A25250:195
Ultima, = the last things in reference to the first and middle things
Ultima, = the last things in reference to the first and middle things: or certain meditations on life, death, judgement, hell, right purgatory, and heaven: delivered by Isaac Ambrose, minister of the Gospel at Preston in Amoundernes in Lancashire.
London: printed for J.A., 1650
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
O horror, that ever any soul should suffer these conflicts for sin! But what sins were they? He was (saith the Author) no Swearer, no Whoremonger, no Thief, no scoffer at Religion, no perjured wretch, no wilful liar at all, only Drunkenness and neglect of mens bodies (for he was an Apothecary) neglect of Prayer, Gods Word, and his Sacraments, so awakt his trembling Conscience, that he was forced to pass this fearful doom upon his soul, I must be burned in the furnace of hell, millions of millions of ages: and at last (the Lord knows) in idleness of thoughts, and talk, he ended his miserable-miserable life.
O horrour, that ever any soul should suffer these conflicts for sinne! But what sinnes were they? He was (saith the Authour) no Swearer, no VVhoormonger, no Thief, no scoffer at Religion, no perjured wretch, no wilfull lyar at all, onely Drunkennesse and neglect of mens bodies (for he was an Apothecarie) neglect of Prayer, Gods Word, and his Sacraments, so awakt his trembling Conscience, that he was forced to passe this fearfull doom upon his soul, I must be burned in the furnace of hell, millions of millions of ages: and at last (the Lord knows) in idleness of thoughts, and talk, he ended his miserable-miserable life.
The other I mean to speak of was an Italian, 1under the Jurisdiction of Venice, called Francis Spira, who being excessively covetous of money, and for fear of the world having renounced the truth, which before he professed, he thought at last he heard a direful voice speaking to him; Thou wicked wretch, thou ⟨p. 80⟩hast denied me, thou hast broken thy vow; hence Apostate, and bear with thee the sentence of thy eternal damnation: at this voice he trembling and quaking fell down in a swoon; and after recovering himself, he professed that he was captivated under the revenging hand of the great God of heaven, and that he heard continually that fearful sentence of Christ, now past on his own soul: his friends to comfort him propounded many of Gods promises, recorded in Scripture; Oh but my sin (said he) is greater then the mercy of God: nay, answered they, the mercy of God is above all sin; God would have all men to be saved: it is true (said he) he would have all men that he hath elected to be saved; but he would not have Reprobates to be saved; and I am one of that number: after this roaring out in the bitterness of his spirit, he said, It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. These troubles of mind brought him to a distemper of body, which the Physicians perceiving, they wished him to seek some spiritual comfort: those comforters come, and observing the distemper to arise from the sense and horror of hell pains; they ask him, Whether he thought there were any worse pains then what he endured? he said, He knew there were far worse pains; yet do I desire nothing more, said he, then that I may come to that place, where I may be sure to feel the worst, and to be freed from fear of worse to come.