A SERMON PREACHED AT PAVLS cross On Sunday, the eight and twentieth day of june. 1629. By RICHARD FARMER, sometimes of Pembrooke-Hall in Cambridge, now person of Charwelton in the County of Northampton.  
 printer's device of James Boler or Bowler, featuring a head between two crossed olive branches over scrollwork (not in McKerrow)  
LONDON: Printed for james BOWLER, dwelling at the sign of the Marigold in Pauls Churchyard. 1629.   

TO MY much honoured FRIEND RICHARD KNIGHTLEY, Esquire.  
SIR, being moved by some of better iudgement than myself, to print this Sermon, I haue made bold to inscribe it to your Name: both that it may wear it as a favour, like a jewel hanging in the forehead; and also, it being of form, not to press into so public a presence, without a leader, hoping you will take it by the hand. Yet it is not my desire you should patronize any thing in it; For the Text is a good Text, and he that was the author of it, will make that good; He will also bear me out in that I haue spoken of it, agreeable to his Spirit and meaning. And if any thing haue slipped from me otherwise, so soon as I shall hear of my faults( which will not be long, in this censorious age) I will not haue them Patronised, for I will ask pardon, and amend. But it is bold to come to you, first, because being a Sermon, I haue assured it, it will be welcome. I haue been further so hold, as to tell it, it will not he unwelcome being mine, whose pains in this kind sometimes you are pleased to accept. But chiefly it comes to you, to certify you, that as I do deservedly and vnfainedly honour you, so by giuing notice hereof to the world, I do engage myself before witness and vpon record, to be always  
Yours in all Christian affection and duty, RICHARD FARMER.   

A SERMON PREACHED AT PAVLS cross ON Sunday, the eight and twentieth day of june. 1629.  LVK. 21. 34. And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time, your hearts be auer-charged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come vpon you unawares. 
THese words which I haue red to speak of, they are the words of our Lord and saviour Iesus Christ: and they are some of his last words, being spoken as appears Mark. 14. 1. about two dayes before his passion: and as they are Christs last words, so they are of our last things, those nouissima, death and iudgement, heaven and hell, the remembrance whereof, as Moses teaches us Deut. 32. 29. will make us wise: and again( which makes them more observable) they were not openly delivered to the hearing of all, but in private, and at the instance of those of his Apostles, to whom, at other times, he manifested himself in secret, for so says Saint mark, Mar. 13. 3. Our saviour having foretold them of the destruction of the Temple, that of all those glorious buildings, there should not be left one ston vpon another, that should not be thrown down; Peter, and james, and John and Andrew asked him privately, Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled? The things they inquired of, as Saint Matthew more fully expresses them, Mat. 24. 3. were two: the one of the destruction of jerusalem and the Temple: the other of his second coming to iudgement, and the end of the world. These two questions pitch vpon the two periods of time, with which the Scriptures bound themselves: the one of the old Testament or the Law, which had his full consummatum est, with the destruction of jerusalem: the other of the New Testament, or the gospel, which shall receive his accomplishment, or period, with the second coming of Christ. Which because they bear some correspondency the one with the other, our saviour in this Sermon twists and weaves his answers to their two questions both together. And touching the first, of the destruction of jerusalem, he shows them the token, by which they were to look for it, ver. 20. of this Chap. when they should see jerusalem compassed about with armies, then they were to know that the desolation thereof was at hand: The unmatchable misery of it, Mat. 24. 21. it should be with such tribulation, as had not been from the beginning of the world, nor ever after should be: The compass of time within which it should be fulfilled, v. 32 of this cap. during and suruing that present age and generation then living, all which accordingly came to pass within 40 yeares after the speaking of these words.  
Touching the second, of his second coming to iudgment, he sheweth them the fearful terrors that shall go before it; The sun shall be darkened, the moon shall not give her light, the stars shall fall, the powers of heaven shall be shaken, and so forth, as follows Mat. 24. 29. The secrecy of the time of it; Of that day and hour knows no man, no not the Angels in heaven, but my father onely, Mat. 24. 36. The security of the world before it; As in the dayes that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giuing in marriage, until the day that Noah entred into the ark, and knew not till the flood came and took them all away, so also shall the coming of the son of man be, Mat. 24. 38. Vpon these advertisements of his coming to iudgement, our saviour infers an exhortation to vigilancy and wathfulnesse. Watch therefore, says Saint Matthew, Mat. 24. 42. for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. Take heed, watch and pray, says Saint mark, Mar. 13. 33. for ye know not when the Muster of the house cometh, at even or at midnight, at cockcrowing or in the dawning. And here Saint Luke records a further direction, which by the copulative in the beginning of the Text, should seem to haue been joined by our saviour to the watch-words of the two other evangelists; not onely requiring heed and wathfulnesse, but directing them what they should watch or take heed of. And take heed to yourselves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come vpon you unawares. Thus then, the day here mentioned in the Text, is the day of our saviours coming to iudgement, and the whole Text is nothing but a caveat for watchfulness or preparation against that day.  
As is the matter itself, so are the words, very ponderous and emphatical, and therefore by your honourable and Christian patience for our due consideration of them, wee must insist vpon no less than these seven 
The division of the Text.  points. 1 Our saviour not onely requires this preparation to be made, but he will haue it to be done with heed, wariness, and circumspection, as being matter of danger in the neglecting it: therefore he says, not onely do it, but take heed that you do it. Secondly, he sets forth the object of this heed: It must not be a heed of others, nor a heed of other things, but it must be reflected vpon themselves, Take heed( says our saviour) to yourselves. Thirdly, it must not be delayed, it must not be done by fits, but it must be begun speedily, and continued constantly, for says our saviour, Take heed lest at any time. Fourthly, though this heed be to be reflected on themselves, yet it is so to be applied to themselves, as that chiefly it be fixed on the heart: Take heed( says our saviour) to your hearts. Fiftly, there are diuers distempers and passions of the heart, that our saviour here gives warning of, is, grauedo cordis, the heaviness of the heart: for he says take heed, {αβγδ}, ne grauentur corda, lest your hearts bee pressed downward as it were with clogs and weights. sixthly, there are some special things, with which the heart is subject to be pressed down: of them our saviour here particularly notes two. 1 surfeiting and drunkenness. 2 cares of this life. seventhly and lastly, he sets forth in the end of the Text the mischief that will follow vpon the neglect of this heed, which is to be taken with that day unprepared, and so that day will come vpon you unawares.  
To return to the first, Take heed. Our saviours 
Take heed.  {αβγδ}, is as much as {αβγδ}, adhibite animum. i. apply your minds to a diligent observation of that I forewarn you; which will consist in two things. First, in the foresight of the danger, and secondly in a care to avoid it. The danger first consists in this; that there is such a day to be expected as the Text here makes mention of: A day of account, a day of trial, a day of iudgement, a day of doom. Which although it be an Article of our Creed, and therefore should need no proof, yet because Saint Peter Prophecies. 2 Pet. 3. 3. that in the last dayes there shall come mockers who shall make a question of it, and say, Where is the promise of his coming? And wee in these dayes of ours, which are some of those last dayes, may see in the lives of too many, an accomplishment of that prophecy, who live as if( in good earnest, and without all question) there were no such day to be expected: therefore it will not bee unfit in a word to set forth unto such, the light of this truth.  
And first, Verbum Dei, is Fundamentum fidei: Gods word is the right bottom and foundation of our faith; For faith yields God this honour, that it gives him credit vpon his word. Wee haue here the word of the son of God, come out of the bosom of his Father to declare this secret unto us: who although( as he says in this Sermon) he be to come as a thief in the night, yet that he may not come as a thief vpon us, is pleased here graciously to discover himself, giuing us warning before-hand, both of that day, and of his coming.  
again secondly, though reason cannot ex condigno, ground an Article of our faith,' yet ex congruo it may approve it. The very Heathen themselves, by the twilight of natural reason, had a glimpse of this mystery, They saw that the world was out of frame, It was Malis been, bonis male, ill men prospered, good men suffered; and therefore they thought it did not stand with the iustice of their jupiter, whom they called Optimus, as well as Maximus, good, as well as great, to suffer things to continue always in that state, and therefore they looked for a time of reformation, when their good were to be rewarded, and their evil punished. Nay look into 2 Thes. 1. 4. and see the Apostle himself pressing this reason. The tribulations and persecutions of you that are Christians( says the Apostle) are a manifest token of the righteous iudgement of God; for God must be righteous, and it is a righteous thing with God, to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; and to you rest with us: which therefore shall bee done when Iesus Christ shall bee revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire, to execute vengeance, &c.  
Thirdly, as do the hopeful expectations of the godly, so also do the terrors of conscience in wicked men, strike a deep impression, and an infallible character in their hearts of this truth. Wee red Act. 24. 25. that when Saint Paul reasoned of righteousness, and temperance, and iudgement to come, before Foelix the governor, Foelix trembled. What was the cause of this fear? Not because he believed the Apostle, for he continued an infidel. But the reason was, he had been a great offender against righteousness and temperance, and therefore his own heart misgaue him the words of the Apostle were too true, he must bee called to account for it.  
Fourthly, nay not onely wicked men, but even the divels themselves haue some apprehension of this point of our Faith. Thou believest there is one God, thou dost well( says Saint james,) I am. 2. 19. the divels also beleeue and tremble. And wherefore do they tremble? Not so much because there is a God, if they might always haue liberty of compassing the earth too and fro, and disport themselves in hunting after and preying vpon mens souls as now they do: but because as Saint Peter teaches us, 2 Pet. 2. 4. that God hath cast them into the dungeon of hell, and hath delivered them up into chains of darkness to be reserved unto iudgement.  
Thus heres the first part of the danger: a second consists in this; that as there shall be a iudgement, so it shall be a iudgement of the greatest importance; for as that day goes with us, so shall it be well or ill with us, and that in the highest degree, yea, and that for ever. Wee take more care in a trial for our lives than for our livings. Skin for skin, and all that a man-hath he will give for his life, says satan; and that truly, job 2. At this trial, not onely our skin and flesh, but the soul itself which makes skin and flesh sensible, shall lie at the stake. There shall be on the one side immortality, incorruption, glory, splendour, strength, an eternal Sabbath of rest, an everlasting festival of felicity, songs of glee, hallelujahs of triumph, fullness of all ioy and pleasure in the presence of God, Christ, Saints and Angels. There shall be on the other side, all woe and misery, all pain and torment, with a life onely reserved to feel it, shane and perpetual contempt, unquenchable fire, the worm that kills not, utter darkness, weeping and howling, and gnashing of teeth, of divels and damned souls, and all to be shared according to the right hand or left hand sentence of that day.  
Thus here's the danger: now the care to avoid it, is chiefly to be fixed on those things, for which at that day we are to be accountable. And what those are the Apostle will tell us, 2 Cor. 5. 10. Wee must all appear before the iudgement seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Where note two things: First, the things that we shall be called to account for, are the things done in these bodies of ours, the affairs of this life: This short race that we so desperately run through, this span of time, that we so prodigally pass away, it shall be called to account, and as wee are found in this moment, so shall it be with us for all eternity. again, secondly, that that shall be put in issue concerning these things done in our bodies, and in them concerning ourselves, shall not be that which we make most account of, whether rich or poor, noble or base, worldly wise or unwise, but the moral part, says the Apostle, whether it be good or bad: And as our Creed teaches us out of our saviours words, Mat. 25. 46. Those that haue done good shall go into life everlasting, and those that haue done evil into everlasting fire.  
It is not then without cause, that our saviour prefixes this note of heed, here in the beginning of this Text. That which is matter of account, and account of such importance, ought to be carefully looked unto. They watch for your souls, as they that are to give an account( says the Apostle) of those holy primitive teachers of the Church, Heb. 13. 17. Do they watch for our souls as they that must give an account,& ought not we much more to watch over our own souls, who must abide the punishment both of theirs and of our own negligence? The Apostle 1 Cor. 11. 27. and 31. advises us to examine ourselves, to judge ourselves, as if one main task of our lives were often to arraign ourselves, to try whether we shall be able to stare in judicio, to stand upright in the iudgement at that day, yea or no. And yet of all our accounts, what is there that we make less account of? We count our rents, our flocks, our treasures, our gains, our honours, our offices, all which we shall resign and leave behind us: but ourselves, our souls, our consciences, our works, which onely( as he Apo. 14. 13.) shall follow us, of them we make no account. Well, to conclude this point, though we keep not the account, there is one that sits over our heads, that keeps it for vs. even he of whom the Psalmist speaks, Psal. 11. 4. Whose eyes behold, whose eyelids try the children of men. he hath on the one side bottles of the tears of his seruants, and books of their patience. Psal. 56. 8. and he hath also bags of their good works, their deeds of charity wherein they are treasured up in heaven against their coming thither. Luke 12. 33. And he hath on the other side bags of transgression too: for so says job 14. 17. My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou so most up mine iniquity. And he hath his books of record of all our actions, which at that day shall be brought forth, Apo. 20. 12. and out of which men shall haue their iniquities set before them, yea, and that in order, Psal. 50. 21. Nay, mens own consciences, which now they corrupt and bribe with pleasures, with profits, or cauterise with the continual practise of sin, shall then be awaked like Adams eyes after his transgression, to be at the iudgement, in stead of a thousand witnesses to convince them, and after the iudgement, a never dying worm to torment them. And thus much shall suffice for this note of heed in the beginning of the Text.  
We come now to the second point, which sets forth 
2 To yourselves.  the object of this heed. Take heed( says our saviour) to yourselves. The Apostle, Rom. 14. 10. rebuking them for their censoriousness against their brethren, thought it sufficient to restrain them from judging others, by putting them in mind of their own account, which they were to give before the iudgement seat of Christ. Why dost thou judge thy brother( says the Apostle,) we shall all appear before the iudgment seat of Christ? And again, vers. 12. every one of us shall give an account of himself unto God, let us not therefore judge one another any more. And surely if wee did seriously look to this account of our own, wee should find so much work at home, that we should not haue leisure to bee so busy abroad in judging others. But as the Apostle, 2 Thes. 3. 11. speaks of some {αβγδ}, doing nothing, and yet busy bodies; doing nothing in their own affairs, but busy in other mens: so there are too too many, that are so heedful of the account of others, that of their own account they take little or no heed at all. And therefore our saviour leaves not his precept for heed at large, but he limits and bounds it to his due object. Take heed, says our saviour, to yourselves.  
reproof of others, is reckoned amongst the deeds of Charity, Leuit. 19. 17. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart, but thou shalt in any wise rebuk thy neighbour, and not suffer him to sin. But being a dead of charity, as all charity should begin at home, so especially should this. God requires of us that wee love our neighbour but as ourselves, but in this we will supererogate, wee will love him better then ourselves, take more care of his reformation than of our own. The Apostles precepts are, Examine yourselves, and judge yourselves. And the rule by which we should examine and judge ourselves, should be Gods Law, which as S. james teaches us, Iam. 1. 23. is like to a looking-glasse, to which every one should resort, to note and to wipe out the blemishes of his own face. Into which glass the holy Apostle looking, in his humility, thought his own face the foulest, 1 Tim. 1. 15. Iesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief, says the Apostle. But this glass deals too plainly with us, it shows us our wrinkles and deformities too truly. We choose rather therfore to look into the false glass of our own self-love, whereby first we contract a confident opinion of our own righteousness. From trusting in ourselves that we are righteous with the Pharisee, Luke 18. 11. we go a step higher, wee fall to despising of others, not onely judging, but crucifying them too, with our rigorous censures. I thank thee O God, I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or like unto this Publican. Next, having thus dignified ourselves, and in comparison of ourselves vilified others, we grow to think them too bad to come near us, like those holy ones, Isa. 65. 5. who say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me, for I am holier then thou. And so at last, by these steps and degrees many fall to a schismatical separation of themselves from the Church of God, and so become proselytes, either of Rome or of Amsterdam, two-fold more the children of hell, then they whose vices they do condemn.  
From hence likewise it comes to pass, that the religion of a great many, consists in nothing so much, as in statising discourses, like Salomons fool, Prou. 17. 24. When they should be at home about their own affairs, their eyes are in the corners, or in the ends of the earth: the theme of their talk is no less then the affairs of all christendom: their relations all foreign intelligences: their providence in nothing but prophecies of prodigious imminent alterations: their conferences in shops, in private houses, nothing but projects of new forms of government, and elections of new gouernours: their daily pastime nothing so much as an ignorant, and an uncharitable censuring and traducing of others, especially their superiors: deploring the times, crying out for reformation of all save themselves: with o tempora, o mores! when commonly their own manners are one of the foulest blots of the times. Nothing so corrupt as their own consciences, nothing more disorderly then their own families, no business worse managed than their own estates.  
I speak not this as if reformation ought not to be desired where there is need. It is not onely to be desired, but also to be endeavoured of all, but in due order. Saint Paul, Act. 20. 28. hath a double caveat: Take heed, says the Apostle, to yourselves, and to the flock: But to whom is this? To those whom the holy Ghost had made overseers of the Church of Ephesus. So must we say to all that are in authority, they haue a double charge, they must attendere sibi,& attendere gregi too: take heed to themselves, and to the flock committed to their charge. But mark; our saviours caveat stands first. First sibi, then gregi: first to themselves, then to the flock: lest that mock be truly put vpon them, which was falsely put vpon our saviour: he saved others, himself he cannot save. And so likewise for others: As the Apostle wishes Gal. 5. 12. Vtinam abscindantur qui conturbant vos, I would they were cut off which trouble you: so all may wish and pray that all incorrigible troubles of Israel might be cut off. But because every mans particular vices and transgressions must be numbered amongst the troubles of Israel, wee must first every one ease Israel of his troubles by cutting off our own transgressions, and then will it be fit time to seek and call for the reformation of others: Lest that brand of hypocrisy be found vpon us, which our saviour notes, Mat. 7. 5. Thou hypocrite, first cast the beam out of thine own eye, then shalt thou see clearly to pull the moat out of thy brothers eye. To conclude this point with the Apostle, Gal. 6. 5. At that day, the day here in the Text, every man shall bear his own burden: therefore now let every man bee careful to prove his own work.  
The third point sets forth the constancy of this heed. 
3 Lest at any time.  Take heed, says our saviour, ne quando, lest at any time. This word ne quando, seems to haue relation to that that our saviour had before spoken, of the vnsearcheablenesse of this day. Though the thing itself( our saviours coming to iudgement) be most certain, yet the time when he will come, is most uncertain, being an inscrutable secret, to men, to Saints, to Angels, nay, Iesus Christ himself, as being the son of man, will not be acknown of it, Mar. 13. 32. and therefore says our saviour, because ye know not when the time is, ye must take heed, watch and pray at all times.  
Here it may be, it will be exputed and desired by some hearers, who are readier to prie into this secret, than to prepare for it, that wee should set forth the roving conjectures of some, at least at the scantling of time wherein this day is to be expected. For the daring wit of man, like him that would build again jericho, hath not been afraid to assay the stealing of this secret from heaven itself, by groundless, nay by impious prognostications. For to go about to know or discover this time, what is it else but to reverse and to make voided our saviours words? He says, Take heed, watch and pray at all times, because ye know not the time; they by professing a discovery of the time, say plainly, their is no such cause at all times to take heed watch and pray.  
There are others, who though they will not define this time, yet they will confine it. There are( say they) some prophecies in the Scripture, as that of the discovery and destruction of Antichrist, Apoc. 17 and 18. chap. that other of the conversion of the Iewes, Rom. 11. 25. which must be fulfilled before Christs coming to iudgement, therfore yet he is not to be expected. But let us take heed, we be not so deceived about Christs second coming, as the Iewes were about his first. Because it was prophesied, Mal. 4. 5. Behold I will sand you Elijah the Prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: The Scribes taught the people, Mat. 17. 10. that before Christs coming, Elias the Tisbite, must rise up from the dead and come amongst them. But says our saviour, Elias is come already, and they knew him not, meaning by John the Baptist, who though he came not in the flesh, yet came in the spirit and power of Elias, as it was prophesied of him by the angel, Luke 1. 17. and so that prophecy received his accomplishment, and they were not ware of it. So, tis true, there are such predictions in the Scriptures, Antichrist is to be discovered and confounded, and the Iewes are to be converted: but yet although God haue revealed the things, seeing he has reserved unto himself the manner, why may not these also receive their accomplishment in some such manner, as our blindness shall not be able to observe it? It was the saying of Origen of old, and our age does well allow of it, vpon that Rom. 11. 25. blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in, and so all Israel shall be saved Quis autem sit iste omnis Israel, quisaluus fiet( says that Father) aut quae erit ista plenitudo etiam gentium, Deus solus novit,& vnigonitus eius, &c. But what this all Israel is that shall be saved, or what this fullness of the Gentiles also shall bee, God onely knows, and his onely begotten.  
To return then to our saviours words: The quando of his coming is most uncertain, therefore wee must take heed, ne quando, lest at any time he come vpon us unawares. We see then this caveat hath been in force now any time near this sixteen hundred yeares, taking place not long after the speaking of these words, but ought most of all to be in force with us, vpon whom not onely as the Apostle speaks, 1 Cor. 10. 11. the ends of the world, but the very ends of those ends of the world are come. Especially if we add to the expectation of this day, the consideration of the shortness and frailty of our own time. See to what trifles our lives are compared; Like grass, like a flower of the field, like 
Psal. 90. Psal. 39. Psal. 78. ver. 39. Psal. 102. ver. 3.& 11. Psa. 73. 20. Psal. 62. 9. Psa. 144. 4. Iam. 4. 14.  a flood, or a rising of the waters, like a wind, like a vapour, like a shadow, like smoke, like yesterday, like a watch in the night, like a sleep, like a dream, like a vain show or a pageant, like a tale that is  told, like a span or a hand breadth, like vanity, nay very vanity, altogether vanity, lighter then vanity. Yet hoc momentum, vnde pendet aeternitas: These lives of ours are that moment vpon which all eternity does depend And yet for all that, how wastefully, and how desperately do men pass them away? It is their study and care to find pastime, as if they had so much time here, they knew not what to do with it: They while it away, gaze it away, dream it away, prate it away, cark and care it away, droyle and drudge it away, feast and dance it away, play and sport it away, drink it away, drabbe it away. Our whole life is well compared to a journey, and as well may the several parts and times of our lives be compared to the diverse ways and places which in our journeys wee pass through. Sometimes we pass through tedious, irksome, wearisome ways, seeming longer then they are: such is our idle time, wherein we are weary both of our time and of ourselves. Sometimes through places barren, yet delightful by variety of new objects, like walks in a garden; such is our wanton, our sporting time. Sometimes thorough rough, thorny, dark, dirty, difficult passages; such is our carking time Sometimes we travail through dangerous ways for theeues and wild beasts; such is our mischievous time: our time spent in malicious and harmful persecutions one of another, wherein we are Homo homini lupus, one man a wolf to another. Little or none of our time useful or profitable either to ourselves or others: like those cornfields in the gospel, through which the Disciples passing relieved themselves.  
The reason of this is two-fold. Either wee think not of that we haue here to do: or wee put it off. 1 There are many so far like the beasts that perish, that they are at their journeys end before they know whether they are going: They are ready to go out of the world, before they know for what cause they came in. 2 Others how there is a work, a task here to be done, but they put it off, like them about the building of the Temple, Hag. 1. 2. Tis to be done, but the time is not yet come. And so 
Luk. 12. 19  deferring all to the fag end of their age, or the hour of death, having with the rich fool in the gospel given themselves many good pickaxes, and sent themselves before hand many new yeeres gifts, they are vpon a sudden surprised and overtaken with the night of death.  
To prevent this folly Moses in that psalm of his, Psal. 90. 12. directs us to a point of wisdom, which is to learn to number our dayes. Our dayes may be numbered two ways: complete, or current. complete, he hath summed them up for us, ver. 10. The dayes of our yeeres are but threescore yeeres and ten, or at the most fourscore. A short time, and therefore to be sparing spent. But this is not to every one what shall be, but at the utmost what may be, for we see the most cut off before they see that age. If then wee shall count our time running, let us but observe with what a sparing hand it is ministered unto vs. We count it in gross, by dayes, weekes, moneths and yeeres, and no doubt many of us haue already projected before hand, what we will do for many yeeres yet to come; But in so counting we count more than is our own. For this present day, a good part of it was, but is not ours now, for tis past; that of it that is to come we cannot call ours, because wee know not whether wee shall live to see it. Onely that that is ours is the time present, which comes vpon us by such small, punctual, indivisible, insensible minits and moments, that tis come and gone, before we can say tis here. That great Lord of times and seasons, spinning out unto us this precious treasure with so sparing a hand, to the end, we should be as frugal in the bestowing of it. The very phrase of the holy Ghost admonishes us of this thrift, in that Psal. 90. 10. not onely the yeeres of our life, but the dayes of the yeeres of our life, are threescore yeeres and ten. And so likewise speaks jacob in his counting of his age unto Pharaoh, Gen. 47. 9. not onely the yeeres of my pilgrimage, but the dayes of the yeeres of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty yeeres: reckoning not onely yeeres but dayes, as if the least shred of this precious stuff were not to bee cast away. Nay, our blessed saviour himself, though here speaking of a day he seem to require only a daily watch, yet elsewhere he breaks this time into smaller fractions, Mar. 13. 35. into the watches of the night, which were but three houres a piece. Ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, at cockcrowing, or in the dawning. Nay, Mat. 24 42. to an hour: Watch therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come: As if there were not onely a daily, but an hourly watch to be set for his coming. But while we speak of frugality of our own time, let us be frugal of the time of this exercise.  
And so come to the the next point which fixes this 
4 Your hearts.  heed chiefly vpon the heart. Take heed, says our saviour, to your hearts. God requires a conformity to his will in all our parts: We must circumcise our ears, Acts 7. 51. We must make a covenant with our eyes, job 31. 1. We must set a watch before our mouths, Psal. 141. 3. We must cleanse our hands, Iam. 4. 8. We must lift up the feeble knees, Heb. 12. 12. and wee must take heed to our feet too, Eccles. 5. 1. But our saviour here, wee see, singles out the heart to bee taken heed of, and that for two reasons. 1 Without the heart all heed of the outside is vain and idle. 2 If the heart be vnfainedly taken heed of, a well ordering of the outside will follow of itself.  
First, how vain and idle all heed of the outward man is without the heart, our saviour shows in his complaint out of the Prophet Mat. 15. 8. This people draweth near unto me with their mouths, and honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me, therefore in vain do they worship me. The reason is, the heart is as it were, the metropolis, the chief City or fort of these little kingdoms of ours: and those that will hold us, would be possessed of that. And there are two pretenders for the possesion of our hearts. First, My son give me thine heart says God, Prou. 23. 26. And my son give me thy heart says satan too: for tis with the heart, he negotiats, John 13. 2. he put it into the heart of Iudas Iscariot to batray him. But here's the difference, God with the heart will haue all, as our saviour expresses his mind, Luke 10. 27. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart. i. with all thy soul, with all thy strength, and with all thy mind. But the divell, so he may haue the heart he'l be content to quit al the rest. Satan is himself a great disguiser, for as the Apostle says, 2 Cor. 11. 14. of a foul divell he can transform himself into an angel of light, and is well content that his ministers and seruants should be like unto himself. So he may haue the heart, he'l allow them the ear to hear, the eyes to lift up in prayer, the lips to make long prayers, the tongue to reprove 'vice, and cry out for reformation, nay, sometimes the hands to do good works, deeds of charity; What not? the more shows the better, as Iudas when he meant to play the thief, pretended for the poor, John 12. 6. It is one of Sathans old methods of temptation, to dichotomise his followers into two ranks. He had amongst the Iewes his Sadduces and his Pharisees: the one atheistical, denying both resurrection, angel, and Spirit. Acts 2●. 8. the other hypocritical, reducing the observation of Gods Law to the outside obedience, as appears by our saviours confutation of them, Mat. 5. but both of them a generation of vipers, as John the Baptist calls them Mat. 3. 7. satan holds the same method still: he hath amongst us his Sudduces, atheistical Epicures and Libertines, who as if they said in their hearts with the fool, Psal. 14. 1. that there is no God; give the divell heart and all, inside and outside too, without either fear of God, or reverence of man. He hath again his Pharisees, hypocritical titulary professors, who as if that God were an Idol, and having eyes saw not their hypocrisy, give the devil their hearts, and think to present God with a mask. He that says Pro. 23. My Son give me thy heart, says also Rom. 21. 1. we must present our bodies for living sacrifices to him; so that the whole man is to be given as a present unto God. But we instead of presenting the whole of ourselves, think to content him with sending him a present out of ourselves. Somewhat like as jacob did unto joseph. Gen. 43. 11. Where he says to his sons, Take of the best of the fruits of the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little hony, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds: so likewise we, living in a place where there is a face and a form of godliness, and profession of Religion is after a sort in fashion; wee are content to sand God a present of the best of the fruits of the land, of every good thing a little; according to the use of the times, and the fashion of the place: a little piety, and a little charity, and a little equity, and a little honesty, now and then a little, to keep up our credit amongst our neighbours, and to bear up the name of our profession, but the stream of our affections and our courses runs another way. Our saviour therefore, well knowing what a heavy doom belongs to hypocrites, gives here special charge to take heed of the heart. Mat. 24. 51. give him his portion with hypocrites. As if the divell were the chief Lord of the Mannour, and hypocrites the onely freeholders in hell, and all other were but under tenants, cottiers, or inmates taken into them.  
Secondly, as without the heart all heed of the outside is vain, so if the heart be once vnfainedly reformed, a reformation of the outward parts will follow by conformity. Philosophy teaches us that in the life natural, the heart is primum vivens,& ultimum moriens: the first that lives, and the last that dyes; and so it is in the moral life too. For virtue and piety, First with the heart man believes unto righteousness, and then with the tongue he confesses unto salvation, Rom. 10. 10. And so also for 'vice, adulteries, murders, thefts, and the like, though they be acted outwardly with the body, yet says our saviour Mat. 15. 19. they proceed from the heart. Because the heart is as it were the womb of sin, as Saint james describes the bringing forth of this monster, james 1. 15. every man is enticed of his own lust, then when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin. First, some pleasing sing object, like a spark falling vpon tinder, inflames the heart: ther's the seed of sin. The heart inflamed with desire grows to con●ent and resolution: there's the conception of sin. That resolution, with time and opportunity, breaks out into act and execution: and ther's the birth of sin. Our saviour therefore in giuing warning of the heart, advises us to use the same policy for the destroying of sin, which we use for the destroying of evil birds and noisome beasts. Wee kill ill birds in the egg, and wee destroy noisome beasts when they are but cubs: so likewise should wee endeavour to stop drunkenness in the object, as Salomon advises Prou. 23. 31. look not on the wine when it is read: adultery in the occasion, as joseph Gen. 39. ●0. who to avoid the solicitations of his mistress, would not come where she was: reuenge in the resolution, as david 1 Sam 29. when he happily changed his desperate purpose of destroying Nabal, and all his house; couetounesse in the tinder, as Peter to Simon Magus. Act. 8. 20. Thy money perish with thee.  
As then before in the second point, we prest the Apostles precept, Examine yourselves, and in age yourselves: so here we must press the Psalmists precept, Psal. 4. 4. Examine your hearts and judge your hearts: Wherein wee are taught, that as we are often to arraign ourselves vpon the whole course of our lives, to try whether we shall be able to stand upright in the iudgement or no: so to prevent those crimes of sin, which at that day may condemn us, we should do the like office vpon our hearts, in prevention of the day of iudgement, that Iustices of peace do in prevention of the judge of assize. every good Iustice, if he haue information of vagrant and disorderly persons, examines them whence they come, whether they go, how they live, what's their names? and though they haue committed no selony, yet for their idle and desolate course of life, he whips them home, sends thē to the house of correction, whereby many times capital crimes are prevented. So likewise should wee do by the roving vagabond, dissolute thoughts and desires of our own hearts: where wee shall find some born of lust and idleness, and stealing in the twilight to adultery and uncleanness: some bread of covetousness and hasting to iniquity and injury: some grown of pride and self-love, and swelling to insolency and tyranny over our brethren: some rising of rancour and malice, and posting to bloody reuenge and mischief: which if we would correct and crucify, while they are in the heart, it would prevent those foul felonious acts of wickedness, adulteries, thefts, murders, oppressions, tyrannies and the like, for which many shall bee condemned at that great day. For Cains murder was at first but a malicious intent, and a downe look: Dauids adultery was at first but a iustfull desire: Absaloms treason in the beginning, was nothing but an overweening imagination, which had they been strangled in the womb of sin, or dashed against the stones when they were but babes, those foul facts of wickedness had been prevented.  
But come we now to the next point, which does in 
5 Be overcharged.  some sort second this, setting forth unto us the disease of the heart, which our saviour here particularly gives warning of. There are diverse distempers and sicknesses of the heart, that God dislikes. As first, there is a dull and a slow heart; quick enough at earthly, but slow in conceiving of heavenly things, reproved by our saviour in them of Emmaus. Luke 24. 25. O fools and slow of heart to beleeue that which the Prophets haue spoken. Secondly, there is disliked by God a heart of too hard a temper or mettall, which was lamented by our saviour in the Iewes, Mark. 3. 5. as a disease hardly curable, when besides the natural indisposition that is in us all, there is grown vpon the heart, by the continual practise of sin, that {αβγδ}: an addictionall brawny hardness, without feeling, so as neither exhortations nor admonitions, promises nor threatenings, judgements nor mercies will enter it, but all recoil from it as fruitless. again thirdly, Mat. 13. 15. our saviour complains of a fat heart; Pinguefactum or incrassatum est cor populi huius: the heart of this people is waxed fat or gross. A degree worse than the former, because in this by worldly prosperity and pride of heart, there is added a self-pleasing security in sin, whereby they do not onely reject reproof, but sitting in the scorners chair, they deride and disdain at the repoouers. Of this speaks Saint james, Iam. 5. 5. where speaking of worldly rich men, he says of them, Ye haue been wanton, ye haue lived in pleasure, ye haue fatted up your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. Fourthly, God hates a cloven or a souble hear, a heart, and a heart, as it is called, Psal 12. ●. a deceitful or a dissembling heart, which turns Gods workmanship into a monster, who having given us diuers of our members twins, as eyes, ears, hands and the like, yet for one soul, has given us but one heart, and for that one heart but one tongue, as if betwixt soul, heart and tongue, there should always be an identicall correspondency. Fiftly, ther's another sort of false hearts, which is a fleeting and an unstable heart, meaning well enough for the present, but not continuing constant. Of this the Psalmist complains in the Iewes, Psal. 78. 8. where he says their heart was not right, because their spirit was not steadfast with God. And therefore vers. 57 he compares them to a deceitful bow, which though at the first making it shoots strait, yet with a little lying warps, and so deceives the shooter. These and many other distempers and passions of the heart there are, which God dislikes and reproves, but of them all our saviour here gives warning to take heed of grauidinosum cor, a heavy heart. Which is, when the heart that should mount up aloft, to the apprehension, the contemplation, the affection of heaven and of heavenly things, lies groveling here vpon the earth, delighting itself in nothing but carnal, worldly, and earthly contentments. And therefore says our saviour; Take heed, {αβγδ}, ne grauentur corda, lest your hearts be pressed down to the earth with these earthen affections, as it were with clogs and weights, for so much does the word {αβγδ} signify.  
The divell, who as hath been shewed before, is a great intruder vpon the heart, if he can get possession, his word is the same to the heart, that it was to our saviour, when he had him on the pinnacle of the Temple, Mitte te deorsum, Cast thyself down: But Gods word to the heart is Sursum corda, Lift up your hearts. As the Apostle speaks, Col. 3. 2. {αβγδ}, Mind those things that are above, and not the things on the earth. And surely ther's great reason, that as God hath set us with our faces looking upward, as homini sublime dedit, so our hearts should look that way too. david Psal. 121. 1. says, I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills; his reason is, because from thence cometh my help. Surely our help, our hope, our comfort for this life, for that which is to come, is from the hills, from Gods holy hill, and therefore thither should we lift up not onely our eyes, but our hearts also. First, from thence is our original, as the Apostle shows out of the heathen Poet. Acts 27. 28. {αβγδ}, wee are Gods generation, Gods offspring, Indeed our bodies are of the dust, and must to the dust, but the Spirit is given by God the Father of Spirits, Eccles. 12. 7. And shall the earthen part so clog down the heavenly, that it shall not look up to the rock from whence it was hewn? Secondly, ther's our kindred, ther's our fathers house: God our Father, Christ our elder brother, the Saints of God our brethren: And shall wee be so wedded to our earthly alliance, as to forget our interest in the Communion of Saints, and the household of God? Thirdly, ubi pater, ibi patria; where our Father, and our Fathers house is, ther's our country, here we are but pilgrims and strangers: And does not the quarreler, who is always amongst strangers, sometimes amongst enemies, often think how happy it were with him, if he were at home, sitting under his own Vine, and under his own Figtree? Fourthly, in our own country, when we are like to tarry, then we build, for who bestows cost on building in a place, from whence he's sure to remove? And where we build, there we furnish and lay up, as they that are to remove house commonly sand their stuff before them. And are there mansions building for us in heaven, and haue we no mind to go dwell in them? Must our treasure be laid up in heaven, and will not our hearts be there also? Fiftly, Nay, dies diem trudit, one day thrusts on another, and every day thrusts on with it his own employments; and so every day, every span of time, though we think not of it, sets us a place nearer our arrival there. And does not the quarreler coming homeward from a long journey, rejoice when he is come within sight of the tunnell of his own chimney; or the mariner returning from a dangerous voyage, is he not glad when he come within kenning of his own cost? sixthly, from thence he that came once to be our saviour, shall come again to be our judge, and by iudgment with mercy, will set us in possession at his second coming of that heavenly inheritance, which with his precious blood he purchased for us at his first. And is he to come again, and for this blessed end, and haue we no mind to look for his glorious appearance? The Saints of God, our brethren, who now enjoy his presence in heaven, when they were strangers vpon earth, as we now are, they looked for him: Our conversation is in heaven, says the Apostle, Phil. 1. 23. from whence also we look for our saviour, the Lord Iesus Christ. Nay, they did not onely look for him, but they longed for him too. We red of Abraham, Gen. 25. 8. that he died old and full of dayes, satur dieram, so cloyed with life as a man might be at a feast. And Saint Paul he was hungry for death, Phil. 1. 23. I desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ. These were the minds and affections, of these holy Saints and seruants of God: and such should, yea such would our affections be too, but for these clogs which press us down to the earth, which we come now to speak of.  
They are two: the first is surfeiting and drunkenness: the second is cares of this life. When God gave sentence vpon satan in the Serpent, for his malicious seducing of our first parents, part of his curse is, Gen. 3. 14. vpon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat: Satan to make man as accursed as himself, endeavours to bring him to his own shape, and to his own diet. Sometimes he tempts him to gluttony and luxury, that so he may go vpon his belly like him: sometimes to worldly care and covetousness, that so he may feed vpon the lust like him. According to which danger, our saviour here fences the heart with a double cordial: Against the first, Take heed lest your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness. Against the second, Take heed lest they be oppressed with cares of this life. 
1 With surfeiting and drunkenness.   
Touching the former. Cordials are prescribed by precise quantities, drams and scruples, and therefore we must be strict in weighing the ingredients of our saviours receipt: First, the heart must not be overcharged, {αβγδ}, which if we shall beleeue our Numularios verborum, in stricktnesse of signification, signifies the surcharge of the stomach vpon overmuch drink alone; so called, because it does {αβγδ}, quatere or agitare caput, shake& distemper the head: or better {αβγδ} quasi {αβγδ}. i. lucta capitis, the wrestling of the head, because that by drink there is a kind of a combat betwixt head and stomach, how the brain shall bear what the stomach has taken in. But howsoever the good cheer of the feast be counted in the drink, yet because the learned palates of our Epicures will eat as well as drink, if it be but to relish their drink the better: and although the blame be laid vpon the drink as the principal, yet delicious meats are an accessary to the crapula too, as our English word surfeit shows, which signifies any kind of excess, of meat alone, or drink alone, or of meat and drink both together: therefore our saviour in {αβγδ}, gives warning, as well of ouer-charging the heart by gourmandising in of delicious meats, as by powring in wine and strong drink. But now secondly, because they had their {αβγδ} as well as their {αβγδ}, their compotationes tiplings, as well as their comessationes iunketings and bankettings, and they are both together, and distinctly reproved by the Apostle, 1 Pet. 4. 3. And besides, because there is a generation amongst us, who contrary to our saviours phrase in the Lords Prayer, summing up all necessaries to mans life in daily bread, reduce all their wants and desires of bread, meat, drink, cloath, and whatsoever else to their daily drink, and so commonly overcharge the heart with drink alone, therefore our saviours next word is a preservative of the heart against drink alone: Take heed, says our saviour, your hearts be not overcharged {αβγδ} with drunkenness. Thirdly, this is not all: the Epicures paradise is, not onely eat and drink, but be merry too, Luk. 12. 19. And the Prophet Isay speaking of the riot of his time, Is. 5. 12. says, that not onely the Wine, but the harp and the viol, the Tabret and the Pipe were in their feasts. And david complains, Psal. 69. 12. that he was made the song of the drunkards. Therefore with gluttony and drunkenness, is to bee joined as an accessary to the clogging of the heart, all the full belly bagpipe mirth, with which the meetings of Epicures and drunkards are commonly accompanied. Fourthly, yet we haue not all: if the Text bring in the mother, wee must not leave out the daughter: surfeiting and drunkenness is the mother; chambering and wantonness is the daughter; for what intemperancy and gluttony crams in, that incontinency and lust foams out: as Salomon shows, Pro. 23. 31. look not on the wine when it is read: his reason follows, ve. 33. Thine eyes shall look vpon strange women. Therefore when our saviour bids Take heed of surfeiting and drunkenness, his meaning is not to leave out chambering and wantonness; which as it commonly follow? it in the wicked practise of men, so it is joined with it in the Apostles reproof, Rom. 13. 13. for whoredom as well as surfeiting and drunkenness is a clog to the heart: nay, it steals the heart quiter away: so says the Prophet Hos. 4. 11. whoredom, and wine, and new wine, they take away the heart.  
And this is the sum of our saviours cordial against epicurism, which those ancient primitive Christians, then expectants of Christ, now triumphant with him in heaven, were so careful to keep by them, against all temptations of this kind, that they did not onely refrain their bodies from these noisome superfluities, but also they abridged themselves even of lawful necessaries: I keep under my body, and bring it into subiection, says Saint Paul 1 Cor. 9. 27. and how he kept it under himself shows 2 Cor. 11. 27. in hunger and thirst, in fastings often. Not onely hunger and thirst for need, but in fastings often, by a voluntary forbearance. Neither was this the Apostles practise alone: They had their Church fasts Acts 13. 3. their household fasts 1 Cor. 7. 5. their personal fasts 2 Cor. 6. 5. And these to quicken prayer, and both fasting and prayer to keep a continual watch over their own souls, that their master whensoever he shall come, might find them so doing. They well knew that their bodies were ordained to be Temples for the holy Ghost to dwell in, and therefore they kept them always well dressed up with sobriety and purity, fit for the entertainment of so heavenly a guest.  
But what is the practise of our times? Surely our fasting is to eat fast, and drink fast, as if like those Epicures 1 Cor. 15. 32. being to die to morrow, we desired to make an end of all before we went: our keeping under of our bodies, is nothing but a pampering of them for lust, that like soyle-fed stallions, we may be libidine forts, strong in lust: and a restless trimming of them up with all home-bred and far-fetched bravery, the Iuybush of an adulterous heart. Whereby it comes to pass, that instead of being Temples for the holy Ghost, they become kennels and styes for Satan, who as he is immundus spiritus, a foul spirit, so he delights to dwell in those that are like himself. He desired and obtained of our saviour a dwelling in the Swine, and will always hold his possession in such as are of a swinish disposition.  
But though wee will not be brought to that ancient primitive discipline of taming our bodies by fasting, yet should we keep ourselves within the bounds of sobriety. Our saviour here says that against his coming we should all be watchmen; but alas, a drunkard, that as Salomon says Pro. 23. 34. dare sleep on the top of a mast in the midst of the Sea, is but an ill watch-man: and therefore the Apostle Peter before he will give his precept of watchfulness, premises a precept of sobriety; 1 Pet. 5. 8. Be sober, and watch. Besides, we should be sober, not onely to shake off the clogs of the soul, but to avoid the hazards of the body too: for drunkenness endangers both, being like that lunatic divell in the gospel, of whom the father of the possessed cries out, Mat. 17. 15. Lord haue mercy on my son, for he is lunatic and sore vexed, for oft-times he fals into the fire, and oft into the water. These are the effects of drunkenness, not onely putting off the hopes of the life to come, which they regard not, but also hazarding the comforts of this life which they most esteem. And yet how monster-like grown is this 'vice! God in the beginning destroyed the world with a deluge of water, we may fear lest now in the latter end, we be ouer-flowed with a deluge of drink. God has set bounds to it as to the Sea, Eccles. 10. 17. for strength, not for drunkenness: As if he would say unto drink, Thus far shall thy proud waves come, and no further: human laws haue reared banks and carriers against it, by pecuniary mulcts and corporal punishments; but all in vain, tis lawless, tis boundless, overflowing all places, all ages, all sexes, all degrees, all conditions.  
The Apostle Tit. 1. 12. calls the Cretians out of one of their own Poets {αβγδ}, slow or slothful bellies, as if they were all belly, and nothing else. And surely such monsters does drink make of a great many, all face and belly like the ston Iugges they so often empty. But slow or slothful bellies we must not call them, for indeed their chief activity is in their bellies. For whereas our noble ancestors, who made themselves and our Nation famous by their valour, exercised their bodies with those man-like Olympian, or rather English exercises of wrestling, running, shooting, horsmanship, and the like: the exercise and activity of our times is whose belly shall hold most, whose brain shall bear most, and he that can get the victory in this 'vice, glories in it, as in a great mastery.  
But that I may get me out of this sink. To whom is woe? to them that sit long at the wine, says Salomon, Prou. 23. 29. But me thinks the Prophet Isay answers this question a little more punctually Is. 5. by a kind of dichomy or division of drunkards. There is one sort that rise up early to follow wine and strong drink, but says the Prophet they sit at it till the wine inflames them, so as they are overcome of their drink, ver. 11. ye haue a woe against them. There are another sort that are so mighty to drink wine, and men of such strength to power in strong drink, that though they rise never so early to it, sit never so long at it, yet the wine will not inflame them, but having overcome both the drink and the drinkers too, they rise up from their benches, as the Psalmist speaks, Ps. 78. 65. like giants refreshed with their wine, ver. 22. the Prophet denounceth a woe against these also. And so much shall suffice for the first clog of the heart, of surfeiting and drunkenness.  
We come now to the other, of worldly cares and covetousness. 
2 With cares of this life.  Take heed, says our saviour, that your hearts be not overcharged {αβγδ}, with cares of this life: which are not onely clogs, but distractions too, and are therefore called {αβγδ}, because they do {αβγδ}, they do divide and distracted the heart, pulling it this way and that way with their multitude and their variety.  
The beginning of them is with cares for necessaries, such as our saviour speaks of to his Apostles, Mat. 6. 31. What shall we eat? what shall we drink? wherewith shall we be clothed. The poor widows care 1 Reg. 17. that the meal in the barrel, and the oil in the cruse may hold out. Iacobs care, Gen. 28. 20. that God would give him but bread to eat, and clothes to put on. And this we call an honest care to live; and so it is, provided it be without a {αβγδ}, without distrust and distraction.  
Our cares make us beleeue they will stay here: Oh, says the poor, How contented would I be, had I but a competent estate! But they do but deceive us: After we haue overcome these necessities, we are as far from an end of our desires as wee were before: look into 1 Reg. 21. 4. and ye shall see Ahab as much distracted for Naboths Vineyard, as he that wants bread. look into Luk. 12. 17. and ye shall find the rich fool as much perplexing himself about building the great barns, as he was before about filling the lesser.  
Nay, what if with our abundance, our cares do increase? Let's see if wee can draw this Hydra to some heads. Our cares for superfluities may be of two sorts: 1 for quantity: 2 for quality.  
For quantity. That our conversation might bee without covetousness, the Apostle advises us, Heb. 13. 4. to be content with that we haue in present, be it little or be it much, and for the future, to trust vpon God, who has promised he will not fail us, nor forsake vs. But suaue est de magno tollere aceruo. Though a handful will serve our turn, yet if we take it not out of a great heap, that wee may see a great deal left behind to look vpon, it does not content us: Like the rich fool in the gospel, Luke 12. who was never in full possession of his Paradise till he could say to his soul, Thou hast much goods laid up in store for many yeeres, though he lived not a day after to enjoy them.  
Secondly, we are not so covetous of the quantity, but we are as curious of the quality too of that we desire. Our superfluity and abundance makes our appetites grow wanton: Our desires are like womens longings, not so much grounded vpon reason, as vpon humour, and fancy: Like our first Parents to whom all the trees in the garden gave no content, so long as they were barred of the three in the midst of the garden: Like Dauids thirst, which would be quenched with no water, but the water of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate. 2 Sam. 23. 15. We grow stomacke-sicke like Isaac in his old age; Our meat must be venison, light of foot and hard to bee come by, or else our soul loues it not; Our apparel must be of such a stuff, colour, cut and fashion, or else it neither becomes us nor keeps us warm. Now what a world of cares does this mundus muliebris, yea, and virilis too( for men are as effeminate in it as women) bring with it? How many hands, how many trades does the curiosity of these backs and bellies of ours set a work?  
Our cares stay not here. After we haue been drudges to our own fancies, we must be drudges to the fancies and likings of others too. For the covetous will not onely be rich, but for his credit he will be accounted rich; and his question is not who am I? but whom do men say that I am? And if the answer be not as of Samon Magus {αβγδ}, some great man, he is malcontent. Though he haue the prosperity of Salomon, yet if the queen of Sheba hear not of it, and come not to see, and be strike with admiration at it, he is not well pleased. Here comes in a new volume of cares; The noise of the revenues must bee so many thousands a year: the fare must not onely be delicious, but it must be served in in a Lordly dish: the apparel must not onely be neat and curious, but it must bee sumptuous and costly too, even like Salomon himself in all his royalty: the buildings, furniture, attendance, provisions, expenses, must not be after what is convenient in his own liking, but after, what will the world say?  
Our cares build one story higher yet. Though we ourselves are mortal, yet in our posterity we may bee after a sort immortal, and so we would haue our estates too. Here comes in another heap of cares vpon the men of this world; not onely to haue their own portion in this life, and their own bellies filled with Gods hide treasure, but as tis Psal. 17. 14. to be full of children, and to leave the rest of their abundance for their babes: not onely to be rich to themselves, but to be rich to their heires, to set their rest on high. Nay, many in the midst of great abundance, are content to be poor, base and miserable to themselves, so they may be rich to their heires. And yet job tells us that immediately after death the water of Lethe washes away all apprehension of it, job 14. 21. His sons come to honour, and he knows it not, they are brought low but he perceives it not.  
All these cares that we haue hitherto mentioned, though they be commonly without piety, by reason of their inordinateness, yet they are not without reason. But Salomon tells us of one without piety& reason too. Eccl. 4. 8. There is one alone, and there is not another, for he has neither son nor brother, yet is there no end of his labour, neither is his eye satisfied with riches, &c. The former cares may say for themselves; they are for necessity, for plenty, for curiosity, for glory, for posterity: This can say none of these: Not for posterity, for he is one alone, he has neither son nor brother: Not for worldly glory, for to hid his abundance from the eye of the world, he eats his morsels alone in darkness, Eccl. 5. 17. Not to content his mind with curiosities, for he will not allow his body necessaries, he bereaves his soul of good, Eccles. 4. 8. Onely that that sets his cares awork in this Amor sceleratus habendi, to satisfy his eye with riches, which yet never will be satisfied. This is not onely a clog to the heart, but a raving sickness, and a doting madness of the soul, as Salomon eals it, Eccles. 6. 2.  
Thus here we haue, as the time will permit, a sum of the cares of this life, that our saviour here speaks of. Now observe how they clog the heart: They work vpon the heart two ways; First, sometimes they persuade the heart to a gathering of riches by courses in themselves not unlawful, yet too eagerly, to greedily. Which is noted by our saviour in his description of the last age of the world by the dayes of Noah and of Lot, Luke 17. 28. where says our saviour, They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded. All things lawful to be done with moderation, but pursued by them too inordinately. And therefore as they followed them without intermission, so our saviour heaps and piles the words together as it were in hast, They ate, they drank, &c. without so much as the pause of a coniunction betwixt them. And this is enough to clog the soul from heaven, because to climb up thither wee must not onely eschew evil, but do good too. Secondly, sometimes they set the heart to an unsatiable gathering of riches by all manner of means, lawful or unlawful, right or wrong: quocunque modo rem, by oppression, by sacrilege, by simony, by bribery, by usury, by deceiving of trusts, by Ludgate-borrowings, by lyings, by perjury, which are enough not onely to clog the soul from heaven, but to plunge it down to hell too.  
And this is the deorsum corda that satan sings to those whose hearts he can possess. The serpent whom once he possessed, has a property as appears, Psal. 58. 4. that when the Charmer goes about to prevent the poison of his sting by his enchantments he will stop his ears, and make himself deaf, that so not hearing them, they may haue no power to work vpon him. And as they writ, he does it by stoping the one ear with his tail, and clapping the other close to the ground. The like foolish subtlety as wee here see does satan that old Serpent teach all those that will harken to him, that so the poison of his sting may not be prevented; to stop the one ear with riot and luxury, the other with worldly cares and covetousness; and then the voices of us that are the charmers will not be heard, though we charm never so wisely.  
But come we now to the last point, which will open 
7 And so that day come vpon you unawares.  the ears of these deaf adders, if any thing will do it: which is, the mischief that will follow vpon this grauedo cordis, this heaviness of the heart: so that day will come vpon you unawares. This is the butte end of the Text, giuing life and force to all that hath been spoken. For were it not for terror of this day, all that wee haue said of heed, heed of ourselves, continual heed, heed of the heart, heed of the heaviness of the heart, heed of voluptuousness and covetousness, the clogs of the heart, were all vain and idle. Let us first set forth that day, and then the misery of being taken with it unprepared, will appear of itself.  
And first, mark but the titles with which the Scripture sets it forth. 1 The Apostle, 2 Tim. 4. 8. calls it no more but that day. The crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous judge will give me at that day: as if all other dayes, in comparison of this were no dayes, and this by an eminency carried away the name from all the rest. 2 Saint Iude in the 6. vers. of his Epistle, calls it the great day: because this day shall stand at end of our daies like a Table and the ends of a book, summing up in it the fruits and practise of them all. 3 Our saviour, joh. 6. 39. calls it the last day: because after that there shall bee no more dayes; for says the angel, Apo. 10. 6. there shall be no more time, but all succession of time shall be turned into one everlasting noonsted or solstitium of eternity. 4 Tis called, 2 Pet. 3. 10. the day of the Lord, vers. 12. the day of God. Phil. 1. 10. the day of Christ: because these are our dayes, given unto us to work out our salvation in, with fear and trembling: as our saviour Luke 29. 41. to jerusalem, If thou hadst known the things belonging to thy peace, in this thy day. But that shall bee Gods day, because all that hath been done in these daies of ours, shall in that day be brought forth to light, and be laid together for the manifestation of his glory. Which because it shall bee set forth two ways. 1 By the salvation of his seruants: 2 the condemnation of his enemies. Tis called in regard of them, The day of redemption, Ephes, 4. 30. because then wee shall bee put in possession of our redeemed inheritance, which now we hold but in expectation. In regard of the other, tis called The day of wrath, Rom. 2. 5. because the dayes of grace being past and despised, justly shall come in place, the day of wrath, for the contempt of this grace.  
But these be but titles: consider the substance from whence it has these titles, which is the work for which it is appointed, and that is iudgement, and which makes it more terrible, Gods iudgment. And did Foelix a heathen man, that knew not God tremble at it, and shall we that know God, and beleeue his word, forewarning us of this vengeance to come, not to be afraid? Let us but consider those terrors that our saviour says shall go before it. The sun and moon shall blushy and hid their faces, the stars shall fall, the powers of heaven shall shake, the sea and the waters shall roar, both sēa and land shall vomit up their dead, the heauens shall run together like a scroll, the Elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth with these birds-nest buildings of ours, and all our childish vanities therein shall be consumed and burnt. Consider the glory and majesty with which it shall be accompanied. The countenance of the judge, shall be like the sun in his strength, his eyes like a flamme of fire, his voice like the sound of many waters, his word a sharp two edged sword, his attendance millions of Angels, his {αβγδ} or summons for appearance, the voice of an archangel, the trump of God so powerful, that it shall awake the very dead in their graues. Consider the universality of the appearance, when all persons, of all times, of all places, shall appear at one bar. No appearing by proctor, by attorney, We must al appear says the Apostle 2 Cor. 5. 10. No excusing quod non possis itinerare, that thou canst not travail, for age, sickness, or infirmity; the very dead shall rise. No hiding, no return of non est innentus. The Angels shal be the bailies, who shall not only attach and led us, but they shall catch and carry us {αβγδ} says the Apostle, rapiemur in occursum Domini: wee shall be caught and carried to meet the Lord in the air. Consider the impartiality of the iudgement. The purple and fine linen withall that accompanies and bears up greatness, bribes, friends, pleadings and the like, shall all be left behind, only the naked person shall appear, carrying with it the conscience of that it hath done, to receive according to that it hath done, whether high or low, bond or free, without respect of persons. Consider the terrors of wicked men, who strike partly with these amazements without them, partly with the frights of their own consciences within them, shall cry unto the hills fall on us, to the rocks cover vs. Consider the vnauoydablenesse of the evidence. God will open his books, where all our doings are kept vpon record. The divell will open his books: for as he is now a tempter, so he will be then an accuser, Apo. 12. 10. nay, a pleader, for so S. Peter calls him. 1 Pet. 5. 8. {αβγδ} your adversary, {αβγδ} inlite, in judicio, a pleading adversary. Nay, we shall open our own books. The counterpart of every mans conscience shal be red either with him or against him. Consider the sentence, and first the heaviness of it. Tis not a fine, an imprisonment, a brand, a maim, a whip, a corporal death: but tis either come ye blessed, or go ye cursed; either into everlasting life and ioy, or into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his Angels. Consider again the remedilesnesse of it; If this trial go ill with us, there's no going about again, no writ of error to stay or to reverse iudgement, no remove, no appeal, no mediation or after satisfaction. Tis like a skirmish in the wars: In bello non licet his peccare, A man can make but one fault in the wars. If he loose his life at the first encounter, he has not another life to venture, to recover that he lost.  
But perhaps we are of the mind of that evil seruant, whom our saviour describes, Mat. 24 48. and say in our hearts, My Lord delays his coming: these things haue been long red, often preached of, yet all things continue as they haue done, Where therefore is the promise of his coming? Though yet the terrors of iudgement seem to be far off, the tokens of death& mortality are near enough. And though Christ seem slacken in coming to the general iudgement, yet we know not how soon he may summon any one of us by death to our particular doom. We see the devouring jaws of time, consumes buildings, Cities, kingdoms and nations: and do we stand vnchanged? We see our elders gone before to give us place, our youngers treading on our heels, ready to shoue us off, nay many times going before us, and think we to tarry here always? Though we do not see those terrors in the great world that our saviour speaks of, Mat. 24. 29. The sun darkened, the moon not giuing her light, the Stars falling, &c. yet many of us may see those concussions in our little worlds, that Salomon speaks of, Eccles. 12. 2. Our Sun, light, moon and Stars. i. the comfort and ioy of our lives, in Scripture commonly compared to light, darkened by age, sickness or infirmity: the keepers of the house. i. our hands shaking and trembling: the strong men. i. our thighs and legs shrinking and bowing under us: the grinders. i. our teeth failing us: those that look out of the windows. i. our eyes dimmed and darkened. And if we find these decay in our bodies, what are they but so many mementoes, that these earthen tabernacles will at last fail us, and therefore high time to prepare for that building of God eternal in the heauens, 2 Cor. 5. 1.  
But to conclude. Prepare we would, but how should we? We haue three things to dispose. 1 Our estates. 2 Our bodies. 3 Our souls, and answerably we are to make a threefold preparation.  
First, for our estates wee are to make Hezekiahs preparation, 2 Reg. 20. 1. Set thy house in order, for thou shalt die, and not live. When our saviour says to the rich fool Luke 12. 20. This night will they fetch away thy soul, and then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided? his words import, that not onely himself should be taken away from his estate, but also that by his sudden taking away, This night, and consequently for want of this setting his house in order, by his last Will and Testament, it might fall to the sharing of those to whom he little intended it. Whose shall those things be? As many Nabals amongst us, who not having the heart to think of giuing away that which is their idol by their own Wils, leave it to be scrambled for by the wils of others, who by endless suits and contentions become not Executors, but executioners of their states.  
Secondly, for our bodies: joseph of Arimatheas preparation, who amongst the rest of his provisions, provided himself a tomb, and that in his garden, that in the place of his delight might be the memorial of his mortality. Abarhams preparation, of whom we red not that he made any purchase, save of a burying place, Gen. 23. so hearsecloathes, conffins, and winding-sheets should be a part of our householdstuff; and indeed of all other, the most necessary: for we may make provision of food,& not live to spend it; we may make apparel, and not live to wear it; but in these preparatives for death we are sure neither to loose our cost, nor our labour: we leave the care of these things to the suruiuors, who do it for us, if it be but to rid us out of their sight, but it would be both an exercise and a testimonial of our piety, if we would do it ourselves.  
Now these two are the preparatives only for death: but if that day in the Text should come vpon us, it would save us the labour both of wils and graues, that all-consuming fire that S. Peter speaks of being to be the Regus or the funeral fire both of our bodies and our goods.  
But to come to the third, which is the vnum necessarium, the preparation of the soul, at all times and in all respects the most necessary. In that we must look two ways, backward and forward. First, backward, vpon the course of our lives already past; for, as hath been before shewed, we must give up an account, and that must be made even. And thou must do it now, while thou art in the way with thine adversary, lest he hale thee before the judge, the judge deliver thee to the Officer, and the Officer cast thee into that prison, out of which there is no redemption, Luk. 12. 58. If then any act of sin haue past from thee which may be restored, of that repent with restitution, as Zacheus, who restored his ill gotten goods fourfold, Luk. 19. If any act not capable of this repentance, of that repent with contrition, as Peter bewailed his denial of his master, which he could not recall, with bitter tears: that so the wounds of conscience being searched with contrition, and opened by humble confession, they may be healed up with the precious balm of the blood of our Lord Iesus. Secondly, as we must look backward, so we must look forward too, vpon the remnant of our time yet to come. And that for the keeping of a continual watch over our own souls; first, for the eschewing of evil, lest either that day, the day of iudgement, or our own day, the day of death, should take us in our wickedness. For if it shall be as our saviour says, Mat. 24. 40. There shall be two in the field, the one shall be taken,& the other left; there shall be two grinding at the mill, the one shall be taken and the other left, which we know are novnlawful employments: What think we shall become of confederacies of rebels, taken in their rebellion, as konrah, Num. 16. of drunkards smitten when their hearts are merry with wine, as Amnon, 2 Sam. 13. 28. of adulterers strike in the very act of their uncleanness, as Zimri and Cozbi, Num. 25. Again secondly, we must be careful not onely to eschew evil, but to do good too, as Salomon advises Eccl. 9. 10. whatsoever thine hand findeth to do, do it, and do it with all thy might, as soon as thou canst, as effectual as thou canst; for there is neither work, nor device, nor wisdom, nor knowledge in the grave whither thou goest. Put not off thy good works till to morrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. leave them not to be done by thine Executors: for that's to find a device in the grave, where Salomon says there is none. The work is none of thine; for when thou hast ceased to live, thou hast ceased to work. The charge is none of thine, for although thou beest worth thousands before, yet after death, all thy riches, all thy glory shall resolve itself into that of job 17. 14. to say to corruption thou art my Father: to the worm thou art my mother and my sister. And thus much shall suffice to haue spoken of this watchword of our blessed saviour, which that we may all of us always remember and observe, even he himself give us the grace, who as he has come once with mercy to give us this warning, so will come again at that great day with glory, to call us to account for the use we haue made of it, even Iesus Christ the righteous, to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost, three persons, one infinite, eternal and all-sufficient God, be ascribed all kingdom, power and glory, for ever and ever. Amen.  
FINIS.