any businesse of the calling generall or speciall and sanctifying every thing by the Word and Prayer Christ could not pollute any thing and yet did thus A good motive to thee for performing this duty 4. In fervent zeale to his Fathers house which even consumed him Hee was daily in the Temple reading praying preaching conferring confirming reforming If hee withdrew from his Parents who had lost him there you might finde him Herein should Christians imitate his piety in a burning zeale to Gods glory How zealous was Phinehas for God! How was Pauls spirit troubled within him Acts 17. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word signifies he was almost besides himselfe to see the Idolatry of the Athenians Alas where is our zeale wee are generally key-cold as Gallio was in Gods causes Christ his zeale was inflamed for the reformation of his Fathers house but much of our zeale is against zeale and reformation And such was his zeale that whatsoever hee saw it affected him deeply either with griefe if evill or joy if well done or pity and compassion in the misery of others Wherever hee was he was well-doing in the City and publike places hee was teaching and instructing in solitary desolate places hee was praying meditating preparing himselfe or enduring temptation in porches and high-wayes he was curing healing helping He went about doing good Acts 10. 38. Our zeale also to Gods glory should move us to watch and take all occasions of doing good of promoting Gods glory furthering mans good and fitting our owne reckoning 5. In his faith and confidence His whole life was an obedience of faith his death likewise an obedience of faith In that dreadfull desertion of his Father that we had deserved he cryed My God my God hee could trust in his Father killing him Herein a rare patterne of imitation in all deeps by faith to give the Lord the honour of salvation and leane upon his love and promise Thus of the piety of our Lord. His charity and love of man shined likewise many wayes 1. In his humility meeknesse patience and gentlenesse beyond all example For first being in the forme of God and equall to his Father yet he came to serve and not to be served So lowly that he disdained not to wash his Disciples feet even Judasses John 13. and hee will have every one look on this glasse If I have washed your feet you must wash one anothers feet that is stoup to the lowest services one of another and Learne of me for I am lowly and meeke Mat. 11. 29. and Phil. 2. 5. Let the same minde be in you which was also in Christ Jesus But alas we strive to go one before another in pride and taking honour because the minde of Christ is not in us Secondly so patient was hee that when hee could have revenged his enemies who came to apprehend him hee strucke them all to the ground with a word but let them rise againe Hee hurt none of them but cured Malchus his eare whom Peter had hurt Hee delivered himselfe into their hands He blessed them that cursed him and prayed on the crosse for his tormentors All to teach Christians to moderate their anger to suffer wrong to offer none to return good for evill blessing for cursing as being heires of blessing 1 Pet. 3. 18. 2. In his beneficence goodnes to every one Hee healed all diseases dispossessed Divels raised the dead gave to his enemies food to eate health to their bodies salvation to their soules So must every Christian do good to all especially to the houshold of faith Gal. 6. 10. yea doe good to enemies and ill deserving thus either winning them or heaping coales on their heads 3. In that hee was an admirable patterne of civill righteousnes in word and deed Never was guile found in his lips or hands no nor ever in the thoughts or desires of his heart did hee detaine any mans right but gave every man his due and taught others so to do To his Parents obedience to the Magistrate subjection to Caesar hee payd tribute for himselfe and his Hee never impaired the estate or good name of any man Thus must Christians give to every one his owne in word and deed honour to whom honour tribute to whom tribute pertaineth and dispensing to every one all offices of justice and love Labouring to live though not without sin yet without just blame out of the testimony of a good conscience able to challenge the Adversary which of you can accuse mee though I can easily accuse my selfe but whose Oxe or Asse have I taken that I may recompence him 4. In that hee never transgressed the rule of love but left a transcendent patterne of it in laying down his life for his enemies Never was there such a copy And this for our imitation who must walke in love as hee loved us Ephes. 5. 2. and 1 John 3. 16. If he layd downe his life for us we ought also one for another Quest. Doth Christs example bind us to dye for our brethren Answ. Yes not onely that Scripture proveth it but the example of Moses Exod. 32. 32. and Paul Rom. 9. 3. and chapt 16. 4. Priscilla and Aquila laid downe their neckes for Pauls life The reason is this The member of the naturall body will save a fellow-member with the losse of it selfe as the hand will save the head though it bee stricken off for it So in the mysticall body the Church The rules these 1. Christians must ayme at such sincerity in love as to bee willing to give their lives 1. for God 2. for his image and stand in a readinesse to undergoe any danger for GOD and his image sake for love seekes not her owne 2. Wee must intend the salvation of our brethren before our owne lives for their soules are better than our lives so did Christ and so did the Apostle Paul 2 Cor. 12. 15. I would most gladly bee bestowed for your soules 3. Not rashly and without calling for Christ died not for us till he was called to it Which when we have we must part with our lives even for their bodies much more for their soules Thus of the matter wherein we must follow Christ. Next of the manner of following him Object How can wee follow Christ seeing he is in heaven and we on earth Answ. Not having his bodily presence on earth wee cannot make any pilgrimage to follow him with the feet of our body but 1. Wee must follow him in faith move after him with the feet of faith which to do know that faith hath a threefold worke in this businesse First it causeth us to know acknowledge our Captaine and the way wherein hee is gone before us for it tels the Christian that he being now set into Christ and become a member of him If hee now live hee must live unto him If he dye
ours to live well and honestly in the world Answ. God hath enjoyned man to labour and consequently permitteth him the reward of it for the sustaining and upholding of himselfe and his family Againe there is an honest care for the family which is part of a mans calling enjoyned by the Apostle if any man provide not for his family hee is worse than an Infidell 1 Tim. 5. 8. But the thing condemned is the seeking of the world 1. Out of order 2. Out of measure 1. The former when we seek it in the first place as that which wee can worst want when the unbeleeving heart saith in it selfe secretly I must attaine this and that profit and pitch of estate I must compasse such and such a project and then I will become religious and devout contrary to our Saviours counsell Matthew 6. 33. First seeke the Kingdome of God 2. Out of measure both seeking more than is sufficient and with more care and affection than is warrantable when for the matter nothing is sufficient for their desire but they are as the grave and Horse-leach and say ever Give give Eccl. 5. 9. he that loveth silver shall not bee satisfied with it And for the manner their care is immoderate cutting distracting the heart engrossing the thoughts and desires from better things extinguishing faith consuming the time deadning prayers cutting off testimonies of love resolving to part with nothing for Christ and to suffer lesse for him if it were possible and in a word not knowing any moderation Object But then we are in good case and none of us so bad Ans. It is hard to find a man not entangled for wealth or by wealth and the lesse the danger is seen the more it is All which may lead us into our selves to take notice of our pronenesse and propensity to this sin which no man willingly confesseth and those that are deepest in it and swarm with all sorts of evils flowing from it doe least discern it in themselves For why 1. The Apostle 1 Thess. 2. 5. calleth it coloured covetousnesse it maskes and hides it self by many subtle evasions 2. It is an inward sin lurking in the spirit of a man 3. The dust of earthlinesse putteth out the eye of the minde or at least darkneth the understanding that it doth not easily discerne it Yet Must we be convinced of it in our selves and of our danger by it for first while we have more care for earth than heaven secondly while wee more joy and trust the meanes than Gods promises or providence thirdly while we can compasse our gain by fraud of speech or deed fourthly while we are remisse in meanes of salvation for love of the world fiftly while wee are distracted and discontented with the things we have All the world may see our conversation is not without covetousnesse and where is he that can say his heart is cleane Let us therefore bewaile our selves who thrust our selves into such dangers by so base a vice as should bee found in none but Heathens Infidels Also it may moderate our delights in these outward things We think our selves happy beloved of God when wee prosper in the world We rejoyce in our wealth in-comes and beare up our head aloft because wee have gotten more than many others But may not many see in their wealth how they have endangered hazzarded their souls How many do highly conceit of themselves are well conceited of by others because they are rich but if either themselves or others should see how farre off salvation they are by means of their riches they would soon change their note and minde And why may they not see this Is not the Word a dead letter to them or choaked in them Is not Christ kept out his Spirit beaten out by the god of the world Are not religious duties laid aside they so much the more forgetfull of God as he is more bountifull toward them Is there not as much crop of the seed sowne in a thicket or a thorne hedge as of fruits of grace from them Likewise it may moderate our sorrows in afflictions in losses in the bitter suffrings here below seeing thereby the Lord weaneth us from the world and from the love of those things which are so dangerous to our selves Well we may as children cry when the father takes away a knife from them but it is our safety to want what may hurt us so much Lastly let it moderate our desires to use the world weinedly even as the Mariner the sea he cannot leave the sea only he must avoid the rockes and dangers Quest. How Answ. By foure rules 1. Labour to descry those rockes note the fearfull attendants of this sinne how easily it swalloweth unlawfull things what mischiefes usher it and are perpetrated for mony the poore shall be sold for shooes their faces ground justice perverted little and false measures great and unjust prices Balaam will curse Gehazi will bribe Demetrius will cry downe Paul for his Images Judas for a little mony will sell his Master and Christians will deny their profession for a vile price here is Mammon of iniquity the next odious name to the Divell himselfe 2. Consider the distance of that we desire and that we hazzard for it in the vanity of this life and the eternity of that wee expect in the basenesse of earth which we covet made to tread under our feet and the precious soule of man which is from heaven and hath no earth in it Nay God hath made the body of man upright and his face lifted up from the earth that hee might conceive how high his soule should be elevated from it And why should he take that into his heart which the Lord hath cast under his feet 3. Labour to esteeme of the world as Israel of Manna and that wealth is but for the day and if this dayes gathering or labour will serve this daies food so shall to morrowes labour supply for to morrowes meate Esteem it a moveable but God is the portion Esteem it a meanes but man lives not by bread onely Mat. 4. 4. God is our life and the maintainer of it Why then doest thou not cast over thy care to him and confine it to the day Hee gave thee thy body will hee not give rayment also Hee gave his Sonne for thy soule will hee then deny food for the body He made the mouth and will he not give meat Doest thou trust him for the salvation of thy soule and not for the provision of thy body for heaven and not for earth 4. Pray to finde the extreme need of Christ and his righteousnesse and that all other things are but conditionally necessary Pray that GOD would incline thine heart to his testimonies that it may be so much the more drawn from covetous cares which are
preserve our life by thus casting it away A man that will save his seed not cast it away into the grrund loseth it by such saving but if hee sowe it he reneweth it multiplies it somtime an hundred fold So to lose thy self for Christ is to save thy selfe and to reap an hundred fold for it is but sowne to spring out unto the eternall harvest Ever remember that the right love of a mans self is in and for Christ. Ob. You speake of nothing but hindrance loss as if a Christian may not have riches friends life and comforts of it Ans. 1. Yes he may have them must save them but not in Christs cause when hee is called from them 2. Divorce not the parts of the text as there is losse in the text so there is a greater gain by it as the harvest makes him a gainer who in seed-time seemed a loser Ob. But that is a long day we would have something in hand Answ. So thou hast in hand an hundred not for ten but for one in this life with persecution Mar. 10. 30. for thy father forsaken thou hast God to thy father for thy mother Gods Church for thy goods Gods rich graces for thy friends lost the favour of God of his Angels and all Saints for thy trouble without peace of conscience within for thy lands the deeds assurances of an heavenly inheritance and for thy life temporall life eternall Wouldst thou have more in hand Ob. Oh but this is a very hard thing to rowe thus against the streame and do as no body doth Ans. Indeed few enter into this narrow way but it is good going to heaven although without company And yet thou wantest no good company but hast the Prophets Apostles Martyrs and Christ himselfe before thee who also suffereth and smarteth in all the sorrowes of the Saints Object But is it not hard to be counted die for an hereticke Ans. Not of hereticks Christ was counted no lesse for thee Ob. But I have wife children and friends depending on me Ans. The case indeed is heavie as Christ implied saying Wo be to them that give suck in those dayes but 1. thou art a saver if thou savest nothing but Christ thou lovest well enough if in case of confession thou lovest nothing but Christ 2. cast thy care on the Lord who is wont to save his against all appearance And speake not one word for them that depend on thee and two for thy selfe Ob. But it may be I have a flock which will be scattered Ans. But thy bloud shed for the truth which thou hast preached preacheth with much more fruit and furtherance of the Gospel than all thy life and labours as in Abel Stephen and the Martyrs whose bloud yet speaketh Let all of us therfore who are pressed under this banner of Christs holy profession resolve to do our Master saithfull service even to the death and strive to beleeve the words of our Lord that to lose the life in this cause is to winne it in everlasting glory Object But the dayes thankes bee to God are peaceable and there is no great need nor use of this doctrine Answ. Yet 1. a wise Pilot will in peace provide for a storme 2. Wee know not how soon wee may have use of it one powder-blow from under-ground may shake all our foundations Little did the Christians in King Edwards daies thinke of such a suddaine change as Queene Mary brought in 3. Never were Gods people neerer danger than when they thought themselves furthest off and cried Peace peace 4. No Christian is well furnished but hee that in peace hath attained a ready disposition to lay down his life at any warning for the Name of Christ. Object But who would not give his life for Christ all say they are ready Answ. Yet first if times should change would they indeed who now in daies of protection are ashamed of the Gospel of Christ would they stick to Christ crowned with thornes who when hee weares a golden Crowne thinke it good policie not to bee seene with him Secondly is it to bring mens lives in their hands to Christ and his profession to shrinke now for feare at the name of a Professor and bee ready to faint to heare a damosell say Surely thou art one of them Thirdly would they suffer for the profession that now scoffe scorne at Professors under reproachful titles that now are persecutors themselves goe as far in persecuting as they can and the lawes wil suffer No no those that now robbe them of their good names while the Gospel is publikely professed protected would easily bereave them of their lives if times would afford them lawes and liberty So as the great part of the world is not resolved of this truth that to lose the life for Christ is to save it and those that now deny him in the peace of the Gospel are farre from dying with him in the triall Now because this is a building which requireth great fore-cast and is above naturall strength we had need furnish our selves with all the helpes to set it forward and fit our selves well to the obedience of so difficult a commandement Quest. What are they Ans. 1. Begin with God presume not of thine owne strength as Peter It is a worke of sound conversion and of mighty power by that Spirit of fortitude by which of weake wee become strong And therefore wee must pray earnestly that hee would please to stablish us unto this triall strengthen us with all patience long-suffering and joyfulnesse Col. 1. 10. For none have more cowardly lost the field than such as have most boasted of their valour and strength at home Pray also for that eye-salve which may let thee behold the glory of Christ and thine eternall felicity hid with him this wil make thee forget thy self as the Disciples did at Christs Transfiguration long after him and indeed a little taste of his glory wil make us valiant to take the Kingdome by force as himselfe did for the glory that was before him 2. Then take thy selfe in hand and strive daily in thine owne mortification and deniall of thy selfe beware of self-love love not the world nor the things in it account not of riches wealth above their worth If thy life bee too deare to thee or the world swell in thine eye or if thou mindest earthly things or settest too fast a hand on any thing wert thou never so wise learned civil nay didst thou follow Christ at heeles wert able to worke miracles and cast out Divels yet at length thou wouldst play false prove an Apostate as Judas and Demas who forsook the truth to embrace the present world 3. Get sound judgement in matters of Faith firmly and distinctly to beleeve the truth of Religion for this must be the ground of undaunted profession 2 Cor. 4. 13. I beleeved and
application the doctrine may bee brought home to every mans heart and the heart may bee taught in wisdome It is the life excellency of preaching to be an able Minister of the Spirit by the shril trumpet of the Word to awaken the drowsie consciences and set mens sins in order before them And otherwise let a man teach generally without application long hee shall teach and his people remaine untaught the bellowes shall be burnt in the fire but the drosse remain still A garment fitted for all bodies is fit for no body and so is it with doctrine Or as a loafe of bread set among the children but none can they get cut and given them Which teacheth people how to esteem of such Preachers as labour in application and hold the glasse of the Law before mens faces to see their spots namely not as the world doth troublers of Israel or spy-faults or invective Preachers nor as our Libertines hold them Legall Preachers No but Ministers of Gods rich mercy whose wonderful favour it is to send us a Nathan that will say Thou art the man This hast thou done Were not the Disciples of Christ Preachers of mercy and the best Evangelicall Preachers yet what sharp points had their doctrine to pricke and pierce the hearts of men to make them cry out Men and brethren what shall we doe to be saved Act. 2. 37. Be also contrary to the practice of the world who most distaste that word which comes neerest to the conscience and neerest the bad customes and fashions of times and persons Whereas indeed a good heart honours the Word for nothing more than discovering the thoughts secret speeches and practices in nothing more can it be like to God an Idiot an Infidell now can acknowledge it to bee the Lords 1 Cor. 14. 24. 25. God is in you of 〈◊〉 truth What difference between Gods word and mans if it should not reach the conscience Where were the Spirit in it if it should not discerne the spirits and divide between the marrow and the bone Lastly it discovers the practice of wicked men who shrink more at the curse than at their sin and when they cannot blame or deny what is said then to flie upon the Preachers purpose and affection So ranking themselves among those wicked ones who rebuke the Priest Hos. 4. 4. Such a one wil not appeare an Atheist therefore will approve the doctrine but he remaines an hypocrite enemy therefore reviles the person and in effect rejects the doctrine This of the first note 2. In the manner note another point of wisdome namely in matters of much importance as is the losing of the soule or else of great danger as is the winning of the world to use more than ordinary vehemency The wisdome of God speakes not of tything Mint and Cummin as of the weighty points of the Law Neither hath every Verse in the Bible a verely or a behold in the beginning or a Selah in the end But in matters of greater intention or excitation some star is held over them that he who reades may consider Our Lord expressing such vehemency here shewes it the greatest matter in the world the gaining of heaven and saving of the soule And that the greatest danger in the world is the gaining of the world by the losing of the soule Can a man grapple thornes together and not feare pricking Can a man walk on snares safely and such is the gain of the world Mat. 13. 22. and 1 Tim. 6. 10. And therefore as the end of the whole Ministery is to draw men from earth to heaven so if in any argument we the Ministers could be more earnest perswasive we had need lay weight upon this as in this our Precedent in haling men from the gaine of the world to the gain of themselves from the care of the body to the care of their soules and from the eager pursuit of all false profits to the purchase of the best and surest commodity which shall eternally enrich them to life everlasting 3. Our Saviour in the manner teacheth how naturally wee are all of us inclined to the world to seek it with all greedinesse and so have need of many and strong back-byasses In that this care is implied here to be 1. the first care of a naturall man because it is of a sensible profit benefit 2. the most vehement care in that a naturall man sets his soule light for it 3. the most insatiable in that a man would gaine if it were possible the whole world for hee that sets his heart on silver cannot be satisfied Eccles. 5. 9. And this unmortified desire for the unsatiablenesse of it is compared to the Hors-leach which is never full till he burst Neither indeed can the round world if a man had it all fill the corners of a covetous mans heart Ob. Oh but many naturall men have despised the world Some Philosophers have cast away riches and this some orders of Papists professe and therefore every man is not naturally carried after the world Answ. I answer 1. It was not hard for many to despise riches when they saw they could not attaine them 2. Some by common grace above nature are repressed and restrained for many such common gifts are bestowed on wicked men for the common good of mankinde and upholding of humane society and otherwise every man would bee a wolfe and devourer 3. The vow of voluntary poverty in hope of merit is blasphemous a fruit of pride a grosse hypocrisie and nothing lesse than poverty indeed Well said one The purse is easier left than the will and if you will you may hold it and yet leave it Every covetous man then is a naturall man where covetousnesse reigns and commands there nature swayes and they are not only under this but all their sins A covetous man a godly man are incompatible no more than a man can be in heaven and earth at one time Findest thou thy heart bowed downward and fixed on earth with full desires never deceive thy selfe with profession of religion or godlinesse for religion entertained as well as professed 1. would shew thee better things 2. affect thee with them as with thine owne 3. order unquiet and unsatiable desires True contentment with food raiment if God give no more is the daughter of godlines 4. It would make thee and all thy wealth servants of grace employed for God and thought best saved when well laid out Consider and deceive not thy selfe Againe even professors of Religion and those that in part are gotten out of the world must espy flesh and nature still at worke and returning upon them in this behalfe It is a common and too just an imputation on many who make their profession heare ill their Religion doubted of that they binde up their hands from doing good from furthering their own reckoning yet all this
while professe a farre degree in mortification when for any thing a man can see there is little difference between them and worldlings you may observe them in their trading and calling as intent as untrusty as griping as ordinary in the mysteries and crafts of their trade as the ordinary worldling Move them to pious or charitable duties you finde many of them as barren as grudging as penurious you would thinke you had a flint in hand to fetch out water Pence are pull'd from them as their joynts and silver out of their purses as bloud out of their veins Here is a faint profession of godlines but the life the power the spirits are oppressed May we not say now their riches cares are thorns to them Oh that we were wise to discern how these thorns supplant and unroot the Word while they root themselvs undermine the counsels exhortations of it how they draw away this moisture that should preserve the growth and greennesse of Christians and keep the comfortable heat and shine of the Sunne of grace from us as thorns do Oh see and bewaile the curse of our sin that our earthly hearts should bring forth thorns and thistles to the choaking of the seed of grace and then be ever cropping or unrooting them This of the maner of propounding these truths The matter affordeth sundry instructions 1. The more a man is addicted to gaine the world the greater is the danger of losing his soule They that will be rich fall into many temptations and snares 1 Tim. 6. 9. and surely hee that walketh on snares and on many snares walketh not the safest Ecclus. 5. 12. Solomon observed an evill sicknesse under the Sun riches reserved to the hurt of the owner Pro. 1. 17. In vaine is the net laid before the bird for she is so greedy of the bait that shee forgets the danger and loseth her life So is every one that is greedy of gaine which takes away the life of the owners thereof as in our New Translation Yea so strong a snare the Divell thought this that he assaulted Christ himselfe with it and kept it for his last most violent on-sett if all other should faile him All these will I give thee Matth. 4. 9. and when this would not worke hee departed hopelesse And what else doth our Lord affirme in saying How hard is it for a rich man to be saved For first the gain of the world commonly estrangeth the heart from God from heaven from thoughts and desires of it The love of the world is an Idolatry and spirituall Adultery whereby the heart goeth a whoring from God and as the adulterer gives the strength of his body to a stranger so the worldling gives the strength and confidence of his soule to a strange god the god of the world saith to the wedge Thou art my confidence Job 31. 21. As the Idolater sacrificeth to his Idoll so the worldling is the Priest that sacrificeth to the world and Mammon And as the Idolater serves his Idoll worships it so the lover of gain bestowes his love affection service honour and time upon the world to get or increase it and thinkes all the time set apart to Gods service exceeding tedious and burdensome And is not the Idolater in danger of perdition or else an Adulterer Secondly desire to be rich and gaine the world stuffeth the soule with a thousand damnable lusts every one able to sinke it to hell This one sin brings in a band and army of wickednesses swels the heart with pride deads it with security begets a licentiousnesse and boldnesse in sinning fils the hands with wickednesse robbery the mouth with oaths curses lyes against God and conscience the house with bribes and riches of iniquity the belly with bread of deceit usury and oppression In one word it is a fruitfull root of all evill 1 Tim. 6. 10. and a covetous person is a most vicious person no sin will he forbear that may bring him in gain he is a fit anvile for the Divell to forge hammer out any mischievous device upon as in the examples of Ahab Balaam Judas Demas all carried in the violent stream of this sin to hainous acts against their consciences And doth not so cursed a root endanger the soule Thirdly desire of gaine threatens danger and singular detriment to the soul because it brings it almost to an impossibility of repentance and solvation Matth. 19. 20. It is easier for a Camell to passe through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to be saved the reason is because it commonly frustrates the meanes of repentance and salvation Our Saviour noteth it in those two Parables Mat. 13. that all the seed cast among thornes of worldly cares is choaked the thorns hinder the sun-beames from shining on the blade and stalke and unroot it within And what was it else that kept men from the supper of the great King but buying of oxen marrying of wives and other worldly occasions What pulled good Martha from the feet of Christ and from hearing his gracious words but distractions about many things which made her forget the one thing necessary Doth not our experience shew us that of all other men worldlings who are in their thousands and ten thousands are most dull and uncapable persons in spirituall things Call them to workes of justice piety mercy neighbourhood to uphold the worship of God to exercise bounty and beneficence wee speake to deafe men and shall as soon persw ade the pillars they sit by If they come to Church and heare and get a little understanding and be convinced and prick't a little the cares of the world choake all presently and their covetousnesse suffers them not to profit by any preaching as the Prophets Ezek. 33. 31. Of all men the bitterest enemies and scorners of their teachers are covetous men If Christ himselfe should come and teach them they would scorne him These things heard the Pharisees and mocked him for they were covetous Luke 16. 14. they pretended other things against Christ but it was their covetousnesse that kept alive their malice Fourthly as it keeps ouâ— grace in all the meanes of it so it eates out casteth it out of the heart as the lean Kine ate up the fat and were leane and ill-favoured still How many Apostates and Revolters confirme this truth who in their lower estate could reade pray keep the Sabbaths and their private watches with God could instruct their families and use diligence in good waies meanes but now resemble the Moone which never suffereth eclipse but at her full and that is by the earths interposition between the Sunne and her selfe Better had it been that these had never seen penny of their wealth than to have exchanged such things for it And is not the soule now in danger Quest. Is it not then lawfull to labour for riches for our selves and
opposed to all Gods commandements Psal. 119. 36. Pray for wisdome to conceive thy selfe a stranger and pilgrime here so to intend principally thy departure hence for ere long gather as fast and as dangerously as thou canst the poorest mans Omer shall be as full as thine So of the former point of instruction 2. Many Christians do not only endanger but even lose their soules for the world so our Saviviour implyeth Numbers of men to winne the world do lose their soules And though a man would thinke that no man were or could be so mad as to part with his soule on such base termes yet millions of men exchange heaven for earth and barter away their soules not for the whole world but for an handfull of earth As for example 1. He that loseth Christ loseth his soule But for the winning of the world many lose and forgoe Christ. The yong man left Christ because hee had great possessions Mat. 19. 22. Many of the Jewes heard Christ knew him and beleeved in him but durst not confesse him for that they feared to be losers in the world Joh. 12. 42 43. And thus doe all they who being convinced in themselves and having some good affections joyned to illumination yet give the day to the world and the night to Christ. Great and rich men dare not be seene in the profession when poore fisher-men come by day they dare not come by night 2. Hee loseth Christ for the world that giveth priority to the world above Christ as the Gadeâ—ens preferred their hogges before the presence of Christ and as Esau preferred the broth before the blessing He onely hath wonne Christ that esteemes all things as drosse and dung in com parison of Christ Phil. 3. 7 8. The wise Merchant that found the pearle lost all to buy it The Disciples left all for Christ. But easily may we see how millions of men undervalue Christ in comparison of the world for First what is the chiefe labour studie time costs and paines of men employed upon is it not for the food that perisheth and profits of the world in the meane time the labour for that durable food and the Manna that came downe from heaven is either none or formall sleight seldome Secondly how are the affections of men generally bent is Christ their chife joy or treasure hath Shee gained their thoughts delight they in his love more than in life Or see we not the multitude preferre the world before their chiefe joy set their hearts upon it doat upon it their thoughts runne first and last and all day long after it with unwearied delight and comfort when in the meane time they banish thoughts of Christ of their treasure portion and country in heaven How doe most men feare the losse of the world more than the losse of Gods favour their soules and salvation How doe they more grieve and sorrow in a trifling losse of the world than when by sinne Gods favour and the grace of Christ is forfeited Thirdly how do the speeches of men bewray them to bee worldlings and if the speech be according to the abundance of the heart Christ hath small roome there Esa. 32. 6. the niggard speaks of niggardlinesse and 1 Joh. 4. 5. They speake of the world and the world heareth them But how long should a man watch in vaine for a â—avorie word concerning Christ or the salvation of their soules or speake to them the language of Canaan it is Hebrew or thrust in a savory speech of God his word or grace how strange and unwelcome is it their pennes tell us that their hearts indite no good matter Is not this to undervalue Christ in comparison of the world or is this to be a pilgrim or to possesse or rather to bee wholly possessed of the word Object There is no man whose ordinary theme is not more of the world than of GOD or Christ and will you therefore conclude that there is no man but loves the world better than Christ Answ. 1. Wee are all more carnall than spirituall and therefore our thoughts and speeches will be wandring but wee must not please our selves herein but mortifie and subdue carnall words as well as desires and groane under this corruption for is it not a wofull and wonderfull errour that earth and perishing things should more affect and possesse us than the great things given us of God in Christ Secondly I grant wee have callings and earthly affaires which tye us ordinarily to speak and thinke of such things but the speciall calling of a Christian must bee ever subordinate to the generall and in all earthly businesse a man must carry an heavenly minde God gives no leave to be earthly-minded even while a man is earthly-employed Thirdly the speaking and thinking more of a thing upon necessitie doth not ever argue more love unto it but the speaking and thinking of things out of the valuation of judgement for instance A workeman thinkes more of his tooles and an husbandman speakes more of his husbandrie than of his wife or children because these are the object of his labour but it followes not hee loves them better because he doth not in his judgement esteeme these better Now let a Christian preserve in his judgement a better estimate of Christ and heavenly things and his speeches in things earthly will still preferre that and runne upon it So of the two former proofes Thirdly he loseth his soule for the world that for wealth or by wealth hinders his owne salvation as numbers doe by unlawfull getting the world falling downe before the divell for it wealth is even the divels wages for some sinne committed being either gotten or kept by evill meanes or against good conscience viz. either in the use of an unlawfull calling or by the abuse of a lawfull Of the former sort are such as live by dicing houses filthy houses and the like places of hellish resort which may be rightly called the divells houses of office And those that live by unthriftie gaines by usury magicke making the instruments of pride and sinne or a calling to which they are not fitted as insufficient Ministers who runne but are not sent because they are not gifted God need not send a message by the hand of a foole Of the latter sort are first those that enrich themselves for doing a dutie which they doe not as grosse Non-residents that feed themselves but not the flocke or for doing that they ought not to doe as Lawyers who take reward for pervertings equity and right or perhaps are fee-ed on both sides by one to speake by the other to hold their peace or as good Secondly tradesmen that use false weights measures words wares sophisticall and insufficient as many who rise by cousenage and the craft of their trades by lying or swearing or by trickes in bargaining abuse the simplicitie or necessitie of
But the divine nature of the soule the excellencie of it above the body calls for more care and watchfulnes about it as 1. Abstaine from fleshly lusts which warre against the soule 1 Pet. 2. 11. beware of inward uncleannesse and impuritie the projects of the flesh pleasures of the flesh or pleasing of the flesh which savoureth not the things of God but fighteth against the spirit Rom. 8. 7. and lusteth against it Gal. 5. 17. Once already it hath robbed us of Gods image and our owne happinesse and cannot but serve us so again if we listen unto it 2. Beware of earthly lusts worldly desires and seeking after these transitories which drowne the soule in perdition 1 Tim. 6. 9. How carefull will a man bee of falling into a whirlepit where if good helpe come not in time hee is sure to bee drowned it is the word there used noting a certaine danger of drowning in a well or pit and such a danger as covetous rich men seldome or never get out of 3. Beware of false doctrine errours and heresies against the truth received which are the poyson and plague of the soule A man would not for a world drinke a draught of poyson and a carefull Christian will not willingly drinke-in any poysoned or infected doctrine which is infinitely more deadly to the soule than the other to the body 4. Beware of all sinne but especially of sins against conscience which are called wasting sinnes and of David prevailing sinnes Psal. 19. 13. Presumptuous sins make great gashes in the soule no sword can so gash and cleave the body Who would not avoid a mortall wound from a keene and mortall weapon Every sinne is a mortall wound but these farre more desperate and incurable Againe is the soule so precious then the murder of the soule is the most horrible sinne that can be to destroy the body of a man is to destroy Gods image yet a greater sinne to destroy his soule Ah fearefull sinne of non-residencie which destroyeth so many soules for if vision faile people must perish Prov. 29. 18. The carelesse neglect of so many soules as are under our charge is a fearefull and unregarded sinne Nature teacheth to prevent death and mischiefe from the bodies of all that are within our gates even beasts themselves and shall wee do no more for our brethren and bowells than for our beasts Never a soule thou standest charged withall but if it miscarry by thy default thy life shall goe for his life see 1 King 20. 39. and Ezek. 3. 18. On the other side is the soule so precious then the saving of a soule is one of the best and highest workes of mercy and shall receive the best reward to shine as the starres in the firmament of heaven Dan. 12. 3. How should this stirre up the Ministers to diligence in preaching so to feede and save soules The gaining of one soule is above the gaine of the world Therefore as the Lords nourses be ever laying out your breasts and afford the Lords children his owne provision in the word and sacraments labour to bring them to faith by which they receive the food and pray for the spirit by whose heat it is digested and turned into the nourishment of the soule How should it excite Parents and Masters to tender the precious soules of their children and servants to winne them to God by instruction counsell prayer example every way helping them out of sinne The chiefe love and care should bee set on that which is most precious But great is the sinne of most men who no more regard the soules of their children and servants than if they had no soules at all How should it stirre up able men to set up and hold up the Ministery every where according to their power which is the highest worke of mercie tending to save soules Ordinarily rich men at their death give if any thing to hospitalls or workes of charitie to the poore And these workes of mercy to the bodies of men being fruits of faith are worthy evidences of the power of the Gospell and shall not want their reward Mat. 10. 42. But if any man would runne at the best prize and doe a worke of truest mercie doe it to mens soules provide for their instruction get them food for their soules and the cloathing of Christs righteousnesse this is the better part Luke 10. 42. to shew mercy to the more precious part the saving of one soule is a more happie worke than the provision of a thousand bodies that must bee done and this not neglected More how careful should every one be for his owne soule which is here prized at so deare a rate all other things of price we are charie of for our bodies we are excessively carefull both to free them from annoyance and supply them with abundance of good things how much more would we doe so for our soules if wee prized them above our bodies but generall is the folly of that foole in the Gospell Luke 12. 20. who provided for every thing but his poore soule Consider even in this life the welfare of thy body depends on the good estate of thy soule and if the soule bee well provided for and saved the body is sure to be saved too Remember the promise Exod. 23. 25. If thou cleavest to the Lord hee shall blesse thy bread and thy water and take all sicknesse from the midst of thee And the keeping of the words of wisdome is life to those that finde them and health to their flesh Prov. 4. 22. Hence the godly in death were ever and onely carefull of their soules as Steven Act. 7. 59. Commended his soule into the hands of God and Christ himselfe his spirit into the hands of his Father Luke 23. 46. not mentioning their bodies they knew one cure implyed the other Lastly note the madnesse of men undervaluing their soules and exchanging them for an handfull of earth when indeed the world cannot profit them after this losse Once Adam and all his sonnes exchanged an innocent estate for a sinfull abd miserable and so it is still And with the prodigall sonne wee forgoe willingly our fathers favour for harlots and harlotrie our fathers house for a strange country our fathers bread for huskes What an extreme folly this is appeareth thus lay a man the wealth of a Kingdome a Crowne and all the world in his hand for his life he will not forgoe it at any hand but will readily say what will all this doe mee good when I am dead hee is wise to esteeme his life at an higher rate than the whole world because all the world cannot recompence or make up his losse But offer him a morsell of unjust gaine or a slight unlawfull and stolne pleasure for his soule hee makes a present exchange Ah seely man whose soule is so small a moate in thine eye which
a thousand worlds of men and Angels could not redeeme God set it at the highest rate and the divell would give a whole world for one soule but thou countest it not worth any thing Hell shall be filled with soules at a cheaper rate than one soule can get to heaven by So of the first meditation The second is this For a lost soule there is no remedy nor recompence all the world cannot redeem a lost soule for a soule not yet quite lost may be a recompence by the blood of Christ but for a soule lost is no remedie nor ransome no not in Christ himselfe To conceive this consider 1 What is the estate of a lost soule 2 What it is that being once lost makes it irrecoverable 3 The worthlesnes and impotencie of all earthly things to help it For the first of these see what goeth to the losse of a soule 1. There is the losse of Gods favour fellowship and presence whose favour and presence is better than life for with him is the Well of life And not that onely but the soule is thrust under Gods most heavie displeasure and his hot wrath which is a consuming fire 2. The losse of Jesus Christ and all the benefits of his redemption and so the soule is cut off from remission of sinne to which onely belongeth blessednes from imputation of righteousnes which only entitleth to life from the dignitie of adoption to which only belongs the inheritance from the benefit of Christs intercession that hee will not so much as pray for such Now the soule lying without Christ lyeth under the whole rigour of the Morall Law under the curse and sentence of condemnation and malediction for provoking so high justice and under the power of Satan as a Jaylor holding the sinner unto execution in everlasting chaines 3. The lost soule hath lost the blessed presence of the Spirit of God which is the soule of the soule and as the Sunne to the world so is hee to the Elect for light and comfort There is a losse of the Spirit in all his saving offices his illumination further than to make them unexcusable his consolation and joy having left them to eternall horrour and heavinesse and his assistance of leading them into all truth or raising requests in them Thus wanting the spirit they want all degrees of mortification from first to last in life and death They are layd under the whole power of their vain conversation under all the corruption of the present evil world that they may eternally lye under as much power as guilt of sinne 4. There is the losse of heaven and happinesse and that eternally and not that onely but the sense of horrible torment expressed in Scripture by unquenchable fire which notes them infinitely miserable in the eternitie and durance of most exquisite torments for their worme dyeth not and their fire goeth not out Esa. 66. 24. and they have no rest but the smoake of their fire ascendeth continually Rev. 14. 15. so as they shall seeke death but shall not find it their very being is a punishment Next what is it that makes the soule once lost irrecoverable 1. An invincible wicked and hard heart setled upon sin and sending out all cursed practises of lying swearing despighting grace in the means and bringers crueltie injustice vaine confidence and all manner of sin They that doe such things are shut out of the kingdome of God and of Christ 1. Cor. 69. Gal. 5. 21. For such be wray themselves given up of God to a reprobate minde calling good evill and darknesse light whose consciences are seared against all goads and prickings of the word no counsell or admonition toucheth them nor troubleth them all the threats and menaces of the law are to them as iron-weapons to Behemoth esteemed as straw Here is a man in a lost estate Judas is a lost son of perdition how know you him all the counsels and admonitions of Christ are lost upon him nothing workes upon him for reformation and obstinate Pharaoh will be broken all to pieces before the powerfull ministerie of Moses and Aaron can bend him If we meet with such knottie pieces on whom in vaine wee breake many wedges who if Moses and Aaron were immediately sent with as many miracles as messages or if Christ himselfe in person should perswade with them yet still would remaine obstinate alas what remedie who can save a lost man a man that will not bee saved A man that chuseth death must dye he will not live 2. This also makes the lost soule irrecoverable for that it hath trod under foot the blood of Christ so as there is no more price or sacrifice for his sin Heb. 10. 29. And they doe this saith Ambrose who sin voluntarily without feare not regarding the blood that was shed for them nor fearing Christ the Judge who somtimes shed his blood for their redemption This is to crucifie Christ againe daily to themselves and to put him to death daily who having dyed once can dye no more Slight this blood of Christ and sin against it what can save thee 3. The Spirit of grace in the Ministery hath beene despighted his motions and knockes all rejected himselfe grieved and banished And now that he is driven out with despight hee never comes more let that soule sinke or swim the Spirit of life is gone 4. The day of mercy hath beene despised the season of grace hath beene slipped the doore of grace is now shut a world of teares and sorrow cannot now quench the fire of wrath kindled against the sinnes and soules now the blessing is too late sought with teares teares of horror and despaire a full sea of them cannot wash the guilt of one sin repentance is now unseasonable Time was when Christ called Jerusalem with tears would have gathered her as the hen gathers her chickens but she would not the things of her peace were then hid from her eyes and afterward all her sorrow was too late Next see the worthlesnesse and impotencie of all earthly things to recover a lost soule First in their rankes Whatsoever is in the world is reduced to one of these three heads 1. John 2. 16. Lust of the flesh voluptuousnesse pleasures wherein if there be any excellency the brute beasts led with sensualitie enjoy it above men for they enjoy their appetite without all restraint and checke of reason or religion Lust of the eye desire of wealth riches abundance whereof worst men are greatest gainers and those that have no true treasure abound in these beside the Scripture calls them shadows lyes thicke clay uncertaine and deceivable riches And pride of life honor ambition preferment estimation of men which are so much the more worthlesse because they depend upon other mens breath and opinion beside the whole world is witnesse to the levity and
in the same degree of glory with the head which they are not capable of The King revealeth not every thing to the privle Councell but holds distance from them And to say they must needs see every thing in him as in a glasse because they see him that seeth every thing it is vaine and failes even in a corruptible creature for hee that sees the Sunne doth not see by that sight all that the Sunne by his beames beholdeth Others thinke the day uncertaine but the houre of an uncertaine day certaine namely that Christ will come the same houre to judge that hee rose againe in as Rabanus and Lactantius But with as little reason if I should say he may come the same houre that he ascended or shall come to judge at the same houre that hee was judged of men I shall speake as probably yet I know not no more do they Of the same strength is their conceit who say hee must come in the night because he shall come as a theefe in the night and because the Egyptians were destroyed at midnight Yet know they not whether the Master will come at midnight or in the morning watch and forget it is called the day of the Lord. The conclusion is Secret things belong to the Lord but things revealed to us and our children for ever Deut. 29. 29. Now if Christ must come from heaven then hee is now in heaven and his body not every where as Ubiquitaries teach nor yet substantiall under the formes of bread and wine as Papists That which is every where cannot come from one place to another And Christ comes not in bodily presence from heaven but visibly whether we consider his first comming or his second As for any other invisible presence of his body such as they say is in the Sacrament the Scripture knowes none And whereas they flie to a miracle let them give us instance of a miracle in the Scripture which was not visible and whereof the senses might not be judges This also serves to terrifie wicked men from sin Christ comes from heaven to revenge sin and sinners and comming from heaven to doe it it shall be done to purpose If a man were to come out of some corner of the earth with an hand of revenge the danger were the lesse and the feare not so great But the mighty God comes from heaven to doe it c. Great men may stand upon their power and priviledges and often by wealth and friends make their partie good against earthly revenge but when Christ shall shew himselfe from heaven the great worke of Gods justice shall be done to purpose And if Christ come from heaven we must look for him thence yea and long for him Phil. 3. â—0 Our conversation is in heaven from whence also we looke for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ. The bride saith Come and the Saints are described to be such as looke for his appearing A loving wife cannot but looke for and long for the returne of her husband from a farre countrie A carefull servant will looke after his Master through the casements and expecting his returne will make all things readie If the bridegroome be comming let the bride decke her selfe as Rebecca espying Isaac a farre off As Joshua exhorted Israel chap. 3. 5. be sanctified for to morrow the Lord will worke wonderfull things and lead you through Jordan into the land of Canaan so our Joshua commands us to bee sanctified because the Lord in that day from heaven will doe wonders in leading us to heavenly Canaan Lastly if Christ be comming from heaven meet him in the way 1. Meet him in his Ordinances as the ancient Beleevers who waited for his comming in the flesh were ever found in the Temple A loving spouse will enjoy her husband as much as shee can in his long absence if she can heare of him or receive a letter from him or a token she is glad she hath something of him yea her love will make her meet him afarre off as farre as she can see him as the father of the prodigall and as Jepâ—haes daughter did And if thou longest for him indeed thou wilt enjoy him on earth as much as thou canst in his word which is his letters in his graces which are his pawnes and pledges c. 2. Meet him with thy affections prayers and wishes after him send thy prayers and holy requests daily as presents unto him 3. Meet him in heavenly conversation He commeth from heaven the first and second time to draw thee thither and shall hee not by all this paines gaine thy heart affection and conversation from earthlinesse to heavenly-mindednesse Begin heavenly life here First spend thy life in cheerfull praises keepe a perpetuall Sabbath Secondly enjoy God above all means and in all means hee is all now as well as hereafter Thirdly walke by the Charter of heaven the law of righteousnesse must be the rule of all and weights to weigh all in and out Fourthly wait still for further perfection of glorie stay not in first fruits In the glory of his Father Here is the manner of Christs second comming wherein it is opposed to the first there he covered and vailed his glory but now he will reveale and display it above the shining of a world of Sunnes Where consider three things and then the Uses 1. Why he calleth it the glory of his Father 2. Whether it be not his owne glory 3. Wherein this glory confisteth For the first of these Christ calleth it the glory of his Father 1. Because it is a most divine glory agreeing to none but the Father and himselfe with the blessed Spirit 2. Because the Father is the fountaine as of the deitie so also of this divine glory wherewith he hath crowned his Sonne Thence hee is called the Father of glory Eph. 1. 17. and the God of glory Act. 7. 2. the King of glory Psal. 24. 7. And Christ is said to bee taken up into glory 1 Tim. 3. 16. namely by his Father for we must conceive God not onely glorious by his nature in himselfe but the fountaine also of all that glorious life and motion which is communicated with any of his creatures 3. Because as all glory is from him so all is due unto him whom therefore his Sonne glorified and wee ought also to glorifie But was not this glory Christs owne in which he shall appeare Answ. Yes for consider him as the Sonne of God he was of equall glory with his Father in all eternitie Joh. 17. 5. Glorifie me with thine owne selfe with the glory which I had with thee before the world was And his incarnation abated nothing of that glory And consider him as the son of man and mediator 1. hee is worthy of all glory by the desert and merit of obedience Rev. 4. 11. insomuch that hee pleadeth with his
but then it shall have a lowd voice Blood shall crie and the voice of it ring betweene heaven and earth Oppression shall crie usury shall crie the wages of hirelings and labourers shall crie in the owne conscience It cryes now and thy conscience if thou hast any tells thee of thy wickednesse in defrauding Gods servants his Ministers and Christs members of their right but the voice will not bee now heard but then it will be heard and thou shalt heare it and thy gold and silver and the rust of them shall crie against thee and never be still till they have cryed thee downe into the pit as Jam. 5. 3. 4. Sixtly if all other conviction and witnesse should faile there is one more that will bee a sure and infallible witnesse and that is God himselfe Mal. 3. 5. who can abide the day of his comming for behold I will be a swift witnesse against sorcerers adulterers false swearers and all that feare not the Lord. Thus the Judge is gloriously prepared And he shall be as glorious in execution as in preparation For in passing a righteous sentence and irrevocable hee shall shine in surpassing glory both in respect of the wicked godly 1. Upon all the ungodly he shall get himselfe a greater name than ever he did upon Pharaoh when all the wicked Princes and people that ever lived shall be cited and assembled in the twinkling of an eye before his Tribunall and in terrour of his presence shall flie to the hils and mountaines to hide themselves yea when all the powers and gates of hell all wicked angels and men shall be by one word of his cast out and commanded out of presence and confined to their prison never to molest him or his Church any more 2. In respect of the godly hee shall be marvellous at that day 1. to the Saints 2. in the Saints To the Saints when they shall behold him that was betrayed spitted upon crucified pierced dead buried now advanced above all men and Angels and crowned with honour above all that created nature is capable of But in the Saints also hee shall be marvellous 2. Thess. 1. 10. for when Christ who is our life shall appeare we also shall appeare with him in glory Col. 3. 4. First the members shall partake of the glory of the Head that the Head may bee exalted in the glory of the members Secondly the Saints shall admire not only his glory in himselfe but in themselves How admirable will it be to see themselves who were in the world accounted the out-sweepings and driven out of the world with obloquie contempt fire and sword yea who were but even now dust and ashes newly crept out of the grave and rottennesse so suddainly to attaine that fulnes of the glory of Christ in their soules and bodies In their soules such a wonderfull perfection of Gods image such deepe knowledge of the secrets of heaven and earth such conformitie in their wils unto God clothed with such righteousnesse as God in his presence-chamber is delighted to behold And their whole bodies changed and arayed with immortalitie incorruption and made spirituall bodies like the glorious body of Jesus Christ. And the whole man filled with rivers of pleasures at Gods right hand and swallowed up with that happinesse which eye hath not seene nor ever entred into the earth of man This glory have all the Saints in whom the glory of Christ in his appearing is complete Note hence the long-suffering and patience of our Lord Jesus Christ who for his Elects sake is contented so long to be hid and not shew himselfe in his glory till the end of the world nay not only suffers his glory to bee vailed but trampled on by the wicked For 1. Now the heavens are as a curtaine betweene him and us which then shall bee undrawne that all eyes may behold him in a glorious bodily presence as the head of his glorious body 2. He is now out of sight and out of minde not knowne nor beleeved among the wicked who despise his patience because he sheweth not himselfe in terrour 3. Neither is he so beloved or admired of his Saints as hee should while he seemes to shut up and hide himselfe from their miseries and sufferings as one not wel knowing or weighing them And if he did not preserve a grain of faith in their hearts to make things absent to bee present his delayes would quite dishearten them But yet Christ will not alwayes neglect his owne glory nor will ever bee robbed of it a day comes wherein he shall appeare in surpassing glory 1. In himselfe not onely by that externall and accidentall glory of his attendance and most powerfull manner of appearing but by that internall and personall glory whereby hee shall obscure and darken the glory of all creatures A shadow of which Peter and John saw in the mount when his face did shine as the Sunne and his garments were as the light Mat. 17. 3. not as Moses when he came from the mount very glorious so as Israel could not behold his face for that glory was not his owne but his Lords but Christ shall appeare in his owne glory 2. His glory shall shine out unto and in his Saints in manifesting the power of his mercy as never he did before v. c. Raising them from the dead by a word as Lazarus Gathering them to himselfe as the Eagles to a dead body Loosing them eternally from all bands of sin and corruption Investing them in soule and body with his owne glory And glorifying himselfe as never before not as head of the Church but in his whole body for some of his owne glory was wanting till his spouse be perfectly glorified 3. His glory shall shine out to the wicked but not in mercy but majesty not in grace but in the power of his justice He will be glorified on them as on Pharaoh putting forth his power in their finall destruction Againe let this bee a ground of patience and contentednesse if we also be despised if our glory and worth bee hid and appeare not in the world till that day Shall Christ our Lord bee content to be abused and despised now in his glory till that day and shall the servants bee above their Master 1. Looke upon the Lords condition if wee suffer together wee shell raigne together and if Christ cannot expect the crowne before the Crosse no more may wee 2. Looke on thy condition thou art a stranger here among strangers who know not thy birth from heaven nor thy parents they know not God thy father nor his image on thee nor thy mother the Church and spouse of Christ nor thy worth through Christs worthinesse nor thy inheritance and expectation Bee content therefore as a stranger in this strange countrie with strange and course usage onely let it make thee love thy owne countrie so
Secondly to be perhaps witnesses and give evidence against the ungodly of many secret sinnes sure wee are they attend our Congregations 1 Cor. 11. 10. and why not in our private chambers Thirdly to be instruments of Gods vengeance on the wicked Mat. 13. 41 42. the reapers shall gather the tares and cast them into unquenchable fire So of the third 4. Their service and Ministry shall notably serve for the comfort and salvation of the Saints in that day for first they shall with admirable expedition gather the Saints out of their graves from all the foure windes and bring them into the presence of Christ secondly as they attended them in their humilitie so now shall their service be exceeding comfortable in that day never was Hagar so comforted by an Angell in her distresse when hee refreshed her with water as they shall be by the Angels in this day of refreshing for 1. These Angels which had carried their soules into heaven as Lazarus Luke 16. shall now bring their bodies out of the earth As the Angell loosed Peters chaines and brought him out of prison Act. 12. so now shall not one living body as his but all the dead bodies of the Saints bee brought out of their prisons and set into perfect freedome All stones shall bee rolled away and all chaines of corruption broken asunder 2. When all elements shall bee dissolved and set on â—ire the Angels shall helpe and hide them that the fire shall not hurt them that looke as the three servants of GOD walked in the midst of the fire and had no hurt onely their chaines were loosed because God sent his Angell among them Dan. 3. 25. so here all the godly shall bee safe in that fire which shall drive the wicked to desperation not able to stand before those terrible burnings And that fire shall resemble the waters of the red sea which was a wall to Israel but a well and pit to drowne Egypt Yea and as that fire of Nebuchadnezzar that sheltred Gods servants from the Tyrant but licked up and devoured the enemie 3. Whereas Satan at that day being at his last most desperate assault shall bee most raging against the Saints they shall stop the mouth of this raging Lion as once they did for Daniel and by their power quell the forces of the divell And their very multitude shall afford this comfort that there shall appeare infinite more with us than against us 2. King 6. 16. 4. As they shall bind the tares to cast them into the fire so shall they carry the wheat into the garner and so appeare glorious ministring spirits for the good of the heires of salvation Hebr. 1. 14. Thus the office and ministrie of the Angels shall marvellously set out the glory of Christ promote the worke of the great day bee serviceable for the finall ruine of all enemies and happily advance the comfort and salvation of the Saints in these particulars But I read not in the Scripture a word of those childish and ridiculous conceits of Petrus Thyreus a Jesuite who in the description of Christs glorious appearing appoints some Angels to beare up the cloud and hold up the seat of the Judge and some to beare the crosse before him others the crown of thornes others the nailes others the speare and other instruments of his passion Which he hath gravely confirmed because hee hath seene these things finely artificially painted upon tables Sound proofes of Jesuites when they want grounds from Prophets and Apostles they can supply them out of Poets and Painters to both whom was ever granted equall leave to devise what they listed But how can the Angels come with Christ seeing they are no bodily substances in their nature being without magnitude figure or sense and seeing they occupie no place how can they move locally from heaven into the aâ—re and into the earth Ans. The Angels being creatures though they fill occupie no place yet must needs be definitively in some place now in one and then in another and sometime locally ascend and locally descend after a manner unknown to us Hence in Jacobs ladder the Angels are said to ascend and descend and not onely in vision but actually Luk. 1. 26. Gabriel was sent from GOD to a Citie in Galilee So our soules are spirituall substances and yet they locally ascend to heaven and at the resurrection descend from heaven to be united to their bodies In like sort the Angels are described to be of most quicke motion and for their celeritie and swiftnesse are compared to the windes and have wings ascribed to them as flying with most swift motion about their Lords commands And so must it needs bee for 1. Their motion is without all resistance of bodily substances no body can resist an unbodily substance and all resistance is betweene bodies 2. Being without resistance their motions are without all labour or wearinesse they are restlesse in their motion 3. It must be most speedy because by no meanes hindred so as in a short time above that wee can perceive they can move betweene heaven and earth I say not in a moment for Angels cannot locally move betweene extremes as from heaven to earth but by passing the meane which is to be done in time though very short Thus wee conclude that the spiritual nature of Angels though it occupie and fill no place as bodies doe nor hath any circumscriptive place assigned them as they and though by their motion in place they neither expell nor move any body out of place yet are they moved locally and shall descend with Christ to judgement and quickly expedite all things belonging to it by their Ministrie Observe hence a difference betweene Christs first and second comming For first hee comes now with another manner of traine than hee had following him upon earth Then he had twelve poore fishermen despised persons following him for his Kingdome was not of this world but now his traine are all the Angels of heaven Secondly hee was then to shew himself the son of man and in the form of a servant but now hee will shew himselfe the Sonne of God and the Lord of glory Thirdly he was then to preach righteousnesse and to suffer for sin but now he is to judge righteously and to revenge sin Fourthly he was ever the Lord of the holy Angels and therefore in his temptations and agonie they were readie to comfort him and when hee was at the weakest hee was of power to command many legions of them but that was not the time to shew forth his Majestie by their attendance as this appearing is Fiftly those Angels which ministred unto him in his incarnation and birth in his life and death were Angels of grace Preachers to shepheards Disciples women and others appearing sometimes by one or two to one or two persons But these are Angels
of power appearing in millions to all the world who in their wonderfull glorie shall behold the glory of their Lord. Again the Lord Jesus is hence proved the Lord of glory in that the holy Angels serve him as their head King of the Church so the Apostle Phil. 2. 9. proveth him to have a Name above all names because all things in heaven and earth and under the earth shall confesse him and Christ himselfe to prove his headship useth the same argument Joh. 1. 52. Hereafter shall yee see the Angels ascending and descending on the Sonne of man that is ministring to him as the head of the Church as was figured in Jacobs ladder Gen. 28. 1â— for Christ is the ladder by which onely wee ascend to heaven this ladder reached from heaven to earth noting his two natures divine from his Father in heaven and humane from Jacobs loynes on earth Angels ascend and descend on it noting their emission and admission descending to their office and ascending to give account Besides he must be greatest of all who is honoured of all and so Christs eminencie above all creatures is proved because all the Angels of heaven must honour him Heb. 1. 6. And the more and more honourable the Attendants and Ministers be the greater is the personage so attended but the Angels are every where spoken of as the excellencie of the Creation and in the glory of these servants behold the glory of their Lord. Againe their incessant service to Jesus Christ advanceth his glory Exod. 26. 31. the vaile of the Tabernacle which covered the most holy expresly signifying the flesh of Christ which hid and covered his Deity must bee made of broydered worke with Cherubims not without Cherubims which noted the multitude of Angels serving Christ. Exod. 25. 20. The Cherubims signifying the Angels must lift their wings on high as attending Christ and their faces must bee to the Mercy-seat which lively resembled Christ on whom their eyes must still be cast as the eye of the handmaide to the hand of her Mistresse Thus wee shall see how they served Christ as man even in his lowest estate as well as in his highest In his birth they sang glory to God and were preachers of him to shepheards After his temptations they ministred to him spreading a table for him in the wildernesse and waiting at his table Mat. 4. 11. In his agonie in the garden they comforted him Luk. 22. 43. In the grave they roll away the stone for his resurrection Mat. 28. 2. In his ascension they waite upon him and lead him to the Ancient of dayes of whom he received a kingdome over all creatures Dan. 7. 13. But much more now they attend him and assist him in the judgement of the great day wherein hee is to put forth his greatest power and glory in the most glorious worke that ever was or can be 3. Here is matter of terror to the enemies of Christ even all wicked and impenitent persons in that Jesus Christ commeth armed with such power and glory against them for now he rideth in his chariot of triumph against all his enemies and now all the mountaines in the world cannot hide them from the Judge but the power of the Angels shall present them Neither can the sentence bee avoyded nor the execution reprived for if heaven and earth bee mingled together whatsoever sentence of death is pronounced on them the Angels shall speedily execute How comes it then to passe that men are so carelesse and passe over these great woes as a tale that is told shall this Judge pronounce the sentence and the Angels undertake the execution and yet the thing falle of execution Wo worth the deadnesse and securitie of wilfull sinners that dare contemne so dreadfull a sentence as shall eternally torment them 4. Here is assured comfort for the Saints that all this glorious attendance of the Head shall bee the glory of the members What a great comfort shall it be to see the Angels mustered together to become our servants also and performe the greatest service to us as ever was performed by them While the Saints lived here the good Angels attended them and kept them in their hands when they dyed the Angels carryed their soules to heaven which was no meane service But now in this great day they shall reunite the soules and bodies of the Elect they shall separate the whole man from all corruption and communication with sin and sinners and gather out all that offend and shall not leave them till they be set quite free from all danger as the Angell did Peter Act. 12. no nor till they have placed them in the glory of God Now what an honour is it that these glorious spirits who dwell in heaven should serve them that dwell on earth yea dwelt lately in the grave that meere spirits should serve flesh and blood and creatures so elevated in their nature above all sin and mortalitie should stand charged with them who immediatly before were clothed with miserie and corruption Quest. How comes this to passe seeing they are his that is Christs Angels Answ. This must neither impeach Christs glory nor lift us up to glorie in any thing in our selves For they serve Christ and us but not after the same manner nor upon the same grounds 1. Their service to him is immediate as to the head of the Church to us mediate as members of this head 2. Their service is due to him as to their Creator and Lord of dutie to us as creatures of charge from him 3. Their service is proper to him and invested in him as in his own right to us communicated onely by vertue of our communion with him 4. They are his Angels by speciall proprietie and they doe him all homage and service by speciall prerogative as the authour and preserver of all their excellent gifts and condition but our Angels by speciall commission and direction from him entrusted to employ their gifts for our good In one word never did they minister to a member but for the honour of their head 5. It teacheth us to admire the surpassing love of our Lord in that hee tooke our nature and bound us straiter to him than hee did the Angels of heaven and hath vouchsafed us his owne speciall servants to attend us and charged them with our safetie in all our wayes in life in death in judgement till we be set out of the reach of all danger Well knew our Lord what weake creatures wee are in our selves what dangerous combats wee were to stand in with how many spirituall and invisible enemies we were to be beset and therefore out of his love and wisedom hath appointed us so many spirituall invisible and more powerfull ayders and assisters 6. If wee expect this happie ministery from the Angels let us beware that in the meane time wee grieve not by our sin
holy enough as did these Scribes and Pharises who needed no Physician they no more saw their need of a Physician then they saw their sicknesse And thâ— there be many whole men in the world and almost al men are generally whole in these daies Hos. 7. 9. Ephraim saw not his gray haires nor the consumption of his strength Revel 3. â—7 Laodicea saith she is rich and needs nothing The Pharisie blesseth God he is not as others he seeth in himselfe no hypocrisie nor pride nor contempt of others he is a whole man Many a civill man liveth honestly he doth no man harme he is beloved of his neighbours he keeps the Commandements as well as God will give him leave This mans case in his owne conceit is sound and good and he hopes he shall live in his righteousnesse And in thousands presumption is as a chaine to the necke who tell us they love God with all their hearts have a strong saith never had any doubt they thanke God no not so much as any grudgings of unbeleefe and it were pitty he should live that doubteth of his salvation These are sound men and whole but as they never beleeved so they never bewailed their infidelity never groaned under the burthen of their sinnes are enemies to God to his Word to all righteousnesse worldlings oppressors deceivers swearers cursors otherwise abominable yet still found and whole men in their owne conceit And another cause of conceited soundnesse is the extenuaation of sinne Some qualmes and grudgings they have and all men are sinners and crazy but themselves are no great sinners or no greater then other men Thus they mince and lessen their sinnes They are not sicke enough to seeke out to the Physician they have ease enough yet if it would hold without Christ. Now see the miserable and damnable estate of these men First they are eaten up with griping diseases and deadly pangs and yet feele nothing Paines of sinne are like the pains of sicknesse the lesse felt the more dangerous and deadly Secondly as they need not the Physician so certainely the Physician needs not them hee came not for them they have as much helpe from him as they seeke He came not to call the righteous He calleth and cureth onely the sicke and heavy laden with the sense and burden of sinne Let this therefore serve to convince these whole men and let them see their estate so as they may seeke to the Physician and not dye senslesse The markes and spots of a deadly disease are these First an ill stomacke argueth bodily disease so Spirituall If the Word the Manna from heaven be bitter if thy minde rise against it and the mouth of thy soule be out of taste if thy memory keepe not the doctrine of God if by meditation thou digestest it not and so sendest it not into all parts of thy life thou art sick iudeed though thou secmost never so whole Secondly when the body consumeth the parts are weakned the knees bowe under a man and with much adoe he draggeth his limbes after him there is certainly a bodily disease though there bee no complaint So in the soule when men are weake to deeds of piety have no strength to conquer temptation to suffer crosses and trials to workes of charity mercy or justice but all strength of grace seems to be exhausted here is a dangerous disease here may wee justly feare a spirituall hecticke which is no sooner discernable then deadly Thirdly when the senses faile the eyes grow dimme the eares dull it is an apparant signe of a bodily or spirituall disease A senslesse man is the sickest man because he is sicke though he be not sensible Even so when the eye-strings of the soule are broken that they see not the light of grace nor of God which as the Sunne shines round about them the eares heare not the voyce of God the feeling is gone they have no sense of the great gashes and wounds of the lusts of uncleannesse drunkennesse covetousnesse swearing lying malice against God and his servants nay no complaint but rather rejoycing in these neither is there any fellowship in the afflictions of Ioseph the soule of such a man lyes very weake as a man for whom the Bell is ready to toll Fourthly difficulty of breathing or to be taken speechlesse is a signe of a disease and death approching So in the soule prayer being the breath of the soule when a man can hardly fetch this breath cannot pray or with much adoe can begge mercy strength and supply of grace or when he is speechlesse a man cannot heare him whisper a good and savoury word but all is earthly fruitlesse or hurtfull here is a living Corps a painted sepulcher not a man of a better world Would men try themselves by these notes they would soone discorne their sicknesse and runne out to the Physician But oh what an hard taske is it to bring a man rightly to know his estate A singer of the body cannot ake but men complaine and bind it up But the soule lies gasping and there is no such care c. Thus negatively of the Patient or party fit for cure Affirmatively it is the sicke man And he is the sicke man that feeles and groanes under the paine and burden of his sin The point this Sinne is the most dangerous sâ—ickenesse in the whole world and fitly resembles bodily sickenesse For First sicknesse comes by intemperance the temperate body is never sick while we were in innocency we were in sound health but through distemperature in our natures we were poysoned at first and ever since our sinnes and lusts conceiving bring forth sinne and death And as some sicknesses be hereditary and propagated so the sicknesse of sinne is propagated from Adam to all his posterity and every man hath added to his disease by his owne wilfull transgression Secondly sicknesse weakneth the body and impaireth the vigor of nature so doth sinne in the soule experience sheweth that after some sinne we very hardly and weakly attempt any good thing for along time Sin hath weakned the faculties darkened the understanding corrupted the will disordered the affections thence this sicknesse Thirdly sickenesse brings paine and torment into the body so doth sinne into the soule first or last There is no peace to a wicked man but terrors soule horrors of conscience and desperate feares doe ever attend him Fourthly sicknesse continuing and lingring on the body threatneth death and without timely cure bringeth it Sinne also not removed by repentance menaceth and bringeth certaine death to body and soule Fifthly sicknesse is generally incident to al men So the soules of all men are diseased by nature even the soules of the Elect till they bee healed by Christ. And these diseases are most foule and incurable compared in Scripture to a gangrene which suddenly eateth up the body 2 Tim.