Comforting Afflicted Consciences, Text (1 of 11)

Comforting Afflicted Consciences · Text (1 of 11)

p. 1SOME INSTRVCTIONS FOR A RIGHT COMFORTING AFFLICTED Consciences, with Antidotes against some speciall temptations.

PROV. 18.14.

The spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmitie: but a wounded spirit who can beare?

MY Text lies as you see,Alij Scripturae libri, tamet si à Spiritu Sancto dictati per…ectissimam sapientiam contineant, & scientiam earum rerum, quas sib… proponunt, tamen sapien…ia & scientia, qu… in illis traditur, ra…ò admodùm decerpi & percipi potest, nisi ex mul…orum verborum contextu, & continuatâ serie, ita ut, si in secundo, aut tertio, aut etiam quarto versu saepè substiteris, fructum exilem & perexiguum percepturus &c. In hoc autem libro (maximè) cum …d cap. 10. perventum fuerit, ex quo, & sequentibus cap. hoc nomen Proverbiorum hic liber, sortitus est) singulis pene versibus, vel versiculis potius absoluta & perfecta doctrina traditur▪ Car… in cap. Prov. Iam inde à capite decimo, quae hîc sparsim leguntur Proverbia, recep…u… est …ier Theologos absque Methodo esse, nec perpetuo tenore scripta, ut priora novem, a Salomone. …inton Cone ad Clerum. prograd. Doct. Mihi inprimis itá semper placuit, inter singulas sententias cohaerentiam & nexum aliquem frustrà confingi. Sala…. in a sacred Cabinet of richest Iewels; I meane the most selected, and wisest Aphorismes, or Proverbs, that ever issued out of mortall braine: Every one of them, for the most part, especially from the tenth Chapter, independant, entire, and absolute in themselues; cleare and manifest by their owne native brightnesse; not needing p. 2such reciprocall light, and lustre for each others mutuall discouery, and interpretation. And therefore they are naturally not capable of any coherent Logicall Analysis, and other circumstantiall expositions, ordinarily incident to other parts of Scripture. Whence it is, that this Booke of Proverbs is compared to a great heape of gold rings, rich, and orient, severally; and every one shining with a distinct sense by it selfe: but other contexts of holy Writ, to gould▪chaines so interwoven and enlinked together, that they must upon necessity, for the rendring unto us aright, and fully their severall senses, be illightened and receive mutuall illustration, one from another.

This present Proverbe doth represent unto us the extremest Hell upon earth, the greatest misery, and most un-supportable that can possibly befall a Man in this life; I meane the horror of a guilty and enraged conscience. Which is set out;

First, by the excellency of it's opposite; the invincible ability and mighty strength of that truly stoute and heroicall heart, which is happily upholden with the heavenly refreshing influence of grace, Gods favour and a good conscience: The spirit of a man will sustaine his …firmity: Whence take this first note.

Doctr. The spirit of a man furnished with grace, and fortified with the sense of Gods favour, is able to passe thorow the pikes, and conquer all commers.

Reas. 1. For what and why should that man feare or faint, on whose side the mighty Lord of heaven and earth doth stand? If aaRom. 8.31. Quis autem non est contra nos? Co…ra nos etenim est ips… …rb…, tyrannt, populi, …ognati, ciues…ver … contra …os se…t, tant cognati, abe…t ut … quenani. ut la sa etiam nobi…, nolint velint, coronarum sint, innumerotumgue bonorumprocuratores, divina saprentia insidias ilior…m ad nostram salutem converteni…Rom 8:31God be for us who can be against us? Whose mercy to his, is without all stint and limit, like bbAttribut a Dei sunt ipsa D…iessentia, seuipse Deus.himselfe, infinite; so immeasurable, that it reacheth from ccPsalm 103.17.Ps 103:17everlasting to everlasting; so tender that it su…passeth incomprehensibly the compassionate meltings p. 3of the lovingest ddIsa. 49.15.Isa 49:15mother; and spared not the dearest blood of his onelyonly eeRom. 8.32.Rom 8:32Sonne. Who hath ever in a readinesse for the recovery of his children out of the most desperate danger, and to rescue them out of the hands of the deadliest enemy; besides his owne omnipotent arme, the least finger whereof can beate the greatest mountaine to powder, and …end the hardest rocke in peeces; innumerable hosts of Angels, one of which killed ff2. Kings 19 35.2 Kgs 19:35an hundred foure score and five thousand in one night; charets of fire, even a thousand charets in the whirlewind; that faire glorious Giant, which with incredible s…iftnesse runs post, as it were, thorow the skye, to stand still or r…tore; the impetuous current of the raging Sea to recoyle; the merciles slames of the hungry fire, to become a soft and refreshing aire; the …placable fury of the most enraged Lions, to couch at first word for his servants sake and safety. Nay if need bee, hee hath Caterpillers and Frogges, Wormes and Lice, even the most impotent and vilest vermi…e, to fetch blood, and take downe the heart of the proudest Tyrant upon earth, carry he his head neve… so high; to eate out the bowels of the bloodiest Nim…od or mightiest Monarch, that weares a crowne upon his head, if hee oppose his people. He hath the very ggMatth. 27.5. 2. Sam 17 23. See Foxes story of Gods punishment … on Persecutors, &c. Acts and Monumen page 2298. &c.Matt 27:52 Sam 17:23hands, and consciences of all that rise up against them, to bring their owne blood upon the…r owne heads, and even Hell and extreamest horror upon their hearts in this life. What then so dreadfull a face of present confusions, or fore-imagined formes of future troubles a…e able or ought, slavishly to de…ect, and terrifie, that holy heart, which with a sweet and safe repose is happily, and everlastingly hid under the hhRuth. 2.12. Psalm. 91.4Ruth 2:12Ps 91:4wings of that mighty God? who for the deliverance of his, can worke:

1. By weake meanes, See Iud. 7. 1. Sam. 14. Genes. 14. 1. Sam. 17. Iud. 4.21. and 9.53.

2. Without meanes, See 2. Chron. 20. Exod. 14. p. 4Iosu. 6. 2. Kings 19. 2. Chron. 14.

3. Contrary to meanes, See Dan. 6.22. Ios. 3.16. Dan. 3.25.26. Ionah 2.6. Iosu. 10.12, 13, 14.

2. When the heavenly beames of Gods pleased countenance begin to breake out upon a man, thorow the darke and Hellish mist of his manifold and hainous sinnes, the unquenchable heate of His everlasting love thorow Christ dissolving them into nothing; and fairely shine with a comfortable aspect upon His humbled Soule; ipso facto, as they say, Heaven and Earth▪ and all the Hosts of both are everlastingly reconciled unto him, and become his friends; the stormes and tempests raised by all the powers of Hell are presently calmed for ever doing him any deadly hurt. All the creatures then, pull in their hornes, retire their stings, bite in their poyson, s…ib'd, and awed by those divine impressions of their Creators blessed image stamped upon them by the Spirit of grace; and dare no more offer any violence or vexation to him, (except upon particular dispensation for his spirituall good and quickening) then to the Apple of Gods owne eye. Heare the promise from Gods owne mouth: And in that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowles of Heaven, and with th… creeping things of the ground: and I will breake the bow, and the sword, and the battell out of the earth, and will make them to lye downe safely, Hos. 2.18. Nay, they are so farre from charging their seuerall stings upon the Saints, that they will change their very natures, to doe them service. They will rather become an astonishment and horror to the whole Creation, then they be hurt. How often have they suspended and put off their native power, and properties, for the protection and good of Gods people? The very Sea, that most raging and roaring creature, must stay his course and current, to give passage and preservation to a true Israelite: The Starres must fight, and the Sunne stand still for the ayde and p. 5advantage of Gods armies. The Lions must leave their savage rage and trade of blood, and become Lambes and loving unto a Daniel. The Crowes will feed an Elijah: The flames of fire must hold in their heate, from burning a Shadrach, Meshach or Abednego: The devouring belly of a dreadfull fish must be turned into a Sanctuary of safty to a Ionah: A popish Furnace heated with the very malice of Hell shall become a bed of doune and Roses to a iiThus spake blessed Bainbam in the midst of the fire. O ye Papists behold, ye looke for miracles; and here now you may see a miracle: for in this fire I feele no no more paine, then if I were in a bed of Doune; but it is to me as sweet as a bed of Roses. Acts and Monuments page 1030.Martyr of Iesus: The very dead lines of an ordinary kkHis Maiestie was mooved to interpret and conster the latter sentence in the Letter (alleaged by the Earle of Salisbury) against all ordinary sense and construction in Grammar, as if by these words, For the danger is past as soone as you have burned the Letter, should be closely understood the suddainty and quickenesse of the danger, which should be as quickely performed, and at an end as that paper should be of blazing up in the fire; turning that word of as soone, to the sense of, as quickely. Discourse of the manner of the discovery of a late intended Treason, &c. Heare King Iames his own words. I did upon the instant interpret and apprehend some darke phrases in the Letter contrary to the ordinary grammar construction of them, (and in another sort then I am sure any Diuine or Lawyer in any Vniversitie would have taken them) to be meant of this horrible for me of blowing us up all by Powder. His Maiesties speech in the last Session of Parliament, printed 1605.Letter, must represent to a Royall conceite, a meaning quite contrary to the naturall sense and all Grammaticall construction, before a blessed Parliament be blowne up with Popish Gun-Powder: A brittle llA vertuous Gentlewoman in this Land doubting very often of her Salvation, made her case knowne unto a worthy Minister of God; who often counselled her, to take heed of inquiries further then Gods word, and trust assuredly that she might conclude her Salvation out of Gods word, without any further revelations: yet still did the temptation grow upon her, in so much that having a Venice Glasse in her hand, and the selfe-same Minister sitting by her, presently breakes forth into lamentable words; you have often told me, that I must seeke no further then Gods word, but I have bin long without comfort and can endure no longer: Therefore it I must be saved, let this glasse be kept from breaking, and so she threw it against the walls. Here might the Lords hand for this tempting of his Maiestie, have left her to the everlasting woes of her distrustfull heart: yet the Lord that is rich in mercy, having stamped her with the seale of his Election, was content to satisfie the languishing Soule with a miracle: the Glasse rebounds againe, and comes safe unto the ground; which the Minister having gotten into his hands; faith, Oh repent of this sinne, blesse God for his mercy, and never distrust him more of his promise: for now you have His voyce from Heaven in a miracle, telling you plainely of your estate. This was curiositie, and might have brought despaire; yet it was the Lords mercy to remit the fault, and grant extraordinary confirmation of her Faith. Yates. Gods arraignement of Hypocrites, page. 357.Glasse must rebound unbroken from the hardest p. 6stone, to helpe to bind up a broken heart, bleeding with griefe, for absence of her Spouse, and wan… of the assurance of his love, &c. Nay the divell himselfe, though hee walkes about like a roaring Lion seeking with restlesse rage, and desiring infinitely to devoure the Lords inheritance, yet cannot possibly adde one linke to the chaine, in which by the mercifull and mighty hand of God, he is hampered; nor goe an haires bredth beyond his commission: Though it bee utterly impossible, that that damned Angell should so farre change his divellish nature, as to doe any of Gods chosen, directly, any true good; yet he is everlastingly musled by an Almighty arme, from ever doing them any deadly hurt. He may be suffered sometimes to shake his chaine at them, and roare upon them hideously, to drive them nearer unto God, and fright them from sinne; But he shall never either in this world, or the world to come have his full swinge at them, or fasten his hellish fangs upon their redeemed soules.

3. Besides all that other excellent, compleate, impenetrable armour of proofe mentioned, Ephes. 6. which is able to beate backe victoriously all earthly oppositions, and the very Ordnance of Hell, every one of Gods Favourites is also blessedly furnished with a mighty spirituall mmDeprecatio, Ecclesiae murus, qui rumpi non possit, munimentum inconcussum, daemonibus quidem formidabile. Chrysost. De orando Deum. lib. 2. Deprecatio, armatura est inexpugnabilis; ac …utissimum, nec unquam fallens munimentum, pari facilitate, vel unum repellens militem, vel innumerabilia hostium millia. Ibid. lib. 1Engine, which is able to batter downe all the Bulwarkes of the Divell, to shake the whole kingdome of darkenesse, and all hellish powers; nay, to offer an holy violence to the very Throne of nnTantarum vir…um est precatio, ut in hominis potestatem creaturas ad unam omnes, & quod mirêris, ipsum creaturarum Dominum redigat. Sc…l…. De precat. cap. 29. Non in homines tantum est ista precationis vis, sed etiam in bellua…, in daemones, in mundi elementa, in coeli sydera, in deum ipsum. Ibid.God himselfe: witnesse, His most mercifull intreating Moses **Feriendi licentiam quarit à Mose, qui fecit Mosen. Bern.To let him alone, Exod. 32.10. As though the p. 7mediation of a man, could binde as it were, I speake it with lowliest reverence to that highest Maiestie, the hands of his Omnipotency, from doing his people any hurt; and were able to extingvish that unquenchable wrath in the conception, which once on foote would burne unto the lowest Hell, and set on fire the foundations of the Mountain…s: I meane that ooHonos miscendi sermonem cum Deo Angelorum superat maiestatem. De precat. lib. 2.most pretious, and almost, if not altogether omnipotent Grace of Prayer. This great Master of miracles hath wrought from time to time many and very remarkeable wonders both in Heaven and Earth. It made the Sun, that mighty creature,Ios. 10.12, 13.Josh 10:12Josh 10:13 the Prince of all the Lights in Heaven, to stay and stand still upon the suddaine, in the heat of his swiftest course:Ion. 2.1, &c. 10.Jonah 2:1 It landed Ionah safely upon the shore, out of the bellie of the Whale, and bowels of the Sea:Iud. 15.18.Judg 15:18 It drew refreshing streames out of a dry bone for the saving of Samsons life: It turned the Heaven into brasse for three yeeres and a halfe;Iam. 5.17, 18.Jas 5:17Jas 5:18 and afterward turned the selfe-same brasse into fruitefull clouds, and fountaines of raine:2. Kings 19.15.35.2 Kgs 19:152 Kgs 19:35 It killed an hundred fourescore and five thousand of the enemies of Gods people in one night: For the freeing of Elisha from a straite and dangerous siege,2. Kings 6.17.2 Kgs 6:17 It filled a mountaine in a moment, as it were, full of Hors…s and Charets of …ire: It turned the swords of a mighty Army into the Bowells of one another;2 Chron 20.5, 6, &c. 232 Chr 20:52 Chr 20:6 when Iehoshaphat knew not which way to turne himselfe; but was so helpelesse and hopelesse, that he cryed unto the Lord, wee know not what to doe;Acts 12.5.7.10.Acts 12:5Acts 12:7Acts 12:10 only our eyes are upon thee! It loosed Peter out of prison, shoke his chaines off from his hands, and made an Iron gate to open of its owne accord: **Upon intelligence of the Spanish invasion, a publike Fast was proclaimed and observed, Anno 1588.It e…raged and inlarged the English Seas to swallow up the Spanish invincible Armado: And which is none of the least wonders, It brought Prince Charles out of Spaine.

But you instance, may some say, in extraordinary examples of extraordinary men, endowed with p. 8an extraordinary spirit.

Yet sure I am, they are registred by the holy Ghost, to represent unto us, and to all generations of the Church to the Worlds end, the Almighty and wonder-working power of Prayer. And I am as sure, that the Petitioners were men **foreign. Iam. 5.17Jas 5:17subiect to like passions as we are. Perhaps, if thou be a true-hearted Nathanael, since thy new birth, thou wast never so extraordinarily passionate, as Ionah was, when out of a pang of strange distemper, hee thus answered the mighty Lord of Heaven and Earth:Ionah 4 9.Jonah 4:9 I doe well to bee angry even unto death.

Fourthly, Gods Favourite is further furnished with an other spirituall weapon of impregnable temper, and incredible might. I meane Faith, ppFaith is onelyonly able to performe; fulnesse of ioy, and constancy of content, in the midst of the changes, wanes, eclipses and fuls of all externall things; and that one day, as well as another, throughout the course of a mans life in that latitude & extent, whereof this life is capable. Ward.the very Power, and Arme of God for all true ioy, sound comfort, and light somnesse at the heart-roote in this life. This crowned Emperesse of all those Heavenly graces, that dwell in the Soule of a sanctified man; and which in a right sense may be said vertually to comprehend all the beautie, strength, excellency and power of Christ himselfe; is truely qqCredenti mundus cum principe diabolo, mors, infernus, peccatum que mera ludibria s…nt, ut dicere possit cum Paulo, Vbi tuus, ó mors, aculeus? ubi tua, inferne, victoria? 1. Cor 15.55. Habet enim ipse contra omnia haec, quae caeteris …orribilia & …nsuperabilia sunt, victoriam per Dominum Iesum Christum, in quem credit, cui adh…ret & innititur. Naogeor.1 Cor 15:55victorious, and triumphant, rr1. Ioh. 5.41 John 5:4over all the World; ssMatth. 16 18.Matt 16:18over the very gates of Hell, and all the powers of darkenesse; ttEph. 6.16.Eph 6:16over the Divels fieriest darts; uuHeb. 11.34.Heb 11:34over the devouring flames of the raging fire; xxHeb. 11.33.Heb 11:33over the roaring furie of the most hungry Lions; yyHeb. 11.37.Heb 11:37over the varietie and extremitie of exquisitest tortures, temptations, persecutions, all outward miseries; euen zzHeb. 11.36.Heb 11:36over cruell mockings. It **Heb. 11.30.Heb 11:30unresistably beares downe, or blowes up the strongest Bulwarkes, and thickest walles; aaHeb. 11.34.Heb 11:34puts to flight the mightiest Armies, and bbHeb. 11.33.Heb 11:33conquers the most invincible Kingdomes. And when all is done, Oh blessed Faith! at the very p. 9last, and deadliest lift, ccPsal. 23.4 Da mihi pulchram iustitiam, da mihi Fidei pulchritudinem. Proc…dat in medium, ostendat se oculis cordis, inspiret servorem amatoribus suis: Iam tibi dicitur, Frui me vis? Contemne quicquid te aliud delectat, contemne pro me. E…ce contempsis…i, Parum est illi — Parum est vt contemnas quicquid te dilectabat, contemne quicquiud te terrebat, contemne carceres, contemne vincula, contemne equuleum, contemne tormenta, contemme mortem, Haec vicisti, me invenisti — Amat, ardet, servet, cal…at omnia quae delectant, &c transit: venit ad aspera, horrenda, truculen…a, minacia; cal…at▪ frangit & transit. August. De verbis Apostoli. Serm. 17.Ps 23:4she triumphantly sets her foote upon the necke of the Prince of terrors, I meane death, the last and worst, the end and summe of all feared evills: And even in the middest of those dying and dreadfull pangs, beares a glorious part with Iesus Christ the Conquerour in that sweetest Song of victory, O death, where is thy sting? In a word, it can doe all things. ddforeign luminum; non foreign luminis. Q. d. Omnis luminis, elementaris, aetherei, spiritualis & coelestis. Par.All things are possible to him that beleeveth.

Fifthly, and lastly; and in a word Grace in its owne nature, being the most glorious Creature of the ddforeign luminum; non foreign luminis. Q. d. Omnis luminis, elementaris, aetherei, spiritualis & coelestis. Par.Father of li…hts, and flowing as it were more immediately and sweetly from his blessed face, is of such a divine invincible, and lightsome temper, and hath such an anti-patheticall vigour and ability, against all spirituall darkenesse and dampes; whether of affliction, temptation, troublesome confusions of the times, the valley of the shadow of death, the Grave, Hell it selfe; that it is ever able, either to dispell it, or dissolve it, or support it selfe strongly and triumphantly even in the midst of it. Suppose a soule beautified with Grace, to be seated, if it were possible, in the very center of that hellish Kingdome, yet would it, by its Heavenly strength, and glory, in despite of all infernall powers keepe off at some distance all the darkenesse, torments and horrour of that damned place. Whence it is, that it is so often in the holy Scriptures compared to light. Now what power and prevalent antipathy our ordinary light doth exercise against his most abhorred Opposite, darkenesse, you well know, and it is elegantly and punctually for my purpose expressed by One in this manner: We see, and prove, saith he, by dayly experience how powerfull and dreadfull a thing the darkenesse of the night is. For when it falleth, it covereth, and muffleth up the face of the whole world. It obscureth, and hideth, the hue, and the fashion of all creatures: It bindeth up all hands, and breaketh off all imployments: p. 10The night commeth, saith our Sauiour, wherein we cannot worke. It arresteth, and keepeth captive all living wights, men and beasts, that they must be still, and rest there where it arresteth them: yea it maketh them fearefull, and faint-hearted, full of fancies, and much subiect to frights. It is of all others such a powerfull, and unconquerable Tyrant, as no man is able to withstand. And yet neverthelesse, it is not of that might, that it is able to overwhelme, or to quench the least light in the World. For we see the darken the night is, the clearer the Starres shine: Yea the least candles light, that is lighted, withstandeth the whole night, and not onelyonly suffereth not the darkenesse to cover, or to smoother, and oppresse it, but it giveth light also even in the middest of the darkenesse, and beateth it backe for some space and distance on every side of it: so that which way soever it is borne, or wheresoever it commeth, there must darkenesse depart and give place unto the light; all the power, and the dreadfulnesse of it, cannot helpe or prevaile ought against it. And tho the light be so weake, that it cannot cast light farre about, or drive the darkenesse farre from it, as in the sparke of an hot coale, yet cannot the darknesse cover or conceale, and much lesse quench it; but it giveth light to it selfe alone at least; so that it may be seene a farre off in the darke; and it remaineth unconquered of the darke, tho it cannot helpe other things nor give light unto them. Yea (that which is yet more wonderfull) a rotten shining peece of wood, which h…th the faintest light that can be found, yet remaineth invincible of all the power of darkenesse; and the more it is compassed about with darken…sse, the clearer light it giveth. So little is darkenesse able to overcome, or k…epe downe an… light; but that it ruleth and vanquisheth, and expelleth the dark…n…ss…, which else overwhelmeth, and …areth, and fettereth▪ and putteth all things in feare. Now if this naturall light be so pow…full, and so able to prevaile against the darkenesse of p. 11the night: why should not that spirituall Light, that Gods Spirit doth kindle, and set up in the hearts of Gods Children, be able to afford them light in darkenesse, and to minister sound ioy and sweete comfort unto them, in the very midst of their heaviest, and most hideous afflictions. Assuredly, it must needes be unconquerably able, with farre greater power, and in an higher proportion. For our visible light doth spring but from a finite and materiall Fountaine, the Sunne, it selfe a creature: but the Spirituall light, I speake of, flowes immediately from the glorious face of the onelyonly true, incomprehensible and eternall **foreign 1. Ioh. 2.5.1 John 2:5Light, the Sunnes creatour, who dwelleth in the light that no man can approach unto, and is an everlasting well-spring of all Life and Light; which it doth so farre represent and resemble in Divine excellencie, and mightinesse, that it thence receives by a secret and sacred influence, fresh successions still of an infinite triumphant power, and prevailing against all spirituall darkenesses for ever. Suppose all the men that dwell within the compasse of our Hemisphere should addresse themselues with all their wit and weapons, with all their power and policie to keepe backe that universall darkenesse, which is woont to seize upon the face of the earth at the setting of the Sunne; yet by all this strong and combined opposition, they should but beate the ayre: But now, upon the very first approach of that Princely light, but peeping up in the East, it would all …ly away in a eeLux citò coelum, terras, maria illuminat, & momento temporis sine ullâ comprehensione, relectis surgentis diei splendore regionibus, nostro se circumsundit aspectui. Ambros. H…x. Lib. 1. Cap. ….moment, and vanish into nothing. Semblablely, if all the understandings upon earth, and all the Angels in Heaven should contribute all their abilities, and excellencies to illighten with cheerefulnesse and ioy, a guilty conscience surprised sometimes with hellish darkenesse and cloudes of horrour upon sight of sinne, and sense of divine wrath; yet all would not doe, they should all the while, but wash a Blackamoore, as they say: but now, let but the least glimpse p. 12of the light of Grace shine into that sad and heavy Soule, and it would farre more easily and irresistably chase away the very darkest midnight of any spirituall misery, then the strongest Summers Sunne, the …hinnest Mornings mist. Give me, if you will, Iudas his heart, or Spiraes horrour; or a vexed spirit torne and rent in peeces with the raging guilt of both those wofull men; and let that supposed rufull Soule, weary of its hellish burden, and thirsting sincerely for the water of Life, but cast it selfe upon the mercy, truth, and power of the Lord Iesus, so sweetly offering himselfe in that pretious promise, Matth. 11.28. resoluing to take him for an everlasting husband; and ipso facto, as they say, it might be put into a very Heaven upon Earth. For this glorious grace of Faith, the Prince of all spirituall light and lightsomnesse in the truely humbled Soule, thus shed into such a darke and grieved spirit, doth enkindle and set on shining all those ffFides est in Christianâ animâ fandamentum omnium virtutum Bern li. De ordine vitae. Stell … dixisse virtutes non me poenitet considerantem congru…tiam similitudinis Quo modo nempe stellae in n…ct… lucent, sic vera v…rtus, quae saepe in prosperis non apparet, eminet in adversis. —Ergo virtus est sidus, & hom… virtutum coelum. Idem super Cont. Serm. 27.gracious heavenly Starres, that are woont to beautifie the hearts of holy men; hope, love, zeale, son-like feare, humility, patience, selfe-deniall, vniversall obedience, fruitfulnesse in all good workes, &c. Which make them ggforeign. Eph 5.8.Eph 5:8light it selfe, to hhforeign. 1. Ioh 1.7.1 John 1:7walke in the light, towards the infinite and iiforeign. 1. Tim. 6.16.1 Tim 6:16unapproachable light: And therefore they never neede to want lightsomnesse; but have perpetuall pregnant matter of spirituall mirth, and mightinesse of spirit.

The point appeares, and is further prooved by manifest, and manifold experience: David having bin formerly, wofully wasted with great varietie and extremitie of dangers and distresses, was at last plunged into a most desperate perplexity. 1. Sam. 30 6. Which had bin able to have swallowed up into despaire, the manliest vigour of the greatest spirit upon earth, not supported with grace. (The like or a lesse, caused King Saul to fall upon his owne sword;) yet He blessed man, by the power of his spirituall peace, and the p. 13beames of Gods pleased face-shining upon his Soule, did patiently, and sweetly comfort Himselfe in the Lord His God; and stood like an impregnable Rocke unshaken with the raging assaults of any tempestuous sourges. He was at this time hunted by Saul like a Par…ridge in the Mountaines; cashierd by the Princes of the Philistines as a f…llow of suspected fidelity; robd by the Amalekites of His wiues; His sonnes, and His daughters; The Towne, to which He returned for safety, was burnt with fire; And to make his calamity compleate, and most cutting, even His owne men were ready to stone Him: Now in this great distresse upon the first apprehension whereof He wept, as the story saith, untill He had no more power to weepe; yet comming to Himselfe, and recollecting His spirituall forces, His heavy heart ready to sinke and fall asunder in His bosome, did fetch by the hand of faith, comfortably fortified by sense and experience of former fauours, such heavenly strength from Iehova, whom He had made His portion; that thereupon His courage was revived and raised to that height, that He presently pursued his enemies with extraordinary valour and resolution, cut them off quite and recovered all. And David saith the text, was greatly distressed: for the people spake of stoning Him, because the Soule of all the people was grieued, every man for His sonnes, and for His daughters: but David encouraged Himselfe in the Lord his God, &c.

What a bitter Sea of unmatched miseries, did breake out upon blessed Iob, which with a sudden unexpected violence, bearing downe that Hedge of protection, which God had set about Him, (the raines purposely let loose by divine dispensation to Sathans malice in the meane time) did fearefully overflow him to that height and horrour; that He stands registred in Gods Booke as an unparalled Instance of extraordinary sufferings and sorrowes; calamities and conflicts; to all p. 14succeeding ages, no kkNemo quisquam in ullà Historiâ tot tamque gravibus arumnis simul adobrutus fuisse legitur. Par.story being able to afford the like: The naturall death of one deare childe, strikes sometimes so heavy to a mans heart, that for griefe he growes into a consumption; but all Iobs children, were suddenly taken away at once by a violent stroke: some petty crosse upon his outward state, and cutting off but part of his goods, causes sometimes a couetous worldling to cut llDivitijs dediti, non paupertem tantum contrem…s…un…, sed etiam quantulumque disp…n…dium — Mul…gitur ex istis etiam a…la neum concurrerunt, nequaquam scil…cet tantum moerorem ferent…s. Chrysost. in Mat…h. Hom. 2.his ōwne throate: But Iob was robd of all; so that it is a prove be to this day; As poore as Iob: Many wives are passionate, and peevish in time of prosperity, whose h…arts notwithstanding will melt in compassion, and kindenesse, over their husbands, in any kinde of misery; but mmIobus ait, Se vxorem obsecrásse per prol…m, quam ex illà susceperat. Idautem eam minime commovit. Ostendit igitur id contra naturam esse, & uxorem suam in eo … gen…umpro…disse C…lv.Iobs wife, tho dearely intreated, by Her most distressed Husband, even for their childrens sake, the mutuall common pledges of sweetest louelove; yet would not come neare Him. My breath, saith He, is strange to my wife though I entreated for the childrens sake of mine owne body, Chap. 19.17. Satan. I confesse, is woont to roare and rage fiercely enough about Gods blessed O…es, to doe them all the mischiefe, Hee can possibly; but rarely hath hee so large a reach, and his chaine so lengthned as he had against Iob. The painefull anguish of some one part▪ would not onelyonly deprive a Man, of the pleasure of the worlds Monarchy, if he had it in possession; but also make Him weary of His life. In what a taking then was Iob ▪ who from the sole of his foote, unto his Crowne had no part free from …ore b…les and nnQuod fuerit morbigenus▪ incer…u… est Sunt qui putant elephantiasin, aut lepram fuisse. Sed e…sinal… est l…ge gravius malum fuisse, & quali forfar nunquam quisquam huminum laborarit, Merc Iob 19 12. & 10.16.6.4Job 19:12Job 10:16Job 10:6Job 10:4horribly i…fl…med ulcers, exasperated and enraged with the sti…ging smart of Satans extremest malice▪ who had power given Him to inflict them God himself frownes many times, and withdrawes beames of His pleased face from the soules of His seruants, to their great griefe, tho for their spirituall good; But seldome doth he set them up for His Marke; hunt them as a fierce Lion; set His terrours in array against them; and command the poyson of his arrowes to drinke up their spirit; p. 15as Iob complaines: It is no strange thing, neither should it much moove, but only make us walke more watchfully, to heare men of the world, and drunken Belialls to belch out from their rotten hearts upon the Alebench such base slanders as these. These Professors for all their faire shewes, are certainely all of them notorious Hypocrites. Tho they looke never so demurely, they are not the men they are taken for, &c. But to have a Mans nearest, familiar, understanding Christian friends to charge Him with Hypocrisie, is a most cruell cut to a troubled conscience: And this was ooIntimi fuerunt Iobi amiet, & familiares ac voluti gregales. Beza. H…on dubium, speaking of Iobs friends, quin admiran… sapientia viri fuer…nt, ut ex eorum disputationibus, quae hoc libro inseruntur, videre est: q…ia & insignes probitate & R…ligione, ut ex usdem apertum erit. Merc.Iob. case. So thus as …ob was singular in the universality of His afflictions, so there was a singularity of bitternesse above ordinary in e…very particular a…fliction. And what of all this? And yet for all this, this holy man, by the helpe of that pretious ppNam & beatus Iob ille, insianteà praemeditatu… fuisset, non ita in certamine resulsisset, nisi certè erebrò cogi…asset, quâ…atione moerorem superaret; d…xisset omninò aliquid moestum, cum repentè …ysse silios r…scisset. Nunc vero … praemedi…tus, exercitatus que fuer…t, ut ad omnia ing…n… animo perstiterit; ad totiu… substantiae, & tam m…tarum rerum iacturan, ad phorum an arissimum obitum, ad uxoris affe…um, ad acerb… corporis ulcera, ad iniusta anacorum opprobria, ad ancillarum contemptum at que servorum. Chrysost. in Mat. Hom. 34.hoard of grace, which his heavenly heart had treasured up in the time of prosperitie; out of that spirituall strength, which He had gotten into His soule by his former humble acquaintance, and conversation with His God, and knowing full well, that tho all was gone, yet He still possessed Iesus Christ as fully, if not more feeli…gly as ever before; He becomes hereupon as rare and admir…ble a Patterne of Patience to all posterity; as He was an extraordinary astonishing spe…acle of adversitie and woe. Consciousnesse of His fore-spent righteous life, which he peruseth Chap. 31. The clearenesse of a good conscience Chap. 16 19 Behold my witnesse … in heaven, and my record is on high: And his invincible faith, Chap. 19.23, 24, 25 Oh that m… words were now written, Oh that they were pri…ted in a hunke! That they were graven with an Iron pen and lead▪ in the rocke for ever. For I know that my Redeemer liveth &c. chap. 13. Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him; did so strengthen and stay his spirit with a divine might, that he bore valiantly, and stood upright under the heaviest weight, and greatest variety of extreame afflictions, that ever were laid upon any meere man.

But now on the other side, the tyth nay the tenne hundreth part of Iobs troubles, caused gra…elesse Achitophell, to saddle his Asse, get himselfe home, put his houshold in order, and hang himselfe.

So true is that which the blessed Prophet tels us Ier. 17.5. &c. Cursed be the man, that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arme, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. For Hee shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good commeth; but shall inhabite the parched places in the Wildernesse, in a saltland and not inhabited. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For hee shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her rootes by the river, and shall not see when heate commeth, but her lease shall be greene, and shall not be carefull in the yeere of drought, neither shall cease from yeelding fruite.

This impregnable comfort springing from grace, and a good conscience, even in evill times, did steele the spirit of blessed Luther with such spirituall stoutnesse, and so hardened his fore head against a world,Ezek. 3.9. Quis non putâsset. Luthetū …anto cunctorum odio & invidiâ, cui totus penè mundus insidiabatur, etiam ille, cuius pedibus Im…cratores olim cogebantur cervices su…y ere, non mille mortes o…cubiturum? At forsan concitatis turbis vix s…perfuit, quo minùs potestas ci… esse pot…it; Im…opertriginta …ene annos in ac…e perstitit, incolumis à clandestin…s vetitioni…us, …uious Pon…ifex tollere solet homines, quos aperto Marte debellare non possit: ac tandem aeger decumbens in lecto, animámque tradens illi, qui de. lit, placidè in Christo o…dormivit. Brightman cap. 3. Apocal. Fuit omninò vir magnanimus, qui talia ausus est, quae totu… miratur orbis, & qui tot gentibus adversus ipsum conspirantibus unum se opposuit. … …hronolog. An. Christi. 1546.Ezek 3:9 nay an horrible hell of most reproachfull and raging oppositions, that he became a Spectacle, a Miracle of rarest Christian fortitude, and invincible courage to the whole world, and to all posterity. I am perswaded, that holy truth of God, which hee so gloriously pro…est, and that power of godlinesse, which hee so faithfully p. 17practised, did infuse into the heart of that Man as much unconquerablenesse of resolution, and fearelesnesse of the face of Man, as ever dwelt in any mortal brest, since the Apostles time. Witnesse amongst the rest, that one extraordinary expression of His imcomparable magnanimity: when his friends were earnest, and eager upon Him, not to venture Himselfe, amongst a number of Perfidious Papists, and bloud-thirsty Tigers; He replied thus: As touching mee, saith He,Fox in the story of Martin Luther, pag. 849. since I am sent for, I am resolved, and certainly determined to enter Wormes in the name of the Lord Iesus Christ; yea tho I knew, there were as many Divells to resist me, as there are tiles to cover the Houses in Wormes. This Man of God did upon the two Pillars of His Heroicall heart, courage and patience, most nobly sustaine the malice and hatred, almost of the whole world. The Divell, and the Pope did concurrently countermine with all their cruelty, and cunning against this victorious Champion of Heaven, and mighty underminer of their darke and damned kingdomes. Almost all the Princes, Priests, and people of Christendome, did breed & breathe out nothing but thoughts of indignation and threats of Death against Him. Millions of lasie, and lustfull Monkes, having like so many pestilent Locusts of the infernall Pit, seizd upon the face of Europe, with their envenomed swarmes, and lying at ease encloistered in Sodomy and bloud, gnashed their teeth at Him with Hellish fury, and like true Frends spet fire in His face. And yet for all this, this holy Saint, (which, I more admire, and prize higher, then the victories of a thousand Caesars, or the most renowned valour of the greatest Alexander) having so many incarnate Divels continually roaring about Him, with open mouth, ready every houre, and enraged with implacable thirst to drinke up His bloud, and swallow Him up quicke; yet I say, enioyed such a triumphant tranquillity of minde, and unshaken presence of spirit, that like a mightie p. 18Son of thunder by His constant and powerfull preaching, for the space of nine and twenty yeares, so shooke the pillars of Popery, that I am perswaded the Beast will never stand upon His foure legs any more: And writ eloquently and excellently, almost, if not as many volumes, as Austin did, that great glory of the Christian World in former times. A petty crosse many times will so emasculate,Carmina secessum Scribentis, & o…a quaerunt: Me mare, … me sera …. and weaken, the elevations of the greatest Wit, that His conceite, invention & stile will fall to a farre lower streine, then ordinary; which contentment, & calmnesse, would raise to their highest pitch & possibility. But the terrible earthquake, as it were, of all Europe ▪ and contrary commotions of **N…w become Anti…christian, as … A…ian.Christendome some, did never a whit dis-animate, or shake the heart of this heavenly man; fitly honoured by the name of a third Elias.

But now Francis Spira on the other side, having out of his aaI was saith He, excessively … of mony, and accordingly … to get by …, corrupting iudg…ment by deceite, inventing trickes to d…lude Iustice: Good causes I either defended de…ceitfully; or …ould thē to the adversary perfidiously. … causes I maintain'd with all my might. I willingly opposed the knowne truth. And the trust committed unto me, I either betrayed or perverted. Thus did the care of this world, and the deceitfulnesse of … the good …eede that was formerly …owne; so as fearing hee faints and yeelds to the a…lurements of this present world. I know the Doctrine of Iustification by Christ, but I denied it and abjur'd it to the end, that I might keepe this fraile life from adversity, and my children from poverty: And now behold how bitter is this life unto me? And God onelyonly knowes, what shall become of this my Family. But surely no go…d is like to betide it, but rather daily worse and worse, and such a ruine, as at length, one stone shal… not the le…t upon another. Nat. Bacon. In the relation of the desperate estate of Francis Spira, in the yeere 1548. I have the originall Relatours of the story; and finde this excellent translation to answere exactly to them.inordinate love to the things of this life, wofully wounded his conscience by that infamous … of the blessed Truth, which He formerly professed, became a spectacle of such spirituall misery and woe to the whole world, that there is not any thing left unto the memory of man more remarkeable.

VponUpon the very first revise of his recantation, and ser…ou… consideration in cold bloud what he had done, he acknowledged himselfe utterly undone and for ever. His spirit suddenly smitten with the dreadfull sense of divine wrath for his Apostasie, and split in pieces, as it p. 19were, with so grievous a bruise, fainted fearefully, faild him quite, and fell a sunder in his brest like drops of water. Heare some rufull expressions of his desperate state, from his owne mouth: Oh, that I were gone from hence, that some body would let out this weary Soule! I tell you there was never such a Monster as I am; never was man alive a spectacle of such exceeding misery. — I now feele Gods heavy wrath that burnes like the torments of hell within me, and afflicts my soule with pangs un-utterable. Verily desperation is Hell it selfe. — The gnawing worme of unquenchable fire, horrour, confusion, and which is worst of all, desperation it selfe, continually tortures me. And now I count my present estate worse, then if my soule separated from my body were with Iudas, and therefore I desire rather to be there, then thus to live in my body. — The truth is, never had mortall man such experience of Gods anger and hatred against him as I have. — If I could conceive but the …east sparke o… hope in my heart of a better state hereafter, I would not refuse to endure the most heavy wrath of the great God, yea for 2000. yeeres, so that at length. I might attaine out of misery. — He professed that his pangs were such, as that the damned wights in Hell indure not the like misery: That his state was worse then that of Cain and Iudas, and therefore desired to die. — O that God would let loose his hand from me, and that it were with me now, as in times past, I would scorne the threats of the most cruell Tyrants, beare torments with invincible resolution, and glory in the outward profession of Christ, till I were choaked in the flame, and my body turned into ashes.

Vses. 1. If it be so then, that an heavenly hoard of grace, good conscience, Gods favour &c. happily treasured up while it is called Today, hath the sole, and sacred property, and priviledge, to hold up our hearts, In times of horrour: inabling us in the meane time patiently, and profitably to master all miseries, passe p. 20thorow all persecutions, conquer all Commers; and at length by the helpe of God, to pull the very heart, as it were, out of Hell; with confidence, and triumph to looke even death, and the Divell in the face, and to stand with boldnesse, before the terrour of the last Day, like an unmooveable Rock, when the Sonnes and daughters of confusion, who have slept in harvest, and mispent the gratious Day of their visitation, shall intreate the mountaines, and Rockes to fall upon them: I say, it being thus, let every one of us like Sonnes and daughters of wisedome, in this short Sommers Day of our abode upon earth, and in this glorious Sun-shine of the Gospell, and pretious seasons of grace, imploy all meanes, improove all oportunities, to gather in, with all holy greedinesse, and treasure up abundantly much spirituall strength, and lasting comfort against the evill Day. To which, let us be quickned, by such considerations as these:

1. This wise, and happy treasuring up, of heavenly hoards, and comforts of holinesse afore hand, will sweetely mollisie, and allay the bitternesse, and smart, of that heavinesse and sorrow; of those fearefull amazements, and oppressions of spirit, naturally incident to times of trouble, and feare, which ordinarily doe very grievously sting, and strike thorow the hearts of carnall and secure Worldlings, with full rage, and the very slashes, and fore-tastes of Hell. Of all other passions of the Soule, sadnesse, and griefe grates most upon the vitall spirits; dries up soonest the freshest marrow in the bones; and most sensibly suckes out the purest, and refinedst bloud in the heart. All the Obiects of lightsomnesse, and ioy, are drowned in an heauy heart, even as the beauty of a Pearle is dissolved in vineger. Now the onelyonly Cordiall, and Counter-poyson against this dampe of light-heartednesse, and Cut-throate of life, is the secret sweetenesse, and shining pleasure of that One pearls of great price;Math. 13.46.Matt 13:46 three orient raies whereof, p. 12are righteousnesse and peace, Math. 13.46. Rom. 14.17.Matt 13:46Rom 14:17and ioy in the holy Ghost treasur'd up in the Cabinet of a good conscience. The glory,Math. 13.44.Matt 13:44 pretiousnesse, and power of which hidden treasure, purchased with the sale of all sinne, doth many times shine faireliest upon the Soule, in the saddest times; inspires for the most part into the hearts of the owners, the greatest courage, and constancy of spirit even in the dayes of adversity, and vexation; inables them to digest, and beare without any great wound▪ or passion those crosses, and cruelties, which would breake the backe, and crush the heart of the stoutest Temporizer. Was there not a great deale of difference thinke you,Isa 38.Isa 38 betwixt the heart of Hezekiah, who had walked before God in truth, and with a perfect heart, when He heard the newes of death from the mouth of the Prophet;Dan. 5.Dan 5 and the heart of Belshazzar, when he saw the hand-writing upon the wall. GiueGive me a great man, who carries a way, the credit and current of the times; with all bravery, and triumph wallowes, and tumbles himselfe in the glory and pleasures of the present: Throw Him from the transitory top of His heaven upon earth, upon His last bed: present unto His eye at once the terrible pāgs of approaching death; the ragefull malice of the powers of Hell; the crying wounds of His bleding conscience; the griesely fourmes of His innumerable sinnes; His finall farewell with all worldly delights; the pit of fire and brimstone, into which He is ready to fall: And I tell you true, I would not endure an houres horrour of His wofull heart, for His present Paradise to the worlds end. But on the other side, let me be the man, whom the corruptions of the time confine to obscuritie, who mournes in secret for the horrible abominations, and crying sinnes, that raigne amongst us, who thinkes that day best spent, wherein Hee hath gathered most spirituall strength, against that last, and sorest combate; and by the mercies of God, and humble dependance upon p. 22His omnipotent arme, I will looke in the face, the cruellest concurrence of all those former terrors, with … fidence and peace.

2. Secondly, By this spirituall hoarding of comfortable provision against the Evill day, we may prevent a great deale of impatiency, dependance upon the Arme of flesh, base feares, sinkings of heart; un-manly deiections of spirit, desperate resolutions, and many passionate distempers of such raging and distracted nature, which are woont to seize upon, and surprise, unholy and unprepared hearts, when the Hand of God is heavy upon them. How bravely and Heroically did patient Iob beare and breake thorow, a matchlesse variety and extremity of calamities and conflicts? The softest of whose sufferings would have strucke full cold to the heart of many a Carnalist, and made it to dye within Him like a stone as Nabals did. One of the least, the losse of His goods, I am perswaded, would have caused many covetous worldlings to have laid violent and bloudy hands upon themselues. For instance: Ahitophel, onelyonly because the glory of his state-wisedome was obscur'd, and overtopt at the counsell-Bord, sadled His Asse, gate Him Home, put His houshold in order, and hanged Himselfe. The onelyonly cause of His fainting in the day of disgrace, and dis-acceptation was His false, and rotten heart in matters of religion. While the Crowne sate with security, and safety upon Davids head; He walked with Him as a companion unto the House of God. But when the winde begun to blow a little another way and upon Absoloms side, like a true Temporizer. He followes the blast, and turnes his sailes according to the weather. And therefore His hollow heart, having made the Arme of flesh His Anchor, and a vanishing Blase of honour His chiefest blessednesse, shrinkes at the very first sight, and suspition of a tempest, and sinkes this miserable Man into a Sea of horrour. But now on the contrary: what was the cause, p. 23that Iobs heart was not crusht into pieces, under the bitter concurrence of such a world of crosses, of which any one severally was sufficient to have made a Man extreamely miserable? The true reason of His patient resolution, amid so many pressures, was the spirituall riches▪ He had hoarded up in the time of His happines. Amongst which the divinest, and dearest Iewel lay nearest unto His heart, as a counterpoyson, to the venome and sting of the Divels deadliest malice. I meane a sound and strong faith in Iesus Christ, the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world: which now began to shine the fairest in the darkest Midnight of His miseries; and sweetly to dart out many heavenly sparkles of comfort, and such glorious eiaculations as these: Though he slay me, yet will I trust in Him. Cap. 13.15. And that cap. 19▪ 23, &c. Oh that my words were now written, oh that they were printed in a Booke! That they were graven with an iron pen, and leade, in the rocke for ever. For I know that my Redeemer liveth, &c.

There were two cutting, and cruell circumstances largely insinuated Cap. 29. and 30. which did keenely sharpen the edge, and mightily aggravate the weight of Iobs miseries:

The one was this: He had bin **Cap. 29.6. &c.happy. Now as that mans happines is holden the greatest, who hath bin in miserable condition; for He tasteth the double sweete; of remembring his forpassed misery; and enioying his present felicity:Felicem fuisse, miserrimum. So on the contrary; It is the greatest misery, they say, to hauehave bin happy.

The other was that, which most nettles a generous nature. He being a Man of so great honour and worth; whose rare, and incomparable wisedome, even the Princes and Nobles adored as it were with a secret, and silent admiration, as appeares Cap. 29.9.10. was now contemned of the most contemptible. The children of fooles, and the children of base men; that were viler then the earth, make him their song, and their By-word, cap. p. 2430.8.9. For when true noblenes, and worth is downe, and any one of the Lords Champions dejected, it is ordinary with all those dunghill dispositions, to whom His sincerity was an Eie-sore; His power and authority, a restraint to their lewdnesse; the glory of His vertues, fewell to their envy; to run as a Raven to the fallen Sheepe, to picke out His eyes; I meane, which yet …asts of a truly cowardly, and mercilesse constitution, to wound his very wounds, and to vexe his vexations. This was Iobs case.

But what now ministers comfort to Iobs heart, against these corrosiues? Euen consciousnesse of His graces, and integrities treasur'd up, and exercisde in the dayes of His peace. He reckens up fourteene of them, Chap. 31. From consideration hereof, Hee gathers towards the end, this triumphant resolution against the …orest of His sufferings: I would even crowne mine head with the bitterest Invective of my greatest adversary: whence it is cleare, that the two potent pillars of Iobs …rong, and strange patience, which all generations will admire to the worlds end, were a sound faith, and the sanctified fruits thereof, prepared and practised in the time of his prosperity.

3. Thirdly, by fore-provision of Gods favour, grace, good conscience, and such spirituall store, wee shall be able worthily to grace, and honour our profession; truly to enoble, and winne a great deale of glory, and reputation to the state of Christianity: when the ambitious Rufflers, and boisterous Nimrods of the world shall see and observe, that there is a gratious invisible vigour, and strength of Heaven, which mightily supports the heart of the true Christian in those times of confusion & …eare, when theirs shall be like the heart of a woman in her pangs, & fall asunder in their breasts, even like drops of water. That He is as bold as a Lyon, and unmooveable like Mount Zion in the Day of distresse, and visitations of God; when they shall tremble p. 25at the shaking of a leafe, & call upon the Mountaines to cover them. That He shall be able then to say with David, Psal. 46.1.2. The Lord is my refuge, and my strength, &c. Therefore will I not feare, th… the earth be remooved, and tho the mountaines be carried into the middest of the Sea: But they shall cry, out of the bitternes of their spirits, with the hypocrites, Isai. 33.14. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire! Who amongst us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? God is much honoured, and His truth glorified, when it appeares in the face of men, that a poore neglected Christian, or in the worlds language, a precise foole, is able by the power of grace, and influence of his favour, to affront and out-face all the frownings, and malignant aspects of the proud Giants of the world. And he is the Lords noblest Champion, and a Professour of the truest, and heavenliest dye, that holds out in the wetting, and shrinkes not in the Day of adversitie. Chrysostome speakes to the people of Antioch like himselfe, a Man of an invincible spirit, against the tyrannies of his times:Ad pop. Antioch. hom. 2. In this, saith He, should a gracious differ from a gracelesse man, that hee should beare his crosses couragiously; and as it were, with the wings of Faith, outsoare the height of all humane miseries. He should be like a Rocke, being incorporated into Iesus Christ, inexpugnable, and unshaken with the most furious incursions of the waves and stormes of worldly troubles, pressures and persecutions. And blessed bee God, that even here upon earth, in this vale of teares, there is such a visible and vast difference, betwixt a wicked and godly man. The one is like the raging Sea that cannot rest: the other stands fast like a Rocke, which shall never bee remooved. An unregenerate heart is ever restlesse, commonly in these three regards at the least: First, by reason of an endlesse, and unsatisfiable appetite after pleasures, riches, honours, revenge, or what other Darling delight it hath singled out, and made speciall choice of to follow, and feede upon with p. 26greatest contentment, and sensuall sweetnesse, God hath iustly put that property, or rather poison into all earthly things doted upon, and desired immoderately, that they shall plague the heart, which so pursues them; by filling it still with a furious and fresh supply of more greedinesse, iealousies, and many miserable discontentments: so that they become unto it, as drinke unto a man in a Dropsie, or burning Fever, serve onelyonly to inflame it with new heate, and fiery additions of insatiable thirst, and i…ordinate longings. Secondly, because of the many secret grumblings, and stinging reclamations of a gauled conscience against its present guilty courses, and forbidden pleasures. Thirdly, in respect of a continuall ebullition, as it were, of confused and contrary lusts, out of the empoysoned Fountaine of originall corruption, which fill it with many damnable distractions, and tumultuations of Hell. But now if besides this inward boyling, it bee also tossed with outward troubles, what a miserable Creature is a carnall Man? Euen as the Sea, if besides its internall agitations; by the restlesse motions of estuation, descention, revolution, and reflection; it be also outwardly turmoyl'd with stormes, and tempestuous winds, How ragefull & roaing wil it be? But the other is like a strong unmoveable mountaine, that stands impregnable against the rage of winde and weather. And all the cruell incursions, and ungodly oppositions made against it, either by men, or Divels, are but like so many proud, and swelling waves, which dash themselves against a mighty Rocke. The more boysterously they beate against it, the more are they broken, and turned into a vaine foame and froath. Come, what come will, His heart is still in His breast, and His resolution as high as Heaven. Pestilent then is that Principle of Machiavel, Comm. lib. 2. cap. 2.a Fellow not to bee named, but by way of detestation, and savours rankely of cursed Atheisme. Whereby He teaches in sense and summe; That Heathenish Religion p. 27did inspire Her Worthies of Old, with invincible, & victorious spirits: But Christian Religion begets effeminat… nesse, deiections and seare. He speakes to this purpose, which to me seemes strange: That such a profound Professour of the depths, or rather diuelishnesse of policy should dote so sottishly. And yet it is no such strange thing: for many times we may observe; that deepest Policy, by the curse of God upon it, for opposition to goodnesse, turnes into extremest folly. And all counsels, and politicke constitutions against Christ, are but the brainelesse infatuations of Ahitophel. For that which this fellow holds there, holds strong contradiction, both to common sense, and a thousand experiences to the contrary. For the first, and in a word, Let the great Master of mischiefe, and of most abhorred atheisticall **Such as that hee …aught unto Caesar Borgia: To imploy men in mischeivous actions, and afterwards to destroy them, when they have performed the mischiefe. To depresse those whom thou hast grieved; and to destroy those whom thou hast deprest, &c.Principles of State, tell me; whether a reall assurance of a Crowne of life, and endlesse ioyes in another world, be not more powerfull to raise a Mans spirit, to the highest pitch of undaunted noblenesse of spirit, and unconquerable resolution, then a vaine breath of immortall fame amongst miserable men after this life? And in this lies the sinew of His proofe. For the second; Let the Acts of the ancient Iews be indifferētly wayed, from whose magnanimity, in causes of most extreme hazard, those strange and unwonted resolutions have growne, which for all circumstances, saith a great Divine, no people under the roofe of heaven did ever hitherto match. And that which did alwaies animate them, was their meere Religion. And let the Chronicles also, say I, of later times be searched, and wee shall find from time to time, many renowned Worthies to have for ever ennobled the matchlesse and incomparable courage of Christianity with in imitable impressions of valour, and visible transcendency above all humane boldnesse, and affected audacities of the most valiant Pagans. To begin with great Constantine, the first mighty Commander of a Christian Army: with what p. 28victorious glory did He confound, & cut off many potent aaExtinctis quinque Tyrannis Dioclesiano, Maximiano, Maxentio, Maximino, et Licinio tenet monarch…m solus Constantinus. Chron. Carion. lib. 3.Heads of Paganisme? Thrice was the whole world most famously fought for: betweene Alexander and Zerxes, Caesar and Pompey, Constantine & Licinius. This last was most bbDimicârunt enim in utram partem fieret in…linatio; an deinceps toiꝰ orbis pareret Christianis principibus, de…t…ris E…hnicas religiones: un verò pareret Eth…icis deleturis Christianos.— Fuit igitur causa longè major, qu…m ulli in imperus unquam fuit. Ibid.illustrious, wherein Constantine the Great did mightily conquer, and triumphantly carry all before him; the heroicall and royall spirit of Christianity, trampling victoriously upon the desperate rage of the most furious, foole-hardy Pagan Tyrants. I might here passe on to Theodosius, and his miraculous conquests, and so along, but the disgression would bee too unseasonable. Therefore I leave you for the prosecution of this point, to Anti-Machiavel. Even in later times, wofully plagued under the reigne of Antichrist, with a vast degeneration from primitive purity and power, Christian Religion, tho empoysoned with Popish superstition, yet did so farre inspire it's Warlike Professors with extraordinary spirits,Lib. 2. Theor. 3. that in point of manhood they did wonders, to the astonishment of the whole world, and all succeeding Ages.**That Expedition, I confesse was a devise and invention of the Pope, whereby He might come to be in feoffed in the King domes of Christian Princes. So that on His part the project was pestilent. As King Iames hath excellently observed, in his Re…onstrance against Perron. pag. 166. For neere the space of two hundred yeeres, shee, meaning Rome, made the force and flowre of the world to fall by millions, in the foolish conqvest of Ierusalem. Forbes upon the Revelat. Chap. 18. The zeale of the Holy Land, was the Popos ordinary colour to con…ure the stormes raysed by the Emperours, and in sending them farre off, to have better meanes to compasse their designes at home, without controule. Iohn de Serres in the life of Lewis the ninth. Godfrey of Bulloigne, that famous Warriour, with his followers, conquered in lesse then foure yeeres, all the goodliest Provinces of Asia, and drave out the Turkes. In that dreadfull and cruell conflict in Solomons Temple, as himselfe reports in a letter to Boh…mund, King of Antioch, their men, by the great bbThe Historie of the Turkes, pag. 24. Tantum ibi bumanisanguinis fusum, ut caesorum corp…ra und… sanguiau impellente, …atârint, ac stuitârint. Chron. Bucole. pag. 680.slaughter of the enemy stood in blood above the ancles. At that terrible, and bloody battell at Ascalon, as most report, they slew an hundred thousand Infidels, &c. The valour and victories of Hunniades, whose mighty spirit, and incredible courage, for any p. 29thing I know, have no parallell in any precedent Story, were so great, and did like a violent tempest, and impetuous torrent so batter and beate downe the enemies of Christ, that Hee was rightly reputed the ccAppellatus est ful… neus terror Turcorum. Fuit enim non modò, ut de dehille Homerus inquit, Achivorum, sed tollus reliquae Europae murus, …u…us unius virtus & felicitas tyrannorum impetus repressit, velut objecta moles exundans flumen. Car. Lib. 5.Bulwarke of Europe ▪ and thundring terrour of the Turkes; amongst whom His name became so dreadfull, that as the story ddHist. of the Turkes, pag. 266.reports, they used the same to feare their crying children withall. Hee fought eeVno die quinquies cum Turcis aperto Marte congressus, quinque victorys partis, &c. Car. lib. 5.five times with the Turkes upon one day, and five times foyled and put them to flight: ffTur carii viginti millia caesa, ex Vngaris tria circiter millia desiderata sunt. Bonfin. Leoncla….with the losse of three thousand, He killed that valiant Vice…oy of Asia, Mesites Bassa, with His sonne, and twenty thousand Turkes moe: ggHist. of the Turkes, pag. 270. Etseq.at that famous battell of Vascape, wherein he got the greatest victory that ever any Christian Prince before that time obtained against the Turkish Kings, with fifteene thousand souldiers, He overthrew Abedin Bassa, sent against Him most ragingly, by reason of a late shamefull losse, according to Amuraths instructions, by the slaughter of the Hungarians, to sacrifice unto the Ghosts of their dead friends and companions, with an Army of fourescore thousand fighting men. Scanderbeg also, was such a Mirrour of Manhood, & so terrible to the Turkes, that nine yeares after His death, passing thorow Lyssa where His Body lay buried, they digged up His bones with great devotion; reckoning it in some part of their happines, if they might but see or touch the same: and such as could get any part thereof, were it never so little, caused the same to be set, some in silver, some in gold, to hang about their necks, or weare upon their bodies, thinking the very dead bones of that late invincible Champion would animate their spirits with strange, and extraordinary elevation, and vigour: hhTam clari Herois venerati, nobile bustum, Ossaque, mar… áque in…clum conden…ia corpus Abs…derant, sibi quisque in partes secta minutas. Tanquam … bellica vis & Martius ardo… in…sset. P…u. lovins Ill…st. virolm Eglog. lib. 3. pag 381.Besides an admirable variety of other rare exploits, at one time, with the losse of sixty Christians, iiHistory of the Turkes,He slew Amesa with thirty as some say, but at p. 30least twenty thousand Turks: ccNa…ant ….He kild with His owne hand above two thousand enimies: When He entered into sight▪ the Spirit of valour did so work within Him, and the fiercenes of His courage so boyled in His brest, that it was woont to make bloud burst out at dd… tantus fuit …. Bucole. Chron. pag 702.His lips▪ and did so steele His Arme, that He cut off many overthwart by the middle. But take notice by the way, a… profession of Christian religion inspired these renowned Worthies, with a marchles height of courage, and might of spirit: so the eeQuò … & … …aim primùm deleri oportet, una seges & materia coriū barbarae tyrannidi… … ner …, orsus, & praecidentur, post. quam a Romae nefarijs sceleribus supremâ interne … eyis … expratus fuerit, ut Apocalypsis planu facit. Brightm. Epist Dedie.mixture with Popish Idolatry did then, and doth to this day unhappily hinder all thorow successe, and constant prevailing against that most mighty, bloud-thirsty Turkish Tyrant, the terrour of Christendome, who drunke with the wine of perpetuall felicity holds all the rest of the world in scorne, and is the greatest, and cruellest scourge of it, that ever the Earth bore. And besides, that the ffEx quibus lu…e clar…us …onstet, quinam ex Occidentalibus in causà sum miserrimae … ex Turcis Vbi eni… r…periemus hanc Idololatriam? Equidem Protestantes, ut …, & reformatae Ecclesiae cultum omnem, venerationem, & sacrum honorem Imaginum ad inferos relegârunt, unde primum venit. Ergo illa, quae se iactat Catholicam Ecclesiam, … est Romanus Pontifex, cujus Templa fulgent aureis, argenteis, & aeneis … nec lapidearum, & lig…earum venerationem respuit: illa, inquam, … scripturis, corruptis Patrum testimonijs, entitis miraculis, & …, fallacijs, I…ololatricam imaginum venerationem ad hunc … flagello non vult experg…s…eri. Brightman cap. 9. Apoc. v…rs 20. … Christianos Principes ad arma, … Turcam hortari, quem … verò … omnes …op…ae illi praedae sint? … ex ammo Praedonem hunc … Deos, ex… sacrilegum tuam primat…m, … quidem omnibus s…cleribus, … momentum quid…m … peccatis … Sed … Idem. Ibid. Ex quibus jam … donec Rom… diruta sit. … hoc …move…ur … quam thronus … plusigne fuerit, & …. Ide… in cap. 16. vers. 19.Rev 5Idolatry p. 31of the Romish Church most principally and with speciall curse, blasts, and brings to naught all undertakings of the Christian world against that wicked Empire; the practise also of some pestilent Principles proper to that Man of sin hath plagued the most hopefull enterprises in this kinde. For instance: The king of Hungary, by the helpe of Hunmades, was in a faire course, and forwardnes, to have tamed, and taken downe, nay to have for ever crusht, and confounded the insolency and usurpations of that raging Nimrod; but then comes in the Pope with a beastly tricke and utterly dashes and undoes all. For He, out of His Luciferian pride, by the power or rather poison of that Antichristian cutthroate Position; Of keeping no oath, nor faith, with Infidells, and Hereticks, unhappily undertooke to bbIn conclusion, having much spoken, (meaning Iulian the Cardinall) of the authoritie and power of the great Bishop, He in his name dis-anulled the League whatsoever, by the King made with the Turke, and absolved Him, with the rest whom it might concerne, from the oath they had given and the promises they had made. Historie of the Turkes, pag. 292.absolve Vladis…aus the King, & the rest whom it did concerne▪ from that solemne oath for confirmation of a concluded peace, taken of Him, upon the Holy ccPraestitum est ab utraque parte juramentum; Christianis quidem libro Evangeliorum, Turcis verò codici Alcorani, digitos inter jurandum imponentibus. Chron Bucolc. pag 702.Evangelists; and of Amurath, by His Ambassadors, upon their Turkish Alcaron. Whereupon, they resolutely breake the league; raise a great Army presently, and against their oath, and promise set upon the Turke with periury, and perfidiousnes accompanied with Gods curse, exposed the Christian party to a most horrible overthrow in that ddCertutum est totos dies, noctésque tres, diu fortunâ ancipiti, sed tanto animorum ardore utrinque, tant òque impetu, ut casorum sangvine campi stagn… rint. Car. Lib 5.bloudy battaile of Varna, and cast upon the Profession of Christ, such an aspersion, and shame, that not all the bloud of that rope of Popes, which constitute Antichrist, could ever be able to expiate.

Looke upon the story, and consider what a reproch and inexpiable staine doth rest upon the face of Christian religion, by this wicked Stratagemme of Popish treachery, and that even upon record to all posterity: For Amurath the Turkish Emperour in the heate of p. 32the sight, pluckt the writing out of His bosome, wherein the late league was compris'de, and holding it up in his hand, with his eyes cast up to Heaven, said thus: aaHist. of the Turkes, pag. 297.Behold thou crucified Christ this is the league thy Christians in thy Name made with Me: which they have without cause violated. Now if Thou be a God, as they say Thou art, and as wee dreame reuenge the wrong now done unto Thy Name and Mee, and shew thy power upon Thy periurious people, who in their deeds deny Thee their God.

2. Secondly. Sith a stocke of grace, and the comforts of a sound conscience, be onelyonly able to crush all crosses, out-face all aduersaries, take the sting out of all sorrowes and sufferings; and serve in the evill Day as a soveraigne Antidote to save the Soule from sinking into the mouth of despaire, and extremest horrour; then three sorts of people here offer themselves to be censured, and are to bee frighted, and fir'd out of their damned security, and cruell case.

1. Those fooles, Sonnes and daughters of confusion and sloth, who having a price in their hands to get wisedome, yet want hearts to lay it out for spirituall provision before hand. They enioy by Gods rare, and extraordinary indulgence, and favour, life, strength, wit, health, and many other outward happinesses; nay the most glorious Day of a gracious visitation, that did ever shine upon Earth; many golden and goodly oportunities, many blessed seasons and sermons to enrich their foules abundantly with all heavenly treasures: and yet they are so farre from spending their abilities, entertaining those mercifull Offers, and apprehending such happy aduantages for their true and eternall good, that they most unworthily, and unthankfully, abuse, mispend, and dis-imploy all their meanes, time and manifold mercies, to serve their own turnes, attaine their sensuall ends, and possesse the Present, with all the carnall contentment they can possibly devise. These vassals of selfe-love, and slaves of lust, are so lull'd upon the lap of pleasure by p. 33the Syren songs of Satans solicitors; and so drunke with worldly prosperity, by swimming down the current of these corruptest times with full saile of sensuality and ease, that they fall asleepe, for all the while of the happy Harvest in this life for Inning grace into the Soule under the Sun-shine of the Gospell; wasting their pretious time of gathering spiritual Manna, in grasping gold, clasping about the Arme of flesh, s…ruing themselves by all wajes and meanes into high roomes, crowning themselves with Rose-buds, & tumbling voluptuously in the pleasures and glory of this false and flattering world. But alas poore soules, what will they doe in the evill Day! When after the hot gleame of earthly glory, and a short calme & cut ouer the Sea of this world, they are come into the Port of death, to which all windes drive them, and having there let fall that last Anchor, which can never be weighed againe, shall be set in the land of darkenes; the dust whereof is brimstone, and the riuers burning pitch; where they shall meete with whole Armies of tempestuous and fiery plagues, and the envenomed Arrowes of Gods unquenchable anger, shall sticke fast for ever in their Soule & flesh; where they shall never more see the Light, nor the Land of the living, but be drowned in everlasting perdition, in the Lake, even a boyling Sea of fire and brimstone, where they can see no banke, nor feele no bottome. What will these sleepers in Harvest say, when they shall be awaked at that dreadfull Houre out of their golden dreames, and in their hands shall finde nothing; but the iudgement of God growing upon their thoughts as an impetuous storme, death standing before them unresistable, like an armed Man; sin lying at the doore like a bloud-hound, and a guilty conscience knawing at the heart like a Vulture? When they shall lie upon their last Beds, like wild Bulls in a net, as the Prophet speakes, full of the wrath of God; saying, in the morning, would God it were Even: and at Even, would God it were morning, for the p. 34feare of their heart, wherewith they shal feare, and for the sight of their eyes, which they shall see. I say in what case will they be then? Then, But my words doe faile mee here, and so doth my conceit. For as none knowes the sweetnesse of the Spouses kisse, but the Soule that receives it; so neither can any one conceive this damned horrour, but He that suffers it. The Lord of Heaven in mercy awake thē in the meane time, with the peircing thunder of His sacred and saving Word,Rev. 14.2.Rev 14:2 that they may be happily frighted, & fired out of their amased Soule-murdring sloth, before they feele in Hell, those fearefull things, wee so faithfully forewarne them of.

To rouse them out of this cruell carnall security, let them entertaine into their most serious thoughts such considerations as these:

Consider,

1. Why thou camest into this world. There is not so much as one Age past, since Thou layest hid in the loathed state of being nothing. Above fiue thousand yeeres were gone, after the Creation, before there was any newes of Thee at all. And thou mightst never have bin; God had no neede of Thee: He gave Thee a Beeing onelyonly out of His owne meere bounty.uuPotest Deus facere multa, qua non facit: immò in infinitum ultra omnia, quae unquam facta sint, alia & alia: Idq…e non modò secundum individuas rerum rationes, sed etiam secundum specificas, & generi…as, atque adeò simpliciter; ut docet Thomas hic Art. 5. Probatur quia ultra quaecunque facta, sunt ali… possibilia sine ull… fine, &c. Greg. de Valent. Tom. 1. Disp. 7. q. 25. punct. 3. Potentia Dei est infinita tribus modis. 1. Natur… suâ, & per se; quia est ipsam et essentia divina. 2. Respectu…ctionis, … au… agere potest. Haec enim actio nunquam est ita valida, & int…nsa, quin possit fieri validior & intensior. Nam Deus extrase, nunquam tam potenter agit, quin si velit potentius opera… possit. 3. Respectu Objectorum, in quae extenditur, … ager… potest qu… infinita sunt: seu quod idem est, respectu effectuum, quos potes… producere. N… Deus extra se nunquam tam multa agit, & operatur, quin possit pl…ra operari, sivelit. … Lib. 1. Theol. Nat. Cap. 13. Infinite millions shall never bee, which might have bin, as well as Thou… Gods omnipotency is equally able and active to have prod…ced them as Thee: And no parts of that vast Abysse of Nothing, can possibly make any resistance to Almightinesse.

And besides being so, that Thou must needs have a p. 35being, there is not any Creature, that ever issued out of the hands of God, but thou mightest hauehave bin that, either for the kinde, or for the particular. All is One to Him, to make an Angell, or an Ant: To create the brightest Cherub, or the most contemptible Flie: For in every creation, no lesse then Omnipotency must needes bee the Efficient, and no more then Nothing is ever the Obiect. Now what a miraculous mercy was this, that passing by such an aaMiser ego in quantum deberem diligere Deum meum, qui me fecit, cum non eram? —Non enim eram, & de nihilo fecit me: non arborem, non avem, nec aliquod de animalibu… brutis, sed hominem me voluti esse: dedit mihi vivere, sentire, & discernere August. lib. De Contritione cordis.un-numbred variety of incomparably inferiour creatures, He should make Thee an everlasting Soule like an Angell of God, capable of grace, and immortality; of incorporation into Christ, and fruition of Iehova Himselfe blessed for ever? Nay and yet further, tho thou wast to hauehave the Being of a reasonable creature; yet there was not an houre from the first moment of time unto the worlds end, but God might have allotted that to Thee for thy comming into this world. And therefore Thy time might have bin, within the compasse of all those foure thousand yeares, or there abouts, from the Creation untill the Comming of Christ in the flesh; when as all without the Pale, and Partition-wall, were without the Oracles and Ordinances of God, and all ordinary meanes of salvation: Or since the Gospell revealed, under the raigne of Anti-Christ; And then a thousand to One, thou hadst beene choakt, and for ever perisht in the damned mists of his Devillish Doctrines. What an high honour was this, to have thy birth and abode here upon earth appointed from all eternity in the very best and blesseddest time; upon the fairest Day of peace, and which is infinitely more, in the most glorious Light of Grace, that ever shone from Heaven upon the Children of men? And so of the place; Bee it so, that Thou must needes bee in this golden Age of the Gospell, and gracious Day; yet thy lot of living in the world at this time might have lited (for any part of the earth, might have received p. 36Thee, where Thou couldest have set but thy two feete) amongst Turkes, Pagans, Infidels, a whole world to bbQuid quòd nostris temporibus, vix sexta pars orbis habitabilis Christo nomen dederit? Suffra colleg. pag. 23. Divide the world into sixe parts, and five are not so much as Christian. Burton of Me…h…ly pag 717.Christendome: Or if thine appearing upon Earth, must necessarily bee within the confines of Christendome; yet Thou mightest have sprung up in the Popish parts of it; or in the scismaticall, or persecuted Places of the true Church in it. It was a very singular favour; That thou shouldest be borne, and bred, and brought up in this little neglected Nooke of the world, yet very illustrious by the presence of Christ in a mighty Ministry; where Thou hast, or mightest have enioyed in many Parts thereof the glorious Gospell of our blessed God, and all saving Truth with much purity and power. Now put all these together; and tell me in cold bloud, and after a sensible and serious ponderation thereupon▪ Doest thou thinke, that all this adoe was about Thee, all this honour done unto Thee, and when all is done, Thou art to doe nothing, but seeke Thy selfe, serve Thine owne turne, and live sensually? Camest Thou out of Nothing into this world to doe iust nothing, but ccNe que propt…r…à creati …, ut ederemus, at que biberemus, …st que …eremur, sed ut pla… remus Deo, & bonis potiremur …uturis. Chrysost. in cap. 6. M…. Hom. 23.eate and drinke and sleepe▪ to game; goe in the fashion; and play the good fellow▪ to laugh and be merry, to grow rich and leave tokens of thy pleasure in every place? &c. If any after so much illightning, bee so prodigiously mad, as to continue in such a conceite, I have nothing to say to Him, but leave Him as an everlasting Bedlam, abandon'd to that folly, which wants a name to expresse it. Turne then thy course for shame, nay, as Thou hast any care to be saved, and to see the glory of the new Ierusalem; as Thou desirest to looke the Lord Iesus in the face with comfort at that great Day; as Thou fearest to receive thy portion in Hell-fire with the Devill, and His Angells, even most intolerable and bitter torments for ever and ever; at least in this thy day, in this heate and height of Thy spirituall Harvest, awake out of thy sensuall sleepe, come to thy selfe with the Prodigall; strik… p. 37upon thy thigh; and for the poore remainder of a few, and evill dayes, addresse thy selfe with resolution, and constancy to pursue the One necessary Thing, and to treasure up much heavenly strength and store against thine ending houre. Get thee under conscionable Meanes, and quickning Ministery, and there gather grace as greedily as the most gryping Vsurer graspeth gould; contend with an holy ambition, as earnestly for the keeping of Gods favour, and an humble familiarity with His heavenly Highnesse by keeping faith and a good conscience, as the proudest Haman for an high Place, and pleased face of an earthly Prince. And why not infinitely more? This was the end, for which thou wast sent into this World; This onelyonly is the way to endlesse blisse, And this alone will helpe us and hold out in the Euill day.

2. That,If a man would sit downe, and call His thoughts together, but for one halfe houre, and consider this seriously: I have but a very little time to live here; It is another place, where I must live thorow all eternity: As I spend this short time, so shall it be with me for ever: I say, if this were thorowly considered, I wonder that any thing should take up the intentions, and thoughts of a Mans heart, but onelyonly to make sure his salvation. The little Point of time, we live in this world, is nothing, to the duration before it, or to the eternitie following it: It is therefore most fit, and best wisedome to spend it, were it ten times longer, in those courses which may make the everlasting time to come, endlesly and un-utterably comfortable unto us. upon the little ynch of time in this life, depends the length and breadth of all eternity in the World to come. As we behave our selves here, we shall fare everlastingly hereafter. And therefore how ought we to ply this moment, and prize that eternity? To decline all entanglement in those inordinate affections to the possessions, and pleasures of the Present, which hinder a fruitfull improovement of it, to the best advantage for the spirituall good of our Soules; Let us be mooved with such reasons as these, which may be collected from the words of a worthy Writer, which run thus with very little variation:

1. If we could afford our selues but so much leasure as to consider, That he which hath most in the world, hath, in respect of the world, nothing in it: and that he which hath the longest time lent him to live in it, hath yet no proportion at all therein, setting it either by that p. 38which is past, when we were not; or by that time in which we shall abide for ever: I say, if both, to wit, our proportion in the world, and our time in the world differ not much from that which is nothing; it is not out of any excellency of understanding, saith Hee, but out of depth of folly, say I, that we so much prize the one, which hath (in effect) no being: and so much neglect the other, which hath no ending: coveting the mortall things of the world, as if our Soules were therein immortall, and neglecting those things which are immortall, as if our selues after the world were but mortall.

If it be so, That there is no difference of the time past, in respect of paines, and pleasures, betweene that fellow, which hath wallowed all his life long, in worldly delights; and Him, who hath beene exercised with variety of afflictions and likesome sufferings: what a prodigious madnesse is it, to preferre the sensuall ease of a vaine life, before the sweetest paine of a mortified course? Especially, sith very shortly, the one ends in endlesse paines: and the other in endlesse pleasures. And also in the meane time, that is true; That tho the ayre which compasseth adversity, he very a …ure: yet therein wee better discerne God, then in that shining light, which environeth worldly glory; through which, for the clea…en…sse therof, there is no vanity, which escapeth our sight.2. Let adversity seeme what it will; to happy men, ridiculous, who make themselves merry with other mens miseries; and to those under the crosse, grievous; yet this is true, That for all that is past, to the very instant. the portions remaining are equall to either. For be it, that we have lived many yeeres and (according to Salomon) in thē all, we have reioyced; or be it, that we have measured the same length of time, and therein have ever-more sorrowed: yet looking backe from our present being, we finde both the one and the other, to wit, the joy and the woe sayled out of sight; and death, which doth pursue us, and hold us in chace, from our infancy▪ hath gathered it. **Quicquid at at is retrò est, mors tenet.Whatsoever of our age is past, death holds it. So as whosoever he be, to whom Prosperitie hath bin a servant and the Time a friend: let him but take the accompt of his memory▪ (for we hauehave no other keeper of our pleasures past,) and truely examine, what it hath reserved, either of beauty and youth, or fore-gone delights; what it hath saved, that it might last, of his dearest affections, or of whatever else▪ the joviall Spring-time gave his thoughts contentment, then unvaluable; and he shall finde, that all the art, which his elder yeeres have, can draw no other vapour out of these dissolutions, then heavy, secret, and p. 39sad sighs. He shall finde nothing remaining, but those sorrowes, which grow up after our fast-springing youth; …vertake it, when it is at a stand; and overtop it utterly, when it begins to wither: in so much as looking backe from the very instant time, and from our now being; the poore, diseased, and captive creature, hath as little sense of all his former miseries, and paines; as he, that is most blest in common opinion, hath of his forepassed pleasures, and delights. For whatsoever is cast behind us, is just **Quis illius voluptatis fructus est, quistatim ut cessaverit, ut debitur tibi non fuisse? Age iam, transactum vitae tuae tempus animo revolve. Nonne videbitur tibi umbra quaedam fuisse, quod transijs, & instar so …nij tenuis incertum esse omne quod vid…ur? Hoc idem & decrepitus senex sentire▪ Cui convenit dicere cum Prophet…, Dies mei sicut umbrae declinaverunt, & ego sicut faenum ar…. Quòd si haec etiam hîc possumus dicere, uli quamvis brevis, tamen quia praesens est, vita ista magni penditur, quid in futuro dicturi sumus, ubi majori aetatis scientiá transactum omne pro nihilo est? Aug. Ep. 142.nothing.

To ponder also profitably upon eternity, that we may apply our hearts unto wisedome, and so improove this short moment upon earth, that it may goe well with us for ever; let us take notice of, and sensibly to heart, this one quickning passage, confidently averred by a great Writer. aaSi Deus diceret damnatis, Impleatur terra arenâ minutissimâ, ita ut totus orbis hisce arenae granulis repleatur, à terrâ usque ad Coelum Empyreum; & millesimo quoquo anno Angelus veniat, demátque ex hoc arenae cumulo unum granulum, cúmque post tot millenarios annorum, quot sunt granula, ea exhauserit, liberabo vos à gehennâ: O quàm exultarent damnati, damnatus se non aestimarent: nunc autem, post omnes hos millenarios restant alij, & alij millenary in infinitum, in aeternum & ultrá. Hoc est pondus grave aeternitatis, quod opprimit damnalos. Cogita, O peccator, hoc pondus tibi imminere, nisi resipiscas.— Qui fit, quòd tam rarò, tam modicè, tam obiter, de eâ cogitemus?If God, saith He, should speake thus to a damned Soule: Let the whole world be filled with sand from the earth to the Empyrean heauen, and then let an Angell come eueryevery thousandth yeere, and fetch only one graine from that mighty sandy mountaine; when that immeasurable Heape is so spent, and so many thousand yeeres expired, I will deliver Thee out of Hell, and those extreamest horrours; that most miserable forlorne wretch, notwithstanding, that he were to lie thorow that unconceiveable length of time in those intollerable Hellish torments, yet upon such a promise would infinitely rejoyce, and deeme himselfe not to be damned. But alas! when all those yeeres are gone, there are thousands upon thousands moe to be endured, euen thorow all eternitie and beyond. How heavy and horrible is the waight of p. 40everlastingnesse in that burning Lake, and those tormenting flames, when a damned man would thinke himselfe in Heaven in the meane time, if he might have but hope of comming out of them, after so many infinite millions of yeeres in them?

3. That it would not profit a man, tho he should gaine the whole world, if he lose his owne Soule, and that a man can give nothing in exchange for his Soule: Christ himselfe said so. Suppose thy selfe crowned with the confluence of all worldly felicities, to have purchased a Monopoly of all pleasures, honours and riches upon the whole earth, to be attended with all the pompe and state, thy heart could desire. Yet what were this momentany golden dreame to a reall glorious eternitie? How stinging would the most exquisite delight be, curiously extracted out of them all, accompanied with this one conceite; the Soule is lost everlastingly. All these painted vanities, might seeme perhaps a gaudy Paradise to a spirituall Foole, who hath his portion in this life; But what true pleasure can a Man, in his right wits, but morally and illightned no further then with Philosophy, take in them; sith, setting other respects aside, they are so fading, and He so fraile. For the first: God hath purposely put a transitory and mortall nature into all things here below. They spring, and flourish, and die. Even the greatest kingdomes, and strongest Monarchies, that ever were, hauehave had, as it were, their infancy, youthfull strength, Mans state, old age, and at last their grave. See the end of the mightiest states that ever the Sun saw, shadowed by Nebuchadn…zzars great Image. Dan. 2. 35. There was never Empire upon earth, were it never so flourishing or great, was ever yet so assured, but that in revolution of time, after the manner of other worldly things, it hath, as a sicke body, bin subject to many innovations and changes, and at length come to nothing. Much more then, the pride and pompe of all other inferiour earthly glory p. 41hath fallen at last into the dust, and lies now buried in the grave of endlesse forgetfulnesse. For the second; Imagine, there were constancy and eternity in the forenamed earthly bables, yet what Man of braine, would prize them worth a button, sith His life is but a bubble; and the very next houre or day to come, He may utterly be cut off from them all, for ever. To day hee is set up, and to morrow he shall not be found: for he is turned into dust, and his purpose perisheth. Take them both together thus: Set upon the head of the Worthiest Man, that the earth beares, yet wanting grace in His Soule, all the most orient imperiall Crownes, that ever highest ambition aimed at, or attain'd unto; put upon Him the royallest roabes, that ever enclosed the body of the proudest Lucifer; fill Him with all the wisedome, and largest comprehensions, which fall within the wide compasse, and capacitie of any depths of policy, or mysteries of state; furnish Him to the full with the exactnesse, and excellency of all naturall, morall and metaphysicall learning; put Him into the sole possession and command of this and the other golden world: In a word crowne Him with the concurrence of all created earthly excellencies, to the utmost and highest straine: And lay this Man thus qualifyed and endowed upon the one scale of the ballance, and vanity upon the other, and vanity will overweigh Him quite. Men of high degree are a lye: to be laid in the ballance, they are altogether lighter then vanitie, Psal. 62.9. The rich Foole in the Gospell teacheth us, that there is no man so assured of his honour, of his riches, health or life; but that he may be deprived of either or all the very next night. Besides, by a thousand other causes, meanes, and wayes, He may also be suddainely snatched away from the face of the earth in anger, for setting his heart and rest, upon such rotten staves of reede, transitory shadowes, and indeed that which is nothing. Wilt thou cast thine eyes upon it which is nothing? for riches, (conceive p. 42the same of all other worldly comforts) taketh her to her wings as an Eagle, and flieth into the heaven, Prov. 23.5. How truely then is that mad and miserable Man a Sonne of confusion, who spends the short Span of his mortall life in wooing the world, who was never true to those that trusted in her, ever false-hearted to all Her Favorites, and at length most certainely undoes spiritually and everlastingly every Wretch that is wedded unto Her; who passeth thorow a few and evill daies in this vale of teares, in following feathers, pursuing shadowes, raising bubbles and balls, like those which Boies out of spittle and sope in their pastimes, blowing up with their quills, ere they be tossed three times, burst of themselues, I meane worldly vanities, but in the meane time suffers His immortall Soule, more worth then many mate…all worlds, and for which, He can give nothing in exchange, to abide all naked, destitute and empty, utterly unfurnished of that comfortable provision, and gracious strength, which should support it in the day of sorrow; and leaves it at last to the tempestuous winter-night of death, and all those desperate terrours that attend it, like a scorched heath-ground without so much as any drop of comfort, either from Heaven or earth.

2. A second sort, worse then the former, are such, as are so farre, from treasuring up in this time of light, and mercifull visitation, soundnesse of knowledge, strength of saith, purity of heart, clearnesse of cōscience, holinesse of life, assurance of Gods favour, contempt of the world; many sanctified Sabbaths, fervent prayers, holy conferences, heavenly meditations, dayes of humiliation, righteous dealings with their Brethren, compassionate contributions to the necessities of the Saints, workes of iustice, mercy and truth, a sincere respect to all Gods Commandements, a carefull performance of all spirituall Duties, a conscionable partaking of all Gods Ordinances, a seasonable exercise of every grace, p. 43hatred of all false wayes, an hearty and invincible louelove unto God and all things that He loues, or any wayes belong unto Him, His Word, Sacraments, Sabbaths, Ministers, Services, Children, Presence, Corrections, Comming, &c. which are the ordinary provision of Gods people against the evill Day, I say, they are so farre from prizing, and preparing such spirituall store, that they hoard up stings, scourges, and scorpions for their naked soules, and guilty consciences, against the Day of the Lords visitation; I meane lies, oathes, blasphemies; Adulteries, whoredomes, selfe-pollutions; variety of strange fashions, gamings, revellings; drunken matches, good-fellow meetings, wanton dancings; usuries, falshoods, hypocrisies; plurality of ill gotten goods, Benefices, Offices, honours; filthy iests, much idle talke, flanderous …les; scoffs, raylings, oppositions to the Holy way &c. And that with a cursed greedinesse and delight. For they cry One unto another out of a boysterous combination of good fellowship, with much eagernesse and roaring: Come on therefore — Let us fill our selves with costly wine, and ointments, and let no flower of the Spring passe by us. Let us crowne our selves with Rose buds, before they be withered: Let none of us goe without his part of our voluptuousnesse: Let us leave tokens of our pleasure in every place: For this is our portion, and our lot is this. Let us lie in waite for the righteous: because hee is not for our turne, and be is cleane contrary to our **Quin potiùs auferantur, quibus coram malè vivere pudet, qui peccantium frontem … non verb…, quia … tamen ipso vita … dissimili feriunt … verberant. —Ergo tanquam …elerum & malitia su…tes…es extirpare funditùs nituntur & tollere, graues que sibi putant, tanquam vita eorum coarguatur. Lactant. Lib. 5. cap 9.doings, &c. But alas! what will bee the conclusion of all this, or rather the horrible confusion? Even all their ioviall revellings, roaring Outrages, and sinfull pleasures, which are so sweete in their mouthes, and they swallow downe so insatiably, shall turne to gravell and the ddIob 20.Job 20gall of Aspes in their bowels, and to fiery enraged scorpions in their consciences. Where lurking in the meane time, in the p. 44mudde of sensuality, and lust, breede such a never dying worme, which if God thinke fit to awake upon their last Bed, is able to put them into Hell upon earth, to damne them above ground, to knaw upon their Soule and flesh, with that unheard-of horrour, which seizde upon Spir'as woefull heart. aaCaeterum vultu & facie satis valens, mente & intellectu constantissimus, memorià potentissimus: nunquam eadem verba bis repetit: venientes omnes ad se recipit: sermones & doctos & graves ac maturos profert, se iusto Dei judicio damna…, se jam in inferno esse & inde inenter cruciari Optare se in loco Iudae & Caini esse. Gribaldi. epist. de tremendo divini judicij exemplo, &c. pag. 38. Immisit Deus ex illà horâ in cor ejus vermem corrodentem, ign…m inextinguibilem, ut horrore, Confusione, desperatione, subitò repleretur. Qui vermis & ignis nunquam exinde illum dereliquerunt; ut se longè deteri…ri in statu testetur, quàm si separatâ à corpore animà cum iuda Cain, & caeteris damnatis esset: desiderans se loco cujusvis mortui & damnati esse pottus, quàm si in corpore vivere. Ibid pag. 43.Who protested being fully in his right minde, that Hee would rather be in Cain's or Iudas his place in Hell, then endure the present unspeakeable torment of His afflicted spirit.

To beate them from this bedlam desperate course of greedy hoarding up such horrible things unto themselves, against their ending houre; Let them consider;

1. Besides the eternity of ioyes for the one, and of torments to the other hereafter, the vast and unvaluable difference in the meane time, in respect of true sweetenesse and sound contentment, betweene the life of a Saint and a Sensualist; a Puritan, as the World calls Him, and a goodfellow, as hee termes Himselfe. Let us for the purpose peruse the different passages of one day; as bbTom. 5. Serm. contra Gulam & caeteras corporis volupt Producamu… homines duos in medium, quorum alier lasciviae sit & voluptatibus deditus, alter verò prorsus sit his rebus demortuus, &c. Adeamus istorum domos. —Inveniemus certe alterum, libris incumbentem, vacantem rei divinae, abstinentiae, vel rebus necessarus incumbentem, habentemque cum Deoser …onem… de reb…s coelestibus diss…rentem, & Angelum potiùs agentem, quàm hominem. Alterum ver… madentem mero-dantem operam lasciviae-debacchantem —delicijs incumbentem, non solùm vivendo … mortem, sed esse mortuis longè inferiorem, perniciosiorem que Daemone agitato, & furijs. Vbi verò dies illuxit, am…ttit omnem, quam ex lasciviâ ceperat, voluptatem▪ si …dem Familiam ob mu…murantem & insectantem se …urgio conjugem, objurgantes amicos▪ …micos ludibrio se habentes recognoscit.Chrysostome excellently delineats them, and represents to the life. Let us produce two men, saith He; the one drown'd in carnall loosenesse, sensualities, and riotous excesse; the other crucified and starke dead to such sinfull courses and worldly delights: Let us goe to their houses and behold their behaviour.

We shall find the One, reading Scriptures, and other p. 45good Bookes, taking times for holy Duties and the service of God; sober, temperate, abstemious; diligent also in the necessary duties of His Calling, having holy conference with God, discoursing of Heavenly things, bearing himselfe liker an Angell, then a Man: The other, joviall, a vassall of luxury and ease, swaggering up and downe Ale-houses, Tavernes, or other such conventicles of good fellowship, hunting after all the wayes, meanes and men to passe the time merrily, plying his pleasures with what variety, hee can possibly all the day long, rayling and roaring as tho He were enraged with a Devill, tho He be starke dead, while He is alive. &c. Which is accompanied, with murmuring of the family, discontent of the wife, chiding of friends, laughing to scorne, of enemies, &c. Whether of these courses now doe you thinke were the more comfortable? I know full well the former would bee cried downe by the greatest part, as too precise: and the latter would carry it, by a world of men: but heare the Puritane Fathers impartiall holy censure, quite crosse to the common conceite, and humour of flesh and blood. It is excellent and emphaticall, arguing His resolute abomination of the wayes of goodfellowship; and infinite love and admiration of the holy Path. Having given to the Goodfellow His hearts desire all the day long in all kindes of voluptuousnesse, and delight: yet for all this, **Quis igitur, qui mentis sit compos, non potiùs optet mille obire mortes, quàm diem unum hanc vitam degere?Who is he saith He, that is in his right minde, and hath His braines in His head, that would not chuse rather to die a thousand deaths, then spend but one day so? This peremptory passage would bee holden a strange Paradoxe from the mouth of any moderne Minister, and so appeares to the carnall apprehension of all those miserable men, who are blindfolded and baffled by the Devill to the eternal losse of their Soules. But besides that, it might bee made good many other wayes, it is more then manifest by comparing that threefold sting, that dogs every sinfull delight at the p. 46heeles, &c. See my Booke of Walking with God ▪ pag. 17…. with the comfortable contentment, and secret sweetenesse, which might and should attend all well-doing, and every holy duty done with uprightnesse of heart. The very Philosophers doe tell us of a congratulation, a pleasing contentednesse and satisfaction in doing vertuously according to their morall Rules. What true, solid, and singular comfort then, doe you thinke may bee found, in those godly actions, which spring from faith, are guided by Gods Word, directed to his glory, and whose bewailed defects and failings are most certainely pardoned by the bloud of his Son? Now what an extreme madnesse is this, for a Man to sell His salvation for a life of pleasures; abhorring the wayes of Gods Childe, as too precise, and painefull; whereas besides Hell for the one, and Heaven for the other hereafter; in the meane time every day spent so sensually, is a true Purgatory: And every day passed in the contrary Christian course, is an earthly Paradise.

2. Secondly, Let them marke well the different Ends of these men.

Tho the one now carries away the credite and current of the times, and with all bravery and triumph tumbles Himselfe in the pleasures, riches, and glory of the world; and the other is kept, as they say, under batches, neglected and contemptible to carnall eyes, trampled upon with the feete of pride and malice by the prouder Pharisees, and hunted with much cruelty and hate by Men of this World: Yet watch but a while; and you shall see the End of this upright man▪ whatsoever his sorrowes and sufferings, troubles and temptations have beene in this life, to be most certainly peace at the last. Marke the perfect man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace. Psal. 37.37. He either passeth fairely, and calmely thorow the Port of Death, to the Land of everlasting rest, and p. 47reioycing; or else, if a tempest of extraordinary temptation seize upon Him in the Haven, when He is ready, to set foote into heaven, which is the Lot of many of Gods dearest Ones, for ends seeming best to the ever-blessed Majesty; as, perhaps to harden those aboue Him, that hate to be reformed, &c. Yet all the hurt he hath thereby, is upon the matter, besides serving Gods secret holy pleasure, an addition to His happinesse; for an immediate translation from the depth of temporary horrour, as in Maister Peacocke, and Mistris Bretlergh, to the height of endlesse joy, makes even the joyes of Heaven something more joyfull. Hee feeles those never-ending pleasures, at the first entrance more delicious and ravishing, by reason of the suddaine change, from that bitternesse of spirit in the last combate, to the excellency, and eternity of heavenly blisse. His Soule in this case after a short eclipse of spirituall darkenesse upon His Bed of death enters more lightsomly into the full Sunne of immortall glory. But what doe you thinke shall bee the end of the other Man? He is in the meane time, it may be, in great power, and spreading Himselfe like a greene Bay tree, revelling in the ruffe and top of all worldly jollity and wealth, wallowing dissolutely in choisest delights and vamest pleasures; yet waite but a while, and you shall see him quickely cut downe like grasse, and wither as the greene herb…. For God shall suddenly shoote at Him with a swift arrow. It is already in the bow; even a bow of steele shall send forth an arrow, that shall strike Him thorow, and shall shine on his gall. His power, and his pride shall bee overthrowne in the turne of an Hand. All his imperious boisterousnes…e shall melt away as a vaine foame. The eye which saw Him, shall …e him no more; neither shall hi… place any more behold him. He must downe into the grave naked and stript of all power and pompe; all beauty and strength: a weaker and poorer worme, then when he f…st came out of the p. 48wombe. Here further for this purpose and fuller expr…ssion of my meaning in this point, how a worthy friend of mine, instancing in the exemplary and dreadfull downe-falls of Haman, Shebnah and others, labours to fright gracelesse great Ones, out of their luxury and pride; security and sinfull pleasures; by consideration of their Ends. Oh then saith he, ye rich and great, ye proud, and cruell, Ambitious and honourable, take from their wofull examples, the true estimate of your riches, and your power, your pleasure and your honour, wherein ye trust, and whereof yee boast, but as Israell in Aegypt, of a broken reede. Consider that like sinnes, will have like ends: That God is to day and yesterday, and the same for ever: That the pride and cruelty; oppression and luxury of these times have no greater priviledge, then those of the former: But when for a while, you have domineered farre and neare, Had what you would, and done what you li…t, dispeopled Parishes and plaines for your Orchards and walkes; pulld downe many houses, to set one up; from betweene whose battlements, and turrets at the top, you can see no end of your meadowes, your fields, and your lands; the measuring whereof as the Poet speakes, would weary the very wings of the kite: When your Clientary traine hath bin too long for the streete; and your bare respect hath shooke the hat from the head, and bent the knee afarre off: when you have clapt whole Manours on your backs; or turnd them downe your throates: when you have scoured the plaine… with your horses, the fields and woods with your bounds and the heaven with your hawkes: when with pheasant… tongues you have furnisht whole feasts; and with the Queene of Aegypt drunke dissolved pearle, even fifty thousand pounds at a draught, and then laide your head… in Dalila…s lappe: When, if it were possible, yo… have spent your whole lives, in all that royall pompe, and pleasure, which that most magnificent King and Quee… did Hist. 1. for an hundred and fourescore dayes: … p. 49word, when you have wallowed in all delights, and stood in pleasures up to the chin: Then even then, the pit is digged, and death, of whom you dreame not, stands at the doore. Where are you now? Or what is to bee done? Come downe, saith Death, from your pleasant Prospects; Alight from your Iades; Hood your kites; Cupple up your curres; bid adew to pleasure; out of your beds of lust; Come naked forth, and downe with mee to the chambers of death: Make your beds in the dust; and lay downe your cold carkasses among the stones of the pit at the roots of the Rockes. And you great and delicate Dames, who are so wearied with pleasure, that you cannot rise time enough to dresse your heads, and doe all your trickes against dinner: To wash your bodies with muske, and dawbe your faces with vermilion and chalke; To make ready your pleasant baites, to poyson mens eyes, and their soules. You whorish lezabels thinke you now, you are meate for men? Nay come head-long downe to the dogs. If not suddenly so, yet dispatch and put off your caules, eare-rings, and round tyres; your chaines, bracelets and mufflers; your rings, wimples and crisping pinns; your▪ hoods, vailes and changeable sutes: your glasses, sine linnen, with all your Mundus muliebris. Isa. 3. And put on stinke, in stead of sweete smell; baldnesse in stead of well-set haire; burning in stead of beauty: Wormes shall make their nests in your brests; and shall eate out those wanton windowes, and messengers of lust. Yea rottennesse, and stinch; slime and filth shall ascend, and sit downe in the very Throne of beauty; and shall dwell betweene your eie-browes.

All this is very wofull, and yet there is a thousand times worse. Besides all this, Thou, that now laies about the for thee world and wealth; for transitory pelfe and rotten pleasures; that lies soaking in luxury and pride, vanity, and all kinde of voluptuousnesse; shalt most certainely, very shortly, lie upon thy Bed of death, like a wilde bull in a net full of the fury of the p. 50Lord; either sealing thee up finally in the desperate senselessenesse of thine owne dead heart, with the spirit of slumber, for everlasting vengeance, even at the doore; or else exemplarily enraging thy guilty conscience upon that thy last bed, with hellish horrour, even before hand. For **I say [Ordinarily] 1. First, because, Sometimes … notorious Ones▪ and yet without all …, may represent, to the eye of un-judicious By-standers, whereby they are … fearefully hardened, a notable shew of dying well. In my time, saith the French A…thor of Essaies, Three of the …ost exercr…ble persons that ever I knew in all …, and the most infamous, have been seene to die very orderly, and quietly, &c. I have also my selfe o…served some of higher place notorio…sly wicked, who by their cariage in their last sicknesse, have suggested conceits, especially to those who were willing to be hardned by their deaths, that they made a good end, as they say, whereas they had no true touch in Conscience at all, or feeling remorse for their former extreamely sinfull life. Which is occasioned sometimes, by the un-skilfulnesse of some spirituall Physitions about them, who are ready to dawbe, and draw a skin only over their un-searched sinfull sores, now at their death, as they were to play the Men-pleasers, and Sow-pillowes under … in their life time; Fellowes as excellent in palliate Cures; as utterly un-acq…ainted with the mystery of comforting afflicted Consciences aright, and speaking seasonably to such as lie upon their last Bed. Heare Master Marburies censure of such Mounteba…ks This intolerable defect, saith He, (meaning of experimentall knowledge in Ministers … it selfe more shamefully, or with greater hurt, then when Men have … death, or in time of great affliction: for at such times … want shall to helpe their poore sheepe out of the ditch, are …, and to take some other indirect course; (as many use to … in time, to make him Mans meate, lest it should be said. He …. 2. Secondly, because, Some One of them perhaps, I know not amongst how many thousands, may be …ke the Thiefe upō the Crosse. 3. Thirdly, because, Tho meete civil … utterly estranged from the life of godlinesse all their life long for the most part, may make a calme quiet and peaceable end in the eye and estimate of the world, which was never able to distinguish a secure blockishnesse from an holy security; Observation whereof hardeneth a world of people in their unsaving state: Heare Green…ams doome of such a death: They dye, saith He, like blockes: And yet the ignorant … such fearefull deaths, say…, he departed as meekely as a Lambe, he went … shall, when they might as well say (but for their fether-bed and their …, and per…shed like an Oxe in a ditch. I say, tho this sort of Men, for the most part die so; yet I have knowne some such upon the very first thought, they should certainely die, to have fallen into desperation, and could never be recovered. And altho many f…rma…l Professours, may goe to Hell with many g…od speeches, and Lord▪ Lord, in them … appeares in the f…l…sh Virgins, and those in the seuenth of Mattheww; yet I …ave …nowne of some of them; who have died very fearefully indeede, and full of cruely desperate horrour.ordinarily, the more notorious servants of Satan, and Slaves of lust, depart this life, p. 51either like Nabal, or Iudas: Tho more by many thousands die like hard-hearted sots in security, then in despaire of conscience. If it bee so with thee then, that thine heart, when thou shalt have received the sentence of death against thy selfe, die within thee as Naballs. (And most commonly, saith a worthy Devine, Conscience in many, is secure at the time of death: God in his iustice so plaguing an affected security in life, with an inflicted security at death.) I say then thou wilt become, as a stone: most prodigiously blockish; as tho there were no immortalitie of the Soule, no losse of eternall blisse; no Tribunall in Heaven, no account to bee made after this life, no burning in Hell for ever. Which will make the never-dying fire more scorching, and the ever-living worme more stinging; by how much thou wast more senselesse, and fearelesse of that fiery lake into which thou wast ready to fall. Death it selfe, saith the same Man, cannot awaken some consciences, but no sooner come they into hell, but conscience is awakened to the full, never to sleepe more, and then she teareth with implacable fury, and teacheth forlorne wretches to know, that forbearance was no payment. But if it please God to take the other course with thee, and to let loose the cord of thy conscience upon thy dying Bed; thou wilt be strangled even with Hellish horrour upon earth and damned above ground. That Worme of Hell, which is a continuall remorse, and furious reflexion of the Soule upon its owne willfull folly; whereby it hath lost everlasting ioyes, and must now lie in endlesse, easelesse and remedilesse torments, is set on worke, whilest thou art yet alive, and with desperate rage, and unspeakeable anguish will feede upon thy Soule and flesh. The least twitch whereof, not all the pleasures of ten thousand Worlds, would ever bee able to countervaile: For as the peace of a good, so the pangs of a guilty conscience are unspeakable. So that at that time, thou maist iustly take unto p. 52thy selfe Pashur's terrible name; Magor-Missabib; Feare round about: Thou wilt be a terrour to thy selfe, and to all thy friends. And that which in this wofull case will sting extremely; No friends, nor Physicke; no gould, nor silver; no height of place, nor favour of Prince; not the glory and pleasures of the whole World; not the crownes and command of all earthly kingdomes, &c. can possibly give any comfort, deliverance or ease! For when that time and terrour hath overtaken thee, which is threatned Prou. 1.24. Et seq. Because I have called, and yee refused, I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded: But yee have set a… naught all my counsell, and would none of my reproofe: I also will laugh at your calamity, and will mocke when your feare commeth. When your feare commeth as desolation, and your destruction commeth as a Whirlewinde; when distresse, and anguish commeth upon you. Then shall they call upon Me, but I will not answere; they shall seeke mee earely, but they shall not finde mee: for that they hated knowledge, and did not chuse the feare of the Lord. They would none of my counsell: they despised all my reproofe. Therefore shall they eate the fruit… of their owne way, and be filled with their owne devises. I say, when this terrible time is come upon thee; then will the mighty Lord of Heaven and earth come against thee,Hos. 13.8.Hos 13:8 as a Beare that is bereaved of her whelpes, and will rent the caule of thy heart, and will devoure thee like a Lion: Isa. 66.15.Isa 66:15He will come with fire, and with His charets like a Whirle-winde, to render His anger with fury, and His rebuke with flames of fire: All his terrours at that houre will fight against Thee, and that un…quenchable anger,Deut. 32.22.Deut 32:22 that burnes to the very bottome of Hell, and sets on fire the foundations of the mountaines: The empoysoned arrowes of His fiercest indignation shall be drunke with the bloud of thy Soule, and sticke fast in it for ever. In a word, the fearefull armies of all the plagues and curses, sorrowes and un-sufferable p. 53paines denounc'd in Gods Booke against finall Impenitents, shall with un-resistable violence take hold upon thee at once, and pursue thee with that fury, which thou shalt never bee able either to avoide, or abide. And who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? who can abide in His sight when He is angry? who can deliver out of His hand? what man or Angell; what arme of flesh or force of Armes, what creature, or created power; what Cherub or which of the Seraphins is able to free a guilty conscience from the ever-knawing Worme, and an impenitent wretch from eternal flames? Oh, Me thinkes a sensible fore-thought of these horrible things even at hand, should make the hardest heart of the most abominable Behall to tremble at the roote, and fall asunder in His brest like drops of water! To hauehave his end in his eye; and seriously to remember the tribulation, and anguish that shall shortly come upon His Soule, the affliction, the Worme wood and the gall, should fright and fire Him out of all His filthy gracelesse, good-fellow courses!