changed and get the next sight This before ye heard taught to you Now in the text we haue red the Apostle takes occasion of that which he spoke of immediatly before concerning the ranking and order of those that shall bee found dead on that great day To enter in this matter more deeplie and to fall out in a description of the Lords comming in that latter day He pointes out the manner of it and that glorie that shall appeare Thereafter he commes to that effect that shall follovv there-vpon The first effect shall be the resurrection of the dead ere euer they vvho are alyue be changed vvhich shall be in a moment the dead rysing first shall be rest vp to the cloudes and then they vvho shall be changed shall be rest vp after them The estate of both is they shall meete the Lord and bee vvith him for euer Then in the last verse he desyres the Thessalonians vvith such speaches as these euerie one to comfort another vvhether he sorrovv for his owne or for anothers death and to speake one to another of the resurrection and of the glorie that shall followe on it Now this text standes in a narratiue of the forme of Christes comming vvhereof I vvill speake no farther nor I can gather thereof out of the Scripture and with as great shortnesse as I may For it is follie to speake any thing heerein vvhich is not reuealed and spoken of in the Scriptures Now Brethren I shall speake first according to the Scriptures of God of the signes and tokens that shall appeare in the world before Christes comming For ere he be seene they who shall be found aliue at that great day shall see signes and tokens of his comming Next I shall speake of his comming and of the manner of it And in the third rovvme I shall speake of the effectes that shall followe in the vvorlde immediatlie on his comming As for the signes that shall be seene ere he be seene There are some of them that shall goe before his comming immediatlie before he ryse out of his Throne vvhere he sittes at the right hand of his Father euen immediatlie before his rysing there shall some signes be shovven to vvarne the vvorlde that the King of Glorie is comming Then there shall be some other signes that shall be adjoyned vvith his comming as hee commes through the Heauens and aire to judge the world So the signes are of tvvo sortes some signes before his comming immediatlie Signes immediatly preceding Chrâ—stes comming some joyned with his comming The signes immediatlie preceeding the Lords rysing out of his Throne to judge the vvorld are The vvhole vvorlde shall shake Heauen and earth shall trimble they who shall be liuing at that day shall see it The vvhole povvers of the Heauen shall be shaken The Sunne the Moone shall be darkned all shall be obscured the Sunne shall haue no light the starres shall fall downe or at the least shall appeare so because they shall giue no light and light shall be away nothing in the face of the earth but darknesse nothing in Heauen but darknesse Ye may read this Matt. chap. 24. verse 29. Luke chap. 21. verse 25. Christ giues these same signes himselfe that shall be immediatlie before his comming What shall be the estat in the mean-time of those who are liuing when these signes shall appear Al consciences shall be wakned all shall get vp there shall be no sleeping The murtherer vvho hes his conscience sleeping now shall be wakned then the harlots conscience shall waken There shall be two sorte of folke found liuing then some reprobate some elect the world is neuer vvithout these tvvo As for the reprobate vvhen they shall looke vp and see such a wonderfull alteration the shaking of the Heauens the darkning of the Sunne and Moon then they shall beginne to shudder and to be striken with such a terrible fear that they shal be as they wer dead and for fear of that judgment that is to follow they shall run and seeke holes and secret places to hide them from the face of the Lord and cry Hilles fall dovvn on vs Mountains couer vs Yea euen ere they see the Lord before his comming down Read of this in Luke 21. 27. Reuelat. chap. 6. verse 16. c. Now as to the elect that shall be found aliue at that tyme they shall conceiue at the sight of these first signes an vnspeakable joye and shall not be afraide but shall avvaite for that Redemption which they shall see to be at hand that full Redemption in the Redeemer the Lord Iesus And therefore they shall not runne away and seeke holes to hyde them in but they shall stand vp and lift vp their heades and faces to the Heauens and shall looke greedilie for the comming of the Lord Iesus Christ indeede it is true they shall conceiue a sorrowe and shall be touched vvith a remorse and shall vveepe bitterlie but a sweete weeping they shall weepe that euer their sinnes procured the death of the Lord Iesus Christ that Lord of glorie Therefore they shall be both joyfull and sorrowfull joyfull because the Redeemer is at hand sorrowfull for their sinnes that Christ should haue died for them that they should haue peirced him through with them Reade of this at length Luke chap. 21. verse 28. Zachary chap. 13. verse 11. Reuel chap. 1. verse 7. yea they who peirced him through with their sinnes shall bewaile him All the godlie Kinges of the earth shall bewaile him all the elect shall sorrow that their sinnes should haue procured the death of this sweete and glorious Lord. This for the signes immediatly going before his comming Vnderstand brethren that there shall be a processe of tyme in the day of judgement so that one thing shall by a certaine space goe before another It shall be sodaine but not so sodaine but they who are aliue shall see one thing done by a space of time before another it shall be so sensible that euerie one that is liuing at that day shall see euery thing done sensible Now to come to the signes joined with his comming At his down comming Signes ioyned vvith the comming of Christ when the Lord rises out of his Throne before he be seene the whole world that shooke before he rose shal be set on fyre and there shall be a terrible dissolution All thinges shall be dissolued and so shaken lowse that the world shall not appeare vnto the tyme it bee made a nevv Worlde a nevv Heauen a new Earth as Peter speakes Come to the particulares As to the Heauens they shall bee burnt vp and being burnt vp they shall passe away with a sound and noyse saies Peter as the sounding of Chariot-wheeles The elements the aire the water all shall be consumed with fire and be burnt vp and euanish The earth and all the workes on the earth planting building all shall be burnt vp with fire nothing shall be spared
workes shall be the tokens of the true cause which is the onely justice of Christ imputed vnto vs by faith I dare say albeit the reprobate wortheâ—â—e shall be damned according to their workes yet they shall be speciallie condemned that they beleeued not in Iesus Christ but contemned his Gospell without faith Then to come to the sentence The Lord will beginne at the elect as best and worthiest and he shall giue them their sentence Come ye blessed of my Father and vvherâ—â—â— the Kingdome prepared for you before 〈…〉 of the vvorlde Matt. chap. 25 verse 32. From once this sentence is past out on them when this absolution from death and damnation is pronounced looke what estate they 〈◊〉 be in They shall stand with the Angles as assessours to judge the reprobate So Paul 1. Cor chap. 6. verse 3. saies knovv 〈…〉 iudge the Angels that is to say we shall allow that most just sentence of Iesus And among all the rest of the 〈◊〉 the twelf Apostles speciallie shall haue place For they shall sit on twelfe Thrones to justifie that just sentence that shall passe on the reprobate Then shall the sentence passe out on the reprobate the voice shall goe downe throgh the aire to the earth a terrible voice 〈◊〉 accursed of my Father to the fire prepared for the Deuill and all his Angels Brethren thinke not this a fable manie will not beleeue this vntil they feele it in them selues Now to be short To speake of the lyfe of the reprobate after this sentence they shall noâ— remaine on the earth In the verie moment of the doome that is certaine they shall passe to dâ—mnation 〈…〉 At that same verie moment thou receiuest the sentence of lyfe thou shalt goe to Heauen The moment the reprobate receiues sentence of damnation they shall go to Hell Now to speake of this death and lyfe I will not be curious there is much spoken in the Scripture thereof both to let vs see the glorie of the elect and the torments of the reprobate But I tell you in one word it was neuer all tolde Neuer Prophet nor Apostle expressed the greatnesse of the joy that shall come to the godlie nor of the paine that shall come to the vngodlie There shall bee another paine nor fyre and brimstone to bee tormented in Neyther can any expresse the joye in Heauen There shall be such glorie and joye as the eare of man neuer heard of the eye hes not seene nor yet hes it entered in the heart of man Novv looke hovv Paul speakes of this joye heere He sayes 〈◊〉 shall be 〈◊〉 vvith the Lord. He contentes him with these wordes To be with the Lord imports not a dwelling only vvith him but a lyfe and glorious lyfe joye that is vvith him vnspeakable I cannot tell it all the tongues in the vvorlde cannot tell it For all the joye in Heauen it is in the Sonne of God and shall shine through him that is through the naturall 〈◊〉 of man couered ouer vvith a Majestie and so all Heauens joye and glorie shall be vvith him and they vvho shall bee vvith him shall be in that glorie and joye vvith him I dare say more These thinges shall not be outvvith vs onely but vvithin our bovvels The joye and glorie shall not be outvvith the godlie as it is novv Commonlie the glorie the pleasure are ouâ—vvith vs the matter of joye outvvith vs and vve 〈◊〉 to it But then all matter of joye shall be in vs Christ first be in vs and God shall be all in all and God in 〈◊〉 be dvveling in vs and then vvhen thou hast all vvithin thee vvhat shall thou vvant And therefore in the Reuelation chap 21. verse 2 it is said We shall not neede thinges outvvith vs. neyther a Temple nor Sunne nor Moone for God being in thee shall be vnto thee a Temple hee is all in all and hee being in thee 〈…〉 all 〈…〉 thee In one vvord He shall be vvithin the◠〈…〉 because God in Christ shall dvvell vvithin thee and 〈…〉 part of that glorie and felicitie of that lyfe Novv is there no more nor this What matter if it vverfor a tyme vve vvere to be with him What matter of Heauen if Heauen lasted not What matter of a Kingdome that vanishes away A man set vp on a pompe to day casten down to morrow what matter of heauenlie glory let be the earthly glory if it lasted not but the Apostle saies we shall be with him for euer Take vp then our blessednesse It stands in two pointes first a passing and exceeding joy and glorie and secondlie in an eternity and euerlastingnesse of joy and glorie Paul plainly and pithilie settes these two together 2. Cor. chap. 4. verse 17. He calles it a weight of glorie that is excellent Then he calles it an euerlasting glorie There are two a weight of glorie and an euerlasting vveight of glorie and more excessiuelie excessiue He cannot get wordes to vtter it It is a weight that will vveigh dovvne all the vvorlde and then a weight of glorie excessiuelie excessiue and then eternall and euerlasting So our felicities in glorie and passing great glorie and an euerlasting glorie As for the paines of the reprobate I will not insist to speake of them because the Apostle is speaking heere to comfort the elect Now when the Apostle hes made a discourse of the comming of Christ He makes his exhortation and sayes and so I say also Comfort one another vvith these vvordes Brethren many hes sought comfort death is dolorous and wearisome in the owne nature and therefore many of the Heathen hes busied themselues to get comfort and matter of consolation in the houre of death What matter of death if there be a comfort therein but then is death dolorous when it is without comfort But vvas there euer any that got comfort that knew not Christ and the resurrection and a life after this life no neuer man neither king nor Emperor As for all the comforts they had all was but vanitie and dreames of comfort Againe I say Was there euer anie that gaue comfort to a bodie in death or that gaue comfort to them that vvas heauie for the death of their freinde but that man that hes a sense of that glorious resurrection of Christ and of his comming And therefore as thou wouldst haue comfort in death giue comfort for death know that the Lord is to come in the world knovv that there shall be a glorious resurrection and after the resurrection there shall be an eternall joy and glorie in Heauen And looke that this be not onely wordes in the mouth There are many vaine bablers of Christ and of that glorious resurrection A knaue an adulterer a murtherer will flatter himselfe and clatter of that glorie and joy but all is vanity Wilt thou be a knaue and then speake of these thinges The Lord shall punish thee Looke therefore that thy speaking of the latter
These shall be the signes that shall be joined inseparablie with Christs comming The signe of Christ In the meane tyme he shall come down when all the world shall be on a fire And this is called by Matthevv 24 verse 30. the signe of Christ the signe that shall be conjoined with his comming Reade of this whole matter in this 24. chap. of Matthevv verse 30. 2. Epist of Pet. chap. 3. verse 10. 12. Reuelat chap. 20. verse 11. and chap. 21. verse 1. Then brethren if there was such a commotion in the heart of men in the first signes that past before what commotion shall there be in the harts of men when they shall see the whole world on fire A wondrous thing When all this consumption shall be no body shall be burnt but the power of the judge shall reserue the bodies to the judgement that is to follow immediatlie Peter when he hes tolde of these signes saies If such a dissolution of the world be what maner of men should we be how should we studie to prepare vs to meete the Lord So on that great day all these thinges shall not make the godly to shrinke but they shall ay prease forward to meete the Lord in the cloudes As to the reprobate ô that horrour and terrible feare that shall ouertake them at his comming Now this for the two sorts of signes The first going before his comming the second joined inseparably with his comming down to judge the world Now shortly to speake of Christs owne comming And this is it which the Apostle speakes of in this place Which for our vnderstanding I shall gather out of this and sundry other places of the Scripture Christes coÌ„ming Now as for the comming of the judge he shall not come from the Sea from the Earth from the Plane Wherefrom commes all the Kings of the earth when they are in their triumph The Romane Emperours came out from the Capitoll in their Chariots But the King of Kinges shall come from the Heauen of Heauens abone all these heauens that we see from the highest place The maner of his comming is sodaine These signes that I spake of shall come on a sodaintie and yet there shall be a processe of tyme in doing thereof He shall come on a sodaine as the deluge of Noah did as the 24 chap. Matt verse 37. telles The people knew not of the deludge that ouerwhelmed them vntill it came No more shall this miserable world know Christes comming vntill he come sodainlie And therefore considering this in the Scripture the Lord giues a watch-word to his Disciples Many hundreth yeeres are past since and repeate it heere he saies Matt. 24. 42. Watch for ye knovv not vvhen the Lord shall come The sodaintie vncertainty of his comming shoulde make vs euer readie to looke for it The Chariot he shall be caried in is the cloudes of the aire As in his ascending the cloudes resaued him from our sight so shall the cloudes resaue him at his comming Such a Chariot got neuer Emperour in all his highest triumph none of them was caried in the clouds The company that shall conuoy him he shal come saies Matt. chap. 24. verse 30. with the Angels and a flame of fire that fyre that shall burne vp the world and shall burne vp the reprobate in the owne tyme. 2. Thess 1. 7. 8. Iude sayes verse 14. He shall come with millions of Angels there shall not be an Angell but all shall come in that conuoye to let all the worlde see that all the Angels are but seruants to that Lord and seruantes standing about him to obey his vvill vvhat hee commandes that his glorie and Majestie may be seene In the meane-tyme he hes no neede of them for they neyther can adde to his glorie nor diminish it yet it hes pleased him so to vtter his glorie to the vvorld And in that meane-tyme when he is comming he will not come in silence Ye see when an Armie marches forward there is a great noyse and crying shouting and blovving of trumpets So there shall bee a noyse in the Lords comming dovvne The Angels of Heauen shall blovve the trumpets So he speakes Matth. 24. verse 31. Paul in this place sayes there shall ryse a sound The worde in this place is a vvorde of exhortation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 borrovved from that sound vvhich the Mariners vses to others euerie one to moue others to rovv A shout direct to the dead that lyes in the graue it shall pearce through the graue and eares of the dead and shall waken them vp With the shout shall be conjoyned the voice of the Archangell and with the voyce of the Archangell the sound of the trumpet of God and this shall be the last trumpet and neuer shall the voyce of the trumpet be heard againe and it shall be the shâ—â—llest trumpet that euer was heard Now when the Lord in his comming downe shall come to the place where he is ordained to sit to judge the worlde which shall be in the cloudes Then all the Angels shall showe their presence and the Angels shall make a glorious Throne to the Lord of glorie and there he shall sit This much shortlie for the comming and appearing I shall be short in this matter For I will speake nothing but make a narration of it out of other parts of Scripture Would ye vnderstand the effectes that followes on his comming Effectes follovving Christs coÌ„ming Certainlie notable effectes must followe on it The Lord prepare vs for it The Father shall be there the Sonne shall be there coÌ„ming the holie Spirite shall be there vvith all their power and all their Majestie The glorie of the Father neuer appeared so glorious as it shall appeare that day The glorie of the Sonne neuer appeared so glorious as it shall appeare that day The glorie of the holie Spirit neuer appeared so glorious as it shall appeare that day Ye see in the Parliament the Kings of the earth appears in their greatest glory to the people so the Lord of the world shall appeare with an infinite and vncapable sight of glorie Now to come to the effects that shall follow on his comming AsseÌ„bly The first effect There shall be an assemblie a conuention the fairest conuention that euer was since the world stoode There are none that euer tooke lyfe but all shall bee there all shall be sommonded with the shout of the trumpetuall shall compeare no excuse the graue shall not excuse death shal not excuse dead and liuing neuer man nor woman excepted all shall be there So the first effect that shal follow the comming of the Iudge shall be a conuention of the whole world elect reprobate dead and liuing And I shall tell you after what order it wil be by the Scripture The first that shall come there to the conuention shall be they who were dead they shall preueene them who were alyue And Adam and
sayes 14. vers the Lord 〈◊〉 come vvith thoulands of his Sâ—ints And I say as I think there shall not be an Angell in Heauen but all shall come with Iesus And what shall be then habite They shall come like an armie al as it were in aâ—mes Men who are in their armour in their harnes they appeare most glorious to the world So all the Angels shall come as an army armed with power and therefore it is said Angels of his povver terrible to the wicked because they shall be enarmed against them comfortable to the godly for they come for their defence The Angels in their owne nature are strong by their creation potent they are principalities powers by vertue of their own nature But the word would import more They shall not onely be strong with their owne power but they shall come enarmed with the power of Christ with an exceeding and extraordinary kinde of power such a power that they were neuer sene in before in such a majesty as neuer was seene of before and al to the glory of that glorious Lord Iesus who is Lord and judge blessed for euer An earthly king when he is in his greatest glory is but accompanied with selie infirme creatures who hes little strength But the Lord Iesus who is King of kings shall be accompanied at his comming with Angels of such an infinite strength that the deuill and all the world shall not be able to withstand any one of them Now to goe forward the next companie that shall be with him shall be creatures something inferior Not so glorious as the Angels Flaming fyre shall accoÌ„pany Christ. but very glorious a flamming fire a fire with a great flame and therefore fire that shall cast downe from it exceeding great heat and light to the world Ye will aske what fire will this be I will not be curious heerein but I think that that fyre that shall be at that day shall be that same naturall element that the Lord created when he made the rest of the creatures This appeares very vvell of Peter in his second Epistle chap. 3. vers 6. 7. When he sayes the first world was destroyed by vvater and the second vvorld shall be destroyed vvith fyre Certainely as the first vvorld vvas destroyed by a naturall vvater so shall the second vvorld be destroyed by a naturall fyre This fyre shall then appeare in such a glorie quantitie and light as it vvas neuer of before because it is imployed in the seruice of a most glorious Lord. Would ye knovve vvhat shall be the vse of this glorious fyre Read 2. Epist of Peter chap. 3. This fire going before him shall burne first the heauens then it shall come to the elements and melt them all vvith heat It shal next come to the earth and shall burne vp the earth and all the works Would ye know what shall come after There shall be a new heauen and a new earth And so this fire shall serue for the purifying and burning of the drosse of the creatures for all the creatures the Heauen the Earth the Sunne the Moone heâ— drawen on a corruption through our sinnes But is there no other vse of this fire This fire shall also in the Lords justice be a fire to deuoure the aduersaries Heb. chap 10. verse 27 to burne the reprobate for eeuer And therefore vaine man who takes pleasure in thy sinnes let â—he memorie of this flamming fire terrifâ—e thee that in tyme thou may repent Now this much for that glorious companie where-with the Lord Iesus shall be accompanied in that glorious comming Now come to the effects in the next words When he is come from the Heauen accompanied with the glorious Angels and flamming fire certainely he will not come for nothing Kings in the earth may fliâ— their campes for nothing but the King of glorie will not doe so Now the effect in one word is rendering repaying recompencing the judgement is in rendering to euery one his owne due In rendering first he beginnes at the godles and wicked after his comming in such a glorie He shall render the wicked that which is due to them that is vengeance To whom To them that knovv God on this earth 〈◊〉 them that obeyed not the Gospell of the Lord Iesus Marke it The Lord keepe vs from the causes of this rendering There shall be none that knew not God Faith accoÌ„panied vvith a troup of graces and obeyed not the voyce of Christ in the Gospell but vengence shall ouertake them in that glorious appearing of that judge in the world These are the two great â—aultes and sinnes that shall procure in the day of judgement vengence from Iesus Christ Now as there are two thinges that procures this vengence so there are two things that brings life at that great appearance of the Lord Iesus Christ The first is the knowledge of God The next is the knowledge of his Sonne the Lord Iesuâ— Christ Iohâ— chap. 17. verse 3. This is lyfe euerlasting to know thee to be the onely God and whom thou hast 〈◊〉 Iesus Christ knowe these two knowe God knowe Christ in his Gospell 〈◊〉 vengence shall not ouertake thee Then by the plaine contrare There are two grounds and causes of death and damnation The misknowing of God and the 〈…〉 of Iesus heere 〈◊〉 in his Gospell and these two are 〈…〉 gether Then brethren in one word Let not the Iew be bold to say he knowes God when he knowes not his Son all the knowledge a man can haue of God when he knowes not his Sonne is nothing for God the Father cannot be knowne but in his Son Iesus Christ and without the knowledge of God in his Son there is no saluation from judgement The Son is the Image of God and God will be knowne in him Heb. chap. 1. verse 3. He is the brightnesse of his glory and the ingraued forme of his person So that there can be no sight of God but in the face of Christ the man Ioyne these two together know God know the Son know the Son that thou may know the Father for no sight of the Father but in the Son This further wold be marked When he speaks of obedience to Christ He sayes not they that obeyed not the Lord Iesus but he sayes They vvho obeyed not the Gospell of the Lord Iesus This is spoken to the commendation of the Gospell and of the preaching of it and this base ministry which men esteemes so litle of Looke how he rankes this Gospell and the preaching of it with Christ himselfe He counts them that obey the Gospell to obey Christ and he counts them who are rebellious to the Gospell to be rebels to Christ And therefore say I boast as thou wilt of Christ and of the knowledge of him if thou despise this Gospel and this base ministry vengence shall light on thee Thou wilt say thou knowest Christ and in the meane time there wil be nothing in
beatting dovvne of the beast onely Iesus Christ ought to haue the glorie of the victorie Whether ye looke to him who strikes the battell the armour or them who are souldiers in the battell all lettes you see the glorie should be giuen to Christ alone What is more vyle nor the vvord of the crosse and this vyle ministrie and yet he vvill haue him vvreaked and consumed with the word and ministrie He chuses not great and mightie things not kings and Emperours to this worke wonder not nor be not moued that ye see so many kings stand by the beast to see the Emperour the kings of France and Spaine stand for him but the Lord will vse base meanes to destroy the beast that the glorie may be giuen to him allone Now to come to the other pointe his abolishing He is abolished at the last When shall this be When Christ shall come againe How shall it be The face and presence of Iesus shall deuoure him As soone as the Lord shall come downe as soone shall he vanish and be burnt vp as caffe with the fire The word of the Gospell consumes him and burnes him but not quyte vp But the face of Iesus in that day shall burne him quite vp and then that prophecie of Iohn Reuel chap. 20. verse 10. shall be accomplished He shall be casten in a lack of fire and brimstone which shall neuer haue an end Then brethren beware of this word for if it worke not to lyfe but be a sauour of death to death if it doe thee no good in this lyfe be assured that most glorious face of the Lord in the world to come shall destroye thee Therefore looke that the word be an instrument to thy consolation and the power of God to thy saluation Looke how the word is effectuall to thee in this life for so shall the presence of Iesus be to thee in the life to come either to thy saluation or damnation The face of the Lord shal consume thee if the word hes wroght no renewing of thee in this life It is said in the chapter preceeding verse 9. They which did not obey the Gospell shall be punished vvith euerlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the gloree of his povver one blenke of that face shall consume in an instant all the reprobate Craue then that the word may be powerfull that ye may escape this fire of that presence of Iesus in his comming Then heere ye may perceiue that the kingdome of the Antichrist is not altogether abolished it takes a long tyme ere it be taken away Wonder not that he hes such a power in this earth for certainly this prophecie telles vs that there shall be some face of the Antichristes kingdome vntill Christ come Looke not that Papistry end ere Christ come look not that euery reformed Church shall be quite of them but they shall be as thornes in their sides till Christ come and let no man ouer soone triumph but let euery one make him for the battell There are none of the professours of Christs trueth but they should prepare them for battell Therefore let euery one seeke this armour that being enarmed with that spirituall armour so far as God will giue the grace echone may breath on the beast to his consumption that so God may be glorified and then shalt thou triumph for euer with him To whom be praise and glore for euer AMEN THE SEVENTH LECTVRE VPON THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PAVL TO THE THESSALONIANS 2. THESSA CHAP. 2. vers 9. 10. 9 Euen him vvhose comming is by the vvorking of Satan vvith all povver and signes and lying vvonders 10 And in all deceiuablenes of vnrighteousnesse among them that perish because they receiued not the loue of the trueth that they might be saued WE returne again in this text to the description of the Antichrist to be reueiled the Apostle before had casten in some things in the way pertaining to the present purpose Ye heard the Antichrist to be reueiled was descriued from his nature First of nature he should be a man like other men then hee is descryued from his properties first a sinfull man addicted to sinne a slaue of sin and iniquitie next the sonne of perdition a man from all eternitie ordeined to perdition Then he came to his actions that he shall doe when he shall be reueiled first in malice of his hart he shall oppone him to euery thing called God in Heauen and earth to the powers and majesties here on earth to the Majestie of God and Christ in Heauen Another action when he shall be reueiled in pride he shall exalt himself aboue all thing that is called God and is worshipped in the world Yet more in pride he shall sit in the Temple of God not like a common man but as God in Gods seate on the consciences of men and wemen in the Church of God And last he shall showe himselfe to be God in all things in all his titles and styles and al his dignities and shall bereaue God so far as lyes in his power of all dignities and honors that pertaines to him allone Novv to speake nothing of that hes beene spoken before In this 9. verse the Apostle returnes againe to the description of the Antichrist and in this place he descriues him from the effectualnes or effectuall power he shall haue in men ordeined for perdition when he shall come and be reueiled in the world Then to come to the words Satan effectual by and in the antichrist Whose comming sayes the Apostle shall be according to the effectuall povver of Satan As he would say when he shall come and be reueiled in the world Satan that sent him shall be effectuall and powerfull by him powerfull in men and weâ—en that perishes that are ordeined from al eternity to perdition Heerein shortly learne then Euen as God by Iesus Christ in his ministrie whom he sends out will be effectuall in these who are his if all the world had sworne the contrare So Satan the enemy of God and â—atan in this pointe will prease to be like God and in his maner will be effectuall and powerfull in them that are ordeined for death by the Antichrist As God in his church for saluation will be powerful by his ministry so the Antichrist wil be powerfull to them that are ordeined to perdition Yet brethren the words imports more to wit that Satan shall not onely be effectual by the Antichrist outwardly but he shal be effectuall inwardly in the hart of him and when he shal work by him he shal not work by the mouth or hand outwardly but by the effectual working in his hart and will inspire in his hart to do the turne In this pointe likewise Satan preases to be like God When God by his minister as effectuall he not onely workes by his mouth or his hand or any outward member but he workes by his soule and inward affections cheefly 1.
to Christ and are translated from this vvorld that ye thanke him in prosperitie and aduersitie in vvell and vvoe there is the meaning Then ye see in this place a speciall vvill of God concerning this calling vve stand in and the speciall vvill of God concerning vs Christians is that vve thanke him Christian men and vvemen are most debtfull to thanke him and ought aboue all creatures to thanke him Fy on thee that vvill take the name of Christ on thee and not thanke him Thanke him in all things he can lay before thee It is his will that thou thanke him at least striue to thanke him for well and woe prosperity and aduersity for death aswell as life As for other men Iewes Turkes and Pagans c. that are not Christians God craues not this thanksgiuing at them A maruelous thing The Turke he hes the glory and wealth of the vvorld and yet the Lord sayes I vvill haue no thankes of thee neither in vvell nor in vvoe because thou art not in Christ all my glory is in Christ all the seruice I craue in the vvorld is in Christ So the pratling of the Turke and Ievv that makes them to thanke God is all but vanitie he craues it not of them O hovv great a honour is it to call a man to thanke and to serue him No neuer King got such great honour as vve get vvhen vve are called to thanke and to serue that King of Kings all our glory standes in seruing and making homage to God so blessed are they that are called to this honour through Iesus Christ Therefore he sayes through Christ meaning that in Christ is the matter of all thanksgiuing There is matter in Christ of all thanksgiuing In vvell and vvoe Christ is to me aduantage both in lyfe and death sayes Paul If thou hast aduantage in death vvhy should not thou thanke him In one word where Christ is there is matter of thanksgiuing to God in the greatest misery we can be in the world Againe where Christ is not and who are not in him as members of that glorious body ioyned in society with that glorious head if they had all this broad world they haue no cause to be merie nor to thanke no to open their mouth to praise And to speak the trueth they cannot be merie They may laugh but the true ioy is in God he is the Lord of ioy a man may well laugh but he can haue no true ioy except he haue Iesus in his hart That man in aduersitie and in the point of death will laugh more sweetly and vtter greater ioy nor the greatest worldly man in the midst of his prosperitie So I say and I command thee looke that thou reioice not without Christ I say to all men reioyce not but be sad if thou hast not Christ The Lord hes not ordeined thee to be glad it is his will onely that they that are in Christ reioyce and be neuer glad vntill thou get Christ I counsell you if ye had all the world if ye find not Christ in the hart be neuer glad What matter hast thou to be glad when the great God turnes his back on thee It may be he will cast a kingdome to thee ouer his shoulder as it were a bone casten to a dog what is that to thee if thou get not his ioyfull presence Read Dauid in all his Psalmes he was neuer glad but when he had the presence of God Now I come to the next precept Quench not the spirit The wordes are few but they conteyne great matter Quench not the spirit put not out the holy Spirit of Christ Take heed He â—es bene speaking before of the graces of God What is patience in suffering wrong What is joy What is thankfulnesse but the graces of the Spirit He hes beene before speaking of his graces and recommending them to thee Now he commes to that glorious person himselfe vvho is the giuer and vvorker of all these graces of Patience of Joy of Prayer and Thanks-giuing The holie Spirit the third person of the Trinitie that God giues to me and thee if thou be Gods seruant It is vanity to think that a true Christian man gettes onely the graces of the Spirit they get the verie Spirite No it is not the graces of the Spirite that will dwell in the hart and soule and bodie of a man no but the Spirit it selfe The Spirit will dvvell as surelie vvithin thy hart as euer a man dvvelt in an house That Comforter that Christ promised to his disciples when he was going vp to Heauen was not the graces of the Spirit no but the Spirite it selfe to dwell in our hart and to work it in al the graces So it is not the graces but the spirit he speaks of here when he saies quench not the spirit Paul saies Ephes chap 4. vers 30 Grieue not the holy spirit It is a simple guestning to make thy guest sad make not the spirit of Christ sad Paul saies in another place that the spirit is giuen thee as an arlispenny of thy saluation Ephes cha 1. vers 14. Thou â—oses the arles-pennie if thou make him sad But to the wordes The speache when he saies Quenching of the spirit quenche not the Spirit appeares to be metaphoricall It is borrovved and not proper and it is borrovved from a fyre or candle that vses to giue light and heate Then if it must not be quenched It must follovve that the Spirite of Christ must be a fyre vvithin vs It must follovve he must be a light inlightning our soules as a lanterne and lampe of light set vp within the darke and dead soule to let the soule and affectiones haue light and the Spirite of Iesus shynes vvithin the darke soule of a man as a lanterne shynes in a darke night and puttes out that masse of darknesse that is in the soule of man And therefore because it is as a fyre he sayes Quench not And Paul to Timothie 2. Epistle chap. 1. vers 6. sayeth stir vp or kindle the gift that is in thee it is lyke a flamming fyre the gift of it is but a light or flam that commes from this fyre So he sayes Stir vp kindle vp the gift that thou hast receiued Now ye see by experience a fire or light is two maner of waies quenched take me away coales timber or such other matter to burne take me away the nourishment that holdes in the fire it will die out Another way cast water on it smore it it will also die out albeit ye take not burning thinges from it So it is with this heauenly fire First draw me away the meanes whereby the Spirit is fostered and the fyre of the Spirit is holden in for as the fire feeds on the subject so the fire of the Spirit feeds on the own nutriture and foode take me away this foode of the Spirit as thou seest a fire die out so he will die out Take me
avvay this word and prophecying euen this word preached take me away the ministrie Meanâ— to 〈◊〉 the spirit in spyte of thy hart the Spirite shall die out The world would faine haue this word away but this is a maine violence done to Iesus to put the light of Iesus out of the hart O Lord vvhat count shall there be at that great day for the contempt of this word But is there no more to be had but the hearing of this word to enterteine the Spirit of Iesus Yea. It will not be the hearing only that wil hold in the Spirit Thy lyfe must be answerable to the word Thou must feede him with holy motions and thoughts within the hart feede him with holy speaches in the mouth Paul Ephesians 4. chap. 29. verse speaking of certaine vyces to be contempned he meanes planely that rotten talke puts out the Spirit Last he is fed within the soule with holy actions that holds in the light of Iesus Spirit As the oile holds in the fire take away these materials the Spirit shall die within thee The other meane to put him out is not onely to draw away from him the matter he feeds on but to giue him as it were poison to feede on An harlot poysons him with an harlatrous hart A murtherer with a bloudie hart A blasphemer with a blasphemous hart we poyson him with foull thoughts in the hart foull speaches in the mouth wicked actions in the hands this is water to put out the fire Then brethren learne one lesson As euery one should take heed to the graces of the Spirit to keepe patience joy prayer and thankfulnesse continually these are the graces of the spirit So specially and before all we should take heed to the workâ— of all the holy Ghost that dwels in our soules as a temple Take heed how thou treatst him what enterteinment thou giuest him looke that thou treat him well doe euery thing thou thinkest may pleasure him absteine from all thinges may offend him Set thy hart to please him and let thy pleasure be in pleasing him and pray euer Lord if thou hast giuen me thy Spirit giue me grace to enterteine him that I anger him not Lord giue me grace to doe all thinges to please him to doe nothing to offend him Alas if a honourable man would come in thy house and take a nights ludging thou would looke diligently that all the house and family were in good order So hold thy bodie and soule in reuerence and order for the holy Spirits sake that dwels in thee othervvaies he vvll not ludge with thee Murtherer fyle not thy hands vvith bloud if thou vvould haue him to dvvel vvith thee Paul sayes 1. Cor. chap. 6. verse 19. 20. The Lord hes boght thee out of the deuils hands out of thy ovvne hands for thou vvould lose both thy soule and thy body if it vvere in thy hand He hes boght thee with the bloud of the immaculat Lambe and to this purpose to be a ludging of the holy Spirit to dwell in He is speaking to harlots he sayes Thou art not thy ovvn Thou art boght vvith a pryce God hes boght thee with the bloud of Christ to be a temple of the holy Spirit Where the Spirit ludges there is the Father and the Son the whol Trinitie So in effect the man boght with the bloud of Christ is a ludging to the Trinitie the Father Son and holy Ghost Alas if thou could looke to this for all the world thou would not destroy that ludging of God If once this trueth of God could sinke in mens harts for all the world they would not quenche this Spirit and defyle this temple of God Alas the blindnesse of men vvho knovves not vvhat estate they stand in for vvant of sight and attention for want of regarding of the trueth we go to Hell And if euer thing was to be deplored in this world this is to be deplored that the Spirit of God is abused when he commes to sanctifie men and wemen he gets villanie and wrong done to him they wold pollute him when he commes to sanctify them Indeed he is disludged of his ludging These murtherers takes him by violence as it were and with their hands puts him out of their hart by the shoulders God keepe vs from the sin against the holy Ghost Goe thou on this way ay conteâ—ning the Spirit thou shalt enter in this sin vvhich shall neuer be for giuen thee in this life nor in the lyfe to come Now to speake of the way how we may know that we haue this Spirit These things cannot be told by words thou must go to experience and there is none of you that hes had a taste of the sweetnesse of the Spirit but ye will feill him dwell in you if ye haue him thou wilt knowe him aswell as euer thou knew any guest that ludged with thee for he brings with him such a faire light such a lyfe and joy c. that thou may easily know him He commes in joy in prayer in thanks-giuing thou wilt knowe him in these but thou wilt finde him in experience if thou growest in his seruice to honour and reuerence him as he dwels in thee To treat him as thou wouldst treat a honorable man that ludges with thee he will dwell with thee but if thou be â—â—uggish in these things thou wilt finde he will draw himselfe to a nuke of thy soule as it were for a tyme thou wilt find him cease from his working of regeneration within thee if thou cease to enterteine him by praier godlines in hart holy speaches in the mouth holy actions in the hand he will ly closse within thee for a time and do nothing And then if the man be godly he will be â—ad and sory For no ioy in the godly but when he feeles the Spirit within him Now if when he is not well 〈◊〉 he depart How much more when we striue as it were to poyson him when we bring vp euill motions in spite of him when we fall out in euill language in mouth euill deeds in the hand shall he withdraw himselfe and depart so that we will finde no sense of joy When a man failes to harlotrie he smores the Spirit As for exemple Dauid if euer man felt the Spirit of Iesus in him he felt him yet when he fell to adulterie and murther the spirit lay so closse in him that he found him not Then he wakens and sayes I haue bene sleeping I find not the joy that I was wont and so he saies Restore to me thy spirit again Psa 51. verse 12. Would he haue said restore except he had found the Spirit of God which he had before withdrawen in working within him What shall I say No joy nor rest without this Spirit be enterteinde within vs. The Lord giue vs grace to enterteine him in soule and bodie in holy speaches thoughts and deeds To this Lord be glorie and