WOnderfull and euery ●●ay The preamble . fearefull was the sleepy and carnall security & 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 King of Babilon described 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who being on euery sid● i 〈…〉 with dangers & 〈◊〉 , as first ▪ 〈◊〉 in the high d 〈…〉 of Almighty God , for his cruelty , & oppressing of Gods Church & people , 〈◊〉 . 14. 6. whose City and Temple his grandfather had spoyled & destroyed , 〈◊〉 . King . 25. and 〈…〉 &c. Ier. 5● . 〈◊〉 . Then 〈◊〉 for giuing his people and himselfe to idolatry & superstition , I●r●m . 51. 44. 52. Dan. 5. 4. As also to Diuinations , Sorceries En●chantments , Don. 2. 2. Isa. 47. 9. and Dan. 2. 2. lastly for his Sacriledge , and his prophaning of the holy vessels of the Temple , and blaspheming the Lord , Dan. 5. 3. 23. Dan. 5. 3. It is a fearfull iudgement of God on man , to see a iudgeent and not to lay it to heart . Then besides , hee had Darius and Cyrus besieging the Citty without , and ready to take it , and within had his owne subiects ready for his tyranny ouer them to cut his throat , and of them his principall Courtiers , as Gadata , whom he had caused a little before to be gelded , and Gobryas , whose s 〈…〉 hee had slaine in hunting ▪ who to be reuenged , conspired Xenophon li●● , 7. d 〈…〉 stit . 〈◊〉 . against him , b 〈…〉yed the 〈◊〉 , and brought in 〈◊〉 A●my ; ●et 〈◊〉 this case Herod 〈◊〉 Cli● . It is vsuall with the wicked in the time of iudgement threatned , to turne fasting into feasting , & more to depend on their owne strength , then Gods power . and danger 〈…〉 ring ●othing 〈◊〉 confident in the strength and defence of the City , which was compassed ●oth with high walls , and with the great riuer 〈◊〉 , 〈◊〉 also they had prouision ●ayd vp in the Cittie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 y 〈…〉 and more , which made him so 〈◊〉 , that ●ee made a great feast to a thousand of his Princes , and to 〈◊〉 against God & his people , who●●ee kept captiue , ( in his drunken vaine ) ●●e commanded to bring him the golden and siluer vessels , which his Father N●buchadnezzar had Pride , a forerunner of iudgm●t brought from the Temple in Ierusalem , that the King and his Princes , and his Concubines might drinke therein , not for any necessary and sober vse , which had beene too much , Leuit. 27. 28. but in this drunken and lasciuious feast , to aduance himselfe & his power aboue God , and that before his druncken companions and harlots , and thereupon , which was the greatest impiety of al , they praysed their gods of gold and siluer , brasse , Read 〈◊〉 . 6. & Hero● . lib. 1. iron , wood and stone , not onely giuing them the honor of their plenty and feasting , as was the manner of the Heathen in the beginning of their feasts to sacrifice vnto their Gods , but they ascribed also this victory vnto their Idols , when these vessels were taken from the Temple in Ierusalem , as though their filthy Idols were stronger and more mighty then the God of Israel . Whereupon his iudgement was immediatly written ouer against the Candlesticke vpon the plaster of the w●ll of the Kings Pallace , and the King saw the palme of the hand that wrote . And according to the contents of this writing read and expounded by Daniel , was Balthazar that same night slaine , and the City vtterly destroyed , Dan. 5. Isa , 14. 4. 22. and 47. 11. and 21 : 41 And that by this stratageme , while they were feasting , Cytus caused the riuer Buphrates to be diuided into diuers channels , and so made it pasable , and then his army passed ouer , and by the guiding of Gadata and Gobrias , they entred into the Cittie , and these two Courtiers slew him .

See what security and slouth bringeth Vse . Gods iudgments are most neere to the wicked , when they thinke themselues most safe . vpon men and whole kingdomes , when no danger and warning ( as Daniel telleth Balthasar ) will serue , Dan. 5. 22. and therefore his vanie glorious feast , became his funerall feasts , and as of this Balthasar , so it fareth with all brutish and secure worldlings , and sensuall liuers this day , who though they liue in their sinns end thereupon in the Lords danger and hatred , and wot not how soone for their domerits , the Lord will by death take them away , & then bring them to iudgment , yet in this deadly taking are they so sleepy and secure , so full of ioy and gladness , when they should giue themselues to fasting , weeping , & mourning , to preuent Gods iudgements , that they put farre from them the euill day , and approach to the seate of iniquitie , as though no euill The wicked euer hasten their owne destruction . could happen to them , giue themselues to feasting , ryot & excesse , that the Lord in the midst of their drunkenness taketh them suddenly away , most fearefully & vnprepared for death or finall iudgment but as they liued beastly , so they dye strangely .

Wherefore purposing ( the holy Trinitie assisting mee ) to deliuer vnto you my brethren ( holy and beloued in the Lord ) some word of exhortation , and considering in respect of the premises ) that the chiefest things euery one ought to be most careful of as long as they liue , are , first how to liue according to Gods holy will during our life heere .

Secondly , how to leaue this life in Gods feare and fauour , and full hope of a better life : and Thirdly , how to be discharged before Gods tribunall in the day of iudgement , and so enioy life eternall .

In which 3. poynts wholly standeth the glory of God and mans welfare , so much as of man can be sought for , whervpon And mans happinesse consisteth in 3 things . for effecting of the premises , 〈◊〉 , at this instant can thinke of nothing more behoofull , then to stirre vp your hearts to Christian watchfulnes , for the time present , and for the day of death , and of our appearing before the Sonne of God at the generall iudgement . Which taske if we faithfully perform , we shall be blessed in life , happy in death , yea , and for euer after death dwell with God in heauen . Now for the fundamentall ground of this exhortation . I chuse this Scripture , which directeth vs to examine .

And for the first , the occasion may be 1. gathered out of Math. 23 where our Sauiour denounceth woes against the Scribes & Pharises , threatning them destruction and desolation . Whereat his Disciples being much astonied , thinke it vnpossible that their Temple should be destroyed vnlesse the whole world should come to an end , and be destroyed with it , wherefore , as they departed out of the Temple one of his disciples shewed him how fortified the Temple was , how great were The Temple the statliest building in all the world . the stones , and strong the buildings ; and indeed it was the stareliest , strongest , and brauest building in all the world , for besides that , all Kings and Princes of any name and fame , sent gifts to adorne and enrich it . Herod wonderfully repaired it , the building was of white marble stones which were each of them 25. Cubites long , eight Cubites high or thicke , and some 12. Cubits broad &c. whereof read Iosephus Antiq. lib. 15. cap. 14. and de●●llo . And lib. 1. cap. 16. and lib. 7. cap. 10. and Read Iosephus . Iosephus Ben Gorion , in Hist. Heroid and Hegesippus lib. 1. cap. 35. de excid . vrb . and lib. 5. cap. 42. & 43. where it is said of Titus , that Mirabatur saxorum magnitudinem , metalli ●itorem , v●●ustatem operis , gratiam pulchritudinis : nec immerito tantam fuisse ●oti celebritatem , vt eo ex lo●● omnibus conueniretur , quia tantum non nisi summi Dei crederetur esse Domicilium &c. But our Sauiour answering sayd vnto him seest thou these buildings ? There shall not be left one stone vpon another that shall not be throwne down . Thereby signifying vnto him that no strength is able to withstand the Lords iudgements , how fortified soeuer : Then as he s 〈…〉 pon the Mount of Oliues , ouer against the Temple , ( for hee neuer entred into it any more ) Peter and Iames and Iohn and And 〈◊〉 asked him priuately , when these things should be , &c. Mar. 13. 1. to 5. and of the end of the world , Math. 24. 3. ( which they thought wold come together with the destruction of the Temple ; ) whereupon our Sauiour most graciously foretelleth them .

Lastly , of the end of the world , verse 24. to 33.

Then to prevent all dangers ensuing , The wonderfull care that Christ hath ouer his . he exhorts them to watch , vers. 33. to 37. & lest they should take this aduice to be giuen them foure only : he telleth them that this exhortation of watching appertaineth to all men , as well to people as Pastors .

Now the former part of this prophesie The cause of the destruction of the temple . came to passe iust 40. years after Christs Passion , in An. Dom. 73.

1 And that 1. because they regarded not the time of their visitation , though the Sonne of God with weeping eyes besought them , Luk. 19. 41. Mat. 23. 37.

2 They refused the Messias to raigne ouer them , saying they had no King but Tiberius Caesar , Ioh. 19. 15. and preferred a murtherer before him , Math. 27. 20. Luke 23. 18. Act. 3. 14.

3 They bought and sold at a most vile price the Lord of glory , Luk. 22. 5. Acts , 1. Note . 18. according to Zac. 11. 13.

4 They crucified him to death , after which time they enioyed not one merry day , but were more and more vexed and oppressed by the Romanes , vntill in the No power can withstand when the Lord comes with power to destroy . Vse . end they were all in a manner destroyed notwithstanding their strength and fortified Temple , the miracle of all the world .

And therefore , this should bee a faire warning for all , to bee carefull to walke with their God onely .

As for the second part of this Prophecie , which concerneth the day of Iudgement , let vs be assured that in his due time it shall be fulfilled , and that as the Lord in full iudgement , executed his wrath against the Hierosolomits , for their contempt and Apostacie , he wil likewise A good obseruation for worldlings . in that day take vengeance against al his enemies , who will not haue him to raigne ouer them , regard not the time of their visitation , sell God himselfe , and their soules , for the vncertaine loane of this world , and with their vngodly liues crucifie to death the Lord of glory : neither shall the glory of this world , nor pompe of wealth , & number of friends , nor their sinfull lusts and vanities in that day deliuer them no more then the great stones of the Temple , & their inuincible buildings , protected the sinnefull Iewes from their enemies , and therefore let vs watch and be wise .

The Doctrine that we are of the premises to collect before I descend to the exhortation , is this : That we are not 〈◊〉 Doct. 1. our hearts nor eyes vpon any worldly thing , We should not set our hearts on worldly things . wherein is no helpe , Seeing all is but corruption , and shal we wot not how soone by fire from God be vtterly consumed , as was Ierusalem & the Temple , but wholly and onely vpon heauenly things , and the means leading thereunto : the proofs be these , Salomon crieth , that all is vanity of vanities , and vexation of spirit , and the summe of all is , to feare God and keepe his commandements , for God will bring euery worke into iudgment : and euery secret thing whether it be good or euill . Ecclesiast , 1. 2. Eccles. 1. 2. & 12. 13. 14 and 12. 13. 14. Loue not the world , neyther the things that are in the world , If any man loue the world , the loue of the Father is not in him &c. the word passeth away , and the lust thereof , but he that doth the will of God abideth for euer , 1. Ioh. 2. 15. 16. 17. The day 1. Ioh. 〈◊〉 . 15 16. 17. of the Lord will come as a thiefe in the night in the which the beauens shall passe away with a great norse , and the Elements shall melt with feruent heate , the earth also and the workes that are therein shall be burnt vp : Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolued , what manner of persons ought yee to be , in all holy conuersation and godlines . 2. Pet. 3. 10. 11. so Thess. 1. 7. 8. ●am. 4. 4. and 1. Peter 1. 24. 25. &c. 2. Cor. 5. 10. 11.

The first vse wee are to make heereof , Vse 1. The world . serues ●oradmonition to watchfulnes , for if ( as in the aboue named testimonies ) this sinfull world , and all therein be but vanity and corruption : and shall shortly be fired , then is it high time for all sorts of people to see to their soules , and to their sinnes , that they in that day be not consumed with the fire of Gods wrath , and of hell ; but the while , labour by all religious means to be sanctified and purified , that as Daniels companions walking in Nebuchadnezzars Ouen without harme , we may stand vpright before the Sonne of God , filled with the fire of Gods spirit and loue : which blessed fire , blessed Lord kindle in vs continually .

The second Vse serues for instruction , Vse 2. Riches . for the vse of worldly wealth , for we see in what short time , euen within the space of seauen Months : this noble Citie and royall Temple , full of worldly pompe , iewels , riches , honor and glory , was connerted to dust and ashes . So that now it is not knowne where this Temple was founded vpon , not one tagge of all the wealth thereof , is any where to bee found . This meditation should teach vs moderation in diet , apparell , building , and hoording vp for hereafter , & why ? but because wee see all is corrupt & transitory , and vanitle of vanities , which shortly ( it may bee ere seauen Moneths come about ) will not onely be fired , but cause thee be cast to hell fire , and so thy vanity of vanities will bring thee to misery of miseries .

Now then tell me , were not hee more then mad , that for vanity & vexation of spirit would offend his good God , damn his owne soule , the price of Christs bloud , loose heauen and purchase hell , a frenzie of frenzies . O. that men would beleeue that experienced Preacher , proclain●ing that all is most vaine vanitie , then would not they thus be-dirt themselues , to heap riches vniustly , to climbe to honours ambitiously , to gorge themselues with worldly delights swynishly , to forget their God impiously , and all for the loane of vanity for an vncertaine shadow of time , aelas what will thy dainty fare profit thee , when as for staruing the poore , thou in hell cannot obtaine Dainty fare one drop of water , Luke 16 , 25. Or thy Luk 16. 25 Buildings . stately building helpe thee , truely , no more then the strong buildings of the Temple did the Iewes , who seeing their Temple burne , flung themselues into the fire ( as Sardanapalus with his riches ) to burne together with their Temple they so trusted in : or great Babel did , to deliuer Nabuchadnezzar from Gods iudgements , Dan. 4. 27. Oh beloued , play not thus the beasts to trust in stones , heaped vpon stones : they cannot free thee from Gods , inevitable wrath , but rather increase thy damnation : if thy buildings no outward priuiledges can free the w●eked 〈◊〉 Gods wrath be 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 and oppression , as 〈◊〉 . 13. 〈◊〉 . 2. 9. shall thy braueries & glistering apparel do it , them remember the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and proud Herod Agri●pa , where of the one was turned to hell , the other eaten vp with lies , 〈◊〉 what is appalet , but moa 〈…〉 deate , and the signe 〈…〉 shame ; for had we neuer sinned , Apparell the figue of mans shame . we had neuer heeded to weare it , bearing the gracious immage of God in our bodies as soules , but now wee are fain to couer the shame of our nakednes that sinne hath brought vpon vs , which is so great in truth , that if necessitie would permit ( as gentlewomen do with their gloues and maskes , though they thinke not so ) both hands and face to , should be couered ; so sowly hath sinne Note . disfigured our excellent creation , that as a destowred Virgin wee should be ashamed to shew our Aegyptian or Black-Moore faces , & Chimney-Sweepers hands , to speake nothing of the basenes & beggery of apparel ; for what more base then Apparell . for a Lord or Duke to weare cloth , which is but the cast greasie garment of a scabbed or ●otten Sheepe ? and what more beggerly then to digge into the Earth for gold , to the Sea for Pearles , to the rocks for stones , to the flowers and puddles for colours , to Hogges for grease , and a thousand things more , to apparell and trim our sinfull bodies the fuell of Hell The bodies of the wi●●d are fuell for hell . fire 〈◊〉 for suffering the poore to dye for cold , and wan● of apparell , which wee store up for moaths , and shall one 〈◊〉 be a witnes against thee , Iames 5. 1. 2. 3. weep Iam. 2. 19. loued , weepe and howle for this madnes and ensuing misery , and forget not that fiery 〈…〉ng day , the remembrance Remember the day of iudgment : the diuels tremble & feare . whereof makes the very Deuils to tremble & quake , and should make euery sinfull man weepe and howle , repent and forsake this folly , which kindleth the coales of hell to consume vs : oh my bretheren beloued in Christ Iesus , would A simily . we not repute him vnwise , that would robbe the poore , 〈…〉 sse the widdow defraud the fatherlesse , steale from the Church of God to enrich himselfe , to bestow it wholly vpon a famous snow-ball , which in short space would ●hawe to water , or to make an admirable Becon vpon an hill for men 〈◊〉 vpon , which at the first newes of the enemyes arriuing should be set on 〈◊〉 yet a Snowball is sure to stand while the frost holds , and a 〈◊〉 to continue 〈◊〉 the enemy land , but this 〈◊〉 and the pompe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not sure to stand one Day , and who the● would waste himselfe and endanger●llis soule 〈◊〉 vncertaine vanities and 〈…〉ments to finne and destruction but most certaine letts to saluation and well doing wherefore my Dearely beloued let vs all , seeing and knowing these vanities be wise to saluation and ( omitting these mock begger build-ings of sinfull deuises , whereby worldlings thinke as the builders of Babel to get them a name when they most work their owne confusion bodily , and spiritually labour to haue our names written in heauen Luk. 10. 20. and conteyning this world and vncertaine habitations with Abraham Heb. 11. 10. the father of the faithfull , labour , and looke for a Cittie hauing a foundation whose builder and maker is God , and not fondly with Peter at a glimpse of felicitie ( not woating what we doe ) wish to build Tabernacles heare below , and so Mat. 17. 4. to forgoe and forget our felicitie aboue , as we see all worldlings generally doe , this is to play foolish Hobab , who ready to enter vpon the holy land and possessions of the Cananits , after long wandring in the wildernes would not enter in , but depart to his owne countrey and kindred , Num. 10. ●9 . then which what more sottish .