WHen I should haue prea­ched vnder the Crosse, I mused what text to take in hand to please all, and to keepe my selfe out of danger: and musing, I could not finde any text in the Scripture that did not reproue sinne, vnlesse it were in the Apocrapha, which is not of the Scripture: this text bids them that be voluptuous, be voluptuous still: let them that be vaine glorious, be vaine glorious [Page] still: let them that be couetous, be coue­tous still: let them that be drunkards, be drunkards still: let them that be swearers be swearers still: let them that be wan­tons, be wantons still: let them that be careles prelates, be careles still: let them that be Vsurers, be Vsurers still: but saith Salomon, Remember thy end, that thou shalt be called to Judgement at the last for all together.

This is the counsell of Salomon the wisest then liuing, what a counsell is this for a wise man, such a one as was Salo­mon?

In the beginning of his book he saith, All is vanitie, and in the end he saith, Feare God and keepe his Commaundements, in the 12. Chapter he saith, Remember thy maker in the dayes of thy youth, but here he saith, Reioyce O young man in thy youth: Here he speaketh like an Epicure, which saith, eat, drinke, and be merry: here he counselles, and here he mockes: yet not after the manner of scorners, although they deser­ued it in shewing their foolishnes, as it is [Page] in the first of the Prouerbs. He laughed at the wicked in derision. As in the second Psalme, God seeing vs follow our owne waves: For when he bids vs pray, we play: and when he bids vs runne, we stand still: and when he bids vs fast, we feast, & send for vanities to make vs sporte: then he laughes at our destruction. Therfore whë Salomon giueth a sharpe reprose, and ma­keth you ashamed in a word, he scoffing­ly bids you doe it againe, like a Schoole­maister which beateth his Scholler for playing the truant, he biddeth him playe the truant again: O this is the bitterest re­proofe of all, but leaste any Libertine should misconster Salomon, and say that he bids vs be merrye and make much of our selues, therefore he shutteth it vp with a watchwoord, and setteth a bridle before his lips, and reproueth it as he spea­keth it before he goeth any further, and saith: But remember that for all these things thou must come to Iudgement. But if we will vnderstande his meaning, he meaneth when he saith, reioyce O young man, [Page] repent O young man in thy youth: and when he saith let thy hart cheere thee, let thy sinnes greeue thee: for he meaneth otherwise then he speaketh, he speaketh like Michai in the Booke of Kinges. 2. chap. Go vp and prosper: or like as Ezechiel, Goe vp and serue other Gods, or as S. Iohn speaketh in the Reuelation. Let the that be wicked, be wicked still: But if there were no [...]udgment day, that were a merry world: Therfore saith Salomon when thou art in thy pleasures slaunting in the feelds, and in thy braue rusts & amongst thy louers, with thy smiling lookes, thy wanton talk and merry iests, with thy pleasant games and lostye lookes: Remember for all these things thou shalt come to Iudgement.

Whilste the theefe stealeth, the hemp groweth, and the hook is couered within the baite, we sit down to eate and rise vp to play, and from play to sleep: and a hun­dreth yeres is counted little enough to sin in, but how many sins thou hast set on the score, so many kindes of punishments shall be prouided for thee: how many [Page] yeres of plesure thou hast taken, so many yeeres of paine: how many drammes of delight, so many pounds of dollor: when iniquitie hath plaid her parte, vengeance leapes vpon the stage: the Comedye is shorte, but the Tragedie is longer: the blacke guarde shall attend vpon you, you shall eate at the table of sorrowe, and the crowne of death shalbe vpon your heads, many glistring faces looking on you, and this is the feare of sinners: when the deuil hath entised them to sinne, he presumeth like the olde Prophet in the booke of Kinges, who when he had entised the young prophet contrary to the cōmaun­dement of God, to turn home with him and to eate and drink, he cursed him for his labour, because he disobeyed the commaundement of the Lord, and so a Lyon deuoured him by the way. The foolishe Virgins thinke that their oyle will neuer be spent: so Dina stragled abroad whilst she was defloured: what a thing is this to say reioyce, and then repent: what a blank to saye take thy pleasure, and then thou [Page] shalt come to iudgement: it is as if he should saye, steale and be hanged: steale and thou darest, strangle sinne in thy cra­dle, for all the wisedome in the world wil not help thee else: but thou shalt be in ad­miration like dreamers which dreame strange thinges and know not how they come: he saith Remember Iudgment, if thou remember this alwaies, then thou shalt haue little list to sinne: if thou remember this, then thou shalt haue little list to fall downe to the deuill, though he would giue thee all the worlde, and the glorye thereof: Salomon saith, the weede grow­eth from a weede to a cockle, from a coc­kle, to a bramble, from a bramble to a brier, from a brier to a thorne: Lying breedes periury, periury breedes hauti­nes of hart, hautines of hart breedes con­tempt, contempt breedes obstinacie, and bringes forth much euill. And this is the whole progresse of sin: he groweth from a lyar to a theefe, from a theefe to a mur­therer, and neuer leaueth vntill he hath searched all the roome [...] in hell, and yet he [Page] is neuer satisfied: the more he sinneth, the more he searcheth to sinne: when he hath deceiued, nay he hath not deceiued thee: assoone as hee hath that he desireth, hee hath not that he desireth: when he hath lest fighting, he goeth to fighting againe: yet a little and a little more, and so we slit frō one sinne to another. While I preach, you heare iniquitie in gender within you, and will breake forth assoone as you are gon: So Christ wept & Ierusalem laugh­ed: Adam brake one, and we break ten, like Children which laugh and crye, so as if wee kept a shop of vices, now this sin and then that, from one sinne to another. O remember thy end saith Salomon, and that thou must come to Iudgement. What shall become of thē that hath tryed thē most, be condemned most? Reioyce O yong man in thy youth. But if thou mark Salomon he harpes vpon one string, he doubles it a­gaine and againe, to shew vs things of his owne experience, because we are so for­getfull therof in our selues, like the drea­mer that forgetteth his dreame, and the [Page] swearer his swearing. So we beg of euery vncleane spirite, vntill we haue bumba­sted our selues vp to the throate, filling euery corner of our harts withal vncleannes, and then we are like the Dogge that commeth out of the sinke, and maketh e­uery one as soule as himselfe: therefore saith Salomon, if any one will learne the way to hell, let him take his pleasure: me thinkes I see the dialogue betweene the flesh and the Spirite: the worst speaketh first, and the fleshe saith: soule take thine ease, eate, drinke, and goe braue, lye softe, what else should you doo but take your pleasure, thou knowest what a pleasant fellow I haue bene vnto thee, thou knowest what delight thou hast had by my meanes: but the Soule commeth in, bur­dened with that which hath bene spoken before, and saith, I pray thee remember Iudgement, thou must giue account for all these things, for vnles you repent, you shall surely perrish: no saith the flesh, talk not of such graue matters, but tell me of fine matters, of softe beds and pleasant [Page] thinges, and talke me of braue pastimes, Apes, Beares, and Puppits: for I tell thee the forbidden fruit is the sweetest of all fruites, for I doo not like of your telling me of Iudgement: but take thou thy Iu­els, thy Instruement, and all the stringes of vanitie will strike at once, for the fleshe loues to be braue, and tread vpon corkes, it cannot tell of what fashion to be of, and yet to be of the new fashion.

Reioyce O young man in thy youth.

O this goes braue, for while wicked­nes hath cast his rubs, and vengeance casts his spurres and his foote, and thus she ree­les and now she tumbles, and then she falles, therefore this progresse is ended.

Pleasure is but a spurre, riches but a thorne, glorye but a blast, beautye but a flower, sinne is but an Ipo­crite, honye in thy mouth and poyson in thy stomacke: therefore let vs come a­gaine and aske of Salomon in good sooth whether he meaneth in good earnest, when he spake these words: O (saith Sa­lomon) it is the best life in the worlde to goe [Page] braue, lye softe, and liue merily, if there were no Iudgement But this Iudgement mares all, it is like a damp that puts out al the light, and like a boxe that mareth all the ointe­ment: for if this be true, we haue spunne a faire thrid, that we must answere for all, that are not able to answere for one: why Salomon maketh vs fooles, and giueth vs gaudes to playe withall: what then shall we not reioyce at all? yes, there is a godlye mirth and if we could hit on it, which is called be merrye and wise: Sara laughed, and was reproued: Abraham laughed and was not reproued. And thus much for the first parte.

But remember that for all these things thou shalt come to Iudgement.

This verse is as it were a dialogue be­twixt the flesh and the spirite, as the two counsellers, the worst is first, and the flesh speaketh proudly, but the spirit comes in burdened with that which hath bene spoken. The fleshe goeth laughing and singing to hell, but the spirite casteth rubs in his way, and puts him in minde of iudg­ment, [Page] that for all these things now endes reioyce, and heare comes in but, if this but were not, we might reioyce still, if young men must for all the sportes of youth: what then shall olde men doo, be­ing as they are now? surely if Salomon li­ued to see our olde men liue now, as here he saith of yong men, so high as sinne ra­geth, yet vengance sits aboue it as high as high Babell. Me thinks I se a Sword hang in the aire by a twine thrid, and all the Sonnes of men labour to burst it in sun­der: there is a place in hell where the co­uetous Iudge sitteth, the greedy Lawyer, the griping Landlord, the careles Bishop, the lustye youth, the wanton dames, the theefe, the robbers of the cōmonwealth, they are punished in this life because they neuer left sin as long as they could, while mercy was offered vnto them: therefore because they would not be washed, they shall be drowned, now put together re­ioyce and remember, thou hast learned to be merrye, now learne to be wise: now therfore turne ouer a new lease and take a [Page] new lesson, for now Salomon mocketh not as he did before, therfore a checke to thy russes, a check to thy cusses, a check to thy robes, a check to thy golde, a check to your riches, a checke to your beautye, a check to your muck a check to your gra­ues: woe from aboue, woe from belowe, woe to all the stringes of vanitie: doost thou not now maruel that thou hadst not a feeling of sinne? for now thou seest Salo­mon saith true, thine owne hart can tell that it is wicked, but it cannot amend: therfore it is high time to amend: as Na­than cōmeth to Dauid after Belsebub, so commeth accusing conscience after sinne: me thinkes that euery one should haue a feeling of sinne: though this daye be like yesterday, and to morrow like to day, yet one day will come for all, and then woe, woe, woe, and nothing but darkenes: and though God came not to Adam vntil the euening, yet he came: although the fier came not vpon Sodome vntill the eue­ning, yet hee came, and so comes the Iudge although he be not yet come, [Page] though he haue leaden feete, he hath iron handes, the arrowe flyeth and is not yet fallen, so is his wrath: the pit is digged, the fier kindled, and all thinges are made rea­dy, and prepared against that day, onelye the small sentence is to come, which will not long tarry: you may not thinke to be like to the theefe that stealeth and is not seene: nothing can be hid from him, and the iudge followeth thee at the heeles, and therefore, whatsoeuer thou art look about thee, and doo nothing but that thou wouldst do openly, for al things are opened vnto him: Sara may not think to laugh, and not be seene: Gehezi may not think to lye, and not be knowne: they that will not come to the banquet, must stand at the doore. What, do ye not think that God doth not remember our sinnes which we doo not regarde? for while we sinne, the score runs on, and the Iudge setteth downe all in the Table of remem­brance, & his scrole reacheth vp to heuen

Item, for lending to Vsury. Item, for racking of rents. Item, for deceiuing thy brethern. Item, for falshood in wares. Itē [Page] for starching thy ruffes. Item for curling thy haire. Item for painting thy face. Item for selling of Benifices. Item, for staruing of Soules. Item, for playing at Cardes. Item, for sleeping in the Church. Item for prophaning the Saboth day, with a num­ber more hath God to call to account, for euery one must answer for himselfe: The fornicator for taking his filthy pleasure, O Sonne, remember thou hast taken thy plesure, take thy punishment. The careles Prelate, for murthering so many thousād Soules. The Landlord for getting money from his poore Tenants by racking of his rents: Se the rest, all they shall come like very sheep, when the Tromp shall sound and the Heauen and earth shall come to iudgement against them: when the hea­uens shall vanish like a scrole, & the earth shall consume like fier, and all the Crea­tures standing against them: The rockes shall cleaue asunder, and the mountaines shake, & the foundation of the earth shall tremble, and they shall say to the moun­taines, couer vs, fall vpon vs and hide vs from the presens of his anger and wrath, [Page] whome we haue not eared for to offend: but they shall not be couered & hid: but then they shall goe the black way, to the snakes and serpents, to be tormented of deuills for euer: O paine vnspekable, and yet the more I expresse it, the more hor­rible it is, when you think of a tormente passing all tormentes, and yet a tormente passing all that: yet this torment is grea­ter then them and passing them all.

Imagine you see a sinner going to hel, and his somner gape at him, his acquain­tance looke at him, the Angelles shoute at him, and the Saints laugh at him, & the deuills raile at him, and many looke him in the face: and they that said they would liue and dye with him, forsake him, and leaue him to pay all the scores. Then Iu­das would restore his bribes. Esaw would caste vp his pottage. Achan would caste downe his golde, and Gehezi would re­fuse his gifts. Nabucadnezzar would be humbler. Balam would be faithfull, and the Prodigall sonne would be tame.

Me thinks I see Achan running about where shall I hide my golde that I haue [Page] stolne, that it might not be seen nor stand to appeere for a witnes against me?

And Iudas running to the high Priests saying: holde, take againe your money, I will none of it, I haue betrayed the inno­cent blood.

And Esaw crying for the blessing whē it is too late, hauing solde his birth-right for a messe of pottage.

Woe, woe, woe, that euer we were borne. O where is that Diues that would beleeue this, before he felt the fire in hel, or that would beleeue the poorest Laza­rus in the worlde, to be better then him­selfe, before that dreadfull day come, when they cannot help it if they would neuer so saine, when repentāce is too late. Herod shall then with that he were Iohn Baptist. Pharaoh wold wish that he were Moses, and Saule would wish that he had beene Dauid. Nabuchadnezzar, that he he had bene Daniell Hammon, to haue bene Mardocheus Esaw would wish to be Iacob, & Balam would with he might dye the death of the righteous: Then he will say, I will giue more then Ezekias: [Page] cry more then Esaw: Fast more then Mo­ses: pray more then Daniell: weep more then Mary Magdilen: suffer more stripes then Paule: abide more imprisonment then Michai: abide more crueltie then a­ny mortall man would doe, that it might be, Item, goe ye curssed: might become ye blessed. Yea, I wold giue all the goods in the world, that I might escape this dred full day of wrath and iudgement, & that I might not stand amongst the goe: O that I might liue a beggar all my life, and a leaper. O that I might indure all plagues and sores from the top of the head to the sole of my foot: sustaine all sicknes and griefes, that I might escape this iudge­ment.

The guiltie conscience cannot abide of this day: the silly sheep when she is ta­ken will not bleate, but you may carry her and do what you will with her, and she will be subiect: but the swine, if she be once taken, she will roare and crye, and thinks she is neuer taken but to be slaine. So of all things the guiltie conscience can not abide to heare of this day: for they [Page] knowe, that when they heare of it, they heare of their owne condemnation. I think if there were a general collection made through the whole Worlde, that there might be no iudgement day: then God would be so rich that all the worlde would goe a begging and be as a waste wildernesse: Then the couetous Iudge would bring forth his bribes: then the crafty lawyer wold fetch out his bagges: the Vsurer would giue his gaine, and the idle seruant would digge vp his talent a­gaine, and make a bubble therof: But all the mony in the world will not serue for one sinne: but the Iudge must answer for his bribes: he that hath money, must an­swer how he came by it, and iust condemnation must come vpon euerye soule of them: then shall the sinner be euer dying and neuer dead, like the Salamander that is euer in the fier and neuer consumed.

But if you come there, you may say as the Queen of Saba said of King Salomō, I beleeued the report that I heard of thee in my own Country, but the one halfe of thy wisdome was not tolde me: if you [Page] came there to see what is doone, you may say, now I beleeue the reporte that was tolde me in my own Cuntry concerning this place, but the one halfe as now I feele I haue not heard of: Now chuse you whether you will reioyce, or remember whether you will stand amongst you blessed or amongst you cursed: whether you wil enter while the gate is open, or knocke in vaine when the gate is shut: whether you wil seek the Lord whilst he may be foūd, or be found of him when you would not be sought, beeing runne into the bushes with Adam to hide your selues: whether you will take your heauen now heare, or your hell then there: or through tribula­tion to enter into the kingdome of God: and thus to take your hell now heare, or your heauē then there in the life to come with the blessed Saints and Angels so that hereafter you may lead a new life, putting on Ie­sus Christe and his righteousnes.