CHAP. I. That the life of man is vnstable , and therefore repentance not to be deferred .

FIRST thou wilt perhaps alledge against thy selfe ( deare brother ) ●hat thou canst not vpon the ●udden free thy selfe from ●hy accustomed pleasures , What a sinner obiecteth against himselfe . and that when thou art old , thou wilt be more willing to withstand the temptations and allurements of pleasure , and repent thee of thy sinnes . Res . What man is there that liueth and shal not see death ? The necessitie of Death . Heb. 9. It is appointed vnto men that they should once die : from which generall sentence that no man should wax proud , no man is exempted . Which if it bee true , I would but know of thee how long thou thinkest the pleasures of this transitory life may continue with thee ? For my part I can not imagine that the vttermost thou canst hope can be aboue fifty yeeres , The vncertaintie of the day of death . in which time , see how many dangers hang ouer thy head . First , there is no man be hee neuer so yoong that can assuredly promise vnto himselfe to liue vntill night . Death vshereth an olde man , goeth before him , comes behinde a yoong man & takes him vnawares , and to them both nothing is more certaine than death , nothing more vncertain than the houre , place , meanes , and maner of death . Varro in his prouerbs . Neither is it maruell if thou know not the end of thy life , who canst not comprehend the beginning thereof . Thou knowest not with what beginning thou enterest , Man is a bubble , because that like a bubble the life of man vanisheth in a moment . and thou art as ignorant with what end thou ●halt depart out of this life ; And therefore it is rashnesse ●o promise vnto thy selfe ma●y yeeres & a long life , when ●hou hast not manie dayes nay not an houre in thy own power . And therefore why doest thou think to liue long , when thou canst not be secured of a day , of an houre ? Nay why art thou greedy of life , and a wicked life too , as if thou wert immortall ? The dayly death of many . Euery day thou seest such as are yoong and lustie and sound of body , suddenly to be arrested with an vnexpected death , euen in the middest of their delights , insomuch that of those infinite numbers that euery day come into the world almost three parts die before they come to the age of fiftie yeeres . The good are called of the Lord , that they may no more bee oppressed by the wicked ; The wicked are taken away that they may no longer persecute the godly . Tell mee where are all those wordlings which not long since haue liued with thee ? Iob 21. They haue spent their dayes in wealth , and suddenly they are gone downe to their graue , and nothing remaineth of them but dust and ashes , and an intollerable stench . O how much care did they take to prouide for this present life ! How long a race did they promise vnto themselues , but suddenly , and vnlooked for , death hath ouertaken them , whereas if they had alwaies looked for it , death could neuer haue hurt them . And cannot that feuer , that death that came so suddenly vpon them , as suddenly oppresse thee , and thy procrastinations draw vpon thee as sudden a damnation ? The bird that sits singing vpon a bough , A similitude of a bird vpon a bough . thinks he hath libertie to flie whither he will , but before he can stretch out his wings , an arrow strikes him to the heart , and downe he falles : So thou promisest vnto thy selfe a long life , many and happie dayes , and thou hast a purpose to worke woonders in the world , and yet thou knowest not whether thou shalt liue till night , till thou canst stirre thy foot from the place where thou standest ; To morrow vncertaine . and though thou know what thou art to day , yet how knowest thou what thou maiest be to morrow ? If thou be not prepared to die to day , how wilt thou be ready to morrow ? Qui non est hodiè , cras minus aptus erit : He that is not fit to day , will bee lesse fit to morrow . It may be God hath appointed this day to be the end of thy life , and it can not possiblie be auoided ; which if it bee so , why art thou secure , why doest thou not set thy house in order , 2. Kin. 10. for thou shalt die and not liue ? Doest thou not see the inutilitie of thy life past , the little comfort that there is in thy earthly blessings , The losse of time . the preciousnes of thy time misspent and lost , the wickednesse of thy sins committed ; and to conclude , all thy age , thy yeeres , thy monethes , thy dayes , nay thy moments past and spent in sinne and iniquitie ? If therefore thou put off thy conuersion to the last houre , ten to one thy last houre wil be thy worst houre , and thy procrastination hasteneth thy condemnation , for thou must appeare before the tribunall seat of God , in the presence of a seuereiudge , whom thou hast many a time offended , and crucified with the wicked Iewes , by iterating those sinnes that brought him to the crosse . There is no auoidance , but thou must stand to the fearefull iudgement of God , and that perhaps euen this verie day , where and when thou shalt giue an account of all thou hast done . What wilt thou say , what canst thou doe , when thou shalt appeare emptie , void of all goodnes before so great a Iudge ? O how fearfull shall hee be at this houre , whose presence is incomprehensible , whose power infallible , whose iustice inflexible , whose anger implacable ! Consider with thy selfe how fearefull a thing it would be vnto thee , if one should tell thee , and assure thee of it , that some great and cruell Iudge were resolued to burne thee aliue , for some great offence thou hast committed ; doubtlesse vpon the hearing thereof , if there were but one daies respit left vnto thee , thou wouldest leaue nothing vnattempted to auoid so heauie a sentence ; such as were friends vnto the Iudge thou wouldest endeuour to make thy friends , that by their intercession thou mightest haue hope to escape ; thou wouldest leaue no stone vnturned , no way vntried to free thy selfe from so cruell a doome ; yea so thou mightestwin thy life , thou wouldest willingly lose all that thou hast . And aboue all things thou wouldest not faile to call to minde , and to consider with thy selfe what might be obiected against thee , and what thou couldest answer thereunto , that thou maiest not appeare gultie before thy Iudge . And why wouldest thou doe all this ? The preposterous seare of the iudgement of God & of man . Is it because there thou art free from all doubt ? assured thou must die if thou acquit not thy selfe the better ; but of the iudgement of God thou art euer in doubt ? O wretched man and of a preposterous beliefe ! doest thou beleeue man rather than God who is the Creatour of man ? Doth God threaten an euerlasting torment , and doest thou neglect it ? thy earthly Iudge a temporall , and doest thou feare and tremble at it ? For who or what is he ? Euen he that after he hath beene a man , must be a worme , and hauing been a worme , must bee turned into stench and rottennesse . Since then thou must appeare not before a man , a worme , rottennesse it selfe , but before thy Creator , and the sentence thou art to heare is the eternall damnation of thine owne soule , how canst thou be secure ? How canst thou still giue thy selfe to thy delights and pleasures , and not feare the immutable sentence of so seuere a Iudge ? If thou be ashamed and confounded at the iudgement of a man , of dust and ashes , what wilt thou do when thou shalt stand to the iudgement of thy Maker & Creator ? The sentence of God irreuocable . The sentence of a humane Iudge may be reuoked , but this is irreuocable . Thou shalt giue an account to this seuere Iudge of all thy yeeres , euen in the bitternesse of thy own soule ; and for thy many and great offences committed against him , hee shall deliuer thee to the diuell and his angels to bee tormented in hell fire . Who shall then take thee from that place , shall free thee from those that descend into the pit ? For in hell there is no redemption .

But perhaps thou wilt fay that God is louing and mercifull : Ez●ch. 33. and by his Prophets hath promised , that at what time soeuer a sinner repenteth him of his sinnes from the bottome of his heart , The mercy of God towards sinners . hee will put all his wickednesse out of his remembrance . Res . This ( deare Brother ) I confesse to be true , yea that he is more gentle and mercifull than can bee imagined or beleeued , and that hee pardoneth whomsoeuer in time returnes vnto him ; but yet he that hath made this promise to him that repenteth , hath not promised to morrow to him that puts off his repentance till to morrow , and persists in his sinnes . Did he not expresse his mercy and louing kindnesse sufficiently vnto thee , in that with such patience , so long a time hee hath tolerated so many iniuries done vnto him by thee , and giuen thee time to repent ? Doubtlesse great is the mercy of God towards thee , in this his long stay and attendance for thy repentance . For hee staid not at all for the Angels when they should repent , but in a moment , in the twinkling of an eie hee cast them downe into Hell : he staid not for Adam when hee sinned , but instantly hee thrust him out of Paradise . But thee hee hath tolerated and attended many yeeres , God is slow to reuenge . he hath dissembled , forborne , deferred to punish thee , being alwaies ready to forgiue ; Esay 14. but yet this thou must know , that as he is gentle in forbearing so he is iust in punishing , and whom hee attendeth to conuert , not conuerted , with a heauy iudgement hee condemneth . For God doth so much the more sharply and seuerely punish , by how much longer he forbeareth a sinner , and his sentence is so much the more heauy , by how much greater his patience hath been in forbearing ; and for the most part by the iust iudgement of God it falleth out , that he dying forgets himselfe , who liuing forgot God ; how miserable then is the state of that man , who presenting himselfe before so seuere a Iudge , hath not so much time as to bewaile those sinnes hee hath committed ?

It is therefore ( deare Brother ) a dangerous thing to make thy houre of death thy houre of repentance , and to thinke that thou maist not die in thy sinne , though thou cease not from thy sinne , but still continuest in that estate , wherein if death should suddenly assaile thee , as many times it falleth out , thy soule were vtterly lost , and for that moment of time wherin thou art to liue , thou leauest thy soule to the danger of eternall damnation , which should be dearer vnto thee than the whole World .

CHAP. II. How dangerous a thing it is to deferre our conuersion to the houre of death .

BVt be it ( deare Brother ) that thou bee mindefull both of God and of thy selfe at the houre of thy death , A hard thing truly to conuert at the boure of death . and that God doe then giue thee sometime of repentance ; yet it is to bee feared that thou canst hardly in so short a time , so momentary a contrition sufficiently bewaile all the sinnes of thy long life : It will hardly bee brought to passe , that thou that in the whole course of thy life hast beene accustomed to sinne , shouldest vpon the sudden , at an instant be made perfect ; that thou shouldest so speedily quit thy selfe of the snares of the Diuel wherwith in thy whole life forespent thou hast intangled thy selfe ; that thou shouldest then at the last fall from the Diuell , and begin to fight vnder Christ his banner , when the war is at an end . Doest thou thinke that that tree that neuer was green , neuer did flourish or yeeld any fruit , can then begin to grow & yeeld any , when hee is cut downe and cast into the fire ? Neither can that man that in his whole life time neuer did any good , then yeeld fruits worthy repentance when the axe is laid to the root to cut him off from the land of the liuing , and to cast him into that fire that shall neuer bee quenched . But how dangerous a thing it is , and how neere to vtter destruction to put off our repentance to the houre of death , S. Augustine telleth vs . August . de poenitentia distinct. 7. If any man in the extremity of his sicknesse shall repent him of his sins , and be reconciled vnto God , and so depart out of this life , I confesse vnto you we cannot deny that he requireth , but yet wee cannot presume that hee departeth the childe of God : whether he depart secure out of this life I know not ; repentance wee may impose ; security wee cannot giue . Shall I say he is damned ? No , and yet I will not say hee is saued . Wilt thou therefore bee freed from this doubt , auoid this vncertainty ? Repent whilest thou art in health , which if thou doe , I dare boldly affirme , thou maist be secure , because thou repentest at that time when thou couldest haue sinned : But if thou wilt repent when thou canst not sin , thy sinnes haue forsaken thee , not thou them . Thus far S. Augustine . Deferre not therefore thy repentance vntill thou cannot sin ; Seneca . Plerique metu peccare cessant non innocentia : profecto tales timidi non innocentes dicendi sunt . for though it bee the will of God to pardon thy sinnes , yet hee requireth a willingnesse in thy selfe , not a necessity ; loue and charity , not only feare . They that at their end , compeld by necessity , turne vnto God , seeme not to repent for loue of God , but for feare of hell . Then they 〈◊〉 vnto God , when in the ●orld ( which all their life ●me they haue serued ) they ●n no longer continue ; ●heras if they might longer ●●ide therein , they would ●ot yet forsake those delights which they are neuer content ●o leaue , till they can keepe ●hem no longer . They leaue ●ot their sinnes , but their sins ●caue them , who are not led by their owne wils , but necessity . In the whole volume of the booke of God , there is only one , Luke 11. and that was the good theefe , that truly repented at the houre of his death : Ille vt nullus desperet , solus vt nullus praes●emat : He is left vnto vs for an example that no man should despaire , he only , that no man should presume . Who thogh hee were by this last confession of his , & acknowledgement of Christ vpon the Crosse after a sort baptized , and in that innocent state so departed , yet such as are already baptized haue no warrant from thence to sin , and to persist in their sinnes . For they that would neuer bee conuerted when they might , being conuerted when they could not sinne , doe not so easilie attaine that they would .

For a sicke man hath many lets and hinderances that withdraw him from repentance . Impediments to repentance . First the presence of his carnal friends , whom perhaps hee hath loued vnlawfully and beyond measure ; ●he remembrance of his pas●●d pleasures , and temporall ●essings , which hee leaueth ●t without much griefe of ●eart ; an vnspeakable sorrow 〈◊〉 the separation of the soule ●om the burthen of the bo●y , insomuch that a man ●an hardly think of any thing ●lse , but that griefe wherewith hee is tormented in his ●ody . For thither is the whole intention of the minde carried , where the griefe is . What astonishment of heart ●s there at that houre ? What ●emembrance of all fore-passed sinnes ? What forgetfulnesse of pleasures past ? What ●orror and fearefull consideration of the Iudge ? Doubtlesse the griefe of the disease and the feare of the iudgements of God doe hinder the true vse of our sense and vnderstanding , insomuch that at that houre there can hardly bee any true contrition of heart .

Then is the Diuell most diligent to tempt vs , The assaults of the Diuell are most violent at the houre of death . and to lay his snares to intrap vs , when hee perceiueth our end to be at hand , and when he seeth it standeth him vpon to win or lose that soule , which so many yeeres , by so many sleights , so many suggestions he hath endeuoured to make sure vnto him ; then especially he tempteth him touching the verity of his beleefe , and perswadeth him to infidelity , setteth before the eies of his minde , the greatnesse of his sinnes , the seuerity of the Iudge , the inequality of all the good he hath done in his whole life , to that eternall blessednes which God hath prepared for those that are his children . Thus , and by these meanes hee assaieth to driue a miserable sinner into despaire , and whom in his ●ife time he deceiued by flat●eries , at his death hee tyran●iseth ouer him . The feare of a iust man at the houre of death . And this is ●he cause why many godly ●nd zealous men , who in the whole course of their life ●aue serued God , doe neuer●helesse feare this last houre ●f death , lest that then they ●hould yeeld to those violent ●mptations of the Diuell , or opeare emptie before so ●eat a Iudge . And yet doest thou thinke at that houre to be conuerted , when the iustest men that are , feare to be peruerted ? Wilt thou aduenture the state of thy saluation to that time , wherin thou art subiect to greatest danger ? And thinkest thou to perfect that great and difficult worke of thy conuersion , which in the best strength of thy body , and in the whole race of thy life thou couldest hardly performe , in a moment of time , when thou art compassed with so many griefes , so many dangers ? The departure of a sinfull soule out of his body , not one but innumerable legions of Diuels doe attend to require their hire for their seruice , presenting before his eies those sin● they haue tempted him vnto , & so carry him with them into vtter darknesse . Ioh. 14. Yea they faile not to attempt the souls of Gods children when they depart out of their bodies , alleging vnto them that this and this they haue done for them , and that they haue returned this and this seruice vnto them . If the Prince of this world , the Diuell , sought after something of his euen in Christ himselfe dying according to the flesh , though nothing hee could finde , consider how carefull and cruell ●e will be , to require his own of thee at thy houre of death . ●t is apparent and thou canst ●ot deny , but that hee may ●inde much of his in thy selfe ; ●nd miserable and wretched man that thou art , what wilt thou then do , & when he shal arrest thee for that that is his own , what wilt thou answer ? Doest thou thinke that the Angels of God will be ready at hand to rescue thee , and to deliuer thee out of his hold ? Forasmuch therefore ( deare Brother ) as it cannot but plainly appeare vnto thee , that death lies in wait for thee in all places , and at all times , and that it followeth thee as thy shadow doth thy body , if thou be wise doe thou likewise expect it in all places , and at all times , being euery day , euery houre ready , as i● euery day , euery houre were the houre of thy death . Thou knowest not in what place , at what houre it will encounter thee , and therefore expect it in all places , and at all times . If it hasten to come vnto thee , doe thou make as good speed to be ready for it , to liue well , and like a good debtor bee euer prepared to pay Nature hir due whensoeuer it shall bee demanded . So husband and order euerie day , as if it were the last day of thy life ; when thou risest in the morning thinke not thou shalt liue till night ; and when thou goest to thy bed , thinke thou goest to thy graue , and that thou shalt neuer see the morning light . From this time forward so liue , that at the houre of death thou maist rather reioice than feare ; and that thou maist die well , learne to liue well ; that thou maist flie from the vengeance to come , yeeld fruits worthie repentance before it come . That feare that vseth to be in a man dying , let it be alwaies in thee liuing . So shalt thouvanquish death when it comes , if before it come thou alwaies feare it .

CHAP. III. That our last day is hidden from vs , to the end that all the daies of our life should bee as our last .

BVT perhaps thou wilt say , that I tell thee that death attends thee , and euerie houre of thy life hangs ouer thy head like a sword hanging by a haire point pendant ; that I perswade thee , to bee as readie to fall vpon thee ; that thou hast obeied my counsell , and oftentimes prepared thy selfe to entertaine it whensoeuer it come ; but it hath as often deceiued thee , and neuer came , and therefore I do thee wrong , to perswade thee by an euerlasting cogitation of death to liue a dying life , and to let slip the pleasures and delights of this world . Resp. O my good brother , suspend thy iudgement a while , for I dare make good vnto thee , that by this continuall cogitation of death thou losest not the delights of this World . Prouer. 15 For a good conscience is a continuall feast , and thou shalt receiue greater confort by seruing the God of all comfort & consolation , than this wretched world replenished with miseries ; yea there is no torment greater than a wicked conscience ; for where God is not , there can no comfort be found . No torment to a wicked conscience . O that thou haddest but tasted euen with the tip of thy toong the vnspeakable sweetnesse of a spirituall delight ! thou wouldest contemne all the fading pleasures of this life , Cantic. 1. and runne after the sweet odours of those heauenly comforts . Thou seest the crosses and afflictions of spirituall men , their wounds , but not their ointments ; thou seest them outwardly cast downe like abiects , but inwardly thou discernest not their happinesse , Outward torments of spirituall men inward ioies . for their spirituall ioy is as insensible , as it is vnspeakable , and can neuer be in any man that admitteth any other . Be not therefore so peremptorie in thy censures , and thinke not that the feare of death and the seruice of God doe robbe thee of the ioies of this life .

But be it as thou saiest , we will yeeld so much vnto thy obstinacie . A continuall preparation for death is good . Why doest thou complaine and afflict thy selfe , that thou hast many times liued well , and beene prouided for death , when death came not ? That the remembrance of thy end hath taken often times from thee those pleasures and delights that in themselues are to a man wicked and deceitfull ? O how happy wert thou , and again and again blest of God , if in this maner thou diddest alwaies expect death ; if thou wert euery day such a one , as thou wishest to bee at the point of death ; if from thy youth thou barest the yoke of the Lord ; if thou didst alwaies watch , and stand vpon thy guard , because thou knowest not at what houre the Lord will come ! for blessed wert thou if when hee commeth hee shall finde thee waking .

God would that the houre of our death should bee hidden from vs , The day of death vucertain . to the end that wee being vncertaine when wee shall die , should bee alwaies found ready for death , that whilest the last day is vnknowen , wee should obserue all , as if all were the last . If thou were set at a Table where there are many dishes set before thee to eat , among which thou art told , that one hath poison in it , wouldest thou not abstaine from them all , lest thou shouldest happen to light vpon that that is poisoned ? There is one day of death , a dangerous day vnto thy soule , which because thou knowest not , is it not wisedome in thee to suspect euery day ? For if thou knewest at what houre thou shouldest depart out of this world , thou wouldest diuide thy times , some to pleasure , some to praier , some to repentance ; and knowing how long thou hast to liue , thou woldst likewise know when to abstaine from thy delights and pleasures . But forasmuch as a present life is alwaies vncertaine , by so much the more whilest it stealingly comes vpon vs , it is to bee feared , by how much the lesse it may bee foreseene , and therfore of all other times the houre of death is most to be feared , because it can neuer bee foreseene , Matth. 24.43 . and woorse auoided . If the goodman of the house knew at what watch the theefe would come , he would surely watch , and not suffer his house to bee digged thorow . Therefore be ye also ready , for ye know not the houre when the Son of man will come , whether in the euening , or at midnight , at the crowing of the cocke , or in the morning , lest when he commeth suddenly vpon you , hee shall finde you fleeping . When hee gaue that commandement to his Disciples saying , Watch and pray , Luke 12.36 . ●ee afterwards added , That which I say vnto you , I say vnto all , Watch. Watch therfore ( my deare Brother ) like vnto that man that waiteth for his master when hee will returne from the wedding , that when hee commeth and knocketh , he may open vnto him immediately . Which thou canst not better do than to be prepared at all houres , as if euery houre were the houre of thy death .

If any greeuous sicknesse happen vnto thee , A sicke man desires that time of repentance which a sound neglecteth . that hath in it any apparent tokens of death , thou presently crauest a truce for a time and desirest to liue , that thou maist bewaile thy sinnes , and thy time mispent , and thou promisest repentance , and amendment of life ; which thou hast no sooner obtained , but as soone thou forgettest , and with the dog thou returnest to thy vomit againe . The time of repentance is granted thee , and God expecteth a time to pardon thee , and yet thou doest not onely not bewaile thy sinnes past , but thou takest a greater ioy and comfort in those that are past , & in those that are to come . Esay 30. If thou borrow a thing of another man , thou takest a care to vse it whilest thou hast it , because thou knowest it shall shortly be taken from thee ; and yet this corruptible body of ●hine , which God hath lent ●hee for the vse of thy soule , and for the saluation thereof , & is not thine but shall short●y be taken from thee , thou d●est not only not vse to the health of thy soule , but thou euery day abusest to the vtter ruine and damnation therof , and by how much thy life is longer , by so much thy sinnes are greater , yea they increase not with the daies , but the houres and moments of thy life .

Yesterday thou mightest haue died , Pro lucro tibi pone diem quic●nque 〈◊〉 . and yet thou art nor dead . Inasmuch therfore as thou art aliue to day , account it amongst thy gaines , Why our daies are prolonged . for therfore doth the Lord prolong thy daies of grace , that thou maist repent and attaine the greater glory . For as the very sleep of the Saints of God , is not without goodnesse , so thou shouldest not let passe a moment of time , without the practise and performance of some good . Rich men and such as are able to keepe and maintaine a great family , vse neuerthelesse to belong to those that are richer and mightier than themselues , in whose seruice they depriue themselues of many benefits and freedomes of nature , in hope and expectation only ( which many times deceiueth them ) of bettering their fortunes , and ioining house vnto house , and land ●nto land . If then such as a●ound in ●●hes , are content with the losse of liberty , and so much labour , to increase ●heir riches , which then increase most , when the least commodities are not neglected , how much doth it stand ●hee vpon , that art the seruant of Christ Iesus to heape vp vnto thy selfe those spiritual riches that must saue thy soule ? Though thou haue liued well , and art rich in good workes , yet when thou art dying thou couldest be content thou haddest liued better ; and for one good worke thou hast done , thou wishest thou hadst done a thousand : why then doe that now whilest thou liuest , that thou wouldest be glad thou hadst done when thou art dying . One starre differeth from an other starre in glory , 1. Cor. 15.41 . & there are many mansions in the kingdom of heauen ; by how much the more good then thou doest vpon earth , by so much the greater glory shalt thou haue in heauen ; As no sinne escapeth vnpunished , so no good that thou doest vnrewarded . Matth. 10.30 . All thy daies are no lesse numbred than the haires of thy head ; and as a haire of thy head shall not perish , so not a moment of time . God rewardeth great labours with great bounties , which though in appearance they seeme to be small , yet in effect and operation they are vnspeakable .

Thy labours are but short , the crowne eternall ; set that which thou here sufferest , Repentance crucifieth , Righteousnesse pacifieth , Life eternall glorifieth . to that that thou there hopest to obtaine . The afflictions of this life are not worthie the sinne passed , that for them is remitted , the present comfort that for them is giuen , the future glorie that for them is promised . Thou labourest heere for a time , that thou maiest not labour for euer with the damned ; thy labour is momentary , thy ioy eternall . And if thou sinke vnder the burden of these afflictions , set before thine eies the sufferings of Christ . See what hee that had no reason to suffer , hath suffered for thee . If it were necessary that Christ being God & man should suffer , and so enter into his glory , Luke 24. The passions of Christ . how much more oughtest thou , a base vnworthy worm of the earth , to suffer for the attainement of that glory ? How much soeuer thou endure , thou shalt neuer come neere those insultations , those scourgings , that purple garment , that thornie crowne , and lastly that ignominious and shamefull death of the Crosse that hee endured for thy sake . Doe but consider how great glory doth instant ly attend thy miseries and afflictions , and then that which is momentarie in an instant turned from euill to good shall neuer seeme greeuous vnto thee . If the greatnesse of the reward delight thy minde , let not the greatnesse of thy afflictions any way affright it ; if the labour deter thee , let the reward inuite thee , and let the hope therof be a solace to thy labours . It is not the maner to attaine to great matters , without great paines , and hee that runneth not , winnes not the garland . For if a Merchant cares not what hee giues for that merchandize that he knowes will yeeld him a great increase ; if to a Sea-man the dangerous billowes of the Sea , to a husbandman the stormy tempests of cold Winter ; if to a souldier wounds and bloodie conflicts seeme light and tolerable , and all for the hope of a temporall and fading commoditie ; much more when heauen it selfe is proposed vnto thee , 2. Tim. 2. 1. Cor. 2. as the fruit of thy labor , and that vnspeakable ioy that no eie hath seen , no eare hath heard , and hath not entred into the heart of man to conceiue or imagine . Where if it were not lawfull to make any longer abode , than for the space of one day , for that one day , the innumerable daies of this life with all the fleeting and temporall delights thereof should worthily be scorned and contemned . And therefore account not thy perseuerance in that which is good , and thy continuall preparation for death amongst thy labours , which though yesterday thou hast escaped , perhaps thou shalt not to morrow , for that happens in one day , that falles not out in a thousand .

Thou must perseuere and bee constant in good workes ; Matt. 10. for it is not hee that begins , but that continues to the end , that shall bee saued . It is a vaine thing to doe good , if we do not good so long as we liue ; as it is a vaine thing to run swiftly at the first setting out , and to tire before wee come at the end of the gole . Repentance is an excellent remedy against sinne , but yet only to him that shall perseuere therein . For without perseuerance the labour hath no reward , the race no garland , the seruice no grace , the crosse no crowne . If thou wilt want eternall punishment without end , and enioy eternall blisse without end , thou must necessarily obey the commandements of God without intermission , without end . And therfore thou must not say with the seruant in the Gospell as thou art wont , My master doth deferre his comming , Matth. 24.48 . and therefore begin to smite thy fellowes , and to eat and drinke with the drunken : for the Lord will come in a day when thou lookest not for him , and in an houre thou knowest not , and destroy thee suddenly . If he be patient and of long sufferance , if he threaten thee , and yet abstaineth , if hee deferre his comming to the end hee may finde lesse cause to condemne thee : neglect not his patience and long sufferance , lest he increase his iudgement with his expectation , and by how much the longer he expects thy conuersion before he iudge thee , by so much the more heauilie his iudgement will light vpon thee . For assure thy selfe that hee that with patience bears thy sins , will with seuerity iudge them if thou repent not , and cease from sinning .

Wherefore ( deare brother ) alwaies so liue , that thou bee alwaies prepared to die . Watch alwaies lest God take thee vnprouided ; and such he taketh thee , if such he find thee at the last day ; and as he then findes thee when hee calles thee , so hee will iudge thee . Remember thy end , Eccl. 7.36 . and thou shalt neuer doe amisse ; & whether thou eat or drink , or whatsoeuer thou doest , let that trumpet of the last iudgement alwaies sound in thy cares , Arise ye dead , and come to iudgement ; & whatsoeuer thy comforts are in this present life , neuer let the bitternesse of thy last iudgement depart out of thy mind .