HEAVENS Glory, EARTHS Va­nitie, and HELLS Torments. Of the Glory of the blessed Saints in Heaven.

TO the end there might want nothing to stirre up our mindes to ver­ [...]e, after the paines which Al­mighty [Page 2] God threatneth to the wicked, he doth also set before us the reward of the good: which is, that glory and everla­sting life which the blessed Saints doe enjoy in Heaven, whereby he doth very mighti­ly allure us to the love of the same. But what manner of thing this reward; and what this life is, there is no tongue, nei­ther of Angels nor of men, that is sufficient to expresse it. How­beit, that wee may have some kinde of savour and knowledge thereof, I intend here to re­hearse even word for word what S. Augustine saith in one of his meditations, speaking o [...] the life everlasting (ensuing thi [...] transitorie time) and of the [Page 3] joyes of the blessed Saints in Heaven. O life (saith he) prepa­red by Almighty God for his friends, a blessed life, a secure life, a quiet life, a beautifull life, a cleane life, a chast life, a holy life; a life that knoweth no death, a life without sadnesse, without labour, without griefe, without trouble, without cor­ruption, without feare, without variety, without alteration; a life replenished with all beautie and dignity; where there is nei­ther enemy that can offend, nor delight that can annoy, where love is perfect, and no feare at all, where the day is everlasting, and the spirit of all is one; where Almighty God is seene face to face, who is the onely [Page 4] meate whereupon they feed without loathsomenesse: it de­lighteth mee to consider thy brightnesse, and thy treasures doe rejoyce my longing heart. The more I consider thee, the more I am striken in love with thee. The great desire I have of thee, doth wonderfully delight me, and no lesse pleasure is it to me, to keepe thee in my remem­brance. O life most happy, O kingdome truly blessed, where­in there is no death nor end, neither yet succession of time, where the day continuing ever­more without night, knoweth not any mutation; where the victorious Conqueror being joyned with those everlasting quires of Angels, and having [Page 5] his head crowned with a gar­land of glory, singeth unto Al­mighty God one of the songs of Sion. Oh happy, yea, and most happy should my soule be, if when the race of this my pil­grimage is ended, I might bee worthy to see thy glory, thy blessednesse, thy beauty, the wals and gates of thy Citie, thy streets, thy lodgings, thy noble Citizens, and thine omnipotent King in his most glorious Ma­jestie. The stones of thy wals are precious, thy gates are ador­ned with bright pearles, thy streets are of very fine excel­lent gold, in which there ne­ver faile perpetuall praises; thy houses are paved with rich stones, wrought throughout [Page 6] with Saphirs, and covered about with massie gold, where no uncleane thing may enter, neither doth any abide there that is defiled. Faire and beauti­full in thy delights art thou O Ierusalem our mother, none of those things are suffered in thee, that are suffered here. There is great diversitie betweene thy things and the things that wee doe continually see in this life. In thee is never seene neither darkenesse nor night, neither yet any change of time. The light that shineth in thee, com­meth neither of lampes, nor of Sunne or Moone, nor yet of bright glittering Starres, but God that proceedeth of God, and the light that commeth of [Page 7] light, is he that giveth clearenes unto thee. Even the very King of Kings himselfe keepeth con­tinuall residence in the middest of thee, compassed about with his officers and servants. There doe the Angels in their orders and Quires sing a most sweere and melodious harmony. There is celebrated a perpetuall solem­nity and feast with every one of them that cōmeth thither, after his departure out of this pilgri­mage. There be the orders of Prophets; there is the famous company of the Apostles; there is the invincible army of Mar­tyrs; there is the most reverent­assembly of confessors; there are the true and perfect religi­ous persons; there are the holy [Page 8] Virgins, which have over­come both the pleasures of the world, and the frailty of their owne nature; there are the young men and young women, more ancient in vertue than in yeares; there are the sheepe and little lambes that have escaped from the Wolves, and from the deceitfull snares of this life, and therefore doe now keepe a per­petuall feast, each one in his place, all alike in joy, though different in degree. There Cha­rity raigneth in her full per­fection, for unto them God is all in all, whom they behold without end, in whose love they bee all continually inflamed, whom they doe alwaies love, and in loving doe praise, and [Page 9] in praising, doe love, and all their exercises consist in praises, without wearinesse, and with­out travell. O happie were I, yea, and very happy indeed, if at what time I shall bee loosed out of the prison of this wret­ched body, I might be thought worthy to heare those songs of that heavenly melody, sung in the praise of the everlasting King, by all the Citizens of that so noble Citie. Happie were I, and very happie, if I might obtaine a roome among the Chaplaines of that Chap­pell, and wait for my turne also to sing my Hallelujah. If I might bee neare to my King, my God, my Lord, and see him in his glory, even as he [Page 10] hath promised me, when he said: O Father, this is my last determi­nate will, that all those that thou hast given unto me, may be with me, and see the glory which I had with thee before the world was created. Hetherto are the words of S. Augustine. Now tell me (Christian brother) what a day of glorious shine shall that be unto thee (if thou lead thy life in Gods feare) when after the course of this pilgrimage, thou shalt passe from death to im­mortality; and in that passage, when others shall beginne to feare, thou shalt beginne to re­joyce, and lift up thy head, be­cause the day of thy deliverance is at hand. Come forth a little (saith S. Ierome unto the Vir­gine [Page 11] Eustochia) out of the prison of this body, and when thou art before the gate of this Ta­bernacle, set before thy eyes the reward that thou hopest to have for thy present labours. Tell me, what a day shall that bee, when our Lord himselfe with all his Saints, shall come and meete thee in the way, say­ing unto thee: Arise and make hast O my beloved, my delight, and my Turtle dove, for now the VVin­ter is past, and the tempestuous waters are ceased, the flowers doe beginne to appeare in our land. Cant. 2. How great joy shall thy soule then receive, when it shall be at that time presented before the Throne of the most blessed Trinity, by the hands of the ho­ly [Page 12] Angels, and when shall be declared thy good workes, and what crosses, tribulations, and injuries thou hast suffered for Gods sake. Acts 9. S. Luke wri­teth, That when holy Tabitha, the great almes giver was dead, all the Widdowes and poore folke came about the Apostle S. Peter, shewing unto him the garments which shee had given them: wherewith the Apostle being moved, made his prayer unto Almighty God for that so mercifull a woman, and by his prayers he raised her againe to life. Now what a gladnesse will it be to thy soule, when in the middest of those blessed spi­rits thou shalt bee placed, with remembrance of thy almes­deeds, [Page 13] thy prayers and fastings, the innocency of thy life, thy suffering of wrongs and inju­ries, thy patience in afflictions, thy temperance in diet, with all other vertues and good workes that thou hast done in all thy life. O how great joy shalt thou receive at that time for all the good deeds that thou hast wrought; how clearely then shalt thou understand the value and the excellencie of vertue. There the obedient man shall talke of victories; there vertue shall receive her reward, and the good honoured according to their merit. Moreover, vvhat a pleasure vvill it bee unto thee, when thou shalt see thy selfe to bee in that [Page 14] sure haven, and shalt looke back upon the course of thy naviga­tion which thou hast sailed here in this life: when thou shalt re­member the tempests wherein thou hast beene tossed, the straits through which thou hast passed, and the dangers of theeves and pyrats, from whom thou hast escaped. There is the place where they shall sing the song of the Prophet, which saith, Had it not beene that our Lord had beene mine helper, it could not be but my soule had gone into hell. Especially, when from thence thou shalt behold so many sins as are committed every houre in the world, so many soules as doe descend every day into hell, and how it hath plea­sed [Page 15] Almighty God, that among such a multitude of damned persons, thou shouldst be of the number of his elect, and one of those to whom he would grant such exceeding great felicity and glory. Besides all this, what a goodly sight will it bee to see those seats filled up, and the Ci­tie builded, and the wals of that noble Ierusalem repaired againe? With what chearefull embra­cings shall the whole court of Heaven entertaine them, behol­ding them when they come loa­den with the spoiles of their vanquished enemies? There shall those valiant men and wo­men enter with triumph, which have together with the world conquered the weakenesse of [Page 16] their owne fraile nature. There shall they enter which have suf­fered martyrdome for Christs sake, with double triumph over the flesh and the world, ador­ned with all coelestiall glory. There shall also daily enter ma­ny young men and children, which have vanquished the ten­dernesse of their young yeares with discretion and vertue. Oh, how sweet and savorie shall the fruit of vertue then be, although for a time before her roots see­med very bitter: sweete is the cold evening after the hot sunnie day; sweete is the foun­taine to the weary thirstie tra­vailer; sweet is rest and sleepe to the tired servant: but much more sweet is it to the Saints in [Page 17] Heaven to enjoy peace after warre, security after perill, eter­nall rest after their paines and travels: for then are the warres at an end, then need they no more to goe all armed, both on the right side and on the left. The children of Israel went forth armed towards the land of Promise, but after that the land was conquered, they laid downe their speares, and cast a­way their armour, and forget­ting all feare and turmoile of warre, each one under the shad­dow of his pavillion & harbour enjoyed the fruit of their sweete peace. Now may the watching Prophet come downe from his standing, that did watch and fix his feete upon the place of the [Page 18] Sentinell: There is no more feare of invasion by the terrible armies of the bloody enemies: there is no place for the subtill crafts of the lurking viper: there cannot arive the deadly sight of the venomous Basseliske, nor yet shall the hissing of the anci­ent Serpent be heard there, but onely the soft breathing ayre of the Holy Ghost; wherein is be­holden the glory of Almighty God. This is the region of all peace, the place of security, situ­ated above all the Elements, whether the cloudes and stor­mie winds of the darke ayre cannot come. O what glorious things have beene spoken of thee, O Citie of God. Blessed are they (saith holy Tobias) that [Page 19] love thee, and enjoy thy peace. O my soule praise our Lord, for he hath delivered Ierusalem his Citie from all her troubles. Happy shall I be, if the remnant of my posterity might come to see the clearenesse of Ierusalem: her gates shall be wrought with Saphirs and Emeraulds, and all the circuit of her wals shall bee built with precious stones, her streets shall bee paved with white and polished marble, and in all parts of her territories shall bee sung Hallelujah. O joyfull countrey! O sweete glory! O blessed company! who shall be those so fortunate and happy that are elected for thee? It see­meth a presumption to desire thee, and yet I will not live [Page 20] without the desire of thee. O ye sonnes of Adam, a race of men, miserably blinded and de­ceived. O ye scattered sheepe, wandring out of your right way, if this be your sheep-coat, whether goe you backeward? What meane you? Why suf­fer you such an excellent bene­fit to be wilfully lost for not ta­king so little paines? What wise man would not desire, that all labour & paine of the world were imposed unto him? that all sorrowes, afflictions, and di­seases were even powred upon him as thicke as haile; that persecutions, tribulations, and griefes, with one to molest him, another to disquiet him, yea, that all creatures in the world [Page 21] did conspire against him, being scorned and made a laughing stocke of all men; and that his whole life were converted into weepings and lamentations; so that in the next life hee might finde repose in the heavenly harbor of eternall consolation, and bee thought meet to have a place among that blessed peo­ple, which are adorned and beautified with such inestima­ble glory. And thou, O foo­lish lover of this miserable world, go thy way, seeke as long as thou wilt for honours and promotions, build sumptuous houses and pallaces, purchase lands and possessions, inlarge thy territories and dominions, yea, command if thou wilt the whole [Page 22] world, yet shalt thou never be so great as the least of all the ser­vants of Almighty God, who shall receive that treasure which this world cannot give, and shall enjoy that felicity, which shall endure for evermore, when thou with thy pompe and ri­ches, shall beare the rich glut­ton company, whose buriall is in the deepe vault of hell: but the devout spirituall man shall bee carried by the holy Angels with poore Lazarus into Abra­hams bosome, a place of perpe­tuall rest, joy, solace, and eternall happinesse.

Earths Ʋanitie.

VAnitie of vanities, and all is but vanitie, saith the wisest Preacher that ever wrote: One generation passeth and another commeth, and all is but vexation of spirit. Which divine theorem, that we may the better perceive, let us set our selves to the serious meditation of it: for the more we search, the more we shall see all things to be vanity, nothing constant, nothing for our eter­nall [Page 70] good, but our soules salva­tion. Mans life on earth doth no sooner begin, but his end ap­proacheth, his death hasteneth. Some come upon the stage of this world but to have a brea­thing, and are presently gone: others stay a while longer, it may be a day, perhaps a weeke, perhaps a month, peradventure a yeare, or it may bee some few yeares: but alas! the lon­ger they stay, the greater their griefe, care, feare, and anxietie of minde. Even in the infancy of age man is oft times left as Moses sometime was, in the flouds of misery; but as age in­creaseth, sorrow increaseth, be­cause sinne increaseth: when youth runnes most at randome, [Page 71] and thinketh it selfe most safe, it is then hemm'd in with grea­test dangers; then the rash­foole-hardy minde of man hur­rieth him headlong to hell, ex­cept the irresistible power of Gods preventing grace doth speedily stay him; then his wits are even intoxicated with a frenzie of iniquity, and wholly bent upon riotousnesse, rash­nesse, luxury, jollitie, superflui­ty and excesse in carnall plea­sures. Hee then devoteth his time and addicteth himselfe to all manner of evill, drinking, dancing, revelling, swaggering, swearing, whoring, gaming, quarreling, fighting; and in the meane while never thinkes on Heaven, nor feareth hell. His [Page 72] head is frought with vanities his heart with fallacies, where by his soule is brought into [...] labyrinth of inextricable mise­ries. So great is the temerity o [...] his unadvised minde, that n [...] consideration of Gods judge­ments, either past, or present, or to come, can set a stop to his wickednesse. His youthfull­nesse damps at no bogges, quag­mires, hils, or mountaines; but wingeth him over all impedi­ments, mounts him over all mo­tives that might way-lay his sinnes. He sticks not to offen [...] his maker, to recrucifie his Re­deemer, to resist (shall I say his Sanctifier, no, but) the Spirit whom God hath given to be his sanctifier: and if hee so carry [Page 73] himselfe toward these, no mer­vaile that he derideth his Tutor, scornes the Minister (like the little children that mock'd Eli­sha) oppresseth his poore bro­ther (as Pharaoh did the Israe­lites:) spareth not Infants (no more then Herod did) regardeth not parents, (no more then Hoph­ni and Phinias did.) Let the mother direct him; the father correct him, his ancients in­struct him, alas! all is in vaine: youth makes men head-strong, selfe-conceited and proud, so that they swell with an over­weening opinion of their owne worth; they thinke themselves the onely wits of the time, the onely men of the world, more fit to teach others then to learne [Page 74] themselves, more able to give then to take advice. If they go on a while in their lewd cour­ses without the restraining and renewing Grace of God, they get a habit of evill, are hardned through the custome of sinne, none may resist them, none compare with them, no law of God or man can restraine them; They take counsell together against Psal. 2. 2, 3. the Lord, and against his annoin­ted, saying, Let us breake their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. Whereupon of­tentimes (the ripenesse of sinn [...] being hastened by outragious­nesse Nequi­ties vi­tae non sini [...] esse senem. of sinning) God suddenly cuts them off, in their intempe­rancy, luxury, quarrels, and dis­orders; which shewes the [...] [Page 75] vainenesse to be meere vanity. Suppose they grow as great as Tamberlaine, yet a Gunne, Pike, Arrow; nay, a Fly, Flea, or Gnat, a dram, nay, a drop of poyson, proves them to bee vaine men: one of these silly creatures may send him presently to his Crea­tor to receive his finall doome. Yet alas! what doe these most minde? The bum-basted silken Gallants of our time, that come forth like a May morning, deck­ed with all the glory of Art; the Epicurean Cormerants, the gus­ [...]ing and tipling tosse-pots, the dainty painting Dames, the de­dicate mincing Ladies, the sweet-singing Syrens, the dan­cing Damsels, the finicall youths, the couzening Shop­keeper, [Page 76] the crafty Crafts-man: I say, what doe all these, but set their minds upon vanitie, up­on glory, honour, pride, drosse, and such like trash, which weighed in the ballance of the Sanctuary prove lighter then vanity? Doe we not sometime see more spent upon one suite in Law then would keepe a poore Country towne with the inha­bitants for a whole yeare? See wee not more spent upon one suite of apparell, for one proud carkasse, then would build Free-schoole? So that the cloathes on many a Gallant backe exceeds his Rent-day See wee not more spent upon Feast to satisfie the curiosity o [...] a few, then would satisfie th [...] [Page 77] necessity of a hundred poore wretches almost famished to death? See wee not more drunke in a Taverne at one sit­ting by a small company, then would serve a troope of sturdy Souldiers in the field? Many goe daily to the Tavern, where they sticke not to spend their twelve pence, who would grudge to give one penny, nay, one farthing to a hungry beg­ger. Againe, is there not now more spent upon a Ladies fea­ther, then would pay a meane mans tythes? Is there not more spent upon one paire of sleeves, then would cloath sixe bodies? and more spent at a Whitsun­ale, then would keepe the poore of the Parish for a yeare? Have [Page 78] wee not amongst our Gentry, some of the female sexe, who will spend more upon a Glasse and a pot of complexion, then they will give a whole yeare at their gate? they must be men­ders of that which God makes, makers of that which God marres, turning themselves (like the Camelion) into all shapes, though never so grisly and oug­ly; and being never well till they be most ill, never (as they conceit) in fashion, till indeede they be out of all fashion. If this be not a vanity of vanities, who can tell what is vanity? Every man is an eye-witnesse of this vanity, the more is the pittie that it should bee so common: your Lady, the Merchants wife, [Page 79] the trades mans wife, nay, all of all sorts are a degree above their estate. Your Gallant is no man, unlesse his haire bee of the womans fashion, dangling and waving over his shoulders; your woman no body, except (contrary to the modesty of her sexe) shee be halfe (at least) of the mans fashion: shee jets, she cuts, shee rides, she sweares, she games, she smoakes, shee drinkes, and what not that is e­vill? Shee is in the universall portraiture of her behaviour, as well as in her accoutrements, more then halfe a man; the man on the other side, no lesse wo­manish. We may well admire and exclaime with the Poet, O tempora! O mores! O the times! [Page 80] O the manners of these times! O quantum est in rebus mane! O how great a nothing is there in all things! What a vanity of va­nity hath overspread the age we live in? Were our forefathers now alive to be spectators of this vanity, it would strike them into amazement. In their dayes the Pike, the Speare, the Sword, the Bowe, the Arrow, Musket and Caliever, with the warlike Horse, were the object of exer­cise and recreation: Now the Pot, the Pipe, Dice and Cards, and such like vanities, indeed worse then the quintessence of the extreamest vanity. We are now all for ease, wee must lye soft, fare deliciously, goe sump­tuously, drinke Wine in bowles, [Page 81] carowse healths, till health bee quite drunke away; nay, we must kneele to our drinke, when we will not kneele to him that gave us our drinke; we doe ho­mage to that which takes away the use of our legges, nay, of our braines, our hearts, wits, sence, reason, when we refuse homage to him that gave us all these. O vaine man that dost thus forget thy God, and abuse thy selfe! why dost thou thus suffer thy selfe to be swallowed up in the gulfe of vanity, which hath no bottome but misery? Why sufferest thou the Divell thus to take thee on the hip, that he may cast thee downe into the Abisse of hell? Art thou so bewitched with that which will [Page 82] have an end, a sudden end, a wretched end? Thy honey will prove Gall in the end, and thy Wine, Vinegar. In these faire roses of vanity the Divell hides his pins, that shall pricke thee, when thou lookest to be re­freshed with their sweet smels. These vanities we purchase at no easie rate; it is with the pro­curement of punishment, and losse of happinesse: As the bird that accepts of the Fowlers meat, buyes it full dearely, with the losse of her owne life: so when we accept these vanities from the Divell, it is with the losse of better things, in price a­bove the whole world. In these contracts with Satan, we make Esau's penniworth, sell Heaven [Page 83] for a messe of pottage; Glaucus exchange, Gold for Copper. Now thou art pompering thy corruptible flesh; but let pale death step in, and clap thee on the shoulder, wher's thy mirth, wher's thy felicity? thy volup­tuous vanity doth presently ex­pire. There is a banquet set be­fore thee, in which are all varie­ties of delicacies, but alas! eve­ry one poysoned: darest thou touch or taste any one of them? by sin thou poysonest all those outward blessings of God, which in themselves are wholesome and good: and wilt thou ingur­gitate that which is poyson to thy soule? Tell me, when all is done, two or three hundred yeares hence, what thou wilt be [Page 84] the better for all thy dainties, more then the poore man that never tasted them? Nay, how much better in the day of triall, and at the houre of death? Then all thy pride, pompe, and plea­sure shall be turned into squa­led deformity, & irrecoverable calamity; then vanity shewes it selfe in the proper colours, then death, and knell, and hell doe all conspire to aggravate thy sor­row; yea, then hell begins to come to thee before thou come to it; thy eyes sleepe not, thy senses rest not, thy perplexed heart burnes within thee, thy wounded conscience bleeds within thee; thou seest nothing but terror, thou feelest nothing but horror; thou thinkest thy [Page 85] selfe to be haunted with sprights, ghosts, and hellish furies, sting­ing thee with Adders, pursuing thee with Torches and fire-brand. That saying of the Hea­then man is then, if not before, verified: Suae quemque exagitant furiae; every man is tormented with his owne fury, which is his conscience. Besides thy wife, children, or other friends (to the exasperating of thy griefe) doe stand about thee weeping, as loath to part from thee: whereas thy sinnes follow thee, and will follow thee, doe what thou canst; hell gapes before thee with a wide mouth as rea­dy to devoure thee, destruction on both sides attends thee: backe thou canst not goe, for a [Page 86] dead corps followes thee so neere that thou canst not part from it, it is tied unto thee with an indissolveable knot; besides, conscience followes thee, and cries out against thee, and will not leave thee; continually it presents thee with the dreadfull spectacle of thy dolefull and wo­full sinnes. If this were now seriously considered, how would it make thy heart to ake with grieving, thy eyes to swell with weeping, thy hands to bee al­waies lifted up, thy knees ever bended? How wouldest thou strive to subdue thy flesh to the spirit, sensuality to reason, reason to faith, and faith to the service of God? But thou dost not now consider this, that thy sinne is so [Page 87] fast linkt to thy conscience, that at the last (albeit not before) it will pull and hale thee, and rack and prick thy conscience, which wil accuse, convict, & condemne thee: all thy vanities, all thy iniquities, will then pursue thee like so many furious ghosts. Then ex ore tuo, out of thy own mouth shalt thou be judged, thou evill servant: thy owne mouth shall confesse that thou hast followed nothing but va­nity: What a vanity was it for me to make earth my heaven, and so to admire and even adore this earth, that it is a hell to for­sake it? What a wofull bargaine have I made to sell my soule for vanity? I was borne in vanity, I have lived in vanity, and it is [Page 88] my feare that I shall dye in va­nity. Oh how griefe followeth griefe? my heart is terrified, my thoughts hurried, my consci­ence tortured, I fry in anguish, I freeze in paine, I stand agast and know not which way to turne me: my friends must for­sake me, my foes wil deride me, my earthly joyes and comforts (I should call them vanities) have betraid me. Indeed my friends may goe with me to the grave, but there they must leave me; my riches, pleasures, and such like vanities vanish before; but my sinnes and conscience will never leave me; the divell will still pursue me: hee that tempts me now to sinne, will then torment me for sinning, [Page 89] untill I cry out with Caine, My punishment is greater then I can beare. A horse is but a vaine thing to save a man, said the sweet singer of Israel: so say I, all earthly things are too vaine to save a man, to make him blessed, I appeale to the conscience of every man, if thou hast tried the pleasures of vanity (and who hath not?) whether thou maist not take up the words of Saint Paul, What fruit have I of those Rom. 6. 12. things, whereof I am now asha­med? Shame, and griefe, and guilt, and punishment are the fruit of vanity: enough I thinke to rend our hearts from affect­ing of it. Thinke upon this thou that art in the trace of vanity, that thou maist make a retreat; [Page 90] loose no more time herein (for thou hast already lost too much) redeeme the time, because the dayes are evill; and why are they evill, but because they are vaine? Whatsoever is without the circumference of evill, is above the sphere of vanity. Re­solve therefore with thy selfe that all things earthly, worldly, carnall, sinfull, are vaine: the fashion of this world passeth away, saith the Apostle, 1 Cor. 7. 3. The fashion, [...], a word very emphaticall: it signifies first an accidentall and externall figure without substance; se­condly, the habit, vesture or cloathing of a thing. Saint Paul useth this word to debase the world, by intimating unto us, [Page 91] that the world is cloathed with a vesture, that is, wearing and wasting, the fashion of it lasteth but for a time, it is ready every houre to put on a new fashion: againe, by intimating unto us that the world is without any substantiall forme, like unto shewes and shadowes, that vanish in the representation. Saint Luke cals all Agrippa's pompe but a fancie: David cals the yeares of a man but a tale, Psal. 90. 9. We spend our yeares as a tale that is told. As a tale, nay, as a thought (for so much the originall word doth import) and how many thoughts may a man have in an houre? Nothing is more chang­able then a vesture, nothing more fugitive then a shadow, [Page 92] nothing more fickle then a fan­cie, nothing more swift then thought. What a disproportion therefore is it for the immortall soule of a man to bee fastened unto things which are of such a variable nature? What a folly for us to preferre those which are but momentary (for so I may more truely call them then tem­porall) unto those things which are indeed eternall? Glasses are in great use amongst us, yet be­cause of their brittlenesse who esteemes them precious? Wee smell to flowers, because they are sweet; but because they are fading, we regard them there­after. It were well if we would deale thus with all other vani­ties, viz. regard them as they [Page 93] are: use the creatures we may, but not abuse them; serve our selves of them, but not serve them; injoy them, but not over­joy in them.

Now because examples are very effectuall, whether we use them by way of dehortation, or whether by way of exhorta­tion, let me propound one or two in this matter whereof I am treating, that by them thou maist be beaten off from the va­nities and iniquities of this pre­sent evill world. When Alex­ander in the height of his glory kept Con­ventum terrariō orbis. a Parliament of the whole world, himselfe was summoned by death to appeare in another world. It was a wonderfull president of the vanity and va­riety [Page 94] of humane condition (saith the Historian) to see mighty Justin. l. 2. Zerxes flote and flye away in a small vessel, who before wanted Sea-roome for his Ships. When Belshazzar was laughing and Dan. 5. quaffing with his Princes and Concubines, carowsing healths in the sacred Vessels; deaths se­cretary, the hand-writing on the wall, told him he was weighed in the ballance, and his King­dome was finished. And before him his father Nebuchadnezzar (at that time the greatest Mo­narch in the world) as hee was strouting in his Galleries, and boasting of his owne power and honour, a voyce from Heaven told him that his Kingdome was departed from him, that he Dan. 4. [Page 95] should be driven from amongst men, that hee should have his dwelling with the Beasts of the field, &c. And the sentence was fulfilled on him the same houre. So Zedekiah was a lively specta­cle 2 King. 25. of this worlds vanity and misery, who of a potent King became a miserable captive, saw his children slaine before his face, after that had his eyes put out, and died miserably in pri­son. I had almost forgotten Sa­lomon, the wisest King that ever Eccl. [...]. was, having given himselfe to take pleasure in pleasant things, having made great workes, built goodly Houses, planted Vine­yards, Gardens, and Orchards, and planted in them trees of all fruit, and having gathered silver [Page 96] and gold, and the chiefe trea­sures of Kings and Provinces, being now full of wisedome, and schooled with experience, he is licensed to give his sen­tence of the whole world, and every man knowes what his censure was: Vanity of vani­ties, Eccl 1. 2. vanity of vanities, all is va­nity. This wise King travelled all the world over, and the fur­ther he went the more vanity he did see, and the neerer hee looked, the greater it seemed, till at last he could see nothing but vanity. Wouldst thou know what is to bee seene, or heard, or had in this vast Universe? Vani­ty saith Salomon, yea vanity of vanities; and what else? Vani­ty of vanities. And what else? [Page 97] All is vanity. Nothing beneath the Moone that hath not a tin­cture of vanity. Nay, the Moone it self, the Sunne, all the Planets, all the Starres, the whole body of the Heavens, is become sub­ject to Vanity. The creature is subject unto Vanity, saith the Apostle, Rom. 8. 20. that is, the whole frame of the world, con­sisting of the coelestiall and ele­mentary region, the visible hea­vens with all their goodly fur­niture of Starres and of coelesti­all bodies, and the earth with her ornaments, and the other elements. The Heavens shall pe­rish, Ps. 102▪ 26. and they shall waxe old as doth a garment, and the Lord shall change them as a vesture, and they shall bee changed. As a garment [Page 98] the older it waxeth, the lesse comely it is, the lesse able to warme him that weares it: so the materiall heavens by conti­nuance of yeares decrease in beauty and veitue. The neerer the Sunne drawes to the end of his daily course, the lesse is his strength; in the evening wee feele the Sunne to decay in his heat, and he waxeth alway the weaker. Now if those superi­our bodies, then much more things inferiour and sublunary are included within the com­passe of vanity.

But it was my purpose when I first set upon this sub­ject, so ample and large, to be so much the more short: even understanding can of it self [Page 99] scourse, where such plenty of [...]atter is offered. I have there­ [...]re (according to the modell [...]f that gift which God hath [...]en me) contrived a great pi­cture in a little ring, set forth the [...]eat vanity of this world in a [...]tle Map.

Let us now learne the lesson [...]f Saint Iohn, the beloved Dis­ [...]ple of Christ, who wrote so [...]uch of love, doth yet dehort [...] from loving the world, 1 Iohn [...] 15. Love not the world, neither [...]e things that are in the world. Why not the world? for three [...]asons: 1. If any man love the [...]orld, the love of the Father is not [...] him. 2. All that is in the world, [...]e lust of the flesh, the lust of the [...]s, and the pride of life, is not [Page 100] of the Father, but is of the world 3. The World passeth away, and the lust thereof: that is, it is vain and vanishing, yea in the ab­stract Vanity. For these reason we must not suffer our hearts t [...] cleave to the best things in th [...] world, as if happinesse were t [...] be found in them. Follow th [...] counsell of the Holy Ghos [...] 1 Cor. 7. 31. Use this world [...] though thou used it not, for th [...] fashion of this world goeth [...] way. Use the things of th [...] world as helpes to thee in th [...] travell to heaven-ward, but [...] them not steale away thy hea [...] from better things, from Go [...] and Christ, and Heaven, an [...] peace of conscience, and joy the Holy Ghost: these must d [...] ­light [Page 101] the heart of a Christian, who was redeemed, not with cor­ruptible things, as silver and gold, 1 Pet. 1 19. but with the precious bloud of Je­sus Christ, in comparison of whom all the things of the world must seeme losse and drosse, and dung, and whatsoe­ver is most despicable in the eyes of man. If riches increase, set not thy heart upon them: no [...]reasure, no pleasure, no honour, nor gold, nor plate, nor jewels, Ps. 26. 10. nor house, nor land, nor appa­rell, nor friends, must steale a­way thy heart. We must be [...]ffected to these things, as Theo­doricke the good King of A­ [...]taine In [...] i [...]ctib [...] tacet, in ma [...] rides, in utrisque Philo­sophatur was with his play; * In good casts he was silent, in ill mer­ [...]y, in neither angry, in both a [Page 102] Phylosopher, or a wise man. We must not make these a rivall un­to God, we must not leaue upon these by our confidence: for they are a reed that shall quick­ly breake, and the shivers will run into our hand.

Death is the most terrible of all things that are terrible, said the Philosopher Aristotle: it is terrible both to man and beast, but most terrible to a wicked man that is worse then a beast, when he remembers his sinfull life past, the complexion of his flesh, the palenesse of his face, the dissolution of his members, the rottennesse of his bones, the obscurenesse of his grave, the solitarinesse of his sepulcher, the gnawing of wormes, and the [Page 103] like. But alas (albeit these are terrible, yet) these are nothing without the consideration of sin, which is the sting of death, the strength and victory of the grave. Thinke upon thy sinnes, whereof thou art guilty, and for which thou must dye, as the condemned malefactor that af­ter sentence pronounced, is hur­ried to the fatall place of execu­tion, to suffer deserved punish­ment. Remember, yea againe and againe. I say, remember, how miserably, how violently, how suddainely, others have suf­fered death, that were guilty of those sins which are more pre­dominant in thee then they were in them. Art thou a thiefe? which thou maist be, though [Page 104] thou wert never attached for theft by the lawes of men; for covetousnesse is a Pick-purse before God: read and remem­ber how Achan dyed, Iosh. 7. Art thou a whoremaster? which thou maist bee as well in thy minde as in thy body: then read and remember how Hophni 2 Sam. 3. Numb. 25. 8. and Phineas dyed, how Zimri and Cesbi were slaine in the very act of their uncleannesse. And Iezabel an impudent strumpet dyed a sodaine and shamefull death. Art thou a blasphemous swearer that dost rend & grinde the sacred name of God be­tweene thy teeth? Remember him under the Law that was stoned to death for his blasphe­my. Art thou an Idolatrous [Page 105] impe of the Popish Church, that dost leave our Lord to worship our Lady, and give that honour to Saints, nay, to stockes and stones, which is proper to God alone? call to minde how Sen­nacherib was slaine in the midst Isa. 37. ult. of his Idolatry. Art thou an intemperate drunkard, that dost sacrifice thy time and state, nay, soule and body unto Bacchus, rising early to drinke strong drinke, and sitting up late till Wine inflame thee? thinke upon Belshazzar that was slaine in the midst of his cups, whilst Dan. [...] ▪ ult. he was drinking in that Wine, which the swords of his insul­ting enemies drew out of him together with his latest blood. Art thou a covetous Usurer, [Page 106] that dost let out thy money to men, thy time to Mammon, and thy soule to Satan, that like a common Hackney jade wilt not beare thy debtors one houre past thy day? or art thou a gri­ping oppressor, that dost racke thy poore tenants, and exact upon thy neighbour, to gaine a little transitory trash? Remem­ber Nabal, and remember that Miser in the Gospell, who being Lut. 12 asleep in security, and dreaming of enlarged barns and plentifull harvests, was sodainly bereft of all, and being awaked upon the hearing of his Soule-knell perceived himself to be forever wrerched. Consider whether these and the like sinners, that have made their souls the slaves [Page 107] of vanity, have not in the end made themselves the slaves of misery. Have they prospered, or have they perished? if they have prospered, then follow them; if perished (as indeed they have) then in the feare of God retire out of their paths, left thou bee speedily cut off, having no information of the danger, till thine own eyes ama­zed with the sodainnesse behold it in the shape of inevitable damnation. Be thou warned by their examples; for God hath punished sinne in them, to prevent sinne in thee: Vt ex­empla Cyprian ser. 5. de Laps. sint omnium, torment a paucorum; that the torments of some few may be terrours unto all: like as thunderbolts fall [Page 108] (Paucorum periculo, sed omnium metu) to the hurt but of few, though not without the horror of all. That ship which sees another ship sinke before her, lookes about her, puls downe her saile, turneth her course, and escapes the sands, which else would swallow her up as they did the other. When the earth swallowed up Corah and his confederates, all Israel that were round about them, fled at the cry of them, for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also, Num. 16. 34. The Bird will not light on the lime-bush, nor into the net, if shee see ano­ther insnared before her; the Horse will not follow another, whom he sees to sticke fast in [Page 109] the mire: oh be not lesse wise then bird or beast, nor more brutish then Horse and Mule that hath no understanding. If thou seest another fall into the fire, thou wilt not willingly fol­low him; then follow not sinners to the fire of hell, lest thou be constrained at last, when it shall bee too late, to bewaile thy fol­ly: to cry out with those that have mispent their time in va­nity, Oh that now I might die Thus Franci [...] Spira cried out, af­ter hee had re­noun­ced the profes­sion of true pietie, for the possessi­on of earths vanity. the death of the righteous! Oh that I might not die at all! Oh that I might feele in my consci­ence the least hope of pardon, which is as unpossible as to un­ [...]ade all the water in the vast Ocean with aspoone! Oh that God would give mee the least [Page 110] dram of grace, which is as im­possible as for the least graine of Mustardseed to fill the whole earth! prevent this betimes, which thou maist doe, by aban­doning the vanity of the world; and so live, that wheresoever or howsoever thou dyest, whether abroad or at home, by day or by night, sleeping or waking, whether a sodaine death or a de­liberate death, thou maist wil­lingly commend thy spirit unto the hands of God as unto the hands of a faithfull Creator; and maist say with the Bride, Come Lord Iesu, even so, come Lord Iesu, come quickly: my heart is prepa­red Rev. 2 [...] to enter into thy rest, receive me into the armes of thy mer­cy, entertaine mee into thy [Page 111] owne kingdome, that leaving the vanity of this world, I may with thy glorified Angels and blessed Saints, enjoy that e­verlasting felicity of a better world, which never shall have an end.

Adew therfore vaine world, with all worldly delights what­soever: and now solitary soule begin to take thy solace in bet­ter things. And to prove the world vaine, and consequently thy selfe vaine, behold these shapes, read these Verses, and in order open the leaves that are folded up. Herein, as in a mir­rour, behold thy owne estate, reade, and consider what thou readest, that thou maist know and see thy owne vanity. [Page 112] Here thou shalt see what thou wert, what thou art, and what thou shalt be. Dust thou wert, dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt returne: dust in thy crea­tion, dust in thy constitution, dust in thy dissolution.

Of the punishments which the Lord threatneth unto such as live a sinfull life.

ONe of the princi­pall meanes that our Lord hath used oftentimes to bridle the hearts of men, and to draw them unto the obedience of his commandements, hath beene, to set before their eyes the horrible plagues and punishments that are prepared [Page 117] for such persons as bee rebels and transgressours of his Law. For although the hope of the rewards that are promised unto the good in the life to come, may move us very much here­unto: yet are wee commonly more moved with things that be irkesome unto us, than with such as be pleasant: even as we see by daily experience, that we are vexed more with an injury done unto us, than delighted with any honour; and we are more troubled with sicknesse, than comforted with health: and so by the discommodity of sicknes, we come to understand the commodity of health, as by a thing so much the bet­ter perceived, by how much [Page 118] more it is sensibly felt. Now for this cause did our Lord in times past use this meane more than any other, as it appeareth most clearely by the writings of the Prophets, which are every where full of dreadfull sayings and threatnings, wherewith our Lord pretendeth to put a terrour into the hearts of men, and so to bridle and subdue them under the obedience of his Law. And for this end he com­manded the Prophet Ieremie, That hee should take a white booke, and write in the same all the threatnings and calamities which hee had revealed unto him, even from the first day he began to mlke with him, untill that present houre, and that he [Page 119] should read the same in the pre­sence of all the people, to see if peradventure they would bee moved therewith unto repen­tance, and to change their for­mer life, to the end, that hee might also change the determi­nation of his wrath, which he had purposed to execute upon them. And the holy Scripture saith, That when the Prophet had done according as hee was commanded by almighty God, and had read all those threat­nings in the presence of the people, and of the Rulers; there arose such a feare and terrour amongst them, that they were all astonished, and as it were bestraughted of their wits, look­ing one in anothers face, for the [Page 120] exceeding great fear which they had conceived of those words. This was one of the principall means which Almighty God u­sed with men in the time of the written Law, and so he did also in the time of the Law of graces in vvhich, the holy Apostle saith, That as there is revealed a justice, vvhereby God maketh men just, so is there also revea­led an indignation and vvrath, vvhereby he punisheth the un­just: for vvhich cause, S. Iohn Baptist (the glorious forerunner of our Saviour Christ) was sent vvith this commission and em­bassage, to preach unto the world, That the axe was now put to the rooot of the tree, and that every tree that brought not forth [Page 121] good fruit, should bee cut downe and cast into the fire. Hee said moreover, That there was ano­ther come into the world, more mighty than hee, that carried in his hand a fanne to winnow and cleanse therewith his floore, and that he would put up the corne into his garner, but the chaffe hee will burne in a fire that should ne­ver bee quenched. This was the preaching and embassage which [...]he holy fore-runner of our Saviour Jesus Christ brought [...]nto the world. And so great was the thunder of these words, [...]nd the terrour which entered [...]nto mens hearts so dreadfull, that there ran unto him of all [...]sates and conditions of men, [...]ven of the very Pharisees and [Page 122] Publicans, yea, and Souldiers also (which of all others are wont to be most dissolute, and to have the least care of their consciences) and each of them demanded for himselfe particu­larly of that holy man, what he should doe to attaine unto sal­vation, and to escape those ter­rible threatnings which hee had denounced unto them, so great was the feare they had concei­ved of them.

And this is that (deare Chri­stian brother) which I doe a this present (in the behalfe o [...] Almighty God) deliver unto thee, although not with such fervency of spirit and like holi­nesse of life, yet that which im­porteth more in this case, with [Page 123] the same truth and certainty; for so much as the faith and Gospell which Saint Iohn Bap­tist then preached, is even the same now taught.

Now, if thou be desirous to understand in few words, how great the punishment is, that Al­mighty God hath threatned in his holy Scriptures to the wick­ed, that which may most briefly and most to the purpose be spo­ken in this matter, is this: That [...]ke as the reward of the good is [...] universall good thing, even [...]o the punishment of the wick­ed is an universall evill, which comprehendeth in it al the evils [...]at are. For the better under­standing whereof it is to be no­ [...]d, That all the evils of this life [Page 124] are particular evils, and there­fore doe not torment all our sences generally, but onely one or some of them. As taking an example of the diseases of our body; we see, that one hath a disease in his eyes, another i [...] his eares: one is sicke in th [...] heart, another in the stomacke some other in his head. And so divers men are diseased in diver parts of the body, howbeit, [...] such wise, that none of all the diseases be generally through out all the members of the bo­dy, but particular to some on of them. And yet for all thi [...] we see what griefe onely one [...] these diseases may put us unt [...] and how painefull a night t [...] sicke man hath in any one [Page 125] these infirmities, yea, although [...]t be nothing else but a little ach [...]n one tooth. Now let us put the case, that there were some one man sicke of such an uni­versall disease, that he had no part of his body, neither any one joynt or sence free from his proper paine, but that at one [...]ime and instant hee suffered most exceeding sharpe torment [...]n his head, in his eyes, and [...]ares, in his teeth, and stomack, [...]n his liver and heart: and to be [...]hort, in all the rest of his mem­bers and joynts of his body, and [...]hat he lay after this sort stret­ [...]hing himselfe in his bed, being [...]ained with these greeses and [...]orments, every member of his [...]ody having his particular tor­ment [Page 126] and griefe: Hee (I say that should lye thus pained and afflicted, how great torment and griefe of minde and body (thinke ye) should he sustaine: Oh, what thing could any man imagine more miserable, and more worthy of compassion▪ Surely, if thou shouldest see bu [...] a dogge to be so tormented and grieved in the street, his very paines would move thy hear to take pitty upon him. Now this is that (my deare Christian brother, if any comparison may be made betweene them) which is suffered in that most curse [...] and horrible place of hell, and not onely during for the spac [...] of one night, but everlastingly for ever and ever. For like [Page 127] the wicked men have offended Almighty God with all their members and sences, and have made armour of them all to serve sinne, even so will he or­daine, that they shall bee there tormented every one of them with his propertorment.

There shall the wanton un­chaste eyes be tormented with the terrible sight of Divels: the cares with the confusion of such horrible cries and lamentations which shall there be heard: the nose with the intollerable stinke of that ougly, filthy, and loath­some place: the taste, with a most ravenous hunger and thirst: the touching, and all the members of the body with ex­treame burning fire. The ima­gination [Page 128] shall be tormented by the conceiving of griefes pre­sent: the memory, by calling to minde the pleasures past: the understanding, by considering what benefits are lost, and what endlesse miseries are to come.

This multitude of punish­ments the holy Scripture signi­fieth unto us, when it saith, Mat. 15. Psal. 10. That in hell there shall be hunger, thirst, wee­ping, wailing, gnashing of teeth, swords double edged, spirits crea­ted for revengement, serpents, wormes, scorpions, hammers, wormewood, water of gall, the spi­rit of tempest, and other things of like sort. Whereby are sig­nified unto us (as in a figure) the multitude and dreadfull terrous [Page 129] of the most horrible torments and paines that be in that cursed place. There shall bee likewise darkenesse inward and outward, both of body and soule, farre more obscure than the darke­nesse of Aegypt, which was to be felt even with hands, Exod. 20. There shall be fire also, not as this fire here, that tormenteth a little, and shortly endeth, but such a fire as that place requi­reth, which tormenteth excee­dingly, and shall never make an end of that tormenting. This being true, what greater won­der can there be, than that they which beleeve and confesse this for truth, should live with such most strange negligence and carelesnesse as they doe? What [Page 130] travell and paines would not a man willingly take to escape even one onely day, yea, one houre, the very least of these torments? and wherefore doe they not then, to escape the everlastingnesse of so great paines and horrible torments, endure so little a travell, as to follow the exercise of vertue. Surely, the consideration of this matter were able to make any sinfull soule to feare and trem­ble, in case it were deepely re­garded.

And if amongst so great num­ber of paines, there were any manner hope of end or release, it would be some kinde of com­fort: but alas it is not so, for there the gates are fast shut up from [Page 131] all expectation of any manner of ease or hope. In all kinde of paines and calamities that be in this world, there is alwaies some gap lying open, whereby the patient may receive some kinde of comfort: sometimes reason, sometimes the weather, sometimes his friends, some­times the hearing that others are troubled with the very same disease, and sometimes (at the least) the hope of an end may cheare him: onely in these most horrible paines and miseries that be in hell, all the waies are shut up in such sort, and all the havens of comfort so embarred, that the miserable sinner cannot hope for remedy on any side, neither of heaven, nor of earth, [Page 132] neither of the time past, or pre­sent, or of the time to come, or of any other meanes. The dam­ned soules thinke, that all men are shooting darts at them, and that all creatures have conspired against them, and that even they themselves are cruell against themselves. This is that distresse whereof the sinners doe lament by the Prophet, saying: The sorrowes of hell have compassed me round about, and the snares of death have besieged me: For on which side soever they looke or turne their eyes, they doe con­tinually behold occasions of sorrow and griefe, and none at all of any ease or comfort. The wise Virgins (saith the Evange­list) that stood ready prepared at [Page 133] the gate of the Bridegroome, entred in, and the gate was forthwith locked fast. O locking everla­sting, O enclosure immortall, O gate of all goodnesse, which shal never any more be opened a­gaine. As if he had said more plainely, the gate of pardon, of mercy, of comfort, of grace, of intercession, of hope, and of all other goodnesse, is shut up for ever and ever. Six daies and no more was Manna to be ga­thered, but the seventh day, which was the Sabbath day, was there none to bee found: and therefore shall he fast for ever, that hath not in due time made his provision aforehand. The sluggard (saith the Wise man) will not till his ground for [Page 134] feare of cold, and therefore shall he beg his bread in summer, and no man shall give him to eat. And in another place he saith: He that gathereth in summer, is a wise sonne, but hee that giveth himselfe to sleeping at that season, is the sonne of confusion. For what confusion can be greater then that which that miserable cove­tous rich man suffereth, who with a few crums of bread that fell from his table, might have purchased to himselfe abun­dance of everlasting felicity, and glory in the kingdome of Heaven? But because he would not give so small a thing, he came to such an extreame ne­cessity that he begged (yea, and shall for ever beg in vaine) one­ly [Page 135] one drop of water, and shall never obtaine it. Who is not moved with that request of that unfortunate damned person, who cried, O father Abraham have compassion on me, and send downe Lazarus unto me, that hee may dip the tip of his finger in wa­ter, and touch my tongue, for these horrible flames doe torment me exceedingly. What smaller request could there be desired than this? He durst not request so much as one cup of water, neither that Lazarus should put his whole hand into the water, nor yet (which is more to be wondered at) did he request so much as the whole finger, but onely the tip of it, that it might but touch his tongue; and yet [Page 136] even this alone would not be granted unto him. Whereby thou maiest perceive, how fast the gate of all consolation is shut up, and how universall that interdict and excommuni­cation is that is there laid upon the damned, sith this rich Glut­ton could not obtaine so much as this small request. So that wheresoever the damned per­sons doe turne their eyes, and on which side soever they stretch their hands, they shall not finde any manner of com­fort, be it never so small. And as he that is in the Sea choaked, and almost drowned under the water, not finding any stay whereupon to set his foot, stretcheth forth his hands often­times [Page 137] on every side in vaine (be­cause all that he graspeth after, is thin and liquid water, which deceives him) even so shall it fare with the damned persons, when they shall be drowned in that deepe Sea of so many mi­series, where they shall strive and struggle alwaies with death, without finding any succour or place of stay, whereupon they may rest themselves. Now this is one of the greatest paines wherewith they be tormented in that cursed place: for if these torments should have their con­tinuance limited but for a cer­taine time, though it were for a thousand, yea, a hundred thou­sand millions of yeares, yet even this would be some little com­fort [Page 138] unto them, for nothing is perfectly great, in case it have an end: But alas, they have not so much as this poore and mise­rable comfort: but contrariwise, their paines are equall in conti­nuance with the eternity of Al­mighty God, and the lasting of their misery with the eternity of Gods glory. As long as Al­mighty God shall live, so long shall they die: and when Al­mighty God shall cease to be God, then shall they also cease to be as they are. O deadly life, O immortall death! I know not whether I may truely tearme thee, either life or death: for if thou be life, why dost thou kill? And if thou be death, why doest thou endure? Wherefore [Page 139] I will call thee neither the one, nor the other, for so much as in both of them there is contained something that is good: as in life there is rest, and in death there is an end (which is a great comfort to the afflicted) but thou hast neither rest nor end. What art thou then? Marry, thou art the worst of life, and the worst of death; for of death thou hast the torment, without any end, and of life thou hast the continuance without any rest. O bitter composition, O unsavory purgation of our Lords cup! of the which, all the sin­ners of the earth shall drinke their part.

Now in this continuance in this eternity, I would wish that [Page 140] thou (my deare Christian bro­ther) wouldst fixe the eyes of thy consideration a little while: and that as the cleane beast cheweth the cud, even so thou wouldest weigh this point within thy selfe with great deli­beration. And to the intent thou maiest doe it the better, consider a little the paines that a sicke man abideth in one evill night, especially if he be vexed with any vehement griefe, or sharpe disease. Marke how oft he tumbleth and tosseth in his bed, what disquietnesse he hath, how long and tedious one night seemeth unto him, how duely he counteth all the houres of the clocke, and how long hee deemeth each houre of them to [Page 141] be, how he passeth the time in wishing for the dawning of the day, which notwithstanding, is like to helpe him little towards the curing of his disease. If this then be accounted so great a torment, what torment shall that be (thinke you) in that e­verlasting night in hell, which hath no morning, nor so much as any hope of any dawning of the day: O darknesse most ob­scure! O night everlasting! O night accursed even by the mouth of Almighty God and all his Saints! That one shall wish for light, and shall never see it, neither shall the bright­nesse of the morning arise any more. Consider then what a kinde of torment shall that bee, [Page 142] to live everlastingly in such a night as this is, lying not in a soft bed (as the sicke man doth) but in a hot burning furnace, fo­ming out such terrible raging flames. What shoulders shall be able to abide those horrible heats. If it seeme to us as a thing intollerable to have onely some part of our feet standing upon a pan of burning coales, for the space of repeating the Lords prayer. What shall it be (thinke you) to stand body and soule burning in the midst of those e­verlasting hot raging fires in hell, in comparison of which, the fires of this world are but painted fires. Is there any wit or judgement in this world? Have men their right sences? [Page 143] doe they understand what these words import? or are they per­adventure perswaded, that these are onely the fables of Poets? or doe they thinke, that this ap­pertaineth not to them, or else that it was onely ment for o­thers? None of all this can they say, for so much as our faith assureth us most certainely herein. And our Saviour Christ himselfe, who is everlasting truth, crieth out in his Gospell, saying, Heaven and earth shall faile, but my word shall not faile.

Of this misery there follow­eth another as great as it, which is, that the paines are alwaies continuing in one like degree, without any manner of inter­mission, or decreasing. All man­ner [Page 144] of things that are under the cope of heaven, doe move and turn round about with the same heaven, and doe never stand still at one state or being, but are continually either ascending or descending. The sea and the rivers have their ebbing and flowing, the times, the ages, and the mutable fortune of men, and of kingdomes, are evermore in continuall motion. There is no feaver so fervent, that doth not decline, neither griefe so sharp, but that after it is much aug­mented, it doth forthwith de­crease. To be short, all the tri­bulations and miseries are by little and little worne away with time, and as the common saying is, Nothing is sooner dried [Page 145] up than teares. Onely that paine [...]n hell is alwaies greene, onely that feaver never decreaseth, onely that extremity of heat knoweth not what is either eve­ning or morning. In the time of Noahs flood, Almighty God [...]ained forty daies and forty [...]ights, continually without [...]easing upon the earth, and this [...]fficed to drowne the whole world. But in that place of torment in hell, there shall raine everlasting vengeance, and darts [...]f furie upon that cursed land, without ever ceasing so much as [...]e onely minute or moment. [...]ow what torment can bee [...]eater and more to be abhor­ [...]d, than continually to suffer [...]r one like manner, without [Page 146] any kinde of alteration or change? Though a meat bee never so delicate, yet in case we feed continually thereupon, it will in very short time be very loathsome unto us: for no meat can be more precious and deli­cate than that Manna was, which almighty God sent down unto the children of Israel in the Desart, and yet because they did eat continually thereof, i [...] made them to loath it, yea, and provoked them to vomit it up againe. The way that is all plaine (they say) wearieth more than any other, because alwaies the variety (yea, even in punish­ment) is a kinde of comfort▪ Tell me then, if things that be pleasant and savoury, when the [...] [Page 147] be alwaies after one manner, are an occasion of loathsome­nesse and paine: what kinde of loathsomenesse will that bee which shall be caused by those most horrible paines and tor­ments in hell, which doe con­tinue everlastingly after one like sort? What will the dam­ned and cursed creatures think, when they shall there see them­selves so utterly obhorred and forsaken of Almighty God, that he will not so much as with the remission of any one sinne, mi­tigate somwhat their torments. And so great shall the fury and rage be which they shall there conceive against him, that they shall never cease continually to curse and blaspheme his holy [Page 148] name. Unto all these paines, there is also added the paine of that everlasting consumer, to wit, the worme of conscience, whereof the holy Scripture maketh so oftentimes mention, saying, Their worme shall never die, and their fire shall never bee quenched. This worme is a fu­rious raging despight and bitter repentance, without any fruit, which the wicked shall alwaies have in hell, by calling to their remembrance the opportunity and time they had whiles they were in this world, to escape those most grievous and horri­ble torments, and how they would not use the benefit there­of. And therefore when the miserable sinner seeth himselfe [Page 149] thus to be tormented and vex­ed on every side, and doth call to minde how many dayes and yeeres he hath spent idely in va­nities, pastimes, and pleasures; and how oftentimes he was ad­vertised of this perill, and how little regard he tooke thereof: What shall he thinke? What anguish and sorrow shall there be in his heart? Hast thou not read in the Gospell, that there shall be weeping and wailing, and gnashing of teeth? The famine of Aegypt endur'd onely seven yeares, but that in hell shall en­dure everlastingly. In Aegypt they found a remedy, though with great difficulty and charge; out for this, there shall never a­ [...]y remedy bee found. Theirs [Page 150] was redeemed with money and cattell, but this can never be re­deemed with any manner of ex­change. This punishment can­not bee pardoned, this paine cannot be exchanged, this sen­tence cannot be revoked. Oh, if thou knewest and wouldest consider, how every one con­demned to hell, shall there re­maine tormenting and renting himselfe, weeping and wailing, and saying, O miserable and unfortunate wretch that I am, what times and opportunities have I suffered to passe in vaine? A time there was, when with one cup of cold water I might have purchased to my selfe a crowne of glory, and when also with such necessary workes of [Page 151] mercy in relieving the poore, I might have gained life everla­sting. Wherefore did I not looke before me? How was I blinded with things present? How did J let passe the fruitfull yeares of abundance, and did not enrich my selfe? If J had beene brought up amongst In­fidels and Pagans, and had be­leeved that there had beene no­thing else but only to be borne, and to die, then might I have had some kinde of excuse, and might have said. I knew not what was commanded or pro­hibited me: but for so much as I have lived amongst Christians, and was my selfe one of them professed, and held it for an ar­ticle of my beleefe, that the [Page 152] houre should come when I should give up an account after what order I had spent my life: forsomuch also as it was daily cried out unto me by the conti­nuall preaching and teaching of Gods Embassadours (whose advertisements many follow­ing, made preparation in time, and laboured earnestly for the provision of good workes:) forasmuch I say as I made light of all these examples, and per­swaded my selfe very fondly, that Heaven was prepared for me, though I tooke no paines for it at all: what deserve I that have thus led my life? O ye in­fernall furies, come and rent me in peeces, and devoure these my bowels, for so have I justly de­served, [Page 153] I have deserved eternall famishment, seeing I would not provide for my selfe while I had time. I deserve not to reape, because I have not sowne; I am worthy to be destitute, because I have not laid up in store; I deserve that my request should now be denied me, sith when the poore made request unto me, I refused to releeve them: I have deserved to sigh and la­ment so long as God shall be God; I have deserved, that this worme of conscience shall gnaw [...]ine entrails for ever and ever, by representing unto mee the [...]ittle pleasure that I have en­ [...]oyed, and the great felicity which I have lost, and how far greater that was which I might [Page 154] have gained, by forgoing that little which J would not forgoe. This is that immortall worme that shall never dye, but shall lye there everlastingly gnawing at the entrailes of the wicked, which is one of the most terri­ble paines that can possibly be imagined.

Peradventure thou art now perswaded (good Reader) that there can be added no more un­to this, than hath beene said: But surely the mighty arme of God wanteth not force to cha­stise his enemies more & more: for all these paines that are hi­therto rehearsed, are such as doe appertaine generally to all the damned: but besides these ge­nerall paines, there are also [Page 155] other particular paines, which each one of the damned shall there suffer in divers sorts, ac­cording to the quality of his sinne. And so according to this proportion, the haughty and proud shall there be abased and brought low to their great con­fusion. The covetous shall bee driven to great necessity. The glutton shall rage with conti­nuall hunger and thirst. The lecherous shall burne in the ve­ry same flames which they themselves have enkindled. And those that have al their life time hunted after their pleasures and pastimes, shall live there in continuall lamentation and sor­row. But because examples are of very great force to move our [Page 156] hearts, I will bring onely one for this purpose, wherby some­what of this matter may the better be perceived. It is writ­ten of a certaine holy man, that he saw the paines (in spirit) of a licentious and worldly man in this sort. First, he saw how the divels that were present at the houre of his death, when hee yeelded up his ghost, snatched away his soule with great rejoy­cing, and made a present there­of to the Prince of darkenesse, who was then sitting in a chaire of fire, expecting the comming of this present. Immediately af­ter that it was presented before him, he arose up out of his seat, and said unto the damned soule, that he would give him the pre­heminence [Page 157] of that honourable seat, because he had been a man of honour, and was alwaies ve­ry much affected to the same. Incontinently after that he was placed therein, crying and la­menting in that honourable tor­ment, there appeared before him two other most ougly di­vels, and offered him a cup full of most bitter and stinking liquor, and made him to drinke and carouse it up all perforce; saying, It is meet, sithence thou hast beene a lover of precious wines and bankets, that thou shouldest likewise prove of this our wine, whereof all we doe use to drinke in these parts.

Immediately after this there came other two, with two fiery [Page 158] trumpets, and setting them at his eares, began to blow into them flames of fire, saying, This melody have we reserved for thee, understanding that in the world thou wast very much delighted with minstrelcie and wanton songs: and sodainly he espied other divels, loaden with vipers and serpents, the which they threw upon the breast and bellies of that miserable sinner, saying unto him, that for somuch as he had beene greatly delight­ed with the wanton embracings and lecherous lusts of women, he should now solace himselfe with these refreshings, instead of those licentious delights and pleasures, which he had enjoy­ed in the world. After this sort [Page 159] (as the Prophet Esay saith in the 47. Chapter) when the sinner is punished, there is given measure for measure, to the end, that in such a great variety and propor­tion of punishments, the order and wisedome of Gods justice, might the more manifestly ap­peare.

This vision hath Almighty God shewed in spirit to this ho­ly man for advertisement and instruction, not that in hell these things are altogether so mate­rially done, but that by them we might understand in some man­ner the variety and multitude of the paines which bee there appointed for the damned. Whereof, I know not how some of the Pagans have had a [Page 160] certaine knowledge: for a Poet speaking of this multitude of paines, affirmed, That although he had a hundred mouthes, and as many tongues, with a voice as strong as Iron, yet were they not able onely to expresse the names of them. A Poet he was that spake this, but truely therin he spake more like a Prophet or an Evangelist than a Poet. Now then, if all this evill shall most assuredly come to passe, what man is he, that seeing all this so certainely with the eyes of his faith, will not turne over the leafe, and begin to provide for himselfe against that time? Where is the judgement of men now become? Where is their wits? yea, where is at least their [Page 161] selfe-love, which seeketh ever­more for his owne profit, and is much afraid of any losse? May it be thought that men are be­come beasts, that provide onely for the time present? Or have they peradventure so dimmed their eye-sight, that they cannot looke before them? Hearken (saith Esay) O yee deafe and ye blinde, open your eyes that you may see; Who is blinde but my servant? And who is deafe but wee, unto whom I have sent my messengers? And who is blind, but he that suffereth himselfe to be sold for a slaue? Thou that seest so many things, wilt thou not suffer thy selfe to see this? Thou that hast thine eares open, wilt thou not giue eare hereun­to? [Page 162] If thou beleeve not this, how art thou then a Christian? If thou beleeve it, and doest not provide for it, how canst thou be thought a reasonable man? Aristotle saith, That this is the difference betweene opinion and imagination, that an imagi­nation alone is not sufficient to cause a feare, but an opinion is a for if I doe imagine that a house may fall upon mee, it is no [...] enough to make me afraid, un­lesse J beleeve or have an opi­nion it will be so indeed: fo [...] then it is sufficient to make mee afraid. And hereof commeth the feare that murderers al­waies have, by reason of the suspition they conceive, that their enemies doe lye in wai [...] [Page 163] for them. If then the opinion and onely suspition of danger is able to cause the greatest cou­rage to feare, how is it that the certainty and beleefe of so ma­ny and so great terrible miseries which are farre more sure than any opinion) doth not make thee to feare? If thou perceivest, that for these many yeares past thou hast led a licentious and sinfull life, and that at the last, according to present justice, thou art condemned to these horrible torments in hell: if al­so there appeare by probable conjecture, that there is no more likelihood of thy amend­ment for ensuing years to come, than there was in those already past, how happeneth it, that run­ning [Page 164] head long into so manifest a danger, thou art not at all a­fraid? Especially, considering the sinfull state wherein thou livest, and the horrible paines and torments which doe attend for thee, and the time which thou hast lost, and the endlesse repentance which thou shall have therefore in the most hor­rible torments of hell. Assured­ly, it goes beyond the compasse of all common sence and con­ceit of humane reason, to consi­der, That there should be such negligent, wilfull, grosse, and carelesse blindnesse, able to en­ter and take such deepe rooting in the soule of man.