cum gemitu fugit the life which is the light of men goeth likewise away with a groane Virg. AEneid 12 Iohn 1 4. In the last day all the elements shall be confused leave their naturall operations so in death the parts of the elements whereof we be made shall be confused and all dead without operation In the last day the earth which shall be the remainder of the world must be overrunne with fire to purifie it so in death the carcasse all the remainder of the whole man must be purified by rotting from the drosse of corruption Lastly in the judgement day the soules are brought before the Lord in the ayre to be tryed for all they did so in death the soule is presented before the Lord where the Lord hath set up his seate of judgement and therefore after tryall and sentence given is sent either to heaven or hell Both unknowne both have signes going before Besides as death doth shew thee the state of the world so the knowledge that wee may have of death sheweth what knowledge we may have of the judgement day As the Lord hath hidden the knowledge of that day from men and Angells so is the day of our death hidden from men and Angells but as the Lord hath prefixed signes and markes to know when it approacheth if wee have eyes to see them so the Lord hath foreshewen signes in our bodie and behaviour if wee marke and observe them which prophecie our mortalitie And as blindnesse shall overcome men in the end of the world and they shall cry peace and safety when sodaine destruction is comming so when men are surest to live long to enjoy the world and improve it to the most then are they caught away and we see them no more I therefore intreate that all men would provide and study what concernes their death when they thinke of the last comming of Christ according to both which this doctrine is to bee applied First The reason of Christs stay in both wee see ofttimes the Lord tary long Saint Peter tells us the reason not that hee is slacke or desirous to put off the time but that hee is patient towards us and would have no man to perish but that all should come to repentance the Lord hath some chosen to salvation that are either unborne or uncalled and therefore the judgement day cannot come untill this bee done Againe seest thou a wicked man to live long the Lord stayes to give him time to repent which he not doing is made inexcusable if God gave him repentance then for this did the Lord suffer him to live Know the reason why the Lord preserves your life even that you may have time to turne and amend beware therefore that this time given for repentance be not used to the hardning of your hearts and heaping up of judgement And this was the cause why the great judgement came not long agoe Time uncertaine that we may prepare Secondly you see that the Lord will have the time of death and judgement uncertaine lest we conceiving the Lord giveth us time of repentance should convert and use it to our destruction that being certaine that they shall come but uncertaine of the time wee may prepare our selves shake off sinne more speedily and avoid it more carefully Are we then uncertaine of the time when we shall die and be brought to judgement First then let us be ever prepared Christ compareth the uncertainty of them to a snare Luke 21 35. Mat 24 43. that shall come upon the inhabitants of the earth likewise Christ 2 Pet. 3 10. 2 Thess 5 2. Peter and Paul compare them to the unexpected comming of a theef Christ compareth them to the flood in Noahs time Mat 24 37. O then how prepared ought we to be For if the bird feared the snare if the goodman feared the theef if the world would feare an universall flood to drowne them what providence how many lockes how many watches would be used and how many prayers would be said When the Spouse is uncertaine of her husbands comming how is her sleepe broken in the night her labour hindred in the day with thinking on him So saith Christ Luke 21 35. Watch therefore for the day when you shall goe to your Lord or your Lord come to you that you may be accounted worthy to stand before the Sonne of man in his comming Secondly And shake off sinne seeing the time of death and judgement are uncertaine take the Wisemans Counsell Make no delay in turning to the Lord and put not off from day to day c. Ecclesiasticus 5.7 If the King were to give one pardon for life or a grant for preferment upon condition to have his patent ingrossed in one day what haste would he make It may be that thou seest some live long and therefore thou presumest for the like Who would not beware of a mad man who killeth all before him as we see death doth every day But as hogges stand by whilest some of themselves are a killing cry for company with that which is killed and so goe away without any care or feare of the like so it is with most of us wee lament and bemoane for our friends whom the Lord calls but never consider that the next day the like is to befall us Seeing therefore we must goe out of the world to make account let us not deferre time to cast off sinne lest wee be forced to carry it to judgement A ship may be overloadened and overburdened so may the soule be if a man heape up sinne never so fast it may be the Lord will never punish in this life that after death he may be damned Israel hath sinned Esay 1 5. Ezek 16 42. I will smite him no more he will free him from dangers that destruction when it commeth may be the more intollerable Theramenes got our and escaped killing Aelian de var. hist lib. 9. when his house in Athens fell sodainly he crying out Iupiter for what time doest thou keepe mee when shortly after thirty robbers compelled him to eate and drink of the hemlock till it killed him Therefore let the uncertainty of the time and feare of greater judgement move you to turne truely to God And prevent it in time to come Finally the uncertainty of the time of death and judgement are soveraigne helpes to make us feare sinne and prevent it if the Ninivites had not feared they had perished as did Lots sonnes in law that feared not Iacobs sonnes at their first going into Aegypt feared little and fared ill at their second going they were in great feare and fared the better Hosea 13.1 When Ephraim spake as trembling the Lord exalted him but when he committed idolatry without feare the Lord destroyed him Sozom. lib. 7. ca. 31. Chrysostome counseiling the people of Antioch to call upon God to remove his anger lest Theodosius should destroy
destruction that security or carelesnesse is ever the last forerunner of destruction and the greater it wil be Cum fataliâ— equus saltu super ardua venit Pergama Tum me confectum curis somnoque gravatum Infelix habuit thalamus pressitque lacentem â—uicis alta quies placidaeque similllima morti Virg. 6 AEneid The greater security the greater iudgement followeth it sheweth that the greater vengeance is to follow as appeareth in all written examples of Gods wrath and when any are so farre past as to contemne Gods justice and thinke that hee will not punish or regardeth not the warning of it destruction is neere unto them Secondly wee are taught that when Christ commeth for all the labour that can be taken to awake them yet shall the world be in dead sleepe of ungodlinesse and carelesnesse as they were in Noahs time and in Sodome unto the houre that Lot went out of it When Cyrus his army besieged Babylon Belshazzar gave his subjects of the Citty notice how little he feared any threatned danger by his publicke feasting and drinking Dan. 6.1.3 and almost the whole Citty blinded with the same impiety Herodot lib 1. followed his example of drunkennesse the enemies entred the City in the night Invadunt urbem somno vinoque sepultam Virg. and killed them whom they found buried in drunkennesse and sleepe notwithstanding that Daniel had expresly forewarned both his predecessour and himselfe of it So the day of Christ shall come as a snare upon the inhabitants of the earth when labour shall be little profitable or seasonable to awake them The same cause giveth us occasion of the same complaint in our time many continue in a seene and knowne carelesnesse and contempt of God all forewarning is to no purpose 1 Sam. 15.35 Non in solis divitiis est misericordia sed in sermone si nihil habes etiam in lachrymis Theophilact in Mat. 5 7. untill they fall into the hands of an angry God But as Samuel did for Saul so must we bemoane their misery if our example cannot move them then they can witnesse that God sent his children who mourned for and unto them who would not lament for themselves this is all the helpe that we can bestow upon them who neither can nor will be helped There was a cry made When no meanes can availe to awake security the last cry shall doe it As mariages in solemnizing have divers sights for delight the voyces of singers and instruments to give content to the eare and variety of meates to please the taste and stomacke and if the Bridegroome be of the Nobility he wanteth not the voice of a Trumpet to proclaime the greatnesse of his person So our Lord Iesus Christ at his comming to judgement shall send in stead of a cry the voice of a Trumpet before him with terrour whereof heaven earth and hell shall have notice of the power and greatnesse of his Majesty This voice shall be that which the Scripture calleth the sound of the Trumpet as shall appeare yet our Saviour sets it out by the name of a cry because of the former security wherein the Lord shall be carefull to give forewarning according to the capacity of every one The Lord suffereth not the deafe to be without warning for as wee expresse our selves to the deafe by signes and tokens so doth the Lord foretell the end of the world by signes of particular wrath in some when others for a time goe free by the weakning of nature in diverse creatures diverse prodigies and wonders of natures imperfection by weaknesse of the operation of heaven by subversion of worldly power and glory and the increase of iniquity beyond measure which being compared with the relation and experience of former times Bern. in Fest Pentet Ser. 3. ut ex praeteritis fidem astruat futurorum that from things by past he may understand the certainty of what is to follow These that have eares to heare let them heare Mat. 13 9. for the Lord sends to them the admonitions of his word But they that have hearing and yet are so thicke that no counsell can reach so deepe as their dulnesse is or are so asleepe that common calling cannot awake them nothing will prevaile but a voice loud as a Trumpet Esay 58.1 to make the earth shake and the ayre to be resounder of terrour So at the last day there can be no place for a secure deafnesse when the heavens go away with a noyse the elements melt and the earth burneth with fire who shall not heare and feele the power of this Cry this will end their sleepe with the beginning of endlesse torments Now for the greatnesse and terrour of this cry which shall summon all men to judgement The greatnes of the cry neither can it be sufficiently expressed nor understood If the Trumpet Exod. 19 16. that called the Israelits to heare the Law was a terrour unto them how terrible shall that voyce be which shall call all men to account for not keeping of it If the noyse of thunder which is not farre heard be so terrible that it allayes the courage of the proudest and is even a terrour to the fishes of the Sea Psal 104 7. and sheweth a power in the waters what may we thinke of this voyce Contents of Psal 29. Vere vox magna vox tubae terribilis cui omnia obediunt elementa quae Petras scindit inferos aperit portas aereas frangit vincula mortuorum difrumpit c. Chrysost in 1 Cor. 15. 1 Thess 4.16 Psal 50.1 which shall be heard in heaven earth and hell The 29 Psal extolleth and sheweth the power of Gods voyce for feare whereof all Creatures tremble that the securitie of men may be thereby shaken but at this last voyce all creatures shall declare the terrour of it Lastly if we consider whose voyce it shall bee we shall conceive it the better St. Paul tells us The Lord himselfe shall descend from heaven with a shoute for hee himselfe shall call his people loe this is the Trumpet even the voyce not of Angell but of him who is Lord and Master of the Angells the voyce of the Sonne of man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but sounding with the power of the Sonne of God and because the secure world would never heare him nor the voyce of his servants he saith That the houre shall come in which all that are in the graues shall heare his voyce and come out either to salvation or damnation It is the voyce of Christ himselfe The Scripture calleth this voyce of Christ the sound of the last Trumpet Mar. 14 62. Iohn 5.28 1 To shew the power and majestie of his comming as he shewed in his ascending prophecied of in the Psalmes who being exalted above all when he went to heaven Psal 47.5.7 8 9. in his comming hee shall shew that all his enemies
are trod under feete Secondly to shew the great and fearefull things that are then to be done thus a Trumpet sounded before the Law was given and in the Revelation the great alterations of the Church and judgements upon the enemies thereof Revel 8 6 7.8 from the time of Christ unto the last day are foretolde by the blowing of Trumpets which notwithstanding was never heard by them who felt the fearefull events Thirdly to shew that the cry is for the assembling of his people Ioel 2.15 Psal 81.3 not an uncertaine sound but a certaine that all may prepare and appeare 1 Cor. 14.8 Hence wee understand the diverse effects of this Cry The effects of it When the destroying Angell came downe to Aegypt in the night Exod. 12.30 the terrour of God caused them to make an outcry over all the land How many voyces of Lamentations shall be heard at once when the generall Cry shall be Hills and mountaines fall upon us Rev. 6.16 and hide us from the presence of him that sitteth upon the throne for the great day of his wrath is come who can stand They that were never moved with the words of Christ now tremble at his voice and their hard hearts shall make unseasonable lamentation But with the servants of God it is not so for as the same voice of Christ before his suffering which made his enemies fall as dead to the ground yet incouraged Peter and others of his Disciples Iohn 18 6. so this voice of Christ at the great day though it shall be the most terrible that ever wicked men heard yet it shall be the most joyfull that ever Gods true servants heard Iohn 3 29. for he that is the friend of the Bridegroome must needes rejoyce greatly because hee heareth his voice for thereby their bodies shall receive life and immortality Psal 91.1.5 As in their life time they betooke themselves unto the shadow of the Almighty and therefore when wicked men affraid with the terrours of the night made an Aegyptian outcry Psal 118 15. his servants finde that the voice of joy gladnes is in the dwelling of the righteous because prosperity is within their gates Quanta crit electis laetitia in adventu Domini quem comparat adventui Sponsi Muscul in Mat. 25 1 Looke Ier. 33.10.11 no evill can come unto them nor any plague neere unto their dwelling Much more shall they be glad at the voice of Christ in that day for which their soules and bodies have waited long in hope to heare Would you know if the voice of Christ shall be joyfull to you in that day or not The Prophet Esay from the Lords mouth tells us Esay 66.2 They who tremble at Christs voice now shall reioyce hereafter that if we tremble at his words in this life he will looke upon us and we shall rejoyce to heare his voice in the fearefull day calling us the blessed children of his Father if with humility and feare we draw neare to heare what the Lord saith now in his word we shall not appeare in judgement to be censured but commended And this is most certaine that seeing all the creatures tremble at the Lords voice we must either doe so in this life when God commands us or in the life to come when he condemnes us Beholde the Bridegroome commeth Here is the first part of the Proclamation being a notice given of the Bridegroomes coming If these that were prepared for a mariage solemnity heard a warning given without certaine notice for what purpose how could they understand that it concerned them So if in the great day the voice of the Lord shewed not the particular person that came it could not be the trumpet of the Almighty but his voice shall declare that the Bridegroome commeth because the power of God shall goe along with it the diligence of the Angels shall second the sound of it in gathering his Saints unto the great assembly The Scriptures say that Christ shall come for although he filleth all places being God infinite and incomprehensible yet because of his humane nature he shall shew a locall descent The glory of Christs person is now hid and set his throne in the ayre But for his divine nature it filleth the world and of it I say Bern. Ser. 3. Advent as Bernard said of Christs incarnation that he was in the world and the world was made by him but the world knew him not Non ergo veniet qui aberat sed apparebit qui latebat He shall not therefore come as one that was absent but appeare as one that was hidden before and shew the glory of his Majesty shining in his humane nature the glory of both which is now hidden from our eyes for the clouds spheares of heaven have taken him out of our sight and according to the Psalme Psal 18 11. Compare 1 Tim. 6.16 with Act. 22 11. Hee hath made darkenesse his pavilion and secret place which though it be in it selfe a light inaccessible yet it darkeneth our sight Thus our Lord as a Bridegroome is entred into his chamber and there he stayes untill the day come and then shall he come out of his chamber as a mighty man and shew himselfe before all mankinde and as nothing is hid from the heate of the naturall Sunne so no man shall be able to hide himselfe when the Sunne of Righteousnesse shall declare his glory and power for every eye shall see him yea even they that pierced him through Revel 1 7. and all kindreds of the earth shall waile before him This doctrine is of great antiquity for when the olde world by their impieties began to be the first presidents of this last vengeance of God Henoch terrified them with this doctrine Beholde the Lord commeth with thousands of his Saints Iude verse 14. to be revenged on them but their gracelesse hearts tooke no notice of it so while we have the same Proclamation giving us warning so long before hand who are moved to prepare and attend But as often as we reade or heare these words Behold the Lord commeth or the Bridegroome commeth so often is this voice either in characters or sounds sent from heauen to our eyes and eares to give us warning of this last meeting When Moses forewarned Israel of their ensuing calamities Deut. 4 26. and the cause of them he called heaven and earth to be witnesse that he had given them warning and left it registred to be read to all posterity so if they perished their owne neglect should be the cause of it so in the day of judgement the Lord shall call heaven and earth before him to judge his people Psal 50 4. and to prove how often we have heard the Proclamation though we forget and be carelesse yet the Sunne and Moone that give us light Psal 89 37. are faithfull witnesses in heaven and
their greater griefe and shame August de Verb. Dom. Ser. 23. Non est consulentium sed irridentium est ista responsio This answer is not to give counsell but to mocke them and this is all they get for helpe or pitty To us therefore doth our Saviour speak these words to forewarne us that wee never cast our count so as to thinke that which wee have to be too little for our selves nor thus to answer the distressed lest the shame be shamefully cast in our teeth when wee hope for a more mercifull answere in judgement This reason of the covetous sheweth us what is the cause which maketh men so unwilling to helpe others who are in necessity because they cannot beleeve that ever they can have enough for themselves This is one of the greatest plagues that can fall upon a man to be insatiable in affecting a thing that is farre inferiour to the worth of himselfe The causes of covetousnesse uncharity This Covetice proceedeth from a great blindnesse of the minde which as it seemeth doth build it selfe upon these or the like divelish and darkened conceits First that it cannot possibly stand with his owne felicity that he should love any other or care to helpe him Secondly that there is no meanes to give his minde contentment or to make him happy except it be with worldly pelfe Thirdly that he must needs live many yeares as the rich man in the Gospell concluded and that therefore all he can get cannot be too much Luke 12 19 Fourthly he doth doubt that God will not be carefull to provide for him because he conceiveth that God is disposed as he himselfe is and not much carefull for others or if God were in disposing of goods that he would not be so just as to give him so much as were enough for him It is no wonder where ignorance and unbeliefe prevaileth so farre to bring a man to these conceites that hee presently bends all his wits to scrape together all he can possibly snatch to suffice for use and to satisfie his desire which indeede can never be satisfied No wonder therefore it is that the Lord abhorreth the covetous and cruell man Psal 10 3. and him that speaketh good of him Therefore if we would be mercifull to others and save our selves from the wrath to come man Ephes 4.7 even as he pleaseth and according to what measure hee will So that wee are hereby taught to whom we shall have recourse in all our spirituall necessities even to our blessed Saviour In whom dwelleth all the treasures of grace bodily Col. 2.9 who is able to bestowe this Oyle of his Spirit to enlighten our sinfull soules and bodies and to prepare us for his comming Now if Gods word in the aboue named places be true the works of supererogation cannot be found in any or though it were so Colos 1 19. none is communicable unto another except from Christ in whom onely it hath pleased God that all fulnesse should dwell 1 Cor. 1.30 Act. 4.12 and who only is made our Righteousnes and in whom only we have hope of salvation Goe ye rather to them that sell and buy for your selues In appliyng of these words we finde them to be a bitter mocke of the reprobate to bidde them in the day of account to goe and buy Some take the Kingdome of heaven by violence others steale it some begge it others buy it or provide grace for themselves for then there are no sellers nor meanes to be found We have in these words two things to be considered buying and selling how either of them can be applyed to our labour for salvation For buying It is to us that have meanes and time to provide for that fearefull account that our Saviour speaketh these wordes of seasonable counsell as he did to the Laodiceans to buy and store themselves with the treasures of spirituall life Revel 3.18 The summ of the counsell is that we vse traffique for salvation As there are diverse meanes used some lawfull some unlawfull to mainteyne this mortall life so doth the word of God use the comparison of them to exhort us unto all labour and diligence 2. Peter 1 10. Quis expedivit Psittacosuum Chaiâ—e Magister artis ingeniique largitor venter Persent Ecclesiast 6 7. Bernard in libro sententiarum to make our calling and election sure and to purchase an immortall life The belly saith a Poet makes Master of Art both gives cunning industry for satisfiyng wherof some robbe others steale some begg others buy all as Salomon saith is to content backe belly In like manner Gods servants if we looke unto their life and workes some robbe and take the kingdome of heaven by violence others steale it some begge it others goe to those that sell and buy it for themselves Christ told the Iewes Math. 11 12. that from that time Iohn Baptist began to teach the Kingdome of heaven suffered violence and the violent tooke it by force these are they whose breasts are inflamed with zeale and who either for feare of Gods anger or for love of his mercyes turne suddenly to the Lord The Publicans and sinners by this meanes wonne heaven who flocked about Iohn Baptist Luk. 3 10 12. Act. 2 37. Luk 19 6. and cryed Master what shall we doe and the hearers of Peters Sermon upon Whitsontide and Zaccheus who came downe from the tree quickly and received Christ joyfully and St. Augustine who in his conversion Lib. 8 Conf. cap. 3. sect 1. cryed unto God why shall I be converted to morrow why not to day unlearned men get up and take heaven by violence and we with our diversity of learning doe wallow in flesh and bloud And all whosoever turne with hast and fervency unto the Lord may be sayd to take heaven violently Grandis c. It is a great violence 〈…〉 11. to be borne on earth and to enter into heaven and to obtaine that by strength which wee cannot have by nature Theophylact. in Mat 11. or what greater violence can be than on a sodaine to forsake father and mother to quite all pleasure the world can give yea and contemne life it selfe rather than to want Gods favour or be disappointed of eternall life Horum figuraÌ„ tenuit mulier patiens fluxum sanguinis quae cogitavit intra se dicens si c Mar 5 28. Bernard ibid. 1 Kings 19 18. Others in a manner take heaven by stealth these are they that labour for heaven and yet so secretly that they are not espied by the common multitude they are farre from hypocrisie they have their oyle in their vessells as were the seven thousand in Eliah's time who worshipped the Lord so secretly that the Prophet could not espie them and I doubt not but every age hath of this kinde Iohn 3 2. that with Nicodemus come to the Lord in the night Some
when we have no enemies at all This union with Christ is only compared to the solemnizing of a marriage But because long life without separation proveth not a happinesse to all that are married for we see the disordered and discontented lives of many that they would be glad to be ridde of marriage so they could save their life yea even in them that agree best the godly life cannot set them free of all troubles 1 Cor. 7 32. for every sort of life is intermixed with its owne griefes and inconveniences therefore we may observe that our eternall joyes in heaven are not compared to the best life in marriage that ever was led but only to the solemnizing and time of it that as the time and day of marriage is an image of honour joy and pleasure of all kindes that this earth can give insomuch that both opinion and experience hath framed the Proverbe that the day of marriage is the onely joyfull day in a mans life which incontinent hath its owne changes as all things else have so our eternall glory shall be as a solemnizing of a marriage the joy and pleasure of it cannot passe away but continually remaine unchangeably with us and we with it Esth 1 4. When Ahasuerus did shew the riches and glory of his Kingdome and honour of his Majesty he did it in feasting the Nobles Commonalty of two Kingdomes both which feasts continued above halfe a yeare what shall we thinke of him who counteth the heaven with the spanne Esay 40 12. Verse 22. comprehendeth the dust of the earth in a measure Verse 23. counteth all the inhabitants of it as grashoppers and bringeth Princes to nothing Shall not he shew it to be everlasting Psal 145.10 11 13. when his Saints shall blesse him and shew the glory of his Kingdome and speake of his power which is saith David everlasting and enduring for ever Psal 102.27 Stat unus dies quia nec habet ortum nec occasum nec inchoatur ab hesterno nec excluditur a crastino August in Psal 122.3 cuius participatio in seipsum This everlasting is as one yeare that faileth not yea this yeare is as one day because it changeth not it never hath Sun-set nor can it give place to the morrow even this is the day which the Lord hath ordained for us that we should everlastingly rejoyce and be glad in it So it appeareth wherein our eternall glory is like unto the solemnity of marriage As I have compared our eternall union with Christ unto a marriage so is it fit that I should compare marriage unto our union with Christ This union is not an imitation of marriage but marriage is an imitation of it Exod 25 40. What ever Moses did it was according to the Arch-type and patterne shewed him in the Mount so whatsoever is here taught us to practise it is that by earthly rudiments wee may ascend higher and consider heavenly things in them And therefore many things are taught us to be read in the plaine letters of our owne actions that as children are taught to act those things which may teach them to know what men doe and what they shall doe in mens estate that they may frame themselves accordingly so doth the Lord teach us many things that they may be glasses for our instruction and that we may though in earthly manner frame our selves for a prepared state of glory The dealing of Christ with his Church is the patterne and direction of marriage Eph 5 22. of which marriage is one and drawn out after the heavenly patterne for it is the Lord that framed both and our practise is no rule to direct the Lord but from the Lords dealing towards his Church and the Churches towards him the Apostle drawes instructions to teach husbands and wives how to behave themselves one to another The maker time place forme matter and end of marriage First what account wee should have of Mariage if we looke to the originall of it it is framed to the similitude of Gods eternall purpose of uniting man to himselfe an extract copyed out of the heauenly Paterne by the hand of God himselfe For the forme of it the most excellent union that we sinfull men can claime or wish for is to be knit to the man Iesus Christ and to be of his body so mariage is according to this paterne to make the strictest bonde that the soule can admit on earth and to unite them in one who were severall bodyes before For the matter of it of all mortall creatures the excellency pertaineth to man and therefore this union the more excellent and lastly for the end of it the preservation of man is better than of any other mortall creature which cannot be without confusion if marriage were wanting And therefore if you respect the time and place the maker the matter the forme and end of marriage you may see how honourable it is and how reverently to be accounted of Paul calleth it a doctrine of divels to forbid marriage 1 Tim 4.1 3. because none else would be an enemie to make it dishonourable in some which God hath pronounced honourable among all Heb. 13 4. or take away the lawfull imitation of so heavenly a patterne and they are the children of Satan that dishonour it either in their owne person or in the practise of others by fornication adultery contempt of the lawfull liberty of it or unadvised undertaking of it I would gladly wish the Church of Rome to aske St. Paul whether it is God or the Divell that would have us teach such doctrine as to forbid marriage unto any The common ends of marriage Secondly we are taught what use to make of marriage The common ends for which marriage was ordained were 1. The conservation of mankinde from utter decay by procreation of children Malach 2.15 to be the seed of the Church 2. The bounding and limiting of wandring lusts and affections 1 Cor. 7.2 that men should not become like beasts the Lord hath ordained lawfull meanes to preserve them from falling into unlawfull 3. That two being together Eccles 4 10. Gen 2.18 the one might be company and helpe unto other Yet are wee to make further use of it that when we either reade or heare the institution of marriage our hearts may ascend higher The spirituall uses of marriage and consider the union betweene Christ and his Church what it is in this life and how our love shall increase when wee are possessed of glory And when we are invited to a marriage to remember the day of the marriage of the Bridegroome when his friends shall enter in and foolish men be shut without doores These things Christ teacheth under the similitude of a mariage that in all such wee may call to minde that mariage which sinne cannot divorce nor death make void And that we may doe this the
are sodainly called to give this account who cannot deny lawfull warning Many would doe thus when it is too late Labour therefore that your zealous actions in Gods glory may shew how obedient you were when he commanded you The worthines of Gods servants cannot be seene in this life Secondly observe that seeing the wise Virgins have their Oyle in their Vessels that is have their holinesse and beauty hidden and their actions onely to be taken notice of by God it followeth by good reason that the Saints of God are not seene nor truely knowne so long as they are in this life they come to be knowne by degrees in this life by repentance faith good workes and humility in all these we know that we are the children of God 1 Iohn 3.2 Attendis quasi aridas arbores per hiemeÌ„ Qui non novit videre aridam putat vitem et for te iuxta est quae vere aruit Similes sunt ambae per hiemem illa vivit illa mortua est sed illius vita et illius mors in ab scondito est aestas procedit vita illius clarificatur mors illius manifestatur Procedit honor foliotâ—Ì„ faecunditas fructuum vestitur vitis in facie ex eo quod habet in radice Ergo modo fratres tales sumus quales alii c. August in Psal 148. but what we shall be is not yet knowne that is the glory of these children cannot now be seene as the Israelites could not be espied by the Midianites whilest their lampes were hidden untill they appeared upon a sodaine no more can their worth be It appeareth somewhat better when the soule goeth to glory but the full shew of it is kept for the judgement day at which time the sonnes of God shall be revealed Rom. 8.16 And no wonder for wee cannot be truly joyfull untill wee see our Lord upon whom all our desire hangeth we can never be glorious untill we be in company with Christ who is our glory we cannot shew the actions of holinesse untill we be fully freed from sinne and corruption and restored to the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God Saint Paul tolde the Colossians In this world you are in a manner dead and your life is hid with Christ in God when Christ who is your life shall appeare then shall you also appeare with him in glory Col. 3.3.4 Therefore no marvaile if these whom God respects most are but despised of the world Christs glory was hidden within the vessell or veile of his flesh 1 Cor. 2.8 Acts 3.17 and therefore because the Iewes knew not they crucified the Lord of glory But as he saith the Apostle indured the Crosse Heb 12.2 and despised the shame care not you how men account of you if you be sure that God respects you Psal 40.20 I am poore and in miserie saith David but the Lord careth for me and if by shame and misery our life be lost yet this is the way to make our glory the better to appeare Thus leaving their Oyle inclosed and hid in their vessels untill the Bridegroomes comming let us consider the Vessels being our soules and bodyes according to phrase of Scripture David in his conference with the high Priest at Nob called the bodies of his followers the vessels of the young men 1 Sam. 21.5 St. Paul tels the Thessalonians that it was the will of God 1 Thess 4.4 that every man should know how to keepe his vessel in holinesse and honour and speaking of himselfe and his gift of preaching sayd that that treasure was in weake and earthen vessels But seeing the Scripture speaketh most of these vessels 2 Cor. 4.7 Every one is to consider wherein he excelleth all his other gifts and labour to exercise it most in two considerations to wit of their matter and use these two I will briefly touch If I consider the matter I finde them all de communi limo that the Potter hath made all of clay or of earth yet if I compare these vessels among themselves I shall finde that as the earth hath some parts of dust and filth and in other parts are the minerals and plants as gold silver wood c. So hath the Lord made us all of earth but some more refined as the quality and force of the vessel doth evidently declare Saint Paul saith that in a great house 2 Tim. 2.20 are vessels of gold silver wood and earth so are the differeÌ„ces among men some seem to be made of gold for their patience who are continually bettered by the fire of trouble adversity the more they suffer the faster they cleave to God some seeme to be as of silver in whom the knowledge of Gods word dwelleth plentifully Psal 12. which is as the silver purified seven times some are as vessels of wood earth who are so lowly their looks so dejected that they thinke it fitter to sit in dust ashes and count the earth Sumpsit Deus limum terrae Gen 2. Quando tandem tui oblivisci potes tu deniq tui obliviscere cum disiunctus eris a terra sin nunquam a terra disiungeris etc. haud procul demissionis tuae proposita imago et significatio est Basil Hexam Ser. 11. dust and wormes their mother brethren and sisters nor to looke up to heaven or with conceited toyes to abase the brightnesse of the Sunne Let euery man therefore try himselfe what power or gift the Lord hath indewed him with and in that exercise himselfe seeing * 1 Cor. 7.7 Cic. lib. 2. de Nat. deorum every man hath his proper gift he ought to search find out wherin he excelleth his other gifts he that knoweth not this much of himselfe nor labours to make use of Gods benefite wise men have compared his soule to salt onely to keep the body from sowring or stinking Cicero calleth them animae porcorum soules or rather pearles cast out to swine The use of all these vessels or of all mankinde is that some are appointed to honour some to dishonour this is finis vltimus But while all men doe hope to be of the number that shall be honoured with salvation we are to consider how to use our selves Vnto some are given gifts more then to others but unto all the occasion of using what gifts so ever therefore he that hath wisdome to what purpose hath he it if he be not an earnest student of Gods word the meanes to eternall life Why hath any man power to rule himselfe if he bee a slave to his lust What use is there of charity where a man labours not to doe good and so of other gifts God leaves none without occasion to use every vertue we may be idle but God bestoweth nothing without use nor gift without occasion of exercise Ambros de Vocat Gent. lib. 2. cap. ult cum laudabilius atque faelicius sit pugnantem non potuisse vinci
in another letter saith his owne minde with application of it Ad Cecili lib 2 Ep 3. Et quia jam secundus adventus nobis appropinquat magis ac magis benigna ejus dignatio corda nostra illustrat c And because his second comming commeth neere Instit lib 7 cap 25. c. In the yeare 317 Lactantius saith that all expectation was of no more time than 200 yeares at most After the yeare 400 Augustine and Ierome say that many were of Lactantius minde that even in their owne time Christ would come to judgement and that St. Ierome was of this minde appeareth by his fearefull words In Regist Monach cap 30. Sive edam sive bibam aut aliud quid agam semper insonat auribus vox illa horrifica Surgite c. Whether I eate drinke or whatsoever I doe that fearfull voice sounds ever in mine eares Rise dead and come to Iudgement Hesichius a Bishop wrote to Augustine that Christ should come in the yeare 700 because of Daniels Prophecy of 70 weekes which was onely concerning the first comming of Christ Augustine answereth him in the words of Christ that of that day knoweth no man nor the Angels but onely God himselfe All these expectations and conjectures proving false Christ is said to stay long I have further observed diverse who being curious to know and determine the time of the great Iudgement were sodainly themselves taken away by death Wherefore wee are to retaine onely the signes and that modesty to be beleeved and daily expect it But seeing many have beene deceived even by mistaking the signes themselves it may be asked Which of them may wee take holde of as a marke and not to be mistaken concerning his comming I answere The plainest and surest marke of Christs coming the surest of all is the conversion of the Iewes But when shall this be I answer they are letted by Daniels Prophecie chap. 2. for seeing the Roman Empire as yet stands in the Pope they cannot beleeve that Messiah is come and therefore untill this power of his be beaten to powder they cannot see how the King of Kings can reigne and whosoever doth this as they thinke is their saviour and deliverer then shall their hearts be turned to the Lord and be opened to see the hardheartednesse of their forefathers in crucifying the Lord of glorie and their owne blindnesse that so many hundreth yeares could not espie the day of salvation What doe the Iewes see in the Christian Churches The many thousands that are tributaries in Rome Naples All this mischiefe is set downe particularly in Muscul com plaâ— de Ministris verbi under the name of Nundin Pont. Venice Spaine and other places see that they directly stand against the holines of Gods law in commanding publike Idolatry dispensing with blasphemies treasons rebellions murthers and sometimes commanding and authorizing them in countenancing incests adulteries fornication receiving rent for stewes selling soules and bodies and making lawfull and unlawfull what they will commanding people to beleeve and yet they may not enquire what The bookes of Corn Agrippa Ioan. Baptistae poreae Iohan. Tâ—itenemius de occult Scripturis doe plainely shew this and chiefly this last author who upon his salvation protests the said booke may bee used with a safe conscience c In Prafat 〈◊〉 finally admitting Iewish superstition to be mixed with their own permitting witchcraft and conjuration which is the invocation of Satan to be accounted so lawfull as either of them Whilest this Babel and kingdome of confusion doth stand how is it possible that a Iew should be converted or beleeve that these are the true servants of God As for such Iewes as are in Germany or other places neere the reformed they see few visible Churches and know that all of them are farre from the large extent spoken of Dan. 2.35 But when once this is taken away and they converted their learning and devotion shall be the riches of the world that the secure and carelesse shall by their example be pierced with sorrow and turne unfeinedly unto the Lord after which time both they and other Nations shall fall in a dead security and lose the power of religion that Gods particular punishments nor the cry of Preachers shall be little able to awake or make them looke about them Then on a sodaine shall the Lord come the heavens goe away with a noise the elements melt with heate the earth fall a burning the quicke and dead mount up to meete the Lord in the ayre But when shall those things come to passe It can not certainely be knowne but if it be asked When to come to passe unknowne yet as appeareth by example may soone come how soone all this may be I pray you consider what alteration the Lord hath made in Christendome since Luther was taken notice of but 112 yeares agoe especially what God hath done in Great Britaine in lesse time turned out the Prince of Babell indued olde and young with knowledge and other gifts of God especially inflamed their hearts with zeale that they were readier to suffer torments than their enemies were to impose them upon them filled all with knowledge that none were hidde from the sound of Gods word and finally hath cast them into such a security that most have lost the power strength of religion that no sinne wants actours no wickednesse but it hath excusers patrons and defenders hundreds of Preachers are become dumbe and these best heard and befriended that either cannot or will not speake a word in Gods name and these who forewarne men of this state never taken notice of what they say or command O what a security is this Certainely if the great Iudgement day were farre off God could not suffer this so long He therefore that considereth how God hath wrought these things in so short a time may easily see how soone the Lord can bring all the aforesaid to passe and hasten the Iudgement day Now we are to make use of this Death and Iudgement go together I cannot think or speake of this great day but I must needes continually thinke of death and therefore if any say that it is neare at hand then I answere that death must bring him thither If he say that it is farre off and shall not be these many hundred yeares I answere that death shall presently apprehend him and pull him unto Iudgement The world may stand long but how knowest thou but thou maist fall before to morrow the great judgement may be farre but thy judgement may be this night and as death leaveth thee the great judgement shall finde thee Death a prophecy of iudgment Finally so oft as thou seest one die so many prophecies the Lord shews thee foretelling the ruine of the whole world in which the heaveÌ„ which is the light of the world shall goe away with a noyse 2 Pet 3. in death Vitaque