written of his terrible and deſerued death, ſpeaketh of much more: and yet all this and more might, without any pulles or the leaſt touch of the ſoule, hauehave bin endured, if the cauſe had bin good for which he ſo died. But in this lake of brimſtone and fire that is neuer quenched; all parts, as head, armes legs, hands, feet, & what not, all ſhal be tormented and euer tormented; not in an artificiall fornace, as that of France, but in the great wine preſſe of the wrath of God, Apoc. 14.…9, and in that horrible burning which the breath of the Lord, (like a riuer of brimstone) doth kindle continually, Eſa. 30.33. Some pieces of fleſh ſhall not onelyonly be ſet from them, as from that french parricide with burning pincers; but if this be a torment, (as who can deny it) all the fleſh on their backes ſhall be ſo, or rather much worſe tormented by diuels in hell His nailes were pulled from his fingers and feete once they ſhall be tormented euer, as if theirs were euer ſo. One arme was taken from his ſhoulder;cBooks of the terrible and deſerued death of … R… uill…acke. the booke ſaith, by conſuming it in terribl maner, in fire and brimſtone: here, all the members of their body ſhall euer burne in fire and brimſtone, and neuer be conſumed. Hee was rent by horſes: and diuels ſhall racke theſe in eueryevery member. If his breaſts were pinched and ſeared; the brawne of his armes and thighes, the calfe of his legges, and other fleſhy parts of his body: if into the holes of his fleſh that the burning pincers made, were powred ſcalding oyle, roſin, pitch, and brimſtone, as the booke ſaith: which made the tormented creature to yell out with horrible outcries, like ſome tormented ſoule in hell; ſurely the damned in hell ſhal hauehave inough of ſuch things, hippe and thigh.
And yet I hauehave ſaid nothing of the ſoule, nor her torments that exceede all this, beſides, that it ſhall be ſo and much worſe for euer.
Now, who will deny (theſe things well conſidered) the firſt branch of the Doctrine to be true, that there is an extreamitie of torments in hell?
If then we auoide the breach of mens lawes becauſe of thoſe chaſtiſements and paines of death, Vſe. which are threatned to thoſe that breake them: how much more ſhould we beware of the breach of Gods law, which is ſo threatned with puniſhments intollerable, and death eternall in hell? If a law were made, that whoſoeuer drinkes wine, ſhall vponupon conuiction, for ſometime hold his whole arme in the fire, or in boiling lead for a puniſhment, how many ſhould we ſee drunken with wine, though they loued it? but God, he that can caſt into hell, hath made a law, that whoſoeuer eateth and drinketh with ſinners, or as ſinners doe ſhall be cut off, (or all in pieces) to deſtruction, Math. 24.50.51, and be thruſt into hell, both arme, body, and ſoule; where they ſhall be tormented day and night in the fire that neuer goeth out: and ſhould not this be inough to cut the cup from our mouth, Ioel, 1.5, I meane of exceſſe and drunkennes? So much and intollerably doe they ſuffer who come into this place of torment, that Chriſt bids vsus rather to cut off and …aſt away our right hand or foote, that is, the deareſt things …e hauehave, then with them, to be caſt into this euerlasting …re, Math. 18.8. And if this firy argument cannot moue vsus, what will? If wee ſhould heare a ſudden crie of fire, fire, how would it trouble vsus? but Gods word, and Gods Miniſters, that preach his word, ſpeake of an eternall fire that ſtill burneth, and hath euer burnt from the beginning of time, ordained before time was; euen fire and much wood, a lake of fire, and pit of burning fire: and ſhould not this trouble eueryevery bone in our body? Or, if fire come, will we be as ſ…ubble for it?
I know that my ſpeech of this is not pleaſing: alas then, what pleaſure can it be to feele it? I ſpeake not to pleaſe your eares; I ſpeake to ſaue your ſoules. And whether I ſpeake or hold my peace, the fire burnes ſtill.
As fathers threaten their yong children with the fire, ſo we doe you with hell fire; not to caſt you in but to make you to runne further from it: and the meditation cannot but be profitable, and euen breake the ſtone in your hearts. When Baltazar ſawe the hand that wrote, it troubled him out of meaſure, Dan. 5.5.6. And if we would often common with our hearts by the word of theſe things, it could no leſſe trouble vsus to heare of them, then it troubled that great Monarch to ſee the writing on the wall. Beſides, the feare of theſe, would make vsus feare to ſinne, according to that; tremble and ſinne not, Pſal. 4.4. And he that ſo feareth hell, ſhall eſcape it; as he that neither feares ſo, nor at all, ſhall be ſure to fall into it. For (as one ſaith truly) none is ſo deepe in theſe torments, as he who leaſt thought of them.
But we put this euill day farre from vsus; and that makes vsus to ſit on our ſeats of ſinne, as we doe, Am. 6.3. We reade not the word, or, what we reade there, we beleeue not; and therefore we runne into exceſſe, as if there were no hell. All the account that ſome make of hell is, that they ſhall caſt fire brands there; but ſuch are fire-brands thereof: and to ſuch it may be ſaid, as men vſe to ſay, when they hauehave well ſupped in an Inne; that the worſt diſh is behind: that is, the reckening, and that that muſt pay for all. Then will follow; Sonne remember thou haſt had thy pleaſures, Luk. 16.25, or good things here. The ſumme is, he that wil follow his luſts, ſhall (without his repentance) follow them to his coſt. He that burnes in adultery, ſhall burne in hell. He that killes here, ſhall hang there: and hee ſhall thirſt there, Luc. 16.24, that is drunken heere. And what ſhall it profit a man to winne the whole world, and loſe his owne ſoule? Math. 16.26.
This made Paul to keepe a cleare conſcience: Act. 24.16. and the conſideration of this makes the godly feare to offend. Therefore Ierom: Whatſoeuer I doe, me thinkes I heare this ſound ſtill in my eares: Ariſe ye dead, and come to iudgement. And thus in regard of the extreamitie of torments, hell is intollerable: ſo is it alſo, in reſpect of the continuance and tea…me there. For they that are in hell, are there in paines without eaſe, and time without end.
And (now) where the damned ſhall be in hell, time without end:Doct. 2. The ſecond branch of it we ſecondly, (which is the ſecond branch of the doctrine) learne, that the torments in hell are endleſſe.
So Daniel ſpeaking of the reſurrection of ſinners, deſcribeth the condition to which they ſhall bee rayſed in their bodies, by the names of ſhame and contempt, and cals it, Perpetuall ſhame and contempt, Dan. 12.…. And Apoc. 20.10. Hell is called the pit bottomleſſe becauſe in it, there is no redemption, and from it no returning & the Apoſtle Iude, alluding to the fire that they of Sodome, and the Cities about were deſtroyed with, ſayth in effect, that they paſſed from the vehemencie of that fire, to the vengeance of eternall fire, Iude 7. Where hee likewiſe calleth Hell-fire, eternall fire.
The ſmoake of this furnace is alwayes mounting, it aſcendeth vp for euer, ſayth Saint Iohn, Apoc. 14.11. This tormenting worme of hell is immortall: The worm dyeth not, ſayth Saint Marke, Mark 9.46. Hitherto belongs that anſwer of Abraham to this Rich-man, They that would goe from hence to you cannot, neyther can they come from thence, that is, from hell to vsus, Luk. 16.26. His meaning is, Once in hell, euer in it.
One vſeth this compariſon, As a man that is, to be preſſed to death, calleth for more, and more weight, but cannot hauehave it: ſo all the condemned to ſecond death, through an extremity of torments in that lake of death, call for death, that there might bee an end: but death flyes from them, that is, end there is none, nor any to bee hoped for: For when ſo many thouſands of yeares are paſt, as hauehave beene moments of time ſince time began, the torments of the damned cannot end that are endleſſe.
The Reaſons. Where there is no repentance of ſinne, there is no end of torments for ſinne. After death, and in hell, there can be no repentance: for Repentance is by the Miniſtery of the word, and the vſe of it is in this life onelyonly. 2. Tim. 2.25. Apoc. 2.21.
Secondly, ſo long as the damned continue ſinfull, ſo long they ſhal be tormented: but they muſt needs euer be ſinfull in hell: and therefore in hell, euer bee tormented: This oyle can neuer be ſpent, the oyle of ſinne: and therfore the wrath of God which is as fire to the ſame, muſt euer burne: and who ſhall quench it?
Thirdly, they that deſpiſe the counſell of God againſt themſelues; and therefore will not heare when God calleth; muſt make account to call, to wit, too late with this Rich man in hell, and not bee heard, Prou. 1.24.28. And if they bee not heard, how can they bee deliuered? and if they bee, how can the Scripture be true?
A terror to thoſe, who vſe ſo ill the ſhort time of their repentance; ſeeing when they be gone hence, Vſe. they ſhall find no way to it; though as Eſau, they ſeeke it with tears, Heb. 12.17. Beſides, what fooles, and how vnwiſe are they who will purchaſe eternall torments with ſo ſhort pleaſures? May they not ſay, as a King once ſayde; who being inforced in an extreame thirſt of water, to yeelde himſelfe to the enemie: after hee had drunke of the water ſo dearely bought, brake out into theſe words: For how ſhort a pleaſure, what a Kingdome hau… I loſt? So, what ioyes hauehave I loſt, and of what continuance? and what miſeries hauehave I gained, and how endleſſe, for leſſe then a diſh of water? What madneſſe to enioy the pleaſures of ſinne for a ſeaſon, and after to lye in torments of fire for euer?
This Rich man would hauehave giuen the world, if the world had beene his to giuegive: to hauehave beene ridde of his torments but one poore houre, or to hauehave had any little eaſe of them in hell: but if all the Angels and Saints of Heauen, would, as wee may not thinke they would, hauehave begged of Chriſt for him, they could hauehave done him no good in that place of torments.
Therefore while there is hope, and while the Lord may bee found, let vsus ſeeke him, to witte, in the way of obedience to the Goſpell, Eſay 55.6. If yee will not come into this place of torments where there is no comming out, heare Moſes and the Prophets in the olde Teſtament, and Chriſt in the New, Luc. 16.28. Come to Church: Heare reuerently at Church, and practiſe carefully when yee are gone from Church. Repent yee of your ſinnes, and that to day; that is, while yee may call and be heard, conuert and bee healed.
It can be no good husbandrie in you or any, to put off your ſowing till the time of reaping come, and to pay for a few ſimple trifles, the loſſe of your precious ſoules for euer. O thinke of theſe things now in theſe dayes of mercy, and while the gate is open, ſtriue to enter. The ſoule is more worth then all the world, and all riches pleaſures, and profites are but loſſe and dung in compariſon of it: Further, to be ſeuered from God & Chriſt in the torments of hell, is a plague aboue all plagues, mortall and earthly.
Now is the time to redeeme thy poore ſoule: I ſay now, becauſe thou knoweſt not what may happen in an houre, and in a moment wee are taken away. O therefore now, and preſently goe about it, now, and preſently abandon thy ſhort pleaſures, that thou mayeſt reigne with God for euer in the long life of his ſaluation. And now and preſently mortifie ſinne in thy earthly members, that thy ſoule may be ſaued in the day of the Lord, and thy bodie and ſoule may ioyfully meete at the reſurrection of all bodies, in the kingdome prepared for them, and there bee for euer.
Here wee reade of a great man in Hell, or of a great rich man in torments in hell,Doct. 3. which teacheth that no wicked ones (how great ſoeuer) are for that, or becauſe of ſuch eminence, exempt from the place and condemnation of hell. Therefore Tophet, to which hell is compared, and the burning Tophet, is ſayd to be prepared for the King, Eſa. 30.33. I may ſay for Kings, and all in kingly places that doe wickedly. And Samuel ſayde to all Iſrael, not only if yee doe wickedly, yee ſhall periſh: but if your king doe wickedly, yee and your King ſhall periſh, 1. Sam. 12.25. not ſubiects onelyonly, but King and Subiects. The Lucifer of Babylon muſt to hell, as well as the meaneſt in Babylon, Eſa. 14.9.12. that commits iniquity.
The Reaſons. The ſoule that ſinneth ſhall dye, Ezech. 18 4. It is ſpoken of eueryevery ſoule and perſon, poore and rich.
Secondly, the ſinne that it committed is eyther puniſhed in Chriſt, or ſhall be in th…ſe that are committers of it, whoſoeuer they be: for vnderunder other termes, God neuer yet pardoned ſinne: and Chriſt who tooke vponupon him the ſinnes of his Elect, deſcended to the hels in the ſufferings of his life and death, to anſwere his Fathers iuſtice, and for his peoples faults. But are al kings, are all great ones in Chriſt? Hath Chriſt ſuffered for all that are Noble? and for all that are rich and mighty? doth not the Scripture ſay, Not many wiſe, not many mighty, nor many noble are called? 1. Cor. 1.26.
Now, if many be not, and but few are; they that are not called, muſt ſuffer for that, and all that, which Chriſt neuer ſuffered for them: and where but in Hell? and what torments but of Hell?
Thirdly, he that iudgeth his people with equity, and the world with true iudgement, Pſal. 98.9. ſhould goe againſt his owne rules of doing that which is equall and iuſt, if hee ſhould not reward eueryevery one according to his worke, and proceede to iudgement without reſpect of perſons, Act. 10.34. But it is blaſphemy in an high degree once to thinke, that howſoeuer wickedneſſe among men be in the place of iudgement, Eccleſ. 3.16, the Iudge of all the world will not deale iuſtly.
An admonition to great ones to ſerue the Lord in feare, Vſe. Pſal. 2.11. and not to beare themſelues vponupon their great wealth aboue that which is meete: for how ſoone & fearfully may they bee brought downe in a moment? and what will all their glory and riches helpe them, when their pompe muſt deſcend with them to the pitte of corruption? And how can they redeeme their poore ſoules, and what ranſome will they giuegive to God for them, when a whole world will not bee taken for the redemption of one ſoule?
This Rich man in hell, and infinite thouſands in hell as rich as he while they liued, can ſay as much now. And what difference betweene the poore vngodly, and the vngodly rich in hell (though great on earth,) ſeeing their chambers of fire and burning pitch in the infernall Lake, are like, ſaue that their torments may bee (and it is like) are greater? for looke how much they gloryed in themſelues, and liued in delights, ſo much ſhall they hauehave torments and ſorrow, Apoc. 18.7.
Now had it not beene better for ſuch (while they liued here) to hauehave liued vnderunder the nurture of the word, & to hauehave come humbly and duly to it, and with as great reuerence and louelove as the pooreſt ſoule? But They hated him that rebuked in the gate, Amos 5.10. and therfore wiſh too late, with this Rich man in Hell, that they had not been ſuch fooles and mad men, to croſſe their owne ſaluation.
So much for the place whither the ſoule of this Rich man went: Now we come to ſhew what followed there.
He lift vp his eyes, and ſawe Abraham a farre off, &c.
We hauehave heard whither the ſoule of this rich man went, to wit to hell; here is further ſhewed, what followed there. And (firſt) what this rich man ſawe, and (ſecondly) what he ſaid. He ſawe Lazarus, and ſpake to Abraham. He ſawe Lazarus; to wit, with the eyes of his minde, the eyes of his body being faſt cloſed vp in the graue: and he ſpake to Abraham, but with an intellectuall tongue. Which ſheweth, that all that followeth, is a parable-part of Scripture. For ſoules in proper ſpeech, hauehave neither eyes to ſee, nor tongues to ſpeake with.
It is ſaid hee lift vp his eyes; the more to increaſe his deſire of that he could not hauehave, and ſorrow for being denied it. And that his eyes being lift vp, he ſawe Abraham a farre off: or, ſaluation farre from the wicked: Pſal. 119.155: and (which more augmented his paine) Lazarus in his boſome.
As farre as heauen and hell are aſunder, ſo farre off ſaw he Abraham; and with the Mole-warp, he onelyonly opened his eyes at his death, and ſaw him, and Lazarus with him in bliſſe. But as in his life time, he turned his eyes from Lazarus, ſo now at his death, God turned his face from him: and ſo he ſawe, what he was not better, but worſe for ſeeing. And how could it be otherwaies, hauing ſuch a feeling of the torments he was in, and liuely ſenſe of the f…uours he loſt; by ſeeing Lazarus ſo happy, and himſelfe ſo miſerable? For might he not now ſay, What hath pride profited me? or what profit hath the pompe of riches brought me? Wiſd 5.8.
Thus he ſawe too late, and with late repentance at his death, what before he would not ſee. Which teacheth that death, which is preuented of the righteous, preuenteth ſinners.
The rich man in the Goſpel, who promiſed to himſelfe a life of many yeeres, had not the poore life of one night to prepare for death, which tooke him away in his couetouſneſſe, Luk. 12.19.20. And Agag ſaid merrily, the bitterneſſe of death is past; when (the ſame houre) bitter death which he thought to be paſt, pierced him to the heart, being hewen in peeces before the Lord in Gilgal, 1. Sam. 15.32.33. And what warning had Herod, when vponupon his roiall throne, in the ſight of all his flatterers, hee was ſuddenly ſtricken with death by an Angel? Act. 12.23. When the old world thought leaſt of a change, the flood of death came, Luk. 17.27. And Sodome with her Cities thought leaſt of death, when her end came ſuddenly by fire from heauen. v. 29.
As therefore the diuels ſaid to Chriſt, ſo are the wicked driuen to ſay to death: Art thou come to torment vsus before our time? Math. 8.29. At 50: at 60: at more yeeres, it is euer out of time: and they ſay with Iehoram, Is it peace? 2. King: 9.23. They know not if it be.
The reaſons. They hauehave no hope in death, and in this life onelyonly they hauehave their pleaſure and heauen.
Secondly, they cannot ceaſe to ſinne, and therefore cannot be in the minde to looke for death, that caſteth into hell for ſinne.
Thirdly, they are the inhabitants of the earth, vponupon whom death commeth ſuddenly, as the ſnare vponupon the bird, Luk 21.35.
An inſtruction to thinke of eueryevery preſent day as of the day of our death, Vſe: and to doe that eueryevery day, that we would gladly be found doing at our dying day. For death giueth no warning, more then the theefe of his comming, Math. 24.43. And how ſoone are we gone? or how ſuddenly may our death come? perhaps before we goe out at theſe doores, perhaps at home, perhaps in our way, as we are going home? ſome adulterers hauehave bene taken in their filthy ſinne by death as Zimri and Cozbi were, Num. 25.7.8.14.15. Some hauehave withered in death, as Ieroboam… hand, breathing cruelty, 1 King. 13.4. Some drinking themſelues drunken hauehave ſo died. Math. 24.50. And ſome, dancing on the Sabbath, hauehave fallen downe dead in the dance. Should not theſe examples be warnings to vsus? ſhould they not leade vsus to Chriſtian watchfulneſſe? or, are we ſurer of our life, then theſe were?
But who conſidereth, that prophaning the Sabbath, ſwearing, whoring, drinking, and being drunken, the ſame day or houre may take him that tooke them ſuddenly? or doe we thinke to goe to heauen with a paire of dice in our hands, and a hel… of oathes in our mouths? But, though this rich man ſawe Abraham, yet the text ſaith that,
He ſawe Abraham a farre off:
Not to his comfort, but further tormenting. As he beheld Lazarus, ſo God now beholds him a farre off.
And as farre was the rich man from Abraham, as hell is farre from heauen, and as miſeries without eaſe or end are from ioy and pleaſures endleſſe. This reacheth, that as the wicked are farre from Gods law, Pſal. 119.150, ſo Gods ſaluation is farre from the wicked, Pſal. 119.155. Sinne and ſaluation are two ends, that can neuer meete.
The Prophet ſaith, as he loued not bleſſing, ſo ſhall it be farre from him, Pſal 109.17. And this made Paul to wiſh that King Agrippa, in his great pompe, had bin ſuch as he was, Act. 26.29, not to wiſh himſelfe ſuch as Agrippa was in all his roialty. For he would not change coats with him, nor exchange eſtates, though it were to hauehave a Princes life for a priſoners.
The reaſons. The wicked are not ſo neere to ſaluation as hypocrites, who (though they ſeeme to liue in the ſuburbs of it as he who was among the other gheſts, not hauing his wedding garment) yet ſhall neuer be ſaued: Math. 22.11.13. being not painted tombes, but ſinkes; foule without, and foule within.
Secondly, they muſt neede; be farre from God, that is, from his ſaluation; to whom he will ſay (as he doth to all wicked ſinners) depart, Math 7.23. & 25 41. Pſal. 6.8.
Thirdly, they are the haters of God: and ſuch ſhall not come in his preſence, nor neere him, Pſal. 1.5. & 68.1.
Fourthly, Moſes might not ſtand vponupon holy ground till hee had put off his ſhooes: Exod. 3.5: how much leſſe may the wicked ſtand vponupon heauens ground, hauing not put off the foule ſhooes of their filthy ſinnes?
An inſtruction to goe farre from wickednes, Vſe. if we will come nere to God: & to turne to the Lord by repentance, if we would not hauehave the Lord, by our impenitencie, to turne from vsus.
And whither ſhall we goe, if we goe from him? He hath the words, and with him is the well of eternall life, Ioh. 6.68. In his preſence is the fulnes of ioy, Pſal. 16.11, and fulneſſe of all miſeries in our abſence from him. With him is light, without him we abide in darknes for euer. And now ſhould not this enforce vsus to louelove his preſence in the aſſembly, and his familiar preſence in heauen? now to ſeeke him in his word, that heereafter wee may find him in his Kingdome: nowe to hauehave him, that we may hauehave him euer? and now to liue to his glory, that after death he may drawe vsus to himſelfe, and ſhewe vsus his glory? But farre from him here, farther from him in hell. They that will not know him here, ſhall not know him, nor be knowen of him there. And they that will not ſee him neere in Chriſt, ſhall (out of Chriſt) ſee (as this rich man ſawe) a farre off So much for that which this rich man ſaw; what hee ſaid, followeth.