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<DATE>2011-08-26</DATE>
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<NAME>John Pas</NAME>
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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
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<P>THE GREAT ASSIZE, OR, DAY OF IVBILEE.</P>
<P>Deliuered in foure Sermons, vpon the 20. chapter of the <HI>Reuel.</HI> ver. 12.13.14.15.</P>
<P><HI>Whereunto are annexed two Ser|mons vpon the</HI> 1. <HI>chapter of the Canticles, ver&s;e</HI> 6.7</P>
<P>The &s;econd Impre&s;&s;ion, corrected and amended by the Authour SAMVEL SMITH, Mini&s;ter of the word of God at Prittlewell in E&s;&s;ex.</P>
<Q><BIBL><HI>Math. 12.36.</HI></BIBL>
<P>I &s;ay vnto you, That of euery idle word that men &s;hall &s;peake, they &s;hall giue an ac|count thereof at the day of Iudgement.</P></Q>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed by NICHOLAS OKES, 1617.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="5">
<PB REF="5">
<HEAD>&leaf; TO THE RIGHT WOR|SHIPFVL AND VER|tuous Gentlewoman, Mi&s;tre&s;&s;e IANE ELIOT of <HI>Newland Hall,</HI> SAMVEL SMITH, wi&s;heth the en|crea&s;e of all true comfort in this <HI>life, and eternall happine&s;&s;e in the next.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_RIGHT Wor|&s;hipful, the Apo|&s;tle <HI>Paul</HI> hath told vs, That <HI>In the la&s;t dayes &s;hall come perillous times, For men &s;hall
<PB REF="6"> bee louers of their owne &s;elues, couetous, boa&s;ters, prowd, cur|&s;ed &s;peakers, Di&s;obe|dient to parents, vn|thankefull, vnholie, without Natural affe|ction, Truce-brea|kers, fal&s;e accu&s;ers, in|temperate, fierce, no Louers at all of them which are good, tray|tours, heady, high-minded, Louers of plea&s;ures, more then
<PB REF="6"> louers of God, hauing a &s;hew of godline&s;&s;e, but yet denie the po|wer thereof:</HI> And they are the words of our Sa|uiour him&s;elfe: that <HI>as it was in the dayes of</HI> Noah, <HI>So &s;hall the comming of the Son of man be.</HI> And againe, <HI>vvhen the Sonne of man commeth, &s;hall hee finde Faith vpon earth?</HI> When were the&s;e perilous times Saint <HI>Pe|ter</HI>
<PB REF="7"> &s;peaketh of, if not now? When was there the like &s;ecuritie? When gaue men them&s;elues ouer to their owne hearts lu&s;t more then now? By the which then wee &s;ee that we are they, <HI>Vpon whom the ends of the world are come:</HI> and that wee mu&s;t all &s;hortly be called to accompt for the&s;e things: The <HI>Ni|neuites</HI> fa&s;t and repent, the <HI>Publicans</HI> do feare
<PB REF="7"> and quake, when <HI>Io|nas</HI> cryeth to the one, and <HI>Iohn</HI> to the other of iudgement to come. <HI>A|hab</HI> is humbled, and <HI>Felix</HI> trembles, when from <HI>Elias</HI> and <HI>Paule</HI> they heare of death and Judgement: yet alas, where is the man among vs, that thinkes of the&s;e things? <HI>Doe not men crie, Peace, peace, till de&s;truction come vp|on them, as the Tra|uell
<PB REF="8"> vpon a woman with childe:</HI> Shee thinketh not of the paine vntill it come, and they thinke not of this day of recko|ning till it come. This is the &s;ecurity of our Age: &s;o that we may now looke for an end to be put vnto the&s;e &s;innefull daies: for vvhat are they but the fore-runners of that la&s;t and dreadfull day? The Lord make vs wi&s;e be|times, that we may think
<PB REF="8"> of that <HI>Great A&s;si&s;e,</HI> and the account that we are then to make. I haue heere endeauoured in a weake mea&s;ure to vnfold the Doctrine of the day of Judgement, the which J here pre&s;ent vnto your Wor&s;hip, in regard of the demon&s;tration of my vn|fained thankefulnes for your extraordinary kind|ne&s;&s;e be&s;towed vpon me: As al&s;o in regard of the great affection, and good
<PB REF="9"> deuotion you beare to the Truth: Accept therfore I pray you, what is heere offred vnto you, and take in good part my indeuour therein: &s;o I humbly take my leaue, Re&s;ting</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Your Wor&s;hips in all Chri&s;tian duetie to be commanded, SAMVEL SMITH.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
<PB REF="9">
<HEAD>&leaf; To the Chri&s;tian Reader, Grace and Peace from IESVS CHRIST the <HI>Prince of Peace.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_CHri&s;tian Reader, I pre&s;ent heere vnto thy view, the third pub|lique fruite of my Mini&s;terie, wherein I haue endeuoured, that tho&s;e e&s;pecially of mine owne Hearers, might a &s;e|cond time take notice of my Exer|ci&s;es, that in publike I deliuered vnto them. <HI>The night commeth
<PB REF="10"> when no man can worke:</HI> there|fore it &s;tands vs all in hand, both Mini&s;ter and People, to e&s;teeme of <HI>Time</HI> as the mo&s;t precious thing in the world; and the rather, becau&s;e we know not how &s;oone we &s;hall be called to an account of our <HI>Works.</HI> Many haue had many times many good purpo&s;es of hart to cleaue vn|to the Lord, that haue beene pre|uented by Death, for want of time|ly Repentance. It &s;hall then be our wi&s;edome, <HI>To agree with our Aduer&s;arie while wee are in the way with him;</HI> for if wee be but once arre&s;ted by Death, we &s;hall be &s;ure <HI>to pay the vtmo&s;t farthing.</HI> V&s;e this as a help vnto thee, to bet|ter thee in the performance of that dutie which concerns thee &s;o near|ly, <HI>That thou mu&s;t one day giue an accompt of thy Workes.</HI> If thou reape any benefit by it, giue the prai&s;e vnto God, <HI>from whom
<PB REF="10"> euery good &amp; perfect gift pro|ceedeth;</HI> and help me in thy prai|ers, which I &s;hall take as a full re|compence of all my Labours, and be encoraged to &s;pend &s;ome houres more in the like dueties for thy good. In the meane time I remaine</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Thine in the common Sauiour, SAMVEL SMITH.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
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<BODY>
<DIV1 N="1" TYPE="sermon">
<PB REF="11">
<PB N="1" REF="11">
<HEAD>THE GREAT ASSIZE. The fir&s;t Sermon.</HEAD>
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL><HI>REVEL. 20.11.12. &amp;c.</HI></BIBL>
<P><BIBL><HI>11</HI></BIBL> And I &s;awe a great white Throne, and him that &s;ate on it, from who&s;e Face fled away both the Earth and the Heauen, and their place was no more found.</P>
<P><BIBL><HI>12</HI></BIBL> And I &s;aw the dead both &s;mall and great &s;tand before God: and
<PB N="2" REF="12"> the Bookes were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of Life: &amp; the dead vvere iudged of tho&s;e things vvhich vvere vvritten in the books, according to their deeds.</P>
<P><BIBL><HI>13</HI></BIBL> And the Sea gaue vp her dead which were in her: and Death and Hell deliuered vp the dead that were in them; and they were iudged euery man accor|ding to his deeds.</P>
<P><BIBL><HI>14</HI></BIBL> And death and hell were ca&s;t into the lake of fire: this is the &s;econd death.</P>
<P><BIBL><HI>15</HI></BIBL> And who&s;oeuer was not found written in the booke of life, was ca&s;t into the lake of fire.</P></Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>_HAVING &s;poken (not long &s;ince) of the Comming of CHRIST into his Garden,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Cant. 5.1.</NOTE> or into his
<PB N="3" REF="12"> Church, and of his kinde and princely offers vnto vs, &s;uing for entertainment at our hands, being his fir&s;t comming vnto vs heere in this vale of Teares: I thought it verie nece&s;&s;arie to &s;peake &s;omething of his &s;econd comming; that tho&s;e that will not be moued with the former, might be terrified with the lat|ter.</P>
<P>To which purpo&s;e I haue made choyce of this place of Scripture, in which this matter (as you &s;ee) is at large de&s;cri|bed, with many nece&s;&s;ary circu~|&s;tances, needfull to be knowne and learned of euerie one of vs all. For heere the &s;econd com|ming of Chri&s;t is reuealed to Saint <HI>Iohn</HI> in a vi&s;ion from Hea|uen, euen in that manner, in which Chri&s;t will come at the la&s;t day: For the&s;e fiue Ver&s;es
<PB N="4" REF="13"> containe in them nothing el&s;e, but a liuely and heauenly de|&s;cription of the &s;econd coming of Chri&s;t to Iudgement, with all the circum&s;tances belong|ing to the &s;ame.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">The parts of the Text.</NOTE>For fir&s;t, if you would know with what Maie&s;tie, Power, In|tegritie, <MILESTONE N="1"> Seueritie, and Terrour, this great Iudge will come, you may &s;ee the per&s;on of the Iudge de&s;cribed in the fir&s;t ver&s;e of this pre&s;ent Text.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, if you would vn|der&s;tand what per&s;ons mu&s;t be cited and &s;ummoned, who mu&s;t appeare: Saint <HI>Iohn</HI> &s;aith heere, he <HI>Sawe the dead both great and &s;mall,</HI> &s;tand before the Iudge: all that euer are, that haue been, or &s;hall bee vnto the end of the World, mu&s;t appeare before the Throne of CHRIST IE|SVS.</P>
<PB N="5" REF="13">
<P>Thirdly, if you de&s;ire to be <MILESTONE N="3"> in&s;tructed by what meanes, and after what maner CHRIST IE|SVS wil proceed in iudgement: What &s;hall be the Euidences and the Witne&s;&s;es: What Iury &s;hall pa&s;&s;e vpon euery man and woman: The holy Gho&s;t tells vs, that <HI>the Bookes &s;hall be opened,</HI> that God will Iudge euery man by his owne con&s;cience; for that &s;hall giue euidence, eyther with or again&s;t thee, either to excu&s;e or accu&s;e thee.</P>
<P>Fourthly, and la&s;tly, if you <MILESTONE N="4"> would know what &s;hall be the finall end of all men, you may heere perceiue, that they vvho&s;e Names are written in the Booke of Life, &s;hall bee <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed;</HI> But Death and Hell, and Sathan, and all vngodlie &s;inners &s;hall bee ca&s;t into a Lake of Fire and Brim&s;tone
<PB N="6" REF="14"> for euermore, which is the &s;e|cond death.</P>
<P>Now hauing &s;eene the mea|ning of the Text; let vs come to &s;peake of the &s;euerall points, one by one in order.</P>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>I &s;aw a great white Throne, &amp;c.</HEAD>
<P>THis Ver&s;e containes in it a notable De&s;cription of the Iudge him&s;elfe. And whereas S. <HI>Iohn</HI> &s;aith, <HI>he &s;aw a great white Throne;</HI> that is, Chri&s;t Ie&s;us re|uealed it vnto him in a Vi&s;ion; the manner of his &s;econd com|ming to iudgement; and with|all, commandeth him to write it in a booke, for the comfort and in&s;truction of the Church of God for euermore.</P>
<P>Heere then we may note the great care and loue of IESVS CHRIST, towards his poore
<PB N="7" REF="14"> Church and people, that hee would not haue them ignorant of his &s;econd comming to Iudgement: But he doth make it knowne to his Di&s;ciple <HI>Iohn,</HI> and bids him record it in the booke of God for our in&s;tructi|on, that &s;o no man might be ig|norant of it: but rather might prepare him&s;elfe by true repen|tance, to meete the Lord Ie&s;us Chri&s;t in the Clouds.</P>
<P>Now concerning the Vi&s;i|on, Saint <HI>Iohn &s;aw a Great white Throne:</HI> he &s;aw a throne &s;et, and this Throne is de&s;cribed by two properties: Fir&s;t a <HI>Great Throne;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Great Throne.</NOTE> &s;econdy, a <HI>white Throne.</HI> The fir&s;t &s;hewes the wonderfull Might, Maie&s;tie, and Power, of the Iudge. The &s;econd &s;hewes the Puritie, Integritie, and Vp|rightne&s;&s;e of the great Iudge of the whole world.</P>
<PB N="8" REF="15">
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 25.31</NOTE>And as it was &s;hewed vnto <HI>Iohn</HI> in a Vi&s;ion, &s;o our Sauiour Chri&s;t him&s;elfe &s;peaketh of it, when he &s;hewes, that as earthly Kings, vvhen they will make &s;hevv of their Regall Power, and Dignitie, of their Ma|ie&s;tie; they a&s;cend into the Thrones of their Kingdome: euen &s;o Chri&s;t Ie&s;us, when hee comes to Iudgement, hee will come with all glorie, all his holie Angells &s;hall attend on his Sacred per&s;on: And then hee will a&s;cend into this <HI>Great white Throne</HI> of his Glorie, to pronounce that finall &s;entence both on the Sheepe and on the Goates.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e"> Here then we &s;ee a manife&s;t difference betweene Chri&s;ts comming in the fle&s;h, to bee a Mediator and Redeemer, and his &s;econd comming to Iudge|ment.
<PB N="9" REF="15"> And &s;urely it makes much for the comfort of Gods poore children, that though heere they be in want, in mi&s;ery, and pouerty, yet they &s;hall be made partakers of this glorie of their head Chri&s;t Ie&s;us. Secondly, it &s;erueth to a&s;toni&s;h all hard-hearted &s;inners, which con|temne Chri&s;t and his poore members: Chri&s;t will at la&s;t manife&s;t his power in their iu&s;t condemnation.</P>
<P>Seeing the per&s;on of the <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="V&s;e"> Iudge is of &s;uch endle&s;&s;e po|wer, and glorie, of &s;uch won|derfull might and maie&s;tie: this mu&s;t humble all men, vvhen they come to &s;tand in pre&s;ence of &s;o great a Per&s;on as wee doe vvhen vvee come to heare the Word Preached and Taught, to receiue the holy Sacrament. If wee were to come but into
<PB N="10" REF="16"> the pre&s;ence of an earthlie Prince, how carefull and cir|cum&s;pectly vvould vve behaue our &s;elues, to do nothing vnbe|&s;eeming the pre&s;ence of &s;o great a per&s;on. This is the great care men haue, when they come in|to the pre&s;ence of an earthlie iudge, to put off their hats, and to &s;hew al tokens of reuerence: And yet it is a wonder, to &s;ee how vnreuerently men and wo|men come into the pte&s;ence of the Euer-liuing and mo&s;t high God, vnto the pre&s;ence of the great Iudge of Heauen and Earth, the King of Kings, and Lord of lords. When we come to pray, or to &s;ing P&s;almes vnto God, hovv vnreuerently doe &s;ome &s;it vvith their hattes on? would any man do it in the pre|&s;ence of an earthly iudge, or a mortall pre&s;ence? Surely it is an
<PB N="11" REF="16"> vnreuerent behauiour, to &s;it co|uered, eyther when wee &s;peake vnto God by Prayer, or vvhen GOD &s;peaketh vnto vs in his word.</P>
<P>Againe, when men come to heare the vvord of this great Iudge, the glorious Go&s;pell of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t: when they reade it priuately in their hou&s;es: It is wonderfull to &s;ee what little re|uerence they &s;hew in the glori|ous pre&s;ence of this great Iudge. Would anie earthlie Prince take it in good part, if thou &s;houlde&s;t &s;tand in his pre|&s;ence, and he talke with thee for thy good, and thou &s;hould&s;t e|uen at that time turne thy backe vpon him, and fall to wiping of thy &s;hoes, or &s;ome ba&s;er bu&s;i|ne&s;&s;e? Though men dare not do this in the pre&s;ence of an earth|ly prince: yet when Ie&s;us Chri&s;t
<PB N="12" REF="17"> &s;hall &s;peake vnto them in his Word and Go&s;pell, they will more regard the vaine and foo|li&s;h talke of anie Boy or Girle that &s;hall prattle in their eares, then the heauenly voyce of this great Iudge CHRIST IESVS. Which &s;hewes very plainely, that they care not for CHRIST, and that they make but &s;mall account of his Word and glo|rious Go&s;pel. Oh therefore let vs con&s;ider when we come, ey|ther to &s;peake to God by our praiers, or to heare Chri&s;t &s;peak vnto vs in his Word; that wee come to appeare in a glorious pre&s;ence; that &s;o we may come in feare and reuerence, as be|commeth the pre&s;ence of &s;o great a maie&s;tie.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="V&s;e"> Seeing the Per&s;on of the Iudge is of &s;uch endle&s;&s;e Maie|&s;tie, and power, we mu&s;t take
<PB N="13" REF="17"> heede we neuer doe wrong anie of his poore members; for <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> hee taketh it as done vnto him|&s;elfe, and hee will neuer put it vp at our hands. Let vs there|fore embrace the coun&s;ell of the Prophet <HI>Dauid,</HI> in the &s;econd <HI>P&s;alme</HI> and twelfth ver&s;e, <HI>Ki&s;&s;e the Sonne le&s;t hee be angrie, &amp;c.</HI> let vs regard his word, embrace his Go&s;pell, loue his people, o|bey his truth, ki&s;&s;e the golden Scepter of this great and migh|tie Iudge of the world, le&s;t in his anger he breake vs in peeces with his rod of yron.</P>
<P>Secondly,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 White Throne.</NOTE> this Throne of CHRIST IESVS is called a <HI>White Throne.</HI> Now this white Throne, it betokeneth puritie, beautie, &s;inceritie, and integri|tie: And therefore it &s;heweth that CHRIST IESVS the Iudge of the whole world, will
<PB N="14" REF="18"> iudge all cau&s;es, and all per|&s;ons, vprightly, &s;incerely, and purely: no crueltie, no iniu&s;tice, nor wrong will hee doe to anie creature, but will proceed mo&s;t &s;incerely in all vprightne&s;&s;e. In|deed, iudgement in this world many times &s;warueth greatly: &s;ometimes the Iudge is not able to &s;earch into the depth of the Cau&s;e: &s;ometimes for feare he dareth not doe iu&s;tice: &s;ome|times for fauour he is with-hol|den: &s;ometimes bribes blind his eies, and peruert the right &s;en|tence. But it &s;hall not be &s;o with this Iudge of the whole world. His &s;entence is a righteous &s;en|tence, he will iudge according to trueth: he is able to finde out any cau&s;e, and will examine it to the bottome: hee feareth no mans per&s;on, he will not be mo|ued with fauor to conceale the
<PB N="15" REF="18"> truth. And as for rewards, hee contemnes them all; therefore no doubt hee will proceede ac|cording to iu&s;tice.</P>
<P>This &s;erueth for the comfort <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> of Gods people in this world: we &s;ee oftentimes the righteous cau&s;e is troden vnder foot, mens lands and liuings are detained, and taken from them by vnrigh|teous Iudges, and that vnder colour of Law. Well, let men haue patience, and know this, that there wil come a day, wher|in there &s;hal be Iu&s;tice and true Iudgement doone vnto them. Here thy cau&s;e &s;hall be heard, it &s;hal be righted; for Chri&s;t Ie&s;us will bee a righteous Iudge for the poore, the fatherle&s;&s;e, and the widow. Againe, we &s;ee how the members of CHRIST, which make con&s;cience of &s;inne, and care of their liues, to heare the
<PB N="16" REF="19"> word, and to walke according|ly, they be di&s;graced and de&s;pi|&s;ed of the world. Well, let vs learn here to po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e our &s;oules with patience: for there will come a day of reckoning, when as our righteous cau&s;e will bee heard, and we &s;hall haue iu&s;tice, and all the contemners of Chri&s;t Ie&s;us, and per&s;ecutors of his poore members, &s;hall feele the &s;mart of it.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="V&s;e"> Secondly, &s;eeing Chri&s;t Ie|&s;us the Iudge commeth thus with might and Maie&s;tie, not as a Sauiour or Mediator, but as a Iudge: It mu&s;t admoni&s;h all men and women now to re|pent and turne vnto God in the time of mercy;<NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;ay 55.6.</NOTE> <HI>to &s;eeke the Lorde while he may be found, and to call vpon him while hee is neere.</HI> Now while we liue, Ie|&s;us Chri&s;t commeth vnto vs by
<PB N="17" REF="19"> his Mini&s;ters, as a Sauiour to &s;aue our Soules, in mercie to bring vs to Repentance. But after this life hee will no more come as a Sauiour, or a Media|tor, but as a mightie Iudge full of Maie&s;tie, full of Might, Po|wer, and Glory. And therefore looke how men die, &s;o &s;hall the Iudge finde them. If thou die in thy &s;innes, and doe&s;t not re|pent, and &s;eeke for pardon at the hand of the Iudge, while&s;t thou liue&s;t heere; There is no hope of mercy after death. For how death leaueth thee, &s;o &s;hall iudgement finde thee. <HI>Cain</HI> di|ed many thou&s;and yeares agoe; and <HI>Iudas</HI> in their &s;ins: &s;o &s;hall the la&s;t day find them. For after death, there is no mercy; but iu|&s;tice and iudgement.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="18" REF="20">
<HEAD>And one fitting thereon.</HEAD>
<P>NOw who this is, which &s;ate vppon this <HI>Great White Throne,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">The Per|&s;on of the Iudge de|&s;cribed. Reu. 14.14.</NOTE> you may &s;ee in the <HI>Re|uelation</HI> of Saint <HI>Iohn,</HI> the foure|teenth chapter, and the foure|teenth ver&s;e, <HI>I &s;awe a White Cloud, and one &s;itting on it like the Sonne of man, hauing on his head a golden Crowne, and in his hand a &s;harpe Sickle.</HI> So that wee &s;ee that it is the Sonne of man, e|uen CHRIST IESVS GOD and man, that &s;halbe the iudge: And &s;o doth Saint <HI>Mathew</HI> call him:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 25.31</NOTE> <HI>When the Sonne of man co|meth in his glorie, and all his ho|lie Angells with him, then &s;hall hee &s;it vpon the Throne of his glo|rie.</HI> And againe, he titles him by the name of a King;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;e 24.</NOTE> <HI>Then &s;hall the King &s;ay to them on his right
<PB N="19" REF="20"> hand, &amp;c.</HI> This is taught by the Apo&s;tle, <HI>Wee mu&s;t all appeare be|fore the iudgement &s;eate of Chri&s;t.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">.1 Cor. 5.10</NOTE></P>
<P>True it is that our Sauiour Chri&s;t is King, Prie&s;t, and Pro|phet; a true Prophet, in whom vvas contayned all the &s;ecrets and whole coun&s;ell of God: A true <HI>high Prie&s;t,</HI> who&s;e Sacrifice alone was able to put avvay the &s;innes of the vvhole world. But when he comes in the <HI>Throne of his Maie&s;tie,</HI> to iudge the quicke and the dead, he &s;hall not come as Prie&s;t or Prophet; for the&s;e Offices of Chri&s;t are fini&s;hed. For his Propheticall Office, he hath &s;ufficiently reuealed the whole coun&s;ell of God his Fa|ther to his Church and People: Fir&s;t by his holy Prophets; then by him&s;elfe; after, by his Apo|&s;tles and Min&s;ters. And there|fore &s;eeing that his Prophetical
<PB N="20" REF="21"> Office is fini&s;hed, he calles not him&s;elfe a Prophet, but a King. Againe, CHRIST IESVS our Prie&s;t, hauing once for all offe|red vp that Propiciatory Sacri|fice, for the &s;innes of all the E|lect; now this Office of a Prie&s;t is likewi&s;e fini&s;hed, and this Sa|crifice mu&s;t be no more itera|ted and repeated. But now hee commeth as a King, in all Ma|ie&s;tie and Glorie. For though his Propheticall and Prie&s;tlie Office be accompli&s;hed: yet his Princely Office is not fini&s;hed. But now CHRIST IESVS the Iudge of quicke and dead, &s;hall beginne to manife&s;t him&s;elfe to be a King to all Nations, to men and Angells: Novv &s;hall hee &s;hevv him&s;elfe to be King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, full of all Diuine and Heauenly power and glory; For that now
<PB N="21" REF="21"> at the name of CHRIST euery knee &s;hall bow. When our Sa|uiour IESVS CHRIST liued on earth, he came in mi&s;ery, ve|ry ba&s;e and lowly; euery childe dur&s;t look him in the face. Then euery ba&s;e fellow, euery &s;infull wretch, dur&s;t mock him and &s;pit in his face. <HI>Herod</HI> and <HI>Pontius Pi|late,</HI> and the rabble of the Iews, dur&s;t then v&s;e him at their plea|&s;ure. But now, Hee &s;hall come as a King, full of maie&s;tie and glorie, guarded and attended vpon with many thou&s;ands of heauenly Souldiours, euen all his holie Angells; and then he will make <HI>Herod</HI> and <HI>Pontius Pi|late,</HI> yea the greate&s;t Kings and Monarchs to &s;toope. Nay then, all his enemies &s;hall <HI>tremble and quake, Zach. chap.</HI> 12 <HI>ver.</HI> 10. and not dare to open their mouthes again&s;t him. Oh then! what a
<PB N="22" REF="22"> terrour may this bee to all vvic|ked and vngodlie &s;inners, that liue in &s;inne, to &s;ee him come in that wonderfull Maie&s;tie, to be their Iudge, whom they haue contemned, vvho&s;e members they haue per&s;ecuted, and who&s;e word and glorious Go&s;|pel they haue not regarded, but troden vnder foot: for he &s;hall come with a &s;harpe two-edged Sword to cut them in peeces, and a con&s;uming fire to burne vp all vngodlie &s;inners.</P>
<P>And as hee is a King to the vvicked, &s;o is hee a King to the godlie. Hee alone hath the Scepter of <HI>Dauid,</HI> to the end|le&s;&s;e comfort of tho&s;e that bee the children of his Kingdome. For who is it that curbs <HI>Leuia|than,</HI> &s;naffles the Diuell, bride|leth his force and malice? Sure|ly this our King. Who is it that
<PB N="23" REF="22"> cuts the throate of &s;inne in his members, and taketh away the &s;trength of &s;inne? Surelie this King of Kings. Who breaketh the bra&s;&s;e barres of Death, and pulleth out the &s;ting of Death? Our &s;innes, that they &s;ting not our &s;oules to the eternall death. None can doe that but this our King CHRIST IESVS. Who opens the gate of heauen? who puts his &s;pirit into the hearts of his children, making them to crie <HI>Abba, Father?</HI> to lift vp their &s;oules, and with ioy to long af|ter this Kingdome of Heauen? Surely, it is none other in Hea|uen or earth, but this our graci|ous King: who being the onely immortall and wi&s;e GOD, ha|uing the Key of Heauen and of the bottomle&s;&s;e Pitte; he alone can kill and make aliue, hee a|lone can lift vp to Heauen, and<PB N="24" REF="23"> &s;end to Hell: hee alone, and none but hee, can &s;aue and de|&s;troy. O vvhat a comfort is this vnto all the poore Members of CHRIST IESNS? For vvhat greater ioy and comfort can there bee to anie poore &s;oule then this, to know; that he that is their Iudge, is their Sauiour, a &s;weet Redeemer, a mercifull Iudge vnto them? he will neuer condemne his owne members: Nay, he will crowne them with his ovvne Selfe, and vvith his owne Glorie.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e."> What mu&s;t this teach vs? Surely, &s;eeing our Iudge is a King, and that he alone is able to &s;aue and to de&s;troy: this mu&s;t teach vs euery man and woman (in the feare of God) to yeelde to this King that true loyaltie, that &s;incere obedience, and &s;er|uice, which this our King requi|reth
<PB N="25" REF="23"> of vs in his ble&s;&s;ed word:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Malac. 1.6</NOTE> <HI>If I he a Father, where is mine ho|nour? If I be a Lord, where is my feare,</HI> &s;aith the Lord. So vvill Chri&s;t &s;ay; If I be a King, where is that loyaltie, &s;eruice, and obe|dience, that is due vnto mee? Now Chri&s;t Ie&s;us is a Spiritu|all King; and therefore he will be &s;erued in Spirit and Trueth. O then let vs all, with a godly purpo&s;e of heart, yeeld, and re|&s;igne our &s;elues, bodies and &s;oules to honour this King, and to performe vnto him true and &s;pirituall obedience for euer|more. Alas, it is not externall and outward &s;eruice, which hee expects: he is not like an earth|ly king; but he regards the heart and the &s;oule, that is a &s;peciall thing in his &s;eruice. And if wee &s;hall thus performe this &s;piritu|all &s;eruice and obedience; then
<PB N="26" REF="24"> wee &s;hall &s;hew our &s;elues to bee his loyall and dutifull Subiects, and then will he acknowledge vs for his Seruants: But if wee denie to him this &s;eruice of the heart, and giue it to anie other, he will then ca&s;t vs off for euer|more.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Seueritie of the Iudge de|&s;cribed.</NOTE>Thus much of the Maie&s;tie of the Iudge, and of his &s;ince|ritie and vprightne&s;&s;e in iudge|ment. Now in the de&s;cription of the Iudge, it is further added; that from the face of this Iudge, both <HI>The Heauen and the Earth flee away:</HI> And this doth &s;hevv the wonderfull &s;eueritie of this great Iudge of Heauen and Earth. We know that men flie tho&s;e things that they feare and dread: So here the Heauen and Earth do feare the glorious pre|&s;ence of IESVS CHRIST the great iudge of the whole world,
<PB N="27" REF="24"> and &s;eeke to hide them&s;elues, that they may not appeare be|fore him. This flying of the Earth and the Heauens, and hi|ding them&s;elues that they dare not appeare in the pre&s;ence of CHRIST: this &s;hews the won|derfull maie&s;tie, and the great &s;eueritie and terror of CHRIST IESVS the Iudge: from whence we ob&s;erue a three-fold in&s;tru|ction.</P>
<P>The Heauens and the Earth <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e"> are voyde of &s;en&s;e, they are great and mightie Creatures: Agayne, they be verie goodly and beautifull Creatures: Be|&s;ides all this, they neuer com|mitted anie &s;inne: Hovv com|meth it to pa&s;&s;e then, that they &s;hal flie &amp; hide them&s;elues from the glorious pre&s;ence of the Son of God? <HI>An&s;.</HI> They neuer &s;inned indeed, but yet the &s;inne
<PB N="28" REF="25"> of man is of that force, that it hath infected both the earth we treade on, and the heauens o|uer our heads, many thou&s;and miles aboue vs. Oh then, &s;ee how mon&s;trous a thing &s;inne is in the &s;ight of Almightie God: what a vile thing, that the con|tagion and infection thereof &s;hould hurt &amp; infect the whole Heauens, and make them that they dare not abide the glori|ous pre&s;ence of God their Cre|ator. O, &s;hould we not abhorre &s;inne as the vile&s;t thing in the world? Wee are afraide of the plague, becau&s;e it infecteth and killeth mens bodies: But the plague of Sinne is a thou&s;and times, and more, to be abhor|red and fledde from; &s;eeing it poy&s;ons and infects both bodie and &s;oule; &amp; is &s;o contagious, that the creature is afraid to be|hold
<PB N="29" REF="25"> the face of the Sonne of God.</P>
<P>Seeing both Heauen and <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="V&s;e"> Earth &s;hall flie and peri&s;h from before the glorious pre&s;ence of Chri&s;t Ie&s;us: Nay, they &s;hall burne with fire, as <HI>Peter</HI> &s;aith: 2. <HI>Pet.</HI> 3.10.11. All the&s;e goodlie hou&s;es, all thy golde and &s;iluer, and co&s;tly apparell &s;halbe burnt with fire: this may teach vs mo|deration and &s;obriety, in the v&s;e of Gods creatures. What folly is it, to &s;pend al that a man hath to build a &s;tately hou&s;e; and yet in the end, it mu&s;t be con|&s;umed with fire, and become nothing el&s;e but fevvell for the fire?</P>
<P>That &s;eeing the heauens and <MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="V&s;e"> the earth, the&s;e great and migh|tie Creatures, the&s;e beautifull and excellent works of almigh|tie Gods power, which haue no
<PB N="30" REF="26"> &s;en&s;e, nor feeling, nor neuer &s;inned: if the&s;e &s;hall flie before the Sonne of GOD, as being not able to indure his pre&s;ence: Alas, what &s;hall wicked and hard-hearted &s;inners doe? what &s;hall become of the vile wret|ches of the world, which liue and delight in &s;inne? <HI>where &s;hall the vngodlie and &s;inner appeare?</HI> what will become of all igno|rant &s;oules? what will become of the Bla&s;phemer and Adulte|rer? If the Heauens and the Earth, the&s;e great and glorious creatures which &s;inne not, &s;hall not be able to &s;tand in his pre|&s;ence; Then, what I &s;ay, will become of all prophane and vn|godly &s;inners? Alas, they &s;hall be euen at their wittes end, not knovving in the world which way to turne them, nor where to flie for &s;uccour? vvhere &s;hall
<PB N="31" REF="26"> they &s;eeke for refuge, when as the Iudge him&s;elfe is their ene|my? who dares pleade for them? dare any Saint or Angell? No, no: no Saint or Angell dares open their mouth to &s;peake one word in their behalfe; neyther can any creature deliuer them from the dreadfull vengeance of this terrible Iudge.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL><HI>Ver&s;e 12.</HI></BIBL> And I &s;aw the dead both great and &s;mall.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>THvs haue you &s;eene the per&s;on of the Iudge de&s;cri|bed by his wonderfull maie&s;tie and povver,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The per|&s;ons that &s;hall ap|peare be|fore this Iudge de|&s;cribed.</NOTE> wherevvith he will come to iudgement; and al&s;o by the great &s;everitie and terrour that &s;hal a&s;toni&s;h both the hea|uen and the earth, and make them to flie from before his pre&s;ence.</P>
<PB N="32" REF="27">
<P>Now in this Ver&s;e, and that which follovveth, is declared who be they that &s;hall appeare before this great Iudge. Name|ly, <HI>I &s;aw the dead, both great and &s;mall, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, the euidences that &s;hall bee brought in, and vvhat witne&s;&s;es &s;hall be produced, ei|ther to excu&s;e, or accu&s;e, in the&s;e words; <HI>And the Books were opened.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Obiect."><HI>And I &s;aw the dead, both great and &s;mall, &amp;c.</HI> Before we come to &s;peake of the wordes, heere may a que&s;tion ari&s;e: Namely, How this can be true that Saint <HI>Iohn</HI> &s;aith, <HI>He &s;aw the dead, both great and &s;mall?</HI> For we beleeue that Chri&s;t Ie&s;us &s;hall iudge both quicke and dead; not one|ly the dead, but the liuing: and <HI>Paul</HI> &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 15.</NOTE> <HI>Wee &s;hall not all die, but we &s;hal be changed:</HI> they that
<PB N="33" REF="27"> be liuing at his comming. Then how doth this place agree with them, &s;eeing S. <HI>Iohn</HI> &s;aith heere, <HI>He &s;aw the dead?</HI> Heere is none &s;poken of, but the dead, no men|tion of the liuing.</P>
<P>I an&s;were. Saint <HI>Iohn</HI> &s;aith, <MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;w."> that <HI>He &s;aw the dead:</HI> Not that he &s;aw not the liuing too. For he &s;aw (no doubt) both quicke and dead &s;tand before God. But hee &s;peaketh heere, onelie of tho&s;e, of whom there might be &s;ome doubt. For if the dead, and they which haue beene rot|ten &s;o many thou&s;and yeares, &s;hall appeare, and &s;tand before God: How can we thinke that any of the liuing &s;hall be wan|ting? if that they which haue beene dead for &s;ixe thou&s;and yeares, and are turned to a&s;hes, &s;hall be brought to iudgement: then (no doubt) they which be
<PB N="34" REF="28"> found liuing when Chri&s;t &s;hall come to iudgement: So then, it is euident, that though Saint <HI>Iohn</HI> &s;peake heere onelie of the dead, becau&s;e there might be mo&s;t doubt of them: yet he &s;aid, in a vi&s;ion all men, both quicke and dead, &s;tand before almigh|tie God at the Barre of IESVS CHRIST.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Doct.</HI> Comfort to the godly that they &s;hall ri&s;e againe</NOTE><HI>I &s;aw the dead.</HI> Hence may wee ray&s;e a double Doctrine: Fir&s;t, a notable comfort for the &s;oules of Gods children; name|ly, that the dead bodies of Gods children do not peri&s;h; they are not ca&s;t away, and lo&s;t, when they die, but they &s;hall ri&s;e a|gaine. They &s;hall bee purified and made a glorious bodie; and they &s;hall &s;tand in the pre&s;ence of the Lord Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, and &s;hall &s;ee his glorie. And there|fore let vs not thinke, that when
<PB N="35" REF="28"> death commeth and &s;eparateth the &s;oule from the body, that then the body doth peri&s;h, and is ca&s;t away: No, no: it &s;hall ri&s;e agayne: it is but layd in the Graue, as in a &s;ure Che&s;t; and there it is at ea&s;e, and lieth a|&s;leepe, as in a bedde of dowlne: But when CHRIST IESVS &s;hall come to iudgement, it &s;hall ri&s;e againe. For we mu&s;t know that euerie true beleeuer is made a member of CHRIST. And not onely our &s;oules are vnited to Chri&s;t, but euen our dead bo|dies, when they be layd in the Graue; they &s;till remayne the deare members of his my&s;ticall Bodie, and therefore &s;hall not peri&s;h, but ri&s;e againe to glorie. And for our further confirma|tion in this poynt of Re&s;urrecti|on,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Re&s;urre|ction pro|ued.</NOTE> let vs &s;ee how it is confir|med to vs by the te&s;timonie of
<PB N="36" REF="29"> the holy Scriptures: as that of <HI>Daniel;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 12.13</NOTE> <HI>They that &s;leep in the du&s;t &s;hall avvake, &s;ome to euerla&s;ting life, and &s;ome to euerla&s;ting &s;hame.</HI> And the Lord God by the Pro|phet <HI>Ho&s;eas,</HI> doth make vnto his Church this gracious pro|mi&s;e, <HI>Ho&s;ea</HI> 13.14. <HI>I will redeeme thee from the power of the graue, I will deliuer thee from death: O death, I wil be thy death; O graue, I will be thy de&s;truction.</HI> This is cleared by the te&s;timonie of Ie|&s;us Chri&s;t him&s;elfe.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ioh. 5.28.</NOTE> <HI>The houre &s;hall come, in the which all that are in the graue, &s;hall heare his voyce, and they &s;hall come foorth; And they that haue done good &s;hall goe into the re&s;urrection of Life; and they that haue done euill vnto the re&s;urrection of condemnation.</HI> This is taught by the Apo&s;tles of Chri&s;t Ie&s;us, in diuers places of their Epi&s;tles. As, <HI>Beholde, I
<PB N="37" REF="29"> &s;hew you a My&s;terie:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 15.52.</NOTE> <HI>we &s;hall not all &s;leepe; but we &s;hall be changed, and that in the twinckeling of an eye, at the la&s;t Trumpe.</HI> And this is that vvhich all of vs confe&s;&s;e to beleeue, as one of the mo&s;t principall Articles of our faith; <HI>The re&s;urrection of the dead:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Phil. 3.21.</NOTE> So that we &s;ee it is cleere, that the godly and the wicked &s;hal both ari&s;e. But the ends of their re|&s;urrection are different, the one &s;hall ri&s;e to life eternall, the o|ther to perpetuall &s;hame, and eternall de&s;truction: So that how&s;oeuer, it &s;halbe a ioyfull day to the godly, that haue the &s;ting of <HI>Death</HI> taken away from them through Chri&s;t his death, yet the wicked &s;hall haue no be|nefite by it; and therefore vnto them it cannot properly be cal|led a <HI>Re&s;urrection,</HI> no more then the taking of a malefactour out
<PB N="38" REF="30"> of pri&s;on to be executed, can be called a <HI>Deliuerie.</HI> But it &s;hall be with the godlie and the wic|ked, at that day, as it was with <HI>Pharaohs</HI> &s;eruants, <HI>Gene&s;is chapter</HI> 40. both of them were taken out of pri&s;on, but the one of them to be re&s;tored to his Office, to mini&s;ter before the King, but the other to be executed, and put to a cruell death: Euen &s;o &s;hall it be with the godly and the wicked at the la&s;t day: Both &s;hall ari&s;e out of their graues as out of a pri&s;on; but the one to be euer with the Lord; mini&s;tring prai&s;es vnto him for euermore: the other to be bani&s;hed from his pre&s;ence, and &s;ent into euer|la&s;ting condemnation. For vn|to them alone is the re&s;urrecti|on a benefite, where remi&s;&s;ion of &s;innes goes before, as we are taught in the Creed.</P>
<PB N="39" REF="30">
<P>This mu&s;t needes be a great comfort to GODS Children, <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> when wee can &s;ay with <HI>Iob chap.</HI> 19. <HI>I know that my Redeemer li|ueth, and that I &s;hall &s;ee him with the&s;e eies:</HI> This &s;ame body &s;hall ari&s;e, this verie bodie for &s;ub|&s;tance, thogh purged and clean|&s;ed from &s;inne, yet the &s;ame for &s;ub&s;tance &s;hall ri&s;e againe: and the&s;e my eies which haue beene carefull to &s;eeke Chri&s;t Ie&s;us, to &s;eeke his glorie, to reade his ble&s;&s;ed Word, to releeue the poore members of CHRIST; that the&s;e my eyes &s;hall &s;ee my ble&s;&s;ed Redeemer, to my end|le&s;&s;e ioy: And the&s;e mine eares which haue beene carefull to heare thy holy word to &s;aue my &s;oule: they &s;hall heare his &s;weet and ble&s;&s;ed voice, &s;aying vnto me; <HI>Come yee ble&s;&s;ed of my Fa|ther.</HI> For the bodies of GODS
<PB N="40" REF="31"> children &s;hall not peri&s;h, but &s;hall ri&s;e to glorie, and be made like vnto the glorious Bodie of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t. <HI>Oh how this &s;hould moue all men and women,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 15</NOTE> to v&s;e their bodies well, to the honour of Chri&s;t Ie&s;us; &s;eeing hee will not let them peri&s;h, but will crowne them and glorifie them for euer.</P>
<P>Secondly, this mu&s;t needes bee a fearefull terrour vnto all profane and filthy &s;inners, who be&s;towed their bodies wholy in the &s;eruice of &s;inne and Sathan: <HI>They &s;hall looke on him whom they haue pierced, and &s;hall lament, Zachar.</HI> 12.10. For euen their dead bodies &s;hall ri&s;e too; but how? to iudgement, to torment, and to burne for euer in the lake of fire and brim&s;tone. Thou ha&s;t &s;et open thy wanton and adul|terous eies, to beholde vanitie;
<PB N="41" REF="31"> thou ha&s;t delighted to heare va|nitie, more then goodnes, thou ha&s;t v&s;ed thy tongue to lying, deceipt, &s;wearing, &amp;c. and ha&s;t runne to vaine &s;portes, and pa|&s;times on the Lords day, to the di&s;honor of CHRIST IESVS, to &s;erue the Diuell, and thine owne fle&s;h. Oh know, that thy bodie &s;hall one day ri&s;e againe to iudgement, to torment, to be ca&s;t into the <HI>Lake of Fire and Brim&s;tone.</HI></P>
<P>Con&s;ider the rich Glutton,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 16.</NOTE> hee &s;hould be a warning to all vngodly &s;inners. Hee gaue his bodie to all kinde of vncleane|ne&s;&s;e, pride, drunkenne&s;&s;e, &amp;c. Hee gaue his tongue to lying, &s;wearing, and cur&s;ed &s;peaking; and now is his body tormented, and would giue euen a whole world, if he were Lord ouer it, for one drop of water, to coole
<PB N="42" REF="32"> his flaming tongue. O let him be a warning to all &s;inners; and teach vs to v&s;e our bodies well; to look to our eies, to our eares, and to &s;et a VVatch before our mouthes, for feare le&s;t wee di&s;|honour GOD by them, and bring endle&s;&s;e woe vnto our &s;elues. Well then, you &s;ee, that as it is an exceeding great ioy to Gods Saints, that they &s;hall ri&s;e againe; &s;o is it a terrour vn|to the wicked, that they &s;hall <HI>Ri&s;e againe to Iudgement,</HI> 1. <HI>Sam.</HI> 2. It were well with the wicked man, with the Drunkard, &amp;c. if their bodies might neuer ri&s;e; if they might rotte and peri&s;h in corruption, and that their &s;oule might be euen as the &s;oule of a bea&s;t, a vapour vtterly to be ex|tingui&s;hed. But now there is more behinde, they &s;hall one day come to iudgement: And
<PB N="43" REF="32"> therefore Saint <HI>Iohn</HI> telleth vs in this place, that he &s;aw the dead <HI>both great and &s;mall,</HI> &s;tand before GOD. Euen our dead bodies mu&s;t ri&s;e, eyther to honour, or di&s;honour; eyther to ioy, or to paine; to &s;aluation, or damna|tion: And therefore, let vs be|thinke our &s;elues of this be|times.</P>
<P><HI>Both great and &s;mall:]</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Great and Small, who?</NOTE> The&s;e words may admit a double ex|po&s;ition: for it may &s;eeme this; that by <HI>Great and Smal</HI> is meant tho&s;e that be great men growne; or el&s;e &s;mall children: young and old, all mu&s;t appeare. For, wee &s;ee that many die euen lit|tle children, young Infants of a &s;pan long; &s;ome againe die men of yeares. Well, both great and &s;mall mu&s;t appeare: none &s;hall be &s;o yong, or &s;o little, but that they mu&s;t &s;tand before GOD;
<PB N="44" REF="33"> and none &s;o great, or &s;o &s;trong, but they mu&s;t appeare likewi&s;e. Secondly, by great and &s;mall may be vnder&s;tood all &s;orts and degrees of men, and women; great men, and great women; poore men, and poore women; All &s;orts and conditions, mu&s;t come to iudgement; as well the prince, as the &s;ubiect, as well the rich, as the poore&s;t Begger: as though Saint <HI>Iohn</HI> &s;hould haue &s;aid; I &s;aw all men that euer haue beene, or &s;hall be to the end of the world; none &s;hall be wan|ting: the rich and poore, yong and old, high and low, married and vnmarried, bond and free, all mu&s;t &s;tand before God. Oh, what a wonderfull a&s;&s;embly will this be, to &s;ee &s;o many millions of thou&s;ands: It is a great &s;ight to &s;ee an Armie of men of a thou&s;and; But heere &s;hall be a
<PB N="45" REF="33"> thou&s;and thou&s;ands: Euen all men, women, and children, that euer haue beene, or &s;hall be, to the worlds end: None &s;hall be wanting, the rich, and poore; yoong, and old; high, and low; bond, and free; all mu&s;t &s;tand before God: and therefore it is well called the day of the Lord, when all the of-&s;pring of <HI>Adam</HI> &s;hall &s;tand before God.</P>
<P>Seeing S. <HI>Iohn</HI> &s;aw the dead both great and &s;mall,<NOTE PLACE="marg">V&s;es di|uer&s;e, <HI>1.</HI></NOTE> &s;tand be|fore God, that is, al &s;orts of men and women, high and low, rich and poore, bond and free, all mu&s;t appeare, and hold vp their Hand at the Barre of this great Iudge: Surely, this ought to moue all men, both great and &s;mall, rich and poore, to make con&s;cience of their liues, to repent of all their euill wayes, to turne to GOD by true repen|tance;
<PB N="46" REF="34"> for you &s;ee here no ex|cu&s;e can &s;erue the turne, no a|uoyding of this appearance; all mu&s;t appeare: the very Diuells them&s;elues,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Cor. 5. E&s;ay 30.</NOTE> and all the damned &s;pirits mu&s;t come to iudgeme~t. <HI>Tophet is prepared for the King,</HI> the Iudge, the Gentleman, the rich man, if they be wicked, their riches &s;hall not be excu&s;ed, nor the poore&s;t &s;hall not be forgot|ten. Surely, and if we haue any care at all, what &s;hall become of our poore &s;oules at this day? It ought to per&s;wade al men, both poore and rich, both Mini&s;ter and People, to repent, to turne to Almighty God to leade new liues; that then we may reioyce with ioy and comfort. This did make <HI>Paul</HI> to labour to keepe a good con&s;cience,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 24.16</NOTE> before God and all men: and why? Becau&s;e there would come a day when
<PB N="47" REF="34"> all mu&s;t ari&s;e to iudgement, and giue a &s;traight accompt of all their thoughts, wordes, and workes. And the &s;ame rea&s;on &s;hould mooue vs likeiw&s;e to keepe a cleare con&s;cience. And what is the cau&s;e that men liue in &s;inne, and defile their bodies, with many thou&s;and filthy &s;ins? Surely, becau&s;e they thinke not of this day whe~ they mu&s;t &s;tand before God. If they could but thinke of this day, that they mu&s;t all come to a reckoning: O, it would &s;tay and bridle their carnall hearts from many foule and filthie &s;innes, which novv they commit with greedine&s;&s;e, 2. <HI>Cor.</HI> 5.11. <HI>Acts</HI> 17.3.</P>
<P>This will be a ble&s;&s;ed day to all the children of God to heare the Iudge &s;ay vnto them, <HI>Come yee ble&s;&s;ed.</HI> O happy day, O ble&s;|&s;ed voyce.</P>
<PB N="48" REF="35">
<P>But to the vngodlie &s;inners that liue in &s;inne, to the Drun|kard, Bla&s;phemer, &amp;c. this will be a terrible and fearefull day, to heare the woefull voyce of the Iudge, <HI>Go yee cur&s;ed into &amp;c.</HI> Oh dolefull voyce, Oh heauie newes, O fearefull Sentence, O woe, and ten thou&s;and woes to all vngodly &s;inners: woe then to the bla&s;phemer: woe to the drunkard, &amp;c. woe vnto all vn|godly and wretched &s;inners: for there is no e&s;caping of this Sen|tence. All mu&s;t appeare, all mu&s;t &s;tand before God, all mu&s;t come to their an&s;were. None &s;hall be &s;o great to e&s;cape, or &s;o &s;mall to be forgotten. And then woe to them that &s;hall ri&s;e to this fearefull and woefull Sen|tence, and heauy newes of con|demnation. Oh, it had beene good for &s;uch men, if they had
<PB N="49" REF="35"> neuer been borne, or had beene brought foorth as loath&s;ome Toads or Serpents; for then be|ginnes their eternall mi&s;ery and condemnation. O then, againe, and againe, let vs bethinke our &s;elues, that wee mu&s;t come to iudgement; we mu&s;t be called to a reckoning: wee cannot e|&s;cape the Sentence of Iudge|ment by anie meanes what&s;oe|uer.</P>
<P>Agayne, vvhere Saint <HI>Iohn</HI> &s;aith, He &s;aw the dead: Heere <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="V&s;e."> is matter of endle&s;&s;e comfort to all the poore members of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t. In this life, who is more full of woe, vvho more full of payne in bodie and &s;oule, then Gods children? Long and tedi|ous &s;ickene&s;&s;es, many annoyan|ces: Some be &s;ore from top to toe, as <HI>Iob</HI> was; &s;ome maymed in bodie, as the poore man was.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 5.</NOTE>
<PB N="50" REF="36"> Well, when our bodies &s;hall now ari&s;e, they &s;hall not bee weake, or lame, or maymed; but a perfect body, &s;ound and a glorious body. All paine &s;hall haue an end, all woe &s;hall cea&s;e: <HI>But as for the vngodly,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 1.6.</NOTE> <HI>it is not &s;o with them:</HI> But they &s;hall ari&s;e, that both bodie and &s;oule may goe to hell together. <HI>Stand be|fore God. I &s;awe the dead, &amp;c.</HI> Heere wee &s;ee againe, that our accounts mu&s;t beginne before God him&s;elfe: wee mu&s;t &s;tand naked in his &s;ight; and who then can thinke to hide his &s;ins from him? Hee knoweth the heart, and trieth the reines; and his eyes are like a flame of fire.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Reuel. 2.</NOTE> O how this &s;hould mooue euerie man and woman, often to be|thinke him&s;elfe of this time, when hee &s;hall come to his ac|compt, euen before the eternall
<PB N="51" REF="36"> God, who cannot be deceiued, nor bribed. If a malefactor come before the Iudge, that is guiltie of trea&s;on or murder; how hee quakes to thinke of the terrour, and &s;eueritie of the Iudge! hee is afraide, and trembles, to ap|peare in his pre&s;ence. How much more &s;hould we tremble and quake? And how &s;hould hard-hearted &s;inners be at their wittes end, to thinke they mu&s;t come to &s;tand before God? to appeare at the barre of the euer-liuing, and mo&s;t mighty <HI>Iehoua,</HI> who can ca&s;t both bodie and &s;oule into hell fire? O what &s;e|cure and carele&s;&s;e wretches are wee, that are nothing mooued with the&s;e things, to repent and to turne to God, to leaue our foule and filthie &s;innes! And if a poore pri&s;oner condemned &s;hould laugh and bee merrie,
<PB N="52" REF="37"> would not all men thinke him to be a mad-man? And &s;hall not we be wor&s;e then madde-men, if we neuer come to thinke of the&s;e things? If a poore trauel|ler that hath but one penny in his pur&s;e, &s;hal come to an Inne, call for all manner of dainties, and neuer thinke of the &s;hotte; would&punc; not all men thinke him madde, and out of his wittes? VVhat madne&s;&s;e then is in eue|ry one of vs all, if in this our pil|grimage, or trauaile on earth, we &s;pend our dayes in plea&s;ure; bathe our &s;elues in &s;port and pa|&s;times, carking and caring for the things of this world; and ne|uer to bethinke our &s;elues, as to &s;ay, Alas, what do I now? I eate, I drinke, I carde, I dice, I take my plea&s;ure, and bathe my &s;elfe in delight: but woe is me I mu&s;t com to iudgement, I mu&s;t giue
<PB N="53" REF="37"> my reckoning <HI>l</HI> I mu&s;t &s;tand be|fore GOD one day, and there giue an account. O that we had hearts to thinke of this? both young and old, rich and poore, Mini&s;ter and people, that wee mu&s;t &s;tand bellie-naked before God, that wee mu&s;t giue an ac|count of all our &s;innes, to his Maie&s;tie: It would bridle vs, and keep vs from many pre|&s;umptuous &s;innes which now we com|mit.</P>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>The end of the fir&s;t Sermon.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="2" TYPE="sermon">
<PB N="54" REF="38">
<HEAD>The great A&s;size. THE SECOND SERMON.</HEAD>
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL><HI>REVEL. 20.12. &amp;c.</HI></BIBL>
<P><BIBL><HI>12</HI></BIBL> And I &s;aw the dead both &s;mall and great &s;tand before God: and the Bookes were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were iudged of tho&s;e things which were written in the books, according to their works.</P></Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>_WEe haue heard alrea|die the per&s;on of the Iudge de&s;cribed vnto vs, with what vn&s;peak|able maie&s;tie and glorie he &s;hall
<PB N="55" REF="38"> come, to the great comfort of the godly: and al&s;o with what wonderfull terror he will come, to the great terror of the wic|ked. Secondly, wee haue heere, who &s;hall be cited to appeare: <HI>Both great and &s;mall:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1. The&s;. 1.8</NOTE> al mu&s;t ap|peare. Now follows in the third place, the mo&s;t &s;peciall and principall matter of all; namely, after what manner all men &s;hall be iudged, in the&s;e words: <HI>And the bookes were-opened, &amp;c.</HI> We &s;ee that earthlie Iudges are brought vnto the Bench with great attendance. They being &s;et, the pri&s;oners are brought forth, and are called ouer, one by one; and their matters are heard, and witne&s;&s;es produced: and &s;o according to their faults they receiue iudgement. Euen &s;o, at this great day of the Lord, Chri&s;t Ie&s;us &s;hall come with a
<PB N="56" REF="39"> thou&s;and of Angels; and before him &s;hall &s;tand all men and wo|men, <HI>Both great and &s;mall:</HI> And then &s;hal the Books be brought forth. Indeed we &s;ee, when an earthly iudge &s;its on the Bench, it holds a long time to trie cau|&s;es; &s;uch witne&s;&s;es, and &s;uch e|uidences mu&s;t be produced. But it &s;hall not be &s;o at the la&s;t day: for when all men &s;hall &s;tand at the barre of Chri&s;ts iudgement, they &s;hal then be iudged accor|ding to the written Records, e|uen according to the Bookes: for they &s;hall then be opened.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Books,</HI> wha<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> is meant by them.</NOTE>Now if you would know what the&s;e Bookes bee, it is ea&s;ie to know: for they be euen the par|ticular con&s;cience of euery man and woman: thy con&s;cience is the booke that &s;hall be opened; and that &s;hall be as good as ten thou&s;and witne&s;&s;es, either to ex|cu&s;e,
<PB N="57" REF="39"> or accu&s;e thee before God. For there &s;hall neede no other witne&s;&s;e, no other euidence a|gain&s;t vs at the la&s;t, but our own con&s;cience. For as God hath his Booke of infinite Knowledge, whereby he knoweth the &s;innes of all men and women as cer|tainly as if they were written in a booke; and though men for|get them, yet the Lord remem|breth them: So hee hath giuen vnto euerie man and woman a booke, their owne con&s;cience; wherein are written all our thoughts, words, and deedes, &s;o as none &s;hall e&s;cape. And the Bookes are two, the Booke of the Law, and the Book of Con|&s;cience: the one &s;hewing a man what he &s;hould doe, the other what he hath done. Again&s;t the booke of the Law, none &s;hall be able to except. <HI>For the comman|dements
<PB N="58" REF="40"> of the Lord are pure and righteous altogether.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 19.9.</NOTE> And as for the booke of Con&s;cience, who can deny it, or except again&s;t it? &s;eeing the Lord will now iudge a man, not by another mans Con&s;cience, but by his owne, the which he hath alwayes had in his owne keeping, euen in his owne bo&s;ome.</P>
<P>Now, &s;eeing heere what is meant by the&s;e bookes, namely euery mans particular Con&s;ci|ence: let vs come to &s;earch what bee the things written in this booke; and fir&s;t, what v&s;e we are to make vnto our &s;elues from this: <HI>Euery mans booke &s;hall be o|pened, &amp;c.</HI> Fir&s;t, in the&s;e books are written euerie thought of our heart:<NOTE PLACE="marg">In the Bookes of our con&s;|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ince is written, Our <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 span">.</NOTE> none &s;o &s;ecret, or &s;o clo&s;e, but it is here recorded. Secondly, euerie &s;peech and word of our mouth. Thirdly, e|uery
<PB N="59" REF="40"> deed that men do. <HI>Thou ha&s;t &s;ealed vp all our &s;innes in a bagge,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Iob;</HI> to &s;hew the exact kind of keeping of them again&s;t that day of account. Surely, if there be any thing in a man to be mar|uailed at, I mu&s;t needs confe&s;&s;e that this is a wonderfull worke of God, that hee hath giuen to euery man and woman a Con|&s;cience, which is like vnto a booke; in which is recorded all our thoughts, words and works. A wicked man, an vncha&s;te wo|man, how many thou&s;and vile &amp; filthy thoughts haue they in their mindes night and day? their hearts burne in lu&s;t and in vncleanne&s;&s;e: now they pa&s;&s;e a|way to them, they regard them not, they make little or no ac|count of them. But (alas) they are all written in this Booke of thy con&s;cience: thy con&s;cience
<PB N="60" REF="41"> markes them, thy con&s;cience writes them downe. And if thou repent not of them, and leaue them, O woe to thy &s;oule, when <HI>the&s;e Bookes come to bee opened and read ouer.</HI> For then thy con|&s;cience will accu&s;e and lay to thy charge, euery one of them in order. <HI>Thou ha&s;t &s;et my mi&s;|deeds before me, and my &s;ecret &s;ins in the &s;ight of thy countenance,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Dauid.</HI> Againe, in the heart of man, what anger, what enuy, what malice lurke therein? and they pa&s;&s;e it ouer, and thinke it no matter. Well, know (belo|ued) that vnle&s;&s;e you repent of the very thoughts of the hearts, euen the&s;e things will be found written in the bookes at the day of Iudgement; and what a la|mentable thing will that be?</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Our thoughts.</NOTE>Secondly, as con&s;cience is priuie to all our thoughts, and
<PB N="61" REF="41"> wil accu&s;e vs of them at the day of Iudgement: &s;o all our &s;pee|ches are noted therein. What a number of wicked &s;peeches pa&s;&s;e out of the mouth of wic|ked and vaine men and women? what horrible and bla&s;phemous oathes? what cur&s;ed &s;peaking, lying, and &s;laundering? Now a wicked per&s;on, that thus abu&s;eth his tongue &s;o many thou&s;and times in a day, he cannot for his life remember them. VVell, know that euerie &s;innefull word thou &s;peake&s;t, is written in this booke, there it is recorded: and when this Booke of thy con&s;|cience &s;hall be opened, it will di&s;couer all thy &s;innes, not one|ly thy filthy thoughts, but euery wicked word. Our Sauiour tels vs,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 12.36</NOTE> that <HI>we mu&s;t giue an account of euery wicked word at the day of <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">udgement.</HI> For though men la|bour
<PB N="62" REF="42"> to forget them, yet they are written in their con&s;ciences, &amp; one day &s;hall come to iudge|ment: O how this &s;hould awa|ken vs all, and cau&s;e vs to looke vnto our liues, to make a coue|nant with our eyes, as <HI>Iob</HI> did; and to &s;et a watch before our mouths, as <HI>Dauid</HI> did; and to lay a&s;ide our vaine oathes, and idle mirth, which (as <HI>Salomon</HI> &s;aith) cannot want iniquitie; &s;eeing one day they mu&s;t all of them come to iudgement.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">3 Our workes.</NOTE>Thirdly, if we come vnto the liues of men and women, why (alas) they bee nothing almo&s;t but a continuall practi&s;e of &s;in, as the &s;innes of mens liues they bee innumerable, euen as the Sands on the Sea &s;hore. Now though mens liues abound with &s;o many thou&s;and &s;innes, yet we &s;ee man perceiues not, nor
<PB N="63" REF="42"> knowes not one quarter of his &s;innes. It may be hee knoweth &s;ome; but (alas) they forget the greate&s;t part of them. But yet they be all written in this <HI>booke of thy Con&s;cience:</HI> and they &s;hall all come to Iudgement. When the&s;e Bookes &s;hall bee read, then all thy &s;innes &s;hall be made manife&s;t, though neuer &s;o &s;ecret: for thy Con&s;cience doth marke them all, and pen them downe again&s;t this day of account.</P>
<P>Now &s;eeing what is meant by this booke, our <HI>Con&s;cience:</HI> and likevvi&s;e what bee written in them, euen all our thoughts, words and workes: let vs come to &s;ee what v&s;e wee are to make of this Doctrine fir&s;t. Hence fir&s;t of all wee may ob&s;erue the endle&s;&s;e loue and mercie of our God towards vs; foretelling e|uery
<PB N="64" REF="43">
<MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e"> one of vs novv of the ope|ning of the&s;e Bookes, that our con&s;ciences &s;hall be layd open, the&s;e Bookes vncla&s;ped, and all our thoughts, words, and works mu&s;t come to iudgement. Sure|ly, it is to this end and purpo&s;e, that we might preuent the dan|ger that is to come, and labour to keep a good con&s;cience, wa|&s;hed and purged in the bloud of Chri&s;t, that it may not lay to our charge any one &s;inne, but a&s;&s;ure vs that we are in the fauor of God.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="V&s;e"> Secondly, we &s;ee here that it is not enough for a man or a woman, to ab&s;tayne from euill wordes and workes, but euill thoughts likewi&s;e, the very lu&s;t of the heart. <HI>Paul</HI> complaines of this:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 7.</NOTE> and <HI>Peter</HI> bids <HI>Simon Ma|gus</HI> to <HI>repent and pray,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Actes 8.</NOTE> <HI>if perhaps the thoughts of his heart might be
<PB N="65" REF="43"> pardoned.</HI> I doubt not but the children of God are carefull o|uer their very thoughts. For a wicked carnal man may ab&s;taine from &s;ome grieuous &s;innes; But it is a note of the true childe of GOD, to repent of his euill thoughts, and to be carefull o|uer them.</P>
<P>Thirdly, &s;eeing euery mans <MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="V&s;e"> con&s;cience is this booke, and e|uery mans &s;in is penned downe therein: we may &s;ee the wofull mi&s;ery of all tho&s;e that haue de|filed con&s;ciences, filthy and vn|cleane hearts. For looke how their con&s;ciences doe accu&s;e them, euen &s;o will God con|demne. And hauing not repen|ted of their &s;innes, they carry a tormentor within them; name|ly, a guilty and an accu&s;ing con|&s;cience, which is their Iudge to condemne them, and their
<PB N="66" REF="44"> hell to torment them.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4" UNIT="V&s;e"> Fourthly, &s;eeing the bookes mu&s;t be opened, and euery mans con&s;cience mu&s;t come to &s;canning; becau&s;e &s;entence &s;hall pa&s;&s;e, and iudgement &s;hall bee awarded accordyng to the things written in euery mans con&s;cience: How &s;hould this cau&s;e vs all, both Mini&s;ter and people, to labour to get a good con&s;cience? If thy con&s;cience be good, thou &s;halt not faile to bee ble&s;&s;ed; if thy con&s;cience be filthy and polluted, thou art ac|cur&s;ed:<NOTE PLACE="marg">The mean to get a good con|&s;cience.</NOTE> And therefore it &s;hould bee our chiefe&s;t care, our chie|fe&s;t &s;tudy, and our chiefe&s;t de|&s;ire, all our life time, to keepe a good con&s;cience. Now if you aske, how is it po&s;&s;ible to get a good con&s;cience? I an&s;were, for the getting and keeping of faith and a good con&s;cience; we mu&s;t
<PB N="67" REF="44"> know that it is done by the v&s;e of the word of God.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ioh. 17.</NOTE> <HI>Sanctifie them by thy Trueth, Thy word is the Trueth.</HI> All graces of Gods &s;pirit, are wrought by his word. But that wee may get a good con&s;cience, we mu&s;t</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, repent of all our &s;innes: wee mu&s;t know by the Lawe of God, what is &s;in, &amp; what is not.</P>
<P>Secondly, we mu&s;t know the heauie cur&s;e of GOD euen for &s;inne, that the reward of &s;inne is death eternall both of Bodie and Soule. For men doe by na|ture ble&s;&s;e them&s;elues in their &s;innes; and though we heare of Gods Iudgements again&s;t &s;in, yet who&s;e heart is touched and troubled? Thus men runne on &s;till in &s;inne, and feare nothing. They meane well they &s;ay, but yet liue ill, and thinke all is well.</P>
<P>Thirdly, til we &s;ee what &s;inne
<PB N="68" REF="45"> is, and then &s;ee the cur&s;e of God due to &s;inne, we &s;hall neuer &s;e|riou&s;ly try our con&s;ciences, and &s;ee how our &s;ins haue wounded them, that &s;o we may repent vs of &s;inne.</P>
<P>Fourthly, we mu&s;t be grie|ued for our &s;innes; wee mu&s;t ac|knowledge and confe&s;&s;e them, begging for pardon of them; and to hunger, and thir&s;t after Chri&s;t Ie&s;us: For there is no|thing that can purifie the con&s;|cience, and quiet the heart, but onely the bloud of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t applied to our &s;oules by Faith, with per&s;wa&s;ion of the forgiue|ne&s;&s;e of them.</P>
<P>Marke heere then (beloued) when a man is thus humbled for his &s;innes, and beggeth the pardon of them earne&s;tly, with &s;ighes and groanes; then will the Lord &s;end downe into his
<PB N="69" REF="45"> &s;oule, his ble&s;&s;ed Spirit; to a&s;&s;ure vs of gods mercy, of the pardon of our &s;innes, that our wounds in con&s;cience are healed, and this is done by the meanes of Faith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 15.9</NOTE> which purifies the con&s;|cience.</P>
<P>Hereby we may perceiue, <MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e"> that mo&s;t men and women, are in a woefull ca&s;e. For (alas) the greate&s;t part are ignorant of the law of God, and know not what is &s;inne, and what is not &s;inne, and therefore cannot po&s;&s;ible haue a good Con&s;cience; <HI>For,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Hebr. 11.</NOTE> <HI>what&s;oeuer is not of faith, is &s;inne.</HI> Againe, though men &s;ee their &s;innes, and oftentimes their con&s;cie~ce checks them for &s;ins, yet how few doe bewaile their &s;innes? for I am per&s;waded that there is not &s;o wicked a &s;inner, but &s;ometimes his con&s;cience checkes him. Indeede men &s;ee
<PB N="70" REF="46"> not the danger, and feele not the wounds of con&s;cience, be|cau&s;e now their Bookes be cla&s;|ped, they be &s;hut vp, their &s;ea|red Con&s;ciences bee now a|&s;leepe: But the day will come that their Bookes mu&s;t be ope|ned, and their &s;ecrets declared; and then con&s;cience will accu&s;e them, condemne, and torment them.</P>
<P>Againe, when a man or wo|man hath gotten a good con&s;ci|ence, &s;o as being truely hum|bled for their &s;innes, and beg|ging pardon, they finde &s;ome a&s;&s;urance of GODS loue in Chri&s;t, and that now their con|&s;ciences doe not accu&s;e them; euen then mu&s;t men take no le&s;&s;e paines to keepe and pre|&s;erue a good con&s;cience, to do nothing to wound thy Con&s;ci|ence. A mans Con&s;cience is
<PB N="71" REF="46"> a very tender thing.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The meanes to keepe our co~&s;cience pure.</NOTE> It is like the apple of the eye; if it be prickt but with a pin, it will not onely blemi&s;h the eye, but endanger the &s;ight: So con&s;cience, it is a tender thing, if yee pricke it by &s;inne, it wil blemi&s;h thy con&s;ci|ence, wound it, and euen make hauocke of thy &s;oule. And ther|fore &s;aith <HI>Salomon, Counter-gard thy heart, &amp; watch ouer thy &s;oule, Prouerbs</HI> 4.14. that thou do no|thing that may wound thy con|&s;cience.</P>
<P>Now, that we may keep the&s;e books of account, (our con&s;ci|ences) pure and good, we mu&s;t doo two things. Fir&s;t, auoide all things that may any way hurt a good con&s;cience. Secondly, v&s;e all good meanes and helpes to cheri&s;h a good con&s;cience. In truth all &s;in hinders a good con|&s;cience. Sinne is that vvhich
<PB N="72" REF="47"> wounds the Soule, and maketh hauocke of a good con&s;cience: that is the verie cut-throate of mens &s;oules. And therefore, if you would keepe a good con&s;|cience, take heede of &s;in, which wounds a good con&s;cience, and makes it vnable to &s;tand before God at the la&s;t day.</P>
<P>But there bee two e&s;peciall lets and impediments of a good Con&s;cience: Fir&s;t, ignorance of the Lawe, and the word of God. For when a man knowes not what is &s;inne, and what not; how can he take heed le&s;t hee wound his Soule? And therefore wee &s;ee, let a man come into his Hou&s;e at Mid|night, hee can &s;ee nothing a|mi&s;&s;e, and out of order; but let a man come in at Noone, then hee can e&s;pie the lea&s;t di&s;order: euen &s;o poore, blinde, ignorant
<PB N="73" REF="47"> &s;oules, not knowing the Law of God, cannot &s;ee any wounds in con&s;cience, nor nothing ami&s;&s;e in them. But let them come to the word of God, and looke in this Gla&s;&s;e, then they &s;hall find them&s;elues much out of order; to haue wounded &s;oules, and defiled con&s;ciences.</P>
<P>The other impediment of a good co~&s;cience is worldly lu&s;t; namely, the loue and exceeding de&s;ire of riches, honours, plea|&s;ures, &amp;c. And hee that &s;uffers the&s;e de&s;ires to haue place in his heart, hee cannot po&s;&s;ible keepe a good con&s;cience. Se|condly, the meanes to pre&s;erue and to keep a good con&s;cience be three.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, to doe all things that may &s;aue and cheri&s;h true &s;a|uing faith, whereby our &s;oules be a&s;&s;ured of the loue of GOD
<PB N="74" REF="48"> in Chri&s;t Ie&s;u for the pardon of our &s;ins. For Faith is the root, and the foundation of a good con&s;cience; and without faith there can be no good con&s;ci|ence.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 10.</NOTE> Now to pre&s;erue Faith, wee mu&s;t often heare and reade the word of God, repent of our &s;ins, acknowledge and confe&s;&s;e them, and be humbled for them, and walke in the dueties of faith and repentance: And in &s;o do|ing, wee &s;hall finde more and more the comfort of a good con&s;cience. And therefore wee mu&s;t take heede we do nothing to break off the feeling of Gods loue, or to wound our con&s;ci|ence.</P>
<P>Secondly, we mu&s;t indeuour in all things to obey Gods will, and beare a con&s;tant purpo&s;e, not to &s;in in anie thing. For, a purpo&s;e to liue in &s;in, and con|&s;cience,
<PB N="75" REF="48"> cannot &s;tand together: &s;o that where there is a purpo&s;e to liue in &s;inne, there is neither faith, nor a good con&s;cience.</P>
<P>Thirdly, we mu&s;t walke with God, as <HI>Henoch</HI> did, &s;o to order our liues, as alwayes in the pre|&s;ence of GOD; and this will make vs keepe a good Con&s;ci|ence: and the want of this ma|keth men bold to &s;inne, becau&s;e they con&s;ider not that GOD &s;eeth them, and that they haue a con&s;cience within them.</P>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>And another Booke was opened, which is the Booke of Life.</HEAD>
<P>THus when Chri&s;t hath exa|mined the Bookes of mens Con&s;ciences, to view what is therein written, that <HI>Iudgement</HI> may bee avvarded thereafter. Now hee &s;heweth that hee will
<PB N="76" REF="49"> open a &s;econd Booke, euen <HI>the Booke of Life,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">What is meant by the booke of Life.</NOTE> And of this booke of Life, we &s;hall &s;ee often men|tion in the word of God, both in the olde and new Te&s;tament; as that of <HI>Mo&s;es:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Exodus 32.31.32.</NOTE> <HI>Oh this people haue grieuou&s;ly &s;inned! Therefore now if thou pardon their &s;inne, thy mercie &s;hall appeare: But if thou wilt not, I pray thee ra&s;e mee out of the Booke which thou ha&s;t written.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 69.28</NOTE> Agayne, <HI>Let them be put out of the Booke of Life, neither let them be written with the righ|teous.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Reuel. 3.5.</NOTE> Againe, <HI>He that ouercom|meth &s;hall be clothed in white ar|ray, and I wil not put out his name out of the Booke of Life.</HI> And the Holie-Gho&s;t &s;peaking of the glory of the heauenly <HI>Ieru&s;alem</HI> &s;aith;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Reu. 21.27</NOTE> <HI>There &s;hall enter into it no vncleane thing, neyther what&s;o|euer worketh abomination or lies:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Phil. 4.3.</NOTE> <HI>But they which are written in the
<PB N="77" REF="49"> Lambes Booke of Life.</HI></P>
<P>Now if you would know what is heere meant by the <HI>Booke of Life,</HI> it is the Book in the which all the names of Gods Elect, which in his eternall purpo&s;e he hath cho&s;en, be written, as it were, with Letters of Gold; and it is nothing el&s;e but GODS e|ternall councell, purpo&s;e, and decree, wherein he hath elected and cho&s;en a certaine company of mankinde, to be&s;tow eternall life vpon them: for we mu&s;t not thinke that God hath any need of a Booke; but only for our vn|der&s;tanding hee &s;peaketh thus: Euen as a Captaine records the names of his Souldiers, to call them one by one; and as in Ci|ties the names of the chiefe men be recorded: So God hath as it were, enrolled the names of all his Saints, and engrauen them
<PB N="78" REF="50"> in the booke of Life, with letters of gold for euer, &s;o as not one of them &s;hall peri&s;h. Thus &s;ee|ing what is meant by the Booke of Life, let vs &s;ee what we may learne hence.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e"> Fir&s;t, hence wee may &s;ee the ble&s;&s;ed and happy e&s;tate of all the elect and cho&s;en children of God. For all tho&s;e which be written in the book of life, they be ble&s;&s;ed and happy for euer.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Reuel. 3.5.</NOTE> If thy name bee written in the Booke of Life, thou &s;halt neuer peri&s;h. Chri&s;t will not blot out thy name out of the Booke of life, but acknowledge thy name to be in his Booke at the latter day, to thine endle&s;&s;e ioy and comfort. Whom GOD loues once,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 11.</NOTE> he loueth to the end. But wofull and wretched are tho&s;e which are not written in this booke: for all the&s;e &s;hal be &s;hut
<PB N="79" REF="50"> out of heauen, who&s;e names are not in the Booke of the li|uing; but in the blacke Bill,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Reu. 21.27</NOTE> the Booke of death.</P>
<P>But heere we mu&s;t take heed of the carnall rea&s;oning of wic|ked men and women. Many there be who rea&s;on thus: If I be the childe of God, and writ|ten in the Booke of Life, let me liue as my lu&s;t, I am &s;ure to be &s;aued. Others &s;ay, If I bee a re|probate, and not written in the Booke of Life, why I am &s;ure I &s;hal be damned, although I liue neuer &s;o wel. Poore &s;oules, they know not what they &s;ay: they &s;peake flat contrary. For if God haue elected any man or woman to eternall life, he hath ordained that they &s;hould walk in the way to eternall life. And it is impo&s;&s;ible that they &s;hould runne on in &s;inne, and liue and
<PB N="80" REF="51"> dye therein. And therefore if men thus rea&s;on, they doe euen ca&s;t away their owne &s;oules. But let all men know, that as GOD hath ordained &s;ome men to e|ternall life,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8.30.</NOTE> and written their names in heauen; &s;o he hath ap|pointed the~ the means to walke in, to bring them thereunto.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="V&s;e"> Secondly, we are taught here, that the Lord hath a Booke of Life, wherein all the names of th'Elect be written: we &s;ee hence what mu&s;t be our chiefe&s;t ioy and comfort, euen this, To know a&s;&s;uredly that our names are written in this <HI>Booke of Life.</HI> This Chri&s;t him&s;elfe will teach vs in that &s;peach of his vnto his Di&s;ciples, which reioyced &s;o; becau&s;e the Diuels were &s;ubdu|ed vnder them, and ca&s;t out by them: Nay rather (&s;aith our Sa|uior) <HI>Reioyce that your names are
<PB N="81" REF="51"> written in the Booke of Life:</HI> But (alas) what doe mo&s;t men and women reioyce in? To be the &s;on of a rich man, a gentleman, or nobleman; to haue gold and &s;iluer, lands and liuings: This makes men to beare them&s;elues aloft. But who is he that reioy|ceth in this? That hee is the &s;on of God, that his name is writ|ten in the Booke of Life? Well, thus hauing ob&s;erued from the word of God, what is meant by this Booke of Life; namely, the eternall decree of Gods electi|on; here-hence commeth two weightie poynts to be con&s;ide|red of vs: Fir&s;t, whether it bee po&s;&s;ible for the child of God to know whether his name be writ|ten in the Booke of Life, or no. Secondly, if it be po&s;&s;ible, then by what meanes we may attaine to this knowledge, to be a&s;&s;ured
<PB N="82" REF="52"> that our names be in Heauen: that wee are in the number of tho&s;e that &s;hall be &s;aued. And the&s;e are two mo&s;t nece&s;&s;ary &amp; fruitfull points to be knowne of all Chri&s;tians.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Whether it be po&s;&s;i|ble for the childe of God to know whe|ther his name be written in this booke of Life.</NOTE>Concerning the fir&s;t point, whether it bee po&s;&s;ible for the child of God to know whether his name be written in the book of Life, or not. The Church of <HI>Rome</HI> holdes, That no man can certainely know whether he be the childe of God, or no. Nay, they condemne this as a foule fault, and bolde pre&s;umption, for any man to be certainly per|&s;waded of this, That hee is the child of God, elected in Chri&s;t Ie&s;u; and that his name is writ|ten in the Booke of Life. They &s;ay, wee are to hope well, &amp;c. But (alas) &s;hall we venture the &s;aluation of our &s;oules vpon an
<PB N="83" REF="52"> vncertaine hope? No, we mu&s;t go further, and labour to be a&s;|&s;ured, and certainly per&s;waded of this, That our Names are written in the book of Life: and that a true Chri&s;tian, man or woman, may a&s;&s;uredly be per|&s;waded, &amp; certainely know, that he is the childe of God, it is out of que&s;tion, if we will beleeue the holy-gho&s;t. El&s;e why &s;hould S. <HI>Peter</HI> will vs to giue all dili|gence <HI>to make our Election &s;ure?</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Pet. 1.10 Iob 19. Rom. 8.16. Luke 10.</NOTE> And why did our Sauiour bid his Di&s;ciples <HI>Reioyce that their Names were written in the booke of Life,</HI> if they could not know it? Againe, euery Article of our Chri&s;tian faith doeth confirme the trueth of this Doctrine; where we are taught to beleeue the Catholique Church; and that wee are of the number of Gods people. We beleeue the
<PB N="84" REF="53"> pardon of our &s;innes, and that wee &s;hall haue life euerla&s;ting.</P>
<P>Now then you &s;ee how little we are beholden to the Church of <HI>Rome,</HI> who hold, that we may not be certainely per&s;waded of our &s;aluation; but mu&s;t onelie hope well. Did not <HI>Iob</HI> know it? Did not <HI>Paul</HI> know it?<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iob 19. Rom. 8.38</NOTE> Then let no man doubt of this, but the children of God may, and doe know it, that they &s;halbe &s;aued. And therfore let vs beleeue this doctrine, and embrace it: And withall, let vs abhorre the do|ctrine of the Church of <HI>Rome,</HI> which is contrary to the Go&s;pel of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t. For what com|fort can any Chri&s;tian haue, till hee know that he is the childe of God? How &s;hould wee dare to call vpon God? How can we be at peace in our Soules? With what comfort can we performe
<PB N="85" REF="53"> obedience vnto GOD, except we finde this ble&s;&s;ed per&s;wa&s;ion, that our names are in this book; and that wee be the Elect and cho&s;en of God?</P>
<P>Secondly, now the next que|&s;tion is, How any man or wo|man may come to this certayne knowledge, whether his name be written in this Booke, whe|ther he be the childe of God, or not? And this you &s;ee is a mat|ter of no &s;mall moment, but a mo&s;t weightie matter, and con|cernes our &s;oules very narrow|ly; and therefore let vs be care|full to li&s;ten vnto it, that we be able to <HI>prooue our &s;elues, whether we be in the faith, or not,</HI> whether we be the &s;onnes of God, or nor; and &s;o whether we &s;hall be &s;a|ued, or not. O, it is matter of endle&s;&s;e comfort to Gods chil|dren, when they know this, that
<PB N="86" REF="54"> they be the children of <HI>God;</HI> and that eternall Life belongs vnto them, it will &s;tirre them vp to o|bey <HI>GOD</HI> with ioy and cheere|fulne&s;&s;e, in all his Commande|ments.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">By what means we may come vnto this knowlege.</NOTE>Now there be two wayes to know it; One is by a&s;cending in|to heauen, into the priuy coun|cell of <HI>God.</HI> But this is a dange|rous way, and not to be attemp|ted of any man, becau&s;e <HI>Secret things belong to God:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 29.</NOTE> <HI>but things reuealed to vs, and our children:</HI> And his wayes are pa&s;t finding out. And therefore this way no man mu&s;t dare to a&s;&s;ay.</P>
<P>Be&s;ides this, there is yet an other way to know whether our names be written in the Booke of life; and that is by de&s;cending into our &s;elues; and by certaine markes and te&s;timonies in our owne hearts, to prooue that we
<PB N="87" REF="54"> are in the number of <HI>Gods</HI> Elect. For as <HI>Salomon</HI> &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 27.19</NOTE> <HI>As water &s;heweth face to face: Euen &s;o the heart &s;heweth man to man.</HI> Euen as a gla&s;&s;e &s;heweth what a mans face is: &s;o will a mans heart and con&s;cience &s;hew what man is in the &s;ight of <HI>God.</HI> Then, if you would now know whether your names be written in the Booke of Life; that is, whether you bee the elect of <HI>God,</HI> and heires of eternall Life; you mu&s;t now en|ter into your owne &s;oules,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 13</NOTE> <HI>proue your &s;elues,</HI> and you &s;hal certain|ly know whether you &s;hall bee &s;aued or damned. For if thou finde in thee the true marks and notes of <HI>Gods</HI> childre~, thou nee|de&s;t not feare but that thy name is in this Booke, and thou &s;halt certainely be &s;aued. But as for wicked and prophane men and women, that make no con&s;ci|ence
<PB N="88" REF="55"> of &s;inne, they &s;hall in &s;pite of their teeth, vpon this exami|nation, &s;ing the dolefull tune, <HI>I am a damned &s;inner,</HI> I know not what will become of my poore &s;oule at the day of Iudgement: And therefore that we might in &s;ome mea&s;ure trie our &s;elues, and iudge whether we be in this booke, and &s;o &s;hall be &s;aued; let vs &s;earch out of the holie word of God, &s;ome certaine marks of Gods children. The fir&s;t marke whereby we may know whether we be elect or not, is the inward te&s;timony and witne&s;&s;e of Gods &s;pirit,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8.15</NOTE> <HI>Yee haue not receiued the &s;pirit of bondage to feare againe; but ye haue, &amp;c.</HI> Whereby Saint <HI>Paul</HI> tells vs, that wicked and vn|godly &s;inners, which haue not the &s;pirit of God to guide them, but liue in &s;inne; they haue one|lie the &s;pirit of Bondage, they
<PB N="89" REF="55"> haue no tru peace in their &s;ouls: but they that be the children of God, haue the Spirit of Adop|tion, who &s;eales vnto our harts the a&s;&s;urance of our adoption, and election, and doth make it knowne vnto vs, that we are the Sonnes of God: <HI>For his Spirit doth witne&s;&s;e to our &s;pirits, that we are the Sonnes of God, Romans</HI> 8.16.</P>
<P>And, that no man might de|ceiue him&s;elfe, and thinke hee hath the te&s;timonie of GODS Spirit, when hee hath it not: Saint <HI>Paul</HI> giueth vs two mo&s;t excellent notes, to know whe|ther wee haue the te&s;timonie of GODS Spirit, yea, or not. It maketh vs crie, <HI>Abba, Father.</HI> Where the Spirit of God doth witne&s;&s;e to any mans &s;oule that hee is the childe of God; It will make him cry to God, and euen
<PB N="90" REF="56"> fill heauen and earth, with cry|ing and teares, with &s;obbes and &s;ighes for the pardon of his &s;ins. And hee which hath not this in him, that hee cannot crie vnto GOD for pardon of his &s;innes; this man can not truely a&s;&s;ure him&s;elfe that hee is the Childe of God. And though men &s;ay, they hope to be &s;aued, yet (alas) they &s;eldome or neuer pray vn|to God for the pardon of their &s;innes.</P>
<P>Secondly, if wee finde the te|&s;timony of GODS Spirit, that wee are the children of God; It will make vs, not onely, to bee earne&s;t with God for pardon of our &s;innes, but it will make vs cry, <HI>Abba, Father,</HI> that is, it will make vs beare the tender affe|ction of a duetifull childe, &s;o as we &s;hall be afraide to offend &s;o louing a Father. And therefore
<PB N="91" REF="56"> all tho&s;e which delight in &s;inne, and are not afrayde to offend GOD: Surely, they can find no a&s;&s;urance, that they be the chil|dren of God. And therefore, if you de&s;ire to be a&s;&s;ured that the names be in this Booke; labour to finde this te&s;timony of Gods Spirit, to witne&s;&s;e vnto your Soules, that you belong vnto God, and labour to be earne&s;t in prayer vnto God, for that is a &s;peciall worke of Gods Spirit.<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 2.12</NOTE> The &s;econd means whereby we may know, whether our names be written in the Booke of <HI>Life;</HI> is by the word of GOD. For, the word of God tells vs, who|&s;oeuer beleeueth in Chri&s;t Ie&s;u, &s;hall be &s;aued. But the childe of God hearing this promi&s;e ope|ned and applied, by the Mini|&s;terie of Gods word, is able to &s;ay, I beleeue; and am able to
<PB N="92" REF="57"> apply this promi&s;e to my &s;elfe: For no man hath faith, but hee knoweth that hee hath it, and therefore can &s;ay, &s;eeing I be|leeue with all my heart, &s;urely I know I &s;hall be &s;aued.</P>
<P>Thirdly, be&s;ides the ble&s;&s;ed te&s;timony of Gods Spirit, which cannot deceiue, and the witnes of the word of GOD; wee may know our election by the fruits, and effects thereof. As wee &s;ay a man is aliue, &s;o long as we &s;ee him breathe; and can iudge of the Tree by the fruits: Euen &s;o, by the effects of Election, wee may know whether our names be in the Booke of Life, or not. Now the fruites of Election bee &s;et downe by the Holie-Gho&s;t, that al men might be able to ex|amine and try them&s;elues, and know whether they bee orday|ned to Life, or not: <HI>Whom GOD
<PB N="93" REF="57"> prede&s;tinated,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8.30</NOTE> <HI>them al&s;o hee Cal|led, and whom he Called, them al|&s;o he Iu&s;tified, and whom hee Iu|&s;tified, them al&s;o he Glorified.</HI></P>
<P>Where we may beholde the markes of our Election. For all that be elected to Life Eter|nall, and bee written in this Booke; they are fir&s;t called; &s;econdly iu&s;tified; and third|ly, &s;anctified. So then, if you would know whether you bee elected to life, looke to the&s;e three effects of Election. Art thou Called? art thou Iu&s;tified? art thou &s;anctified? Then &s;ure thou art Elected: But if thou ha&s;t not the&s;e three, then can&s;t thou not a&s;&s;ure thy &s;elfe of thy &s;aluation.</P>
<P>So then, the fir&s;t fruite of our Election is our effectuall Cal|ling, when as God doth, by the Preaching of the Go&s;pell, call
<PB N="94" REF="58"> vs out of the world; from our olde &s;innes, to be of the number of his people, to liue as his chil|dren. Againe, when a man co|meth to the preaching of the Word, to &s;ee his &s;innes, and Gods anger for them; di&s;likes them, is grieued for them, be|wailes them, and begs the par|don for them, and beginnes to become a new man; to beleeue in Chri&s;t Ie&s;u, to &s;eeke after Gods Kingdome: Hee which findeth this effectuall calling in him, he may a&s;&s;ure his Soule, that hee is Prede&s;tinated to E|ternall Life. But wee mu&s;t take heed that wee deceiue not our &s;elues with an outward calling, for our Sauiour &s;aith;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 22.</NOTE> <HI>Many are called, but few are cho&s;en.</HI> Ma|ny doe heare the word of God with the eare: but wee mu&s;t la|bour to finde the Spirit of God
<PB N="95" REF="58"> to preach vnto our Soules; to applie the Word to our con&s;ci|ence, to beleeue it, and to obey it. And therefore, they which liue in their old &s;innes, as blind, ignorant, and prophane, as euer before; (alas) how can they thinke to be &s;aued? &s;eeing God choo&s;es none, or &s;aues not any, but whom he calles effectually by the Go&s;pel,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 The&s;&s;. 2.13.</NOTE> and &s;euers from the re&s;t of the world.</P>
<P>Secondly, the fruit of Ele|ction is Iu&s;tification: <HI>For whom he prede&s;tinated, them hee called:</HI> So then heere is an other token and marke, to know whether we be Elected, namely, or Iu&s;ti|fied. Now, this is an e&s;peciall grace of God, to iu&s;tifie a poore &s;inner that mu&s;t be &s;aued. And who&s;oeuer is not iu&s;tified, can|not be &s;aued. Iu&s;tification hath two parts. Fir&s;t, the pardon of
<PB N="96" REF="59"> &s;inne: &s;econdly, the imputation of Chri&s;ts righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e; For that, before a man can be iu&s;ti|fied, hee mu&s;t repent him of his &s;innes, know them, hate them, and begge the pardon of them; and then Chri&s;t Ie&s;us will a&s;&s;ure vs of the pardon of them. And therefore, if wee would know whether we be iu&s;tified, or not, we mu&s;t looke whether we haue truely repented, yea and haue beene truely humbled for our &s;innes, and got the pardon of them all. Secondly, that wee may bee truely iu&s;tified, wee mu&s;t haue a true faith in Chri&s;t Ie&s;us; to lay hold vpon him, to be per&s;waded and a&s;&s;ured in our &s;oules, that Chri&s;t died for me, &s;hed his Bloud for me, obeyed the Law for me, and will couer all my &s;innes in his Righteou&s;|nes. So then, marke the conclu|&s;ion;
<PB N="97" REF="59"> where there is repentance, there is Remi&s;&s;ion of &s;innes; where there is remi&s;&s;ion of &s;ins, there is iu&s;tification; and where there is iu&s;tification, there is &s;aluation. And on the contrarie parts; where there is no repen|tance, there is no remi&s;&s;ion of &s;innes; where there is no remi&s;|&s;ion of &s;innes, there is no iu&s;tifi|cation; and where there is no iu&s;tification, there is no &s;alua|tion. O then what &s;hall become of tho&s;e that liue in &s;in, delight in &s;in, and neuer (as yet) could &s;hed one teare for their mani|fold and grieuous &s;innes? They can not finde them&s;elues to bee iu&s;tified; they can haue no par|don of their &s;innes, &s;o long as they liue in &s;in. And therefore if you would knovv vvhether you &s;hall be &s;aued, or not: la|bour fir&s;t of all to repent, and
<PB N="98" REF="60"> to lay hold on Chri&s;t by Fayth, that &s;o he may couer your &s;ins in his Bloud.</P>
<P>Thirdly, fruite of Election is &s;anctified. And this is a &s;peciall marke of Gods childe,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 The. 2.13</NOTE> to be re|generate, to be &s;anctified. Now Sanctification &s;tandeth in two parts: fir&s;t, they mu&s;t dye vnto &s;inne: &s;econdly, they mu&s;t ri&s;e to righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e. And would you know then a&s;&s;uredly, whe|ther your names are written in the Booke of Life? Looke vn|to your &s;oules. If you finde that you are &s;anctified, if you hate your olde &s;innes, and filthie wayes; if you loue Vertues, and delight in all holy dueties; then it is a certaine token that ye be|long vnto God.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8.1.</NOTE> For there is no condemnation to them that are in Chri&s;t. But if you do &s;auour the things of the fle&s;h; lying in
<PB N="99" REF="60"> the old &s;ins, Drunkenne&s;&s;e, &amp;c. why then certainely, you haue no a&s;&s;urance of &s;aluation, that you can be &s;aued: But you mu&s;t needes &s;ing this dolefull Song, I know not what &s;hall become of my poore Soule, whether I &s;hall be &s;aued or damned. Nay, if thou liue in &s;inne, thou mai&s;t iu&s;tly feare that thou art a fire|brand of hell: For, <HI>Hee that is borne of God, &s;inneth not:</HI> 1. <HI>Ioh.</HI> 5.18. And, <HI>Let euery one that calles on the name of the Lord, depart from iniquity,</HI> 2. <HI>Tim.</HI> 2. Thus to die to &s;in, and to liue to righte|ou&s;nes, is a &s;ure token that wee belong to God. Thus you &s;ee, how a man may come to know, whether hee be elected, and or|dayned to Life, or not. Now let vs &s;ee what v&s;e ari&s;eth hence.</P>
<P>Seeing God hath his Booke <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e"> of Life, in which be written the
<PB N="100" REF="61"> names of all tho&s;e that &s;hall bee &s;aued, and none of them &s;hall peri&s;h: hence cometh endle&s;&s;e comfort to all Gods children: If thou finde that thou art the childe of God, and thy name is written in Heauen, nothing can hurt thee, though thou bee poore, &s;icke, full of &s;ores, in pri|&s;on, hated, contemned; yet no|thing can hurt thee. Nay, all the gates of Hell can not pre|uaile again&s;t thee: no damna|tion can come vnto thee. For if God do iu&s;tifie, who can con|demne? for at the day of Iudge|ment, Chri&s;t Ie&s;us will take his Booke of Life, and call vs, &s;ay|ing; <HI>Come yee ble&s;&s;ed:</HI> So as we &s;hall not come to a terrible Iudgement, but to a louing Sa|uiour.</P>
<P>Secondly, &s;eeing that it is &s;o excellent a thing to haue our
<PB N="101" REF="61"> names written in this Booke; to be the Elect childe of God; we &s;hould labour for this aboue all things in the world; for without this, wee can haue no &s;ound comfort, either in life or death. And therefore our Sauior bids vs in the tenth of <HI>Luke,</HI> not to boa&s;t our &s;elues of Learning, of Wi&s;edome, of Riches: whereas the&s;e are but vaine things; but to reioyce that our names bee written in heauen.</P>
<P>Thirdly, &s;eeing God hath a Booke of Life, and hath written downe the very names of euery man and woman, that &s;hall be &s;aued; and hath withall &s;hewed vs the way that leads vnto Life; and vnle&s;&s;e we walk in this way, we can not come vnto it: It is our wi&s;edome to walke in the way that leades to Life, in the practi&s;e of Godline&s;&s;e. VVee
<PB N="102" REF="62"> are Ve&s;&s;elles of Honour, and therefore mu&s;t liue &s;oberly, iu&s;tly, and godly, in this pre&s;ent world. Not to &s;erue &s;inne, and Sathan any longer: But as the redeemed of the Lord, to walke from &s;trength to &s;trength, from vertue to vertue, from one de|gree of Perfection to an other: till at length wee appeare be|fore the Lord, and there to reape the happie revvard; euen the ful fruition of all happine&s;&s;e, and that for euer|more.</P>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>The end of the &s;econd Sermon.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="3" TYPE="sermon">
<PB N="103" REF="62">
<HEAD>The great A&s;size. THE THIRD SERMON.</HEAD>
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL><HI>REV. 20.12.13.</HI></BIBL>
<P>And the dead were iudged of tho&s;e things which were writ|ten in the Bookes, according to their workes.</P>
<P><BIBL><HI>13</HI></BIBL> And the Sea gaue vp her dead which were in her: and Death and Hell deliuered vp the dead which were in them, and they were iudged euery man accor|ding to their workes.</P></Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>_COncerning the Booke of Life, we haue heard already what is meant
<PB N="104" REF="63"> by it; namely, the Councell and Decree of GODS Election, whereby hee hath cho&s;en cer|taine men and women from out of the lump of Mankinde, vpon whom hee will be&s;tow Eternall Life.</P>
<P>Secondly, wee haue learned that a man may; nay euery Chri|&s;tian man and woman ought to be a&s;&s;ured, that his name is wri|ten in it.</P>
<P>Thirdly, wee did &s;et downe &s;ome means out of the word of God,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8.16</NOTE> whereby a true Chri&s;tian may be a&s;&s;ured hee is elected; namely,</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 2</NOTE>Fir&s;t, the te&s;timony of Gods Spirit, which cannot lie.</P>
<P>Secondly, by the fruites and effects of Election; as Vocati|on, Iu&s;tification, Sanctification, loue of the Brethren,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Ioh. 3.14.</NOTE> and obe|dience vnto all the Commaun|dements
<PB N="105" REF="63"> of God. And there|fore it &s;tands vs all in hand to labour for this a&s;&s;urance of E|lection, el&s;e wee cannot be &s;a|ued, <HI>Luke</HI> 10.20. and without it, wee can haue no true ioy vnto our &s;oules. Surely, mens care|le&s;ne&s;&s;e in this poynt is great: Nay, their care to make their Lands and Lea&s;es &s;ure, will be a means to condemne them for their want of care in this point.</P>
<P>Now Saint <HI>Iohn</HI> proceedeth in the De&s;cription of this la&s;t Iudgement,<NOTE PLACE="marg">After what maner all men &s;hal be iudged</NOTE> euen as it was de|clared vnto him by the Lord Ie|&s;us Chri&s;t him&s;elfe in a Vi&s;ion; and &s;heweth after what man|ner we &s;halbe all iudged, <HI>Euen according to tho&s;e things written in the Booke, according vnto our workes.</HI> You haue heard before, that hee &s;aw all, both great and &s;mall, &s;tand before God; none
<PB N="106" REF="64"> &s;hall bee wanting, or ab&s;ent them&s;elues. Now it might bee wondered how this great mul|titude &s;hall bee iudged; how e|uerie mans Booke &s;hould bee read, and euerie mans cau&s;e &s;hould bee tryed. For wee &s;ee what a long time it holdes our Iudges heere to trie a few per|&s;ons; &s;uch calling for Euiden|ces, &s;uch prouing of witne&s;&s;es, &s;uch preferring of Inditements. But Saint <HI>Iohn</HI> &s;aith, It &s;hall not bee &s;o heere, for all mu&s;t pro|ceed according to the written Records: <HI>And according to the&s;e things which bee written in the Booke:</HI> So as when Chri&s;t Ie&s;us the great Iudge, &s;hall once &s;it vpon the Throne of his Glorie, attended by his holy Angells; then &s;hall the Bookes of euerie mans con&s;cience bee opened, and then they &s;hal afre&s;h call to
<PB N="107" REF="64"> minde all their &s;innes.</P>
<P>In the&s;e words we are to ob|&s;erue three &s;peciall points.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Parts of the Text.</NOTE></P>
<P>Fir&s;t, who they are that mu&s;t come to this Iudgement; name|ly, the dead, euen they which haue lien many thou&s;and years rotten in the graue.</P>
<P>Secondly, the means where|by they mu&s;t be tryed; euen by tho&s;e things which bee written and recorded in their Bookes.</P>
<P>Thirdly, the Touch-&s;tone of this tryall; namely, the written word of God. And fir&s;t of the per&s;ons.</P>
<P>It is not to bee doubted but that Saint <HI>Iohn</HI> meaneth that all mu&s;t come to Iudgement, <HI>Both great and &s;mall</HI> mu&s;t &s;tand be|fore God. But why doth he &s;ay heere, <HI>And the dead &s;hall bee iudged?</HI> It is to be ob&s;erued that he names &s;o expre&s;ly the dead,
<PB N="108" REF="65"> euen tho&s;e which haue lyen rot|ting &s;o many thou&s;and yeares, mu&s;t come to Iudgement; they mu&s;t be called to accompt; yea, their olde &s;innes mu&s;t be now brought to light. For this is rhe wicked thoughts of many car|nall men, that when a man is dead, hee is well; then all his &s;innes die with him, hee is for|gotten, and his &s;innes are not &s;poken of. But Saint <HI>Iohn</HI> &s;aith heere, that euen the dead mu&s;t come to iudgement; euen their olde &s;innes mu&s;t come to light, and they mu&s;t an&s;wer for them. It is nigh &s;ixe thou&s;and yeares &s;ince <HI>Caine</HI> &s;lew his brother, yet this &s;in of his is not forgotten; though <HI>Caine</HI> bee dead &s;o long &s;ince, yet his &s;ins are not dead. No, no, <HI>Caine</HI> one day &s;hall come to accompt for his &s;inne. <HI>Iudas,</HI> he did for vile lucre &s;ell
<PB N="109" REF="65"> his Mai&s;ter many hundreds of yeares agoe; hee is dead and gone: but at this day hee &s;hall be called to accompt. So in our dayes, many men thinke, when they die, their &s;ins &s;hall neuer be brought to light. The V&s;u|rer, hee getteth his goods by wicked and vngodly meanes, he groweth in wealth; when hee dieth, hee thinkes hee &s;hall ne|uer heare of this &s;inne agayne: So the Drunkard, Swearer, Pro|faner of the Lords Sabboth, &amp;c. they are per&s;vvaded, that death will end all their mi&s;erie. Ah (poore &s;oules) it were well with them indeede, if death might end their wofull mi&s;erie: But alas, alas, death is euen as a wide Gate, to let them haue &s;ome pa&s;&s;age to endle&s;&s;e woe, and mi&s;erie. For when they be dead and buried, their &s;ins doe
<PB N="110" REF="66"> not die with them, their mi&s;ery is not then ended: O no, then begins their endle&s;&s;e mi&s;erie &amp; torment: Oh it were good they might haue no more being af|ter death. It had beene good for &s;uch men, they had neuer beene borne; or being borne, that they had been made rather a Toade, or a Serpent; for in death they haue an end. But it is not &s;o with a filthy and and vn|godly &s;inner. For when hee is dead and buried, euen then be|ginnes his greate&s;t woe and mi|&s;ery: for euen the &s;inner that is dead a many thou&s;and yeares, mu&s;t for all this come to iudge|ment. And therefore thou that liue&s;t in &s;inne, in adultery, &amp;c. remember, that although thou die, yet thy &s;innes doe not die with thee: No, no, both thou and they mu&s;t one day come to
<PB N="111" REF="66"> iudgement: thy old &s;innes, and tho&s;e which thou ha&s;t commit|ted in &s;ecret, they mu&s;t come now to light.</P>
<P>Seeing that the dead mu&s;t come to Iudgement, <MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e"> that haue laine a many hundred yeares in the graue, and then their old &s;innes, and &s;ecret &s;innes, mu&s;t come to light: Oh let vs then watch ouer our liues, and haue this &s;till in our mindes. Well, though I die and rotte in the Graue, yet my &s;innes &s;hall not die, my euill wayes cannot be buryed, they mu&s;t come to light, that &s;o wee may neuer dare to &s;inne; thinking as many doe, that when they be once dead, they &s;hall neuer come to accompt for their &s;innes. But Saint <HI>Iohn</HI> &s;ayth heere, that the dead were iudged, euen tho&s;e whom wee forgot, and who&s;e
<PB N="112" REF="67"> &s;innes wee would thinke would neuer be called to accompt, e|uen they mu&s;t come to a recko|ning.</P>
<P>In the next place, Saint <HI>Iohn</HI> tells vs, how all men &s;hall be tryed, and according to what, Sentence &s;hall bee avvarded; Namely, according to tho&s;e things <HI>Written in their Bookes.</HI> Heere is the Euidence, heere is no witne&s;&s;e to bee produced; for a mans con&s;cience &s;hall bee euen as good as a thou&s;and wit|ne&s;&s;es. Novv, what is heere meant by the bookes you haue heard already; namely, the par|ticular Con&s;cience of euerie man and woman. Thy con&s;ci|ence is the Booke; that is, the Euidence: No other witne&s;&s;e &s;hall bee produced, but euen thy owne con&s;cience. Againe, the things which be written in
<PB N="113" REF="67"> the&s;e Bookes, I told you they be all our thoughts, wordes, and workes; not onely our gro&s;&s;e &s;innes, as murder, &amp;c. but in our Bookes bee recorded euen our idle and vaine words, euery vile and filthy thought; and by the&s;e Sentence mu&s;t proceede; and according to the&s;e mu&s;t Iudge|ment be awarded.</P>
<P>Now then, tho&s;e which haue good thoughts, yea and holie things written in their Bookes, they be ble&s;&s;ed and happie; for they &s;hall not be a&s;hamed: nay, they &s;hall be glad to haue their Bookes layd open, that their re|pentance, their faith, loue, zeale and patience, &amp;c. might bee knowne, and come to light. But woe then to all filthie &s;inners, a|dulterers, &amp;c. For the reward of the&s;e &s;innes, is death, the wrath and cur&s;e of God for euer.</P>
<PB N="114" REF="68">
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e"> Seeing that heere is the Eui|dence, and by the things writ|ten in our Bookes in our con&s;|ciences, we mu&s;t be arraigned; and &s;eeing in our Bookes bee recorded all that we do, all our words, thoughts, and deedes: Fir&s;t, it mu&s;t teach vs aboue all things, to looke to our Bookes, our con&s;ciences, to keepe them very faire and cleane; that our Bookes of Accompts bee in a readine&s;&s;e: For our con&s;cien|ces &s;hall eyther excu&s;e or ac|cu&s;e vs at the day of Iudge|ment.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 24.</NOTE>This was the care of the ble&s;|&s;ed Apo&s;tle &s;aint <HI>Paul Acts</HI> 24 in regard of this, that wee mu&s;t all come vnto iudgement, and our con&s;ciences mu&s;t be layed open, and wee iudged accor|ding to the things therein re|corded; it made this holie &s;er|uant
<PB N="115" REF="68"> of God to take all po&s;&s;ible paines to keepe a cleere con&s;ci|ence before GOD and man. O that wee could immitate this ble&s;&s;ed Apo&s;tle, that &s;eeing we mu&s;t all come vnto iudgement, &s;eeing our Bookes, euen our con&s;ciences mu&s;t bee opened and di&s;clo&s;ed, and wee receiue &s;entence of &s;aluation or dam|nation, according to the things written in our Bookes; yea that we could labour and indeuour, that no filthy &s;inne might blot our Bookes, but that wee could keepe them cleere and faire, in the &s;ight of GOD: It ought to per&s;wade vs all, aboue all things in the world, to looke vnto this, to keepe our Bookes faire. For if our con&s;ciences doe accu&s;e vs, GOD is greater then our con&s;cience, and doth know all things.</P>
<PB N="116" REF="69">
<P>Secondly, &s;eeing &s;entence mu&s;t pa&s;&s;e according vnto the things written in our Bookes, and the&s;e be not only the gro&s;&s;e &s;innes of the world them&s;elues, but euen the vile and vncleane thoughts of our hearts; euen the&s;e mu&s;t come to Iudgement: then let vs all be carefull to a|uoide, not onely the outward actions them&s;elues, but euen the&s;e vncleane thoghts of ours: for euen they mu&s;t come vnto Iudgement. Alas, men thinke, thought is free, that they &s;hall neuer be arraigned for their vile and vngodly thoughts. But S. <HI>Paul</HI> &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 2.1.</NOTE> <HI>Thoughts &s;hall either excu&s;e, or accu&s;e vs.</HI> And who&s;o|euer doth truly repent, they do repent euen of their vile and vngodly thoughts: for if wee had no other &s;ins written in the Bookes of our con&s;cience, but
<PB N="117" REF="69"> euen our &s;infull thoughts; euen they were enough to condemne vs both bodie and &s;oule for e|uermore.</P>
<P>Neither may we content our &s;elues, to thinke we are in good ca&s;e, if wee can &s;ay, I am no Drunkard, no Fornicator, &amp;c. No, looke to thy Booke, that there be not &s;o much as an idle word written there: For euen they mu&s;t come to Iudgement, as our Sauiour &s;aith, <HI>I &s;ay vnto you, That for euery idle word men &s;hall giue an accompt at the day of Iudgement.</HI></P>
<P>And that wee might know in particular what is written in our Books, Saint <HI>Iohn</HI> &s;aith, <HI>That we &s;hall bee iudged according to our workes.</HI> So it is, 2. <HI>Cor.</HI> 5.10. <HI>Wee mu&s;t all appeare before the Iudge|ment Seate of Chri&s;t, that euerie man may receiue the things which
<PB N="118" REF="70"> are done in his body,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Reuel. 2.8. Mat. 25.41 Reu. 14.13</NOTE> <HI>according to that hee hath done, whether it be good or euil.</HI> We &s;halbe iudged, and receiue reward according to our workes. If thy workes be good, then life, glory, and &s;alua|tion; But if thy workes be euill, then death, de&s;truction, and damnation. Good workes, al|though they cannot merit, yet they will &s;hew that faith that lay in the heart. So when an euill man dies, his euill workes goe with him, his galled con&s;cience will not leaue him, neyther in life nor death.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Doct."> Hence then we &s;ee, how all men and women &s;hall be tried at this dreadfull day, euen by our workes; eyther they &s;halbe acquitted and ab&s;olued, or el&s;e condemned by their workes. For though no man can merit life and &s;aluation at the handes
<PB N="119" REF="70"> of God, by his workes: yet wee mu&s;t know that iudgement &s;hal proceede at the la&s;t day accor|ding vnto mens workes. If thy workes haue beene good, holy, iu&s;t, and pure: then thou &s;halt receiue life, happine&s;&s;e, glorie, &s;aluation. But if thy workes be found to be wicked, vniu&s;t, and vngodly: then nothing el&s;e but death, hell, and damnation be|longs vnto thee for them.</P>
<P>Wel, what &s;hould this reach?<MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e."> Seeing we mu&s;t all receiue Sen|tence, euen according to our workes, Surely, it ought to moue vs aboue all things in the world, to labour to abound in good workes: to abound in all holy duties, and graces of Gods Spirit; in knowledge, faith, re|pentance, loue, zeale; clothing, feeding, and lodging the poore members of Chri&s;t Ie&s;us: For
<PB N="120" REF="71"> according to our workes &s;hall our reward be. And though our works can merit nothing at the hands of the Iudge; yet hee be|ing a mo&s;t bountifull and mer|cifull Sauiour, hee will crowne his owne workes in vs, and re|ward them in his mercy, though we merite nothing. Do&s;t thou releeue a poore member of IE|SVS CHRIST? Do&s;t thou giue a cuppe of cold water to a Pro|phet, or a Mini&s;ter of the word of GOD? CHRIST doth pro|mi&s;e thee of his trueth, hee will not let thee loo&s;e thy reward. True it is, a cuppe of cold water is a meane gift, and farre from merit; yet Chri&s;t &s;aith, Verily, of my trueth, thou &s;halt not loo&s;e thy reward.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Math. 10.</NOTE></P>
<P>O how &s;hould this per&s;wade all of vs to labour to abound in all holie dueties? to be liberall,
<PB N="121" REF="71"> and bountifull vnto the poore members of Chri&s;t Ie&s;us? &s;ee|ing our good workes, though they cannot merit, yet they &s;hal be rewarded, they &s;hall not bee forgotten in the day of Iudge|ment: they be &s;weet and ble&s;&s;ed companions; when al our frinds can doe vs no good, they will bring endle&s;&s;e peace and com|fort to our Soules.</P>
<P>Againe, it ought to terrifie vs all from &s;in, from euill workes, and vngodly wayes, from &s;wea|ring, drunkennes, vncleanenes, and euery euill way. For if wee bee full of the&s;e, and the&s;e bee found written in our Bookes, O then woe vnto vs, when the&s;e Bookes &s;hall come to bee ope|ned: for then nothing but death, hel and damnation belongs vn|to vs.</P>
<P>Heere we &s;ee, that of all wee <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Doctr.">
<PB N="122" REF="72"> haue and enioy in this world: what &s;hall goe with vs when we die? what &s;hall accompany thee in the graue? Nay, at the terri|ble day of Iudgement, our con|&s;ciences, our workes, and our bookes, nothing el&s;e &s;hall goe with vs. When thou die&s;t, thou &s;halt not take any thing in the world with thee, but thy <HI>workes,</HI> which be ingrauen in the booke of thy con&s;cience: Death will barre all the re&s;t: Thou can&s;t not take thy Golde and Sil|uer with thee, nor thy lands, or liuings, corne, nor cattell: All the&s;e mu&s;t &s;tay behinde thee at what time thou die&s;t; onely thy Con&s;cience, thy Booke, thy Workes mu&s;t goe with thee. If they bee good, Oh ble&s;&s;ed art thou that euer thou wa&s;t borne: If they be wicked, filthy and vn|cleane: Oh woe, and ten thou|&s;and
<PB N="123" REF="72"> woes, I &s;ay, to thy &s;oule for euermore.</P>
<P>O then, <MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e."> what wonderful mad|ne&s;&s;e hath bewitched the hearts and &s;oules of almo&s;t al men and women in the world? What do men de&s;ire? what doe they hun|ger and thir&s;t after? Surely, for plea&s;ures, for profit, and for pre|ferments. For the&s;e they ride &amp; run night and day, winter and &s;ommer, by &s;ea and by land; for the&s;e they &s;pend all their labor, wit, and &s;trength. Heere is all that men de&s;ire; they care for no more. No accompt of Prayer in their Hou&s;es, to reade, to heare, and to &s;peak of the word of God: no de&s;ire to attayne to Knowledge, Faith, and Repen|tance: no con&s;cience to liue in the feare of God: little or no pittie to the needie members of Chri&s;t Ie&s;us. Alas they neuer
<PB N="124" REF="73"> thinke of the&s;e things: But all their de&s;ire is for the VVorld. Oh poore blinde Soules, poore Soules, they know not, or they will not know, that they mu&s;t leaue al the&s;e behind them; they mu&s;t depart from them all. Thou can&s;t not take one peece of golde or &s;iluer with thee; but all mu&s;t bee left behinde: Onelie thy con&s;cience, onelie thy bookes, onelie thy workes, mu&s;t accompany thee. O then what madne&s;&s;e is this, to &s;eeke, and hunt, after &s;uch things as cannot helpe vs, nor &s;tand vs in no &s;teade in the day of Iudge|ment? Nay, if they be got, or kept with a badde con&s;cience, they will be a very terrour vn|to thee at the la&s;t. O then, let vs looke to our &s;elues; let vs not &s;et our hearts too much vppon the&s;e things, which cannot pro|fite
<PB N="125" REF="73"> vs, in this hote fierie day of triall. Why &s;hould wee bee &s;o fooli&s;h to &s;et our hearts vpon that cannot helpe vs; nay, which we mu&s;t leaue behinde vs. And for faith, that which might bee our comfort, both in life and death, and in the dreadfull day of Iudgement; I meane a good Con&s;cience, which, as it is a ble&s;&s;ed and a &s;weete compani|on in life and death; &s;o it will be a ble&s;&s;ed comfort to our poore Soules at the day of Iudge|ment.</P>
<P>O then I be&s;eech you againe, and againe, &s;eeing that nothing &s;hall goe with you vnto iudge|ment, but onely your works; let vs lay a&s;ide our immoderate care for the world, yea and the things of this world; for the&s;e mu&s;t &s;tay behind vs, and cannot helpe vs in the day of Iudge|ment.
<PB N="126" REF="74"> Let vs labour for better things, for durable trea&s;ures, for a good con&s;cience, to abound in good workes, in knowledge, faith, and repentance: Let vs take heed wee be not found na|ked of the&s;e. O what a woefull ca&s;e are they in, that haue no|thing in the world to goe with them to iudgement, but an euil heart, a galled con&s;cience, full of all vncleanenes; their &s;tate is mo&s;t woefull and mi&s;erable; it had beene good for them that they had neuer beene borne.</P>
<P>Here may a que&s;tion be mo|ued, How this &s;aying of Saint <HI>Iohn,</HI> can &s;tand with that of our Sauiour, <HI>Iohn</HI> 3.18. <HI>He that be|leeueth, &s;hall not come into iudge|ment, but he that beleeueth not, is condemned alreadie.</HI> Now then, if the faithfull children of God &s;hall not come into iudgement,
<PB N="127" REF="74"> and the wicked vnbeleeuers be condemned already; How &s;aith he, that all &s;halbe iudged at the day of Iudgement?</P>
<P>I an&s;were, it is true, that the faithfull children of God &s;hall not come into Iudgement, that is, of condemnation:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8.1.</NOTE> <HI>For there is no condemnation, &amp;c.</HI> But God wil pronounce that ble&s;&s;ed &s;en|tence, <HI>Come yee ble&s;&s;ed, &amp;c.</HI> As for the wicked, it is true, they be condemned already: fir&s;t, in the Decree and Councell of God, being Reprobates and Ca&s;t-a|wayes: &s;econdly, in the word of GOD: thirdly, in their owne con&s;cience, they be condem|ned already. But the full mani|fe&s;tation of this Sentence &s;hall not bee vntill the day of Iudge|ment. And &s;o we are to vnder|&s;tand that &s;aying of <HI>Salomon, Ec|cle&s;.</HI> 3. <HI>God &s;hal iudge the iu&s;t and
<PB N="128" REF="75"> vniu&s;t:</HI> The iu&s;t, to &s;aluation; the vniu&s;t, to condemnation. Now the third point that I pro|pounded, is the touch-&s;tone of this Triall, whereby all mens thoughts, words, and workes &s;hall be tryed. To this S. <HI>Paul</HI> an&s;wereth; <HI>At the day of Iudge|ment God &s;hall iudge the &s;ecrets of all mens hearts by my Go&s;pel, Rom.</HI> 1.16. Our thoughts, our words and our workes, mu&s;t be tryed by the word of God; and that thought, word, or worke, which is not according to the written VVord of GOD, is an euill thought, a vile word, and a wic|ked worke.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e."> Seeing that all our thoughts, wordes, and workes, mu&s;t bee tryed, and examined, by the written word of God, by the Lawe, and by the Go&s;pell, wee haue neede to labour to know
<PB N="129" REF="75"> them, to bee acquainted with them, that wee might know what is &s;in, and not &s;inne; good and bad, that &s;o wee may leaue the one, and doe the other. Oh what a woefull ca&s;e are all they in, which are ignorant in the word of God: blinde men and vvomen without knowledge; they know not what is good or euill. And therefore &s;aith the Apo&s;tle <HI>Paul</HI> 2. <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 1. <HI>That the Lord Ie&s;us will come in a flame of fire, to render vengeance to them which know him not, and obey not the Go&s;pel of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI> And therefore, as you doe loue your &s;oules, loue this word of God; labour to know it, embrace it: If thou be ignorant of it, and yeelde not obedience vnto it, it &s;hall &s;tand again&s;t thee at the daie of Iudgement, and thou mu&s;t be tryed by it. Therefore
<PB N="130" REF="76"> let vs all labour to be in&s;tructed in it, to reade it, to remember it, and to leade our liues by it: For what&s;oeuer is done contra|rie to it, is &s;inne; it mu&s;t come to iudgement, and the Word will condemne it.</P>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL><HI>13</HI></BIBL> And the &s;ea gaue vp her dead which were in her: and death and hell deliuered vp the dead which were in them, and they were iudged euery man accor|ding to their workes.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>YOV heard in the twelfth Ver&s;e, immediately going before, how Saint <HI>Iohn</HI> &s;aw the dead, both great and &s;mall, &s;tand before GOD; that is, all men and women, that euer li|ued, or &s;hall liue, vnto the end of the world. Now heere might a que&s;tion ari&s;e, How this can
<PB N="131" REF="76"> bee; How is it po&s;&s;ible that all men &s;hould come to Iudge|ment? There haue beene many thou&s;ands which haue beene drowned in the Sea, and the fi&s;hes haue deuoured them; &s;ome haue beene &s;laine in the field, and the fowles haue eaten their fle&s;h, and many haue been burnt, and con&s;umed to a&s;hes. Then it is a very high poynt, a matter beyond all rea&s;on, that all the dead &s;hould ri&s;e againe. Men that haue beene drowned, fi&s;hes haue eaten them; &amp; men againe perhaps haue eaten the fi&s;hes; and they that haue beene burnt to a&s;hes, their a&s;hes haue beene &s;cattered, who knoweth whither? How then is it po&s;&s;i|ble for them to ari&s;e againe? In|deed the profane Athei&s;ts and filthy epicures, are not a&s;hamed <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">o &s;ay, that there &s;hall be no re|&s;urrection,
<PB N="132" REF="77"> but when a man dies there is an end of all his ioy, and of all his mi&s;erie. But, that the dead &s;hall ri&s;e againe, is an Ar|ticle of our Faith, We beleeue the re&s;urrection of the dead: And &s;o wee know it is a &s;peciall point of Gods glory, in mercie to reward his poore children; and in puni&s;hing in iudgement, the wicked and vngodly. But, as <HI>Salomon</HI> &s;aith, In this Life all things happen alike, to the iu&s;t and vniu&s;t: Nay, oftentimes, <HI>Diues</HI> is full, and at ea&s;e, when <HI>Lazarus</HI> is empty, and in mi&s;ery. How then &s;hould God bee iu&s;t, if hee &s;hould &s;uffer his poore children, that loue and feare his Name, heere to liue in mi&s;erie, and neuer to reward them? Or again, how &s;hould God be iu&s;t, if hee &s;hould &s;uffer the wicked and vngodlie, heere to liue at
<PB N="133" REF="77"> ea&s;e, if there were not a time when they &s;hould ta&s;te of ven|geance? Therefore they mu&s;t come to Iudgement, they mu&s;t ri&s;e againe, the godlie to bee made partakers of life, and ioy; and the wicked, of &s;hame and confu&s;ion: <HI>Iob</HI> &s;aith in his nine|teenth chapter, <HI>That though the wormes did eate his fle&s;h, yet hee &s;hould beholde God with his eyes:</HI> And Saint <HI>Paul</HI> doth proue this with many rea&s;ons: 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15. <HI>If the dead ri&s;e not againe, then is not Chri&s;t ri&s;en: And if Chri&s;t be not ri&s;en, then is our Preaching vaine, &amp;c.</HI> And why &s;hould we thinke it impo&s;&s;ible for God to rai&s;e our bodies out of the du&s;t? Wee &s;ee a poore ignorant man is able of A&s;hes, to make a ve|rie beautiful Gla&s;&s;e. How much more then is the Euer-liuing, and almighty God, able to rai&s;e
<PB N="134" REF="78"> our bodies out of the du&s;t? But you will &s;ay, are mens bodies eaten of fi&s;hes, men eate them againe? How is it po&s;&s;ible to &s;aue the bodies of men, thus con&s;umed to du&s;t, and mingled with the bodies of fi&s;hes and of bea&s;ts? I an&s;were, that though it be impo&s;&s;ible to men, yet it is not impo&s;&s;ible to God: For he that created all our bodies of nothing, can make them againe of &s;omething; namely, of their owne matter; and to &s;euer their bodies from all other matters: As wee &s;ee that a Gold-&s;mith can &s;euer one matter from ano|ther.</P>
<P>So then this place doth proue and confirme that Article of our faith, that wee beleeue the Re&s;urrection of the dead. For how&s;oeuer a man dieth, by Sea, or by Land, in his bed, or in the
<PB N="135" REF="78"> field; Saint <HI>Iohn</HI> &s;aith heere, the Sea &s;hall giue vp all that haue beene drowned; death and hell, that is, the Graue &s;hall deliuer the dead in them; &s;o as all mu&s;t come to Iudgement, of what death &s;oeuer they die.</P>
<P>O then &s;ee (beloued) how the diuel bewitcheth many a poore ignorant &s;oule. <MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e."> When he is in mi&s;erie, in great di&s;tre&s;&s;e, and calamitie, the Diuell hee per|&s;wadeth him to become his owne executioner, to end his mi&s;ery, and to end his &s;hame, by hanging him&s;elfe, cutting his owne throate, drowning him|&s;elfe, &amp;c. And wee know, and heare, that hee preuaileth much by the&s;e meanes in the&s;e dayes: Some being in di&s;grace, as <HI>A|chitophel;</HI> &s;ome with the guilt of &s;inne, and of con&s;cience, as <HI>Iudas;</HI> and &s;ome being cro&s;&s;ed
<PB N="136" REF="79"> with wife and children, cut their throates, or otherwi&s;e make an end of them&s;elues. Now, they fooli&s;hly thinke, by this means, to end their griefe: Alas, alas, they do by this means, euen ha|&s;ten their ovvne de&s;truction: And doe, as if a man &s;hould (to auoyd a little &s;moake) ca&s;t him|&s;elfe head-long into a flaming fire: So they, to auoyd this lit|tle griefe of their body, plunge body and &s;oule into eternal tor|ments. For, what ea&s;e is it for a man to kill him&s;elfe, or ca&s;t away him&s;elfe, &s;eeing they mu&s;t come to Iudgement? though they kill them&s;elues, or drowne them&s;elues, <HI>Why the water and the Graue mu&s;t one day deliuer vp their dead.</HI> And therefore, hence let vs learne to arme our &s;elues, if Sathan &s;hall tempt vs to &s;uch horrible facts, to ca&s;t away our
<PB N="137" REF="79"> &s;elues, &amp;c. Let vs an&s;were him, Wee may not ca&s;t away that which Chri&s;t hath bought with his owne bloud. Nay, let vs an|&s;were him, That wee &s;hall not thereby end our mi&s;erie, but en|crea&s;e it.</P>
<P>Now if you demand of me, by what meanes the dead &s;hall then ari&s;e at the la&s;t day? I an|&s;wer, It is by the mighty power of the voice of CHRIST: <HI>The houre &s;hall come</HI> (&s;aith CHRIST) <HI>in the which, all that are in the Graues &s;hall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God, and come forth, Iohn</HI> 5.28. And to &s;hew the wonder|ful power of the voice of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> it is compared to the &s;ound of a Trumpet, the lowde&s;t, and the &s;hrille&s;t of all In&s;truments: <HI>And the Lord Ie&s;us him&s;elfe &s;hall de&s;cend, and come with a &s;hout,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 The. 4.16</NOTE> <HI>and with the voyce of the Arch|angell,
<PB N="138" REF="80"> and with the Trumpet of God, and then the dead in Chri&s;t &s;hall ari&s;e fir&s;t.</HI> Such &s;hall bee the power &amp; force of this voice of the Lord IESVS, as that it &s;halbe heard ouer all the whole world: Nay, though men haue laine many a thou&s;and yeares rotten in the Graue, yet they &s;hall heare it and come forth to iudgement. Nay, the very di|uels and damned &s;pirits, in &s;pite of their teeth, &s;hall be con&s;trai|ned to appeare at his Voyce; No Prince, no Monarch, no King, no Angell &s;hall bee able to ab&s;ent them&s;elues; but they mu&s;t all bee enforced to obey the Voyce of the Sonne of GOD, and come to Iudge|ment.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e."> O then, &s;eeing wee mu&s;t all heare the voice of the Lord IE|SVS at the day of Iudgement,
<PB N="139" REF="80"> and wee cannot but come forth of our Graues vnto Iudgement: Oh let vs now obey his Voyce in the Mini&s;terie of the Go&s;pel, now embrace the Go&s;pell, and the voyce of his Mini&s;ters. If wee will not now leaue &s;inne, heare CHRIST IESVS &s;pea|king vnto vs in his Word, and embrace his Go&s;pell; then let vs well know that wee &s;hall one day heare another Voice, when wee &s;hal be compelled to come before him to be condemned.</P>
<P>Thus you may &s;ee, that all the dead mu&s;t ari&s;e and come to Iudgement, and you &s;ee how, and by what meanes, our bodies &s;hall be rai&s;ed; namely, by the mighty and the wonderfull po|wer of the voice of the Lord Ie&s;us. Let vs now come to the V&s;es.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, &s;eeing of vvhat death
<PB N="140" REF="81"> &s;oeuer men &s;hall die; either by fire or water, or how&s;oeuer, they mu&s;t one day come to iudgement: Let vs then beware of that vngodly thought, and diueli&s;h per&s;wa&s;ion that runnes in mo&s;t mens minds: namely, that thinke, that when they die, there is an end of all their mi&s;e|rie: And though they haue beene grieuous and horrible &s;inners, yet if they can e&s;cape till death, all is well. And thus they thinke, that they and their &s;innes &s;hall be buried together. No, no (poore &s;oules) they doe much deceiue them&s;elues: How&s;oeuer thou die&s;t, thou &s;halt come to iudgement: And death is &s;o farre from ending thy mi&s;ery, that it is a broade gate to let thee in into it.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 16.</NOTE> For &s;o &s;oone as the Glutton died, hee was pre&s;ently in hel in torment:
<PB N="141" REF="81"> And therefore let vs take heed how we wi&s;h, as fooli&s;h men do in their &s;ickne&s;&s;e, or age, or mi|&s;erie; <HI>O I would I were dead, then I &s;hould bee out of my paine.</HI> O no, no, if thou bee not the child of God, and a repentant &s;inner; it had beene better for thee neuer to haue beene borne, or to bee a Toade, or Serpent. And thou &s;halt finde, that death is &s;o farre from ea|&s;ing thy paine, that it &s;hall bring thee ten thou&s;and times more paine and torment, euen in hell fire for euer: Therefore let vs not thinke that death &s;hall end the mi&s;eries of wicked men.</P>
<P>Secondly, &s;eeing all men mu&s;t ri&s;e to iudgement, and by what meanes &s;oeuer they die they mu&s;t bee called to ac|compt; this is a wonderfull comfort to Gods poore chil|dren.
<PB N="142" REF="82"> Who abides more trou|ble and griefe then they? Who be more hated, reuiled, cro&s;&s;ed, and wronged, then they? So as their life here, for the mo&s;t part, is nothing el&s;e but a life of mi|&s;erie. But their comfort is heere in this, that they &s;hall ri&s;e againe, and then the ca&s;e &s;hall bee altered; then our mi&s;erie &s;hall bee turned into felicitie, ioy, and happine&s;&s;e. Ha&s;t thou beene poore heere? then thou &s;halt bee rich, and po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e a Kingdome. Ha&s;t thou beene hungry and thir&s;ty heere? then thou &s;halt ta&s;te of the Tree of Life. Ha&s;t thou beene poore and naked heere? Then thou &s;halt bee cloathed with the pre|cious Robes of Chri&s;ts righte|ou&s;ne&s;&s;e: and in &s;teede of the rags of Infamie, and Reproch, which wee mu&s;t put on heere,
<PB N="143" REF="82"> wee &s;hall bee crowned with a Crowne of immortall Glorie, &amp;c. Agayne, vnto the wicked and the vngodlie, it is not &s;o with them, but they, hauing ta|ken their plea&s;ure here, and re|ceiued their portion in this pre|&s;ent world, &s;hall ari&s;e now to Iudgement, to heare the Sen|tence of Condemnation de|nounced again&s;t them; and Mohammed Bouaziziow to bee ca&s;t into the Lake that burnes with fire and brim|&s;tone for euer,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 5.29.</NOTE> which is the &s;e|cond death.</P>
<P>Thirdly, &s;eeing Saint <HI>Iohn</HI> &s;aith, that wee &s;hall all come to iudgement; the&s;e bodies of ours, though they be drowned, though they be burnt to a&s;hes, or how&s;oeuer they bee con&s;u|med, yet they &s;hall ri&s;e againe, eyther to Life eternall, or death eternall: Should not this make
<PB N="144" REF="83"> vs all (Beloued) to looke vnto our &s;elues, to take heed we doe not v&s;e our bodies to the di&s;ho|nour of God. Woulde&s;t thou haue thy bodie to bee partaker of Life, Felicitie, Glorie, and Saluation in heauen? Then v&s;e thy bodie now to the glorie of God vpon earth, to heare his word, to &s;anctifie Gods Sab|both, &amp;c.</P>
<P>But if thou v&s;e thy bodie to &s;inne, to &s;wearing, to drunken|ne&s;&s;e, whooredome, &amp;c. then know, that thy bodie &s;hall ri&s;e againe to iudgement to be tor|mented for euer. Do not looke vpon the rich Glutton,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 16.</NOTE> hee had abu&s;ed his bodie to &s;wearing, drunkenne&s;&s;e, &amp;c. and what be|came of it, was hee not feare|fully tormented in Hell at la&s;t? And hee which had giuen his tongue to &s;wearing, &amp;c. Now
<PB N="145" REF="83"> he cries, his tongue, his tongue. O that all &s;inful wretches could but thinke of this one example of GODS iudgements! that if they abu&s;e their bodies as this man did, that they &s;hall then ta&s;te of the &s;ame Iudgement. Woulde&s;t thou haue thy body glorified? then glorifie God in thy body. Do&s;t thou thinke that thy &s;oule &s;hall bee &s;aued, and thy body glorified, if thou v&s;e the members thereof to &s;inne, to vncleanenes? &amp;c. O no: let vs not deceiue our owne &s;oules, it can not be. For, &s;aith the A|po&s;tle,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 6.2.</NOTE> <HI>How can wee that are dead to &s;inne, yet liue therein?</HI></P>
<P>Fourthly, &s;eeing the Holie-Gho&s;t &s;aith, that of what death &s;oeuer wee doe die, wee &s;hall all ri&s;e againe; and Gods chil|dren they &s;hall ri&s;e to life, and to glory. This mu&s;t teach vs all
<PB N="146" REF="84"> this Doctrine; namely, not to weepe and mourne immode|ratly for our friends decea&s;ed. True it is, that CHRIST IE|SVS wept for <HI>Lazarus;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 11.</NOTE> and the Di&s;ciples made great lamenta|tion for <HI>Stephen.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 7.</NOTE> And &s;o wee haue great cau&s;e to mourne and weepe, when as &s;ome &s;pe|ciall member of the Church of God is taken away; we may not be as &s;tockes or &s;tones, or &s;en&s;e|le&s;&s;e creatures, without affecti|on. It mu&s;t needes grieue the heart of a husband to part with his louing, godly, and religious wife. But heere is a meane for this mourning to moderate our weeping, that wee weepe not and mourne not ouermuch, for they &s;hall ri&s;e againe. <HI>I would not haue you ignorant brethren, concerning tho&s;e that bee a&s;leepe, that you &s;hould mourne at they
<PB N="147" REF="84"> that haue no hope,</HI> 1. <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 4.13 Where the holy-Gho&s;t tells vs, that the dead in Chri&s;t doe not die properly; but lay them downe to take a &s;weet &s;leepe, after their long and tedious la|bors, and troubls in this world; and afterward they mu&s;t ri&s;e a|gaine to life, to happine&s;&s;e, to liberty, to glory, and &s;aluation. And wherefore then &s;hould we mourne &s;o exce&s;&s;iuely, &amp; weep, and lament at the death of our friends, &s;eeing they doe not peri&s;h, they are not ca&s;t away? O no, their &s;oules are pre&s;ently in ioy, and their bodies are bu|ried in the graue, as in a bed of dowlne, to take a &s;weet &s;leepe till the day of Iudgement, and then they &s;hall ri&s;e to glory.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="148" REF="85">
<HEAD>And they were iudged euery man according to their workes.</HEAD>
<P>MArke, I pray you, how the holy Gho&s;t repeates this point, againe and againe he beates vpon it, he can neuer haue done with it. He &s;aid be|fore, <HI>The Bookes are opened, and the dead were iudged according to tho&s;e things written in the books.</HI> And now againe he &s;aith, <HI>They were iudged euery man according to his workes.</HI> What &s;hould bee the cau&s;e why the Holy-Gho&s;t &s;o often repeats this point, and beates &s;o vpon it againe and a|gaine? I an&s;were, The cau&s;e is in vs, becau&s;e wee are hardly brought to beleeue this poynt, hardly per&s;waded of &s;o nece&s;&s;a|ry a matter: for hardly one man of a thou&s;and beleeueth this;
<PB N="149" REF="85"> That he &s;hall be iudged accor|ding to his workes: Oh it is a hard matter to per&s;wade men and women of this, That they mu&s;t giue an accompt of their workes, and be iudged by their workes. Tell the wicked &s;inner of his vngodly wayes, of his profanenes, contempt of Gods word, &amp;c. And what doe they &s;ay? Doe they quake and trem|ble? Doth their heart and &s;oules euen erne in them? O no, no: they flatter them&s;elues with this conceit, <HI>God is mercifull:</HI> And thus they make the mercie of God a packe-hor&s;e for all their abominations. And thus it is in the vile heart of man, to thinke he &s;hall neuer come to account for his &s;ins, that he &s;hall neuer bee called to a reckoning for them, and receiue his reward according to his workes.</P>
<PB N="150" REF="86">
<P>Heere then we may perceiue there bee but two &s;orts of men and women; there is the repen|tant &s;inner, and the impenitent &s;inner: and both of them mu&s;t come to iudgement. The re|pentant &s;inner is he or &s;he that mourneth for their &s;innes, be|waileth them, hateth them, and leaueth them; and doth hunger and thir&s;t after good things.</P>
<P>Now the impenitent &s;inner, is he or &s;hee that liues in &s;inne, and will not in any wi&s;e bee brought to leaue &s;inne: They neuer with teares beg the par|don of them at the handes of God, but wallow in all vnclean|ne&s;&s;e, heaping &s;inne vpon &s;inne, and one vngodly way vpon an|other: whereas all the &s;innes of GODS children, who doe re|pent, be quit and pardoned in
<PB N="151" REF="86"> Chri&s;t Ie&s;us, hee hath nayled them to his Cro&s;&s;e, and hath wa&s;hed them away in his owne Bloud, and they &s;hall neuer come to light. But their faith, their religio~, their good deeds; as their feeding and cloathing of CHRIST IESVS in his poore members, <HI>Matth.</HI> 25. and according to the&s;e they &s;hal re|ceiue their reward, life, happi|ne&s;&s;e, and eternall &s;aluation&punc; and as their good deeds be ma|ny, and great, &s;o &s;hall their ho|nour, prai&s;e, and glory be grea|ter in heauen.</P>
<P>And therefore we &s;hould la|bour to abound in good works, in faith, knowledge, repenta~ce, loue, zeale, &amp;c. &s;eeing our re|ward &s;hall be according to our workes. But as for the vnrepen|tant &s;inner that liues in &s;inne, delights in &s;inne, as they do; not
<PB N="152" REF="87"> repent, nor haue no faith, nor good workes: euen &s;o as their workes &s;hall bee, &s;o &s;hall their puni&s;hment be. Ah what a wo|full harue&s;t hath many a poore &s;oule now to reape at this day, that all his life time hath &s;old him&s;elfe vnto &s;inne, that neuer had any care nor con&s;cience to liue a <HI>godly life?</HI> They &s;hal weep, they &s;hal howle &amp; lament, when they &s;hal &s;ee their reward &s;hall be according to their workes.</P>
<P>O how &s;hould this doctirene moue vs all, as we haue any care to our poore &s;oules, to looke to our &s;elues, to watch ouer our wayes, to hate &s;inne, as the very bane of our &s;oules; and to a|uoid euery euill worke, becau&s;e euen by our workes &s;hall we be iudged. O then as you loue your &s;elues, and as you de&s;ire life and &s;aluation, abound in good
<PB N="153" REF="87"> workes, and as you feare the wrath and endle&s;&s;e vengeance of God, and as you feare the torments of hell, take heed of &s;inne, of euery euill thought, of euery euill word, and of euery euill work: for by them we &s;hall be iudged at the la&s;t. And if our workes be euill, let vs a&s;&s;ure our &s;elues this will be the &s;entence of the Iudge, <HI>Depart from me yee cur&s;ed, &amp;c.</HI> But if you haue care to liue here a godly life, to a|bound in good works: O then &s;ee what a cheerefull and com|fortable voyce yee &s;hall heare, <HI>Come yee ble&s;&s;ed of my father, &amp;c.</HI> For iudgement &s;hall proceede according&punc; to our workes. O that God would touch our hearts, that we could but truely learne and beleeue this one le&s;|&s;on, That our &s;entence &s;hall be as our works be, and iudgement
<PB N="154" REF="88"> &s;hall be awarded according to our workes: O it would bridle vs from many thou&s;and &s;innes and impieties. How &s;hould any man dare to &s;inne, to &s;weare, to lie, to &s;teale, &amp;c. when as hee knoweth that his reward &s;hall be according vnto his workes? and it would inflame our &s;oules to labour to abound in good workes, in knowledge, faith, re|pentance, humiliation, care, and con&s;cience, becau&s;e, if wee abound in the&s;e, our &s;entence &s;hall bee happy, ble&s;&s;ed, and comfortable; and our glorie and reward &s;hall be great in the Kingdome of heauen.</P>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>The end of the third Sermon.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="4" TYPE="sermon">
<PB N="155" REF="88">
<HEAD>The great A&s;size. THE FOVRTH SERMON.</HEAD>
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL><HI>REV. 20.14.15.</HI></BIBL>
<P><BIBL><HI>4</HI></BIBL> And death and hel were ca&s;t into the lake of fire: this is the &s;econd death.</P>
<P><BIBL><HI>5</HI></BIBL> And who&s;oeuer was not found written in the booke of life, was ca&s;t into the lake of fire.</P></Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>_IN the handling of this weighty poynt of Reli|gion; the &s;econd com|ning of CHRIST to Iudge|ment: wee haue learned from he mouth of God; Fir&s;t, what
<PB N="156" REF="89"> maner of per&s;on the Iudge &s;hal<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> be; namely, that he &s;hall come like a mighty Prince, with great Power, Maie&s;tie, and Glorie, to the great comfort of all his poore members; &amp; to the great terrour and dread of all his ene|mies.</P>
<P>Secondly, we haue &s;eene who &s;hall be iudged; <HI>Both great and &s;mall.</HI></P>
<P>Thirdly, the manner hovv iudgement &s;hal proceed; name|ly, by the written Records of mens con&s;ciences.</P>
<P>And now in the la&s;t place, we are to come to the execution of iudgement vpon the wicked re|probates, and vngodly, in the&s;e two la&s;t ver&s;es: for when iudge|ment is pronounced according to their workes, when CHRIST IESVS &s;hall &s;ay vnto them, <HI>De|part from me, &amp;c.</HI> then immedi|ately
<PB N="157" REF="89"> the execution of this &s;en|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ence &s;hall follow; for &s;o &s;aith Saint <HI>Iohn</HI> here, <HI>And death and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ell were ca&s;t into the lake of fire, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">hat is the &s;econd death.</HI></P>
<P>Fir&s;t, here we are to &s;eeke the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">rue meaning of the Text, be|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">au&s;e there is neuer a word that <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">s plaine, but may moue a que|tion: For,</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, what is Death that hee <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">hould bee ca&s;t into Hell? Is Death any creature? Is Death <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ubiect to paine and torment? Surely no. Death is no bodie, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">t hath no &s;en&s;e nor feeling; Death is no creature, but onely <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">he depriuation of life. Againe, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">hat a &s;trange &s;peech is this, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">hat death &s;hould be ca&s;t into <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ell; how can this be?</P>
<P>Secondly, what is meant by <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">he lake of Fire: Is hell a water, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">r fire, like our fire?</P>
<PB N="158" REF="90">
<P>And la&s;tly, wee are to con&s;i|der what is meant by the &s;eco~d death, into which al reprobates mu&s;t be ca&s;t.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, heere by death and hell is meant, not death it &s;elfe, or hell it &s;elfe: but the heires of death and hell, that is, all the Reprobates that &s;hall bee ca&s;t into hell fire, and there die for euermore. Thus then you &s;ee what is heere meant by death and hell; namely, the heires of death, and fire-brands of hell: All reprobates, all impenitent &s;inners that liue and die in their &s;innes, all tho&s;e &s;hall be ca&s;t in|to the lake of fire.</P>
<P>Seeing the holy-Gho&s;t giues the&s;e Titles and Names, to all wicked and vngodly &s;inners, e|uen death and hell. Surely this &s;hewes the wonderfull mi&s;erie&punc; and the cur&s;ed e&s;tate of tho&s;e
<PB N="159" REF="90"> that liue and die in their &s;innes without repentance. Alas, it is &s;o woefull and damnable, that they be euen called death and hell it &s;elfe.</P>
<P>Oh then let all &s;inners that liue and delight in &s;inne, <MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e."> take heed vnto them&s;elues. You do &s;ee the woefull mi&s;erie of all impenitent &s;inners; Namely, that they are no better then the ve&s;&s;ells of wrath, the heires of eternall death, and fire-brands of hell for euermore. O that all &s;inners could forethinke of this wofull mi&s;erie that hangs ouer their heades, What a &s;trange kinde of &s;peech is this, and of what force, when God calleth &s;uch Reprobates euen death &amp; hell it &s;elfe? Ah poore wret|ches! Ah mi&s;erable and wofull creatures, which are but death and hell it &s;elfe. Oh would that
<PB N="160" REF="91"> the Drunkards, &amp;c. could lay this to heart: That how&s;oeuer they &s;ee not their mi&s;ery, nor the woefull e&s;tate wherein they liue, but ble&s;&s;e them&s;elues in their &s;innefull wayes; yet they are no better, then the heires of vengeance, and wrath of God; nay indeed, very death and hell it &s;elfe.</P>
<P>True it is, that many wicked men doe, as the people did in <HI>E&s;ay</HI> his time;<NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;ay 28.11</NOTE> though they li|ued in horrible &s;innes; yet they made a league with death, and were at an agreement with the Graue; they had taken a Lea&s;e of death and hell, to liue in &s;in by Licence, without puni&s;h|ment. But the Lord tells them, he will breake their couenants, and di&s;annull their agreements: and although they haue liued a long time in &s;inne, yet in the
<PB N="161" REF="91"> end death will knocke at their doores, and he will lay hold vp|on them, and they mu&s;t pay full deare for their long Lea&s;e; euen the lo&s;&s;e of bodie and &s;oule for euer.</P>
<P>And is not this the practi&s;e of mo&s;t men and women? Doe they not euen make a couenant with death? and do they not la|bour to be at agreement with hell? Men liue in &s;wearing, ly|ing, drunkenne&s;&s;e, &amp;c. and yet they thinke they &s;hal neuer die, they thinke they &s;hall e&s;cape for all their &s;innes. But (poore &s;oules) let them well know that death and hell will &s;eize vppon them. Nay, if they liue and die in their &s;innes, without repen|tance; let them know, that they be not better then death and hel it &s;elfe, and they mu&s;t be ca&s;t in|to the lake of fire.</P>
<PB N="162" REF="92">
<P>True it is, you &s;hall &s;ee many a notorious &s;inner, contemner of the Word, a drunkard, &amp;c. they think them&s;elues to be iol|ly fellowes, and who but they? Alas, alas, their ca&s;e is feareful: poore &s;oules, they doe not &s;ee they be the &s;onnes of death, the heires of vengeance, and the wrath of God, the fire-brands of hell; nay, euen death and hell it &s;elfe.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="V&s;e"> Heere wee may &s;ee what a horrible and cur&s;ed thing &s;inne is in the &s;ight of God; for &s;inne maketh men become guiltie of eternal death, and firebrands of hell: as we &s;ee when the traitour is executed for trea&s;on, his &s;on &s;marteth for his &s;inne: Euen &s;o &s;inne, which is trea&s;on again&s;t the maie&s;ty of God, when wee haue brought it foorth, it brin|geth vs to death and hell: For
<PB N="163" REF="92"> death and hell is the reward of &s;inne.</P>
<P><HI>And death and hell were ca&s;t into the lake of fire.]</HI> Would you know what &s;hall become of the profane wretches of the world? would you know what &s;hall be|come of the bla&s;phemer? would you know what &s;hall become of the adulterer, drunkard, ido|later, &s;wearer? &amp;c. S. <HI>Iohn</HI> &s;aith here in plaine termes, <HI>They &s;hall be ca&s;t into the lake of fire.</HI> Thus was the rich Glutton, <HI>Luke</HI> 16. for his gluttony, drunkenne&s;&s;e, want of pitty, &amp;c. <HI>ca&s;t into this wofull lake of fire.</HI> And thus &s;hall all impenitent &s;inners one day be ca&s;t into this wofull Lake of fire.</P>
<P>Now, if a Bla&s;phemer, or an Adulterer, &amp;c. &s;hould haue but this puni&s;hment, to holde his little Finger in the flame of a
<PB N="164" REF="93"> candle one houre, how could hee endure it? But if a man &s;hould bee roa&s;ted on a Gri|diron, or boyled in a Cauldron of molten lead, what mi&s;erie were this? who&s;e heart wold not quake, and melt, to thinke on it? O the&s;e are nothing, in compa|ri&s;on of the&s;e mo&s;t extreme and endle&s;&s;e torments in this lake of fire; when both body and &s;oule, &s;hall both burne and boyle, and as it were, fry in the &s;corching flames which cannot bee quenched. All men, almo&s;t, are afraid to commit Trea&s;on becau&s;e Traytors are &s;o grie|uou&s;ly puni&s;hed: they are han|ged, drawne, and quartered. But, alas; men be not afraid to commit Trea&s;on again&s;t the King of Heauen, though they mu&s;t bee ca&s;t into a lake of fire for euermore. Men are afraid
<PB N="165" REF="93"> to offend the Prince for feare of death: And yet our Sauiour bids vs, <HI>Not feare them that can kill the body, and can do no more, but feare him that can ca&s;t both body and &s;oule into hell fire.</HI> And yet wee &s;ee that men and women bee more affraid to offend man, then God that can ca&s;t both body and &s;oule into hell fire.</P>
<P>If wee &s;hould &s;ee a little child fall into the fire, and heare it cry pittifully, and the very Bowels &s;hould bee burnt out: O how it would grieue vs, and make our very hearts bleed within vs; How much more then &s;hould it grieue vs, to &s;ee, not a childe, but euen our owne bodies and &s;oules, ca&s;t away for euer, by &s;in, into the lake of fire that cannot be quenched? If a man &s;hould come among&s;t
<PB N="166" REF="94"> vs and cry, fire, fire, thy hou&s;e is all of a flaming fire, thy Corne, thy Cattell, thy Wife, and Children, and all that thou ha&s;t were con&s;umed with fire: Oh how would this a&s;toni&s;h vs, that would make the very haire to &s;tand vpright on our heads, and teares to gu&s;h out of our eyes. Behold then, and &s;ee, the Spirit of God cries out vnto vs, <HI>Fire:</HI> euen the dreadfull fire of hell, gapeth ready to deuoure, not thy hou&s;e, thy corne, or thy cattell, but thy poore &s;oule, and that for euermore. Oh how &s;hould this breake our hard and flintie hearts a&s;under, and make our &s;oules to bleed? if wee haue any &s;parke of grace, any care of our &s;oules, that they may not bee tormented in this Lake of Fire for euer.</P>
<P>I will leaue the further hand|ling
<PB N="167" REF="94"> of this poynt, vntill I come vnto the next ver&s;e; where the holy-Gho&s;t &s;aith agayne, the better to make it &s;inke into our verie hearts, That <HI>Who&s;oeuer is not found written in the Booke of Life, &s;hall be ca&s;t into this lake of fire.</HI></P>
<P>Now, the better to expre&s;&s;e what is meant by this Lake of Fire: Not a bodily death, nor a materiall fire, like to ours; But the holy-Gho&s;t meaneth heere, euen the &s;econd death; that is, not of the bodie onelie,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Double death.</NOTE> but of eternall death and damnation both of bodie and &s;oule for e|uermore. This is the &s;econd death, and by this we may &s;ee there is a double death: there is the fir&s;t death, and the &s;econd death. The fir&s;t death is, the &s;e|paration of the &s;oule from the body, &amp; this is common to all;
<PB N="168" REF="95"> the children of GOD doe die this death, a&s;well as the wicked; yet there is a difference: For death is no cur&s;e to the children of God, becau&s;e Chri&s;ts death hath taken avvay the Sting of death, that it can not hurt the children of God: No, it is as a doore to let our &s;oules into the Kingdome of Heauen: But the &s;econd they neuer ta&s;te of: No childe of God needes to feare the &s;econd death;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8.1.</NOTE> <HI>For there is no condemnation to them that are in Chri&s;t Ie&s;us.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Wherein the &s;econd death con|&s;i&s;teth.</NOTE> Now, as the fir&s;t death is onely the &s;eperation of the &s;oule from the body; &s;o the &s;econd death is a totall, and fi|nall &s;eperation of both &s;oule and bodie from God for euer|more. And this &s;econd death doth &s;tand principally in the&s;e three points.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1"> Fir&s;t, that all the wicked and
<PB N="169" REF="95"> vngodly &s;inners that liue and die in their &s;innes, they &s;hall be &s;euered from the glorious and ble&s;&s;ed pre&s;ence of GOD for euer: <HI>Which &s;halbe puni&s;hed with euerla&s;ting perdition from the pre&s;ence of the Lord, and from the glorie of his power,</HI> 2. <HI>The&s;.</HI> 1.9. O what a wofull death is this, to be plucked and torne from the ble&s;&s;ed and comfortable pre|&s;ence of God: whereas our Sa|uiour CHRIST &s;aith, <HI>Matth.</HI> 5.<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">8. that our happines, and all the ioy of GODS children, &s;hall &s;tand in the beholding of God, and being in his pre&s;ence for euermore. Then what mi&s;erie and what woe will this be vnto the wicked, to be ca&s;t out of the glorious pre&s;ence of God for euer, &s;eeing that he alone is the fountaine of Life and of happi|ne&s;&s;e?</P>
<PB N="170" REF="96">
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, the &s;econd death &s;tands in this, that wicked men and women &s;hall not onelie be &s;euered in body and &s;oule from the ble&s;&s;ed and glorious pre|&s;ence of God for euer: but they &s;hall be <HI>ca&s;t into the lake of fire,</HI> and haue all their abode with the diuels, and all the damned &s;pirits in hell, where &s;hall be no ioy, nor comfort, nor ea&s;e, but weeping, and wailing, and gna|&s;hing of teeth. If a man &s;hould be ca&s;t into a deepe and darke|&s;ome dungeon, full of Toades and Serpents: what comfort I pray could he haue but to wi&s;h for death? This is the death that all the impenitent &s;inners mu&s;t die. They mu&s;t be ca&s;t out of the &s;weet and comfortable pre|&s;ence of the Lord CHRIST IE|SVS, and bee throwne into a Lake of Fire and Brim&s;tone,
<PB N="171" REF="96"> there to be tormented for euer|more.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 25 41</NOTE></P>
<P>Thirdly, the third thing <MILESTONE N="3"> wherein this, &s;econd death doth con&s;i&s;t, is, that all reprobates &s;hall bee puni&s;hed with euer|la&s;ting perdition; they &s;hall bee tormented in body and &s;oule with vn&s;peakable torments: the wrath and vengeance of God &s;hall &s;eize vpon them, and feed on them, as fire doth on pitch, or brim&s;tone; where they &s;hall bee euer burning and boyling, and yet neuer con&s;umed; euer in paine and torment, and neuer haue ea&s;e. And to &s;hew the wonderfull torment of hell, of this &s;econd death, our Sauiour compareth it vnto a furnace of fire.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 13.24</NOTE> Now what a woefull tor|ment is it, to bee ca&s;t into a fur|nace of fire, and to lie many thou&s;and yeares therein? this
<PB N="172" REF="97"> is a torment that cannot be ex|pre&s;&s;ed. Againe, he &s;aith, that <HI>Their worme &s;h,ll not die,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;ay 66.24</NOTE> <HI>and their fire &s;hall not bee quenched.</HI> Now how &s;hould a man doe if hee &s;hould haue a worme al|wayes crawling in his belly, gnawing alwaies at his heart? This is the e&s;tate of all wicked men and women: They &s;hall alwaies haue a worme, euen griefe and angui&s;h of heart, euer gnawing at their hearts, and biting at their con&s;cien|ces: And this worme &s;hall ne|uer die, nor kill them, but euer gnawing and wounding them. So then you &s;ee by this which hath been &s;poken, what this &s;e|cond death is, and al&s;o wherein it doth con&s;i&s;t.</P>
<P>Now all the Que&s;tion will be, Who &s;hall be ca&s;t into this Lake of Fire? VVho are they
<PB N="173" REF="97"> that &s;hall die this &s;econd death,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Who they bee that &s;hall par|take of the &s;econd death.</NOTE> which is &s;uch a mi&s;erable and wofull death? For there is no man nor woman that liueth, I thinke, but they &s;uppo&s;e that they &s;hall e&s;cape this death: they hope that they &s;hall be &s;a|ued and &s;o e&s;cape this flaming fire: And therefore now you &s;hall &s;ee who they be, that &s;hall be ca&s;t into it. Looke, they are there marked out vnto vs, <HI>Reu.</HI> 21.8. <HI>The fearefull and vnbelee|uers, and abhominable, and mur|therers, and whooremongers, and &s;orcerers, and lyars, &amp;c. &s;hal haue their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brim&s;tone, which is the &s;econd death:</HI> So then rhe holy-Gho&s;t telleth vs, that all impenitent &s;inners &s;hall bee damned,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 6.10</NOTE> &s;hall be ca&s;t into this lake of fire, which is the &s;econd death.</P>
<PB N="174" REF="98">
<P>Then what a &s;trange thing is this? The Holy-Gho&s;t tells vs who &s;hall be damned, and ca&s;t into the Lake of Fire; all impe|nitent &s;inners; the Bla&s;phemer, the Drunkard, &amp;c. and yet no man (almo&s;t) will beleeue this. Well, the Spirit of God can|not lie: He &s;ayth, That all the wicked and vngodlie &s;inners &s;halbe ca&s;t into the lake of Fire which is the &s;econd death: now tell neuer &s;o wicked a wretch of his &s;innes, of his &s;wearing, &amp;c. And what will they &s;ay? Tu&s;h, <HI>GOD is mercifull, I hope I &s;hall be &s;aued:</HI> Is not this, I pray, to giue the Holy-Gho&s;t the lie? Tell the drunkard or the profa|ner of the Lords day, &amp;c. they &s;hall be damned; doe they be|leeue this? Oh, no, no; For if they did beleeue it, how dur&s;t they be &s;o bold to liue in &s;inne?
<PB N="175" REF="98"> Well, hovv&s;oeuer the&s;e vile wretches &s;ay, they hope to be &s;aued a&s;well as the be&s;t of them all; yet know, this is the truth of God; the holy-Gho&s;t telleth vs plainly, That <HI>all vnbeleeuers, and theeues, and murderers, &amp;c. &s;hall be ca&s;t into the Lake of Fire and Brim&s;tone, which is the &s;e|cond death.</HI></P>
<P>But to you, who&s;e hearts doe tremble for feare of the&s;e things, who&s;e &s;oules doe melt for feare of this &s;econd death: now if you would know how to e&s;cape this Lake of Fire, and how to auoyde this &s;econd death, which is th'eternall dam|nation and torment both of body and &s;oule; you &s;hall &s;ee how the Spirit of GOD doth not onelie &s;hew you how to e|&s;cape hell, but to come to hea|uen; not onely to auoide dam|nation
<PB N="176" REF="99"> in this Lake of fire, but to obtaine &s;aluation and ioy in the ble&s;&s;ed and glorious pre|&s;ence of Almightie God for e|uermore. Now &s;ee what the Holy-Gho&s;t doth teach thee in the &s;ixth Ver&s;e of this chapter, <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed and holie is hee that hath his part in the fir&s;t Re&s;urrection, for on &s;uch the &s;econd death &s;hall haue no power: But they &s;hall bee the Prie&s;ts of God and of Chri&s;t, and &s;hall raigne with him a thou|&s;and yeares, that is, for euer|more.</HI></P>
<P>So then, would you know what manner of men and wo|men &s;hall e&s;cape the &s;econd death, and eternall damnati|on in this lake of hell fire? why the holy-Gho&s;t &s;aith, They, and none but they, that haue their partes in the fir&s;t Re&s;urrection. So then it is manife&s;t, in the&s;e
<PB N="177" REF="99"> words, that there be two re&s;ur|rections, and al&s;o a double death. The Children of GOD, they haue a double re&s;urrecti|on, and one death. But all wic|ked and vngodly &s;inners, they haue one re&s;urrection, and a double death. So then let vs &s;ee what is meant by this fir&s;t re&s;ur|rection; namely, our ri&s;ing out of the graue of &s;inne, to new|ne&s;&s;e of life. This is the fir&s;t re|&s;urrection,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe&s; 2.1.</NOTE> <HI>You that were dead in tre&s;pa&s;&s;es and &s;innes, hath hee quickned.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 6.4.</NOTE> <HI>And we are buried with Chri&s;t in Bapti&s;me, that like as he ro&s;e againe to the glory of the Fa|ther: euen &s;o wee &s;hould walke in newne&s;&s;e of life.</HI></P>
<P>So then, would you know, whether you &s;hall e&s;cape eter|nall fire in hell, euen this &s;econd death? then looke vnto your owne &s;oules. Are you dead to
<PB N="178" REF="100"> all your old &s;ins, and new &s;ins? Are you quickned in the inner man? Do you hate &s;inne as well when it is committed by your &s;elfe, as by others? Doe you la|bour to mortifie and to keepe vnder the workes of the fle&s;h, and walke in all holy duties and obedience both vnto God and men?<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8.1.</NOTE> <HI>For there is no condemna|tion to them that are in Chri&s;t, which walke not after the fle&s;h, but after the Spirit.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Ble&s;&s;ed and holy are they that haue part in the fir&s;t re&s;urrection;</HI> where he &s;hews, that none &s;hall be ble&s;&s;ed, none &s;hall haue part in the fir&s;t re&s;urrection, and be freed from the &s;econd death, but &s;uch as be &s;anctified to liue a godly life, that are partakers of the fir&s;t re&s;urrection. And therefore, if you de&s;ire to bee ble&s;&s;ed, &amp; to e&s;cape the &s;econd
<PB N="179" REF="100"> death, which is the euerla&s;ting damnation both of bodie and &s;oule, then labour heere to liue a godly life. For the&s;e two, Iu|&s;tification and Sanctification, cannot be &s;euered.</P>
<P>And this is a very great com|fort to all the true members of Chri&s;t, <MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e."> that do repent and leaue their &s;innes, and liue a godlie life; though they be in mi&s;erie, in pouertie, in want; and in the end, die the fir&s;t death of the bodie; yet they &s;hall bee freed from the &s;econd death, that is, from eternall death: the gates of hell &s;hal not preuaile again&s;t them. And therfore, as you loue your &s;oules, as you de&s;ire to be ble&s;&s;ed, and to e&s;cape eternall damnation, which is the &s;e|cond death: Labour (I &s;ay) to haue a part in the fir&s;t Re&s;ur|rection, to die vnto &s;inne, and
<PB N="180" REF="101"> to liue in newne&s;&s;e of life.</P>
<P>But as for wicked and vn|godly &s;inners that liue in &s;inne, delight in &s;in, that haue no part in the fir&s;t re&s;urrection: their ca&s;e is wofull, they be &s;ubiect to the &s;eco~d, that is, eternall death and damnation: <HI>for if ye liue af|ter the fle&s;h,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 6.8.</NOTE> <HI>ye &s;hall die.</HI></P>
<P>And therefore deceiue not your &s;elues, as many do, which thinke, if they come to Church, heare the word, receiue the Sa|craments, all is well, they hope God will be mercifull to them, they hope they &s;hall not bee damned. Well, marke what I &s;ay; thou mai&s;t come to church duly, thou mai&s;t heare the word of God as long as thou liue&s;t, thou maie&s;t receiue the Sacra|ment as often as thou wilt; but if thou haue not thy part in the fir&s;t re&s;urrection, that is, vnle&s;&s;e
<PB N="181" REF="101"> thou liue a godly life, vnle&s;&s;e thou mortifie thy filthy &s;innes, and vngodly de&s;ires, vnle&s;&s;e thou become a new creature; &s;urely, &s;urely, thy e&s;tate is lame~|table, and thy part is in the lake of fire and brim&s;tone, which is the &s;econd death. And therfore let no man deceiue him&s;elfe, and &s;ooth him&s;elfe, becau&s;e he heares the Word, profe&s;&s;es the Go&s;pel, receiues the Sacrame~t, that therfore he is well enough. No, no: though thou heare ne|uer &s;o much, if thou liue in &s;in, in &s;wearing, drunkenne&s;&s;e, &amp;c. thy e&s;tate is as wofull as before, becau&s;e thou art not freed from the &s;econd death.</P>
<P>And marke this difference, The children of God haue two re&s;urrections, and one death: they ri&s;e from &s;inne in this life, to newne&s;&s;e and holine&s;&s;e of
<PB N="182" REF="102"> life: and they ri&s;e at the la&s;t day to eternall life in Heauen; and therefore truely ble&s;&s;ed. But a|las, gracele&s;&s;e and godle&s;&s;e &s;in|ners, that haue two deaths&punc; and but one re&s;urrection; they die in &s;inne here, they are dead in &s;in, and delight in &s;inne heere: and &s;o they die the fir&s;t death of the body, and eternall death, the &s;econd death of body and &s;oule in hell. And as they neuer had part in the fir&s;t re&s;urrection: &s;o the &s;econd re&s;urrection is one|lie to iudgement, to death, and to damnation.</P>
<P>And therefore, if you would liue when you bee dead, you mu&s;t die to &s;in whiles you be a|liue. Only the penitent &s;inners &s;hal liue for euer in eternal life; onely tho&s;e which die to &s;inne, &s;hall e&s;cape the &s;econd death: But the impenitent &s;inner, that
<PB N="183" REF="102"> liues and delights in &s;inne here, he &s;hall die for his &s;innes eter|nally; nay, hee &s;hall neuer ta&s;te of the life to come. But as hee would not labour to haue his part in the fir&s;t re&s;urrection; &s;o he &s;hall be &s;ure to haue his por|tion in the &s;econd death: which is &s;o fearefull a thing, that it might make euen flintie hearts to breake in peeces, to lie in fire burning for euer, without anie ea&s;e, or end. O let vs looke vn|to it, and liue a godly life, and labour to haue part in the fir&s;t re&s;urrection; and then &s;hall the &s;econd death doe vs no harme; but wee &s;hall liue for e|uer in heauen with God.</P>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="184" REF="103">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL><HI>15</HI></BIBL> And who&s;oeuer was not found written in the Book of life, was ca&s;t into the lake of fire.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>THE former ver&s;e did &s;hew to vs, the execution of the la&s;t Iudgement vpon all wicked and vngodly &s;inners; and of that we &s;poke the la&s;t time. Now in this Ver&s;e wee may ob&s;erue the different e&s;tate of the children of God, and of the wicked: for as there bee but two &s;ortes of men, <HI>Good</HI> and <HI>Bad, Elect</HI> and <HI>Re|probate, Penitent</HI> and <HI>Impenitent,</HI> the children of GOD, and the limbes of Sathan: So there bee but two places, <HI>Heauen</HI> and <HI>Hell, Ioy</HI> and <HI>Paine,</HI> the <HI>Right hand</HI> and the <HI>left:</HI> and the reward &s;hall be according, either <HI>Ble&s;|&s;ed</HI> or <HI>Cur&s;ed;</HI> for &s;o Saint <HI>Iohn</HI> &s;aith heere, <HI>The Elect &s;hall haue
<PB N="185" REF="103"> eternall life: But they that be Re|probates &s;hall be ca&s;t into the lake of fire.</HI></P>
<P>Fir&s;t, concerning the Elect, and tho&s;e that be cho&s;en in Ie|&s;us Chri&s;t, and who&s;e names be written in Heauen. As their liues do differ from the wicked and vngodly; &s;o their e&s;tate af|ter this life is farre different: for they &s;hall be ble&s;&s;ed for euer. And if you do aske, what is this Ble&s;&s;edne&s;&s;e that all the Elect &s;hall haue? I an&s;were with <HI>Paul,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 29.</NOTE> <HI>The eye of man neuer &s;aw it, nor it neuer entred into the heart of man to conceiue the hundreth part of this happines:</HI> yet we may out of the word of God, gather &s;ome ta&s;te of it, as it is de&s;cribed vn|to vs in the word of God.</P>
<P>And fir&s;t &amp; formo&s;t, this ble&s;|&s;ed &s;tate of the godly at the la&s;t day, &s;tands in this; That God
<PB N="186" REF="104"> &s;hall be all in all vnto vs: what good thing &s;oeuer the heart of man can wi&s;h,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 15.28.</NOTE> that will God be vnto vs. If thou de&s;ire wealth, why GOD will be it vnto thee. If honour, or plea&s;ure, why Al|mighty God wil be all in all vn|to vs: nay, euery childe of God &s;hall haue a kingdome,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 25.</NOTE> <HI>come yee ble&s;&s;ed, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Reue. 21.</NOTE>Secondly, in the Kingdome of Heauen, there &s;hall bee no wants: for wee &s;hall bee freed from all &s;inne, and all wants in body and &s;oule &s;hall be &s;uppli|ed. And though now wee &s;ee God but in part, yet then wee &s;hall behold him face to face,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Cor. 15.28.</NOTE> to our eternall comfort; we &s;hal e|uermore liue in his ble&s;&s;ed pre|&s;ence,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 17.3. Reuel. 21. P&s;a. 17.15. Reu. 22.3.</NOTE> and reigne with him for euer.</P>
<P>Thirdly, all the Elect &s;hall be like vnto Chri&s;t Ie&s;us: &s;o
<PB N="187" REF="104"> &s;aith <HI>Paul,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Phil. 3.2.1.</NOTE> <HI>Hee &s;hall change our vile bodies, &amp; make them like his glorious body.</HI> Chri&s;t was mo&s;t holy, pure, incorruptible, and glorious: euen &s;o &s;hall wee be; we &s;hall be for euer freed from both &s;inne, Sathan, death, and hell.</P>
<P>Fourthly, in heauen we &s;hall reape endle&s;&s;e ioy and happi|ne&s;&s;e,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 16.11</NOTE> and &s;hall delight in pray|&s;ing of God for euer: &s;o as wee &s;hall keepe a perpetuall Sab|both, and re&s;t in the &s;eruice and wor&s;hip of God for euer. And this &s;hall be done to all which feare GOD, and who&s;e names bee vvritten in the Booke of Life.</P>
<P>O then, cur&s;ed be the&s;e men and women, which thinke, <MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e."> and &s;ay,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matt. 3.14.</NOTE> It is in vaine to &s;erue the LORD. O no: then men &s;hall know, it is not in vaine to &s;erue
<PB N="188" REF="105"> the Lord: Nay, God will put a difference betweene them that &s;erue him, and &s;erue him not. And this &s;hould encourage all men to labour to abound in all holy duties; &s;eeing God will reward euen the lea&s;t worke of faith. If thou giue but a cup of cold water in the name of Chri&s;t, verily thou &s;halt not loo&s;e thy reward. Though our workes cannot merite, yet hee will in mercy, for Chri&s;ts &s;ake, thus Crowne the good workes of his children.</P>
<P>And &s;eeing a few &s;hall be &s;a|ued, &ocirc; let vs labour to be of the little Flocke; let vs, aboue all things, &s;eeke this Kingdome of God: If thou winne this, thou art happy and ble&s;&s;ed, though thou loo&s;e all the world be&s;ides. And if thou loo&s;e it, thou art mi&s;erable &amp; wretched, though
<PB N="189" REF="105"> thou winne the whole world: O then what mad men are we, if we doe neuer &s;eeke for this, or dreame of heauen till wee haue one foot in hell: let vs not then thinke to gaine a kingdome &s;o ea&s;ily; we cannot go to heauen on beds of dowlne, but we mu&s;t &s;triue to enter therein. And as life is &s;weet, ioy, riches, honor, and plea&s;ures are &s;weete: &s;o to haue them for euer, without feare of loo&s;ing, this is a ble&s;&s;ed thing: for &s;o it is with them that bee in po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of this King|dome, they &s;hall be out of feare to loo&s;e it, but &s;hall raigne with Chri&s;t for euermore.</P>
<P>Thus (in &s;ome &s;ort) you may conceiue the ble&s;&s;ed, and mo&s;t happy e&s;tate of all the elect and faithfull children of Almightie God, which ought to moue vs to repent and turne to God.</P>
<PB N="170" REF="106">
<P>But, what &s;hall become of the re&s;t, the vngodly &s;inners, of them who&s;e names be not writ|ten in the Booke of Life? Alas poore wretches, poore &s;oules! it grieues me to think of them, it would make a mans heart to melt, to thinke on their mo&s;t wofull mi&s;erie: And I quake to &s;peake, or to thinke what &s;hall become of their &s;oules for euer. The Holy-Gho&s;t &s;aith heere, <HI>They &s;hall be ca&s;t into the lake of fire.</HI> What &s;hall become then of the &s;wearer, drunkard? &amp;c. They &s;hall be ca&s;t into the lake of fire:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 25.</NOTE> for &s;o &s;aith Chri&s;t, <HI>Goe ye cur&s;ed, &amp;c.</HI> This is their end, and this is their portion for e|uermore. Ah poore wretch, Ah vile creature, ah mi&s;erable &s;inner: it had beene good for them, if they had neuer beene borne, or beene made rather
<PB N="171" REF="106"> Toads, or Serpents, then Men. For be&s;ides that, that they &s;hall be ca&s;t out of the glorious and comfortable pre&s;ence of God, and his holy Angels, they &s;hal be ca&s;t into this lake of fire for euer.</P>
<P>Concerning which Lake of fire, into which all impenitent and hard-hearted &s;inners &s;hall be ca&s;t for euer; I will &s;et downe three &s;peciall points.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, the perpetuitie of it.</P>
<P>Secondly, the extreamitie of it.</P>
<P>And thirdly, that it is reme|dile&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>All which con&s;idered; mee thinks it &s;hould make the flinty hearts of &s;inners to melt, and to breake in peeces, for feare they doe come into this place of tor|ment, into this lake of fire.</P>
<P>And &s;eeing the &s;pirit of God
<PB N="192" REF="107"> doth repeate it againe and a|gaine, that all reprobate &s;inners &s;hal be ca&s;t into the lake of fire; it is to &s;hew, that men doe lit|tle con&s;ider of that, they doe not tremble at it. And there|fore he beates vpon it, to teach vs, it is a &s;peciall poynt to bee thoght on, to mollifie our hard hearts.</P>
<P>And fir&s;t, concerning this lake of fire: In that it is named heere <HI>A lake of fire,</HI> this noteth to vs, the extremitie of the tor|ment, that it is a place of end|le&s;&s;e woe, vn&s;peakeable paine. The Scripture giues it &s;undrie names, to &s;et forth the vn&s;peak|able torment thereof.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Reu. 21.8.</NOTE> <HI>All wic|ked &amp; impenitent &s;inners &s;hall be ca&s;t into the lake of fire.</HI> For of all torments, none is &s;o extreme as fire. And Chri&s;t &s;aith, <HI>There &s;hal be weeping,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 13.28</NOTE> <HI>wayling, &amp;c.</HI> And it
<PB N="193" REF="107"> &s;halbe mo&s;t hot, and yet mo&s;t colde; &s;trangene&s;&s;e of this fire, &amp;c. Againe, <HI>Their worme &s;hall neuer die, Marke chap.</HI> 9.44. That worme which &s;hall gnaw their con&s;ciences, euen the torment of their con&s;ciences. O what a wofull thing is this, for a man or woman, to haue a worme continually to gnaw their bo|wels within, neuer to let them alone, or to giue them any re&s;t? Such &s;hall the mi&s;ery be of the wicked. Againe, <HI>Tophet is pre|pared for the King, hee cannot e&s;|cape, and it is deepe and large, and the burning therof is fire &amp; much wood, and the breath of the Lord as a riuer of brim&s;tone &s;hall kindle it, E&s;ay</HI> 30.33. So as the wrath of the Lord &s;hall be as bellows to blow it, and as a riuer of brim&s;tone to maintaine it.</P>
<P>By this you may alittle con|ceiue
<PB N="194" REF="108"> the extreamitie of this wofull Lake of hel fire. But if I had the tongue of men or An|gels, I could neuer expre&s;&s;e it to the full. For as the ioyes of heauen be vn&s;peakeable, &s;o the torments of hell can not be ex|pre&s;&s;ed, at what time the totall wrath of God &s;hall &s;eize vppon the reprobates, both body and &s;oule, and &s;hall feed vpon them for euermore. Now, to the end you may the better conceiue the extreamitie of it, you mu&s;t know, that the torments of hel, they be vniuer&s;al euen in all the parts of the bodie, and faculties of the &s;oule at once; the mind, the wil, the con&s;cience, the affe|ction, the head, the heart, &amp;c. all at once &s;hall be tormented. The paines in this life, they are (for the mo&s;t part) particular in &s;ome part of the body: but in
<PB N="195" REF="108"> this fire, the &s;inner &s;hall be tor|mented in all parts at once: and yet we may &s;ee, that &s;ome pains there be, as is the &s;tone, &amp;c. which men would not willing|ly haue for a whole world. Alas, what a woefull thing will this be, to be thus tormented, euen in all and euerie member &s;o ex|treamly? Let one example &s;erue in this point. The rich Glutton cries out, <HI>Oh I am tormented in this flame! Luk.</HI> 16. The torment and heate was &s;o great, that hee would haue giuen euen a whole world, if he had beene Lord of it, for &s;o much water as would haue &s;tucke to ones finger, to haue cooled his flaming tong: Tongue, tongue; Soule, &s;oule: Thus you &s;ee, that this fire is mo&s;t extreame and wofull, and yet men wil not beleeue it, they feare it not.</P>
<PB N="196" REF="109">
<P>But let vs thinke vppon the mo&s;t wofull and extreme paine of this Lake of fire, and let vs make that v&s;e which CHRIST teacheth vs: <HI>If thy right hand or foote,</HI> that is, anie thing neuer &s;o &s;weete, neuer &s;o profitable, neuer &s;o deere or neere vnto vs; <HI>Let vs cut them off and ca&s;t them from vs;</HI> that is, let vs for|goe, and for&s;ake them all: For it is better to goe poore to hea|uen, then rich to hell: It is bet|ter to goe naked to Heauen, then in co&s;tly apparell to Hell. O let all carnall men, all vngod|ly &s;inners, that liue in plea&s;ures, &s;ports or pa&s;times; yea let them know they &s;hall pay full deerely for the&s;e things, euen the lo&s;&s;e of their &s;oules in hell for euer|more.</P>
<P>Secondly, as the paines of Hell be ea&s;ele&s;&s;e and mo&s;t ex|treame,
<PB N="197" REF="109"> &s;o they be endle&s;&s;e and perpetuall, no end of them for euermore. So <HI>Abraham</HI> tels the rich Glutton; <HI>You that bee there cannot come hither, Luke</HI> 16. and &s;o &s;ayth S. <HI>Iohn, Reuel.</HI> 21. <HI>It is a lake of fire &amp; brim&s;tone that bur|neth for euer.</HI> So, <HI>Go ye cur&s;ed in|to euerla&s;ting fire, Mat.</HI> 25.41. It can neuer be quenched, when as damned &s;inners &s;hal lie ther|in many thou&s;and yeares, yea, as many as there be Starres in Heauen, and yet neuer to haue an end. If a man &s;hould but once euerie thou&s;and yeares, take one &s;poonfull of water out of the Sea; how many thou|&s;and thou&s;and yeares would be expired before he &s;hould haue emptied the &s;ame?</P>
<P>O con&s;ider this, you that for|get GOD; Con&s;ider this, you which contemne the Word of
<PB N="198" REF="110"> GOD, profane the Lords Sab|both, that make no con&s;cience at all of drunkenne&s;&s;e, &amp;c. what a trea&s;ure of plagues the Lord hath re&s;erued for the damned? Oh, let vs thinke often of this, that the&s;e torments bee both endle&s;&s;e and ea&s;ele&s;&s;e? Oh what madde men and women, what fooles be wee, if wee will now enioy the plea&s;ures of &s;inne for a &s;ea&s;on, and then to lie in tor|ments for euer? What &s;hall it benefite or profite vs to enioy a litle worldly pelfe, mony, lands or liuings heere, to liue in all plea&s;ures &amp; delights, &s;ome &s;ix|tie or eightie yeares, and then to be tormented in hell fire for euermore. And yet doe we &s;ee that &s;uch is the extreame follie, and madnes of many men, that they will haue their penyworths heere, though they pay neuer
<PB N="199" REF="110"> &s;o deare for it in the life which is to come.</P>
<P>Thirdly, the&s;e torments, as they be endle&s;&s;e and ea&s;ele&s;&s;e, &s;o they be remedile&s;&s;e. This we may beholde in the Glutton in hell, who would haue giuen a world, if hee had beene owner of it, and yet for all that could he not haue it; it was then deni|ed him. For there is no ea&s;e nor remedy: in hell no redemption after death; no &s;iluer nor golde, no witte, nor policie, no appea|ling to another Iudge; but hee mu&s;t lie by it for euermore euen in this clo&s;e pri&s;on, till he haue paid the debt and vttermo&s;t far|thing. For, if all the Saints and Angells in the Kingdome of heauen &s;hould fall at the feete of Chri&s;t, to begge but for one &s;oule, it could do him no good, CHRIST would deny them al,
<PB N="200" REF="111"> they mu&s;t haue the repul&s;e.</P>
<P>O con&s;ider this: this is it that ought to make all men to quake, and all hearts to trem|ble, that in hell is no ea&s;e, nor hope of redemption. This is that which makes the deuils and damned &s;pirits to feare and to tremble, and yet it cannot moue flintie, and &s;to|nie-hearted &s;inners once to be afraid. O I be&s;eech you let vs thinke of the&s;e things now in the&s;e daies of mercie: now is remedie to bee had, now wee may auoide this woefull mi&s;erie, now wee may e&s;cape this fearefull torment. If wee will now repent, if we will now leaue our &s;innes and begge par|don of almighty God for them, we may e&s;cape: but after death there is no time of mercie but iudgement and torment,
<PB N="201" REF="111"> but fire, and brim&s;tone, and the wrath of God for euermore. And therefore now let vs re|pent, let vs bewaile our &s;innes, and liue as the &s;eruants of God, and not as the &s;laues of &s;inne and Sathan, any longer; and then the gates of hell &s;hall not preuaile again&s;t vs.</P>
<P>Our Sauiour Chri&s;t tels vs,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 16.26</NOTE> that the &s;oule of a poore begger is more worth then many thou|&s;and worlds: And therefore the lo&s;&s;e of a &s;oule is greater then the lo&s;&s;e of the whole world.</P>
<P>If a man &s;hould loo&s;e Hou&s;e, Land, Wife, Childe, and all hee hath, yet it is nothing in compari&s;on of his &s;oule: that is a lo&s;&s;e of all lo&s;&s;es, to bee &s;eue|red from God, and from Chri&s;t, and to bee in hell torments for euer. O then let vs know what our &s;oules bee worth; let vs
<PB N="202" REF="112"> learne to prize them aboue the whole world. But alas, men can not &s;o e&s;teeme of them. Oh no: men will for one penny, or an houres plea&s;ure, hazard lo&s;&s;e of &s;oule and bodie for euermore. Ah poore &s;oule, thou did&s;t ne|uer yet know what thy &s;oule is worth. Chri&s;t Ie&s;us &s;ayth, it is more worth then all the world. Oh let vs &s;o e&s;teeme of it, and value it, and account all riches, plea&s;ures, or profites, as dung, &s;o that our &s;oules, our poore &s;oules may be &s;aued in the day of our Lord.</P>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>The end of the fourth Sermon.</TRAILER>
<PB N="203" REF="112">
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB N="204" REF="113">
<PB REF="113">
<P>A FOLD FOR Chri&s;ts Sheepe:</P>
<P><HI>Deliuered in two Sermons</HI> vpon the fir&s;t Chapter of the CANTICLES, ver&s;. 6.7.</P>
<P>BY SAMVEL SMITH Mini&s;ter of the Word of GOD, at <HI>Prittlewell</HI> in <HI>E&s;&s;ex.</HI></P>
<Q><BIBL><HI>ESAY 55.3.</HI></BIBL>
<P>Hearken, and your &s;oule &s;hall liue.</P></Q>
<P>LONDON, Printed by NICHOLAS OKES. 1617.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="114">
<PB REF="114">
<HEAD>&leaf; TO THE RIGHT WOR|SHIPFVL AND VER|tuous Gentlewoman, Mi&s;tre&s;&s;e MARY BVTLER of <HI>Tooby,</HI> SA|MVEL SMITH wi&s;heth al Grace, Pro&s;peritie, and true comfort in this life, and eternall happi|ne&s;&s;e in the life to come.</HEAD>
<P>_THe Booke of the holy Scri|pture (Right Wor&s;hipfull) is as the Princely Prophet <HI>Da|uid</HI>
<PB N="192" REF="115"> calleth it,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;. 119 125</NOTE> <HI>A Lant|horne to our feet&punc; and a Light to our Paths.</HI> The Elect of God are therein enlightened, and taught of God, through the inward operation of Gods Spirit:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 6.</NOTE> the know|ledge thereof hath beene deare and pretious vnto the Godly. <HI>Paul,</HI> that &s;anctified &V;e&s;&s;ell of the Lord, did e&s;teeme all things el&s;e but <HI>Dung</HI> in compari&s;on of it.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Phil. 3.8.</NOTE> <HI>Mo&s;es</HI>
<PB N="209" REF="115"> regarded not the plea|&s;ures he might haue en|ioyed in king <HI>Pharaohs</HI> Court,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 11.24</NOTE> in compari&s;on of this: And <HI>Dauid</HI> pre|ferred the Office of a <HI>Dore-keeper in Gods hou&s;e,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 84.12</NOTE> before the chie|fe&s;t <HI>Pallaces</HI> heere be|low. This was that that <HI>Salomon</HI> the wi&s;e&s;t did ayme at e&s;pecially,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Reg. 3.5.9.</NOTE> ha|uing his choice of many things offered him from God: and no maruell
<PB N="210" REF="116"> though the children of God do prefer the choice of it before all other inward things what&s;o|euer, becau&s;e our Saui|our will teach vs, that the knowledge thereof will bring a man to <HI>Life Eternall:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 17.3.</NOTE> Jt will &s;afe|ly conduct a man to God his kingdome, and make him decline from the by-waies of &s;inne and error, which leade to de&s;tructi|on. Heere is Milke for
<PB N="211" REF="116"> Babes, and &s;trong meate for men of riper yeares: &s;o that none that are in|uited to this Fea&s;t, but may finde &s;ome refre&s;h|ing. Yet notwith&s;tan|ding, that this is the ex|cellencie of the holie Scriptures, and that this hath beene the choice of God his &s;eruants in all ages, to prefer the know|ledge of it before all things, and to conforme theyr liues thereunto:
<PB N="212" REF="117"> The Papi&s;ts, the mali|cious ennemies of Gods truth, will notwith&s;tan|ding &s;hew them&s;elues to be of the Serpenticall broode,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gene. 3.15</NOTE> euer treading on the heele of God his church, euen with their <HI>Templum Domini:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ieremy 7.</NOTE> <HI>Templum Domini:</HI> the Church, the Church, as if the church-Keyes hung euer at their gir|dle. The&s;e their paynted &s;hewes of piety and ho|line&s;&s;e,
<PB N="213" REF="117"> hath cau&s;ed ma|ny to &s;tagger in the way of godline&s;&s;e, who haue not taken deepe roote in chri&s;tian profe&s;sion. Let &s;uch, with a &s;ingle eye, reade ouer the&s;e two &s;er|mons, where they &s;hall finde a <HI>Fold</HI> pitcht for all <HI>Chri&s;t his Sheepe:</HI> The true church made knowne from the flockes <HI>of his Companions:</HI> which, how&s;oeuer they come with, <HI>Ie&s;us, Ie&s;us,</HI>
<PB N="214" REF="118"> in their mouthes, yet doe deny the power of godli|ne&s;&s;e, &s;eeking vtterly to extingui&s;h the light of Gods truth, that it may not &s;hine vnto men. In|deed, a palpable darke|ne&s;&s;e hath yet ouer&s;pread all the Dominions of that Romi&s;h <HI>Pharaoh,</HI> more palpable then the darkene&s;&s;e of <HI>Aegypt,</HI> but the Truth &s;hall pre|uaile, maugre the &s;pite and malice of Anti|chri&s;t,
<PB N="215" REF="118"> and all that blou|die Crew: And the Bright Beames of the go&s;pell &s;hall di&s;pell tho&s;e foggie mi&s;ts of Poperie, and Jgnorance: when the pride of the Whoore of <HI>Rome</HI> is once at the height, and the mea&s;ure of her iniquitie is once full, according to that of Sainct <HI>Iohn</HI> in the <HI>Reuelation: Shee is fallen, &s;hee is fallen, euen Babylon that
<PB N="216" REF="119"> great Citie, &amp;c.</HI> God put it into the hearts of all chri&s;tian princes, to ri&s;e vp again&s;t her,<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">By &s;up|pre&s;&s;ing of Poperie.</NOTE> that their warre with them may a&s;&s;ure them of a peace with them&s;elues, and with their Lord God. For, how dange|rous they be vnto a chri|&s;tian common-wealth, e|uen theyr helli&s;h At|tempts do &s;hew. Ney|ther is it an error in pra|cti&s;e, as many would
<PB N="217" REF="119"> beare men in hand, but it is an error in doctrine, teaching, yea and main|taining it, that they may &s;afely kill, and take a|way the life of a chri&s;ti|an Prince, that will not yeelde and &s;ubiect him|&s;elfe vnto the Pope of <HI>Rome.</HI><NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Therfore traitors to Chri&s;tian Princes in action or affection, and &s;o much the more dan|gerous to be &s;ufferd.</NOTE> And no mar|uell then, though they can not endure the ma|nife&s;tation of God his Word, which is <HI>a Lant|horne vnto our feete,
<PB N="218" REF="120"> and a Light vnto our Paths,</HI> directing vs to heauen: For this Light, if the Pope did not &s;mother it, euen little children in the Streetes would long ere this haue cryed: <HI>Fie vpon them, fie vpon them.</HI> Jt is my care, both in publike and priuate (out of my &s;mall reading) to di&s;co|uer, as much as in me li|eth, the my&s;terie of Ini|quitie, and to lend one
<PB N="219" REF="120"> bla&s;t to the &s;ounding of that Horne,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The word.</NOTE> that &s;hall at la&s;t &s;hake downe the walles of this <HI>Iericho.</HI> Jt is the old and ancient Doctrine of Faith and Repentance that I heere intreate of: As for the plainene&s;&s;e of the man|ner of deliuery of it, I do tru&s;t you will acknow|ledge that the power of the &s;pirit is be&s;t &s;eene in weakene&s;&s;e: and that plaineline&s;&s;e do be&s;t an|&s;were
<PB N="220" REF="121"> a &s;traight and e|uen Leuell: the eui|dence of the &s;pirit is be&s;t &s;eene in plainene&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>J haue pre&s;umed to prefixe your Wor&s;hippes Name vnto this &s;mall Worke: Jt &s;hall (by Gods good ble&s;sing) in|crea&s;e your loue vnto the truth and go&s;pell of Ie|&s;us Chri&s;t: A zealous profe&s;&s;our whereof you haue &s;hewed your &s;elfe to be the&s;e many yeares:
<PB N="221" REF="121"> and worke in you a fur|ther dete&s;tation of Po|perie. As you haue be|gun well, &s;o proceed, and let your workes be more at la&s;t then at fir&s;t: Be &s;till for God in all his wayes, and God will be &s;till for you in all your waies: aduance him &s;till, and hee will aduaunce you. Thus I adde this poore Mite to the trea|&s;urie of the Church, a&s;|cribing the Patronage
<PB N="222" REF="122"> to your &s;elfe, the v&s;e to the world, and the &s;uc|ce&s;&s;e of it to God. I pray God to keepe you in his holy feare, and fauour, vnto the end: and &s;o re|maine</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Your wor&s;hips in the &s;ure&s;t bond. SAMVEL SMITH.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="table of contents">
<PB N="223" REF="122">
<HEAD>A Table of the Do|ctrines contained in the&s;e two Sermons.</HEAD>
<LIST>
<HEAD>THE FIRST SERMON. CANT. 1. v. 6.7.</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>Doctrine 1. CHRIST IESVS</HI> mu&s;t bee loued with the &s;tronge&s;t affection of Loue. p. <HI>234</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Doct. 2.</HI> True note of a Sheepe of Chri&s;t, to hunger and thir&s;t af|ter the word of God. p. <HI>225</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Doctr. 3.</HI> The church of God doth acknowledge Chri&s;t to bee her chiefe &s;hepheard. p. <HI>267</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Doctr. 4.</HI> The church of GOD &s;ometimes is in the very heate of per&s;ecution. p. <HI>274</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Doctr. 5.</HI> Chri&s;t leaueth not his
<PB N="224" REF="123"> church in the heate of per&s;ecu|tion, but prouideth comfort for them. p. <HI>285</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Doct. 5.</HI> It is altogether impo&s;si|ble for men to holde out in time of triall, that are not a&s;si&s;ted by God. p. <HI>296</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<LIST>
<HEAD>THE SECOND SERMON CANT. 1. v. 7.</HEAD>
<ITEM><HI>Doctrine 6. CHRIST</HI> e&s;teemeth of his church, as if they had no &s;inne. p. <HI>308</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Doctr. 7.</HI> The church of GOD &s;ometimes may bee at &s;uch a &s;treight, as not to di&s;cerne the truth. p. <HI>317</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Doctr. 8.</HI> A direction to know which is the true church. p. <HI>324</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 N="1" TYPE="sermon">
<PB N="225" REF="123">
<HEAD>A Fold for Chri&s;ts SHEEP. THE FIRST SERMON.</HEAD>
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL><HI>CANT. 1.6.7.</HI></BIBL>
<P><BIBL><HI>6</HI></BIBL> Shew thou me, O thou whom my &s;oule loueth, where thou feede&s;t, and where thou lie&s;t at noone: For why &s;hould I bee as &s;hee that turneth a&s;ide to the Flocks of thy companions?</P>
<P><BIBL><HI>7</HI></BIBL> If thou know not, O thou the faire&s;t among women, get thee forth by the &s;teps of the Flocke, and feede thy Kiddes by the Tents of the Shepheards.</P></Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>_BEFORE I enter into the Text it &s;elfe, which I haue now read vnto
<PB N="226" REF="124"> you, it &s;hal not be ami&s;&s;e for my better proceeding, and your vn|der&s;tanding, to &s;peake &s;ome|thing concerning the order of placing this Booke, the Title of it, and the &s;ubiect matter there|in contained.</P>
<P>Touching the order of pla|cing this Booke, wherein king <HI>Salomon</HI> labours to build vp the Spirituall Temple of the Soule: It is the &s;ame hee ob&s;erued in building the materiall temple,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Reg 6.</NOTE> where he framed three Courts; the vtmo&s;t for the Common People, the &s;econd for the Prie&s;ts and Leuites, and la&s;t of all, that <HI>Sanctum Sanctorum,</HI> the Holie&s;t of Holies, onelie for the High Prie&s;t to enter in at, and that but once a yeare: euen &s;o in this Spirituall Temple of mans Soule hee hath likewi&s;e framed three Courts: Fir&s;t, an
<PB N="227" REF="124"> vtmo&s;t Court, which is his Booke of <HI>Prouerbes,</HI> where all &s;orts and degrees of men what|&s;oeuer, are taught &amp; in&s;tructed a ciuill cour&s;e of maners: Next to that, he hath a &s;econd Court, which is his <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;tes,</HI> leading men on further in the wayes of godline&s;&s;e and Chri&s;tian piety: And la&s;t of all, hee hath a <HI>San|ctum Sanctorum,</HI> which is his <HI>Canticles,</HI> wherein not euerie one, but onely tho&s;e which de|light in heauenlie and Diuine My&s;teries may behold the pure, free, perfect, eternall, and con|&s;tant loue of Chri&s;t Ie&s;us to|wards his Church, and euerie faithfull Soule; as al&s;o the loue of his Church towardes him, and what great and princely be|nefits &s;he reapeth by him.</P>
<P>Secondly, for the Title and &s;ubiect matter of this mo&s;t ex|cellent
<PB N="228" REF="125"> Booke, as there is <HI>Sab|batum Sabbati,</HI> &s;o this is a <HI>Song of Songs:</HI> becau&s;e of all that <HI>Sa|lomon</HI> did endite, this is mo&s;t Diuine and mo&s;t excellent. In the which hee doth mo&s;t liuely and affectionately, by Allego|ricall, and Parabolicall Spee|ches, cipher out and de&s;cribe vnto vs the mo&s;t holie and per|fect loue of Chri&s;t Ie&s;us, to|wardes the Church his ble&s;&s;ed Spou&s;e. For CHRIST and his Church are heere brought in, in this worthie Booke, as two Paramours,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;alme 45</NOTE> who are in loue the one with the other; as a time of wooing euer goeth before the &s;olemnization of Matrimonie, and which in due conuenient time haue a purpo&s;e to marrie,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Math. 1.11</NOTE> as <HI>Io&s;eph</HI> and <HI>Mary</HI> were fir&s;t e|&s;pou&s;ed before they came toge|ther: So the &s;ame order is ob|&s;erued
<PB N="229" REF="125"> in this Spirituall Vnion betwixt Chri&s;t and his Church: <HI>Iohn</HI> 3.29. They mu&s;t fir&s;t bee contracted, then after married. The Contract is, when a man is regenerate and borne anew, <HI>Re|uel.</HI> 21 9. tran&s;lated out of Na|ture into Grace, depending on|ly vpon Chri&s;t for &s;aluation: and fini&s;hed and made vp in the day of Iudgement, when all the Elect &s;hall fully enioy Chri&s;t. For &s;o witne&s;&s;eth the Holy gho&s;t, where it is &s;aid, <HI>Let all be glad and reioyce, and giue glory to him, for the Marriage of the Lambe is come, and his wife hath made her&s;elfe ready, Reu.</HI> 19.7. So then this booke containes in it the wonderfull loue, and mutual affection betwixt Chri&s;t Ie&s;us and his Spou&s;e: the true Church of GOD, and euerie true beleeuer. Thus much may
<PB N="230" REF="126"> &s;erue touching the book it &s;elf, we will now come to the words of the Text.</P>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Shew thou me, O thou whom my &s;oule loueth, &amp;c.</HEAD>
<P>IN the beginning of this chapter, the Church begin|neth to &s;peake to Chri&s;t, and be|ing raui&s;hed in heart with his Loue, de&s;ires mo&s;t earne&s;tly to be embraced of him, that &s;hee might be ioyned vnto him, and haue fellow&s;hip with him, pre|ferring Chri&s;t Ie&s;us with the ble&s;&s;ings and benefites &s;he rea|peth by him, before all other things in the world.</P>
<P>In the third Ver&s;e &s;hee con|fe&s;&s;eth her vntowardne&s;&s;e, and her want of power to embrace Chri&s;t, and therefore &s;he de&s;i|reth him to draw her heart by
<PB N="231" REF="126"> his Word and Spirit: whereby &s;hee &s;heweth her earne&s;t de&s;ire to receiue Ie&s;us Chri&s;t.</P>
<P><HI>Ver&s;e</HI> 4. She remoues an ob|iection that might be made: for it might be &s;aid, Alas, thou art black and deformed, how can&s;t thou then hope that hee will take any plea&s;ure in thy beau|ty, &s;eeing that hee is the mo&s;t pure, ble&s;&s;ed and glorious Son of God? To this &s;he confe&s;&s;eth, that though by Nature &s;hee be blacke, ful of blemi&s;hes and na|turall corruptions, by rea&s;on of her originall &s;inne, and naturall corruptions, as al&s;o her actuall tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions; yet notwith&s;tan|ding, being wa&s;hed in Chri&s;ts Bloud, cloathed in his Righte|ou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and being decked and beautified vvith the Graces of his Spirit, Knowledge, Faith, Repentance, Zeale, Patience,
<PB N="232" REF="127"> Loue, Obedience, &amp;c. &s;hee is faire and comely.</P>
<P>Now in the &s;ixt Ver&s;e, &s;hee puts vp an earne&s;t reque&s;t vnto Chri&s;t, that he would in mercie &s;hew her where hee feedeth his Flocke, and where he prouides comfort for them in the time of trouble. For Chri&s;t being the great Sheepheard, his Church on earth &s;eekes onely after him, to be fedde, re&s;ting a&s;&s;ured, that there is but one true &s;hepheard, who feedeth all his Sheep with whole&s;ome pa&s;ture.</P>
<P>In the&s;e two Ver&s;es we haue two things to be con&s;idered of vs,</P>
<P><HI>Viz.</HI>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1 The Reque&s;t and Petition the which the Church doth make vnto Chri&s;t. Ver&s;e 6.</ITEM>
<ITEM><NOTE PLACE="marg">The Tex<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> diuided</NOTE>2 The mo&s;t kinde and louing an|&s;were of Chri&s;t Ie&s;us vnto his Church, directing her, and com|forting her according to her Pe|tition, Ver&s;e 7.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<PB N="233" REF="127">
<P>In the fir&s;t of the&s;e wee are to con&s;ider two things. Fir&s;t, the Reque&s;t; and &s;econdly, the rea|&s;on of the Reque&s;t.</P>
<P>In the Reque&s;t, note, Fir&s;t, the per&s;on to whom &s;he re&s;orts; <HI>Oh thou whom &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Secondly, the Reque&s;t it &s;elfe, which is twofo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">d.</HI>
<LIST>
<ITEM>Fir&s;t, that Chri&s;t Ie&s;us would &s;hew her where he feeds his Flocke with his holy Word &amp; Sacraments; to this end, that hee would feede her, as he fed the Flockes of former times.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Secondly, where hee prouides &s;helter and &s;hadow, in the heate of per&s;ecution; as the manner of tho&s;e Shepheards was in tho&s;e hot coun|tries, to driue their &s;heepe to &s;hade in the heate of the day.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>And la&s;tly, the Rea&s;on: <HI>For why &s;hould I bee as &s;hee that tur|neth a&s;ide after the Flockes of thy companions?</HI> So that if CHRIST doe it not, it will not bee for His honour, nor yet for her good.</P>
<PB N="234" REF="128">
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">The per|&s;on vnto whom the Church &s;eekes for direction.</NOTE>Fir&s;t, for the Per&s;on to whom &s;hee &s;eeketh for direction and comfort, it is CHRIST IESVS the Sauiour and Redeemer of his church and people; whom &s;hee de&s;cribeth thus, <HI>Oh thou whom my &s;oule loueth, &amp;c. q. d.</HI> O Lord IESVS CHRIST my Sauiour and Redeemer, whom I loue with all mine heart; yea whom I loue mo&s;t earne&s;tly, a|boue all the world: So, as if the que&s;tion were asked what I loue be&s;t in all the world, I &s;peake it from my heart; It is thou Lord alone.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Doctr."><NOTE PLACE="marg">Chri&s;t Ie|&s;us mu&s;t be loued with the &s;tFaida Hamdionge&s;t affection of loue.</NOTE>Hence wee learne with what affection euery childe of God, and true beleeuer, mu&s;t loue IE|SVS CHRIST; namely, with the greate&s;t and &s;tronge&s;t affe|ction of loue they can. So as if it were asked, what, or whom do&s;t thou loue mo&s;t, thou can&s;t true|ly
<PB N="235" REF="128"> &s;ay with the Church here, the Lord Ie&s;us CHRIST, <HI>O thou whom my &s;oule loueth!</HI> So did S. <HI>Peter,</HI> who&s;e loue was &s;o great that he died for CHRIST: So that hee might verie well &s;ay to Chri&s;t when hee asked him this que&s;tion, Whether he did loue him, or no? <HI>Yea Lord,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 21.15</NOTE> <HI>thou know|e&s;t that I loue thee.</HI> The like is to be &s;eene in <HI>Marie,</HI> who&s;e loue was &s;o great to Chri&s;t, that in te&s;timonie thereof &s;hee wa&s;hed his feet with her teares, and wi|ped them with the haires of her head: So that CHRIST giues this te&s;timonie of her to her e|uerla&s;ting prai&s;e,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 7.47</NOTE> <HI>That &s;hee lo|ued much.</HI> So doth the Church and Spou&s;e of CHRIST te&s;ti|fie her loue to Chri&s;t, in diuers places of this mo&s;t worthy book calling CHRIST IESVS her Beloued,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Cant. 2.10</NOTE> <HI>My beloued &s;pake and<PB N="236" REF="129"> &s;aid, &amp;c.</HI> And againe, <HI>Stay mee with Flaggons, and comfort mee with Apples, for I am &s;icke of loue, Cant.</HI> 2.5. Yea it is a Precept gi|uen by the Lord God him&s;elfe, that hee mu&s;t haue the chiefe&s;t loue, and the fir&s;t roome in our hearts: <HI>Thou &s;halt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with al thy &s;oule, &amp; with all thy &s;trength, Deut.</HI> 6.5. The Lord will not be &s;atisfied with the loue of our eyes, to behold his workes; the loue of the eare, to li&s;ten to his word; the loue of the tongue, to talke of him; the loue of the feet, to go to his Sanctuary; but the Lord doth require all the&s;e loues together in one: So as a man may truely &s;ay with <HI>Dauid</HI> the prophet, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 83.25. <HI>Whom haue I in heauen but thee? And <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> de&s;ire nothing in earth in compa|ri&s;on of thee.</HI> The Lord cannot a|bide
<PB N="237" REF="129"> that a man &s;hould haue a heart, and a heart; one for God, another for the Diuell. We can not &s;erue God and Mammon:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 6.24</NOTE> wee mu&s;t not part our loue to the world, the Fle&s;h, or the Di|uell, but Chri&s;t mu&s;t haue all. Now the rea&s;ons are diuer&s;e, to &s;hew with what an ardent affe|ction wee mu&s;t loue CHRIST IESVS.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, becau&s;e he is our Hu&s;|band, <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;on"> and wee are his Spou&s;e, for &s;o &s;aith the Prophet <HI>E&s;ay:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;ay 54.5.</NOTE> <HI>Hee that made thee is thy Hu&s;|band, who&s;e name is the Lord of Hoa&s;ts.</HI> And agayne,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Reu. 19.7</NOTE> <HI>Let vs re|ioyce and giue glorie to him, for the Marriage of the Lambe is come, and his wife hath made her &s;elfe ready.</HI> Now our Spirituall &s;eruice and wor&s;hip of God is (as it were) a certaine Marriage of our &s;oules vnto God. When
<PB N="238" REF="130"> wee take vpon vs the profe&s;&s;ion of Chri&s;t Ie&s;us, as in Bapti&s;me; then wee betroth our &s;elues to Chri&s;t, as to an husba~d, entring into couenant with CHRIST, To keepe vs onely to him vnto our liues end. So then by this meanes, the Lord is become our husband, &amp; we his Spou&s;e. Now then, as an hone&s;t man can not endure that another man &s;hould haue a portion in his wife; &s;o will not Chri&s;t en|dure that any other &s;hould haue with him a portio~ in his church, <HI>For he is a iealous God, Exodus</HI> 20. <HI>ver&s;e</HI> 5. So then the force of the rea&s;on &s;tandeth thus. Gods people which are married vnto CHRIST, mu&s;t loue CHRIST alone, becau&s;e we are linked &amp; married to him alone, as a wife to her husband, vnto whom a|lone &s;he is bound. Therefore if
<PB N="239" REF="130"> we for&s;ake the Lord, and breake the promi&s;e wee made to him in Bapti&s;me, and betroth our &s;elues vnto others; then will he &s;urely ca&s;t vs off, giue vs a Bill of Diuorcement, as &s;hamele&s;&s;e &s;trumpets, and puni&s;h vs for our vnfaithfulne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>Secondly, hee loued vs fir&s;t <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Rea&s;on"> and be&s;t, according to that of <HI>Iohn; Wee loue him,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 4.19</NOTE> <HI>becau&s;e hee loued vs fir&s;t:</HI> Yea, he loued vs fir&s;t, when we were his enemies, and had made a voluntary &s;epa|ration betweene him and our &s;oules, committing Spirituall fornication with &s;inne and Sa|than: yea, as the Apo&s;tle <HI>Paul</HI> witne&s;&s;eth,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eph. 2.4.5.</NOTE> <HI>Yee that were dead in tre&s;pa&s;&s;es and &s;innes hath hee quickened.</HI> And le&s;t wee &s;hould any whit doubt of his loue, hee hath manife&s;ted it,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Reuel. 1.6.</NOTE> in that <HI>Hee hath wa&s;hed vs from our &s;innes
<PB N="240" REF="131"> in his Bloud:</HI> Oh then, greater Loue then this, can no man &s;hew. And therefore, &s;eeing Chri&s;t hath loued thy Soule &s;o dearely, as to &s;uffer a cur&s;ed death, yea to &s;hed his owne heart Bloud, to &s;aue thy &s;oule: Oh how oughte&s;t thou to loue Chri&s;t agayne? If a man vvere taken by the Turkes, and put to extreme &s;lauery and bondage, where hee &s;hould remayne for euer, vnle&s;&s;e a great &s;umme of money were payd for his ran|&s;ome, the which hee were ne|uer able to pay: how mi&s;erable were the e&s;tate of this man? But if one &s;hould come, that out of his meere loue vnto him, pitty|ing his mi&s;erie, that &s;hould pay his ran&s;ome, and &s;et him free: who can expre&s;&s;e how much this poore wretch were bound vnto him? VVee are all taken
<PB N="241" REF="131"> pri&s;oners, and that not by the <HI>Turkes,</HI> which onely can but hold vs in temporall bondage; but by Sathan the Prince of darkene&s;&s;e, where wee &s;hould haue indured, not a temporall, but a &s;pirituall and eternall bon|dage and &s;lauery, and that in hell for euermore. And nothing but onely the bloud of the Sonne of God could bee our ran&s;ome: O, how &s;hould this worke vpon the affection of euery Chri&s;tian man and woman, and euen bind vs to loue Chri&s;t againe. Now what might moue Chri&s;t, but onely his loue, to giue him&s;elfe to death for vs? Surely, nothing that was in vs.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe. 2.4.5</NOTE> <HI>But God who is rich in mercie, through his great loue wherewith he loued vs, euen when we were dead by &s;innes, hath quickned vs together by Chri&s;t, by who&s;e grace yee are &s;aued.</HI> And
<PB N="242" REF="132"> againe.<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Ioh 3.16</NOTE> <HI>Hereby haue we perceiued loue, that hee layd downe his life for vs.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 1.7.</NOTE> <HI>By whom</HI> (&s;aith the Apo|&s;tle) <HI>we haue redemption through his bloud,</HI> and therefore the loue that Chri&s;t Ie&s;us hath fir&s;t &s;he|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ed vnto vs, mu&s;t con&s;traine vs to loue Chri&s;t againe.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="Rea&s;on"> And la&s;tly, becau&s;e CHRIST IESVS is mo&s;t excellent in him &s;elfe, and therfore mo&s;t worthie of our loue: For &s;o &s;aith the Church of Chri&s;t, <HI>My beloued is white and ruddy,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Cant. 5.10</NOTE> <HI>the chiefe of ten thou&s;and.</HI> In the world we &s;ee it commo~, that &s;ome are beloued, becau&s;e they are faire and beau|tifull; &s;ome, becau&s;e they are rich and wealthy; &s;ome, becau&s;e they are wi&s;e and prudent; and &s;ome, becau&s;e they are honou|rably de&s;cended. Now Chri&s;t Ie&s;us hath all of the&s;e. For what &s;oeuer may affect a mans heart,
<PB N="243" REF="132"> and any way procure loue, the &s;ame is Chri&s;t Ie&s;us fully and ab&s;olute without any &s;hadow of mutabilitie, or change: For wi&s;edome, he is the fountaine: for truth, hee is the authour of truth: for mercie, he is the &s;tore-hou&s;e of all mercie: for riches, hee is the Lord of heauen and earth, euen the &s;tore-hou&s;e of durable riches: and for beautie, hee is the mo&s;t holy and ble&s;&s;ed &s;onne of God, full of grace and truth.</P>
<P>Oh how may this &s;erue to re|proue <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e"> all carnall and prophane Go&s;pellers, worldly men, Epi|cures, couetous Cormorants who loue any thing more then Chri&s;t Ie&s;us and his glorious Go&s;pell, like the <HI>Gadarens,</HI> who preferred their hogges before Chri&s;t: yea one me&s;&s;e of pot|tage with <HI>E&s;au:</HI> that can be con|tent
<PB N="244" REF="133"> to &s;ell Chri&s;t for le&s;&s;e then thirtie pence: that loue their filthy ple&s;ures, eating, drinking, pride, vncleannene&s;&s;e, &amp;c. more then CHRIST and their owne &s;oules, like the <HI>Bethlemites,</HI> let Chri&s;t lie in the &s;table among&s;t bea&s;ts; for they can not affoord him one corner in their hearts.</P>
<P>Againe, it is the &s;in of thou|&s;ands, that profe&s;&s;e Chri&s;t to be their Husband and Sauior, that yet breake their couenant, and &s;erue the world and the fle&s;h: that pretend they loue the Lord Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, and yet betroth them&s;elues to the world, the fle&s;h, and the diuell, and &s;erue them. Now how could any man be content with this, That his wife &s;hould &s;ay &s;he loues him, and yet &s;ets her heart vpon an|other man? So, how can wee thinke that God will take it at
<PB N="245" REF="133"> our hands, if we will make &s;hew that we loue Chri&s;t, and yet are euer dallying with the world, Chri&s;ts enemy? Oh he is a iea|lous God, and will neuer indure it at our hands.</P>
<P>And la&s;tly, by the rule of this Doctrine of the Papi&s;ts heere no le&s;&s;e to be reproued; who &s;o much rob God of his honour, calling vpon Saints, and pray|ing vnto them; nay, preferring the virgin <HI>Marie</HI> before Chri&s;t him&s;elfe; giuing honour and a|doration to Saints and Angels, making them Mediatours and Sauiours: they &s;hall finde one day, that GOD will not put vp this robbery at their hands; but will &s;hew his iealous and ter|rible anger again&s;t them, as mo&s;t &s;acrilegious per&s;ons, and robbers.</P>
<P>It mu&s;t &s;tirre vp euery Chri|&s;tian <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="V&s;e">
<PB N="246" REF="134"> man to labour to finde his heart raui&s;hed with the loue of Chri&s;t Ie&s;us; &s;o as he can &s;ay, out of the affection of his heart, <HI>O thou whom my &s;oule loueth!</HI> &s;o as if the que&s;tion were deman|ded, what I loue be&s;t? I can tru|ly &s;ay,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Phil. 3.7.8.</NOTE> <HI>I loue Chri&s;t Ie&s;us more then the whole world: yea, I account all things but lo&s;&s;e and dung to win Chri&s;t.</HI> And where men find this true affection &amp; loue of Chri&s;t in them, it is a certaine &s;igne of their &s;aluation; that God hath ca&s;t his loue vpon them, that &s;o the loue of God drawes loue to him againe. As the light of the Sunne lights on the eie, and by it we &s;ee the Sunne again. And as by the picture in the Waxe, wee know the Seale: &s;o by our loue to God, we know his loue to vs. O how &s;hould this cau&s;e euery man and woman, and e|uery
<PB N="247" REF="134"> mothers childe amonge&s;t vs, to examine their loue to|wards Chri&s;t, that &s;o they may gather &s;ome a&s;&s;urance vnto their owne &s;oules, that Chri&s;t hath ca&s;t his loue vpon them. And to doe this, aske me this que&s;tion of thine owne &s;oule: Doe&s;t thou de&s;ire,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Phil. 1.25.</NOTE> with the A|po&s;tle <HI>Paul,</HI> to be loo&s;ed, and to be with Chri&s;t? Tell mee,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Note.</NOTE> is it meate and drinke vnto thee to doe the will of Chri&s;t? Is thy hand euer ready (according to thy abilitie) to be&s;tow any thing vpon Chri&s;t, &amp; for the aduance|ment of his glory? Doe&s;t thou labour in the place vvherein thou liue&s;t, to aduance the glo|rious Go&s;pell of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t? Can&s;t thou bee content to vn|dergoe &s;hame, di&s;grace, trou|ble, per&s;ecution and bonds; yea, death it &s;elfe for Chri&s;ts &s;ake?
<PB N="248" REF="135"> Doth the remembrance of his comming to Iudgement cheere vp thy heauy &s;oule? And doe&s;t thou cry with the &s;pou&s;e of Chri&s;t, <HI>Come Lord Ie&s;us, come quickly?</HI> The&s;e bee markes and tokens whereby thou mai&s;t di&s;|cerne whether thou do&s;t loue Chri&s;t Ie&s;us, yea or no.</P>
<P>But becau&s;e all men are ready to &s;ay that they loue Chri&s;t, or el&s;e it were pitty they &s;hould liue, and the like; when indeed the loue of Chri&s;t is not in them:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Markes to di&s;cerne our loue to Chri&s;t.</NOTE> I will yet proceed a little further, and ob&s;erue a few notes and markes of this pure and hearty loue to Chri&s;t, which are mo&s;t certaine &s;ignes of grace.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">1. By our loue to his word.</NOTE>Fir&s;t, if wee loue Chri&s;t, wee will loue his word, delight in it, and e&s;teeme it aboue gold and pretious &s;tones.<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 119.67.</NOTE> <HI>Lord what loue haue I vnto thy word</HI> (&s;aith
<PB N="249" REF="135"> <HI>Dauid) all the day long is my &s;tu|dy in it.</HI> Yea, it is altogether im|po&s;&s;ible for a man to be religi|ous, to feare God, and to loue him, that hath no &s;ound loue, nor delight in the word of God: &s;o that by our loue to his word, wee may iudge of our loue to Chri&s;t: No loue nor delight in the word, &s;urely no loue nor de|light in Chri&s;t: great loue to the word, great loue to Chri&s;t. In the valewing of this pearle, <HI>Dauids</HI> practi&s;e is notable, who made the <HI>Te&s;timonies of God his heritage,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;e 111.</NOTE> <HI>and the very ioy of his heart,</HI> and e&s;teemed them a|boue gold, yea aboue fine gold. And therefore &s;eeing mo&s;t men haue no delight in the word, &s;el|dome or neuer heare it (vnle&s;&s;e it be for fa&s;hion &s;ake) read it, or meditate in it day or night: it is a certaine token that the loue of
<PB N="250" REF="136"> Chri&s;t is not in them.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">2. By our loue to his Saints.</NOTE>Secondly, if wee loue Chri&s;t Ie&s;us with all our heart, we will loue tho&s;e whom he loues, his ble&s;&s;ed members, true Chri&s;ti|ans.<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Iohn 3.</NOTE> Hereby (&s;aith Saint <HI>Iohn) wee know that we are tran&s;lated from darkne&s;&s;e into light, becau&s;e we loue the brethren. Dauid</HI> te&s;ti|fies of him&s;elfe, <HI>Al my delight is vpon thy Saints.</HI> It is our duty to loue all, but wee mu&s;t loue the Saints with a peculiar and &s;pe|ciall loue, as heires with Chri&s;t, and members of the &s;ame body with vs. Therefore &s;eeing men generally hate the members of Chri&s;t, contemne them, and de|&s;pi&s;e them; doth not this make it verie apparent, that the loue of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> is not in them? <HI>For the world loues her owne;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 15.19</NOTE> <HI>But becau&s;e I haue cho&s;en you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.</HI></P>
<PB N="251" REF="136">
<P>Thirdly, if we loue Chri&s;t Ie|&s;us,<NOTE PLACE="marg">3. By our obedience</NOTE> we mu&s;t &s;hew it by our obe|dience to his word, and to his holy Lawes: for &s;o &s;aith Chri&s;t, <HI>If ye loue me,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ioh. 14 23.</NOTE> <HI>keep my Commande|ments.</HI> Little obedience, little loue; no obedience to Chri&s;ts will, no loue, hearty obedience, hearty loue. And therefore &s;ee|ing generally men rebel again&s;t his word, and breake his Com|mandements; thogh the&s;e men &s;hould &s;wear they loue Chri&s;t, yet are they liars, and the loue of Chri&s;t is not in them. For, who can beleeue that a traytor can loue his Prince?</P>
<P>Fourthly, if we loue Chri&s;t Ie|&s;us,<NOTE PLACE="marg">4. By our &s;uffering for Chri&s;t.</NOTE> we cannot endure to heare him bla&s;phemed, rayled on, re|uiled, his word contemned, or his Sabaoths prophaned, but it will grieue vs at the very heart, &amp; we will (to the vtmo&s;t of our
<PB N="252" REF="137"> power) defend his cau&s;e, as a lo|uing childe the cau&s;e of his fa|ther; and a faithfull &s;eruant, the credit of his mai&s;ter. And with|all, it will make vs be content to indure &s;ome triall and per&s;ecu|tion for his &s;ake: yea, lo&s;&s;e of li|bertie, wealth, riches, yea life i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">+&s;elfe, who hath &s;o loued vs, that he &s;hed his bloud for vs. Thus much of the affection of the Church towards Chri&s;t Ie&s;us. Now we are to come to the pe|titions them&s;elues.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Shew thou mee, O thou whom my &s;oule loueth, where thou fee|de&s;t, &amp;c.</HEAD>
<P>THe Church heere, as in ma|ny other places of the holie Scriptures, compares Chri&s;t Ie|&s;us to a good and faithfull &s;hep|heard, as the Prophet <HI>E&s;ay</HI> de|&s;cribes
<PB N="253" REF="137"> him,<NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;ay 40.</NOTE> <HI>He will gather toge|ther his Lambs.</HI> And againe, <HI>Be|hold,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ezech. 34.</NOTE> <HI>I will require my flocke of the Shepheards, and I my &s;elfe will feede my &s;heepe, and cau&s;e them to re&s;t quietly.</HI> This is acknowled|ged of the Prophet <HI>Dauid:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 23.1.</NOTE> <HI>The Lord is my &s;hepheard, therefore I cannot want.</HI> Yea Chri&s;t doth thus entitle him&s;elfe, &s;aying;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ioh. 10.11.</NOTE> <HI>I <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> the good &s;hepheard, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>Now the Church of Chri&s;t doth put vp her reque&s;t to this great Shepheard and Doctour of his Church, that hee would be plea&s;ed to tell her where hee feedes his &s;heep with the prea|ching of the Word, and the v&s;e Of the Sacraments, that &s;o &s;hee may ioyne with them, there to be fed and comforted.</P>
<P><HI>Que&s;t.</HI> But, <MILESTONE UNIT="Obiect."> was not this the true Church that moueth this que&s;tion? what is then that o|ther
<PB N="254" REF="138"> Church, or flocke &s;he en|quires after?</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Re&s;p.</NOTE><HI>An&s;.</HI> I an&s;were: How&s;oeuer the Church of God is but one in all the world, yet it hath di|uer&s;e partes. As the Ocean &s;ea, though but one, yet it is called by diuers names, according to the place where it lies: Euen &s;o the Church of Chri&s;t, though but one, yet it hath diuers parts, as the Holy-Gho&s;t di&s;tingui&s;h|eth of it,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Reuel. 1.4.</NOTE> writing to the &s;euen Churches which are in <HI>A&s;ia:</HI> Now of the whole Church of Chri&s;t, &s;ome parts of it be at peace and re&s;t, free from per&s;e|cution, when other partes may &s;uffer per&s;ecutions, mole&s;tati|ons, and be vexed by the Diuell and his in&s;truments, whom he &s;ets a worke. Now in this place, the Church of God in per&s;ecu|tion and great affliction, de&s;i|eth
<PB N="255" REF="138"> to know of Chri&s;t, <HI>Where he feedes his &s;heepe,</HI> that is, where the Church is at re&s;t and peace, where the word is purely prea|ched, the Sacraments duly ad|mini&s;tred, and Di&s;cipline duly performed, that &s;he may ioyne with them in the &s;eruice of Al|mightie God.</P>
<P>From this reque&s;t and earne&s;t <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Doctr."> &s;ute of the Church vnto Chri&s;t, to know where he doth feed his &s;heepe, wee learne that it is a true note of a &s;heepe of Chri&s;t Ie&s;us,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The true note of a &s;heep of Chri&s;t, to hunger and thir&s;t after the word of God.</NOTE> to hunger and thir&s;t after the word of GOD, to enquire where Chri&s;t feedes his flocke, where the word is truely and faithfully preached, and the Sa|craments truelie admini&s;tred. And this doubt our Sauior him &s;elfe ob&s;erueth to be the eare-marke of his &s;heepe;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 10.27</NOTE> <HI>My &s;heepe heare my voyce, and I know them,
<PB N="156" REF="139"> and they follow me: but the voice of a &s;tranger will they not heare.</HI> This affection was in godly <HI>Da|uid, O Lord, how amiable are thy Tabernacles? how doth my &s;oule long after thy Altars? O when &s;hal I come &amp; appeare before the Lord in Sion?</HI> And this duety is im|po&s;ed vpon euery Chri&s;tian, to haue an earne&s;t affection vnto the word of God. As when a man is hungry, the veines &s;uck|ing moi&s;ture in the bottome of the &s;tomacke, he feeles a paine which makes him de&s;ire meate: euen &s;o our &s;ouls void of grace, and nouri&s;hment vnto eternall life, they &s;hould hunger and thir&s;t after Chri&s;t and his righ|teou&s;nes,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 6.26.</NOTE> after his word, which is the Spirituall foode of our &s;oules. And till a man be hun|gry, he longs not for meate, hee de&s;ires not foode: &s;o, till we &s;ee
<PB N="257" REF="139"> our wa~ts, we neuer &s;eek to haue our &s;oules fedde with the word of God. Now in that &s;o few de|&s;ire the word of GOD, and &s;o few e&s;teeme of it, it &s;hewes that very few do feeele their want of food, very few can di&s;cern their mi&s;ery, and wretched e&s;tate; but mo&s;t men run on in &s;inne, ble&s;&s;e them&s;elues in their euill wayes, and neuer &s;ay, <HI>Alas,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Pet. 2.2.</NOTE> <HI>what haue I done?</HI> we mu&s;t de&s;ire the &s;incere milke of the word, as the infant the mothers brea&s;t; <HI>And as the Hart doth the riuers of waters, P&s;a.</HI> 42. and as the Church doth here; <HI>Shew me, O &s;hew me where thou feede&s;t thy flock!</HI> We &s;hould doe as the earth doth in time of drought; &s;he opens her mouth, begging and gaping vntill the Lord &s;end a raine. The beggar neuer begges hard till he &s;ee his owne want, and then hee will
<PB N="258" REF="140"> &s;pare no time, labor, nor words: &s;o till we &s;ee our owne wants, we will neuer &s;eeke for the &s;piri|tuall foode of our &s;oules. But they bee ble&s;&s;ed which <HI>hunger and thir&s;t after Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, Mat.</HI> 5.6. though we think we be happy when we feele no want; as it is a common thing to &s;ay, I neuer doubted of my &s;aluati|on, I would be loath my con&s;ci|ence &s;hould trouble mee, &amp;c. But certainly it is the beginning of grace, to finde our &s;elues to want grace. Tho&s;e that do eate meate with a full &s;tomacke, it doth them lea&s;t good: So they which are full, and feele not the want of the word, it doth them little good.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;on"> And the rea&s;on is, that if we do not hunger and thir&s;t after the VVord of GOD, wee can neuer enioy the varietie of all
<PB N="259" REF="140"> tho&s;e good things that are trea|&s;ured vp in the Word to make vs truely happie; fora&s;much as all good things which we haue and doe enioy in this pre&s;ent life, they are appendences to the Word; by which Word, and by Prayer, they are &s;anctified to vs. Now it is got and obtained no other way, but by thir&s;ting after it. As the ble&s;&s;ed Virgine &s;aith in her Song, <HI>Luke</HI> 1. v. 53. <HI>Hee filleth the hungry with good things, and the rich he hath &s;ent emptie away.</HI> Which may &s;erue to comfort the poore children of God, which &s;hew their thir|&s;ting de&s;ire, by their great la|bour and trauell, to heare the Word preached, though they meete with mockings and &s;cof|fings for it, by &s;uch as are farre from thir&s;ting after it of them|&s;elues.</P>
<PB N="260" REF="141">
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Rea&s;on"> Secondly, if wee &s;hould not eagerly &s;eeke after the word of God, wee &s;hould neuer know how much wee are beholding to the Lord for the manifold graces, and ble&s;&s;ings, which we receiue daily from our mo&s;t mercifull God thereby. For &s;o &s;aith <HI>Salomon: The per&s;on that is full de&s;pi&s;eth the hony-combe;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Prou. 27.7</NOTE> <HI>but vnto the hungry &s;oule, euery bit|ter thing is &s;weete.</HI> So that when wee &s;hall &s;ee our &s;pirituall po|uertie without the Word, that we &s;hould euen faint &amp; &s;tarue, and pine away, it will then make vs pri&s;e the excellencie of that benefite wee enioy, when wee haue the &s;ame truely and &s;incerely Preached and Taught among&s;t vs.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e"> Seeing this longing de&s;ire after Chri&s;t, and his Word, is the Eare-marke, and the Wol-marke,
<PB N="261" REF="141"> the Badge, and the Brand of the Sheepe of Chri&s;t, the true Church and children of God: this doctrine then ma|keth a plain di&s;tinction betwixt the Sheepe of Chri&s;t, and the &s;tinking goates of Sathan. The Sheep of Chri&s;t long after their Sheepheard; de&s;ire to be in&s;tru|cted by him; hunger after the VVord preached and taught; wi&s;h for the Sabaoth, enquire <HI>where Chri&s;t doth feede his Sheep,</HI> in the greene pa&s;ture of his Word and Sacraments: but the goats of Satan loathe the word, and the preaching of it, <HI>They treade downe the pa&s;ture of the Sheepe, Ezech.</HI> 34. yea they are weary of it, they will not goe to the dore to heare, <HI>Malac.</HI> 2.13. they can be content as well ro want it, as ro haue it: &s;o as here|by we may iudge our ovvne e|&s;tates,
<PB N="262" REF="142"> whether we be the true Sheep of Chri&s;t, or the &s;tinking goates of Sathan; the children of God, or the limbes of the di|uell. Do&s;t thou loue the word of GOD more then thine ap|poynted foode? Tell me, do&s;t thou de&s;ire to be taught in the Word? Enquire&s;t thou where Chri&s;t doth feede his Sheepe with good Pa&s;ture? And do&s;t thou delight in the Word? <HI>Iohn</HI> 10.27. The&s;e are the eare-marks of Chri&s;ts Sheepe, and may mi|ni&s;ter comfort vnto thy &s;oule, that thou art one of tho&s;e that belong to his Folde. But if on the contrary part thou loathe the word of God, and ha&s;t no de&s;ire at all to treade in GODS Hou&s;e, but &s;pende&s;t the Saboth irreligiou&s;ly, vainely, and pro|phanely, at the Dice, at Cards, Bowles, or Tables: O deceiue
<PB N="263" REF="142"> not thy owne &s;oule. It is a &s;igne thou art none of Chri&s;ts &s;heep, but one of the &s;tinking goats of Sathan: and there will come a day of &s;eparation, when Chri&s;t Ie&s;us the great Shepheard will diuide the Sheepe from among the Goats, when he &s;hall <HI>&s;et the &s;heepe on the right hand, and the goats on the left, Mat.</HI> 25.33.</P>
<P>This Doctrine doth &s;erue to <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="V&s;e"> reprooue three &s;orts of men:</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Athei&s;ts,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Three &s;orts of men re|proued.</NOTE> which bleare out the tongue at all Religion, and chri&s;tian Pietie, making a mocke of God, of his Word,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Athei&s;ts.</NOTE> and of all holie Dueties; That thinke it lo&s;t labour to be reli|gious, and that there is no good got by hearing Sermons, and leading of a godly life. Oh it hath euer beene the cur&s;ed thoughts of mans hart to think &s;o; as was v&s;ed in the time of the
<PB N="264" REF="143"> Prophet <HI>Malachie; It is lo&s;t la|bour to &s;erue the Lord, and what good commeth there by &s;eruing of God?</HI> Ah poore &s;oules, all this while they can mini&s;ter no co~|fort vnto their owne &s;oules, that they are the &s;heep of CHRIST but a ferefull expectation of Iudgement. For in what a mi|&s;erable and wretched e&s;tate is that man, which knoweth not whether hee bee in the e&s;tate of Grace, or not? A Sheepe of Chri&s;t, or a Goate of Sathan? with what cheere can hee eate one meales meate, or &s;leep one night, that wants this a&s;&s;urance? O then, let &s;uch be warned be|times, that if they looke to haue any comfort in death, and after death, that now they labour to be approued for the Sheepe of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Papi&s;ts.</NOTE>Secondly, the Papi&s;ts which
<PB N="265" REF="143"> barre the people from the prea|ching of the Word, and keepe them in mi&s;erable ignorance and blindne&s;&s;e: And all others which &s;eeke by all meanes po&s;&s;i|ble to hinder CHRISTS &s;heep from endeuoring to be taught, which otherwi&s;e would enquire <HI>Where Chri&s;t feedeth his Sheepe:</HI> where the Word is truely prea|ched and taught, and the Sacra|ments duly admini&s;tred. The&s;e are like the Scribes and Phari|&s;es, <HI>Who &s;hut vp the Kingdome of heauen; that will not enter them|&s;elues, nor &s;uffer them that would.</HI> Oh, what &s;acrilege doth that a|dulterous church of <HI>Rome</HI> com|mit, that take from the people, the key of Knowledge, yea and nuzzle them in ignorance, tea|ching, that it is &s;ufficient to be|leeue as the Church doth be|leeue.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 12.2 Phil. 1.10.</NOTE> Whereas the Scriptures
<PB N="266" REF="144"> do require of all men the &s;pirit of di&s;cerning, <HI>Eph.</HI> 5.15. <HI>Try the Spirits whether they be of God:</HI> that &s;o they may allow of tho&s;e things that are good, and bee without offence vntill the day of Chri&s;t: otherwi&s;e, if they fol|low their fal&s;e teachers, they are &s;ure to peri&s;h,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 15.14</NOTE> <HI>For when the blinde leade the blinde, they both fall into the pit of de&s;truction.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">3 Carnall Prote&s;ta~ts</NOTE>Thirdly, all carnall Prote|&s;tants, and &s;ecure worldlings: who, although they do enquire where they may buie a good bargaine, or get a good pur|cha&s;e, and labour for that; yet neuer inquire <HI>where Chri&s;t feeds his Sheep.</HI> Oh, it is a wonder to &s;ee how men do couet ple&s;ures, profites and preferments: the&s;e they &s;eeke for with might and maine. But for the Mini&s;terie of the Word, to haue it truely
<PB N="267" REF="144"> taught them, that their &s;oules may be &s;aued: this they e&s;teeme not, they looke not after it. Surely, by this they declare to the whole world, that they are none of Chri&s;ts &s;heepe: For if they were, <HI>They would heare his voyce and follow him, Iohn</HI> 10.27</P>
<P>Seeing the true Church of <MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="Doctr."> God doth heere &s;eeke to Chri&s;t IESVS to be taught and dire|cted;<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Church of God doth acknow|ledge Ie|&s;us Chri&s;t for her chiefe &s;hepheard</NOTE> we learne that it is the du|tie of the true Church of God, to acknowledge Chri&s;t Ie&s;us a|lone, for their great Pa&s;tor and Shepheard, the onely Head and chiefe Doctor of his Church, and therfore to be ruled by him, and his Word alone, to be con|tent to be ledde and guided by this great Pa&s;tor and Shepherd of the Church, as in <HI>Iohn</HI> 10.28 <HI>I am the True Shepheard, and doe know my Sheepe, and am knowne
<PB N="268" REF="145"> of mine.</HI> This is acknowledged by <HI>Peter</HI> in the behalfe of all the Di&s;ciples,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 6.68</NOTE> <HI>Mai&s;ter, to whom &s;hall we goe? Thou ha&s;t the words of e|ternal life.</HI> And CHRIST hath promi&s;ed to be pre&s;ent with his Church, <HI>Euen to the end of the world.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Eph. 2.22 Colo&s;. 2.19 Matth. 28.</NOTE> And agayne hee &s;aith, that <HI>Where two or three are ga|thered together in my name, I will be in the midde&s;t amonge&s;t them.</HI> Now the duety of Chri&s;t this great Shepheard, it &s;tandeth in two things: Fir&s;t, to gouerne his Church, pre&s;cribing vnto them Lawes, binding the con&s;|ciences of all his Members: And &s;econdly, by his grace, to quicken, and to put a &s;pi|rituall life into them: So that they &s;hall be able to &s;ay, That they liue not, but CHRIST in them.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Rea&s;on."> And the rea&s;on is to be mar|ked
<PB N="269" REF="145"> and con&s;idered, which &s;erue likewi&s;e for the confirma|tion of this point of Doctrine vnto vs, is becau&s;e the worke of &s;aluation is wholy and onely wrought by him, and no part thereof is re&s;erued to any crea|ture; as the Apo&s;tle witne&s;&s;es, when hee &s;aith, That among&s;t men <HI>there is no other name gi|uen vnder heauen whereby wee may bee &s;aued, but onely by Ie&s;us Chri&s;t:</HI> And the Authour of the Epi&s;tle to the <HI>Hebrewes</HI> wit|ne&s;&s;eth the &s;ame thing, when he &s;aith, that <HI>hee is able perfectly to &s;aue them that come vnto God by him.</HI></P>
<P>This condemnes the Church <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e"> of <HI>Rome,</HI> as no true Church of God. Fir&s;t, becau&s;e they will not content them&s;elues with Chri&s;t Ie&s;us to bee their great Pa&s;tor, and general Shepheard;
<PB N="270" REF="146"> but they haue &s;et vp the Pope his Vicar, and matched him, yea preferred him before Ie&s;us Chri&s;t. Nay, they will not bee content with that pa&s;ture which Chri&s;t alloweth for his Sheepe; the greene pa&s;tures of his holie Word, and cleare &s;treames of his ble&s;&s;ed Go&s;pell; but they will feede on the filthie Tra&s;h, and dirty Drugs of their owne deui&s;ing: the fond and fooli&s;h deuices, inuentions, and tradi|tions of men, of their Popes &amp; Cardinalls: So as they declare to the world they are no &s;heep of CHRIST, <HI>In that they will not heare his voyce and follow him, Iohn</HI> 10.17. nor be content with the foode hee hath prepa|red for them, but feede on the filthy and foule pudles of mans traditions.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="V&s;e"> This may &s;erue to admoni&s;h
<PB N="271" REF="146"> all the faithfull Mini&s;ters of Ie|&s;us Chri&s;t, which &s;tand in Chri&s;ts &s;teed: That they teach nothing but the truth of God; whole&s;ome doctrine, not their owne deuices and dreames: but that which they per&s;wade them|&s;elues Chri&s;t would &s;peake, if hee were pre&s;ent. So on the contrary part, you that are the hearers mu&s;t content your &s;elues with the Pa&s;tures of Gods Word, the plaine and the pure Preaching of the word of God, and not to bee carried away to li&s;ten after &s;trange Sheepheards, that teach errone|ous doctrine that may corrupt; or the deuices of man, which may tickle the eare, and not worke grace in the heart. And &s;uch are the vile Doctrines of the Church of <HI>Rome,</HI> which will rather bane and poy&s;on mens
<PB N="272" REF="147"> &s;oules, then edifie them; as their doctrine of Merites, Inuocati|on of Saints, praying for the Dead, and a thou&s;and the like. The which, becau&s;e they haue no footing in Gods word, are here condemned, as no whole|&s;ome pa&s;ture for Gods &s;heep to feed vpon.</P>
<P>Thus much for the Churches fir&s;t reque&s;t. The &s;econd follo|weth.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>And where thou cau&s;e&s;t them to lie downe at Noone.</HEAD>
<P>FOr the better vnder&s;tanding of the&s;e VVordes, we mu&s;t know, how that it was the man|ner of the Shepheards in tho&s;e hote Countries, to driue their &s;heep to the pa&s;ture in the mor|ning; and after, when the Sunne waxed hote, to driue them to
<PB N="273" REF="147"> the water and at noone to car|ry them to &s;ome &s;hadow, where they might re&s;t in the heate of the day, le&s;t they &s;hould bee annoyed with the &s;corching heate and beames of the Sunne.</P>
<P>So heere the Church of God and the Spou&s;e of Chri&s;t, com|pares Chri&s;t to a faithfull and true Shepheard, and intreates him to tell her <HI>where hee doth cau&s;e his Flocke,</HI> that is, his faithfull people, to finde &s;hel|ter and comfort in the heate of per&s;ecution, when the <HI>Sunne</HI> is hotte&s;t at <HI>Noone day;</HI> that is, in the greate&s;t and hotte&s;t per&s;e|cution of the Church of God, in the mo&s;t dangerous and trouble&s;ome trials and times of great extreamitie, which is heere meant by <HI>Noone day;</HI> when the Sunne is mo&s;t hote and &s;corching, according to that
<PB N="274" REF="148"> of our Sauiour, &s;peaking of one &s;ort of euill hearers: <HI>And when the Sunne was vp,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 13.6. and v. 21.</NOTE> <HI>they were par|ched, and for lacke of rooting, wi|thered away.</HI></P>
<P><HI>From whence wee ob&s;erue a twofold in|&s;truction.</HI>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. That the Church of God &s;ometimes is in the ve|ry heate of per&s;ecution.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. That Chri&s;t the good Shepheard euen then for|&s;akes not his, bur at Noone-day, euen in the extremitie of the &s;ame, prouides a &s;ha|dow and place of comfort, and refre&s;hing, for tho&s;e that are his &s;heepe.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Obiect.</HI> 3 The Church of God &s;om|times is in the very heate of per&s;ecutio~</NOTE>Fir&s;t, wee are taught heere, that it is the will of GOD, that his Church &s;ometimes &s;hould be tryed: And it is his will that &s;ometimes his People &s;hould vndergoe per&s;ecutions, accor|ding to the rule of the Apo&s;tle S. <HI>Paul,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Tim. 3.12</NOTE> <HI>Who&s;oeuer will liue godlie in Chri&s;t Ie&s;us, mu&s;t &s;uffer per&s;ecu|tion.</HI>
<PB N="275" REF="148"> This is expre&s;ly taught by the Prophet <HI>Dauid,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 34.19</NOTE> <HI>Great are the troubles of the righteous, but the Lord deliuereth him out of all,</HI></P>
<P>This was the condition of the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> in <HI>Egipt,</HI> who remay|ned there a long time in cruell bondage vnder <HI>Pharaoh, Exod.</HI> 1.12. And in <HI>He&s;ters</HI> time, how were the poore people of God in the heate of per&s;ecution!<NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;t. 2.23.</NOTE> This was the State of the whole Church of the <HI>Hebrewes,</HI> de|&s;cribed thus, That <HI>Some were racked and would not bee deli|uered,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Hebr. 11.35. &amp;c</NOTE> <HI>that they might receiue a better re&s;urrection: And others haue beene tryed by mockings, and &s;courgings; yea moreouer by bloud and impri&s;onment: They were &s;toned, they were hewen a&s;under, they were burned, &s;laine with the Sword, wandered vp and downe in Sheepes skinnes and in Goates
<PB N="276" REF="149"> skinnes, being de&s;titute, afflicted, and tormented, whom the world was not worthie of, &amp;c.</HI> This we might further con&s;ider in the examples of <HI>Abraham, I&s;aac, Iacob, Iob, Io&s;eph, Dauid, Ieremy,</HI> and the like, who&s;e liues are a plentifull &s;tore-hou&s;e to te&s;tifie this truth, That the people of God doe many times endure manifolde afflictions, and &s;un|dry trialls. And this haue wee had experience of in this Land, in the dayes of Queene <HI>Marie,</HI> when the Sunne &s;hone hot, and that the fire of per&s;ecution was great, to the wa&s;ting of the bo|dies of many a deere Childe of God: So that if we hope to liue with Chri&s;t in the Church Tri|umphant, we mu&s;t fir&s;t die with him in the Church Militant. For none &s;hall raigne with Chri&s;t there, that haue not fir&s;t
<PB N="277" REF="149"> &s;uffered with him heere: Nor none &s;hall haue their teares wi|ped from them in heauen, that haue not fir&s;t &s;hed them on the earth. Thus hauing &s;eene the Doctrine, that it is the State and condition of Gods church heere vpon earth, to vndergoe &s;ometimes many and grieuous afflictions. Now let vs &s;ee the Rea&s;ons, that &s;o the Doctrine may leaue the greater impre&s;&s;i|on in euery one of our affecti|ons.</P>
<P>In regard of Gods enemies <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;on"> them&s;elues which know not the Father, nor IESVS CHRIST his Sonne; they haue nothing to &s;toppe and to &s;tay their rage and malice, as our Sauiour witne&s;&s;eth, when he &s;aith: <HI>They &s;hall excommunicate you, yea the time &s;hall come, that who&s;oeuer killeth you, will thinke that hee
<PB N="278" REF="150"> doth GOD &s;eruice: And the&s;e things will they doe, becau&s;e they haue not knowne the Father, nor yet mee:</HI> So that it is no mar|uel, though the enemies of gods Church doe rage again&s;t the faithfull &s;eruants of God, being &s;tirred vp thereunto by the in|&s;tigation of Sathan; &s;eeing that they know not God, nor Ie&s;us Chri&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 15.19</NOTE> but haue their eyes blin|ded by Satan the prince of this world.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Rea&s;on"> GOD &s;uffereth his children many times to vndergoe &s;ome &s;harpe and bitter triall of affli|ction, and to &s;uffer euen the burning heate of Per&s;ecution, to make knowne the Vertues and Graces of his Children: as Saint <HI>Paul</HI> &s;aith, <HI>It is nece&s;&s;arie that afflictions &s;hould come, that the elect may be manife&s;t who they be.</HI> As it is not po&s;&s;ible to know
<PB N="279" REF="150"> the valour of the Souldier if hee lie alwaies in the Campe, and neuer come into the Field&punc; So is it impo&s;&s;ible to know the Courage, Patience, Obedi|ence, Zeale, Loue, &amp;c. of his children, till triall come. And therefore God would haue <HI>Abraham</HI> tempted, to make his faith knowne. So <HI>Iobs</HI> patience, <HI>Dauids</HI> pietie, <HI>Pauls</HI> courage, &amp;c. The earth which is not til|led and broken vp, will yeeld nothing but briers and thornes: And Vines will waxe wilde if they bee not pruned and cut. Euen &s;o the vnruly affections of our hearts, as &s;o many noy|&s;ome weeds, would quickly ouer-runne the whole man, if the Lord, by &s;anctified afflicti|ons, &s;hould not manure vs. <HI>It is good therefore</HI> (&s;aid <HI>Ieremy) or a man to beare the yoke in his</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Lam. 3.27.</NOTE>
<PB N="280" REF="151"> <HI>youth.</HI> And in another place the &s;ame Prophet &s;aith, <HI>Ier.</HI> 48.11. <HI>Moab keepes his &s;ent, becau&s;e hee was not powred from ve&s;&s;ell to ve&s;&s;ell, but hath beene at re&s;t e|uer &s;ince his youth.</HI> There are be&s;ides the&s;e, diuer&s;e other rea|&s;ons, wherefore the Lord doth thus exerci&s;e his deere children in this life, with cro&s;&s;es and af|flictions: as to humble them for &s;innes pa&s;t, and to preuent &s;inne in them for the time to come: Becau&s;e, when we &s;hall perceiue, that the only weapon whereby Sathan woundeth our Soules, is &s;inne, it will make vs repent of &s;innes that are pa&s;t, and warie of &s;innes for the time to come: And al&s;o to humble the pride of our hearts; For knowledge puffeth vp; and in what&s;oeuer thing wee goe be|fore our brethren, naturally we
<PB N="281" REF="151"> waxe proud of the &s;ame. Now the Lord by the&s;e afflictions, like a skilfull Phy&s;ition, lets out the &s;uperfluous humours of pride and vaine-glory, when wee &s;hall &s;ee what wee are by nature.</P>
<P>Well, let vs make &s;ome v&s;e of this Doctrine to our &s;elues. <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e"> Wee haue had a long Mor|ning, and yet are in peace and re&s;t: but it will not euer bee Morning; the Sunne will ri&s;e and it will bee <HI>Noone day,</HI> the Lord will haue a time of triall. It is the Lords v&s;uall dealing, after long time of peace, to bring &s;ome trials, that the Elect and true Chri&s;tian may bee di&s;cer|ned. Of all things in the world the Lord cannot indure that his glorious Go&s;pell &s;hould bee contemned, and de&s;pi&s;ed, as it is at this day among&s;t vs: Oh
<PB N="282" REF="152"> then, &s;eeing that wee mu&s;t euen looke for a triall; Let vs prepare and arme our &s;elues with all needfull vertues, with patience, with humility, with courage, zeale, &amp;c. Alas! any thing wil &s;erue the turne now to bee a Chri&s;tian; a &s;mall matter: But if in the time of triall we &s;hrinke,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 14.25</NOTE> or el&s;e yeeld vnto the enemy, then wee &s;hall &s;hew that wee are but hypocrites and cowards. Oh then, let vs be good Souldi|ers now in the time of peace, prouide and &s;harpen our wea|pons again&s;t the time of warre: Let vs ca&s;t it what it will co&s;t vs to bee the Sheep of Chri&s;t, lo&s;&s;e of Lands, liuings, gold, &s;iluer, liberty, country, yea life it &s;elfe; yet to re&s;olue by the helpe of God, neuer to bee a&s;hamed of the Go&s;pell of Chri&s;t, let per&s;ecution come
<PB N="283" REF="152"> neuer &s;o hote vpon vs.</P>
<P>Secondly, we learne hereby, <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="V&s;e"> not to promi&s;e vnto our &s;elues worldly Peace and Pro&s;peritie, while we do liue heere. For this life is the time of a Chri&s;tian mans warfare; neither mu&s;t we looke to finde Heauen vpon Earth: for if we will be Chri&s;ts Di&s;ciples, we mu&s;t take vp his Cro&s;&s;e and follow him; we mu&s;t not dreame of a victory before we fight. For it is the lot of the godly to &s;uffer per&s;ecution; yet this may bee the comfort and &s;tay of a Chri&s;tian Soule in the midde&s;t of them all, That the Lord will di&s;po&s;e of them &s;o, as that they &s;hall worke to the be&s;t to them that loue God, and neuer depart from vs, but &s;hall leaue a ble&s;&s;ing behind them, &s;o that wee &s;hall bee &s;ure of this, that we &s;hall gaine more in the
<PB N="284" REF="153"> Spirit, then we can loo&s;e in the fle&s;h.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="V&s;e"> Thirdly, &s;eeing it is the will of God, that his owne true Church and faithfull children &s;hall be tried, and vndergoe the heate of per&s;ecution: let vs heere learne to bee wi&s;e, neither to thinke that wee are out of Gods fauour if wee bee tried, or to thinke the wor&s;e of the Go&s;pell of Chri&s;t, becau&s;e the cro&s;&s;e and triall goes with it. Wee are ready to thinke the Lord loues vs not; or that the Go&s;pell the which wee profe&s;&s;e is not a good profe&s;&s;ion; be|cau&s;e wee &s;ee it hated, per&s;ecu|ted, and railed on by wicked men. Well, it is that which God will haue, it was the con|dition of Chri&s;t Ie&s;us before vs: and vnle&s;&s;e wee looke that the &s;eruant &s;hould bee greater
<PB N="285" REF="153"> then the Mai&s;ter, it mu&s;t bee ours.</P>
<P>Secondly, wee learne from <MILESTONE N="4" UNIT="Doctr."> hence,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Chri&s;t leaues not his <HI>Church,</HI> in the heat of per&s;ecu|tion, but prouides comfort for them.</NOTE> that though it may bee &s;ometimes <HI>Noone-day</HI> with the Church of God, hot and blou|dy per&s;ecution, yet Chri&s;t hath euer a &s;helter and &s;hadow for his people; Hee hath a Lair for them, a place of &s;helter, &s;ha|dow, and comfort; he is euer pre&s;ent with his Church and people in the hotte&s;t times of per&s;ecutions and afflictions, to comfort them, to refre&s;h them, to ea&s;e them of their mi&s;erie, to deliuer them. This the Lord ex|pre&s;&s;eth in the Prophet <HI>E&s;ay</HI> 54.7.8. <HI>For a litle time haue I for&s;a|ken thee, but with great compa&s;si|on will I gather thee: for a moment in mine anger I hid my face from thee, for a little &s;ea&s;on, but with euerla&s;ting mercy haue I had com|pa&s;sion
<PB N="286" REF="154"> on thee.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;alme 2.</NOTE> This doth the Prophet <HI>Dauid</HI> make manife&s;t, that notwith&s;tanding the rage and malice of Gods enemies, <HI>Hee that dwelleth in heauen &s;hall laugh them to &s;corne, the Lord &s;hall haue them in deri&s;ion.</HI> This comfort is excellently &s;et forth by the Prophet <HI>E&s;ay,</HI> when hee &s;aith in <HI>cha.</HI> 43.1.2. <HI>But now thus &s;aith the Lord that created thee, O</HI> Iacob, <HI>and he that formed thee, O</HI> I&s;rael, <HI>feare not: for I haue redee|med thee: I haue called thee by thy name, thou art mine: when thou pa&s;&s;e&s;t through the waters, I will be with thee, and through the flouds, that they doe not ouerflow thee: when thou walke&s;t through the very fire, thou &s;halt not bee burnt, neyther &s;hall the flame kin|dle vpon thee: For I am thy Lord God.</HI> Thus prouided hee for his Church in the dayes of <HI>He&s;ter,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;ter 3.</NOTE>
<PB N="287" REF="154"> when they could &s;ee no meanes to e&s;cape. What a mi&s;chiefe had <HI>Herod</HI> inuented again&s;t the <HI>Me&s;siah;</HI> &s;o &s;ecretly,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matt. 2.13</NOTE> as that hee di&s;clo&s;ed the &s;ecret of his heart to none, but pretended to the Wi&s;e men, that his intent was to wor&s;hip Chri&s;t? yet the Lord did bring his deuice to naught; and <HI>Io&s;eph</HI> and <HI>Mary,</HI> with the child <HI>Ie&s;us,</HI> was deliuered.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 12.16</NOTE> <HI>Peter</HI> being ca&s;t into pri&s;on, &s;hould euen the next day haue beene executed; yet through the pray|ers of the Church, was deliue|red. This Doctrine is further cleared by the examples of <HI>Io|&s;eph, Iob,</HI> the Church in <HI>Egypt,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Cen. 41.14 Exo. 12&punc;41 Dan. 6.23. Dan. 3.</NOTE> <HI>Daniel,</HI> the three children, <HI>Si|drach, Mi&s;hach:</HI> and <HI>Abed<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters">go,</HI> who for a time indured &s;hame and reproach of the cro&s;&s;e: yet afterwards the Lord returned vnto them when the time of re|fre&s;hing
<PB N="288" REF="155"> came. So that how&s;o|euer Gods children may be vn|der the heate of per&s;ecution for a time, it &s;hall be but for a time; hee will not leaue them de&s;ti|tute of his helpe, and comfort for euer, but will, in the end, de|liuer them.</P>
<P>The Rea&s;ons &s;eruing to con|firme this Doctrine, are mani|fe&s;t. <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;on"> Fir&s;t, con&s;ider the Titles by which GOD is called; as a <HI>Father,</HI> to &s;hew the care that he taketh ouer his Church, as his children, to prouide for them, and to gouerne them. For what father will not &s;aue his childe, if po&s;&s;ible hee can, from fire, or water, or &s;ome other eminent danger?<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8.15 Iohn 10 1. Matt. 7.11.</NOTE> <HI>Now then, if wee that are euill, know how to helpe our children, how much more &s;hall our heauenly Father, that knoweth all things, giue good things vnto
<PB N="289" REF="155"> his children?</HI> Againe, Chri&s;t is called by the name of a <HI>Shep|heard,</HI> as the Church doth con|fe&s;&s;e in this place. Now, wil the Shepheard &s;ee the &s;heepe goe a&s;tray, and not bring them into the right way againe? or &s;uffer the wolfe to deuoure the &s;heep, and not re&s;cue them? And what &s;hall wee thinke that Chri&s;t the true Shepheard of his Church will bee more carele&s;&s;e of his Flocke, whom he hath purcha|&s;ed vnto him&s;elfe with no le&s;&s;e price then with his owne heart Bloud; then an earthly man is of his Sheep? Seeing then that Chri&s;t Ie&s;us is the King of his <HI>Church,</HI> &amp; the &s;hepheard of his Sheep, we need not doubt but that hee will defend his <HI>Church,</HI> and &s;aue his &s;heep, &s;o that none &s;halbe able to de&s;troy them, or take them out of his hands.</P>
<PB N="290" REF="156">
<P>Secondly, our weakne&s;&s;e and naturall corruptions are not hidden from the LORD: <HI>Hee knoweth whereof wee are made, hee remembreth that wee are but du&s;t.</HI> And therefore &s;aith the A|po&s;tle, <HI>God is faithfull, which will not &s;uffer vs to bee tempted aboue that wee are able, but will euen giue the i&s;&s;ue with the temp|tation, that wee &s;hall bee able to beare it.</HI> So then, whether wee con&s;ider the Office of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> as a &s;hepheard to keep his <HI>Church;</HI> or the mercie of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> that is euer ready to couer the wants of his Seruants, making their afflictions to be but momenta|rie: in the&s;e two re&s;pectes wee may &s;afely gather, that the Lord will neuer for&s;ake his children, nor leaue them in their daun|gers, but prouide for them both &s;helter and comfort, when they
<PB N="291" REF="156"> &s;hall finde the heate of afflicti|ons to &s;hine mo&s;t hotte&s;t vpon them.</P>
<P>The v&s;e &s;erues to direct vs to <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e."> whom wee &s;hould goe in time of trouble and great di&s;tre&s;&s;e: for if Chri&s;t be our &s;heepheard wee are to flie to him; He is a faithfull pre&s;eruer of them that tru&s;t in him. Shall wee goe to Saints or to Angells? <HI>Doubtle&s;&s;e Abraham is ignorant of vs, and I&s;rael knoweth vs not, E&s;a.</HI> 63.16. What then, &s;hal we tru&s;t in our chariots or in our hor&s;es? <HI>doubt|le&s;&s;e a hor&s;e is counted but a vaine thing to &s;aue a man, P&s;al.</HI> 37.17. Surely, we cannot honour him more then when we depend on him, and re&s;t vpon his mercie. Thus <HI>Dauid</HI> behaued him&s;elf in all his extremities, flying vnto God as a &s;ure refuge,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;a. 91.2.3</NOTE> <HI>I will &s;ay to the Lord, O my hope, &amp; my for|tre&s;&s;e,
<PB N="292" REF="157"> He is my God, in him will I tru&s;t, Hee will deliuer mee from the &s;nare of the Hunter, and from the noy&s;ome pe&s;tilence:</HI> His eares are alwaies open to the cries of his children, hee putteth their teares into his bottle. So long therefore as we haue a voyce to call vpon GOD, or a heart to &s;igh and groane vnto him, wee haue comfort and a&s;&s;urance to be deliuered, and that hee will not leaue vs nor for&s;ake vs in danger.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="V&s;e"> Heere is matter of endle&s;&s;e comfort vnto the Church and children of God, that we know that the Lord Ie&s;us Chri&s;t pro|mi&s;eth that hee will prouide a Lair for vs, a place of comfort and refre&s;hing, a &s;hadow euen at Noone day in the heate of bloudy per&s;ecutions. Many in|deed are our infirmities, feares,
<PB N="293" REF="157"> cares, &s;orrowes, and troubles, yet in midde&s;t of them all, the childe of God may &s;ay with the Prophet; <HI>Why art thou ca&s;t downe (O my &s;oule) and why art thou &s;o di&s;quieted within me? O waite on God, for I wil yet giue him thanks: He is my pre&s;ent help and my God, P&s;al.</HI> 42.5. O then let vs be con|&s;tant: let vs comfort our &s;elues in Chri&s;t Ie&s;us, let vs not for feare or danger deny CHRIST and his Go&s;pell; for CHRIST will be a &s;helter vnto vs, to re|fre&s;h vs, and deliuer vs.</P>
<P>This &s;heweth the mo&s;t wo|full <MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="V&s;e"> and de&s;perate e&s;tate of all wicked and vngodly men, who being out of Gods fauour, not beleeuing in Chri&s;t, nor repen|ting of their &s;innes, in time of per&s;ecution, when the Sunne waxeth hote; Alas, they &s;hall not know where to hide their
<PB N="294" REF="158"> heads, for they &s;hall finde no &s;helter, nor comfort, nor no place of refuge: For <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> is a &s;helter onely to them that be|leeue in him, and obey him. And therefore thou which art a wicked man, an impenitent &s;in|ner, a prophane per&s;on: Alas, what wilt thou doe? and which way wilt thou turne thee in the time of trouble and calamitie, when the Sunne waxeth hote in the heate of per&s;ecution and &s;corching triall? Whither then wilt thou runne for &s;helter? A|las, thou &s;halt then be as a mad bea&s;t, which in the heate of the day runnes vp and downe, and findeth no couert. So &s;hall all wicked and impenitent &s;inners haue no place of &s;uccour, but lie open to all GODS iudge|ments; be &s;corched,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ezec. 9.4</NOTE> yea euen con&s;umed with the fire of Gods
<PB N="295" REF="158"> di&s;plea&s;ure; when the righte|ous, tho&s;e which are in Chri&s;t Ie&s;us &s;hall finde &s;helter.</P>
<P>Now followeth the Rea&s;on which &s;hee v&s;eth to moue the Lord Ie&s;us Chri&s;t to graunt her reque&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The chur|ches rea|&s;on of her reque&s;t.</NOTE> taken from the great perill and danger &s;hee was like to fall into; Namely, le&s;t being left without his direction and comfort, &s;hee be con&s;trayned to <HI>Turne a&s;ide to the Flocks of the companions:</HI> that is to &s;ay, to leaue the true church, and wor|&s;hip of God, and ioine with the fal&s;e church, to commit idola|trie, called heere, <HI>the Flockes of the companions:</HI> Not for that they are eyther <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> his com|panions, or the companions of his church and people; but be|cau&s;e they account them&s;elues &s;o; yea, they thinke, and call them&s;elues CHRISTS compa|nions.
<PB N="296" REF="159"> And if this thing &s;hould come to pa&s;&s;e through want of <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI> a&s;&s;i&s;tance to direct her, and to comfort her in per&s;ecu|tion; then it &s;hall not bee for his honour, not her good. This is the &s;umme and &s;ub&s;tance of her Rea&s;on.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="5" UNIT="Doctr."> Hence we are taught, that it is altogether impo&s;&s;ible for men and women,<NOTE PLACE="marg">It is alto|gether im|po&s;&s;ible for men to hold out in time of triall, that are not a&s;+&s;i&s;ted by God.</NOTE> euer to &s;tand out in the brunt of per&s;ecution, vnle&s;&s;e they be taught of God, and comforted by his Spirite. And hence it is that the Pro|phet <HI>Dauid,</HI> a man after Gods owne Heart, and indued with a &s;ingular portion of GODS Spirit, doth earne&s;tly begge and craue at Gods hand the en|lightning of Gods Spirit, and de&s;ireth to be taught of him; <HI>Open mine eyes that I may &s;ee the wondrous things of thy Law.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 119.8</NOTE></P>
<PB N="297" REF="159">
<P>And againe,<NOTE PLACE="marg">27.34.73.</NOTE> <HI>Teach me thy Sta|tutes.</HI> And againe, <HI>Make mee to vnder&s;tand the way of thy Pre|cepts, &amp;c.</HI> Yea, CHRIST tells the Iewes which murmured a|gain&s;t him, becau&s;e he &s;aid, <HI>that no man could come to him vnle&s;&s;e his Father drew him, that all the Elect are taught of God, Ioh.</HI> 6.45. And this made <HI>Paul</HI> to pray for the <HI>Ephe&s;ians, ch.</HI> 1.17. that God would giue them the Spirit of Wi&s;edome, and to enlighten their mindes, that they might know what is the hope of their calling, and what the riches are of his glorious inheritance. A notable direction vnto all &s;orts of men, how to behaue them|&s;elues when they &s;hall come in|to the hou&s;e of God; namely, not to re&s;t on any naturall gift what&s;oeuer it be, wi&s;edome, learning, wit, memory, &amp;c. <HI>For
<PB N="298" REF="160"> the wi&s;edome of the fle&s;h is enmi|tie with God;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 1. Cor. 1.21</NOTE> But to goe out of our &s;elues, and to &s;eek the Lord in humility, and denial of them &s;elues; and then the Lord will giue vs a di&s;cerning &s;pirit, that we &s;hall not be deceiued. <HI>If any man</HI> (&s;aith Chri&s;t) <HI>will doe my Fathers will, he &s;hall know of the Doctrine, whether it be of GOD, Iohn</HI> 7.17. And againe, <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> promi&s;eth his Di&s;ciples, being now to leaue them, and to go to his Father, that <HI>the Spirit of Trueth &s;hould leade them into all truth.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Rea&s;ons."> And the rea&s;ons are,</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1"> Fir&s;t, wee are all blinde, and by nature can hardly &s;ee into the truth, vnle&s;&s;e <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> direct vs by his Spirit; for &s;o &s;aith <HI>Salo|mon, Prou.</HI> 14.12. <HI>The waies that &s;eeme right vnto vs, the i&s;&s;ues thereof are the wayes of death.</HI> It
<PB N="299" REF="160"> is a part of our mi&s;ery, that <HI>we are turned euery one vnto his own way.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;ay 53.6</NOTE></P>
<P>Secondly, when we know it, <MILESTONE N="2"> Alas, wee are of our &s;elues &s;o weake, and fle&s;h and bloud will bee &s;o vnwilling to &s;uffer for <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> his &s;ake, that vnle&s;&s;e the Lord do a&s;&s;i&s;t vs, we &s;hal not be able to vndergo the lea&s;t temp|tation that &s;hal be laid vpon vs.</P>
<P>And la&s;tly, the enemies of <MILESTONE N="3"> Gods truth are in their genera|tion, &s;o wi&s;e, and &s;o &s;ubtile, co|ming vnto vs in <HI>Sheeps clothing,</HI> to deceiue vs, that of our &s;elues we &s;hall ea&s;ily be drawne away to beleeue lies. In all the&s;e re|&s;pects, we may &s;afely conclude the former Doctrine, that it is impo&s;&s;ible for vs to holde out in the day of triall, vnle&s;&s;e wee be a&s;&s;i&s;ted by the LORDS holie &s;pirit.</P>
<PB N="300" REF="161">
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e"> This &s;heweth, that if tryall do come, and per&s;ecution &s;hall ari&s;e for CHRISTS &s;ake, and the Go&s;pells &s;ake: Alas, mo&s;t men would yeeld to any Religi|on, to Popery, Idolatry, Super|&s;tition, <HI>to the flockes of the com|panions,</HI> to the church of Rome, to flatte Idolatry. For alas, they know not the trueth; <HI>They are not taught of GOD;</HI> They bee blinde and ignorant, and will ea&s;ily beleeue and embrace any Religion.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="V&s;e"> This mu&s;t &s;tirre vp euery true chri&s;tian, man and woman, to pray to CHRIST as the church doth heere; That hee would teach vs by his Spirit, that hee would open our eyes that wee might &s;ee the truth, and that he would giue vs hearts to beleeue it, to loue it, and to liue and die in it: That hee would giue
<PB N="301" REF="161"> vs the Spirit of Di&s;cerning,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Iohn 4.1</NOTE> <HI>To try the Spirits, whether they be of God,</HI> that &s;o wee may di&s;cerne the truth from fal&s;hoode. Yea, wee mu&s;t &s;o labour to bee fa&s;t grounded in the Truth,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matt. 7.26</NOTE> that no winde, nor weather may re|moue vs, That wee be &s;ure to lay a good foundation, that we do digge deepe into our owne hearts, builde on the Rocke, To hate Poperie and all Idolatrie, to loathe it as the Doctrine of Diuells. Though they &s;ay they be the true Church, and the <HI>companion of Chri&s;t,</HI> yet be they the Synagogue of Sathan: The maine points of their Religion being cleane contrarie vnto the word of God: as are their Do|ctrine of Merites, Inuocation of Saints, wor&s;hipping of Ima|ges, praying for the dead, Sa|crifice of the Ma&s;&s;e; that &s;o wee
<PB N="302" REF="162"> may, for euer, &s;tand out again&s;t that cur&s;ed and damnable do|ctrine of the Church of <HI>Rome,</HI> Yea, let vs intreate the Lord that hee would neuer &s;uffer it to get head againe in this Land: notwith&s;tanding wee haue de|&s;erued as great a iudgement; but e&s;pecially that hee keep vs that wee neuer ioyne with them in that bloudy Religion.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="V&s;e"> It condemnes all tho&s;e who are ready, either for feare of per&s;ecution, or by blindne&s;&s;e and ignorance, to embrace any Religion; or ioyne with any Church; who to keepe their Liuings, hold their Lands, to enioy their honours and plea|&s;ures, would turne as doth the winde, and embrace any Reli|gion; ioyne with Papi&s;t, Iew, Turke, yea the deuill him&s;elfe for liuing &s;ake. Oh! the true
<PB N="303" REF="162"> Church of Chri&s;t feare them|&s;elues, and their weakene&s;&s;e, that they &s;hould bee drawne away, and &s;educed to embrace fal&s;e religion: And therefore they doubting the wor&s;t, and fearing the corruption that is in their owne hearts, pray vnto <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> that they may not bee left vnto them&s;elues, but that they may finde &s;trength from him to with|&s;tand them.</P>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>The end of the fir&s;t Sermon.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="2" TYPE="sermon">
<PB N="304" REF="163">
<HEAD>A Folde for Chri&s;ts SHEEPE. THE SECOND SERMON.</HEAD>
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL><HI>CANT. 1.7.</HI></BIBL>
<P><BIBL><HI>7</HI></BIBL> If thou know not, O thou fai|re&s;t among&s;t women, get thee forth by the &s;teps of the Flocke, and feede thy Kiddes by the Tents of the Shepheards.</P></Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>_WEE haue heard be|fore of the earne&s;t re|que&s;t of the Church vnto Chri&s;t, That he would in mercy &s;hew her where hee <HI>feedes his Flocke,</HI> and where
<PB N="305" REF="163"> he prouideth comfort for them in time of trouble. Heere is the mo&s;t kind, louing, and gracious an&s;wer of Chri&s;t Ie&s;us vnto the Reque&s;t of his Church:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Parts of the Text.</NOTE> in the which note three things.</P>
<P N="1">1 His exceeding loue and kind|ne&s;&s;e, in that he calls her, <HI>the faire&s;t among women.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2 His gentle reproofe of her, <HI>If thou know not, q.d.</HI> This is ve|ry &s;trange, that thou which art the true Church, &s;houl|de&s;t not know where Chri&s;t feeds his &s;heep.</P>
<P N="3">3 His direct An&s;wer to her re|que&s;t; wherein hee doth an|&s;wer her to the full: If thou would&s;t know where I feede my &s;heep, that &s;o thou mai&s;t feede with them, and finde con&s;olation vnto thy Soule; <HI>then thou mu&s;t go in the &s;teppes of the Flocke:</HI> That is, thou
<PB N="306" REF="164"> mu&s;t embrace the Faith, Re|ligion, the wor&s;hip and &s;er|uice of God, the which my ancient church from the be|ginning haue imbraced: The Faith, Religion, the Wor|&s;hip and Seruice of GOD, which my ancient Seruants, <HI>Abraham, I&s;aac,</HI> and <HI>Iacob</HI> haue done, and tread in their &s;teps. Secondly, thou mu&s;t place thy Tent, where the &s;hepheards haue done, the Patriarchs, Prophets, and A|po&s;tles of CHRIST, their doctrine taught before. This is the &s;umme and &s;ub&s;tance of Chri&s;ts an&s;were vnto his Church.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, ob&s;erue heere, how <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> de&s;cribes his true <HI>Church</HI> and <HI>Spou&s;e:</HI> Hee giueth her a mo&s;t kind and louing name, ex|pre&s;&s;ing his kinde and &s;ingular
<PB N="307" REF="164"> loue vnto her: <HI>O thou the faire&s;t among women!</HI></P>
<P><HI>Que&s;t.</HI><MILESTONE UNIT="Obiect."> But this may &s;eeme &s;trange: for the Church confe&s;|&s;ed before, that &s;hee was blacke and Sun-burnt, deformed, &amp;c. How then can Chri&s;t call her, the faire&s;t among&s;t women?</P>
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI> The Church,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Re&s;p.</NOTE> and euery true Beleeuer, are black and de|formed in them&s;elues, vile and vncleane, and they can &s;ee no beautie in them&s;elues, but are blemi&s;hed yea and &s;tained with &s;ins originall and actuall: But as they be &s;anctified by his Spi|rit, wa&s;hed in his Bloud, and clothed in his Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, they be faire and beautifull in the &s;ight of Almighty God, be|cau&s;e Chri&s;t <HI>hath wa&s;hed them from all their &s;innes in his Bloud,</HI> and couerd them with the pure roabes of his owne Righteou&s;|nes;
<PB N="308" REF="165"> decked and adorned them with the holy and heauenly gra|ces of his Spirit, knowledge, faith, repentance, zeale, pati|ence, &amp;c. According to that &s;peech that the Lord him&s;elfe v&s;eth,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ezech. 16.</NOTE> <HI>thou art faire through that beauty of mine, which I haue put into thee.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="6" UNIT="Doctr."> Here marke the endle&s;&s;e loue of Chri&s;t Ie&s;us vnto his poore church and people,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Chri&s;t e|&s;teemes of his church as if they had no &s;in</NOTE> that e&s;teems &s;o highly of them, as if they had no &s;pot of &s;in or vncleanene&s;&s;e: though they in them&s;elues bee blacke, deformed, and polluted; yet all tho&s;e who doe truely re|pent, embrace Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, and beleeue in him, that are wa&s;hed from their &s;innes, &s;anctified by his Spirit, and obey his will; all the&s;e are faire, yea mo&s;t beu|tifull in his eyes. Hee will not looke vpon their &s;innes and ble|mi&s;hes,
<PB N="309" REF="165"> but wincke at them, &s;o long as they endeuour and de|&s;ire to doe his will. This is con|fe&s;&s;ed by wicked <HI>Balaam,</HI> when he &s;aw that no policie or deuice could take any place again&s;t the Church of God: <HI>He &s;eeth no in|iquitie in Iacob, he beholdeth no tran&s;gre&s;sion in I&s;rael, Nu.</HI> 23.21 Againe, <HI>how goodly are thy tents, O Iacob, and thy tabernacles O I&s;|rael, as the vallies that are &s;tret|ched out, &amp;c. Num.</HI> 24.5. So that the nature and condition of the true Church farre exceeds all o|ther &s;ocieties of men what&s;oe|uer, and is pretious and deere vnto Chri&s;t. Hereunto cometh the titles and commendations giuen vnto the Church &s;o often in this mo&s;t excellent booke of the <HI>Canticles;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Cant. 2.2.</NOTE> <HI>She is as the Roe of the field, the Lillie of the Valley, the Faire&s;t amonge&s;t Women, an
<PB N="310" REF="166"> Orchard of Pomegranats, a Foun|taine of Gardens,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">and 4 13. and 5.9.</NOTE> <HI>a well of &s;pring|ing waters, the Spou&s;e and Si&s;ter of Chri&s;t, the Beauty of the Earth, the Glorie of the world, a Lillie a|mong Thornes, &amp;c.</HI> And againe, <HI>Thou art all faire my Loue, and there is no &s;potte in thee.</HI> The&s;e, and the like examples, whereof the Scripture is full, all &s;erue to confirme the euerla&s;ting trueth of this Doctrine vnto vs: how deare and precious the Church is in Chri&s;ts &s;ight, that of al So|cieties and A&s;&s;emblies of men in the world, none are more ex|cellent and worthy, none more amiable and louely, none more beutifull and precious then the Church of God, the Spou&s;e of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;on"> And the Rea&s;on of the Doc|trine is apparent: man was fir&s;t ca&s;t out of Paradi&s;e for &s;in, nei|ther
<PB N="311" REF="166"> is there any thing that doth hinder his returne, but only &s;in; for it is &s;inne that makes vs exe|crable to the Lord, and doth <HI>hinder all good things from vs.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al 38.4</NOTE> For, as long as &s;inne remaynes, it is as a weightie burthen, to pre&s;&s;e downe a &s;inner into hell; and the wages and &s;tipend of it <HI>is eternall death.</HI> Therefore,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Romans. 6</NOTE> if &s;inne be taken away and pardo|ned, as it is from all the Elect, what &s;hould hinder their hap|pine&s;&s;e? God hath again&s;t them no matter of di&s;plea&s;ure; and the obedience of Chri&s;t Ie&s;us being imputed vnto them, hea|uen can not bee denyed vnto them, but they mu&s;t needes bee &s;aued.</P>
<P>Secondly, Chri&s;t Ie&s;us doth <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Rea&s;on"> e&s;teeme highly of his Church; and the Church is mo&s;t excel|lent in her &s;elfe, becau&s;e in it
<PB N="312" REF="167"> alone &s;aluation is to be found, and no where el&s;e. When the Lord brought the great and ge|nerall deluge ouer the face of the whole earth, What place was there left more excellent then the Arke, in the which, <HI>Noah</HI> and his Family were &s;a|ued, and out of the which the whole world be&s;ides peri&s;hed? What was that Arke but a Type and Figure of Chri&s;ts Church, wherein &s;aluation is to bee found, and out of the which there is no &s;aluation to bee loo|ked for? Seeing therefore that remi&s;&s;ion of &s;innes is proper onely to Chri&s;ts Church, and that therein is &s;aluation and eternall life to bee found, wee may &s;afely therefore conclude, that the e&s;tate of <HI>Chri&s;ts Church,</HI> and of euery member thereof, is mo&s;t excellent and ble&s;&s;ed.</P>
<PB N="313" REF="167">
<P>The v&s;es of this Doctrine is <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="V&s;e"> excellent, as the nature of the Church is. Fir&s;t then, &s;eeing that Chri&s;t will thus pa&s;&s;e by the &s;innes of his children, and iudge them faire, without any &s;pot and blemi&s;h of &s;inne, if they do truely repent, and em|brace Him, and his Righteou&s;|ne&s;&s;e, by faith; Here is matter of endle&s;&s;e comfort to euerie poore childe of God.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Note.</NOTE> Doe&s;t thou repent of thy &s;innes, and art truely humbled for them? Doe&s;t thou embrace CHRIST IESVS for the pardon of them? Hath God &s;anctified thy heart by his Spirit, &s;o as thou hate&s;t euerie wicked way, and do&s;t de|&s;ire and endeuour to obey God his will in all his Commande|ments? Well then, comfort thy &s;elfe, and cheere vp thine owne &s;oule; Chri&s;t Ie&s;us will couer
<PB N="314" REF="168"> all thy &s;innes, they &s;hall neuer be layd to thy charge: but hee will wrap thee in his own righ|teou&s;ne&s;&s;e, whereby thou &s;halt appeare faire and beautifull in his &s;ight. Indeed many a poore child of God, looking on their owne infirmities, and manifold corruptions, &s;ee them&s;elues to be black indeed, deformed and &s;tained with &s;inne; it grieueth them that they do hang downe their heads, and goe drooping all their dayes, &s;triuing and al|&s;o &s;truggling with their rebelli|ous hearts and vile corrupti|ons, and thinke that CHRIST IESVS cares not for them, can|not loue them, being &s;o defiled with &s;inne. But I &s;ay againe, Be not di&s;couraged; for if thou doe&s;t repent of them, beleeue in Chri&s;t, hate thy &s;innes, and praye&s;t often vnto God to giue
<PB N="315" REF="168"> thee power to with&s;tand them, v&s;ing all godly meanes to with|&s;tand them, Chri&s;t Ie&s;us wil co|uer them, and pa&s;&s;e by them all, as he did deale with <HI>Dauid, Pe|ter, &amp;c.</HI> Oh then how carefully ought all men daily endeuour them&s;elues to be the members of this Societie, that &s;o they may haue a part in all the&s;e ex|cellent prerogatiues? and then how&s;oeuer the world doe e|&s;teeme of them, counting them mi&s;erable, grinding at them with their teeth, and nodding at them with their heads, and euerie way contumeliou&s;ly re|proching them; yet are they deere and precious in the &s;ight of Chri&s;t, who hath redeemed them with the ran&s;ome of his owne bloud.</P>
<P>Let vs learne by Chri&s;ts ex|ample <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="V&s;e"> heere, that if we &s;ee anie
<PB N="316" REF="169"> good thing in the childe of Al|mightie God, to commend it, and to embrace it: and if we &s;ee any blemi&s;h or infirmitie, that we wincke at it, and couer the &s;ame with the cloake of Loue; and not as the maner of wicked and vngodly men; who though they &s;ee many good giftes and graces in GODS children, as knowlege, faith, patience, loue, zeale, &amp;c. pa&s;&s;e by them all; and if they &s;hall e&s;pie but one ble|mi&s;h, or infirmitie, or weake|ne&s;&s;e, by and by they blaze it a|broad with open mouth, note them with a blacke cole, calling them Puritanes, Preci&s;ians, Hy|pocrites, and the like; reuiling them in a mo&s;t odious manner; like a Coorrector of a Booke, pa&s;&s;e by all that is well, and if but one fault, find that out; like the hor&s;e-Flie, pa&s;&s;ing by many
<PB N="317" REF="169"> floures, and &s;weet hearbs, lights vpon &s;ome noy&s;ome &s;ore: the&s;e are not like vnto CHRIST, but to their &s;ire the Diuell, who is the Accu&s;er of the Brethren. Thus much for the exceeding loue and kindene&s;&s;e of Chri&s;t Ie&s;us toward his church, in that he cals her by this kind appella|tion, <HI>The faire&s;t among&s;t women.</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, his gentle reproofe of her, <HI>If thou know not: q. d.</HI> This &s;eemeth &s;trange,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Chri&s;ts gentle re|proofe.</NOTE> that thou &s;houlde&s;t be ignorant where I doe feede my &s;heep, where my truth and go&s;pell is truely prea|ched, and &s;oundly profe&s;&s;ed: But if thou know not,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The church of God &s;om|times may be at that &s;traight as not to di&s;|cerne the truth.</NOTE> I will di|rect <MILESTONE N="7" UNIT="Doctr."> thee, and &s;hew thee how thou &s;halt finde it out.</P>
<P>Hence we are taught, that the church of God, and true belee|uers, may &s;ometimes be &s;o blin|ded, and left to them&s;elues, that
<PB N="318" REF="170"> they &s;tand at a &s;tagger, and doe hardly know which is true reli|gion, <HI>Where Chri&s;t doth feede his Flocke,</HI> where the word is faith|fully preached, &amp; &s;oundly pro|fe&s;&s;ed. For we are all of vs rea|die to erre by nature. How apt are wee in matters that do con+cerne our Soules, to be mi&s;ta|ken? partly, through our owne blindne&s;&s;e, ignorance, and care|le&s;ne&s;&s;e, in not &s;earching of the Truth, and trying of the &s;pirits: and partly, by the &s;ubtile policy of the diuell, who is Gods Ape, and &s;o like him in many things. as that it is hard to di&s;cerne his &s;lights and fal&s;hoods. Wicked men, fal&s;e teachers, lying pro|phets, &s;et &s;uch a face and &s;hew on their errors, and beare them out with &s;uch a countenance, credite, and authoritie: and the truth is &s;o neglected, plaine, and
<PB N="319" REF="170"> &s;imple, troden vnder foot; that it is hard for a man, yea the true Church of God &s;ometimes, to di&s;cerne where Chri&s;t feedeth his Flocke.<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Reg. 18.12.</NOTE> When as <HI>Elias</HI> was left alone, and <HI>Baals</HI> foure hun|dred and fiftie prophets, who could almo&s;t then di&s;cerne the wor&s;hip of GOD from Idola|try, when all was corrupted? So when <HI>Michaiah</HI> told the trueth, and <HI>Ahab</HI> had foure hundred fal&s;e Prophets, it was hatd to di&s;cerne the truth of God from the lying of Sathan. In Chri&s;ts time, how did the Scribes and Phari&s;ees confound Religion, dimme and dazell the truth; for the which, our Sauiour him|&s;elfe did often reprooue them? And in our times, how doe the Papi&s;ts labour to ob&s;cure Reli|gion? how bold and impudent are they, to defend Idolatrie,
<PB N="320" REF="171"> their owne traditions and con|&s;titutions.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="V&s;e."> How &s;hould this &s;tir vp eue|ry chri&s;tian man and woman to &s;tudy the word of God; &s;o that knowing the truth, &amp; beleeuing the doctrine of God, we may be able to di&s;cerne betweene light and darkene&s;&s;e, truth and fal&s;e|hood; idolatry, and the &s;eruice and wor&s;hip of God. Second|ly, to intreate the Lord in all humilitie, to open our eyes to di&s;cerne the truth; to giue vs his holie Spirit, to leade vs into all truth, to giue vnto vs the Spirit of Di&s;cerning, to trie the &s;pi|rit and the doctrine, whether it be of God, or not: for otherwi&s;e we may be ledde awry, and take light for darkene&s;&s;e, and darke|ne&s;&s;e for light. Let vs then con|fe&s;&s;e our ignorance and blinde|ne&s;&s;e, and bewayle it: Let vs
<PB N="321" REF="171"> &s;triue again&s;t our carele&s;ne&s;&s;e; Let vs prooue the Doctrine by the touch-&s;tone of the Word, if they be according to the law and the Prophets, el&s;e abhorre them.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 17.</NOTE> Let vs doe as the men of <HI>Berea</HI> did, intreate the Lord to giue vs the Spirit of Di&s;cern|ing, that we may trie all things, and hold the truth. And if euer wee had neede to pray for the Spirit of Di&s;cerning, now is the time: we &s;ee how bold the Di|uell is, how diligent to deceiue vs; and the Papi&s;ts they be im|pudent and &s;hamele&s;&s;e, euen to thru&s;t vpon vs their cur&s;ed Ido|latrie, and tell vs it is the true wor&s;hip of God; their abomi|nable Ma&s;&s;e, their Merites, Pur|gatorie, prayer for the dead, wor&s;hipping of Images, cal|ling vpon Saints, vnwritten Ve|rities, their vile Traditions, and
<PB N="322" REF="172"> filthy abhominations, their Con&s;titutions and vile De|crees; as if they were the written word of God. Now vnle&s;&s;e we haue knowledge, and bee able by Gods Spirit to di&s;cerne the &s;pirits; alas! wee &s;hall drinke in poy&s;on, idolatry, and &s;uper&s;titi|on. O then, let vs labour to know the Word of God, be|leeue it, obey it, bee reformed by it, confe&s;&s;e our ignorance, and with all humilitie pray vnto God to open our eyes to giue vs the &s;pirit of di&s;cerning, to know true Religion from fal&s;e; which if wee do, certainely the Lord will reueale his Truth vn|to vs. And thus much &s;hall &s;erue for Chri&s;ts gentle re|proofe of his Church.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">3 Chri&s;ts an|&s;were vnto his church</NOTE>The third and la&s;t point, is the direct an&s;were of Chri&s;t to the reque&s;t of the Church; &s;hee
<PB N="323" REF="172"> de&s;ired to know of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> where he fed his flocke, and comforted them in the time of per&s;ecution, that &s;o &s;hee might ioyne with them; and be defended by him from fal&s;e wor&s;hip, and the ido|latrous Church. Heere Chri&s;t doth an&s;were her to the full: <HI>If thou know not, Oh thou faire&s;t among women! get thee foorth by the &s;teppes of the Sheep, and feede thy Kids by the Tents of the Shep|heards.</HI> His coun&s;ell &s;tandeth in two parts, to &s;hew her where he feedeth. <HI>q. d.</HI> Woulde&s;t thou know where I feede my Sheep, and where I cau&s;e them to lie downe at Noone, that thou mighte&s;t feed with them, and be in my Fold, to be defended and protected by mee? then I coun|&s;ell thee: Fir&s;t, to walke in the <HI>&s;teppes of the Sheepe:</HI> that is, thou mu&s;t walke in the &s;teppes of the
<PB N="324" REF="173"> faithfull &s;eruants of God, <HI>Abra|bam, I&s;aac,</HI> and <HI>Iacob;</HI> thou mu&s;t embrace that faith, religion, &amp; wor&s;hip of GOD, which they beleeued and embraced; that is meant by the <HI>&s;teppes of the &s;heep.</HI> Secondly, thou mu&s;t <HI>feede thy Kids;</HI> that is, thou mu&s;t receiue and embrace that Doctrine which the ancient Shepheards, Pa&s;tors, Prophets, and Apo&s;tles haue taught and deliuered. And if thou &s;halt thus treade in the &s;teps of the &s;heepe, <HI>Abraham, I&s;aac,</HI> and <HI>Iacob;</HI> and embrace and obey the doctrines taught by the Prophets and Apo&s;tles, in the old and new Te&s;tament, thou &s;halt then know where I feed my &s;heepe, that thou mai&s;t feed with them, and take mee for thy true Shepheard.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="8" UNIT="Doctr."> From this an&s;were of Chri&s;t we learne a cleere direction,<NOTE PLACE="marg">A directio~ to know which is the true Church.</NOTE> to
<PB N="325" REF="173"> know true Religion, and the true wor&s;hip of God, from fal&s;e religion, and fal&s;e wor&s;hippe. If men doe de&s;ire to know where Chri&s;t feedeth his &s;heepe, and where GOD is truely wor&s;hip|ped, where is true religion, we mu&s;t then <HI>treade in the &s;teppes of the Sheep.</HI> That is, we mu&s;t wor|&s;hip God, as <HI>Abraham, I&s;aac,</HI> and <HI>Iacob</HI> did, as <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and the Prophets did; treade in their &s;teppes, and follow their godly examples; beleeue, repent, and walke with GOD, as they did, whom (by the iudgement of Faith) wee may conclude of, that they were the Sheepe of Chri&s;t; for of them doth Chri&s;t &s;peake heere, and not of a com|pany of Popes, Cardinalls, Ie|&s;uites, and the like, of that rab|ble; of whom to thinke that they &s;hould belong to this Folde, I
<PB N="326" REF="174"> know not whence I &s;hould fetch my charity. Againe, wee mu&s;t embrace and beleeue the doctrine taught by <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> and the Prophets, Chri&s;t and his Apo&s;tles, who were the true Shepheards and faithfull Pa|&s;tors of the Church of GOD: <HI>To the Law,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;ay 8.20.</NOTE> <HI>and to the Te&s;timony, if they &s;peake not according to this Word, it is becau&s;e there is no light in them.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Iere. 6.16.</NOTE> And againe, <HI>Thus &s;aith the Lord, &s;tand in the wayes, and behold, and aske for the olde way, which is the good way, and walke therein, and you &s;hall finde peace and re&s;t for your &s;oules.</HI> So then, if we de&s;ire to know true Religion, and the true wor&s;hip and &s;eruice of God, this is the way, which I heere teach and deliuer from the Lord IESVS CHRIST, again&s;t the doctrine of all the Shauelings of <HI>Rome;</HI>
<PB N="327" REF="174"> namely this, and none but this; To inquire of the faith, Reli|gion, and maner of the wor|&s;hipping of God, performed by <HI>Abraham, I&s;aac,</HI> and <HI>Iacob,</HI> Pa|triarkes and Prophets, Prea|ched and publi&s;hed by Chri&s;t and his Apo&s;tles; beleeue that, imbrace that, and re&s;t our &s;oules on that.</P>
<P>This may &s;erue to decide a great que&s;tion, and long con|trouer&s;ie, betweene vs and the Papi&s;ts. They affirme that they are the true Church, and we are Heretickes; wee beleeue and hold that we are the true <HI>church</HI> of God, and that they bee not, but <HI>Babylon,</HI> and the Synagogue of Sathan. This then is the maine Que&s;tion, whether they, or wee, bee the true Church? Who &s;hall iudge? euen Chri&s;t Ie&s;us him&s;elfe in his owne
<PB N="328" REF="175"> word: wee re&s;t vpon him and flie vnto him: which if the Pa|pi&s;ts would do likewi&s;e, they would neuer haue runne into a labyrinth of controuer&s;ies as they haue euen at this day: For Chri&s;t would quickly haue put an end vnto all. For he &s;aith, that they be the true Church, which <HI>Treade in the &s;teps of the Sheep, and feede by the Tents of the Shepheards:</HI> That is, that people that beleeue and wor&s;hip God, as <HI>Abraham, I&s;aac,</HI> and <HI>Iacob</HI> did; and al&s;o that old Religion which they beleeued and em|braced as the true Religion, for that was taught by the holy &s;er|uants of God, who were the faithfull Shepheards, and Pa|&s;tors &s;ent of God to his <HI>Church.</HI> Now let triall be made, whether the Papi&s;ts or Prote&s;tants, the Church of <HI>Rome,</HI> or the Church
<PB N="329" REF="175"> of <HI>England</HI> do thus.</P>
<P>For the Papi&s;ts, although they call their Religion, the old Religion; yet alas, it is newly deui&s;ed, the gteate&s;t parts of it, within the&s;e foure or fiue hundred yeares: It is &s;uch as was neuer knowne to <HI>Abraham, I&s;aac, Iacob, Mo&s;es,</HI> or the Pro|phets; it was neuer knowne to Chri&s;t or his Apo&s;tles; they haue lo&s;t <HI>the Steps of the Sheepe,</HI> and the <HI>Tents of the Shepheards:</HI> that Doctrine, manner of Re|ligion, the wor&s;hip and &s;eruice of God, which was v&s;ed by the Patriarkes, <HI>Abraham, I&s;aac,</HI> and <HI>Iacob,</HI> taught by <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> and the Prophets, <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> and his Apo|&s;tles; and they haue got a new Religion of their owne deui|&s;ing: They walke not in the &s;teps of the Flocke, but in the &s;teps of their proud Popes, co|uetous
<PB N="330" REF="176"> Cardinals; filthy Friers, mangy Munkes: They haue de|ui&s;ed a thou&s;and things in the &s;eruice and wor&s;hip of God again&s;t his Word, and again&s;t the Doctrine of the Prophets and Apo&s;tles. Where &s;hall we euer finde that <HI>Abraham, I&s;aac, Iacob,</HI> and the Prophets did euer pray to Angells, or Saints, wor|&s;hipped Images, prayed for the dead, looked to bee &s;aued by their owne workes, or merites? If they can &s;hew me, any foule-mouth'd Ie&s;uite of them all, but any one example, in the whole booke of God, of any of all Gods children that haue per|formed them, I will then lay my hand vpon my mouth. In the meane time giue me leaue, O ye Papi&s;ts, to tell you, that you are none of Chri&s;ts Church, you are none of Chri&s;ts Sheepe; for
<PB N="331" REF="176"> you haue left the <HI>Steppes of the &s;heepe, and the Tents of the &s;hep|heards,</HI> the Doctrine taught by the Prophets of God, Chri&s;t, and his Apo&s;tls; and are no bet|ter then the whoore of Baby|lon, the Synagogue of Sathan.</P>
<P>But as for the Church of <HI>Eng|land,</HI> wee doe beleeue and em|brace that olde and true Religi|on, that &s;ame Faith which <HI>Abra|ham, I&s;aac,</HI> and <HI>Iacob</HI> did v&s;e: we holde that Doctrine taught by the ancient Prophets, and holie Apo&s;tles of CHRIST IESVS, without either adding or detra|cting: And if wee &s;hould dare to deui&s;e a new kinde of Faith, Religion, and wor&s;hip of God, not v&s;ed nor knowne to the an|cient Prophets, Patriarkes, and Apo&s;tles, as the Church of <HI>Rome</HI> doth; it were to leaue the <HI>Steps of the Sheepe,</HI> and to <HI>ioyne
<PB N="332" REF="177"> with the Flockes of the Compani|ons,</HI> euen to &s;hake hands with Idolaters.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="V&s;e"> Well, let vs then euer &s;tand out again&s;t the Antichri&s;t of Rome,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Reu. 18.4.</NOTE> and as Chri&s;t &s;aith, <HI>Come out of her,</HI> ioyne not with her in her fal&s;e Religion, and Idola|trous &s;eruice of God, le&s;t you partake of her plagues, but let vs hold fa&s;t &s;till the true Religion of God: <HI>Treade in the &s;teps of the Sheep; Feed by the Tents of the Shepheards.</HI> Let vs liue and die in the true Church of God, &amp; for euer hold fa&s;t the true, ancient, &amp; holy religion, which we haue receiued fro~ the holy Patriarks <HI>Abraham, I&s;aac, Iacob, Mo&s;es,</HI> the Prophets, and the holy Apo&s;tles of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, &amp; then we &s;hall be &s;afe and &s;ure; yea ble&s;&s;ed and happy for euer|more.</P>
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