THE cause of this our pre­sent assembly (brethren in the Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ most dearely beloued) is alredye vnto you so wel knowne, y^t I shall not neede therevpon to vse many wordes: but on the other side, the speciall points here­by offered to our considerations, and a­gaine, the iust cause that wee (euen we Cambridge-men) haue to weepe and waile, I feare that a greate sorce, throughe want of skill, feele not, and many moe, (blindely ledd with a cer­tayne peeuish rancour and festured ma­lice) throughly consider not.

To mourne and weepe for the death of a good and godly man, so far foorth as concerneth him, we are flatly forbid­den both by reason and also by nature: I meane, that reason which is right, and that nature which is sinceare, not corrupted. Yea, it is directly against the rules both of Charity and Faith. For, if Heathen Philosophers, (not knowing god aright, & void of that hope which wee dayly haue before our eyes, and whiche, so manye of vs as liue [Page] in Christ, doe earnestly thirst after, and dayly long for) deemed by reason, that death was not to be bewailed: and if they could agree among themselues in opinion, that nature might lawfully call for, & redemaund that, whereof she had graunted to vs, the vse, but for a while: what an absurd thing were it, if wee in this so great light of the Gos­pell, beeing so vndoubtedly perswaded of such sure and manifest promises of most blessed state after this life by the benefite of our Redeemer, should not aswell as they, thinke it to stand with reason and equitie? Yea, worthilye were wee to be reprooued, if we should but onely match them, and not rather far surmount them in this point, and by faith vnderstand how that we are so far from hauing any cause of sorrowing, that we rather ought more then can be vttered, to reioyce for them, and to con­gratulate cheir felicitie, whereunto we hope also to come our selues, and for the same ought dayly to pray.

Now,Lone enui­eth not. I pray you, what Ioue, or what charity is this, to enuie our friendes [Page] blessed hap, & to be sory for their felici­tie and welfare? To be agreeued & to lament for their glorious exchaunge is as though we repined, that after many dangerous stormes and blustring tem­pests in the Sea of this world, they be at length gotten to a quiet har borough and safely ariued at the hauen of rest: or that after a sharpe conflict & long con­tinued warre, they bee nowe at length safely returned home, with victory o­uer their enemies.

What loue can this be, to bee sorye that our friend hauing beene long py­ned with grieuous & languishing dis­eases to haue now recouered his former health? or to fret and greeue to heare that hee whom we say we loue, is en­larged and deliuered out of most loath­some prison, where he had long lyne in hunger and cold, fettered and chayned? Is there any man, that can with anye colour of reason say, that he loueth his friend, being heire to some great lands, if he mourne and be sory that the tyme now approcheth, wherin his friend shal possesse and receaue some huge summe [Page] of money aud sewe out his liuerey for the peaceable enioying of his great re­uenewes and enheritance? It is (I say) against godly loue and against sinceare affection, to bewaile our friends, when they leaue the miseries of this wret­ched lyfe, and goe to possesse a place of rest and blisse, that shall continue for e­uer.

Moreouer, it agreeth not with the rules of faith, for a christian man to be­wayle the dead. For, who can deny that to be against faith, which is flatly for­bidden by the scriptures? And how can that be sayed to agree with the rule of fayth, whiche the scriptures most eui­dentlye prooue to be done by those that haue no hope? There is such an indeui­sible agreement betweene Faythe and Hope, Faith and hope insepa­rable com­panions. that the one is neuer seuered frō the other, but wheresoeuer the one is, the other is also, and where the one lac­keth, y^t other wanteth likwise. Sorow ye not (saith the blessed apostle Paule) ouer thē that are a sleepe, 1. Thes. 4. 13. as others do which haue no hope. &c. Yea such kind of sor­row is most plainly by y^e scriptures for­biddē.Eccle. 22. 11. Make small weeping for the dead [Page] (sayth the wise-man) for he is at rest. If a man do but lightly & superficially consider y^e words of this scripture, & do not diligently search the bottome & ground of the true meaning & sence thereof, he may (perhaps) thinke that it is thereby permitted yea & after a sort commaun­ded & enioyned to a man to mourne and bewaile the dead, so that he do it mode­ratly

But it shall plainely appeare to bee otherwise, if a man will diligently con­sider the cause whiche the Wise-man there alledgeth, namelye, because hee is at rest. In whiche wordes, he layeth downe before our eyes, the verie cause, for the which we should rather reioyce and be glad. And therfore in this worde (a little) hee hath consyderation vnto oure weakenesse and infirmytie, in re­specte whereof hee yealdeth somewhat vnto our frayltie, and tollerateth some small sorrowe and little mournynge: howebeit, if the wise-man had any hopefully to perswade & effectuallye to ob­taine that which he was the willinger of, no doubt, hee woulde rather haue [Page] counsailed and aduised vs, vtterly to put away and entirely to laye aside all sorrow.

Which thing we ought (doubtlesse) to doe, if wee coulde in all our actions haue that regard & alwayes keepe that euen hand, which we should doe if our nature were not so weake and naught: or if the world were not pestered with enuious spighters and quarellours, wranglers in euery corner, that will not sticke to call vs stonyharted crea­tures, & such as haue no sparke of hu­maine nature in vs, if they see that wee make no lamentation for the death of our friends. Construing the matter many tymes to the worst, and sinesterlye thereby gathering, that we doe rather reioice in respect of some worldly gaine or commoditie thereby growing to vs. Wheras we by the rule of faith onely, and in respect of that euerlasting bles­sednesse which our friends haue attai­ned, doe shew our selues therein con­stantly stayed in conscience for the de­parture of our brethren, and altoge­ther renouncing such womannish way­ling, [Page] and childish infirmitie.

And true it is, that Ieremie, (being a witnesse in this case of far more cre­dite and authoritie,) alloweth nothing at all to this our fraile infirmitie, but in most plaine words flatly and in a ge­neralitye forbiddeth all weeping and mourning for y^e dead.Ier. 22. 10. Weepe not (saith he) for the dead, and be not mooued for them. For, he had a greater considera­tion of the blessed lyfe whereinto they were entered: and he wisely weighed that the sooner, they finisht the course & end the race of this life, the sooner they come to enioy their desyred rest & blis­full state: and therefore he woulde not at anye hande nozzle and feede a man in folly, by allowing or yelding any thing to him in this so vaine frailty. This did he see in the spirite: and the very same is lykewise by the same spirite reuea­led vnto Iohn, with commandement al­so vnto him, to write it for an euerla­sting memory, as a voice not vttered by the world or in the world, after the mea­sure of our humaine frailty and weake­nesse, but as a sentence descended from [Page] heauen, deliuering a iust consideration of the state & condition of those that bee hence departed: which voyce did plain­ly deliuer these words:Reue. 14. 13. Blessed are the dead, which dye in the Lord. May this worde (Blessed) being pronounced by the mouth of God himselfe, be thought to be miserable, mournefull or lamenta­ble? Neyther doth the Spirite deliuer & vtter these words absolutely without any other addition, but withal he allead­geth the cause: For they henceforth (saith the Spirite,) rest from their labours: & moreouer, Their workes follow them.

Let vs now therfore ponder and con­sider: diligently the words of the Wyse man, whereof mention was made a litle afore, viz. Because he is at rest. Also of an other wise man:Wised. 3. 2. The soules of the righteous are in the hands of God, and they are in peace. Furthermore let vs herevnto adde the words of the Apostle S. Paule: [...] Thes. 4. 14. If we beleue that Iesus is dead & is rysen againe; euen so them which sleepe in Iesus, wil God bring with him. Let vs consider what these wordes doe signifie & meane, Blessed are they that dye in the Lord, &c. And we shall easily [Page] perceiue in what sense we ought to take this (Little) which the wise man vseth: yea we shal quickly see, what he would rather haue aduised & vttered, if he had not otherwise regarded & respected our weaknes. Therefore I saye, when wee haue respect & consideratiō of the party that is dead and departed, it is both vnseemely & wicked to vse any howling or blubbering for him, vnlesse we desire to be accounted creatures endued rather with beastly nature then furnished with the vse of reason: to be deemed Heathen people rather then true Christians: enui­ous caitiues then wel meaning friends: void of hope & faith, not vnderstanding our happy estate, & persons doubtful & vn­certain of their saluatiō, rather then cō ­stant beleeuers vndoubtedly embracing & crediting y^e infallible worde of God, therby as by a rule directing all & eue­ry our actions, thoughts & affections, & valiantly subduing and entirely trium­phing ouer our imbecillity & weaknes.

But howsoeuer some texts of scripture seeme to confirm this opinion, & to proue & allow some small mourning, & again, some vtterly & altogither forbid weping [Page] and lamenting, as we haue afore decla­red: So in an other sence wee are not onely allowed to mourne, but also are admonished and directly commaunded so to do. My sonne, powre foorth teares ouer the dead, Eccle. 38. 16. and begin to mourne as if thou hadst suffered greate harme thy selfe. Heere, the same wise man that a little aforesaid, Make small weeping for the deade, seemeth in this place to en­ioyne vs to weepe, not a little, nor for a while: but to continue lamentations, and to powre foorth teares for a long season. God forbid that we should think so holy a man, (inuested with the tytle of a wiseman) should in one & the selfe-same booke disagree with himselfe in opinions and sentences, (albeit they be set downe in seuerall Chapters) and to enioyne and commaund things contra­ry and repugnant one to an other. We must therefore assay and tyre, whether we can find out his very meaning.

But if he himselfe doe expound and interpret his owne words, we may then boldly and safely without danger sticke to his iudgement. In this verye sen­tence, [Page] where he thus writeth. Make small weeping for the dead, for hee is at rest, Eccle. 22. 11. he also saith, Weepe for the dead, for he hath lost the light. To make him therefore to agree with himselfe, this must needes bee his meaning: that, as in respect of the party deceased, it is not lawfull to weepe and lament, for that, he enioyeth blisse, and is at rest: so, on the other side, namely in respecte of our selues, that are berest the company, sight and comfort of his vertuous ma­ners, godly life and excellent learning, we haue most iust and vrgent cause not onely to lament & bee sorie, but euen for a long space to continue the same our griefe and moane, as hauing receiued some great losse & hinderance vnreco­uerable. And the brighter & clearer that the light was, when it gaue shine, and the neeedefuller & expedienter that the same was for our behoofe and benefite, so much the more cause and matter is there ministred to our lamentation and mourning, by the wofuller considerati­on of the losse receaued.

Such a kind of light is there nowe [Page] quenched in this famous and reuerend Doctor, renowmed aswell for his ex­quisite knowledge and learning, as also for his right christian maners and ver­tuouse life: all whiche appeared in him moste excellentlye, euen at the time of his death and departure. What a bur­ning and shining lampe shewed he him­selfe in the Church of Christ, the space of many yeares? And although Enuie do leare and prie askewe and can not wel abide the sight of the sunne: yet cannot his verie enemies withoute greate shame and infamie reproch him, or iust­lye open their mouthes againste him, when as they shall see suche persons to giue testimonye to his vertues, whiche haue bene daylye conuersant with him, and haue diligently obserued and mar­ked the continuall care and vehemente studie, which he toke to further and ad­uaunce such causes, as his trade of life and function required.

What maner of salt he shewed him­selfe in the mild deliuerie of his sounde doctrine, vttered aswell by liuely voice, as also otherwise testified and recorded [Page] by his moste learned workes, & printed bookes: againe, what exquisi [...] learning and (as I may say, almost singuler) har­borowghed in his breast, howe pithie & sententious howe deepe & waightie his arguments were, wherewithall he no­tablie seasoned religion, and the same, (being in these later ages of the worlde pitifully many wayes mangled and dis­membred) reuiued and resorted to her right auncienty & former strength and authoritie: although herein spightfull malice and cankered enuie will not lose her olde wount,The nature & propertie of Enuy, to­wards wor­thy and ex­cellent men. but still shewe her selfe in her colours, what disposition she euer carieth toward all such as in any singu­ler gift excel others, yet shal our poste­rity in time to come know and find, how iuste cause there is why they shoulde esteeme Enuie, as Enuie: and highlye regard learning and vertue accordinge to their due worthynes and dignitie.

But before I enter into the examina­tion,Vertuous lyfe and sin­guler lear­ning in B [...] ­cer. and discourse of these two rare and singuler vertues in him, wherwith god had wonderfullye beautified & enriched him, & made him admirable, & reuerend [Page] in the worlde, I would especially wishe vs Vniuersity-men, for whose comfort & consolatiō, Almighty God in his great mercye and gracious fauour towardes this Vniuersity, (being greately decay­ed and almost vtterlye fallen downe to the grounde,) ordeyned this worthy in­strument in his Church, tosoiourne and dwell now in the ripenesse both of his lyfe and doctrine heere among vs) with a great deale the more care, & circum­spect diligence to consider the fearefull iudgmēts of almighty god, who in this purpose of his deuine wil, hath transla­ted & so soone taken him away from vs.

Wherby it is most certaine that we haue iust cause to bewaile his death, & heauily to take his departure from vs: howebeit not for his sake, but for our owne: & greatly to feare & dread y^e fur­ther wrath & punishment of god his heauy displeasure: a taste wherof we heere now feele, in y^t he hath quenched this so notable & necessarye a light among vs. The stroke & feeling wherof ought ef­fectually to driue vs to an humble & o­pen confessiō of our wicked & detestable life, & prostratly with an earnest repen­tance [Page] to craue pardon of the same at his mercifull hands: beseeching him to forgiue vs our grieuous offences, & to haue compassion on vs. Otherwise, it is to be feared, least some worse thing wil ensue & follow afterward, God forbid, y^t we which heere professe the true & sin­ceare word of God, should be so blockish so dull & sencelesse, that we shoulde not (euen heerein) perceaue the greeuous displeasure of God, enkindled & concea­ued against vs: or that we should so piti­fully be ouer seene in our own cases, or so far to be our own foes & backfriends, that these things should not any whit at all mooue vs.

Then, might that iustly be obiected & layd to our charge, which the prophet Ieremy twitted y^e men of his time with­all, for their malicious & manifest con­tempt of God, & the careles regard that they made of his scourges and punish­ments:Ierem. 5. 3. Lorde, thou hast stroken them, but they haue not sorrowed: thou hast consumed them, but they haue re­fused to receiue correction: they haue made their faces harder then a stone, and have refused to retourne.

[Page] Should not we blush and be ashamed after so many admonitions, to be like vn­to those stifnecked Iewes, and rebelli­ous persons, which saide vnto the Pro­phets of God, Esai. 30. [...] prophecie not and to the seers, see not, neither speak vnto vs right thinges: but speake flattering things vn­to vs: prophecie errours. Departe out of the way: goe aside out of the path: cause the holy one of Israell to cease from vs. And if our peeuish wilfulnes, impuden­cie and hardnes doe thus continue with increase among vs, are we not worthye to heare this dreadful & heauie sentence pronounced against vs. Matt. 23. 38. Behold your ha­bitation shalbe lefte vnto you desolate: Behold the daies shall come vpon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench a­bout thee,Luc. [...]9. 43. and compasse thee rounde, & keepe thee in on euery side, & shal make thee euen with the ground, and thy chil­dren which are in thee: & they shall not leaue in thee a stone vpon a stone, be­cause thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. God be mercifull vnto vs, and blesse vs,Psal. 67. 1. and shewe vs the lighte of his countinance, & be merciful vnto vs. &c.

[Page] The verye consideration of this one kinde of God his punishment and cor­rection, to witte, the takinge awaye by deathe, of those excellente members of the Churche, on whome dependeth the singuler benifite of the flocke, and com­fortable staye of the people, affordeth & ministreth vnto vs (as by the scriptures wee maye plainelye perceiue) manifest arguments & profitable lessons to draw vs, in this euidence token of Gods dis­pleasure, to lament our sinnes, and to a­mend our wicked liues. It is ynoughe (I say) to moue vs to loke better to our selues, to feare afterclaps, and to be inwardly most hartely sorie for our chur­lish behauiour & extreeme ingratitude toward so gracious a God.

One example fitlie seruinge to this purpose, I will offer here vnto your considerations. Call to your remembrance that rebellious, obstinate, murmuring, mutinous & stifenecked people of Isra­ell, ouer whō god set that excellent man Moses, to be their Captaine & Gouer­nour. And that I may omit & not speak of the huge heape of their manifolde [Page] leawdnes & wicked disobediences: to o­mitte also y^e sundry punishments wher­with God many times afflicted them: to omit, how & how often their leader and Gouernor Moses was prest & ready by prayer & intercession to reconcile God vnto them & to turne away his plagues from them: for whose sake & at whose suite their misdeedes were often forgi­uen, & their offences pardoned: how worthy a Gouernor he was, how notabe a stay, and what a shining light he shew­ed himselfe vnto them, the whole course of his dealinges, the whole race of his lyfe, and the whole manner of his proceedings, during the time of his rule & gouernment doth sufficiently declare. And yet against him being so worthy & so noble a Prince, & appointed of god to them for their great comfort, and singu­ler commodity, did Corah, Dathan and Abiram maliciously conspire,Num. 16. 3. and him rebelliouslye despise, shaking of the yoke of obedience, and moste vnnatu­rallye forsaking him, or rather their owne profites and commodities which by him they bountifully enioyed.

But how seuerelye, how strangely and [Page] dreadfullye did the Lorde God reuenge that thir so mutynous reuolt and vndu­tifull contumacie? Did not the earth o­pen her mouth, and swallowe them vp, with their tabernacles, and familyes and all them that were with them, soe that they and all that they had, wente downe aliue into the pit with all their traine and goodes. This dreadfull and terrible example notwithstanding, whē as yet they seditiously persisted in their treacherous mutinie and peeuishe fro­wardnesse agaynste the same Moses their Prince and Gouernour, the Lord (for an euerlasting terror to al murmu­ring Malcontents, against so worthie a man geuen to them (if they could haue accordingly so considered it,) for the ine­stimable benefit & comfort both of them & their whole companie,) sent a plague among them, whereof there dyed in one day fourteen thousand & seuen hundred.

God so strōgly & terribly reuēged this their seditiō & consperacy, chiefly & especially therby to bring thē to y^e acknow­ledgmēt of that singuler benefit, which they inioyed by hauing so good and godly a magistrat ouer thē as Moses was: [Page] meaning by such a kind of punishment to make them more thankfull, and bet­ter contented with this benefite. But when almighty God saw that all these punishments would not serue to bring them to amendment, nor to stur them vp to their dutifull thankefullnesse, and obedient behauiour; after many assaies and waies practised and wrought for their recouery, he was at length driuen in his heauy indignation to betake him­selfe to an other course, and to proceede further. And what course was that: Forsooth, for their sins and wickednes, he shortned the life of Moses, and would not, that by him they should be brought into the land of promise. Moses there­fore dyed, before they had set one foote therin. But how profitable had it beene for them; if hee had remained aliue, considering his graue wisedome, and ripe iudgement, wherein by reason of his great practise and long experience hee singularlye excelled? Howe fitte a man had hee beene, by reason of his Sanctytye and holinesse of lyfe, and of his vertuous dealinges and godlye [Page] cogitations to turne awaye the wrath of GOD, iustlye conceiued against them: What an helpe, furtherance, and direction, moreouer mighte hee haue beene to them, after they had beene once entered and come into the Lande, touchinge their Sacrifices, Rytes and Ceremonies, which hee ey­ther by worde of mouthe, or by tra­ditions written, had lefte amonge them.

How necessarie in all respectes was this reuerend Doctor Martin Bucer, to the Church of Christ, being a man so notablye furnished & so exquisitely en­clyned to the aduauncement of the glo­rye and true religion of God? And yet notwithstanding, God hath taken him away from amonge vs: the lyght that was in him, hee hath quenched: and would not that we should bee shrowded any longer vnder his winges, or priui­ledged vnder his shadowe: reputing vs people most vnworthy, to be so much as the leaste partakers of suche surpassing benefites.

And if (as it is indeede) the greater [Page] greater the sinne is, the greater punish­ment is there vnto due, and the sharper smart it deserueth: then shall it bee no hard matter to iudge, among what sort of punishment this is nowe to be recke­ned, that this time so good a pastor is ta­ken awaye from vs, so brighte a lampe quenched, and such a lighte put oute, as while wee enioyed, wee safely walked thoroughe the daungerous and darke pathes of this life. Lette vs diligently waighe and effectuallye consider these thinges (dearely beloued) and beeinge herein in like sort punished by the hand of God, as the Isralites were, lette vs learne to acknoweledge the wrathe of God, and receyue it as an vndoubted signe that hee is angrie and displeased with vs.

We haue heertofore shewed our sel­ues waiward, churlish, and vnthankful by murmuring both againste God, and also againste this man his Seruaunt. Nowe, euen this daye we feele (as Is­raell did) the heauie wrath and reuen­ging hand of God for the same, and may [Page] perceiue how y^t he euidently punisheth vs therefore. We haue bene heretofore vngratefull, and repyning for the light that wee receyued from this excellent and worthy Doctor: now is it therefore put out and quenched. It is sayde, that hee liued heere amonge thankelesse, crabbed, and frowarde sinners: nowe therefore is he taken awaye from them. As for him-selfe hee liude still: but soe, that hee liueth in ioye and blisse with God, and is hence dispatched and freed from the toylesome greiues, and wret­ched troubles of this life, & from those paynefull labours which hee heere wil­linglye suffered and patyentelye endu­red for oure beehoofe and benefytte, but nowe is he at rest with GOD, to his owne beehoofe, comforte and commodytye. GOD looueth him in that hee hasted soe soone to call hym awaye oute of the companye of wicked Sinners. But hee is an­grye with vs, in that he thinketh vs inworthye any longer to enioye such a precious piller.

[Page] If these thinges being thus duely & diligently considered can nothing at all moue vs (wherwith (notwithstanding) I knowe, that euery godly person is & will be not a little touched) yet is there greater cause to drawe vs, heauilie and sorowfully to take this misfortune: not in suche sorte lamenting and sorowing, for him that is deade (as hath bene said before) as though death had done to him any harme, but in applying and translating the whole cause of our sorowe and greife vnto our owne selues, according to that saying of our Lord & Sauioure Christ, who would not haue the Hiero­solimitanes to mourne for him, but for themselues and their children.Luc. 23. 28. Daugh­ters of Hierusalem (sayth he) weepe not for me, but weepe for your selues and for youre children. And hee there yeldeth a reason why they should weepe for them selues & their children. For (sayth he) if they doe this to the greene tree, what shalbe done to the drie? Ver. 31.

Let euery one of vs now here present note well this sentence, and loke wel to himselfe: let euerye one of vs (I saye) [Page] thinke well of this matter, & vpon this occasion heere presently offered by the death and departure of this graue and reuerend Father, let him be mooued to feare. For, if by the secrete and hidden (but yet iust) iudgment of almighty god we see and heare suche heauye sentence pronounced against his owne familie & haushold, that he threateneth to abridge their life, and shorten their dayes, howe neere at hand is the end of them which beleeue not the Gospel? If his life were shortened, whom while hee heere liued, the Lorde so entirelye loued, beeing the beautie of his house, & in the building, repayring and euery way garnishinge whereof, he shewed himselfe a most dy­ligent and paynefull builder, and a most wise and cunning maister workman: if (I say) his daies were cut shorte, to the end he mighte rest from his vehemente toyle and zealous studie, which hee had toward the promoting and aduauncing the lordes building: how commeth it to passe, that we, (we I say) ūnful caitiues do promise to oure selues longe life, and thinke here to liue many yeares, spendding [Page] and bestowing the same (as some doe) in idlenesse, vanitye and loytring: Whereby it must needes come to passe, and necessarily follow, that they cannot be saide to liue ouerwise, then by the spoyles of the goodes and Patrimonye of Christ crucified.

Some there be, that deuise all the waies they can, and seeke all meanes possible, to the vttermost of their abili­ty to deface the beautye & glory of this building, to vndermine the walles and ouerthrow the foundation therof, that all the wilde beastes of the woode, may freely enter, to deuoure; spoyle, robbe and moste cruellye to make hauocke of all.

If this greene Tree which yelded plentifull store of fruite in due season, and which was planted by the riuers side, and moystened with the liuelye waters of the Fountaine of lyfe, and which brought foorth such continuall, heauenly and durable fruict, to the glo­ry of God, and for our consolation, to be imitated, was (notwithstanding his flourishing and fruitfull encrease) pluc­ked [Page] vp by the rootes: what shalbe the ende of vs, (thinke wee) being deade, drye and wythered Figge trees, with­out eyther blossome or fruite,Matt. 21. 19. vnwor­thy any longer to occupye the ground,Mar. 11. 13. or to set one foote vppon the earth? He was (without doubt) a most florishinge greene tree, yelding foorth most excel­lent fruite, and therefore is not vtterly and altogither cutte downe, but onelye transplanted and remooued out of his place, to bee sette in a pleasaunter and wholesommer soyle. But what maye wee iudge of our selues, that bring foorth in our lyfe nothing but bram­bles and thistles: and yet are conti­nually and dayly moystened and wate­red with the deawe of the heauenlye grace and word of God: Why should not wee tremble, and with compuncti­on of heart greatly feare, least we be vt­terly cut downe with the Axe of Gods iudgement;Matt. 3. 10. and by diuine sentence thro­wen into the fire.Luc. 3. 9. Vnderstande yee vnwise among the people: Psal. 94. 8. & be wise at length ye fooles. O consider this, ye that forget God, least he teare you in peeces, [Page] and there be none that can deliuer you. Say not within your selues.Psal. 50. 22. We haue Abraham to our Father, Matt. 3. 9. For I saye vnto you, that euery tree which bringeth not foorth good fruite, is hewne downe & cast into the fire. Feare ye the dreadfull and terrible wordes of the Lorde, who saith,Mat. 21. 43. The kingdome of God shalbe ta­ken from you & shal be giuen to a Nati­on that shal bring forth the fruits therof. Remember thy selfe therfore O Cam­bridge and looke well aboute thee: con­sider thine estate, seeing that vnto thee, God hath sent his Prophets, Wisemen & Scribes from the far distant places of the world: Least there come vpon thee all the iust bloud that hath beene shed vppon the earth. Luk. 11. 50. Repent, repent, thou that killest the Prophets, & with slaun­derous words stonest them that are sent vnto thee. But marke ye & heare what doth there in that place immediately followe: Behold, your house is left vnto you desolate. Luk. 13. 34. 35. Amende therefore youre waies and your workes: and trust not in lying wordes, Ierem. 7. 3. sayinge, The Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lorde, this [Page] is the Temple of the Lord. For, behold, the Lord commeth with thousands of his saints, to giue iudgment against all men, and to re­buke all the vngodly among them, Iude. 14. of al their wicked deeds which they haue vngodly committed, and of al their cruell speakings, which wicked sinners haue spoken against him. Luke. 8. 8 He that hath eares to heare, let him heare.