A25250:332
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.
We all come together to the Church, and amongst us are Tares and Wheat, good and bad; in all companies there will be evil intruders, Satan among the Angels, Saul among the Prophets, Judas among the Apostles, Demas among the Professors, yet who can discern the tares, but God alone who knows our hearts? Hypocrites can work dissimulation in a web, and this so cunningly is platted, that no difference is discerned: such are hot meteors in the air, which shoot and show like stars, but are indeed nothing less: your eyes may be fixed on heaven, your ears all listening to this Sermon, yet (as I condemn none, so) I never knew, but Darnell hath ever been in Gods field. The Church Christ calls a net, an house, a floor, a field: a net that takes fish, good and bad; an house, that harbours vessels of wrath and honour; a floor, whereon is poured wheat and chaff; a field, wherein is sowed Corn and Cockle: thus good and bad seed are a while as that treasure hid in the field, 1which cannot be discovered: but is there not a God that searcheth both the heart and reins? 2Be not deceived, ye deceivers of the world! God is ⟨p. 129⟩not mocked; it is not a false heart with a fair look, it is not a mere show of Religion which God accepts: Silly Tares, hide close your sins in the darkest sorrows, or mount up your heads amongst the flourishing wheat,3 yet know there is a fan that will purge the floor; you would grow, and you shall grow till the harvest, God suffers that seed till the fruit grows ripe, but then, Gather the tares, and bind them (wicked dissemblers) bind them in bundles to burn them.
We all come together to the Church, and amongst us are Tares and Wheat, good and bad; in all companies there will be evil intruders, Satan among the Angels, Saul among the Prophets, Judas among the Apostles, Demas among the Professours, yet who can discern the tares, but God alone who knows our hearts? Hypocrites can work dissimulation in a web, and this so cunningly is platted, that no difference is discerned: such are hot meteors in the air, which shoot and shew like starres, but are indeed nothing lesse: your eyes may be fixed on heaven, your ears all listening to this Sermon, yet (as I condemn none, so) I never knew, but Darnell hath ever been in Gods field. The Church Christ calls a net, an house, a floor, a field: a net that takes fish, good and bad; an house, that harbours vessels of wrath and honour; a floor, whereon is powred wheat and chaff; a field, wherein is sowed Corn and Cockle: thus good and bad seed are a while as that treasure hid in the field,