are trod under feete Secondly to shew the great and fearefull things that are then to be done thus a Trumpet sounded before the Law was given and in the Revelation the great alterations of the Church and judgements upon the enemies thereof Revel 8 6 7.8 from the time of Christ unto the last day are foretolde by the blowing of Trumpets which notwithstanding was never heard by them who felt the fearefull events Thirdly to shew that the cry is for the assembling of his people Ioel 2.15 Psal 81.3 not an uncertaine sound but a certaine that all may prepare and appeare 1 Cor. 14.8 Hence wee understand the diverse effects of this Cry The effects of it When the destroying Angell came downe to Aegypt in the night Exod. 12.30 the terrour of God caused them to make an outcry over all the land How many voyces of Lamentations shall be heard at once when the generall Cry shall be Hills and mountaines fall upon us Rev. 6.16 and hide us from the presence of him that sitteth upon the throne for the great day of his wrath is come who can stand They that were never moved with the words of Christ now tremble at his voice and their hard hearts shall make unseasonable lamentation But with the servants of God it is not so for as the same voice of Christ before his suffering which made his enemies fall as dead to the ground yet incouraged Peter and others of his Disciples Iohn 18 6. so this voice of Christ at the great day though it shall be the most terrible that ever wicked men heard yet it shall be the most joyfull that ever Gods true servants heard Iohn 3 29. for he that is the friend of the Bridegroome must needes rejoyce greatly because hee heareth his voice for thereby their bodies shall receive life and immortality Psal 91.1.5 As in their life time they betooke themselves unto the shadow of the Almighty and therefore when wicked men affraid with the terrours of the night made an Aegyptian outcry Psal 118 15. his servants finde that the voice of joy gladnes is in the dwelling of the righteous because prosperity is within their gates Quanta crit electis laetitia in adventu Domini quem comparat adventui Sponsi Muscul in Mat. 25 1 Looke Ier. 33.10.11 no evill can come unto them nor any plague neere unto their dwelling Much more shall they be glad at the voice of Christ in that day for which their soules and bodies have waited long in hope to heare Would you know if the voice of Christ shall be joyfull to you in that day or not The Prophet Esay from the Lords mouth tells us Esay 66.2 They who tremble at Christs voice now shall reioyce hereafter that if we tremble at his words in this life he will looke upon us and we shall rejoyce to heare his voice in the fearefull day calling us the blessed children of his Father if with humility and feare we draw neare to heare what the Lord saith now in his word we shall not appeare in judgement to be censured but commended And this is most certaine that seeing all the creatures tremble at the Lords voice we must either doe so in this life when God commands us or in the life to come when he condemnes us Beholde the Bridegroome commeth Here is the first part of the Proclamation being a notice given of the Bridegroomes coming If these that were prepared for a mariage solemnity heard a warning given without certaine notice for what purpose how could they understand that it concerned them So if in the great day the voice of the Lord shewed not the particular person that came it could not be the trumpet of the Almighty but his voice shall declare that the Bridegroome commeth because the power of God shall goe along with it the diligence of the Angels shall second the sound of it in gathering his Saints unto the great assembly The Scriptures say that Christ shall come for although he filleth all places being God infinite and incomprehensible yet because of his humane nature he shall shew a locall descent The glory of Christs person is now hid and set his throne in the ayre But for his divine nature it filleth the world and of it I say Bern. Ser. 3. Advent as Bernard said of Christs incarnation that he was in the world and the world was made by him but the world knew him not Non ergo veniet qui aberat sed apparebit qui latebat He shall not therefore come as one that was absent but appeare as one that was hidden before and shew the glory of his Majesty shining in his humane nature the glory of both which is now hidden from our eyes for the clouds spheares of heaven have taken him out of our sight and according to the Psalme Psal 18 11. Compare 1 Tim. 6.16 with Act. 22 11. Hee hath made darkenesse his pavilion and secret place which though it be in it selfe a light inaccessible yet it darkeneth our sight Thus our Lord as a Bridegroome is entred into his chamber and there he stayes untill the day come and then shall he come out of his chamber as a mighty man and shew himselfe before all mankinde and as nothing is hid from the heate of the naturall Sunne so no man shall be able to hide himselfe when the Sunne of Righteousnesse shall declare his glory and power for every eye shall see him yea even they that pierced him through Revel 1 7. and all kindreds of the earth shall waile before him This doctrine is of great antiquity for when the olde world by their impieties began to be the first presidents of this last vengeance of God Henoch terrified them with this doctrine Beholde the Lord commeth with thousands of his Saints Iude verse 14. to be revenged on them but their gracelesse hearts tooke no notice of it so while we have the same Proclamation giving us warning so long before hand who are moved to prepare and attend But as often as we reade or heare these words Behold the Lord commeth or the Bridegroome commeth so often is this voice either in characters or sounds sent from heauen to our eyes and eares to give us warning of this last meeting When Moses forewarned Israel of their ensuing calamities Deut. 4 26. and the cause of them he called heaven and earth to be witnesse that he had given them warning and left it registred to be read to all posterity so if they perished their owne neglect should be the cause of it so in the day of judgement the Lord shall call heaven and earth before him to judge his people Psal 50 4. and to prove how often we have heard the Proclamation though we forget and be carelesse yet the Sunne and Moone that give us light Psal 89 37. are faithfull witnesses in heaven and
destruction that security or carelesnesse is ever the last forerunner of destruction and the greater it wil be Cum fataliâ— equus saltu super ardua venit Pergama Tum me confectum curis somnoque gravatum Infelix habuit thalamus pressitque lacentem â—uicis alta quies placidaeque similllima morti Virg. 6 AEneid The greater security the greater iudgement followeth it sheweth that the greater vengeance is to follow as appeareth in all written examples of Gods wrath and when any are so farre past as to contemne Gods justice and thinke that hee will not punish or regardeth not the warning of it destruction is neere unto them Secondly wee are taught that when Christ commeth for all the labour that can be taken to awake them yet shall the world be in dead sleepe of ungodlinesse and carelesnesse as they were in Noahs time and in Sodome unto the houre that Lot went out of it When Cyrus his army besieged Babylon Belshazzar gave his subjects of the Citty notice how little he feared any threatned danger by his publicke feasting and drinking Dan. 6.1.3 and almost the whole Citty blinded with the same impiety Herodot lib 1. followed his example of drunkennesse the enemies entred the City in the night Invadunt urbem somno vinoque sepultam Virg. and killed them whom they found buried in drunkennesse and sleepe notwithstanding that Daniel had expresly forewarned both his predecessour and himselfe of it So the day of Christ shall come as a snare upon the inhabitants of the earth when labour shall be little profitable or seasonable to awake them The same cause giveth us occasion of the same complaint in our time many continue in a seene and knowne carelesnesse and contempt of God all forewarning is to no purpose 1 Sam. 15.35 Non in solis divitiis est misericordia sed in sermone si nihil habes etiam in lachrymis Theophilact in Mat. 5 7. untill they fall into the hands of an angry God But as Samuel did for Saul so must we bemoane their misery if our example cannot move them then they can witnesse that God sent his children who mourned for and unto them who would not lament for themselves this is all the helpe that we can bestow upon them who neither can nor will be helped There was a cry made When no meanes can availe to awake security the last cry shall doe it As mariages in solemnizing have divers sights for delight the voyces of singers and instruments to give content to the eare and variety of meates to please the taste and stomacke and if the Bridegroome be of the Nobility he wanteth not the voice of a Trumpet to proclaime the greatnesse of his person So our Lord Iesus Christ at his comming to judgement shall send in stead of a cry the voice of a Trumpet before him with terrour whereof heaven earth and hell shall have notice of the power and greatnesse of his Majesty This voice shall be that which the Scripture calleth the sound of the Trumpet as shall appeare yet our Saviour sets it out by the name of a cry because of the former security wherein the Lord shall be carefull to give forewarning according to the capacity of every one The Lord suffereth not the deafe to be without warning for as wee expresse our selves to the deafe by signes and tokens so doth the Lord foretell the end of the world by signes of particular wrath in some when others for a time goe free by the weakning of nature in diverse creatures diverse prodigies and wonders of natures imperfection by weaknesse of the operation of heaven by subversion of worldly power and glory and the increase of iniquity beyond measure which being compared with the relation and experience of former times Bern. in Fest Pentet Ser. 3. ut ex praeteritis fidem astruat futurorum that from things by past he may understand the certainty of what is to follow These that have eares to heare let them heare Mat. 13 9. for the Lord sends to them the admonitions of his word But they that have hearing and yet are so thicke that no counsell can reach so deepe as their dulnesse is or are so asleepe that common calling cannot awake them nothing will prevaile but a voice loud as a Trumpet Esay 58.1 to make the earth shake and the ayre to be resounder of terrour So at the last day there can be no place for a secure deafnesse when the heavens go away with a noyse the elements melt and the earth burneth with fire who shall not heare and feele the power of this Cry this will end their sleepe with the beginning of endlesse torments Now for the greatnesse and terrour of this cry which shall summon all men to judgement The greatnes of the cry neither can it be sufficiently expressed nor understood If the Trumpet Exod. 19 16. that called the Israelits to heare the Law was a terrour unto them how terrible shall that voyce be which shall call all men to account for not keeping of it If the noyse of thunder which is not farre heard be so terrible that it allayes the courage of the proudest and is even a terrour to the fishes of the Sea Psal 104 7. and sheweth a power in the waters what may we thinke of this voyce Contents of Psal 29. Vere vox magna vox tubae terribilis cui omnia obediunt elementa quae Petras scindit inferos aperit portas aereas frangit vincula mortuorum difrumpit c. Chrysost in 1 Cor. 15. 1 Thess 4.16 Psal 50.1 which shall be heard in heaven earth and hell The 29 Psal extolleth and sheweth the power of Gods voyce for feare whereof all Creatures tremble that the securitie of men may be thereby shaken but at this last voyce all creatures shall declare the terrour of it Lastly if we consider whose voyce it shall bee we shall conceive it the better St. Paul tells us The Lord himselfe shall descend from heaven with a shoute for hee himselfe shall call his people loe this is the Trumpet even the voyce not of Angell but of him who is Lord and Master of the Angells the voyce of the Sonne of man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but sounding with the power of the Sonne of God and because the secure world would never heare him nor the voyce of his servants he saith That the houre shall come in which all that are in the graues shall heare his voyce and come out either to salvation or damnation It is the voyce of Christ himselfe The Scripture calleth this voyce of Christ the sound of the last Trumpet Mar. 14 62. Iohn 5.28 1 To shew the power and majestie of his comming as he shewed in his ascending prophecied of in the Psalmes who being exalted above all when he went to heaven Psal 47.5.7 8 9. in his comming hee shall shew that all his enemies
CHRISTS VVATCH-VVORD BEING THE PARABLE OF the Virgins expounded and applyed to these times of security Or an Exhortation of our Saviours to us that we may watch and prepare our selues for the unknowne times of death and judgement MATTH 25.13 Watch for you know not the day nor the houre when the Sonne of man will come LONDON Printed by W. J. for John Bartlet and are to be solde at his shoppe at the signe of the Golden Cuppe in Cheapeside 1630. TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD DOCTOR THEOPHILVS BVCKVVORTH by the providence of God Lord Bishop of Dromore my singular good Lord and Patron THE manifold exhortations of Christ and his Apostles considered with the security of these times are reasons sufficient both to command and encourage his servants to be watchfull and to awaken others both by voice and writings that they hold the times of death and iudgement before their eyes yet for mine owne particular J have reasons leading me unto this forwardnesse not onely excusing but also enforceing me to the publishing of this present Treatise First J was not able by writing to satisfie the importunity of those who heard some of it delivered nor of those unto whom upon intreaty some of it was communicated except it had beene published Secondly I considered that the same Scripture was not particularly handled by any either ancient or moderne so farre as J can learne though Commentatours have given briefe notes upon it which moved me the rather to communicate this Exposition or by my rashnesse to stirre up others more learned to give sufficient contentment unto such who by this motion may be set on longing Thirdly the disposition of men requires that in so necessary a subiect they have not onely admonition in words but that there remaine a daily admonisher standing in sight yea they who loathe repetition of one thing yet love to reade often over such things as they finde to move their consciences unto which may be added Saint Peters example who endeavoured not by word alone 2 Pet 1 13. but by writing also to put his heareres in remembrance Lastly J alwayes desired as both my duty first and your Lordships unexpected bounty in the next place tyed mee to render account of my labour unto you and to expresse my thankefulnesse both to God and to the world for your ordinary encouragements of Gods servants your favours in particular to me and your willingnesse to have the flocke of Christ exhorted by these my weak endeavours who are bounden to returne prayers to God for your Lordship onely for whatsoever benefit they may reape reape hereby J dare not as building a stately gate for lowly cottages invite the Readers with goodly promises seeing I am conscious of mine owne weaknesse and unability to performe neither need I intreate the zealous Christian seeing the title the subiect and his owne desire to Gods word are incitements sufficient unto him And I doubt not but the countenance of you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who in name Luke 12 35 c 17 24. c 21 17. c. honour and religion are the same with that honourable Christian to whom this subiect was commended by S. Luke at the beginning will make it to have better acceptance at all their hands who are according as your name imports the friends and lovers of God So praying God long to continue you an instrument of his glory I take leave acknowledging my selfe ever Your L pps most bounden Chaplaine THOMAS IOHNSTON AN EXPOSITION OF THE FIRST PART OF THE XXV CHAPTER OF SAINT MATTHEW Being an exhortation of our Saviour to vs that we may watch and prepare our selues for the unknowne times of death and judgement OF all Doctrines to be Preached that great and fearefull day of account ought never to be forgotton when the Lord Iesus shall shew himselfe from heaven Our Saviour his Messengers have been carefull to remember the trumpet that shall call vs to iudgement 2 Thess 1.7 with his mightie Angels In flaming fire rendring vengeance to them that doe not know God and which obey not unto the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ which shall bee punished with everlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the Glory of his power Whosoever beleeveth and remembreth the terrour of the Lord and the strict account that he must make will be carefull to walk the more honestly and so frame his life as he wishes to have favour in judgement Therefore the holy men of God have beene carefull to remember vs of the fearefull sound of the Trumpet calling vs to judgement Ecclesiast 11.9 Salomon sounds this Trumpet in young mens eares saying Remember for all this that God will bring thee to judgement He sounds it in the eares of all men Chap. 12.14 that God will bring every worke to Iudgement and every secret thing whether it be good or evill Saint Paul is a fearefull sounder of it to the Corinthians and Thessalonians when he considered of it he trembled knowing the terrour of the Lord. 2 Cor 5.11 In Reg. Monach. Cap. 30. Ierome said that whether he eate or dranke or whatsoever he did he thought that he heard this Trumpet sounding in his Eares Rise dead and come to Iudgement And the Church of God hath laide before vs in our Creede to be said every day that Christ shall come againe to iudge the quicke and the dead Most of all our Lord Iesus Christ who best knew both our danger and remedy is carefull to put us in remembrance of it who in this sermon preached it three times twise in the former Chapter and proved it by the example and experience of the world in the dayes of Noe vers 42.44 and of the common carefulnesse of men in lesse dangers Vers 43. for who would sleepe and suffer his house to bee digged through Now because it stands every one vpon the damnation of his soule that labours not to prevent it and men are carelesse of unseene and unfelt dangers therefore our Saviour preacheth it the third time and labours to imprint it in our hearts by the comparison and successe of wise foolish Virgins But why doth he repeate this matter so often and insist in it so much Barnard Serm. 1 super Missus est Credo quia noluit nos negligenter audire quod tam diligenter studuit enarrare I beleeue it is because hee would not haue vs carelesse to heare that which he is so carefull to set downe and that we may know Idem cap. 2 meditat quanto diligentior est Deus admonendo tanto strictior erit judicando si neglexerimus that the more carefull the Lord is to admonish vs the more severe shall he be to punish vs if we neglect This Chapter is the History of Christ his second comming comprehending in it Division of the Chapter First his vnexpected comming in the Parable of the Virgins Secondly
consider the foolishnes of the damned and the wisedome of the elect because Christ sets out the foolishnes of the one to be in two particulars that they did not rightly weigh how much oyle or grace they wanted neither did equally and proportionably provide for what they knew they did or might want these must be urged that wee may know how much oyle to carry in our lampes and how much to provide in our vessells besides Manifold are our miseries by nature sinne death and iudgement That I speake not too mystically lest the miseries of our soules be not beleeved for few beleeve our report I will set downe our miserie as the most ignorant men either sensibly feele or by naturall inclination doe feare Bern. Meditat. cap. 2. almost set down word for word We are come of such parents qui priùs fecerunt dānatos quā natos by whom we were sooner condemned than brought into the world and if wee consider the first stocks from whence wee all sprung we may say to them as the same Father saith Idem Ser. 2. super Missus est ut fuistis parentes ita omnium fuistis peremptores as you were the bringers out so you were the destroyers of all et quod miserius est priùs peremptores quà m parentes and which is more miserable sooner destroyed than brought us forth into the world sinners have begotten us sinners and in sinne have nourished us miserable creatures have led us that are miserable into this miserable light of whom wee have gotten nothing but sinne misery and this corruptible body wee beare about us which as they have brought them into dust and corruption at last so doe they drive us forward to follow them when we looke into their graves wee see nothing but ashes wormes filthinesse and feare as they were so are we now as they are so shall we shortly be conceived we were not without them yet without their knowledge with weeping and sorrow are we sent out to be banished in this world in which we stay full of iniquities from which banishment wee are in a haste apprehended and presented to give a strict account of all wee have done when it shall be said Behold the man and his workes with what fearefull and shamefull countenance shall wee looke or speake when without speaking our conscience and countenance shall utter so much as might condemne a thousand and how long soever the Lord deferre this that wee may amend the more strictly and severely shall he judge if we neglect it notwithstanding the longer we live our sin growes greater this debt of judgement increaseth Hitherto St. Bernard I need not urge this any more he that least beleeveth it shall feele it most Mat 24.51 his portion saith Christ shall be with the unbeleevers and hypocrites But as Augustine saith Epist ad Hieron if one see his brother in a ditch and aske how he came thither his best answer is For curing of which all the faithfull finde Christ a sufficient salve that he thinke not so much how he came thither but how he may be relieved so my best describing of our miserie is not to discourse that man is so or how he became so but how I may cure or comfort him or get oyle to powre in his wounds or to suffice his Lampe Whilest by Oyle we understand all grace needfull to salvation we know where to finde it Coloss 2.9 even in Christ Iesus for in him dwelleth al the fulnes of the Godhead bodily and we are compleate in him he hath the Oyle of gladnesse above his fellowes Psal 45.7 His head is anoynted meeting vers 6. etc. The preparation is set down of all the Virgins first in similitude then in dissimilitude In similitude all prepared their lampes but in this they were unlike for the foolish prepared no oyle for the darkenesse of the night the wise filled their lampes because they feared the length of the night and long tarying of the Bridegroome they filled their vessells also First then that I may speake of their lampes we must remember somewhat spoken of before that this life is the time and place in which some professe that they are meeting Christ and others are truely upon their journey looking and longing for his comming either by their departure to him or his comming to them by iudgement It is therefore agreed vpon by the consent and practise of all both the servants of God and the servants of sinne that lampes are needfull to be prepared for their journey to inlighten them in this world untill Christ who is the true light appeare when wee shall not need Sunne Moone lampes nor candles to direct vs. As the maides of the holy Land even the unwisest of them had this wit that for celebrating a wedding they had need of a lampe that the Bridegroomes should according to custome come in the night-time the naturall darkenes of the Creatures So all the Virgins The practise almost of all men sheweth that our way to heaven is dark I meane all that are called by the name of Christians doe shew by their actions that our journey and way to meet Christ is naturally darke and that we have neede of some light to shew vs the way But that I appropriate not this truth only to true Christians who best know how darke this way is I finde all except them that are truely Atheists to pronounce the same and by their deedes shew that nature doth darken vs in some errand which the soule of man of it selfe naturally intendeth Our profanest sort of professed Christians prove it who have taken and professed Baptisme and all the conditions of it they avouch that Christ appertaineth to them so much as to any they say that Gods word is true and that of their owne knowledge they knowe well enough both what it and the Minister can say these therefore doe confesse the darknes and imperfection of Nature in this businesse and to have taken Lampes Pagans also have espyed this for to what purpose should Turke or any Savage cary the love of any Religion with him if hee thought not that common naturall knowledge were imperfite herein and that it were not able to direct and conduct the soule so farre as it is to goe for he that would onely live and dye with this life needes not any sort of Religion at all But none of all this kinde are so blinded but that they scorne to remaine content with the light of nature and therefore will take one sort of Religion or other by the end as a lampe to direct him some way he should go but he knowes not whither Onely the Atheist that is sure as he conceives that there is no God neither seeketh or professeth any Lampe because he hath none that made him to whom he should goe except Nature with whom he already remaineth of all men his case is the strangest for hell which is
utter darknesse to all that are damned is the brightest Lampe that ever hee saw for nothing could ever shew him that there was or where there was a God untill hell made him sensible of it But all others professe that either they would have Lampes as Turkes and others the like or that they have them as the foolish Virgins or Christians or that they have them and Oyle in them as Gods true servants declaring the want of light they conceive in the way betweene Christ and us The use hereof is that wee consider how our soules bend further then this world and further they will goe either right or wrong and that we are not able by our owne judgements to enlighten or direct our selves in the way and therefore wofull and miserable is their case that see or know no more concerning their estate than their bodily eyes doe shew them for know no more of the way to heaven or of meeting Christ than they did when they were children The Heathen would gladly have Lampes but God hath denied them the foolish Virgins have Lampes but have no Oyle Take therefore this holy intent and let it never goe out of your minde that you are desirous to meete Christ and call to God to inlighten and direct you untill you come and appeare in the presence of God But tooke no Oyle with them Here is the dissimilitude the foolish tooke no Oyle with them As it were folly in whosoever would thinke that the candlesticke were the cause of light and not the Oyle so are they who thinke the outward profession without the inward spirit of sanctification to be more requisite or onely sufficient to the obtaining of salvation And therefore the helpes of Gods servants for salvation These things that are helpes to Gods children do hasten the wicked to destruction are the instruments and helpers of wicked men to damnation for Lampes are profitable if Oyle be with them if not they are without their proper end or profitable use As meat drinke and all other things are pure and sanctified to them that are sanctified so unto the ungodly even good things are helpers of their mischiefe Ecclesiasticus 39.25.26.27 That table which is a comfort and refreshment to a good man if it be set before a wicked man Psal 69.23 Rom. 11.9 David and Paul say that it is turned to a snare a net and a stumbling blocke to catch fall and keepe him in gluttony drunkennesse blasphemous and filthy carriage In like manner if the lampes of the foolish were set in a gracious hand they would helpe them to heaven For as Lampes for the most part are of brittle and weake substance filled with Oyle which is apt to be set on fire so this world which is the light and joy of foolish men doth betray her lovers with uncertaine prosperitie with carnall lust and the fiery burnings of many covetous desires and as a lampe or candle by the brightnesse of it entiseth the butterfly to embrace it which by that meanes is either drowned in the oyle or burned in the flame so the showes of sin and of the pleasures of the world entice the mindes of men that their hearts are drowned in many feares and sorrowes 1 Tim. 6.10 and when they suppose they have catcht all they themselves are caught when they thinke that fortune riches the world and all are fallen in love with them they are deceived for it is their heart that is fallen in love with the world finally corruption and destruction the naturall ends of all things under heaven layeth hold upon them qui lachrimarum causas tripudiantes peragunt Greg. Moral lib. 20. cap. 8. et ridentes mortis negotium exequuntur who goe dauncing through the causes of their mourning and with laughter act the tragedy of their owne death And thus doth this world which is their Lampe leade them to their overthrow Where on the contrary the blessings of this world are a furtherance to the servant of God to sustaine his wants to be his servants to teach and instruct him that he is in his journey meeting Christ if they entertaine him kindly he thanks God and is glad that he is refreshed in his pilgrimage if this world crosse him yet he rejoyceth because he knoweth that hee would not be so used if hee were in his owne Countrey Wee ought to beware lest we make the world our lampes That the blessings of this world may be profitable for us we must make uses of them thus first that we make not our lampes or preparation of the pleasures of our owne will which is commonly the deceitfulnesse of sinne nor the entising goods of this world which are no preparations in our journey towards heaven but the greatest cloggs and hinderances that can be the abundance of sinne weigheth and presseth down the soule out of Gods favour the deceitfulnes of worldly felicity maketth the heart insensible of greater happinesse and so blind that it cannot see nor beleeve that there is any eternall miserie to follow after These are the two which doe hinder most men from heaven Ob has duas causas potissimum excluduÌ„ tur vel propter corporales voluptates vel avaritiae morbuÌ„ Theophylac in Math. 22. Deut. 32.29 as our Saviour sheweth plainely in the parable of the great Supper Luk 14.18 19.20 This was the crosse and curse of the Israelits in the wildernes when they possessed Canaan Deut. 32.13.14.15 and therefore as Moses wished to forewarne them so wish I for all others O that they were wise then would they understand this they would consider their latter end Secondly 2 We must use the world warily Muâ—emuscuÌ„peos Danaum in figniaque nobis aptemus let us make better use of the lampes of foolish Virgins and make the world profitable for our salvation which is an hinderance unto theirs the Trojans made use of the Grecians bucklers to make them ensignes of glory and victory so let us use this world as we may thereby shew that we have overcome the world or so to place the goods of it as they may help vs Sublimabunt Euseb Emiss de ascen Domini Serm. 1. nos si fuerint infra nos if we set them under us they shall be as ladders helping vs to mount vpwards Care not how little friendship this world shew you if you prosper in it looke it betray not your soule and withdrawe your affections beware least any thing in this world be better loved by you then you know to be loved by God as God hath made the earth his footstoole let it be your footestoole and Iesus Christ advantage unto you both in life and death VERSE 4. But the wise tooke Oyle in their Vessells with their Lampes IN these words is the dissimilitude the wise furnished their Lampes with Oyle and prepared store besides As the deceits of the world are the Lampe which the worldlings provide themselves withall The soule
in another letter saith his owne minde with application of it Ad Cecili lib 2 Ep 3. Et quia jam secundus adventus nobis appropinquat magis ac magis benigna ejus dignatio corda nostra illustrat c And because his second comming commeth neere Instit lib 7 cap 25. c. In the yeare 317 Lactantius saith that all expectation was of no more time than 200 yeares at most After the yeare 400 Augustine and Ierome say that many were of Lactantius minde that even in their owne time Christ would come to judgement and that St. Ierome was of this minde appeareth by his fearefull words In Regist Monach cap 30. Sive edam sive bibam aut aliud quid agam semper insonat auribus vox illa horrifica Surgite c. Whether I eate drinke or whatsoever I doe that fearfull voice sounds ever in mine eares Rise dead and come to Iudgement Hesichius a Bishop wrote to Augustine that Christ should come in the yeare 700 because of Daniels Prophecy of 70 weekes which was onely concerning the first comming of Christ Augustine answereth him in the words of Christ that of that day knoweth no man nor the Angels but onely God himselfe All these expectations and conjectures proving false Christ is said to stay long I have further observed diverse who being curious to know and determine the time of the great Iudgement were sodainly themselves taken away by death Wherefore wee are to retaine onely the signes and that modesty to be beleeved and daily expect it But seeing many have beene deceived even by mistaking the signes themselves it may be asked Which of them may wee take holde of as a marke and not to be mistaken concerning his comming I answere The plainest and surest marke of Christs coming the surest of all is the conversion of the Iewes But when shall this be I answer they are letted by Daniels Prophecie chap. 2. for seeing the Roman Empire as yet stands in the Pope they cannot beleeve that Messiah is come and therefore untill this power of his be beaten to powder they cannot see how the King of Kings can reigne and whosoever doth this as they thinke is their saviour and deliverer then shall their hearts be turned to the Lord and be opened to see the hardheartednesse of their forefathers in crucifying the Lord of glorie and their owne blindnesse that so many hundreth yeares could not espie the day of salvation What doe the Iewes see in the Christian Churches The many thousands that are tributaries in Rome Naples All this mischiefe is set downe particularly in Muscul com plaâ— de Ministris verbi under the name of Nundin Pont. Venice Spaine and other places see that they directly stand against the holines of Gods law in commanding publike Idolatry dispensing with blasphemies treasons rebellions murthers and sometimes commanding and authorizing them in countenancing incests adulteries fornication receiving rent for stewes selling soules and bodies and making lawfull and unlawfull what they will commanding people to beleeve and yet they may not enquire what The bookes of Corn Agrippa Ioan. Baptistae poreae Iohan. Tâ—itenemius de occult Scripturis doe plainely shew this and chiefly this last author who upon his salvation protests the said booke may bee used with a safe conscience c In Prafat 〈◊〉 finally admitting Iewish superstition to be mixed with their own permitting witchcraft and conjuration which is the invocation of Satan to be accounted so lawfull as either of them Whilest this Babel and kingdome of confusion doth stand how is it possible that a Iew should be converted or beleeve that these are the true servants of God As for such Iewes as are in Germany or other places neere the reformed they see few visible Churches and know that all of them are farre from the large extent spoken of Dan. 2.35 But when once this is taken away and they converted their learning and devotion shall be the riches of the world that the secure and carelesse shall by their example be pierced with sorrow and turne unfeinedly unto the Lord after which time both they and other Nations shall fall in a dead security and lose the power of religion that Gods particular punishments nor the cry of Preachers shall be little able to awake or make them looke about them Then on a sodaine shall the Lord come the heavens goe away with a noise the elements melt with heate the earth fall a burning the quicke and dead mount up to meete the Lord in the ayre But when shall those things come to passe It can not certainely be knowne but if it be asked When to come to passe unknowne yet as appeareth by example may soone come how soone all this may be I pray you consider what alteration the Lord hath made in Christendome since Luther was taken notice of but 112 yeares agoe especially what God hath done in Great Britaine in lesse time turned out the Prince of Babell indued olde and young with knowledge and other gifts of God especially inflamed their hearts with zeale that they were readier to suffer torments than their enemies were to impose them upon them filled all with knowledge that none were hidde from the sound of Gods word and finally hath cast them into such a security that most have lost the power strength of religion that no sinne wants actours no wickednesse but it hath excusers patrons and defenders hundreds of Preachers are become dumbe and these best heard and befriended that either cannot or will not speake a word in Gods name and these who forewarne men of this state never taken notice of what they say or command O what a security is this Certainely if the great Iudgement day were farre off God could not suffer this so long He therefore that considereth how God hath wrought these things in so short a time may easily see how soone the Lord can bring all the aforesaid to passe and hasten the Iudgement day Now we are to make use of this Death and Iudgement go together I cannot think or speake of this great day but I must needes continually thinke of death and therefore if any say that it is neare at hand then I answere that death must bring him thither If he say that it is farre off and shall not be these many hundred yeares I answere that death shall presently apprehend him and pull him unto Iudgement The world may stand long but how knowest thou but thou maist fall before to morrow the great judgement may be farre but thy judgement may be this night and as death leaveth thee the great judgement shall finde thee Death a prophecy of iudgment Finally so oft as thou seest one die so many prophecies the Lord shews thee foretelling the ruine of the whole world in which the heaveÌ„ which is the light of the world shall goe away with a noyse 2 Pet 3. in death Vitaque
cum gemitu fugit the life which is the light of men goeth likewise away with a groane Virg. AEneid 12 Iohn 1 4. In the last day all the elements shall be confused leave their naturall operations so in death the parts of the elements whereof we be made shall be confused and all dead without operation In the last day the earth which shall be the remainder of the world must be overrunne with fire to purifie it so in death the carcasse all the remainder of the whole man must be purified by rotting from the drosse of corruption Lastly in the judgement day the soules are brought before the Lord in the ayre to be tryed for all they did so in death the soule is presented before the Lord where the Lord hath set up his seate of judgement and therefore after tryall and sentence given is sent either to heaven or hell Both unknowne both have signes going before Besides as death doth shew thee the state of the world so the knowledge that wee may have of death sheweth what knowledge we may have of the judgement day As the Lord hath hidden the knowledge of that day from men and Angells so is the day of our death hidden from men and Angells but as the Lord hath prefixed signes and markes to know when it approacheth if wee have eyes to see them so the Lord hath foreshewen signes in our bodie and behaviour if wee marke and observe them which prophecie our mortalitie And as blindnesse shall overcome men in the end of the world and they shall cry peace and safety when sodaine destruction is comming so when men are surest to live long to enjoy the world and improve it to the most then are they caught away and we see them no more I therefore intreate that all men would provide and study what concernes their death when they thinke of the last comming of Christ according to both which this doctrine is to bee applied First The reason of Christs stay in both wee see ofttimes the Lord tary long Saint Peter tells us the reason not that hee is slacke or desirous to put off the time but that hee is patient towards us and would have no man to perish but that all should come to repentance the Lord hath some chosen to salvation that are either unborne or uncalled and therefore the judgement day cannot come untill this bee done Againe seest thou a wicked man to live long the Lord stayes to give him time to repent which he not doing is made inexcusable if God gave him repentance then for this did the Lord suffer him to live Know the reason why the Lord preserves your life even that you may have time to turne and amend beware therefore that this time given for repentance be not used to the hardning of your hearts and heaping up of judgement And this was the cause why the great judgement came not long agoe Time uncertaine that we may prepare Secondly you see that the Lord will have the time of death and judgement uncertaine lest we conceiving the Lord giveth us time of repentance should convert and use it to our destruction that being certaine that they shall come but uncertaine of the time wee may prepare our selves shake off sinne more speedily and avoid it more carefully Are we then uncertaine of the time when we shall die and be brought to judgement First then let us be ever prepared Christ compareth the uncertainty of them to a snare Luke 21 35. Mat 24 43. that shall come upon the inhabitants of the earth likewise Christ 2 Pet. 3 10. 2 Thess 5 2. Peter and Paul compare them to the unexpected comming of a theef Christ compareth them to the flood in Noahs time Mat 24 37. O then how prepared ought we to be For if the bird feared the snare if the goodman feared the theef if the world would feare an universall flood to drowne them what providence how many lockes how many watches would be used and how many prayers would be said When the Spouse is uncertaine of her husbands comming how is her sleepe broken in the night her labour hindred in the day with thinking on him So saith Christ Luke 21 35. Watch therefore for the day when you shall goe to your Lord or your Lord come to you that you may be accounted worthy to stand before the Sonne of man in his comming Secondly And shake off sinne seeing the time of death and judgement are uncertaine take the Wisemans Counsell Make no delay in turning to the Lord and put not off from day to day c. Ecclesiasticus 5.7 If the King were to give one pardon for life or a grant for preferment upon condition to have his patent ingrossed in one day what haste would he make It may be that thou seest some live long and therefore thou presumest for the like Who would not beware of a mad man who killeth all before him as we see death doth every day But as hogges stand by whilest some of themselves are a killing cry for company with that which is killed and so goe away without any care or feare of the like so it is with most of us wee lament and bemoane for our friends whom the Lord calls but never consider that the next day the like is to befall us Seeing therefore we must goe out of the world to make account let us not deferre time to cast off sinne lest wee be forced to carry it to judgement A ship may be overloadened and overburdened so may the soule be if a man heape up sinne never so fast it may be the Lord will never punish in this life that after death he may be damned Israel hath sinned Esay 1 5. Ezek 16 42. I will smite him no more he will free him from dangers that destruction when it commeth may be the more intollerable Theramenes got our and escaped killing Aelian de var. hist lib. 9. when his house in Athens fell sodainly he crying out Iupiter for what time doest thou keepe mee when shortly after thirty robbers compelled him to eate and drink of the hemlock till it killed him Therefore let the uncertainty of the time and feare of greater judgement move you to turne truely to God And prevent it in time to come Finally the uncertainty of the time of death and judgement are soveraigne helpes to make us feare sinne and prevent it if the Ninivites had not feared they had perished as did Lots sonnes in law that feared not Iacobs sonnes at their first going into Aegypt feared little and fared ill at their second going they were in great feare and fared the better Hosea 13.1 When Ephraim spake as trembling the Lord exalted him but when he committed idolatry without feare the Lord destroyed him Sozom. lib. 7. ca. 31. Chrysostome counseiling the people of Antioch to call upon God to remove his anger lest Theodosius should destroy
them for defacing his wives Image Chrysost hom 15 ad Popul Antiochen the whole Citty seemed rather to be religiosorum Coenobium quà m congregatio Civium an Abbey of religious people than a meeting of Citizens So if the terrour of death and the judgement day goe to our hearts it will worke strongly against sinne and make us shew another manner of life ☞ Of Afflictions HItherto is shewen the stay of Christ from death and judgement Let us now consider another stay of this spirituall Bridegroome Every faithfull soule hath his meetings with Christ both in this life and after in this life he is to expect that Christ should come as a visiting Father to correct him for faults hee hath fallen into or to bestow his blessings and gifts upon him The first is one of Gods favours shewen to his children God visits his servant here with corrections Heb. 12 6. for he chasteneth every sonne whom he receiveth and where the Lord doth promise blessings this is one that of all he most accounteth in King Davids graunt 2 Sam 7. Psal 89 31 32. this promise is mentioned If thy children forsake my law I will visite their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with strokes for they are chastened of the Lord 1 Cor. 11 32. lest they should be condemned with the world Iob. 33.16 Elihu giveth a reason that when the Lord doth often exhort us yet our eares are sealed untill the Lord use the last remedie which is to open them with his corrections It is a marke to spie out the men whom God hateth that they * Psal 73.4 5 are not in bonds like other men and certainly they are most punished when they feele themselves not punished at all for then they are given up to the desires of their owne heart to live so wickedly as they list It is both doubtfull and dangerous for Gods servant to be without the use of the rod for looke and thou shalt finde that all Gods Saints saith * Quis Sancto rum sine certamine coronatus est Abel instus occiditur Abraham uxotem periclitatur amittere ne in immensum volumen extondā quaere et invenies sanctos omnes adversa perpessos solus Salomon in delitiis perpetuo fuit forsan ideo corruit Hieron ad Eufloch Ierome suffered adversity onely Salomon lived continually in pleasures and therefore it so proved with him Now whilest God suffereth his children to fall and to be long uncorrected this is his delay as when David without a checke for three quarters of a yeare continued in his sinnes of Adultery Murther and Hypocrisie Mora hec Domini longanimitas est quia non statim et è vestigio poenam imponit In Mat 24. As Salomon Eccles 8 11. Bern in Cant. Ser. 42. This stay of the Lord saith Theophilact is his long-suffering when he apprehends not the sinner in the fact nor sodainly inflicts punishment Misericordiam hanc nolo God deliver me from this mercy by which the Reprobates without bit or bridle spurre on to eternall destruction Try therefore your selves if you be thus acquainted to meete your Master and consider all the children of God and finde out but one sonne Heb. 12 7. that our heavenly Father chasteneth not If wee thus expected the comming of our Lord we would beleeve this to be true of every Christian August de Past Si exceptus est à passione flagellorum exceptus est de numero filiorum That he who is freed from suffering the rod is blotted out from the number of Gods sonnes and be rather afraid to be cast out of our heavenly inheritance than to be a sufferer of profitable correction And sometime with temporal blessings But lest the feare of Gods heavie hand should be a thraldome to Gods servants hee visits them in this life with gifts comfortable both to soule and body David who the most time of Saules reigne was a sufferer looked for this favour that God would yet at length give him some ease and visit him with some worldly comforts and therefore waited when God would be pleased to come unto him Psal 101 2. But because his servants are not to expect their felicity to be here of a certaine they must looke for sorrow and trouble Psal 34 10. and for prosperity onely so much as may ease them a little and as God in his wisdome knoweth to be for their good All slumbered and slept Now followeth the effect of the Bridegroomes staying even all slumbered and sleeped As the time for solemnization of a marriage is deferred and proposed unto a nominate time to this end that all who are bidden may be ready for the meeting But if fooles were invited they not understanding what concerned their profit and honour would neither prepare nor expect the appointed time or others though wise enough to provide and yet with watching and expectation should be weary heavy and so slumber and sleepe the Bridegroome should finde them all short of their intended readinesse So when our Saviour commeth to his judgement many shall be altogether unready and even of his deare servants some shall be weary and heavie and those that are dead found sleeping in the dust And therefore where God is liberall of time some are carelesse some faint in it most men are prodigall of it Herein we see the right use of the time that God lends us The right use of time and the abuse unto which the sinfulnes of men turnes it Our time is bestowed upon us that we may apply our hearts unto wisdome Psal 90 12. that we may recover out of that weaknesse Psal 39.13 whereinto sinne hath cast us 2 Pet 3 9. 2 Cor. 6 2. and that we may come to repentance and make it the day of purchasing salvation It is not for small consequence that daies moneths and yeares are bestowed upon us seeing that all the worth and friendship the world can afford cannot procure one weeke or a day to be added to make up a mans life to be the full summe of an hundred yeares The heavens serve for the framing of time and God giveth life that wee should not lose the use of it The Philosophers searching out what time was found it to be numerus motus the counter of celestiall motions Arist Phys acro lib. 3. so the Lord accounteth the time of our life not the time of his lingring from judgement but of his stay that all may come to repentance so to number their dayes that they may finde them so many steps of our motion heavenward And thus Hilary tels us what is the stay of the Bridegroome Mora sponsi tempus poenitentiae est even the time of repentance And this blessed benefit doth the Lord bestow upon his servants so much as needes for their spirituall preparation and upon the reprobate as may make them inexcusable and a measurer of the
wrath they have heaped upon themselves his elect have an acceptable time a day of salvation the reprobate a time to disobey his voice to harden their hearts and so spend forty yeares or more as in the provocation and day of temptation in the wildernesse this is the abuse of time which of all things that are consumed should be most grievous unto us Here 's si scires unum tua tempora mensem Rides cum non sit forsitan una dies Th. Mor. if wee knew how precious and short it were Hee that were certaine to live no more but a moneth or at most a yeare would be sure to spend his apparell in mourning and yet it may be his life prove not so long as the length of a day As God gave Iezabel the meanes of repentance 1 Kings 21 23 by the preaching of Eliah so as a speciall benefit hee gave her time to repent even fourteene yeares after the death of Ahab but she would not and therefore the promised wrath of God lighted upon her Christ in his Epistle written from heaven unto the Church of Thyatira Revel 2 21. desires them to consider her fearefull example in abusing the time When God taketh account of all he reckoneth for the time too and therefore beloved strive to buy time by all labour and industry and for what we have or may lose let vs redeeme by making double use and profit of it But such is the miserable estate of our sinfull nature that our eye is evill because God is good We abuse time as we do other blessings in our actions we are prodigal because God in bounty is liberall God giveth good things cheerefully we receive them grudgingly use them cursedly And although all his benefits be good yet wee cannot use them so for all our imaginations and intentions are evill and therefore this great benefit in sparing us and giving us time of repentance and preparation for death and judgement brings by our crossenesse a contrary effect as appeareth by example both in elect and reprobate men Gods long-suffering from correcting of his owne servants causeth them to be slacke in his service what shall wee then thinke of others If for a few yeares wicked men goe uncurbed they say the words of the Psalme God neither seeth Psal 10.11 neither is there knowledge in the Almighty and how farre Gods children goe astray may appeare in the behaviour of that sometimes flourishing Commonwealth of Israel in every time when they had most of Gods temporall blessings of whom Moses in his death-song both by experience and prophecy said that when they were full Deut. 32 15. they waxed wanton and Davids fearefull fall and Salomons idolatry sheweth the danger of his children when God stayeth long from correcting them But seeing in this sleeping and slumbering the blessed or miserable estate of these Virgins is set downe we are to consider how farre faulty each of them shall be found at the comming of Christ for the Parable saith generally all slumbered and slept which is to be considered as the Scripture doth take the name of sleepe either for sinne security or naturall death ☞ Of the daily increase of sinne and the fulnes thereof at Christs comming FIrst the Scripture useth the word sleeping for sinning 1 Cor. 15 34. Rom. 13.11 as in these places Awake truly out of sleepe and sinne not The houre is that wee should rise from sleepe where the Apostle expoundeth it of sinne and in Eph. 5.14 it is named for sinne which is also there called a death as 1 Tim. 5 6 to teach us Esay 59.2 that sinne separateth us from God who is the life of the soule And that as he that sleepeth wanteth use of his senses and is not capable of the actions which concerne reasonable men to doe so the sinner The abundance of sinne before the great day may appear by the daily increase of it untill he be awaked by repentance is not able to doe these things which God requireth of an understanding man In sleep the senses leave their proper use but then the naturall powers are busiest as appetite digestion of meate concoction and feeding of the body so in sin the soule is made without feeling of God or its owne state but for the powers of corrupted and sinfull nature they receive strength and are busie to fulfill the sinfull lusts of the flesh And thus we finde that Gods servants doe often slumber but after they be effectuallly called seldome doe they sleepe in sinne but so soone as they slumber they are affrighted by Gods angry threatnings and awaked by repentance As for the Reprobates God giveth them over unto the spirit of slumber Esay 29 10. 6 9. without feeling of what they doe or being able to heare any call of God for their awaking because the Lord intendeth to destroy them 1 Sam 2 25. as is evident in the sonnes of Eli. Therefore in Christs Church immediatly before his comming his true servants shall as men possessed with a sleepy heavines wrastle against the heavines and importunity of naturall concupiscence and continue the battell betweene the spirit and flesh as all the godly before them have done in the dayes of their flesh But for the Vessels of wrath as in the olde world they waxed worse and worse more cruell beastly sensuall and profane and the Sodomites wickednesse for guilt reached heaven yea and in the end they offered shutting eares eyes bookes shunning the company of them who are likeliest to mark or admonish them like those who affect to be sleepy indeed to shut doores windowes avoid noise and company and finally draw curtaines over their eyes and commit their heads to the company of a pillow untill God from heaven reade their dreames with a hasty mischiefe Wee see many to have particular experience of this and it shall be the awaking at the last day for men shall bee playing the Epicures Luc 17.26 27 28.30 2 Pet 2 7 8. 1 Thess 5.3 as in the dayes of Noah vexing the few righteous as the Sodomites did Lot crying peace peace when on a sodaine in the twinkling of an eye God shall send the flood of his wrath fire from heaven and eternall destruction to bring all foregone conceited pleasures to nothing No age of the world wherein religion flourished hath beene free from this sleepinesse of security except the rodde of persecution or affliction were above them to teach them how dangerous their state were if once they slumbred but above all the security that shall generally be at the last day could never be exemplified in any former experience for all their senses shall be bound and without power of feeling the force of religion or understanding the terror of Gods wrath therefore our Saviour compareth this deadnesse to sleepe for if men were awake there were hope that though they were blinde yet they might heare if they wanted both senses
except he be a child of perdition Finally our Lord said All slept few doing otherwise that all may tremble and feare lest the Lord come upon them by death and judgement as a thiefe in the night Tremble therefore before death that you tremble not in it watch for that houre lest it watch for you and finde you asleepe make ready for judgement for feare it be heaped up for you examine your selves if you be some of them whom Christ saith are now asleepe and consider the fearefull taking you would be in if in this instant death should apprehend you and bring you to judgement as who knowes but it may or at some other time when you are as unresolvedly prepared found carelesse of heaven fearelesse of hell slacke in religion dead and buried in wickednes all that are thus found shall a thousand times curse father mother friends and acquaintance the world and all that were their helpers and comforters in this mortall life VERSE 6. And at midnight there was a cry made Behold the Bridegroome commeth goe out to meete him NOw followeth this solemne meeting and the marriage day which beginneth with a Proclamation containing a publike notice a general command Go ye c. As it concerns the honor of the married that so honourable a work should be accordingly performed to the degree and estate of the parties espoused So seeing Iesus Christ who is Lord above all blessed for ever is the Bridegroome it standeth with his honour that his comming personally and bodily should be with the fight of Majesty voice of heavenly Heraulds and attendance of all his creatures which with the time wee are now to consider of And at midnight As Christ when he speaketh of the time of his comming usually doth it by the signe so here when hee saith at midnight hee continueth the Parable according to the former particulars because it is the usuall time in which all men betake them to their naturall rest and are found asleepe in their beds So that Christ meaneth not hereby to point out any time in an age yeare or naturall day at which he would come but thereby doubleth his former words to shew that the security of the world at his comming shall not be as an ordinary sleepe but as the dead sleepe in the night in which many are according to their owne confession so without sense that you may beat drums by them and cary them whither you will Gods word hath not set downe the time of Christs comming As for knowledge of the time of Christs comming the word of God hath shewen us nothing which may make us certaine of the age yeare or day Christ giveth a reason to his Apostles because it doth not concerne you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non est vestrū c. Acts 1.7 or it is not profitable for you If every mans death or the generall judgement were knowne to be farre off it would make his servants faint and weary and wicked men would be more dissolute and ungodly The reason hereof who for all their conterfeiting are often compelled to tremble Vigilate quia nescitis diem neque horam c. Crebro id repetit ut ignorantiam exitus ab hac vita utilem esse ostenda◠Chrysost in Mat. Hom. 79. doubting the fearefull approach of that day If these times were knowne to be neere his servants would be troubled with naturall feare of death which is a greater paine when we feare it than when we feele it wicked men would be tormented with desperate feare of worse than a thousand deathes which would make them leape into hell sooner than need were Our Saviour as he said in the forenamed place that the Father had put up the times and seasons in his owne power so he had answered this question to his Disciples before Admonet ne discere tentent quod Angeli ignorant Theophilact in Mat 24 36. Marke 13 32 as unwilling to shew it and unwilling that either they should thinke it possible to be knowne or fitting ever to be demanded of againe For of that day and houre saith he knoweth no man no not the Angels of heaven neither the Sonne but the Father It is certaine that Christ knew it Pet Mart in 1 Cor 10 11. although not as he was man but as his divine nature shewed him but he saith he knoweth it not Theophilact in Marke 13 32. even as a loving Father unwilling either to deny his childe or to grieve his tender heart when hee is asking some thing which the father will not give he hideth it in his hand and afterwards sheweth him his empty hand for satisfaction so Christ hideth it from his Apostles and us with a reason that we grieve not because wee cannot know it seeing the Angels in heaven know it not and yet are not the lesse blessed because they doe not know it nor the blessed humane nature of Christ lesse glorious though nature hath not affoorded the knowledge thereof unto him And though Christ in this Parable name midnight yet it cannot be to point out the time seeing every place in the world as it differeth from other in scituation east or westward differeth also in houres there can no houre be given which is the same in halfe a quarter of the earth Exod 12 29. Traditio ludaeorum est c. Vnde reor traditionem illam permansisse ut in die vigiliarū Paschae ante noctis dimidium populos dimittere non liceat expectantes adventum Christi Hieron in Matth. 25. See more of the time upon Verse 13. and though the destroying Angel came at midnight among the Aegyptians yet was it an idle tradition that the convert Iewes in Saint Ieroms time had that Christ should come at midnight Onely I wish that wee were so of this conceit that every day past were the last of our life then would we enter our bed as wee would wish to goe to our grave for many goe sound to their bed as wee commonly say who are found dead in the morning and it is certaine that it must be midnight in some part of the world at Christs comming By these things we should learne how unprofitable their curiosity is We ought to leave curiosity in searching of it that labour to know this day of judgement and how blinded wee are in neglecting what is set downe and profitable for us and to hunt with sorrow and trouble for the thing that is not to bee had Saint Augustine said truly Prophetiae citiùs implentur quà m intelliguntur That Prophecies are sooner fulfilled than understood And therefore we are not to enquire for that day but how ready we are for it and as wee perceive by signes the approaching of that wrath so we may call to the mercifull God to be delivered from the terrour of it Our Saviour by naming the time of his comming midnight teacheth us two things First Security a forerunner of
their greater griefe and shame August de Verb. Dom. Ser. 23. Non est consulentium sed irridentium est ista responsio This answer is not to give counsell but to mocke them and this is all they get for helpe or pitty To us therefore doth our Saviour speak these words to forewarne us that wee never cast our count so as to thinke that which wee have to be too little for our selves nor thus to answer the distressed lest the shame be shamefully cast in our teeth when wee hope for a more mercifull answere in judgement This reason of the covetous sheweth us what is the cause which maketh men so unwilling to helpe others who are in necessity because they cannot beleeve that ever they can have enough for themselves This is one of the greatest plagues that can fall upon a man to be insatiable in affecting a thing that is farre inferiour to the worth of himselfe The causes of covetousnesse uncharity This Covetice proceedeth from a great blindnesse of the minde which as it seemeth doth build it selfe upon these or the like divelish and darkened conceits First that it cannot possibly stand with his owne felicity that he should love any other or care to helpe him Secondly that there is no meanes to give his minde contentment or to make him happy except it be with worldly pelfe Thirdly that he must needs live many yeares as the rich man in the Gospell concluded and that therefore all he can get cannot be too much Luke 12 19 Fourthly he doth doubt that God will not be carefull to provide for him because he conceiveth that God is disposed as he himselfe is and not much carefull for others or if God were in disposing of goods that he would not be so just as to give him so much as were enough for him It is no wonder where ignorance and unbeliefe prevaileth so farre to bring a man to these conceites that hee presently bends all his wits to scrape together all he can possibly snatch to suffice for use and to satisfie his desire which indeede can never be satisfied No wonder therefore it is that the Lord abhorreth the covetous and cruell man Psal 10 3. and him that speaketh good of him Therefore if we would be mercifull to others and save our selves from the wrath to come man Ephes 4.7 even as he pleaseth and according to what measure hee will So that wee are hereby taught to whom we shall have recourse in all our spirituall necessities even to our blessed Saviour In whom dwelleth all the treasures of grace bodily Col. 2.9 who is able to bestowe this Oyle of his Spirit to enlighten our sinfull soules and bodies and to prepare us for his comming Now if Gods word in the aboue named places be true the works of supererogation cannot be found in any or though it were so Colos 1 19. none is communicable unto another except from Christ in whom onely it hath pleased God that all fulnesse should dwell 1 Cor. 1.30 Act. 4.12 and who only is made our Righteousnes and in whom only we have hope of salvation Goe ye rather to them that sell and buy for your selues In appliyng of these words we finde them to be a bitter mocke of the reprobate to bidde them in the day of account to goe and buy Some take the Kingdome of heaven by violence others steale it some begge it others buy it or provide grace for themselves for then there are no sellers nor meanes to be found We have in these words two things to be considered buying and selling how either of them can be applyed to our labour for salvation For buying It is to us that have meanes and time to provide for that fearefull account that our Saviour speaketh these wordes of seasonable counsell as he did to the Laodiceans to buy and store themselves with the treasures of spirituall life Revel 3.18 The summ of the counsell is that we vse traffique for salvation As there are diverse meanes used some lawfull some unlawfull to mainteyne this mortall life so doth the word of God use the comparison of them to exhort us unto all labour and diligence 2. Peter 1 10. Quis expedivit Psittacosuum Chaiâ—e Magister artis ingeniique largitor venter Persent Ecclesiast 6 7. Bernard in libro sententiarum to make our calling and election sure and to purchase an immortall life The belly saith a Poet makes Master of Art both gives cunning industry for satisfiyng wherof some robbe others steale some begg others buy all as Salomon saith is to content backe belly In like manner Gods servants if we looke unto their life and workes some robbe and take the kingdome of heaven by violence others steale it some begge it others goe to those that sell and buy it for themselves Christ told the Iewes Math. 11 12. that from that time Iohn Baptist began to teach the Kingdome of heaven suffered violence and the violent tooke it by force these are they whose breasts are inflamed with zeale and who either for feare of Gods anger or for love of his mercyes turne suddenly to the Lord The Publicans and sinners by this meanes wonne heaven who flocked about Iohn Baptist Luk. 3 10 12. Act. 2 37. Luk 19 6. and cryed Master what shall we doe and the hearers of Peters Sermon upon Whitsontide and Zaccheus who came downe from the tree quickly and received Christ joyfully and St. Augustine who in his conversion Lib. 8 Conf. cap. 3. sect 1. cryed unto God why shall I be converted to morrow why not to day unlearned men get up and take heaven by violence and we with our diversity of learning doe wallow in flesh and bloud And all whosoever turne with hast and fervency unto the Lord may be sayd to take heaven violently Grandis c. It is a great violence 〈…〉 11. to be borne on earth and to enter into heaven and to obtaine that by strength which wee cannot have by nature Theophylact. in Mat 11. or what greater violence can be than on a sodaine to forsake father and mother to quite all pleasure the world can give yea and contemne life it selfe rather than to want Gods favour or be disappointed of eternall life Horum figuraÌ„ tenuit mulier patiens fluxum sanguinis quae cogitavit intra se dicens si c Mar 5 28. Bernard ibid. 1 Kings 19 18. Others in a manner take heaven by stealth these are they that labour for heaven and yet so secretly that they are not espied by the common multitude they are farre from hypocrisie they have their oyle in their vessells as were the seven thousand in Eliah's time who worshipped the Lord so secretly that the Prophet could not espie them and I doubt not but every age hath of this kinde Iohn 3 2. that with Nicodemus come to the Lord in the night Some
better the Scripture hath laid lessons in our way which we stand in neede of by seeking of which wee may finde somewhat for our eternall comfort The duties required of man and wife may be learned by the actions of God his Church the love of the man to the wife is taught by the love of Christ to his Church Ephes 5.22 23 c. when he gave his life rather than it should be lost how tenderly they should shew themselves in all their actions is taught by Christs nourishing and cherishing the Church And on the other part the subjection and reverence the woman ought to have towards her husband is taught by the subjection of the Church unto Christ who onely hath an eye to him and desireth to be governed according to his direction It is an heavenly patterne so to governe our selves as we have Christ for an example and on the other part we wrong our selves in mariage when we bereave our selves of this heavenly comfort for this is onely the way to make our mariage comfortable and heavenly often to call to remembrance the union of Christ to his Church and especially to our soules and according as we are dealt with and behave our selves in the spirituall mariage so to frame our lives and actions in the duties of mariage according to the same example I dare boldly promise in the name of God Gal. 6.16 that he who sanctifieth his mariage in walking after this rule peace shall be on him in this life and mercy shall be his portion in the life to come in being admitted to that society of mariage with Christ in heaven which hee so much loved and imitated whilest hee remained upon earth If I should take a survey of many maried persons and enquire if they learne and practise any thing according to the rule of Christ and his Church I should finde them of another spirit that where Christ appointeth their life according to the rule of heaven they live in imitation of hell as if they were bound together to be tormenters one to another The unquiet lives of many doe shew that Satan hath gotten power to curse them and when all things else doe pleasure both they finde want of nothing but love and quietnesse Is the God of peace and love dwelling with such a couple No sure it is the enemy of peace Or can we exhort them to love their neighbour and be tender-hearted to him when they hate and torment their owne flesh Love is a marke of Christs scholler and it is certaine that he must be taught and led by Satans overruling hand that beginneth hatred so neere home as to be enemie unto their heart which God hath appointed to lye in his owne bosome No fault but it can pretend just ground and married couples can pretend reason too But will a man be angry if the one hand cut the other seeing they are both alike his owne and should hee be angry though faults happen among them must he fall at variance for every fault What should become of him if the Lord should for every fault shew his wrath against him Or if there were cause given should hee then be angry and shew hatred This is not the example of our Saviour who loved every member of his Church and gave his life for them even when they were enemies and did what they could to offend him If the fault be in the wives carriage St. Paul counsells Col. 3.19 yet to love them and be not bitter unto them alwayes remembring the example of Christ who laboured to cleanse his Church and to make it without spot or blame Eph 5 26 27. If the fault bee in the men and they be untoward Saint Peter counselleth the women 1 Pet. 3.1 that by all meanes they subject themselves to their husbands that though they were infidels yet they might be wonne by the conversation of their wives There is no place for contention betweene man and wife all should be love and if the maried would take care to behave themselves like Christians in their houses towards themselves wee should not see or heare them so often in the streets behaving themselves like Turkes towards others nor suffer Satan to goe betweene them and the blessing of their mariage ☞ Of the joyes of heaven it is said They that were ready went in with him to the Mariage THE mariage entertainment is now to be spoken of whereof all the prepared Virgins shal in the glorious day of Christs comming be made partakers True it is that Gods servants after death shall be followers of Christ into the glory of heaven and there are in blisse glory and joy which is not possible to be conceaved But in this Parable I must direct my speech unto that felicity which we are to have both in body soule after the day of judgement because the text tendeth that way and Christ in it respecteth the question that was propounded unto him concerning his comming Math. 24.3 and now applyeth and in this Parable concludeth the doctrine of his comming with an exhortation to watching Notwithstanding whatsoever can be said of the glory both of body and soule miseries there Math. 6.20 so saith the Scripture that in heaven neither the moth nor canker corrupteth neither theeues dig through nor steale Revel 21.4 and God shall wype all teares from their eyes there shall be no more death neither sorrow neither crying neither any more paine for the sorrowes of this world shall be gone In manner of excellency when wee see any thing good comfortable profitable or honourable for us we straight conclude a greater excellency of all such things to be desired are in heaven the onely seate of felicitie Quotiescunque saith Hierom. te vana seculi delectabit ambitio Ad Eustoch quotiescunque in seculo videris aliquid gloriosum ad paradisum mente transgredere Whensoever the vaine desires of this world doth delight thee whensoever thou seest any thing in the world glorious then let thy minde mount up to Paradise and in this kinde excellent things are spoken of heavenly Ierusalem Psal 87.3 The thing that all men account best and sweetest is life therefore the Scripture hath promised us a life in heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for excellency whereof it may be justly sayd to us Cic. in som Scip. Vestra verò quae dicitur vita mors est that our life is but a death Nothing more comfortable to them that liue then assurance of long life from whence we conclude that in heaven which hath fulnes of all comfort we shall haue eternall life The most profitable life that we can desire is to have all things that can make us happie of which we finding some things in this life for our comfort and refreshment wee conclude that in heaven are all things that need to make us perfectly blessed the greatest honour this world hath is to be head of one
punishment was greater than hee could could beare and Absolom desired to be killed 2 Sam. 14.32 if he could not have leave to enjoy the Kings presence the childe shut out of the fathers doores is in a miserable estate or the subject excluded from the Kings defence and protection Therefore now consider how grievous it will be to you to bee thrust out of our heavenly Fathers house and so walke now to please him that in that day when you are to be possessed of that long expected inheritance others and not you may be shut out of dores But if this punishment is not effectuall to move you Poena sensus then the Lord declareth his wrath from heaven that he hath prepared unquenchable fire to be their portion that will upon such faire intreaty neglect to prepare for a heavenly inheritance August in spec hum mis there is utter or most extreme darknesse hunger and thirst extremenesse of colde and heate nothing is heard but curses lamentations grones no company but tormenting divels and cursing soules they shall seeke for death and not obtaine it and this is their estate for ever It shall be a miserable sight that the body shall continually burne and not be consumed who could thinke this possible if the Lords word had not said so And besides he hath confirmed it with our experience The stone Asbestus August de Civit. Dei l. 21. c. 5. if once it be set on fire it can never be quenched 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Math 3.12 and yet it never consumeth and therefore hath the name When Iohn Baptist expresseth the durance of hell fire he useth the same word unquenchable fire Were it not good to be delivered from this eternall woe and not to be disappointed of an eternall and unspeakable good yet weigh both now that you be not compelled to suffer both hereafter Secondly our Saviour doth hereby teach vs that as unmercifull men deale with others Vncharitie requited so shal they be dealt with when they goe to meate the poore are cast out and lest they should gett to reach the crummes of their table the dore must be shutte In like manner when our Lord shall convey his servants into Abrahams bosome the gate shall bee shutte and these who held out others in this life God shall hold without the gates of blisse in the life to come This is the third reason we have found in this Parable to moue us to be mercifull to the distressed for first in the beginning of eternall woe and necessitie the hard hearted shall wish if it were possible that they might be helped by others Secondly their former cruell dealing shall be cast in their teeth and their owne answers meet them in judgement and Thirdly with anger thrust from the presence of God and the gate of glory shutte upon them He that expecteth to sit on a throne in Gods company for ever must cause the distressed to sit at his table Gods word hath often commanded and commended hospitalitie I meane not common feastings of them that are able to double it in the like againe Abrahams charitie requited but to call the sicke naked and blind the lame the stranger and the prisoner Abraham hath a threefold reward and commendation for his hospitality in this world Heb. 13.2 Gen. 18.22 besides his eternall reward in heaven 1. In lodging strangers he received Angells yea the great Angell of the Covenant even the Sonne of God Malach 3.1 2 That none shall be accounted to be a true Israelite to God Iohn 8.39 except he doe the works of Abraham of which this is a chiefe And therefore Theophilact in Luke 16.23 for good reason doth Christ in the Parable call the rich glutton to be judged by Abraham who compelled those that were strangers on the way to receive entertainment of him where the rich Glutton starved them that lay continually within a call to his table 3. Heaven hath received the name of Abrahams bosome because his heart bosome was open to all the distressed who received heate cōfort nourishment in this life and shall though all the unmercifull in the world would starve thē at their gate be received into the hospitalitie of heaven with as great compassion and comfort as ever the distressed was received into the house or bosome of Abraham As the Lord hath made the faith of Abraham an example of beleeving to all the faithfull so hath he commended his hospitalitie that all who desire to follow him to glory may imitate him in his charitie But as God dealeth with the hard hearted according to their workes in shutting doores on them as they doe vpon others yet there is a difference when the poore is denyed or shutte out at one time yet he hopes he may be helped at anotime Heavens Gates once shutt cannot be open and therefore wailes and importunes for help and reliefe though it stay long because hee that hath shutt his doore may open it and the hard hearted may at length be moved with compassion compassion but when the Lord shutteth the gate of mercy it is never opened againe there is no waiting nor hope of any comfort to ensue for clauditur Bern. in hunc 〈◊〉 janua audiendi respondendi miserandi the Lord hath shut the gate of hearing of answering or taking compassion But what gate is this Even the gate that is now open unto all that come from the east and west to sit with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heaven the gate of him who saith He that commeth to me I will not cast out Iohn 6.37 The murtherers come and are admitted the Publicans and sinners are received the wanton adulteresse fornicators theeves blasphemers and oppressours and the open gate is not denied unto them Beholde how the gate is now open which shall be shut for ever even that which is open to teares sighes and grones of sinners which received Aaron after his idolatry David after his murther and adultery Peter after his denying of Christ now it is shut for ever If the Lord open our eyes to make use of this wee may perceive with Iacob the gate of heaven Gen. 23.17 Acts 7 56. or with Steven see the heavens open because it is the occasion and time to heare our prayers to answer our calls and have mercy upon us And therefore to day if you will make use of it harden not your hearts but strive to enter in at this gate before it be shut upon you VERSE 11. Afterward came also the other Virgins saying Lord Lord open to us NOw the Parable sheweth us the last refuge of reprobate men even to the Lord but he shall not heare them We are very ready to deceive and beare our selves in hand with conceits beyond all reason and ground and therefore as by the former intreaty to the elect and their answere Christ taught us how little helpe the
the Lords deniall of all favour unto the damned after death and judgement And to make us assured of it he hath not spoken it onely without further confirmation but added an oath Verily I say unto you The word verily is often used by Christ in the Greeke it is Amen which Christ taketh to bee his owne name These things saith Amen Revel 3.14 the true and faithfull witnes for he is the way the truth and the life As if he had said as the truth is truth I say unto you and so having no greater to protest witnes and seale this doctrine with then himselfe Verbum confirmationis praemittitu magnum noveris esse quod sequitur Bern Declamat confirmeth it with his trueth Wheresoever this word is used in Scripture it sheweth a vehemency and earnestnes of the affection of him that speaketh and doth import some great consequence So that wheresoever it is pronounced by Christ it should be unto us as a marke vpon that Scripture to move us to consider the weight of it because hee would not have us negligent to heare that which he is so carefull to teach Now he saith verily to shew that as he is true this is the answer they may looke for I know you not If words were taken hold of and beleeved the Lord needeth not thus to add an oath for confirmation We will hardly beleeve any thing to hurt us and because we will never beleeve any thing that will hurt vs the Lord ingageth his truth that so it shal be if we labour not to make our acquaintaince with him in time and all this is to drawe us out of the snare of presumption that we passe not our life so idly Examples or according to our owne phantasie that we looke for favour after death when none is to be had How apt we are to conceive so appeareth by divers experiences the coÌ„mon voyce of the ignorant is This is the hope of Papists to be released out of Purgatorie by the prayers of the living that sure God will be mercifull unto all men and it were a sinfull conceite to thinke otherwise Others more grossely have laid it as a ground to all their hopes that when the paines of hell have taken hold on their soule that then others may knocke at the gates of blisse for them Theophilact in Math. 25.46 Setteth downe this errour of the Originians contrarie to Christs owne words and like to this is the Papists deliverance from Purgatorie both smelling of the Stoicks conceits of which Cicero Neither the soules in â—unc lo um nisi multis exagitati seculiâ— reveruntur in Som. Scip. and that after they regarded not to heare the Lord all their life time yet he will heare others for them and recall them for their torments they suffer And because errour hath no bridle to it nor end at which it doth determine even mercy hath been preached by some to be granted to the Divells and other damned Spirits after that the world doth end and they have suffered the torments of hell a little after So that all these onely give leave that men may leade what life they will or never expect to have or see heaven open whilst they are in this life and have occasion to have it open wherefore all these give no credit to this protestation that Christ maketh Verily I say unto you I know you not I knowe you not As Christ hath forewarned us in this Parable what part Reprobates shall haue in his favor The meaning and truth of the words so in other places he tells us that wheÌ„ the matter shall come to open triall in judgement when they shall claime familiaritie and acquaintance with Christ saying Lord Lord open to us Luk 13.25.26 and he shall answere and say I know you not then shall they say we haue eaten drunken in thy presence Math 7.22.23 and thou hast taught in our streetes By thy name we haue prophecyed and cast out Devils and done many workes Notwithstanding all this Theophilact in Math. 7.23 Christ will professe say unto them I never knewe you Neque tunc quando miracula faciebatis diligebam vos even then when you preached and did miracles in my name I loved you not by which appeareth the same is the truth of God for ever This concernes all that are in Gods imployments to consider for all that they doe if the Lord hate them or if he be preparing eternall wrath for them He makes wicked men to doe him good service Ioh. 6.70 Iudas preached saluation to others and ouercame the power of Sathan in them who was no better than a Diuell himselfe He calleth Nebuchadnezer his servant Ezech. 29.18 Esay 44.28 and Cyrus his Sheepheard and many other to doe him service whom he will protest in the great day that he never loved The words have a reason in themselves The foolish Virgins desire him to open heaven unto them his answere is I know you not according to the rest of this Parable for at solemne feasts they that desire entrance but ought not to be admitted the common answere is I know you not and therefore there is no reason I should open unto you Especially this is the reason of the uncharitable who being by the command of God to open their dores to strangers they doe no good except they know well to whom and to the poore and distressed they answer I know you not Even so shall their answer be from the Lord as they answered others and as they did good to none but whom they loved so the Lord will not heare them because he never loved them The meaning of the words I know you not is I will take no notice of you for as these that are promoted to honour when their olde acquaintance would claime interest in them The elect reprobate known to God but diverse wayes use to say I doe not know you So Iesus Christ in the great judgement when Reprobates would claime some interest in him shall say the like I know you not that is I will have no commerce nor fellowship with you August de verb. Dom Ser. 22. Quid est Nescio vos Est improbo vos reprobo vos What is I know you not It is I refuse you I cast you off The Lord knowes both the godly and reprobate but after diverse manners love is joyned with the knowledge of the one and hatred with the knowledge of the other Of the elect it is said The Lord knoweth who are his 2 Tim. 2.19 Rom. 8.29 and Those that he had knowne before he elected to salvation And of the Iewes Rom. 10.2 that hee knew them before that is he loved them before and in this respect it is true that the Lord knoweth not wicked men for he loves them not But otherwise he knoweth all their thoughts and deedes happy were they if they knew themselves in some
measure with that pure and holy knowledge that the Lord hath of them it would make them take some more labour for his love and acquaintance which seeing they doe not they fulfill the Lords threatning to their shame seeing they are foretolde of it and care not to prevent it Christ foretolde us that hee who confessed him Matth 10 32. Marke 10.38 hee would acknowledge him before his Father and the Angels but he that would be ashamed of him hee would deny him Loe now he maketh it good for he professeth openly I know you not What meaneth to confesse or to be ashamed of Christ In this life our Saviour calleth for our friendship and acquaintance in his faire offer of salvation if we will thinke it an honour for us that Christ was once in misery and poverty for our sake and account this our greatest glory he sendeth his messengers the poore and distressed who are his brethren Fratres vocat omnes simpliciter pauperes Omnis enim pauper frater est Christi quandoquidē Christus in egestate vixit Theophylact. in Mat. 25.40 to be acquainted with us in his name to see how wee would like of their friendship or how we would entertaine Christ if he himselfe came to us in that fashion as indeede once he did If we rejoyce to be thus acquainted with Christ and confesse him in this life then shall he openly acknowledge us and to our glory pronounce before God and all that shall be gathered in the great judgement how we loved and respected him and his messengers He that is ashamed of the poverty of Christ the misery and tribulation of a Christian or the distresse of the poore or to professe love and acquaintance to them they shal be rewarded accordingly Idem in Iuc 9.26 As he that hath an evil servant is ashamed to call him his servant so Christ shall deny them and say I know you not Happy is the soule that hath a part in the commendation and prayer of Paul for Onesiphorus whose service and confession he prayeth the Lord to remember in the great day in these words The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus 1 Tim. 1.16 17 18. for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chaine but when hee was at Rome he sought me out very diligently and found me the Lord grant unto him that he may finde mercy with the Lord in that day and in how many things he hath ministred unto mee at Ephesus thou knowest very well Lastly these words I know you not shew us that not onely Christ shall take away his compassion from them but shall be their enemy to be avenged on them Theophilact in Marc. 8.34 He that denieth another if it be his familiar friend his brother or father although he see him whipt or killed he taketh no notice he laments not he hath no compassion or suffering with him being once estranged from him so when Christ hath denyed the reprobate they must looke for no compassion but which is worse they must expect punishment When some of the Levites were killing of their owne kindred for their idolatry of Levi it is said in their name Hee said unto his father and mother Deut. 33 9. I have not seene you neither knew he his brethren nor knew he his owne children So when the date of acquaintance and mercy is past with Christ then there is nothing to be expected but the execution of vengeance for hee will not know one more than another When his wrath is kindled Psal 2.12 it will be knowne how happy they are that put their trust in him Now there is a question to be answered Seeing Christ both exhorteth and promiseth Knock and it shall be open unto you how is it that hee saith he will deny them that both knocke and call upon him in the day of judgement I answer they defraud themselves of the benefite of this promise Two things to be observed by all that would knocke at heavens gate for obtaining whereof two conditions are required of us First that wee knocke and call while it is the time and day of salvation which day is the time of our life because that life and time is given unto us to this end that wee may labour for the life that never hath an end August in Ioh. 6 Ad hoc debet prodesse unicuique vivere ut detur ei semper vivere And indeede life is onely a benefit to every man that he may thereby obtaine the benefit of living eternally Secondly we must in requisite manner call and knocke some onely knocke with words and honour God with their lippes Esay 29 13◠but their hearts are farre from him yea and will aske of God with teares yet they aske not aright because it is not with heart word and deed of which they want two for their hearts call not to him for love of him or of eternall life but other by-respects are cause of their complaints neither doe their deedes concurre to knocke and move the Lord. These who would enter into life must open their hearts to let the Lord in and dwell in them Psal 24.7 according as David exhorteth Lift up your heads you gates and be ye lift up ye everlasting dores and the King of glory shall come in Psal 118.20 for this is the gate of the Lord onely the righteous shall enter into it who onely may truely say Verse 19. Open mee the gates of righteousnesse that I may goe into them and praise the Lord for ever no uncleane or wicked person dare say this their deedes can neither knocke nor enter Acts 10 4. Cornelius prayer appeared in Gods presence but his fasting and almes went up to heaven heaven cannot be purchased with bare words we must make friends of worldly riches to gaine everlasting habitations and make treasures in heaven yea and have our hearts there also or else our calling cannot be taken notice of nor be able to unlocke the inaccessible place of glory VERSE 13. Watch therefore for yee know neither the day nor the houre when the Sonne of man will come THese words are the 3. part of this Parable containing the application of it Wherin our Saviour sheweth plainly the great love and care he hath to his servants and his abundant mercy which he hath on all men that he desireh not the death of a sinner but rather that he should turne from his wickednesse and live giveth a generall cry forewarning their danger and preventing their destruction but in such particular manner that it is sufficient to move the most senseles heart to retreate Two times already as I said in the beginning hath Christ in this same Sermon given the same warning Now because the danger is great even the damnation of every soule that labours not to prevent it and men are carelesse and fearelesse of unseene and unfelt dangers therfore he preacheth it
how and in what holy exercises they spent the day onely for the good of the soule accounting the necessities of the body to be supplyed and cared for rather in the night which customes being used in other places in processe of time they divided the night into severall watches of which I will speake hereafter by all which appeareth how carefull the true servants of God have beene to count and employ their time But ignorance being the mother of presumption it appeareth that this is one of the markes of reprobate men because they know not how precious the time is to make a count of many yeares but care not how they bestow them If God gave time according to their desire they would at least choose the yeares of Methusalah The rich man counted not his life by dayes but counted a part of his life to be the summe of many yeares Luke 12 19. and it is the property of an evill servant to say My master doth deferre his comming Matth 24 48. As they count their time lightly gotten so they intend to bestow it lavishly in feasting gameing and sleeping but most of them with the evill servant to commit all manner of violence and oppression and because they never counted their time by dayes and houres they ever finde Christs promise true that their master will come in a day when they looked not for him and in an houre that they are not aware of Learne therefore to number your dayes and as the Wiseman saith Ecclus. 14.14 Be not disappointed of the good day but so employ it that the time be not lost without some fitting gaine to soule and body according as the times are convenient This is verbatim out of Suetonius in the life of Tit. Flau. Vespas Augus Sect. 7. It is a memorable example of an Heathen Emperour Titus Vespasian who calling to minde one time as he sate at supper that hee had done nothing for any man that day he uttered this memorable and praise-worthy Apophthegme My friends I have lost a day O what lost time have we to answer for wherein we have neither done good to others nor our selves Let them that love glasses to see their faces in looke also upon houre-glasses to see how their time goes away and comes not againe Watch therefore for you know not the day nor the houre c. Lastly followeth the charge Seeing we know all these things how carefull should wee be that death and judgement overtake us not when wee are sleeping in sinne and without thought of heaven or hell Better it is to watch and to be saved than sleepe and be destroyed We have herein to be considered three things 1. The meaning of the word Watch. 2. The persons to whom this watch is spoken 3. What is required for performance of it The word is used from warfare in which the armie ever count themselves to be in danger if the enemie be not certainly knowne to be farre off and therefore adventure not to sleepe without spies appointed and set in the most convenient places to perceive the approach of the enemy and with a loud voice when danger is at hand may sound an alarme to awake others to stand to their defence So soone as any lessons of military discipline were given this was accounted one most necessary of all And for the better performance of the charge which stood them all on their lives it was counted dangerous to trust a whole nights watching to one man they divided the night into foure parts by the name of watches though in these parts of the world it was necessary that the watches be changed oftner than foure times This constitution hath been long used for it is written that Gideon came upon the host of the Midianites in the beginning of the middle watch Iudg. 7 19. 1 Sam. 11 11. and Saul upon the Ammonites in the morning watch From hence it came to be used as a common division of the night David saith He waited on the Lord more than the morning watch did for the morning Psal 130 6. Mat 14 25. Christ came walking on the sea in the fourth watch and useth the same division in this exhortation in these words Watch therefore Mark 13 35. for ye know not when the master of the house will come at even or at midnight at the cocke-crow or in the dawning This exercise was used by holy people in religion 1 Sam 2 22. Pet. Mart. in Iud. 7 19. In vita HilarioÌ„ as by those women at the Tabernacle which the sonnes of Eli abused And Ierome reports of the watches kept in his time whole nights at the graves of holy men which being intended for holy conference meditation and praising of God by continuance in the time of darknesse caused much intemperance and gave way to lascivious persons for diverse sorts of wickednesse whose effects are to be seene in the Wakes observed in some places which are the fruites of the former superstition Of which I say thus much though they were used as first intended to the remembrance of holy men that their life and actions might relish the better for imitation yet with the Apostle that bodily exercise profiteth little 1 Tim 4 8. and how little profit this kinde of exercise hath done to the Church appeareth by the effects of it which have beene no better than those among the Gentiles Of Ianus is said Quam multas matres fâ—cerat ille Deus Ovid. Trist lib. 2. Ioseph Antiq. lib. 18. cap. 4. in which diverse fornications and adulteries have beene committed and fathered upon the Idols as one which Iosephus named with a Gentlewoman in Rome had beene put and reputed to the kindnesse of the god Anubis and the woman with her husband Saturnius very thankfull to the Idol and the Priests of it if Decius Mundus who had abused her had kept his owne counsell and not cast it despitefully in her teeth A French man hath in this particular unmasked their wickednes to the world Certainly if a rabble who are canonized for Saints by the Romish Church whose mothers were Nunnes were duely enquired of they shall be found according as their friends and Confessours of their mothers avouched it to the world to be the children of Ghostly Fathers indeede But omitting these abuses our watching for Christ is onely our Christian preparation by a holy carriage and often remembrance yea and longing for his comming which is better understood by practise than preaching Now for the persons that should watch No man is free from this charge and lest any should conceive immunity our Saviour tells us Mark 13 37. That which I say unto you I say unto all Watch. From the highest to the lowest none can have liberty to thinke himselfe out of danger for the destruction of the soule or preventing it lyeth upon watching What persons should watch There are foure sorts of persons in this world