A TREATISE of the great and general day of judgement: Necessary for every Christian that wisheth good success to his Soul, at that great and terrible day.  
By Henry Greenwood, Master of Arts, and Preacher of the word of God.  
With an addition of certain godly prayers the contents appear in the next page.  But I say unto you, that of every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof at the day of judgement. Mat. 12.36.  

The contents of the Prayers.  

A short disputation between the devil and the poor soul of a christian.  
A short deathbed dialogue.  
A prayer for the morning.  
A prayer for the Evening.  
A thanksgiving for our late deliverance.  
A prayer comprehending the matter of the last judgement.  
A short prayer of purpose against Satan's assaults.  
A short prayer at hand upon all occasions.  
A prayer for all sorts.    

❧ TO THE Right Worshipful, and my very good friends, LESTRANGE MORDAUNT of Massingham Hall, in the County of Norfolk Esquire, and M MARGARET MORDAUNT his loving bedfellow, Eternal welfare, and everlasting happiness in Christ jesus our Lord and Saviour.  
Being earnestly requested, and often entreated (Right worshipful) by many of my good friends, to put in print this small Treatise of the General day of doom, which I lately preached, and in public place delivered: I have (being overcome with their persuasions) condescended to their earnest demand, although very unapt and exceedingly unworthy for the penning of so worthy a matter. Wherefore I have made choice (craving pardon for my presumption herein) of your well disposed worship at this time (being the Alpha of my tender and slender endeavours) to sound in your sacred cares this last and general trumpet, & to dedicate to your worship the same: both in regard of the demonstration of my true unfamed, and lasting thankfulness to your benign worship, (for saith Seneca: Beneficium hominem gratum semper delectat, ingratum semel: id est: A thankful man will alway remember a benefit, but an unthankful person will soon forget it) for your extraordinary Kindnesses bestowed upon me, Absque ullo demerito, without any desert in the world: as also in regard of the greate● affection, good devotion, and thrice welcome entertainment you bear to divine and spiritual tractates which appertain to the everlasting bliss of the soul, accounting them blessed which bring glad tidings of salvation. I desire therefore (idque more humillimo, in most submissive manner) this one thing at your worship's hand, that you would (pardoning my boldness) vouchsafe, aequi bonique consulere, to take in good worth this simple and slender gift. Which thing if your worship shall vouchsafe to do, it shall not only be an encouragement to my future proceedings, but also it shall be vinculum in dissolubile, an invincible bond to tie me in all duty, & in all love to your worship: dum memor ipse mei, dum spiritus hos regit artus: so long as life shall last. Thus humbly taking my leave of your good worships (nothing doubting of the goodness of your natures in the acceptance of these my first presented fruits) I commit you with yours to the safe protection of the almighty, always begging before the throne of his most glorious Majesty, that he would in this life, infuse his holy spirit with all his graces into your hearts abundantly, and in the world to come, crown you with the crown of immortal glory, & that for Christ jesus his sake, our Lord and only Saviour, Amen. From Sampford Magna in Essex, this 30. of April. 1606.  
Your Worships in all duty for ever to command. Henry Greenewood.   

A Treatise of the Great and general day of judgement: necessary for every Christian that wisheth good success to his soul, at that great and terrible day.  
But I say unto you, that of every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give an account thereof, at the day of ●udgement.  math. 12.36. 
MAn in regard of the corruption of his nature, through the fall of his great Grandfather Adam (who was the foil of Mankind, the parent of sin, and the author of death to all his posterity, forasmuch as we were all In jumbis Adama, In his joins) as he is subject to all sins whatsoever,, so is he especially addicted to the sin of security and carelessness. Therefore as Adam sleeping securely in his transgression, and hiding himself from the presence of the Lord behind the bush, had great need of that watchbell from God (to rouse him from the sleep of sin, and to call him again unto God, Adam ubi es? Adam where art thou? 
Gen. 3.9.  So as necessary for every sinful Adamite (to raise him up from the sleep of sin, wherein he was borne) is this notable Memento, this worthy rehearsal of the great and terrible day of doom. But I say unto you, etc. which words of our Saviour Christ, spoken to the scribes and pharisees (who would not believe that be wrought this miracles by the powerful spirit of God, but slanderously and contemptuously told him to his face▪ (that he did cast out devils through Beelzebubs name. 
Mat. 12.24  are as much in effect, as if he had said on this manner: It account must be rendered at the day of judgement of every idle word that men shall speak, then much more of blaspheamous words: But I say unto you that of every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof at the general day of judgement: Ergo much more of blasphemous words as yours are, in saying, that I cast out devils through the name of Beelzebub.  
So that these words of our Saviour are nothing else but a true proposition and sound argument drawn A minore ad maius, whereby Christ doth prove the greatness of punishment that should befall the blaspheamous Pharisees, in regard of the greatness of their sin.  
In which portion of Scripture, four things necessarily must be considered.  

1 The persons that must give account, who they be.  
2 Of what things these persons must give an account.  
3 To whom must this account be given.  
4 When this account must be given.   

The first part.  1 The persons that must give an account, they are expressed in this text in general, to be men. That men shall speak. Men, yea all men must give an account, as we may read in the Epistle of Saint Paul, to the Corinthians:  

2. c 1.5, 10  We must all appear before the tribunal seat of Christ, that every man may receive according to his works. All men none excepted, of every age, of every sex, and of every nation, rich and poor, Princes and common people, noble and ignoble, all that have been from the beginning of the world, and shall be to the end of the same, shall appear before Christ's judgement seat, and give an account, every one for himself to God: 
Heb. 9. 2●  For; It it is appointed unto men once to die, and after that cometh judgement, As it is therefore most sure, that all men must die so it is sure, that all men most come to judgement.  

Art. 7.  This is the seventh article of our faith to believe: that Christ shall come from heaven to judge the quick and the dead: by the dead, all those are to be understood that shall be found dead at the second coming of Christ: by the quick, all those are to be understood, that shall be found living at that his second coming. Augustine in his Enchirioson to Laurentius, 
August.  chapter 55. saith, that this article may be expounded two ways: either by the dead (saith be) may be meant those that shall be found corporally dead: & by the quick, those that shall be found corporally living at Christ's coming: or (saith he) by the dead may be meant those, that be dead in sin, according to that in the Gospel of Matthew: 
Mat. 8.22.  Let the dead bury their dead: and by the quick, those that be dead to sin, and living by faith, according to that of the Prophet Abacuk: the just shall live by faith. 
Hab●. 2.4.  But this exposition is not agreeable to the simplicity of the Creed: Yet notwithstanding true it is, that both the godly and the wicked shall come to judgement: for by the power of Christ all men shall be raised up: the holy Angels with the great sound of a Trumpet shall be sent forth into all the world, 
Mat. 24.31  and they shall gather together the elect, from the four quarters of the earth, from one end of the heaven to the other: Then shall Christ separate the elect from the reprobates, 
Mat 13.40  the wheat from the tars, the come from the chief, the Lambs from the Contes, the just from the unjust.  
So that you see that the godly and the wicked, yea all men whatsoever, shall appear before Christ's tribunal seat, and give an account of themselves, and for themselves to the terrible judge.  

Object joh. 3. ●8.  Ob. Some not withstanding may object against this doctrine delivered, and say: as it to in john, That be that believeth in Christ, shall not be judged, or shall not come into judgement: and so by consequence all men shall not be judged.  
Ans. To which I answer, that judgement in that place of john, 
Answer.  (as in many other places of sacred scriptures) is taken for condemnation: in which sense true it is, that be that believeth in Christ jesus, he that is engrafted into Christ by a true and alively faith, he that is flesh of his flesh, & bone of his bone, one with Christ, and Christ with him, by the spiritual conjunction of the Church with CHRIST, this party shall not come into judgement, s●●l. Condemnationis, that is, of Condemnation, in judgement he shall not be confounded, condemned, or overthrown: but he shall come in judicium absolutionis: that is, Into the judgement of absolution: In judgement he shall stand out, having on the white rob of Christ's righteousness, and being covered with the wedding garment of Regeneration. The truth of which doctrine the Preacher affirmeth, saying: GOD will judge the just and the unjust. 
Eccle. 3.17  The just unto salvation, and the unjust to damnation.  
Seeing then that all must be brought to judgement, let no man think with himself, that it may be possible for him to escape this dreadful day: 
Psal. 139● 8.9.  whither shall he fly from the presence of the Lord?  
If he ascendeth up to heaven, God is there: if he go down to hell, God is there also: if he take the wings of the morning, and she to the uttermost parts of the sea, God will find him out there also: For God is every where: he is in heaven by his glory: he is upon the earth by his mercy, he is in hell by his justice: God is ubique & nulquam: he is every where by his power and wisdom, but no where in respect of circumscription of place, being a spirit. In earthly and terrestrial courts, a man may have his proctor; but then we must (volentes nolentes, whether we will or no) personally appear and plead for ourselves.  
In terrestrial courts, bribe's many times blind the eyes of the wise, and for a little greasing the fist of the Magistrate, many times small faults, nay (by your leave) great and scandalous crimes may be winked at: but at this great court of heaven, the judge will not be partial to any: for God hath no respect of persons: 
Rome 2▪ 11 Psal. 98.9.  he will execute just judgement upon all men: as the Psalmographer speaketh: With righteousness will be judge the world, and the people with equitle. Bribes, friends, entreaties, bowlings, cries, lamentations, nothing will then prevail, but a pure heart, and a spirits upright: yea the damned in Hell confess the same: 
a a wisd. 5, 8  quid profuit nobis superbia? quid divitiarum copia? what hath pride profited us? or what hath the pomp of riches done us good? alas these cannot save our souls.  
Let the Atheist therefore mock God never too blasphemously: 
b. Act. 23, ●  let the Sadduces brag of no resurrection, no Angel, no spirit, never so schismatically: let the Epicure slug that cursed Epitaph of Sardanapalus never so beastly, Ede, lude, bibe, charum, praesentibus exple delicijs animum: post martem nulla voluptas: that is Eat, drink, play, be merry, live in all kind of pleasure, for after death there is no pleasure. Yet notwithstanding let all these miserable wretches know, that there will come a day, and the a dismal day, wherein they shall give an account of every idle word. Alas lamentable world, that men should thus murder their dearest darlings, I mean their souls, which Christ hath holden so dear: that men should with Esau sell their birthright, 
Gen 25.33.  and heritage of heaven, for a mess of pottage of worldy pleasure: that men should delight in wallowing (with the sow) in the mire of sin, 
2, Pet. 2.22.  and (with the dog) in swallowing the vomit of iniquity: & so purchase to their souls and bodies everlasting torment in the lake unquenchable: whereas they should above all things seek the kingdom of God, and the righteousness thereof, that they might have heavenly mansions at the great day of account.  
Let every Christian therefore bewail the wickedness of this world & lament the iniquity of these dates: lest it be said of us, as of the careless and graceless Christian, Cadit afina, & est qui sublenet, perist anima, & nonest quirecogitat: If an ass falleth under his burden, there be some that will diligently help it up again: but if a soul perish, no man regardeth it. Men are like the horse, ass, & mule that have no understanding: the more is the good man's grief. David his eyes gushed out into rivers of water, 
Psal. ●●●. ●37.  because men kept not gods law. The prophet jeremy crieth out on this manner▪ My belly, my belly, I am pained even at the heart; 
jerem. 4: 19 ●●  I cannot be quiet because my people is a foolish people, they are wife to do evil, but to do well, they have no knowledge,  
That godly Matron Monica sai● Augustine mother wait daily, 
Monica  and prayed for her son a conversion; for he was before his conversion a Manichee.  
So likewise it is the duty of every Christian to desire the conversion of their brethren, and to bewail their wretched estates.  
Sin never more than in these our days of the gospel, abounded: the greatest part of the world at Sathavists devils in conversation, worshippers of the ugly beast that hath seven heads & ten horns, whose badge is blasphemy: 
Apo. 13.16 Eph. ●. 2.  of that damned serpent, the prince of the air: the grand enemy of mankind, that goeth up and down like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. 
1. Pet. 5.8.  Yea Saint john saith, that Whatsoever is in the world, 
1. john. 2.16.  is either the concupiscence of the flesh, or the concupiscence of the eye, or the pride of life: hac tria pro trino numine mundus habet: this is The Trinity which the world doth worship: In stead of God the Father, God the Son, & God the holy Ghost: the world doth worship the devil, the world and the flesh: the concupiscence of the flesh, that is, carnal l●turye: the concupiscence of the eye, that is, worldly covetousness & each pri● of life, that is, devilish ambition.  
The way to hell is abroad & a wide way, & whole multitudes walk in the same: but few there be that can find out the narrow way of animate of life: the Heathen man could say this: Plurima pessima: the most are the worst: 
Anst.  preciosa non sunt numer●sa, good men are odd men: Wasps and hornets swarm, but few painful bees are to be found, the treasure up the honey of good works in the hive of their hearts, and come laden home with the same, as Virgil writeth of the Bees: At fessamulta referuns se nocte minores, crura thymo plena. No marvel therefore, if David cried out to the Lord for help in his days: saying: Help Lot●, help, 
a psal, 12, 1  for good and godly men decay. The world therefore may be compared to the earth. 
Compa.   
Ask the earth, & it will tell thee, that it doth affordé much matter for base pets, but very little stuff for Gold: ask the Gardener and he will tell thee that he hath more Nettles than Races, more Weeds than flowers, more brambles than Vy●: you ask thine own conscience, and it will tell thee, 
Note.  that there is Magna pl●itudo hominum, sed magna solisudo homorum: id est, there is a great plenty of men, but there is a great scarcity of goodmen. A good man is a Phoenix, he is Rara anis in terris, 
Inuen.  nigro●ua ●llima cyg●i A rare bird, a black ●an. We have many covetous Chur●s that will (with the fool in the Gospel) commend their souls to Plutus that was called of the b●athen, Deus diuitia●, The god of riches; but more ●ly he is D●mon divitiarum, the devil ●f riches: and think themselves safe when they have spoken peace to their souls on this manner: 
●uk. 12.19  Soul take thy rest, for thou hast goods laid up for many days: making their chest their heaven, and their pictures their God. We have many Achabs', Tyrannical extortioners, devourers of their brethren, eating them up like bread. Many adulterers, as appeareth by the great number of Bastards in this Realm.  
Many rebellious traitors and Antichristian conspirators; as did appear the last November.  
Many conceited Herodes, many proud Nebuchadne●rs, and many vain glorious I●bels, many swearers, forswearers, drunhardes, mocks-go●s, many we have (in a word) damned belboundes, cursed ce●tifes, and most miserable miscre●ts  
How little do these lamentable wretches think of 〈…〉 of accounted how little do they imagine of that woeful sentence, Go from me ye cursed etc. the Lord grant to all men (on● with another) his grace, that they may have this Scripture alway sas●ding in their ears. Of every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give an account thereof at the day of judgement.  
The consideration of this last day made Jerome afraid to offend: Whether I eat or drink (saith he) or whatsoever I do else, 
jero.  me thinks I hear this saying sounding in mine ears, Arise ye dead, and come to judgement: The which when I consider, it makes me quake and shake, and not dare to commit sin, which otherwise I should have committed.  
O that men would remember their end, than they should never offend: O that men would always set before their eyes the quatno● nonissima: the day of death, the day of judgement, the joys of heaven and the torments of hell: then would not men live so loosely, but they would with all diligence work out their salvation with fear and exembling: the which care of godliness the lord grant to all men Thus much shall suffice for this first part of this Scripture, namely, for the parties that shall give an account, who they be, namely all men whatsoever. But I say unto you that of every idle word that men shall speak, they, etc.  

The second part.  2 Of what things must we give an account.  
There must an account be made of many, yea of things innumerable, but especially of these five.  
1 Of the thoughts of our hearts, according to that of Solomon, 
●wis, 1, 9  there shall inquisition be made for the thoughts of the ungodly, there shall not a wicked thought pass in judgement.  
If Adam had committed but one disobedient thought in heart against Almighty God, with full consent of will to have performed the same, and though be had not actually broken Gods commandment: it was necessary that the se● Adam (who is a raiser of our ruins, the ransom for our offences, and the restorer of life) should come, and suffer the cortures of hell [as he did] or else we with Adam had gone the high way to eternal 〈◊〉. No marvel therefore if our Saviour Christ accounted him an adulterer, that lusted after a woman, saying. Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her, 
Mat. 5, 28,  hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. It is the malicious nature of the devil [as saith Barnard] to incise men to mischief: Damorum est mala suggerere, 
Bernard.  nostrum est non consentire. It is the property of the devil to entice and suggest men to evil, & it is our parts, not to consent to his enticements, but to resist them manfully, according to that of Peter. 
b. 1. Pc. 5.9  Whom resist ye steadfast in faith. The devil outwardly by the world, and inwardly by the corruption of our nature, doth daily allure us to sin: Now if we consent to those his wicked motions [whether we perform them outwardly in art, yea or no] before God we have committed the sin: according to that of john▪ 
a. job. 3.15  He that hateth his brother is a manslayer: because in will, in wish, and in desire be hath already slain him, although be doth not bring it into outward act, either for fear of the law of man in that case, or for want of just and ●e opportunity for the effecting thereof. Yea the sin of thought, the sin conceived in the heart of man, is not only a sin, but it is the root & beginning of all sins whatsoever: for it is not that which goeth into man, 
Mat. 15.11  that defileth him, but that which cometh out of him, that is, that which proceedeth from the heart of man.  
The Devil first suggesteth after suggestion, 
The la●er of sin.  cometh cogitation: after cogitation followeth affection: after affection, followeth delectation: after delectation followeth consent: (Now is the sin of thought fully committed:) after consent, followeth operation: after operation followeth custom after custom followeth desperation: after desperation followeth defending of sins committed after defending of sins committed, followeth vaunting, boasting, and glorying in sin, which is next to damnation itself: thus the heart is the fountain, from whence springeth all sin whatsoever.  
Yet have we not many wicked ones in this world, that think the sin of heart eye her to ●ee no sin at all, or else, but asmall sin, that shall never be brought in question at the day of account? But let all these know, that as of every idle word, so of every wicked and sinful thought conceived and nourished within the heart of man, with full consent to the performance of the same (for there is no sin that can be committed without consent had) men, yea all men must give an account.  
I give all men therefore (to the good of their souls) this good counsel of Solomon, Keep thine heart with all diligence, 
Prou. 4.23.  for thereout cometh life: if thou keepest it not diligently and warily, thereout will proceed death▪ I mean, sin whose wages is death, 
om. 6 23  The heart is a mill, always grinding either good corn or bad, either good thoughts or bad: therefore keep it diligently for thy soul's sake; let it meditate in the law of god day & night, abandon all wicked motions, that at the day of judgement thou mayst be pure bread, and fine manches, for the bread of life, Christ jesus his table in heaven: the Lord grant this to me the writer, thee the reader, and to every hearer of it.  
2 We must give an account of our words.  

Word.  Of every idle word that men shall speak etc. divers of the learned writers have diversly commented of this idle word, what it should be: one affirming one thing, another another thing. Therefore I will (in a word) set down the opinions of some of them, not incongruent, neither disagreeable to the holy Scripture.  

Greg.  Gregory saith, that Verbum otiosum est, quod justa necessitate, & pia v●●atate caret: That is (saith he) an idle word which is spoken either without just necessity, or godly profit.  

Jerome ●  Jerome saith, that Verbumotiosun est quod sine v●elitate loquent● vel audientis profertur, that is [saith he] an idle word which is spoken either without edification of the hearer; or speaker.  

Basil.  Basil. Omne verbum quod non cond●is ad propositam utilitatem, vanū●st & otiosum, that is, Every word, which belongeth not to an intended profit, is a vain and an idle word.  
Master john Calvin saith, 
Calv.  that Sermo otiosus pro inutili sumitur, qui nihil aedificationis vel fructus affert: id est, an idle word is taken for a word unprofitable, for a word that bringeth with it no fruitful edification. So that from these descriptions of holy men. I do describe an idle word on this manner.  
Verbum otiosum est, quod ad bonam rem non pertinet: quod non facit ad gloriam dei vinentis: quod mutile est & infrugiferun: quod nec loquentem nec audientem aedificat: id est, An idle word is that which doth not appertain to a proposed profit; which tendeth not to the glory of the everliving God: which is unprofitable & unfruitful: which edifieth neither the bearer, nor the speaker. If then (good brethren in christ jesus) so great account must be given, of every idle, vain, & fruitless word; what account (think ye) shall be given for swearing, cursing, banning and blaspheming?  
What account shall the swearer give, that hath not one word in his mouth but it is guarded with an execrable oath?  
How common (alas) this sin of swearing is, who knoweth not? for the small infants and tender children in our streets have cursed outhes Ad unguem At their finger's end, yea at their tongues end too. What account shall the cursing and ●anning tongue give, that Cruelly, Disdainfully, 
Psal, 31. 1●  and Despitefully speaketh against his neighbour? What account shall the blaspheamous person give, that speaketh contemptuously of God, & saith that Christ did cast out Devils through the name of Ecclzaeb●b? 
1. Pet 4.18.  If the just shall scarce be saved, where shall the sinner appear: If account must be made of every idle word, Lord, what account shall they make, that rap and vomiteous blasphemies against the terrible judge of Heaven and Earth?  
As men think and fond imagine, that the sin of thought (unless it proceed into outward act) is but a small sin: so likewise do they imagine of idle words, that they are but small sins, and a small account for them shall be given.  
But let all the world know, that no sin can be said to be small in respect of it own nature: for the least sin that can be committed in the world, is so weighty as, without repentance had, it will sink the sinner down to the bottomless pit of Hel. Yet not withstanding an idle word in respect of other sins, may be said to be a small sin: yet as small as it is, it is able to dam the soul for ever.  
Well therefore saith Petrus Damianus sermone secundo de vitio linguae: 
Pet. Dami  Audiut lingua vaniloqua, audiat otiosa linguae, au diat & panescat, intelligat & pethorrescat sententiam horribilem, extremique judicis terrorem etc. that is, Hear o vain babbling tongue, hear ●o idle tongue, hear and tremble, understand, and quake, at the hearing of the terrible day of judgement: he that hath hands to slay, hath he not cates to hearer he saith, that of every idle word that men shall speak; they shall give an account thereof at the day of judgement:  
Although an idle word be a small sin in respect of greater sins, yet nevertheless an innumerable company of idle words, congested, accumulated, and heaped up together, they will make a nighty sin. Quid peuna lenius? quid milt● brevius? What is lighter than a feather? and what is shorter than the seed ●ill? Yet notwithstanding an innumerable company of feathers truffed up together, will break the po●ters back. 
Exo. 8, 2.4.  Small were the gnats that troubled Pharaoh, yet they being innumerable over came proud Pharaoh and all the power of Egypt. An hour is but a short time, but D●m horae horae continua successiona congeritur: While on hour by continual succession is added to another, the whole course of our lives is finished Quid sax● durius, quid aqua liquidius? What is harder than a stone, and what is softer than the water? Yet a wise man saith, 
Poet.  ●ita cavat lapidem, consimitur an●us usu: that is, Water by continual drops doth eat up the stone, and a Ring by continual use is worn in pocces. So an idle word, although it be but a small sin, yet many a little makes a much, many of them heaped up together make an intolerable lump.  
At hath been, is, and ever will be the fond nature of man, to imagine sin a great deal lesser than indeed it is. A man would think that Adam (through the devils suggestion, 
Gen. 3.6.  and through the abuse of his own free will) Eating of the forbidden fruit, had committed but a small trespass: yet he was guilty of everlasting torment for the same. A man would think, 
Nu. 15.36.  that that poor man had committed but a small sin in gathering chips (of mere necessity) on a Sabbath day: yet he was by the law stoned for his labour. A man would think that Peter had given his master good counsel, 
Mat. 16.22 23.  (when as Christ told him that he must go to jerusalem, & there suffer many things:) saying, Master favour thyself, and go not: yet he was called Satan for his labour. 
Act. 5.35.  A man would think that Ananias and Saphira had committed but a small sin, when as they did detain part of the Apostles money, for fear of afterclaps, and protested the contrary with a lie: yet they died both suddenly at the feet of Peter. So a man would think, that an idle word were but a small sin yet Christ saith here, that a great account must be made for the same; For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. 
Ma. 11.3.5  Seeing this is true, it behoveth every man to set a watch before the door of his lips, and to keep his tongue from idle and evil words, that he may obtain that blessedness: 
Eccl. 14.8  blessed is he that hath not fallen by the words of his mouth.  
3 We must give an account of our works: 
Works. 1. cor. 5.10 Ecle. 12.14  as it appeareth to the Corinthians: We must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, and there receive according to our works. Again the Preacher saith: that God will bring to judgement, every work, with every secret thing, whether it be good or evil. He that hath lived in sin shall receive the reward of sin, which is death and damnation; and he that hath lived in faith and amendment of life, shall receive a crown of glory, which the Lord will give him at that day.  
It is the duty therefore of every Christian to labour and endeavour with all diligent carefulness to live toell, that at the day of judgement, he may speed well. 〈◊〉 been umore, that is, live well, should be the delightsome poesy, & sweet perfumed Nosegay of every christian: thus live well, that thou mayest die well, and after death eternally speed well, obtaining that blessedness, Blessed are they that die in the Lord.  
4 We must give an account of our temporal goods. 
Goods.  how we have gotten them whether justly, or unjustly: how we have spent them, whether we have clothed the naked with them, or whether we have made naked the clothed for them. how we have disposed them, lest there be any debate for them after we be gone: therefore Esay telling Ezekia that he should not live but die, saith: 
Esay. 38.1  Dispone domum tuam, etc. Set thine house in order, for thou must not live but die. How then shall those griping vultures make an account, that have by oppression undone their brethren? The world is grown so hard bearted, that men will rather suffer their brethren to starve in the streets, than to succour or relieve them: the dogs shall have the remnant of the rich man's Table, 
juk 16 21.  before poor Lazarus shall have one crumb that falleth from the same. How shall these flinty hearts look for one dram of mercy at the day of judgement? Let them look with what measure they have measured to others, it shall be measured to them again: let them know that it they will stop their ears at the cry of the poor, they shall cry themselves, and shall not be heard: if they will be partakers with the Saints of the joys of heaven, their brethren must be partakers with them of their wealth on earth: for this is to treasure up treasures in heaven, to layout their treasures on earth.  
Let men therefore so use their temporal goods, and worldly riches, as they may at the day of account receive a crown of immortal glory.  
5 We must give an account of the time wherein we live, 
Time.  and of our several vocations, how we have employed ourselves in the same.  
Saith Bernard: Omne tempus tibi impensum requiretur á te, 
Ber.  qualiter fuerit expensum: id est. All the time that God hath given thee, shall be required at thy hands, how thou hast spent it: Whether in the service of God or in the service of Satan.  
The Prince must give an account, how he hath governed his kingdom: whether he hath (as it becometh God's vicegerent) mildly, lovingly, and carefully trained his subjects up in the worship of GOD: or as a bloody Nero, and hardhearted Tyrant cruelly oppressed them. The ministers of the word of God (who have taken upon them curam animarum, the charge of souls) must give an account, how they have be haved themselves in their ministery: whether they have preached Christ for Christ, that is, for the conversion of sinners to Christ, or (as hirelings) for lucre and gain of worldly trash: whether they have fed their flocks carefully, or fed upon their flocks covetously. The Magistrate must give an account, how he hath behaved himself in his magistracy: whether he hath sought the maintenance of virtue, and the confusion of vice: or hath (his eyes being blinded with silver scales) maintained iniquity, and oppressed the innocent. The householder, how he hath governed his family: whether in reading of holy Scriptures, and prayer, to the praise and glory of God; or in reading of foolish fables, in gaming, dicing, playing, swearing and such like. Yea every man must give an account of the time spent in his several calling, from the highest to the lowest. Let every Christian therefore beware of mispend●ng his time, living in security loosely, and of losing his time securely, & carelessly: for there will come a day when for every hour of thy life thou shalt give an account, how thou hast spent it: according as Solomon telleth the careless liver: Rejoice O young man in thy youth, cheer thy heart in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know that for all these things GOD will bring thee to judgement. Time lost can never be recovered, the hour passed cannot be recalled: time is painted like an old man having a lock of hair on the former part of his head, but bald on the hinder part; to signify, that men should lay hold of time coming, and make much of it when they have it: for being once gone, it can never be recovered. 
Aug.  Augustine confesseth that he spent his time idly when he stood gazing and looking on a Spider, how thee catched a fly in her net: But alas, men in these days do not only spend their time in idleness (which is a shameful fault amongst Christians) but also in all manner of evil: 
Amos 6. ●  They put off from them the evil day, namely the day of death and judgement, and boldly approach to the seat of iniquity: a matter much to be lamented.  
Let every Christian therefore have a care of the expense of time, lest (had I wist) comes too too late: for the damned in hell if they had this favour of God, to live on the earth again, and to have hell broken loose (which they shall never have granted) they would live so strictly, as they might be Chronicled for admirable spectators to the whole world. 
Exemp.  It is the duty therefore of every man, to imitate that person, that vigilant person, that carried always about with him in his pocket a little clock, and when he heard it sound, he would instantly examine himself how he had spent that hour: thus should Christians examine themselves, that they may never be examined of the Lord, judge themselves that they may never be judged of the Lord, and account with themselves, that they may never be brought to an account of the Lord. Thus much for the second part of this text, namely, of what things we must give an account.  
But I say unto you, of every idle word, etc. Before I speak of the third parts of this text, namely of the judge, to whom we must give an account, I thinkest very necessary to speak of a few things, which being well considered, we may be able to abstain from idle words, and shall have the less account to make at that day. Three things therefore there are, which being performed, we shall abstain from idle words.  

1 A man must consider what he speaketh  
2 To whom he speaketh.  
3 When he speaketh.   
1 What he speaketh: 
Quid  Peter telleth us what we ought to speak in his first Epistle: 
1. Pc. 4.11  If any man speak let him speak as the words of God. Again Paul to the Ephesians saith: 
Epes. 4.29  Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace to the hearer. So that we ought to speak above all things of God and his word, of good and honest matters, if we will show ourselves to be true Christians, and abstinent from idle words. We should say with David, 
Psal. 34.1.  I will alway give thanks to the Lord, his praise shall be in my mouth continually. 
job. 27.4.  We should resolve with job and say: My lips surely shall speak no wickedness, and my tongue shall utter forth no deceit: then shall we use our tongues to that purpose, to which they were created.  
The tongue in Hebrew is called: Kebod: id est, gloria Glory; because it is an instrument to sing forth the glory of God upon earth. If we use our tongues to this purpose, then may we truly say with the Poet, Lingua quid melius? 
Poet.  What is better than the tongue? But if it be abused to the dishonour of Almighty God, if it be an untamed member, uttering out idle, and evil words: then may we conclude with the Poet, and say, Lingua quid p●es eadem? What is worse than the tongue?  
Let every Christian therefore show himself (as he professeth) a Christian in his speech: 
Mat. 12. 3●  For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh. Even as the heart standeth affected, so is the speech of every man: For Lingua est mentis interpres: the tongue is the interpreter of the mind: the chaste man speaketh chastened and honestly, the wanton speaketh lewdly and luxuriously: the envious person speaketh bitingly and bitterly. Even as by his speech a man may be known what countryman he is: so a man by his speech may be known to what kingdom he belongeth.  
There are three kingdoms & men by their talk may be known to which of these they belong. There is, 1. 
Three kingdoms.  Provincia coelestis, the kingdom of heaven: and the speech of this country is praising of God, talking of his word, giving of thanks for the great benefits we have received, and speaking of divine and heavenly matters: he therefore that speaketh on this manner (Id que non hypocritice that is, Not hypocritically. For Simulata sanctitas, duplex inquitas: counterfeit holiness is double ungodliness) surely appertaineth to the kingdom of heaven.  
2 There is provincia terrestris: the kingdom of earth, and the speech of this country is talking of terrene end earthly matters foozling with the mole in the Crannies terrarumque poris, and in the pores of the earth, quite contrary to the nature of man: 
ovid.  for Os homini sublime dedit (saith the Poet) coelumque tueri inssit: God gave man a lofty face, and bade him look aloft, and hold up his head toward heaven. According to that of john: Qu●de terra est, de terra loquitur: He that is of the earth, speaketh of the earth. 
job. 3.31. 1. john. 4.5  And again, They are of the world, therefore speak they of the world.  
3 There is provincia infernalis: The kingdom of Hell: and the language of this country is, swearing, forswearing, cursing, banning & blaspheming: if therefore thou seest such a one, it is to be feared that he belongeth to the province of hell. Thou therefore that wouldst belong to Gods thrice blessed kingdom, thou that wouldst abstain from idle words, & so have the less account to make; thou must beware what thou speakest, thou must talk of God & of his word, of holy & heavenvly matters.  
2 He that would abstain from idle words, must consider, to whom he speaketh: if he speaketh to a fool, be must use few words, for he spendeth his breath in vain: if he speaketh to a froward and contentious person, he must use mild and gentle words: or else be taketh the bellows to quench the fire: if he speaketh to a wise man, he must use no vain Cautologies, or needless repetitions: for frustrà fit per plura, quod fiers potest per paucior●t. It is in vain to use many words, when we may as well be conceived in few. If these things be not considered, we may (yea speaking of divine and holy matters) offend in idle words.  
3 If we would abstain from idle words, we must also consider when to speak: saith Solomon: 
Eccles. 3. ●  There is a time to speak, and a time to hold one's peace. Saith one: there is a time when something may be spoken, & there is a time when nothing may be spoken, but there is no time when all things may be spoken. These three things well considered of us, we shall abstain from idle words, and have the less account to make at the day of judgement. Again every Christian, as he ought to imitate Christ in all things, so he ought to imitate him in his words: Gregory saith, that Omnis Christi actio nostra debet esse instructio, id est, Every action of Christ ought to be to us an example of imitation. 
Greg.  Christ had three things in his words worthy of consideration, which we must likewise labour to have, if we will abstain from idle words.  
1 He had veritatem in verbis: truth in his words: yea he reporteth of himself in John: that he is, via, voritas, 
john. 14.6  & vita: the way, the truth, and the life. He therefore that speaketh truth to his neighbour, showeth himself to be the child of Christ jesus, the fountain and origo of all truth: but he that speaketh casings: and uttereth forth lies, showeth himself to be the child of the devil, the author & original of all lies. 2 Christ had ut in verbis: profit in his words: as he spoke truly, so he spoke profitably: he never spoke one idle or unprofitable word throughout the whole course of his life, which was above 32 years. 3 Christ had moderamen in verbis A mean in his word● the never was in words excessive, and when just and necessary occasion was offered, he was never deficient, but Lady mean I mean golden virtue drew forth his well contrived words out of the rich content of his ever-flowing heart, He fulfilled that saying of jesus the son of ●h: the words of the wise are weighed in a balance. 
●cclesiasti 21.25.   
In these three things should every one imitate Christ jesus, and then we should abstain (as he did) from idle, vain, frivolous, and unprofitable words, for which a great account must be given: the which imitation of Christ, the Lord for Christ his sake, grant to all men, that they being like unto him may be received to reign with him, and his holy Angels in the thrice happy heavens at that day, Amen.  
But I say unto you, 
Text  that of every idle word that men shall, etc.  
3 To whom this account must be given: 
The third part.  although in this scripture the judge is not expressly mentioned, yet notwithstanding quod subintelligitur non d●est: that which is understood is not wanting: and therefore not to be omitted.  
This judge therefore before whose tribunal seat all mankind must appear, it is Christ: for he was anointed of his father into a triple office: to be a Priest after the order of Melchisedech. to be a Prophet after the order of David: to be a King after the order of Solomon. Therefore Christ, as he is king over all in heaven and earth, is this judge before whom we must all appear: the truth of this is evident in the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Corinthians: We must all appear before the tribunal seat of Christ, 
2. Cor. 5.10  etc. We read also in john, that the father iudgeeth no man, but he hath committed all judgement to his son. And in Matthew it is written, that all power is given to Christ in heaven and in earth. 
john. 5, 22 Math. 28.18. Ps. 2.7.8.9  This was prophesied of him in the Psalm. Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee: ask of me, and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the ends of the earth for thy possession: thou shalt crush them with a Sceptre of iron, and break them in pieces like a potter's vessel. And again in another place: Sat thou at my right hand, 
Psal. 110, 1  until I make thine enemies thy footstool. Yea, it is an article of our faith, to believe that Christ shall come again to judge the quick and the dead.  

judge,  Christ is therefore the judge: yea he is the vorus Index, a right judge: for this word Index, that is judge, is as much as ius dicens: id est One that speaketh justice: and judice: that is, to judge, is as much as, ius dice: to speak justice, and judicium, that is, judgement is as much as iurisdicium, if I may so term it, that is a just and right speech.  
So Christ being an upright judge maintaineth justice in judgement: he is a judge that will use no partiality, but will reward every man according to his works: he is a judge that hath no respect of persons. 
Rome▪ 2, ●  Men in this world may fitly be compared to actors of a Comedy upon a stage: Whereto one acteth that part of a Prince, another of a Duke, another of an Earl, another of a noble man, another of a Gentleman, another of a Magistrate, another of a merchant, another of a countryman, another of a servant: one acteth one part, one another; & so long as they are upon the stage, so long there is respect [according to their parts] one of another amongst them: but when the Comedy is ended, and the stage pulled down, then there is no such respect amongst them: yea many times he that played the basest part, is the best man.  
So likewise, so long as men art sundry parts upon the stage of this earth, that is, so long as men do live in several vocations, so long there is respect amongst men, and that worthily: but when as the Come die shall be ended, that, is, the day of doom shall come upon all men, when as the stage shall be pulled down, that is, the earth shall be changed (for the earth shall never be brought ad non ens, to nothing; but only the corruptive qualities shall be consumed:] then shall there be no respect of persons amongst men: yea it may be that the poor man shall be greater before God than the rich man. Yea and Besides all this, upon the earth GOD hath no respect of persons [although there be respect amongst men) but every man shall receive according to his works, the Prince as well as the subject, the rich as well as the poor.  
If a judge than should come into a city, & should judge the greatest part of the city to death, sparing no man, nec precio, nec prece, neither by bribes nor entreaties, would not every man in that City be in great perplexity and fear? so fear this judge, who shall come with thousands of Angels in great Pomp, Majesty, and Glory, into the city of this world, and judge the greatest part of mankind to death, and damnation, sparing no man, neither pretto, nor prece, neither by bribes, nor yet by entreaties, a judge that will use no partiality, A judge that is able to destroy both body and soul in hell are for evermore: fear this judge, 
jam. 4.12.  this terrible judge, this just judge, this strict judge, that will not suffer one idle word to escape in judgement: thou that hast offended this judge by thy manifold transgressions, thou that hast deserved for them everlasting torments in the pit of hell, fear him: quake and tremble before him at the hearing of this hard saying: But I say unto you, that of every idle words that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof at the day of judgement.  
If Paul a chosen vessel, and a faithful servant of jesus Christ, was afraid of this judgement: if the just and upright man job cried out and said: 
job. 31.14  Quid agam, quò me convertam cum venerit dominus ad judicandum? What shall I do, O whither shall I turn me, when the Lord cometh to judgement? 
Hil●ion.  If blessed Hilary (who from the fourteenth year of his age served the Lord in singleness of heart, and in sincerity of life to his lives end) was afraid of this day: as it appeareth by his speech upon his deathbed: Egredere anima, agredere: quid times? quid dubitas? that is, Go forth O soul, go forth, why art thou afraid? why doubtest thou? thou hast served Christ these seventy years, & art afraid now to depart? If these holy men were afraid of this terrible day: how oughtest thou (O sinner) that art defiled with sin from top to toe, that hast not served thy God (as thou oughtest) one day in 70. years, how oughtest thou to quake and tremble? 
1 Pc. 4.18  if the just shall scarce be saved, where shalt thou (poor wretch) appear?  

Ex. 16.18.  If the people of Israel trembled at the presence of God on mount Sinai, when the Lord gave unto them his law, and (as a Scheolemaister,) read a lecture to all the world: how terrible will his presence be when he shall come and exact this lecture at thy hands, how thou hast conned the same? 
Apo. 1.17 Dan. 8.17   
If john and Daniel, at the sight of a mild Angel, fell upon the earth as dead: how shalt thou (poor sinner) endure the presence of this terrible judge? If Haman could not abide the angry countenance of King Ahasuerosh: how shalt thou (O wicked man) abide the angry countenance of this frowning judge? If Adam, 
Hest. 7.6. Gen. 3.8.  for the commission of one sin, ran from god in great fear, and hid himself behind the bush: whither shalt thou (O sinful Adamite that hast committed as many sins as stars in sky, as hairs on head and sands by sea. Immò horum numerus numero non clauditur ullo: Yea the number of them is not to be numbered) whither (I say) shalt thou desire to run? and where shalt thou wish to hide thyself from this terrible judge? O (saith Augustine) mallent impii esse in inferno, quam videre faciem irati indicis; The wicked had rather be tormented in hell, than see the face of this fearful judge. 
Aug.  Then shalt thou cry to the mountains: Cadite super me: Fall upon me: 
Apoc. 6.16  and to the hills: Abscondite me à facis sedentis super thronum, & ab it a agni: id est, Hide me from the face of him that sitteth upon the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.  
Then shall the book be opened, videlicet, the evidence of thy works in this life, recorded freshly in the testimony of thine own conscience, and in the true and infallible memory of God's eternal wisdom: then shall thy sins be set in order before thine eyes: 
Psal. 50.21 Psal. 50.4. Rom. 2.15.  heaven and earth shall witness, against thee, yea thine own conscience shall condemn thee: and conscientia est mill testes: Thy conscience is a thousand witnesses to condemn thee. The Devil shall plead hard (most pitiful wretch) for thy soul and body, accusing thee on this manner: O judex iustissime, O most just judge, thou hast in the abundance of thy love suffered many torments of hell upon the Cross at Golgotha, for the redemption of this wretch: thou hast offered him (times innumerable) redemption, justification, and endless happiness: yet nevertheless he hath despised thee, and hated thy instruction, and hath chosen rather to follow me, than thee, rather to walk in iniquity after my example, then in holiness of life after thine, he hath chosen to be my servant, rather than thine: therefore what remaineth, but that thou shouldest refuse him, that refused thee, and that I should receive him to everlasting torments, that hath hitherto served me.  
When thou (poor soul) shalt here this pitiful Plea, and confess the same to be too true, what shall become of thee, or whither shalt thou turn thee for comfort? Alack, alack, thou shalt have no hope of salvation: for above thee, thou shalt see the judge angry with thee for thy sins, and the blessed Angels rejoicing and laughing at thy destruction: beneath thee, thou shalt see hell open, and the fiery furnace ready to receive thee to torment: on thy right hand shall be thy sins accusing thee: on thy left hand the devils ready to execute God's judgements upon thee: within thee shall lie thy conscience gnawing: without thee the damned crew bewatling: on every side fire burning: and then shalt thou receive this lamentable sentence: Go from me ye cursed into everlasting fire, 
Mat, 25 41  which is prepared for the devil and his Angels: 
Goc.  Every one of these words are able to cut thy heart a sunder. Go from me: hitherto I have been a Father to thee: I have bestowed many comfortable benefits upon thee: I have had great care of thee: but now go from me into torments inexpressible: where thou shalt cry unto me, but I will not beer thee: in torment shalt thou lie comfortless: in hell thy torment shall be endless: I will put a gulf between thee and me, to make thy torments remediless: thou shalt be dying always, yet never dead: thou shalt seek death, 
Apoc. 9.6. Luk. 6.25.  but never find it: thou shalt be burning always, yet never burnt to death: thy meat shall be griping hunger, and famine intolerable: 
Psal. 11.6. Mat. 13. 4●  thy drink shall be lakes of fire and brimstone: thy music shall be howling and roaring of crying Devils, and weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth.  
Ye cursed: 
Ye Cur●  thou hast been called hitherto by renowned and glorious titles: as Prince, Duke, Noble, Reverend, Master, etc.  
but now thou shalt have an other title: thou shalt be called cursed: cursed shalt thou be of God, whose curse is panarum inflictio: id est punishment: cursed shalt thou be of all the blessed Angels in heaven: whose curse is conscientiae cruciamen, id est vexation of thy conscience; cursed shalt thou be of all the devils in hell, whose curse is poenarum executio, id est: the execution of thy punishment prescribed; according to that of the poet; Minos examen, Radamanthus dat cruciamen; tertius heu frater tertia iura tenet: id est, One devil rippeth up thy examination, another devil tormenteth thee, the third is not behind to add one torment to another upon thee. Cursed moreover shalt thou be of all the damned crew, whose curse, is poenarum aggravatio, id est: the augmentation of thy torment: thus cursed shalt thou be of all things for evermore. Into everlasting fire: O miserable torment! there were some comfort to the damned soul, if these torments should have end: but that shall never be: O miserable wretch, thou shalt be bound hand and foot, and cast into this everlasting fire, 
Into everl. fire. Mat. 22.13  in respect of which fire, all earthly elemental fire is but as fire painted on a wall; thy torments shall be endless, easeless and remediless.  

Which is prepared.  Which is prepared for the devil and his Angels: Heaven was prepared for thee, and not Hell: thou wert borne to glory, and not to torment; but because thou hast chosen to follow the Devil and not me, therefore, Go from me ye cursed into everlasting fire which is prepared for the devil, and thee his wicked Angel; where thou shalt lie weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of thy teeth for evermore.  
The consideration of these things should stir up every Christian to look about him, to be careful and circumspect to all his ways, that he tread not his shoe awry at any time, that he offend not this fearful judge, in any thing: that at this day of judgement he may find him a gentle and loving Lamb, and not a Lion of juda: for as to the wicked this judge is terrible, so to the godly he is a friendly and a welcome judge: as to the wicked the day of judgement is a day of desolation, a day of clouds and blackness; so to the godly, 
Zeph, 1.15  it is a day of redemption, yea the godly shall leap for joy at that day, and for the coming of that eternal day, 
Apoc. 6.9 10.  the blessed spirits in heaven cry out saying: how long Lord? and the blessed ones upon earth desiring the coming of this day also; saying with Paul, Cupimus dissolui & esse cum Christo, id est, 
Phil. 1.23. Apoc. 22.  We desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ; and praying with john, Veni Domine jesu; Come Lord Jesus, come quickly.  
Let every Christian therefore so lead his life, that it may go well with him at that day; What if I have all the world, 
Math.  and lose my soul at that day, what doth it profit me.  
If a man be called to appear before some earthly judge, he will have an especial care to array himself in the best manner he may, and to be have himself accordingly, that he may be the better accepted of him: So every Christian against the day of judgement, when he must appear before the king of Kings, and judge of all the world, must have an especial care to put on the wedding garment of Christ's righteousness and regeneration, lest he be sent packing to Hell with the wicked and all those that forget God.  

〈◊〉 2.  Mordecay, because he went basely in sackcloth, could not be permitted to come into the King's palace: and dost thou think (whatsoever thou art) that thou shalt be admitted into the glorious Palace of the King of heaven, having on the stinking, defiled, & abominable garment of impurity, and the menstruous cloth of iniquity? no, no, the Lord will spew thee out of his mouth a stinking carcase stinketh not to before men, as a polluted sinner in the nostrils of almighty God.  
Nabuchadnezzar would have no children in his Palace, but those that were wise and beautiful: 
Dan. 4.  and dost thou think, that the King of heaven and earth will have any fools, that is sinners (for the sinner is called a fool in the Scripture: the foo●e ●ath said in his heart, 
Psal. 14.1.  there is no God) to dwell with him in his Palace? or dost thou think that any ugly person shall be suffered there? that is any sinner (for the sinner is an ugly and abominable thing in the sight of God), no: the Lord will entertain none into his kingdom, but such as are beautiful, shining in holiness, purity, and righteousness, as the portals of the burnished sun: such as are without spot or wrinkle, Omnino ad imaginem suam: altogether like unto him: holy as he is holy, pure as he is pure: such will the Lord have in his kingdom to sing Halleluiah: Salvation and glory, and honour, 
Apo. 19.1.  and power be to the Lord our God.  
Therefore as the thief is exceeding provident, and very careful how he may answer the judge at the bar: and as in earthly courts men will be very careful to provide an answer against they be called: yea and will make some friend to the judge, that they may speed the better: So likewise every Christian soul should carefully provide a good answer against he be cited by the Apparitor death, to appear before Christ at the general Court of Heaven: And that than it may go well with him, let him get some friend to move the judge in his behalf, as he tendereth the welfare of his dear soul: and who must that friend be? Not Mary, nor Peter, but it must be Christ jesus, that sitteth at the right hand of his father in glory, and maketh daily intercession for the sins of the whole world. Get him for thy Proctor (who offereth himself to all) and then happy shalt thou be: the devil shall not prevail against thee: for Christ hath broken his head: the gates of Hell shall not prevail against thee, for Christ hath conquered them: and death shall not bold thee captive, for christ hath overcome it: 
P. 44.15.  Happy art thou that art in such a case, yea blessed art thou, if thou hast the Lord for thy God:  
Thus much for the third pair of this Text namely, of the judge, to whom we must give an account. 
Text.   
But I say unto you, that of every idle word, etc.  
4 When we shall give an account: it is said here: at the day of judgement:  
The time, when this great & general day shall be, cannot be known of mortal man: yea it is not for man to know of it: as we may read in the Acts: It is not for you to know the times & seasons, 
Act. 1, 7. Mark, 13  which God hath put in his own power: yea Christ himself knoweth not of this day: 
32.  But of that day and hour (saith Mark] knoweth no man, no, not the Angels which are in heaven, neither the Son himlelfe, save the Father: id est: Christ according to his human nature knoweth not of it, but according to his divine nature, he knoweth of it, as well as God the Father: for he is coequal with God the Father in knowledge, wisdom, and in all things whatsoever: yea he knew of this day before the foundation of the world was laid, yea he himself shall sit judge at the day.  
God will not have us know of this day, when it shall be, for these three causes,  
1 To prove and try our patience, faith, and other virtues: to see whether we will put our whole trust and affiance in him, although we ●●●●…e not the time of our dissolution.  
2 To bridle our curiosity and peevish inquisition after such (too high) matters: 
Arist.  qua supra nos, nihil ad nos: that which is above our capacity, we ought not to meddle withal.  
3 To keep us in continual watchfulness: for if we knew certainly the day of death and judgement, surely it would be a great and forcible motive to draw us to a loose, negligent, and secure kind of life. 
Mat. 24.42.  Watch therefore (saith the Evangelist) because ye know not when your Master will come. For these three causes the Lord will not have us know of the time of judgement,  
Although (my beloved in Christ) we know not the certainty of the time of this day: yet nevertheless we must know, that this great and general day cannot be far off, both according to the prophecies of holy Fathers, as also to the truth of holy Scriptures.  
Augustine, in his book upon Genesis against the Manichees, saith, that the world should last six ages: the first from Adam to Noah: the second from Noah to Abraham: the third from Abraham to David: the fourth from David to the transmigration of Babylon: the fifth from the transmigration of Babylon, to the coming of Christ in the fl●sh: the sixth from the coming of Christ in the flesh to his coming again to judgement. So that according to his prophecy we live in the last age, which last age, 
1 joh. 2.28  ● called of john hora extrema or hora novissima the last hour●: but how long this last hour doth last, he that is α and ω the first & the last, the everlasting God alone doth know.  
The Hebrews they boast of the prophecy of Eliah, 
Eliah.  a great man in those da●e● he prophesied that the world should last 6000, year's 2000, before the law 2000, under the law: and 2000 from Christ to Christ.  
If this his prophecy holds true, the world cannot last 400 years for since Christ his coming in the flesh, it was 1606. at Christ's tide last haste, according to the computation of the Church from time to time. But leaving men and coming to the Scriptures, which cannot err, for Humanum est errare: Man may, yea and doth many times err.  

1. Co. 10.11  saint Paul saith, to the Corinthians: We are they upon whom the ends of the world are come. If therefore the ends of the world were come upon them that lived above 1560. years ago, then surely dooms day cannot now possibly be far off.  

jam. 5.9.  james likewise saith: Behold the judge standeth before the door.  

Mat. 3.2  john Baptist preached repentance to the jews, saying: repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.  
So that by these places of Scripture it is evident, that the general day of judgement is at hand: as also by the signs & tokens which should go before this day immediately, of which many, yea almost all are already fulfilled.  
Moreover we must (dear brethren] know that there is a twofold judgement: the one called a particular judgement the other called a general judgement.  

Death what  1 The particular judgement is exercised and executed upon every man immediately after death, which is segregatio anima a corpore: a separation of the soul from the body.  
Of this particular judgement we may read in the Epistle to the Hebrews: It is appointed unto men, that they shall once die, 
Heb. 9.27. 2 Es. 14.25  and after that cometh judgement. And though the general judgement cometh not these 4000 years, yet particular judgement cometh at the day of our death: & look as we at the day of our death shall be found, so shall we be judged: and as we then shall be judged, so shall we be judged at the general judgement.  
2 The general iudgement● (of which this Scripture speaketh) is exercised and executed upon all men together by Christ: who shall by his power raise all those up again that have been dead from the beginning of the world, to that time: and they shall be presented all together (being again united to their souls] before Christ's tribunal seat, who shall come down in a cloud from heaven, in great majesty and glory, with thousands of blessed Angels attending upon him: and he shall give sentence upon all in general: the wicked shall be cast into everlasting fire, & the godly he shall carry up with him into caelum Empiraeum, the third and highest heaven, (where he now in body reigneth & remaineth) there to reap joys unspeakable for evermore,  
But some man may object and say, why (I pray you) shall there be a general judgement, when as all are judged in the particular judgement? what shall thee be two judgements executed? There shall notwithstanding the particular) be a general judgement, 
Ans.  and that for three causes.  
1 Because in the particular judgement the fall of man is judged only, but then both soul & body shall be judged  
2 In the particular judgement, the soul only is either rewarded or punished: but then both soul & body either shall be rewarded with joys, or punished with torments.  
3 There shall be a general judgement. to declare to all the world assembled then together, the just judgement of god: that he hath justly saved the godly▪ & iu●ly condemned the wicked: yea the very wicked themselves shall confess no less.  
By reason of this general judgement, some light brain heretics their Bee the say, that there is no particular judgement at all, & that the soul immediately after death is not judged: for whereas it is said hody mecuneris in paradiso, 
Luke. 23.43.  to day shalt thou be with me in paradise, the speech of our saviour to the thief they take that word hody id est, to day for 1000 years; & bring for proof hereof that place of the Psalmist A thousand years in thy sight are as yesterday, 
Psal. 90.4.   
But to answer them: this place of Scripture is not so to be understood, 
Ans.  as that a thousand years should be taken for a day; or a day for a thousand years: for he saith not: a thousand years are a day: but a thousand years in the sight of God, that is, in respect of the eternity and everlastingness of god, are as a day: It is therefore spoken on this manner to express the eternity of God, as if he should say: a thousand years with man in respect of the eternity of God, are but as a day: for as many as are, have been, and ever shall be the days of man, so many thousand, yea so many thousand thousands years is the eternity of God: he is-and-the first and the last, before all beginnings, and shall never have ending.  

Gen. ●. 17:  Again, they allege that place of Genesis; In that day that thou eatest thereof (namely of the forbidden fruit) thou shalt die the death.  
Now (saith the heretic) that day they died not, 
Ob.  but lived many hundred years after: therefore by a day is understood many hundred years.  

Ans.  But I answer that, that day (wherein Adam did eat of the forbidden fruit) even that day did he die: that is, that day by sin he was separated from God: then the which separation no death is greater; 
Aug.  for Vt vita corporis est anima, ita vita animae est deus; tolle animam, perit corpus: tolle deum, moritur animae; id est, As the soul is the life of the body, so God is the life of the soul; take away the soul, the body dieth; take away God, the soul is dead; So that Adam that day died in soul, being separated from the Lord; yea that day Adam was made subject to death in this life, and in the life to come; that day he had the beginnings of death seizing upon him, for he was presently cast out of Paradise into the ragged world, he was cursed and all his posterity, yea he should have gone to hell, had not the second Adam broken the head of the subtle serpent that enticed him to sin. Yea, the thief upon the cross had Paradise that day in soul, in which he suffered in body; although he had it not in so full measure, as he shall at the general day, when his soul shall take unto it the body again; hody, to day thy soul with my soul shall be in Paradise, that is, in my father's kingdom. Where is now the heretic that confoundeth particular judgement?  
Where is now the Epicure, that thinketh there is no judgement at all?  
Where is now the ignorant Papist that dreameth of Purgatory? and he that fond thinketh that there is Limbus patrum, and Lymbus puerorum? and where are these that imagine of a place of abrade, between Heaven and Hell? I turn them all together to the Hebrews for Wisdom in this point: 
Heb. 9.27:  where they shall find that after death the soul of man is judged.  

Phil. 1.23:  Would Paul have so earnestly desired to have been dissolved, if he should not presently have been with Christ He saith, that in this world we see in a glass darkly: 
1 Co. 13.11 Exo. 33.23  We see but God's back ports as Moses did, that is, but a little of the sailour of God: But then that is, after this life ended we shall see god face to face: that is, we shall have the full fruition of him.  

Luk. 16.22  We read of Dives and Lazarus, that after death the one was judged to heaven, the other to hell: which is a Parable to signify the truth of this particular judgement.  

Eccle. 12.7  And (to conclade this point) we read in Solomon: that the dust returneth to the earth from whence it came, and the spirit to God ●h● gave it.  
So that we may learn from hence the uncertainty of the day of judgement. Well saith Bernard: 
The use: hereof, Ber.  Nihil certius morte, hora mortis nihil inocentius: that is, Nothing is more certain than death, & there is nothing more uncertain than the hour of death.  
Let every Christian therefore (that wisheth the salvation of his soul at the day of death and judgement) beware of security and careless living: let no man defer repentance, and amendment of life, lest death come when he i●d●eth not for it, and so (being unprepared he be cast into hell fire.  
The old world had 120. 
Gen. 6.3. Ion●s 1.4 Pl. 95.10.  years to repent in: N●n●e had 40. days to repent in: Israel had 40. years to repent in; but thou (O man) knowest not how long thou hast to live: thou haste no lease o● thy life: thou art here to day, and gon● to morrow: when the hours of thy life be ended, and the glass outrun, thou must away: death wasteth for thee in every place, and at all times: therefore waste thou for it playing as the five wise virgins, 
Mat. 25.4  that had the candle of faith burning in the lamps of their hearts, nourished which the oil of love and works,  
jerusalem, because she could not be brought to repentance, she was destroyed: many hundred thousands of her children were famish●e to death: 
josephu.  and many hundred thousands taken captive by Titus Vespasian the Roman Emperor: many cast to wild beasts and devoured,  
The children of Israel, because they were a stiff-necked people, and a froward generation, and would not be brought to repentance: how many thousands of them lay slain in the wilderness? 600000. males; except joshua and Caleb.  
The old world, because they would take no warning, 
Gen. 7.23.  and could not be brought to amendment of life: the flood drowned them all, except faithful Noah and his godly family. And except thou repentest, thou likewise shall perish: according to that of Luks: Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish: beware therefore and repent betimes: Foelix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum, Happy is he, 
Luke 13, 3  whom other men's harms do make to beware.  
Refuse no good motions knocking at the door of thy heart, but entertain them willingly; according to the counsel of Augustine; 
Aug.  If he offereth thee grace to day (saith he) take it, make much of it: for thou knowest not whether he will offer the same to morrow: Make no long tarrying to turn to the Lord, 
Ecclesiasticus. Poet.  and put not off from day to day; the longer thou remainest in thy sin, the harder it is for thee to repent: for Qui non est hedie, cras minùs aptus erit: If thou be'st not fit to amendment to day, thou wilt be less fit to morrow. Therefore while the lord speaketh to thee, make him answer: while he calleth unto thee, let there be an echo in thine heart, as was in the heart of David: seek ye my face: thy face Lord will seek: and while it is said to day, 
Psal. 27.9.  harden not thine heart. In no case therefore defer thy repentance: for the day of death and judgement is uncertain; as saith Chrisostome: Poenitenti veniam spospondit, sed vivendi in crastinum non spospondit: 
Chrysost.  that is, the Lord hath promised pardon to him that repenteth, but to live till tomorrow, he hath not promised.  
But some there be in the world, that will say; 
Object.  (the more it is to be lamented) I am young. I will live a while after my hearts desire, and in my old age I will repent me of my sins; for God hath promised (who will be as good as his word. 
Eze. 18.21 22. ) At what time soever a sinner doth repent him of his sins from the bottom of his heart, I will put all his wickedness out of my remembrance, saith the Lord.  
And will pray to the Lord for forgiveness of their sins, 
Aug.  as Augustine said before his conversion: Ignosce (pacer) ignosce mihi: at noli modo: Forgive me my sins, but not now: let me sin in my youth, & pardon me in mine age: thus they would desire to die the death of the righteous: but they would not live the life of the righteous: but let these graceless persons (that thus defer repentance) beware of two things.  
1 Let them beware of sudden death: Let them take heed, lest they be cut off in the midst of their sins, as jobs children in the midst of their bauquetting and rioting were suddenly slain by the fall of the house: 
job. 1.18.  and as the flood came unlooked for, and drowned the old world.  
Livis reporteth a fearful example of sudden death: 
Livy.  saith he, there were two old men that frequented two harlots, and presently upon the face committed they both died suddenly: the one was thrust thorough with a dagger: the other died suddenly of an Apoplerie: which is a disease engendered of abundance of gross humours, which do fill those vessels and receptories of the head, from whence cometh feeling & moving of the body, 
Galen.  as saith Galene, and therefore they that have this disease, are deprived of all sense, feeling & moving.  
Let every lusty younker and desperate ruffian set this fearful example before his eyes.  
Again, the young man dieth, as soon as the old: the Lamb's skin is brought to the market, as well as the old● crones: 
August.  true is that saying of Augustine: vita dum crescit, decrescit: vita mortalis, & mors vitalis: id est life while it increaseth, decreaseth: life is dying, and death is living.  
2 Let all men that refuse the mercy of GOD, and defer their repentance know; that repentance is not theirs at command: but it is the great mercy of GOD: and it is to be feared, that they that have refused it offered, when they would have it, they shall go without: according to that country Proverb: If you will not when you may; when you will, you shall have nay: And it is commonly seen, that qualis vita, finis eta: as a man liveth, commonly be dieth: he that will live without repentance, must look to die without repentance.  
Though God spared the thief at the last gasp, yet set no man presume of that: for that was a medicine against desperation, and not a matter of imitation: saith one: God spared one, that no man might despair: he spared but one, that no man might presume.  
Let every man therefore (in the fear of God) without all delay, seek for amendment of life: Let them as (Gregory wisheth) Plangere plangenda Bewail their sins that ought to be lamented: 
Rome, 6, 13.  and as they have given their members, as weapons of unrighteousness to iniquity: so let them now give them as weapons of righteousness to holiness. Repent (dear brethren) betimes; Vive de● gratus, 
Poet.  tote mundo tumulatus: crimine mundat us semper transire paratus; that is Live unto God a thankful wight, & to the world die; cleanse thyself from wickedns, always ready hence to fly.  
Play the wise steward, lay up treasures in heaven for thy soul: imitate the Pismire which gathers in Summer, whereby she may live in winter.  

Demasc.  Damascene reporteth an excellent History touching this purpose: saith he There was a country where they chose their king of the poorest and basest sort of the people, and upon any dislikement taken, they would depose him from his throne, and exile him into an Island, where he should be starved to death: Now one wise fellow (considering hereof) sent money before into that Island, into which he should be banished, and when he was banished, he was received into the island with great triumph. So against thou be banished by death from this world, without penny or farthing, (for naked thou camest, & naked thou must go) thou must provide whiles thou art in this life, whereby thou mayest live in heaven hereafter,  
Let nothing therefore make thee defer thy amendment, but whilst Christ calleth thee, run unto him. Put on Ieromes resolution who said: If my mother wete hanging about my neck, 
Ieromes  if my brethren were on every side, howling and crying, and if my father were on his bare knees, kneeling before me to detain me in their wicked and sinful course of life, what would I do? I would shake off my mother to the ground I would despise and hate all my kindred and kinsfolks, and I would tread and trample my Father under my feet, thereby to fly to Christ when he calleth me.  
So shouldest thou resolve the amendment of life. The Lord of Heaven for his sweet Son Christ jesus his sake, graune to th●r (dear Reader) and me, to both of us, his holy Spirit that we may stand unblamable before the judge, at that great and general day: that we (being clothed with the long white Robes of righteousness,) may be in the number of those to whom it shall be said then: Come ye blessed children of my father, inherit the kingdom which was prepared for you from the beginning of the world. Grant this ●eer father for thy dear sons sake, Christ jesus our only Lord and Saviour: To whom with thee and the holy spirit we ascribe all power, glory, and dominion, and stag Halleluiah to thee, (O blessed Trinity) for ever and ever. Amen.  
FINIS.   

A short disputation between the devil and the poor soul of a Christian.  Satan. 
THou hast been a great Sinner.  Soul. 
Yes: but I am not so.  Satan. 
Thou art damned for that thou haste done.  Soul. 
No: thou liest Satan: God hath promised otherwise to all that believe, repent, and amend.  Satan. 
Thou believest not, as thou sayest thyself.  Soul. 
Yes, I believe, and I desire to believe better: holiness of desire doth seal God's favour to me.  Satan. 
Thy heart is hard, and so are all theirs whom god hath rejected.  Soul. 
No sathan, make the worst of it thou canst, it is but a soul trance for a time; the holy ghost remaineth; for I feel him still.  Satan. 
Dost not thou see that god hath taken thee in hand, and hath laid a heavy judgement upon thee?  Soul. 
God indeed hath like a merciful father taken me in hand, to make me a new creature: and like a loving father to correct me: but his mercy will he never take from me, and no wrathful judgement shall be towards me.  Satan. 
Every Pulpit rings of thee, and every part of scripture proclaims thee to be mine,  Soul. 
The Lord reprove thee, sathan, for this Slander: for all scriptures and Pulpits tell me, I am gods dearly bought  Satan. 
Show me Gods seal for that, or else thou art mine.  Soul. 
I can weep for sin, and I hate sin in myself and others; and I love virtue and the virtuous: which are the Arms of Christ in his seal, and I find my heart foremost in his place marching on to heaven.  Satan. 
This thou didst, but now thou haste left thy first love.  Soul. 
Thou haste said enough for me, the love of God is like himself unchangeable, his gifts and calling are without repentance, once Love and never hate, as once Loved and never hated.  Satan. 
Thou hast confessed, that thou haste no such feeling in Prayer and Sermons, as in times past.  Soul. 
What gainest thou by that? for in Christ's wooing days I was showed the riches of his grace, but though I see not that daily, so highly to inflame me; yet Christ is never the poorer, neither do I cease to love him: show me any one of gods elect, that feeleth his love at all times alike: it is not the manner of graces working, thou hast no skill in graces affairs.  Satan, 
There is some matter I warrant thee against thee, that God hears not thy prayer when thou callest upon him, as thou confessest.  Soul. 
I know thou markest my confession, but the more I confess against myself, the more I magnify God's mercy.  Satan, 
But tell me, why God will not hear the prayer?  Soul. 
Satan God hears my prayer: but his delight is to hear the prayers of his Children often, therefore he doth delay.  Satan. 
God careth not for such a wretch as thou art.  Soul. 
The more wretch I am in thy sight, and also in mine own, the more amiable I am to him; and so avoid sathan, and speak no more.  

A short deathbed Dialogue.  Satan, 
DEath is come, and I must have thee  Soul. 
Death is welcome, but thou shalt go without me: here are others to carry me, Christ my redeemer hath sent his Angels for me.  Satan. 
Death will carry thee to Hell.  Soul. 
No: he must carry me no whither, but end me: the Angels must carry me to mine own place. I have evidence to show, which I will not vouchsafe to show thee: therefore avoid. Lord jesus that hast bought me, take me; I do here surrender myself to thee, Amen. Speak not a word more but let thine eyes be closed up in silence.    

Morning prayer.  
O Lord, That blessest thy service to thy servants: Bless us in this part of thy service, prayer and thanksgiving to thee: and Because none are to meddle with any part of thy service but thy called servants, good Lord bestow that grace upon us that we feel more and more our effectual Calling, before we presume to come near thee & because each duty is to be done, by, and in the name of thy son: we confess that till our ingraftment into him by grace & the apprehension of faith through thy spirit our effectual calling doth not appear, so that if we want faith, thy spirit we must not intrude ourselves into thy sight, but our attendance is upon the devil, and thou wilt not part service with him.  
O Lord in the weakness of faith we presume, accept of us, be in the midst of us thou hast strongly us called to obedience, in this and all other things by word and work it is a dept therefore to be rendered hear of us: Lord receive it; we confess our sins have driven us far away, they are many and great, thy Curse is the due of them: to our shame we confess, we have been warned, and yet since warning, against our knowledge and conscience, of forgetfulness weakness, and sometime of frowardness, we have of our natural inclination as lightly esteeming thee, & thy law transgressed & offended Now Lord, albeit we can destroy ourselves, yet we Cannot save ourselves; we entreat thy Rich mercy for our pardon, & our saviour jesus Christ for our full satisfaction. Lord in that mercy pardon us, & in jesus christ be contented & well ple-w t us: & for former conceived displesurs forget them, & in the multitude of thy compassions remove them, with sin of all kinds the cause of them; and so justice being answered, thy wrath appeased, & hell gates shut, & a conquest assured; Let us walk in the comfort of this peace, yea in holiness & assurance of it: & as we have lost all by that life & rule of sin, so we pray that let us find ourselves restored by the death and captivity of sin, let our understanding be lightened: let our memory be sound; let our wills be holy: let our affection be honest, let our conscience be tender and ready to every good exhortation: let our appetites be sober: let us be free from bondage to profaneness, in all our faculties, in all our lives, at all times, and in all places: let us persever, strive and overcome. Let us be armed and watch, let us hear, read, and pray; let us meditate and study in thy love: let all sad motions and passions be examined, and if ill suppressed: let us resign all our bodies and soul's holiness unto thy service. Let us not want that we ought to have: let us not have that we ought to want, or that is good to be wanting. Lord let us show mortification in all our behaviour. Let the life of righteousness appear in all our actions, inward and outward, secret & open. Let us Regard our callings, & the duties belonging to the same. Let us have grace to find out all the sound and peculiar Evidence of thy kingdom: let us determine to keep thy word, let us vow it, whatsoever standeth in the way: O Lord be our keeper in our ways, this day and for ever: look from heaven upon thy whole Church, & every member of it militant, that hath need of the prayers of thy saints, especially this part of it where we live: and above every particular member, Lord let it please thee to regard our Sovereign Lord the King's Majesty, with his Queen, the noble Prince of Wales their Son, with the residue of that Royal issue: have an eye dear Father to his majesties honourable privy Council, to council them, and to the trusty nobility to sanctify them: and to all subordinate magistrates of City and Country, to be the God of gods among them, and to stir them up to stand in the gap, and to take thy part against the Devil and his; and to animate them & bless them hereunto, and to guide them. Let thy word have a free passage: let all lets be removed, let the pillar and cloud of protection further it night and day 
Act. 16.  Let all that are able and willing to help in Macedonia be called in, and countenanced: let knowledge heal painfulness, & a godly life appear in all thy ministers. Let hearing and obedience meet in all thy people, because few preferred by thee do prefer thee before their chief joys O Lord turn their hearts as they belong to thee, let general consideration he had of the beneants thou bestowest, to move the hearts of all high and low, to put to hand to help thee against Anti-christe and the devil: and let the corrections of thy hand, especially that heavy rod and stroke of the pestilence, continued and greatly spread through the kingdom this four years, be stayed; let there be an humiliation proportionable, general & earnest, true & unfeigned, & without delay; Lest thy angel, have his commission enlarged, not only to kill hundreds, but thousands; as not long since, not only thousands, but millions: O Lord stop yet the mouth of our chief crying sins: in the house of David, in the house of Nathan, in the house of Levy, in all the houses of judah, let a search be made good Lord for Achan & for jonas: that our state may be calm, and the Epha sent into Shinnar. Lord help thy church in all places, and in all things: let Babylon fall, let the jews come on, let all them be as Meroz that have ill will, and no good will to Zion, Amen.   

Evening Prayer.  
O Rich God, infinite in all goodness; we presume again to resort to that overflowing fountain: Lord turn us not away, though we be fools, like thy servant Gedeons' Army, that we cannot tell the fittest way to take in the sweetness of thy goodness; yet accept of our weakness, because that good mind and heart we have, thou art the author of it: thou hast called and beckoned us to thee, now we are come to know thy good pleasure, & to beg from thy liberality what shall please thee: thy do●e of mercy is ever open to thy saints, and thou fittest as Abraham at the door, to entertain poor, weary, and heavy loaden ones: and we know thou hastest to meet us, to do us good, like a good God according to thy accustomed goodness: we are therefore confidently comforted that in this, that the least soule-whispering of an adopted child, is as odours to thee, though it be silly and as the chattering of Ezechiah. O Lord we willingly confess to thy praise, that thou hast heard our prayers offered to thee in the morning, we have through thy mercy fared well this day in soul and body, not withstanding the spite of Satan, the malice of our sin, the pestilent enmity of corrupt nature, and the envy of the world, and the deceits of others among whom we dwell: O provident & kind Lord and Father, we have brought thee for it, the best Lamb of our flock, even all hearty praise and thanks, & purpose of better service that we can, and this dipped and drenshed in heartmelting, and in jesus Christ's merit and reconcilement: we beseech thee, testify thy acceptance by addition of mercy in detraction and multiplication of it: and let us obtain the taste & feeling of this, this night following, and all our life time repent thee not: go forward with us for Christ's sake, regard not the outstarting of soul or body against thy mind, in thy presence: but let thy right hand of infinite compassion cast them (as a millstone) into the deeps of our Christ's satisfaction, and atonement, and let our evidence be always kept by grace from dimness or blurs of our weakness, that our salvations enemies may not so much as dare to dispute with us, about our pardon and election. O Lord let thy spirit watch within us: let thy ministering spirits attend without and about us, being poor heirs of salvation. What Satan hath purposed. confound it, what sin hath deserved, prevent it: what thy merciful majesty sees to be good, let us have it for Christ's sake: let our sleep be quiet and not excessive; let our health be continued, hold thy hand over us, let no commission be granted against us, let every thing be set in order, because our date is uncertain, & the place of our end unknown, if our lease of life last till morning: in that shall appear to us that thou wilt bestow another day of grace upon us. O Lord we promise before thy Majesty, that we will by thy grace strive to the uttermost period of our strength to serve thee Lord; remember us, let us see a bosom, made & put in a strong hand for the wicked and wickedness, and let us see still the vine planted by thy own hand to flourish, and all the walls of it to stand, and not to fall, nor the least breach to be made: let it not be said that the fox shall with going upon it cursh it. O Lord to this end preserve our captain the King's majesty, and all about him for ever; and keep his heart in thy hand, & the hearts of all Christian Kings, governors & people, that a joyful success may be seen to thy true religion & church among us, & in all the world: and so with humble thanks we cease. To thee be all honour and glory for evermore. Amen. Amen.  

A thanksgiving for our late deliverance.  
O Lord, it is good to give praises unto thy name, praise is comely, but thou art so infinite in deseets, that our praises are all short; yet being true, and new according to fresh and admirable benefits received, they are as incense to thee: but when praises are not rendered in the due place, it provoketh thee to fury, yea to swear, that we shall perish for all them hereafter: and in wrath thou wilt say, that which perisheth let it perish: I will never put to hand to help: O Lord justly mayst thou say so to us, for we have him wonderfuly preserved by thee, as Israel in Pihahiroth, as David in the Prophet's school, as Daniel in the Lion's den, we have seen the axe lie at the root of our greatest Cedars, as thou wouldest have them no covering for us any longer: but let the sun and stars to pierce with us as by withering jonas Gourd: O Lord often hast thou bewrayed the malice of the popish crew, & the venon of all that brood, that for the time we have been swallowed up with thy goodness, & in the soul ravishment we have promised, but after not paying our vows for sin, thou hast been worse cumbered with us then before: good Lord upon our confession grant us remission, & merciful acceptation; if thou studest true thankfulness but in ten or a few. Lord receive it, and regard not the rest: let the righteous deliver the rest, & so take all glory that can be given thee from all the brands that have been pulled out of the fire, & let all address themselves to bring presents to thee that art to be fears, & so let our king be kept with his & thine.   

A prayer comprehending the matter of the last judgement.  
O Blessed Christ jesus, hasten to the last work of thy mediation, to judgement, yea the last judgement: and because that cannot be till thou haste sealed all thy elect, with the seal of God's iron; O Lord hasten that work: and to this end power thy spirit plentifully upon ministers and people, work every good work that may further the building of thy Church, let all Christian Kings cast their crowns before the Lamb, and be willing to lick the dust of thy saints feet: let them be devoured with a zeal of thy glory, let thy word spread into more countries and nations; let Babylon fall, let it be a cage of unclean birds, let not the noise of a mil be heard any more in her. Let the jews be graffed in again, as thou hast promised, even all thy elect among them, let prayers be made for them: Lord hear thou in heaven, the place of thy habitation, and let all thine have grace to think of the last trumpet, sounded to wake the dead: Let us remember the change of heaven & earth, & that fire shall consume them. Let us Resolve, here is no place of any long abode: Lord let us not defer & put of our repentance; for thou wilt come & wilt not carry: and as a thief wilt thou steal upon the reprobates, when they are either sleeping or beating their fellows. O Lord, let it please thee that we may take heed of the company and conversation of the ungodly, or of any never so nearly united unto us in the flesh: Because lord thou knowest, that then two shall be in a bed, one taken and another refused, and that thou hast said, that it shall be then a blessed state to be found doing our duties: blessed christ that shalt come in glory, to judge both quick & dead, at thy appearance and in thy coming: thy seat is said to be great, to contain such a parsonage of Majesty; no greatness shall appear to be comparable to thine: and as thou art great, so thy throne is white; for every one shall have justice of thee. O Lord let us take mercy while the date of it lasteth: for then the da●e of it will be out, & justice without partiality must take place: O Lord arm us in the time of mercy, that we may stand in the day of justice, when the wicked that now ●augh, shall too late weep: when the heaven & earth in their present but shall run away, & never be found again in the fashion: O good lord what wretches are we then to stand upon merit, when as the sun is not clear in thy sight, especially considering no Evasion can be made from thy presence without change, which shall be to late: & our merciful christ, our greatness now if we be found ill, will not profit us, but hurt us & increase our judgement: neither our smallness will excuse us, or accuse us to harm us; but we must all, of all sorts, and degrees and sexes stand & hold up hand at thy hat: O sweet jesus let it please thee, that we may use our greatness to thy glory, to good and not to harm; our smallness with comfort, and contentedness. O lord though we may cover our sins before men, and find a friend in court: yet we pray thee good jesus, let us remember that we must answer in thy court, when it shall be too late to entreat. O Lord awake us and make us mindful of our account before that we be called for, and seeing most great god all sesecrets must then be known or pronounced pardoned, O good lord let us have grace from thee to confess our secret sins, & to take heed of such: for thou keepest a debt book. Lord let us find speedily thy deep book Razed, thy word answered, & the book of life to have our names; that when they shall be opened in the great day of thy judgement, they may be no terror to us. Good Christ let us prepare our witnesses, and make ready our answer without delay, for we know not what will be to morrow. O lord we confess, we can have no less than 4 sufficient witnesses, thy word, thy spirit, our conscience, and the conscience of our neighbours jointly. Let us be sure of these, to stop the mouth of all hellish enmity, and to seal up to us pardon and reconciliation in jesus Christ: Let us judge ourselves, that our judgement may quickly be passed over; that after we may judge, & not be judged. O lord we know before, that we must hear justice mercilessly, if we repent not: if we turn not, we must be turned out, if we will not come in time, we must fearfully go with out time, O Lord let us bethink us of our estate, & be sure of our peace with thee; else our doting will quickly appear; for we are every moment within the compass of death, & the prison of hell. O Lord, happy are toads before Reprobates, for death fully ends them: but death doth keep the wicked, to restore them and bring them out again to judgement, O Lord let us see thee angry, let us see thee pleased; and so let not thy wrath, death, nor the last judgement terrify us. Let thy church our king and state be blessed: Let Zion's ilwillers be either converted, or confounded: send out in thy bottomless mercies a revocation of the commission gone out against the people of this nation: By virtue whereof many die, & many poor widows, & poor orphans cry: lord work what thou wilt, & take what thou wouldst, & be pacified. Lord all thy afflicted servants make moan to thee, Lord hear in heaven, and send comfort to the earth and it shall bring up hearty praise to thee by jesus Christ. Amen.    

A short prayer of purpose against Satan's assaults.  
MY loving and most pitiful father, who in jesus Christ & for his sake hast called me to thee, & by grace I am come to thee, Now blessed father I find stronger enmity than before, and find such a combination between Satan and my nature, with the world against me, that my weakness is ready to yield: good father seeing that now this rage of assault seems to be for thy sake: I thy poor child do beseech thee to manage thy own cause, and make thy part good against these enemies of thine in all their forcible assaults, & let them all know, they have to deal with thee, & so defend thy glory and this poor soul of mine that cometh trembling to creep under thy wings, and desireth to cast lively thy sweet favour, and never to be drawn from thee: she we thyself for Christ's sake, and let me not be blinded in judgement, nor so weak in faith, that I should be deluded, thy Majesty dishonoured, the enemy encouraged, or thy little ones dismayed; free me therefore good father from all these dangerous perplexities, that in patience, faith, and true Godliness I may run my race, and fight a good fight & conquer, that I lose not my Crown for jesus Christ's sake. Amen.   

A short prayer at hand upon all occasions.  
O Christ, I believe, help my unbelief: I am told from thee, that Satan is conquered, sin is killed, hell is shut; this wrath is pacified, curse and law are fully answered, and no peril can possibly befall me: Good Christ let me not only see it, but lively and joyfully apprehend it, and so establish me and mortisse me into thyself unchangeably, against wind and storm, and all that the Dragon can cast out of his mouth: and so I the least of thine, with many thy dear children, will praise thee for ever. Amen.   

A prayer for all sorts.  
O Lord hear us, & look mercifully upon us, thou hast promised it, & commanded us to ask it: perform thy promise, and help us in ask for thy son's sake: Thou hast been gracious, and thy mercy endures, we have been ungracious, & our sins continue, let thy wrath provoked be pacified, let thy justice stirred be stayed, and satisfied, in jesus Christ our mediator: Pity us, and pardon us: we believe, help our unbelief: resolve us, and persuade us, remove all dangerous doubts from us, as old Adam lived and ruled when thou wert provoked, so let it die and be subject, now thou art pacified: let us be lightened by thy word, let us be affected with it, let us have it in high estimation, and let us follow it in our conversation, let it be our sword against the devils temptation, let us conquer in Christ jesus, let a god conscience judge us, Let a continual watch keep us, Let the power of thy spirit arm us: Let our weakness never grow to wilfulness, let thy spirit never forsake us, leave us not overlong, though thou triest us, set security aside, shake of our drowsiness, quicken our deadness, soften our hardness, quench all the fiery darts of Satan in us, let us look back to our former state, and to our present state: let our heart grieve that it can be no more grieved, let our souls joy be in Christ thy son let us glad ourselves in the holy ghost. let us be given to reading, hearing and meditation, let us resort to the company of thy saints, let us loathe the company of the wicked, let us be lowly conceited in ourselves, let us think reverendly of all thy children, let us rest in thee, our good father-watch us by night, guide us by day, bless us in both with all ours, publicly and privately: protect thy gospel and church, prevent thy foes at home and abroad for jesus sake: amen.  
Finis.