The Psalme diuides it selfe into three parts.

Parts of the Psalm.First, an Exhortation to the weake, that they bee not grie­ued, nor disquiet themselues at the prosperity of the wicked; and the affliction of the godly; and this is layd downe from the first verse to the 7. verse.

Secondly, hee sheweth that how prosperously soeuer the wicked doe liue for a time, yet their present felicity is vaine & transitory, and suddenly shall come to an end. From the sea­uenth verse to the eleuenth.

Thirdly, he sheweth that how miserable soeuer the godly seem to liue in this world, yet shall still be preserued, and their end [Page 5] shall be peace. To the end of the Psalme.

The verse wee haue in hand containes in it matter of exhor­tation, that we diligently marke and behold the vpright man, the man that is godly religious, makes conscience of holy du­ties, & that in all things labours to keepe a cleere conscience before God and all men, that howsoeuer this man be exercised with sore afflictiō, vndergoes much hard­ship at the hands of others, bee neglected or little regarded, yet the later end of that man shall bee peace.

The verse hath in it two parts.

First, the matter of obseruation, who is it the Holy Ghost would haue vs to take such notice of, not the Noble, the Rich, or the [Page 6] Mighty, but the Vpright and Iust man.

Secondly, the end wherefore we should so diligently obserue him, namely, that wee might be incouraged in wel-doing, and not discouraged vnder our pre­sent afflictions, since hee is sure to haue peace at last.

In the first of these which is the matter of obseruation, I ob­serue two things.

First, the note of attention, marke and behold.

Secondly, the person to bee obserued, the vpright and iust man.

First, the Holy Ghost seeketh to awaken our eyes, which na­turally are very drowsie to be­hold any thing that is good, and to prepare our hearts, which are first to be sought vp, before wee can goe about Gods businesses.

Marke and beholde, 1. The note of at­tention. these words of attention make known vnto vs that there is some waigh­tie matter within this Text, which Almighty God would haue vs well to cōsider of For so indeed in the sacred Scripture, these two words marke and be­hold, are euer vsed vpon extra­ordinarie occasions.

Now this serues to put vs in minde of our owne dulnesse and backwardnesse to good duties, Vse. that wee thus stand in neede of such prouocations to put vs in minde of the same; precept vp­on precept, and line vpon line, and all too little to prouoke vs to good duties. If our hearts be duly possest with diuine con­templation, a man can neuer cast his eyes amisse, whether wee looke to the heauens aboue, or to the earth belowe, or vpon [Page 8] what creature soeuer, still wee haue Gods Phylosophy Lecture read vnto vs in the Creature, to teach man his dutie towards his Creator.

2. The person.But amongst all other crea­tures whatsoeuer, the Lord sends vs to beholde man to this ende, that wee should marke and con­sider what is Gods manner of dealing towardes the sonnes of men, both in his punishing of the wicked, and rewarding the godly; Marke the vpright man.

Doct. 1 The Doctrine is, that euery Christiā mā is boūd in a special maner to obserue what is Gods dealing with men, Gods dea­ling with men must be obser­ued. both with the godly and with the wicked, as well those that are recorded in Gods Booke, as those that we haue knowne in our owne expe­rience: and that to this ende, that wee might bee incouraged [Page 9] in the wayes of godlinesse by the examples of the godly, the Lord highly honouring them with a blessed memory vpon earth, and crowne of glory in heauen. As also discouraged in committing of sinne, when we shall consider Gods feareful Iudgements inflicted vpon sin­ners: how the name of the wic­ked doth rot, and how the Lord doth pay and repay Iudgement, wrath, and indignation, vpon sinners. We must not be sence­lesse of Gods dealings in the world, but duely to record his workes and dealings with men, not onely to see and behold the seuerity of God towards others, but for spectacles and examples to vs, that we should take heede of such sins which procure such iudgements. And to this ende wee see in the Scriptures the [Page 10] Lord hath hung vp in chaines, as it were, diuers wicked men, not for others to gase vpon them, but to be warned by them. For murtherers Caine is hung vp: Gen. 4. For all prophane persons Esau is made an example: For traytors Iudas: For all Apostates Lots wife: And so the Apostle Iude telleth vs that Sodom and Gomor­rah, and the Cities about them, which the Lord destroyed for following strange flesh, were and are set foorth for a warning and example to all filthie and beastly minded men. The like may be sayd of Ismael, Gehezi, Absalom, Saul, Achan, and the like.

And as we are to obserue the wicked, so especially to marke and beholde the godly, their godly life, their sober conuer­sation, and their care and consci­ence [Page 11] to walke with God, in obe­dience to his commandements, their admirable faith, wonder­full patience, meekenesse, tem­perance, &c. These things must be obseru'd by vs, that so we may by their examples be incoraged in the waies of well doing, & in them may see that our labour shal not be in vaine in the Lord: and to this end the holy Scrip­tures sets out vnto vs a Cata­logue of very memorable exam­ples of deedes of Gods worthy seruants; you haue heard of the patience of Iob saith Iames: Iam. 5. Heb. 11 and in the Epistle to the Hebrewes there are diuerse remembred vn­to vs, that were famouzed in their times for their faith, & still remaine in a blessed memory in Gods Church, and so shall re­maine for euer. And so likewise to take notice of the graces of [Page 12] God in his seruants that remain with vs, beholde their liues, and behold their ends, as an incou­ragement vnto vs in walking in their pathes. Howsoeuer the godly are afflicted heere for a time, the latter end of that man shall be peace.

I come to the reasons of the Doctrine.

Reas. 1 First, concerning the obser­uation of the wicked, especially of the godly: This may be one principall reason why wee must marke them well, for the manner of their life, and for the manner of their deathes; because God is not mutable and changeable, but euer the same without any shadow of change. As the Lord heretofore and daily doth bring shame and confusion vpon the [Page 13] heades of wicked men and so makes them examples vnto o­thers, so will the Lord deale with vs if wee treade in their pathes: the same iudgements of God that ouer-tooke other sin­ners, shall in the ende ouertake thee if thou walk in th [...]er waies. Seest thou a man that hath been a gracelesse wretch, a horrible swearer, an vncleane person, a prophane person or the like: hath the Lord followed such with his Iudgements, as their life hath beene without grace, so their deathes haue been with­out comfort, behold in them thy owne condition, remember that God is iust, the same iudge­ments waite vpon the same sin­ners.

So especially as my Text saith concerning the godly, Marke well the righteous, and behold the [Page 14] iust. Beholde their life, and be­holde their death, if their liues haue beene religious, though accompanied with many out­ward afflictions, their deathes haue neuer wanted comfort: The end of that man shall be peace. And let the same incourage thee in well doing, because God is not mutable, Acts 10. hee changeth not, In euery nation hee that feareth God and worketh righteousnes is accepted of him: follow such in their life, & thou shalt not misse of their comfort in thy death, grace in life and peace in death.

Reas. 2 Secondly, by these are the men that God delights in, these feare him, these honour his Name, these haue learned first to seeke the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof, these do not disgrace the Gospell and holy profession of Christ, and [Page 15] therefore marke well these men.

Thirdly, it may be sayd of the Reas. 3 godly as it was sayd of Dauid, that they are men after Gods own heart, these are they that haue learned to deny vngodlinesse, and worldly lust, and liue so­berly and iustly in this present world: In a worde, these are the best statesmen, these vpholde a kingdome, bring a blessing to the towne & countrey wherein they liue. These God doth ten­der as the apple of his eye, these are as neere to him as the signet of his right hand, whom hee daily follows with his blessings, and will neuer leaue them till they haue the ful fruition of him in glory, and therefore marke these men.

I come to the vses of the Doctrine.

First, it serues for matter of Vse 1 [Page 16] reproofe vnto those that in rea­ding the stories of Gods iudge­ments vpon others in the Booke of God, and obseruing the like daily in their owne experience, make not this vse of them to make them beware: many won­der at them that they had no better grace, but alas they doe not heereby take occasion to feare Gods iudgements, to ap­ply them to themselues, & to say in their hearts, this example is set out to warne me and to teach mee, that if I commit the same sinne God is iust still, I shall bee sure to partake of the same pu­nishment, and so to breake off their sinnes by repentance. But alas, though wee see and heare daily of neuer so many fearefull examples of Gods iudgements against sinne and sinners, where is the man that saith, alas, What [Page 17] haue I done? for farre are many from marking Gods dealing with others.

Secondly, this ministers mat­ter Vse 2 of instructiō vnto all, that we marke well the vpright: It is the counsell the Holy Ghost giues vnto vs heere, followe them as they haue followed God, bee carefull to imitate their vertues, so shalt thou bee sure to pertake of their praise: Heb. 11. Our labour shall not be in vaine in the Lord, He is a plentifull rewarder of them that seeke him. And euer remember that God is vnchangeable, true, hee that stood by them and car­ried them out through all their miseries and afflictions, will bee as strong in thee if thou be care­full to walke with him as they haue done.

Marke the vpright man, and behold the iust.

The next thing wee are here to take notice of, is the descrip­tion of a godly man, or that man that especially is to be mar­ked, hee is an vpright man, and a iust man.

These titles wee see are fre­quent & often vsed in the Scrip­tures, and the Lord doth honor his seruants with them, whence we are taught this instruction.

Doct. 2 That Gods seruants in this life may attaine vnto that mea­sure of grace and sanctication, Gods ser­uants may be called vpright men and iust here. Iob. 1.1. Luk. 1. Act. 10. Heb. 11.38 as that they may truely be called vpright and iust men. Thus doth the Lord commend Iob to bee an vpright and iust man: It was the cōmendations of Zacherie, Cornelius, & diuerse others men­tioned in the Scripture.

Which Doctrine indeed de­serues to bee vrged and pressed to stop the mouthes of those that are euer disgracing Gods people with their taunts, Oh you are holy, you are an vpright man, you are a iust man: but herein they despise not man but God, who hath holinesse in his seruants, Heb. 4. without which no man shall see God. But if I should stand vpon this point I should bereaue you of some other in­struction more fitter for this present occasion, which I would willingly impart vnto you.

And so I come to the second part of the verse.

The later end of that man shall be peace.

These words containe in thē the reason why we shold so dilli­gently [Page 20] obserue the vpright man, The later end of that man shall be peace.

Out of this Reason I obserue two things.

First, the speciall time of re­freshing, God will take care of the godly at all times, yea thogh the Lord doe suffer them to lie vnder affliction for a time, hee is not then vnmindfull of them: But their later end shall haue a double rewarde.

Secondly, I note the blessing it selfe, which shal be conferred vpon them, 2. Cor. 13.13. it is peace, the grea­test blessing, and that which go­eth beyond all other blessings, for it passeth all vnderstanding.

The Latter end of that man shall be peace.

The Prophet hauing before [Page 21] exhorted vs to marke and behold the life of the vpright man and iust man, comes now to shewe wherein hee is happy aboue o­thers, hee shall haue peace. Peace is promised vnto him frō God, as a iust recompence of his vp­rightnesse and fastnesse: this he shall bee sure of, Sathan, the world, nor his owne corruption shall neuer be able to take it frō him, it is an inseparable compa­nion of grace and vertue, haue thou grace, thou shalt be sure of peace. But marke heere, it is at their latter end: they are not sure of it at all times, no, no, Gods seruants are heere in a warfare, they are to fight against the Diuell, and a world of wic­ked men, and as our Sauiour teacheth, Ioh. 16.33. In the world you must haue tribulation, but The latter end shall be peace.

The Doctrine is.

Doct. 3 The godly in this life haue ma­ny trou­bles.That good men, yea the dea­rest of Gods Saints and seruants in this life shall haue troubles, & sore affl ctions, which they bear so much the more grieuous when on euery side the wicked shall abound in pleasure. This was it that so troubled Dauid at this time, and before hee won­dered at the prosperity of the wicked, and on the contrary part was much cast down to see what a loade of afflictions lay vpon the godly: but now he re­couers himselfe with the com­fort of this, that howsoeuer Gods people suffer much for a time, it is but for a time, yea a short, they shall bee sure to haue peace at last. And now hee hath learned this lesson, and can teach it others: That looke how [Page 23] many will truely feare the Lord, that carefully will endeauour to walke in Gods commande­ments to the end of their dayes, they shall haue crosses and trou­bles, Act. 14.22. so true is that of the A­postle, That all that will liue god­ly in Christ Iesus must suffer per­secution. Innumerable troubles (saith Dauid) haue compassed mee from my youth (may Israel now say) they haue oftentimes afflicted mee from my youth, Psal. 40.12 but they could not preuaile against mee. I might instance this Doctrine by infi­nite examples, Abraham in exile, Iob on the dunghil, Ioseph, inno­cent Ioseph in the prison as a malefactor in an high degree, Ieremy in the stocks, Daniel in the denne, the people of Israel, euen the Israel of God in mise­rable bondage vnder the Egypti­tians: So that I conclude, that [Page 24] look how many of vs as intēd to be righteous, we must looke for afflictions and troubles, yea and prepare our hearts thereunto, & not to bee dismayed at them when they fall vpon vs, had though some strange thing had happened vnto vs, according to that of the Apostle, 1. Pet. 4.12.13. Dearely be­loued, think it not strange concer­ning the fiery tryall which is a­mongst you to prooue you, as though some strange things were come vn­to you. But reioyce in as much as ye are pertakers of Christs sufferings, that when his glory shall appeare, ye may be glad and reiocye. I shall not neede I hope in so euident a truth to search vp more Scrip­tures to proue it: The Reasons that follow will cleare the same vnto vs.

Reas. 1 First, because the godly haue in them many sinnes, for sinne is [Page 25] the generall and vniuersall cause of all troubles, for so testifieth the Prophet saying; Lam. 39.3. Man suffe­reth for his sinne, let vs search & try our waies and turne vnto the Lord. So then in as much as all haue sinned, all are lyable to chastisements & afflictions, the iust punishment of sinne, and if wee breake his Satutes and keep not his Commandements, no maruaile though the Lord doe visit our iniquities with his rod, and our sinnes with scourges.

Secondly, because the godly Reas. 2 haue many graces, for as God doth bestowe vpon his seruants more gifts & graces then vpon all the worlde besides, so will the Lord haue the same to ap­peare in his seruants to the praise of his grace. They must be beat like spice in a motter that they may sauour the better, and euer [Page 26] according to our strength, the Lord doth euer proportion our tryals, On Hos. 6.1. but I haue handled this elsewhere.

Vse 1 The consideration of this is for excellent vse vnto the godly, to comfort them in the midst of all their troubles and afflictions here, that they doe not thereby iudge of Gods fauour or dis­pleasure: for as Salomon teach­eth, All things happen alike to all. It is the condition of the godly as wel as the wicked, yea, it is more insident to the pro­fessors and profession of the Gospell then to others. Such must not thinke the worse of themselues, but the better, onely they are to labour to make their calling and election sure, that hauing assurance of Gods fa­uour in Iesus Christ, they may thereby haue their afflictions [Page 27] sanctified vnto them.

Secondly, this may serue to Vse 2 comfort the faint-hearted, that are tossed with the waues of ma­ny troubles heere; if searching their hearts they can finde their vprightnesse, and trying their owne waies they prooue to bee righteous, there is not that cause of sorrow or discontent to that man to thinke his state ey­ther desperate or irrecouerable. If troubles were alwaies an ar­gument of Gods displeasure, who then were sure of Gods fa­uour; The Lord doth as sure prouide his children correction as food, and hee that is without chastisement is a bastard & not a sonne. Let no man then say in prosperity, I shall neuer bee re­mooued: God hath his quiuer full of arrowes to shoot abroad. Neither let any in aduersity say, [Page 28] I shall neuer bee restored. For the Lord taketh no pleasure in afflicting his seruants, whenso­euer the Lord chastiseth his, he sees there is great necessity of the rod, yet in the middest of iudgement the Lord remem­breth mercy, & howsoeuer sor­row may indure for a night, ioy commeth in the morning, Their latter end shall be peace.

The latter end of that man shall be peace.

The Second thing wee are to take notice of, Peace the greatest blessing of God. is the blessing it selfe, which shall bee conferred vpon them, it is peace, the grea­test blessing.

Obiect. Ob. But shal not the later end of all men be alike? doth not Salomō say, Eccl. 9.1 There is one end to the righte­ous and the wicked, to the cleane [Page 29] and vncleane, to him that sacrifi­ceth and to him that sacrificeth not, the end is all alike: why then shall the later end of the vpright be marked more thē other mens?

Ans. I answere that their la­ter end is all alike for the matter of their death, that is, Ans. all doe die: But it is not all one for the manner of their death, for all shall not die in peace, but as my Text saith; Marke the vpright man and beholde the iust, for the later end of that man shal be peace.

So then the instruction we are to take notice of hence, is,

That the godly onely at their Doct. 4 later end haue peace, Onely the godly haue peace at last. so that wee haue heere to consider what is the condition of all men in death: all die, but all haue not peace in their deathes, The later end of the iust shall bee peace. But as for the wicked, Esa. 48.22. [Page 30] There is no peace to the wicked saith my God.

I desire briefly to speake of both of these.

And first concerning the god­ly, the Holy Ghost doth heere assure them of peace, & that pre­sently vpon their going hence they are happy, Reu. 14.13 Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord, from thenceforth they rest from their labours. This appeares in Abra­ham to whom it was promised that hee should goe vnto his fa­thers in peace. Gen. 15.15 And of Isaac his sonne it is sayd, Gen. 35.29 That he gaue vp the ghost and died peaceably, be­ing old & full of dayes: The like may bee sayd of Iacob, of Ioseph, of Iosuah, Moses, Dauid, and it is true of all Gods seruants, that their latter end is peace. An ex­ellent place of Scripture wee haue to this purpose by the Pro­phet [Page 31] Esay; Esa. 57.2. Hee shall enter into peace, and they shall rest in their beds: Euery one that walketh be­fore him in his rightousnes. It was Simeons dying song, Luk. 2.29. Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word. This wee haue confirmed by that we read of Lazarus, Luk. 16.22 who was carri­ed immediately after his death into Abrahams bosom, in his life time a man little regarded, at his end the Angels are his seruants. Yea the wicked themselues haue confessed & shall acknowledge that the godly are blessed in their deaths, witnes that speech of cursed Balaam, who desired to die the death of the godly; Num. 23.10. Let mee die the death of the righ­teous, and let my last end bee like his. That wretch could not but acknowledge, that the condition of the godly was [Page 32] happy and blessed, howsoeuer their liues are full of misery, and they are tossed from post to pil­lar, as the Israelites in the wil­dernesse, yet in their deaths they had peace. I will not spend much time herein, I hope our iudge­ments are sufficiently conuin­ced concerning the truth of the Doctrine, I will briefly set downe the Reasons.

Reas. 1 First, the godly are sure of peace at last, in regard of the ac­complishment of Gods pro­mise, who hath sayd that peace shall come, Esa. 57.2. that They shall rest in their beds, euery one that walketh before the Lord, which promise of his, the Lord hath euer made good from time to time, vnto all the faithfull, after all their la­bour and trauailes giuing them rest, and from their troubles and afflictions, in the ende to giue [Page 33] them peace, his promise requi­reth it.

Secondly, the godly haue Reas. 2 peace with God, with whom they are reconciled by Christ, which is their peace: This peace the godly haue in this life in the midst of their greatest miseries heere, which serues to sweeten the Crosse, and to support them vnder the burthen of their afflic­tions. And therefore the Lord giuing them the earnest of their inheritance, and the first fruits of the Spirit here: they must needs haue peace with God go­ing out of the worlde, who goe to enioy God, who haue such peace in the worlde where they are absent from the Lord in their bodies.

The vses follow to bee considered.

First of all, seeing Gods ser­uants Vse 1 [Page 34] doe die in peace, and that this shall bee the portion they shall receiue from the Lord af­ter all their labours & trauailes peace at last. This may serue to reprooue those that flatter their ow [...]e soules, and secure them­selues that they shall die happi­ly, though they haue neither care nor conscience to liue ho­lily, faine would they with Ba­laam die the death of the righte­ous, but they will neuer yeelde consent to liue the life of the righteous: they would faine act the parte of the godly in their death, that by no meanes care for their spirit in life. Oh how is these mens madnes to be mour­ned for, and their ignorance and obstinacy to bee pittied, poore soules they deceiue themselues. This will neuer be, men cannot liue like sinners and die like [Page 35] Saints, They that sow to the flesh, Gal. 6.6. shall of the flesh reape corruption. Were it not madnesse in a man that after hee hath sowed cockle and darnell in his fielde, at Haruest time to thinke hee shall reape good wheate: eu [...]y man would condemne this man of madnes & exterme folly. Oh my brethren let vs take heed we proue not such fooles one day, Be not deceiued God is not mocked, Whatsoeuer a man soweth, that shall hee reape. Doest thou goe on in thy sinnes, in thy prophane course of vncleanenesse, drun­kennesse, swearing, Sabaoth-breaking, &c. and yet thinkest to die in peace, this is altogether impossible. I will say to thee as sometimes Iehu sayd to the mes­sengers of Iehoram, 2. Reg. 9.22. What hast thou to doe with peace, so long as the whoredomes of thy mother Ie­zabel [Page 36] remaine: So what peace can there bee at thy death, so long as thy whoredomes re­maine, thy drunkennesse, vsury, oppression remaine, it is grace in life that hath the promise of peace in death.

Vse 2 The second vse is for matter of instruction vnto the Godly, that they bee not wearie of well doing, for in due time they shall reap, if they faint not. Let not the godly bee discouraged in their worke in Gods vineyard, what though they beare the heate & burthen of the day, the euening commeth when they shall rest, the Lords penny, this peace at last will make amends for all, and then wee shall see and con­fesse with the Apostle, that these light and momentary afflictions here, are not worthie of such a re­compence of rewarde. Looke still [Page 37] to the end of wel-doing, Iam. 5.7. peace at last, this shall be thy portion. In the meane time doe as the husband man doth, waite for the pretious fruite, and haue long patience. Thy labour shall not be in vaine in the Lord, af­ter all the boysterous stormes in this life, wrestling against sinne, Sathan, and thy owne corrupti­ons, here is Gods promise gone out of his lips, that can no more fayle, then himselfe cease to be true, Thou shalt haue peace at last.

Thirdly, seeing the Lord hath Vse 3 promised peace vnto his seruants at last, & that a good life brings with it euer a good death: Hence wee learne what to con­ceiue of the despairing wordes of Gods seruants in time of some sore assault and temptati­on, when the waters enter into their soule, that God hath for­saken [Page 38] them, and that he hath for­gotten to be gracious, that hee hath shut his louing kindnesse in displeasure, that God hath no mercy in store for them, and the like. Namely, that these are but words of distemper, not of reason & of iudgement; for will God cast away his people? Rom. 11.1. God for­bid. Such may be the nature of the disease, that fuming vp into the braine may cause such a di­stemper for the time present. But mans changeable tongue can neuer alter Gods decree, which is vnchangeable, he hath sayd it, Rom. 3.3 That the end of the vp­right and iust man shall bee peace at last, and who shall hinder it, shall Sathan lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen, when God doth iustifie any: no, no, wee are more then conquerours thorough him that loued vs, & [Page 39] therefore let vs learne to iudge aright of our brethren in their deathes, and let not our iudge­ment bee weakened, or charity faile, when they are put to cry out as before; but looke we vp­on their liues if they appeare to haue beene godly and religi­ous, and that they haue made conscience of holy duties: re­member we euer the Lords pro­mise, The latter end of that man shall be peace.

The last thing wee are to take notice of, from the authority of this Scripture, is, that if peace bee promised of the Lord vnto the vpright & iust man, The end of that man shall be peace.

Then on the contrary, Wicked men can haue no peace in death. there Doct. 5 is peace to the wicked, whose liues haue beene gracelesse, their deathes haue beene com­fortlesse, what though the wic­ked [Page 40] flourish in this world, waxe olde and growe in wealth, Iob. 21.8.9 what though their houses be peaceable and without feare, and the rod of God is not vpon them: what though they spend their dayes in pleasure, they shall suddenly to hell, saith Iob; There is no peace to the wicked, Esa 48.2 [...]. saith my God. The Doctrine then will bee cleare.

That wicked men in death can haue no peace. Those that in the time of their life haue had no care or conscience to gette grace into their soules, when sicknesse comes and death ap­proacheth, must needs be voyd of all true comfort. Salomon hath excellent sayings to prooue this Doctrine; Pro. 11.7. When a wicked man dieth (saith hee) his expectation perisheth, & the hope of his power shall perish. And Iob hath a say­ing [Page 41] to the same purpose, Iob. 27.8. What hope hath the hypocrite though he hath heaped vp riches, when God taketh away his soule; meaning thereby indeed, that he hath no hope left him. What ioy then can be there in a wicked mans prosperity, what comfort can there bee in such a peace, as hath ruine & destruction attending vpon it. Dan. [...]. What ioy had Belshat­zar in his banquet, when in the midst of his cups hee beheld the hand writing vpon the wall, contayning in it the sentence of his finall downfall: His thoughts were troubled (saith the Text) his ioynts were loosed, and his knees smot one against another: his cō ­pany could not comfort him, nor his dainty dishes refresh him, when his conscience is vp in armes against him. Luk. [...]2.42 The rich man in the Gospell was very [Page 42] ioyfull and gloried in his plen­tie, promised much peace to his soule; but wee see how sud­denly this glory of his is dam­ped with this newes, This night they will fetch thy soule from thee. No heauier newes could come to him that had his porti­on in this life, then to tell him of fetching away his soule. I might lay here before your eyes a multitude of examples, Had Saul peace, had Ahab peace, had Iesabel peace, had Iudas peace: There is no peace vnto the wic­ked.

Take all the pleasantest deli­cates that the earth may affoord, and offer them to a condemned wretch going to execution, will he glut himselfe with them, and fall to them with an hungry ap­petite? No, no, hee will answer thee, I can take no delight in [Page 43] these things, for I perceiue that present death waiteth for mee. So, euen so is it with a wicked man, and so shall it be with him in the last dayes, though his barnes bee full, and his presses run ouer, though hee can num­ber his Oxen by thousands, and his Sheepe by ten thousands, these cannot adde one iot of comfort to his heauy heart, when death approacheth hee shall then finde no pleasure in them: for then there remaines for him nothing but a fearefull expectation of iudgement. This shall bee the woefull estate and condition of those that put from thē the euill day, that will not be acquainted with Gods wayes, their liues hauing beene disso­lute and sinfull, their deathes shall be wretched and without comfort.

The Reasons.

Reas. 1 First, the wicked want peace in death, because they want faith in life, for it is faith, euen faith alone that must giue vs boldnes and comfort at that day. For thus runnes the promise, Io. 3.16. God so loued the world, that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish, but haue life euerlasting. But wic­ked men beleeue not in him, the word of God cannot worke vpon their harts, it is but as seed cast vpon stony ground, as ap­peares by the heardnes of their hearts, and therefore being with­out the couenant, no maruaile though they partake not of the promise.

Reas. 2 Secondly, the prerogatiues and priuileges of Gods people would bee much infringed, if there were no differēce betwixt the wicked & the godly, if they [Page 45] were but so blessed in their deathes, as they seeme prospe­rous in their life, then might the godly say that they had cleansed their hearts in vaine. But now in that the hope of the wicked doth perish, and in death they begin to partake of miserie, whereas the godly after al their trials & trouble shall then haue peace. Herein standeth the dif­ference betweene them. Pro. 14.32 The wicked shall bee cast away for his lewdnesse: But the Righteous hath hope at his death. For the time of this life we see that common­ly wicked men, enioy their plea­sure and are full, whereas Gods seruants are afflicted and suffer want, and therefore the Iustice of God requireth that their con­ditions should bee changed on both sides. The pleasure of the one to bee turned into paine; [Page 46] and the sorrow of the other in­to comfort, for if there were not a day of refreshing vnto the godly, of al men they were most miserable. And if there were not a reckoning day reserued for the wicked, of all men they were most happy.

Vse 1 This serues first of all to a­wake the Carnall man, which is euer singing the sweete dittie of peace vnto his Soule, that see­meth to haue made a league with death, & to be at an agree­ment with the graue. Ah poore Soules, there is a day comming when the Lord wil disannul this agreement, and this drunken peace shall bee dissolued, when death shall once lay vpon them his arest, what will it auaile thee to crye: Lord, Lord. Thou maist crie till thy tongue cleaue to the roofe of thy mouth, thou mayst [Page 47] howle vpon thy bed like a wolfe, and yet the Lord will stop his eares that hee will not heare thy crye, and that because thou hast dispised instruction, Pro. 1. and when the Lrod sought vnto thee, and offered grace vnto thee, thou wouldest not heare him. There­fore his distributiue Iustice re­quireth, that thou shouldest crie and call vnto the Lord and hee shall not answere thee. This is a most fearefull condition thus to be forsaken of the Lord: es­pecially whē in time of distresse, the poore soule shall seeke for cōfort. This is Gods iust iudge­ment for the contempt of grace before offered vnto him.

Oh the miserie of this poore creature, that is so payned that hee cannot liue: so vnprepared that he dare not die: that goes to bed but cannot sleepe: that [Page 48] tasts his meat but wil not down: that shifts his roome but not his paine: & as for death which hath already seazed vpon him, his conscience tels him he is al­together vnprepared for.

This is the condition, & these will be the outcries of those that will not in time bee warned, to seek to worke out their peace be­times in their life time, before it be too late, and their conscience shall tell them. There is no peace.

Vse 2 But especially are they heere to be reproued, that liue in hope that the time of their death will beget hope: They knowe that they haue beene vile wretched and desperate sinners, without grace and goodnesse, and that they haue from time to time dis­pised Gods patience and long suffering, that should haue led them to repentance, vnto all [Page 49] manner of licentious liuing: this they knowe, and that they haue presumptuously, euen a­gainst knowledge & conscience resisted the Lord, hardning their owne hearts against his or­dinance: this they knowe. Yet they trust, they say at last, to haue repentance for al, & so be saued: Their own cōscience telleth thē that their estate is damnable, & [...] if the Lord should at this instance of time call them to accoūt, they must needs perish, yet poore Soules they presume of repentance at the last. But poore Soules, how can such as haue spent their dayes in the seruice of sin and Sathan, thinke that death will prooue so good vnto them. Are Theeues and Robbers and such like offenders bound ouer to the Assises, to the end they may receiue honor or [Page 50] shame? to be put into the Com­mission and taken vp to the bench, or not rather to receiue Iudgement and to bee executed according to their demerits. Oh take heede thou deceiue not thine owne soule herein: Many thousands are now in hell, and there shal suffer the paines of the damned for euer more, that had these purposes to haue cryed God mercy at last. Remem­ber this when I am gone, that it is grace in this life, that brings peace at last.

I knowe the Deuill will still perswade vs to play with our sins, but in the meane time our sins will not play with vs, we run dayly into Gods score, and the greater our debts, the deeper re­pentance at last.

If Moses had not slaine the Egiptian, the poore Ebrewe must [Page 51] haue perished. Saul fauoured the life of Agag, but it cost him his owne life. If those fiue wic­ked Nations had not beene de­stroied, before the Iewes had sea­ted themselues in the Land of Canaan, where had beene their peace? Seeing then that the case is so dangerous, let Agag bee slaine, the Cananits cast out, and the Egiptian put to death. I meane let vs kill our sinnes, and break off our iniquities by repē ­tance, that so wee may procure our peace, doubtlesse then shall wee possesse our soules in peace while we liue heere, and end our dayes in peace. Which the Lord grant vnto vs all for his Christs sake. Amen.