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light in. Then fpecially it is time to cry, and to cry again, as David did, Caft me not away from thy face, and Pfal. li. take not away thy boly Spirit from me. Lord, turn not away thy face from me, caft not thy fervant away in difpleafure. Hide not thy face from me, left I be like unto them that go down to bell. The which lamentable prayers of him, as they do certify us what horrible danger they be in, from whom God turneth his face (for the time, and as long as he fo doth :) fo fhould they move and ftir us to cry upon God with all our heart, that we may not be brought into that ftate, which doubtlefs is fo forrowful, fo miferable, and fo dreadful, as no tongue can fufficiently exprefs, nor any heart can think. For what deadly grief may a man fuppofe it is to be under the wrath of God, to be forfaken of him, to have his holy Spirit, the author of all goodness, to be taken from him, to be brought to fo vile a condition, that he fhall be left meet for no better purpose, than to be for ever condemned in hell? For not only fuch places of David do fhew, that upon the turning of God's face from any perfons, they fhall be left bare from all goodness, and far from hope of remedy; but also the place rehearfed laft before, of Ifaiah, doth mean the fame, which fheweth that God at length doth so forfake his unfruitful vineyard, that he will not only fuffer it to bring forth weeds, briers, and thorns, but also further to punish the unfruitfulness of it. He faith he will not cut it, he will not delve it, and he will command the clouds, that they shall not rain upon it: whereby is fignified the teaching of his holy word, which St. Paul, after a like manner, expreffed by planting and watering; meaning that he will take that away from them, fo that they shall be no longer of his kingdom, they fhall be no longer governed by his holy Spirit, they fhall be put from the grace and benefits that they had, and ever might have enjoyed through Chrift; they fhall be deprived of the heavenly light and life, which they had in Chrift, whilst they abode in him; they fhall be (as they were once) as men without God in this world, or rather in worse taking. And, to be fhort, they fhall be given into the power of the devil, which beareth the rule in all them that be caft away from God, as he did in Saul and Judas, and generally in 1 Kings xv. all fuch, as work after their own wills, the children of miftruft and unbelief. Let us beware therefore, good Christian people, left that we, rejecting or cafting away God's Word, (by the which we obtain and retain true faith in God) be not at length caft off fo far, that we become

as the children of unbelief, which be of two forts, far diverfe, yea almost clean contrary, and yet both be very far from returning to God: the one fort, only weighing their finful and deteftable living, with the right judgment and ftraitnefs of God's righteoufnefs, be fo without counfel, and be fo comfortlefs, (as they all muft needs be, from whom the fpirit of counfel and comfort is gone) that they will not be perfuaded in their hearts, but that either God cannot, or elfe that he will not, take them again to his favour and mercy. The other, hearing the loving and large promifes of God's mercy, and fo not conceiving a right faith thereof, make thofe promifes larger than ever God did, trufting, that although they continue in their finful and deteftable living never fo long, yet that God, at the end of their life, will fhew his mercy upon them, and that then they will return. And both thefe two forts of men be in a damnable ftate, and yet nevertheless, God Ezek. xvii. (who willeth not the death of the wicked) hath fhewed and xxxiii. means, whereby both the fame (if they take heed in feaAgainst def- fon) may efcape. The firft, as they do dread God's rightperation. ful juftice in punishing finners, (whereby they should be

difmayed, and thould defpair indeed, as touching any hope that may be in themfelves) fo if they would conftantly or steadfafily believe, that God's mercy is the remedy appointed against fuch defpair and diftruft, not only for them, but generally for all that be forry and truly repentant, and will therewithal ftick to God's mercy, they may be fure they fhall obtain mercy, and enter into the port or haven of fafeguard, into the which whofoever doth come, be they beforetime never fo wicked, they fhall be out of danger of everlasting damnation, as God by Ezekiel Ezek. iii. faith, What time foever a finner doth return, and take earnest and true repentance, I will forget all his wickedness. The other, as they be ready to believe God's promifes, so they fhould be as ready to believe the threatenings of God; as well they fhould believe the Law, as the Gofpel; as well that prefump- there is an hell and everlasting fire, as that there is an heaven and everlafting joy: as well they fhould believe damnation to be threatened to the wicked and evil-doers, as falvation to be promifed to the faithful in word and works: as well they fhould believe God to be true in the one, as in the other. And the finners, that continue in their wicked living, ought to think, that the promises of God's mercy, and the Gofpel, pertain not unto them being in that ftate, but only the Law, and those Scriptures which contain the wrath and indignation of God,

Againft

tion.

and

and his threatenings, which fhould certify them, that as they do over-boldly prefume of God's mercy, and live diffolutely; fo doth God ftill more and more withdraw his mercy from them; and he is fo provoked thereby to wrath at length, that he deftroyeth fuch prefumers many times fuddenly. For of fuch St. Paul faith thus, When they shall i Theff. v. fay, it is peace, there is no danger, then fhall fudden deftruction come upon them. Let us beware therefore of fuch naughty boldness to fin. For God, which hath promifed his mercy to them that be truly repentant, (although it be at the latter end) hath not promifed to the prefumptuous finner, either that he fhall have long life, or that he shall have true repentance at the last end. But for that purpofe hath he made every man's death uncertain, that he fhould not put his hope in the end, and in the mean feafon (to God's high difpleasure) live ungodly. Wherefore, let us follow the counfel of the Wife Man; let us make no tarrying to turn unto the Lord; let us not put off from day to day, for fuddenly fhall his wrath come, and in time of vengeance he will deftroy the wicked. Let us therefore turn betimes; and when we turn, let us pray to God, as Hofea teacheth, faying, Forgive all our fins, receive us Holca xiv. graciously. And if we turn to him with an humble and a very penitent heart, he will receive us to his favour and grace for his holy name's fake, for his promife fake, for his truth and mercies fake, promifed to all faithful believers in Jefus Chrift, his only natural Son: to whom, the only Saviour of the world, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be all honour, glory, and power, world without end. Amen.

AN

AN

EXHORTATION

AGAINST

The Fear of Death.

T is not to be marvelled that worldly men do fear to die. For death depriveth them of all worldly honours, riches, and poffcffions, in the fruition whereof the worldly man counteth himfelf happy, fo long as he may enjoy them at his own pleafure; and otherwife, if he be difpoffeffed of the fame, without hope of recovery, then he can no otherwife think of himself, but that he is unhappy, because he hath loft his worldly joy and pleasure. Alas, thinketh this carnal man, fhall I now depart for ever from all my honours, all my treafure, from my country, friends, riches, poffeffions, and worldly pleasures, which are 'my joy and heart's delight? Alas, that ever that day should come, when all thefe I muft bid farewell at once, and never enjoy any of them after. Wherefore it is not without Ecclus. xli. great caufe fpoken of the Wife Man, O death, how bitter and four is the remembrance of thee to a man that liveth in peace and profperity in his fubftance, to a man living at eafe, leading his life after his own mind without trouble, and is therewithal well pampered and fed? There be other men, whom this world doth not fo greatly laugh upon, but rather vex and opprefs with poverty, fick nefs, or fome other adverfity; yet they do fear death, partly because the flesh abhorreth naturally its own forrowful diffolution, which death doth threaten to them; and partly by reason of fickneffes and painful difeafes, which be moft ftrong pangs and agonies in the flesh, and ufe commonly to come to fick men before death, or at the leaft accompany death, whenfoever it cometh.

Although these two caufes feem great and weighty to

a worldly

a worldly man, whereupon he is moved to fear death; yet there is another caufe much greater than any of these afore rehearfed, for which indeed he hath juft caufe to fear death; and that is, the ftate and condition whereunto at the laft end death bringeth all them that have their hearts fixed upon this world, without repentance and amendment. This ftate and condition is called the fecond death, which unto all fuch fhall enfue after this bodily death. And this is that death which indeed ought to be dreaded and feared: for it is an everlafting lofs, without remedy, of the grace and favour of God, and of everlafting joy, pleafure, and felicity. And it is not only the lofs for ever of all thefe eternal pleafures, but alfo it is the condemnation both of body and foul (without either appellation, or hope of redemption) unto everlafting pains in hell. Unto this ftate death fent the unmerciful and ungodly rich man, (that Luke fpeaketh of in his Gospel) Luke xvi. who living in all wealth and pleafure in this world, and cherifhing himself daily with dainty fare, and gorgeous apparel, defpifed poor Lazarus, that lay pitiful at his gate, miferably plagued and full of fores, and alfo grievously pined with hunger. Both these two were arrefted by death, which fent Lazarus, the poor miferable man, by angels anon unto Abraham's bofom; a place of reft, pleasure, and confolation: but the unmerciful rich man defcended down into hell; and being in torments, he cried for comfort, complaining of the intolerable pain that he fuffered in that flame of fire; but it was too late. So unto this place bodily death fendeth all them that in this world have their joy and felicity, all them that in this world be unfaithful unto God, and uncharitable unto their neighbours, fo dying without repentance and hope of God's mercy. Wherefore it is no marvel, that the worldly man feareth death; for he hath much more caufe fo to do, than he himfelf doth confider. Thus we fee three caufes why worldly men fear death. One, because they shall lofe The first. thereby their worldly honours, riches, poffeffions, and all their hearts defires: another, becaufe of the painful difeafes, Second. and bitter pangs, which commonly men fuffer, either before, or at the time of death: but the chief caufe above Third. all other, is the dread of the miferable ftate of eternal damnation both of body and foul, which they fear fhall follow, after their departing from the worldly pleafures of this prefent life.

For thefe caufes be all mortal men (which be given to the love of this world) both in fear, and state of death,

through

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