The gallants burden A sermon preached at Pauls Cross, the twenty nine of March,…The gallants burden A sermon preached at Paules Crosse, the twentie nine of March,…

Judgements (they think) be none of their lessons, they will not suffer their consciences to apply them: Mercies they challenge and own, though they have no right to them: If this estate be not a misery, judgement, burden, there is none: The fire of the Pestilence is well quenched, the rumours and storms of War are laid, the younger brother of death, Famine, doth not tyrannize over us: But here it is; our sins and Gods wrath (for them) meet, and the heart is hardened: this is the sorest judgement. Let me speak a Paradox, but a trueth; it is the plague of many, that they are not plagued: even this is their punishment, the want of punishment: & the hand of God is then heaviest, when it is lightest: heaviest on the Conscience, when lightest on the Carcass: it is true on them, what the Philosopher said of himself (Perieram misi perijssem) they are undone, that they are not undone: God suffers their bodies to possess, and be possessed of rest: they sing to Viols, dance to Measures: their Heads ache not, Much less their Consciences: But (as to Israel, fat with Quails) God withal, sends Lea• nesse into their souls: the present indulgence, gives sufficient argument of future woes: they surfeit on pleasures, till death puts them out of breath: that worthy Father saw this their (self-commended) estate, and prayed against it;¹ Lord, here plague, cut, massacre, burn me, so that for ever thou wilt spare and save me. This is (O•u• gravissimum,) the most grievous Burden. Security is the very suburbs of Hell: (Miseri•• nihil est miser•, se non miserante,) there is nothing more wretched, then a wretched man, that recks not his own misery: an ⟨p. 6⟩insensible Heart is the Devils Anvil, he fashioneth all sins on it, and the blows are not felt.

Iudgements (they thinke) be none of their lessons, they will not suffer their consciences to apply them: Mercies they challenge and owne, though they haue no right to them: If this estate be not a misery, iudgement, burden, there is none: The fire of the Pestilence is well quenched, the rumours and stormes of Warre are layde, the younger brother of death, Famine, doth not tyrannize ouer vs: But here it is; our sinnes and Gods wrath (for them) meete, and the heart is hardned: this is the sorest iudgement. Let me speake a Paradoxe, but a trueth; it is the plague of manie, that they are not plagued: euen this is their punishment, the want of punishment: & the hand of God is then heauiest, when it is lightest: heauiest on the Conscience, when lightest on the Carcase: it is true on them, what the Philosopher sayd of himselfe (Perieram misi perijssem) they are vndone, that they are not vndone: God suffers their bodyes to possesse, and be possessed of rest: they sing to Viols, daunce to Measures: their Heades ake not, Much lesse their Consciences: But (as to Israel, fatte with Quailes) God withall, sendes Lea nesse into their soules: the present indulgence, giues sufficient argument of future woes: they surfet on pleasures, till death puts them out of breath: that worthy Father saw this their (selfe-commended) estate, and prayed against it;