our child hath entred on alreadie And why are we vnquiet seeing the Lord of Heauen and earth hath called our child from a base condition to noblenesse to bestow honours vpon him and ritches that shall not faile promising the like to vs by the way of death should we not rather so dispose our occasions and life that we may ioifully follow him whom wee haue not lost but sent before But you will say my child was young and died in his flowers well be it so yet they who die young so they die well are old inough to goe to God besides did not Ieroboams childe in whom were found good things die young 1. King 14.13 And did not Iosiah die old whom the Lord in a battle at Megiddo tooke from the filthy will of Iudah to plant him before himselfe in the garden of his owne presence in glorie 2. King 24.29 Neither can they be said to die yong whose perfection is growne to a blessed ripenesse before the Lord. But young or old if you haue reioiced in your child as in the Lords interest you will not think it much and why should you that the Lord should haue his owne or will you with Phurao offer to hold in the prison of life as in Egypt any seruant of his whom hee shall send for by death his last messenger and that aâ— supper time when all things are ready Luc. 14.17 While he liued God gane him to you as a pledge of his fauor now that he is taken away you must freely resigne him as a pledge of your obedience But you wil say He was my onely child Indeed the death of an onely childe is very greeuous to the Parents Zechar. 12.10 Am. 8.10 yet Abraham was readie to haue sacrificed his onely sonne Isaac at Gods commandement Gen. 22.3.10 and God gaue his onely sonne Christ to death for our salâ—ation Ioh. 3.16 wherefore as Elkanah said to Annah so and much more may the Lord say to vs am not I better to you then ten sonnes 1. Sam. 1.8 or are not our ten sonnes and all the children of the wombe his gift Ps 127.3 Then though he be your onely child and all you haue whom God thus by death taketh from you there is no cause of griefe or of complaint seeing the Lord hath but his owne when he hath taken him and seeing also that he taketh him and you giue him but as your pledge and earnest to binde vnto you the right of that inheritance that you looke for or as your Feof-fee of trust gone before to take the possession for you A reproofe to those Vse 2 who can see nothing in the death of their friends or in their owne deathes but what is dreadfull beyond measure and simply the end of man Such conceiue death not as he is to the righteous and as Christ hath made him to bee by his glorious death but as fooles iudge of him who behold him through false spectacles as he is in his owne vncorrected nature considered out of Christ that is vgly terrible and hideous So did they behold him in Amos who put the euill day of his comming that which they iudged to bee euill and the godly iudge to bee happie no day happier as far from them as they could by carnall delicacie and wantonnesse Amos 6.3 So did Belshazzar looke vpon him whose heart would not serue him to reade the hand-writing of his owne end so neare Dan. 5.5.6.30 And Nabal had no heart to die who when he must needes die died as a stone that is died blockishly and so faintly that he was as good as slaine before death slew him 1. Sam. 25.37.38 He had no comfort in death which hee could not see one that was as righteous but as churlish and prophane And no maruell for this Aduersarie death armed as Goliah and vaunting as that proud Gyant of Gath commeth stalking toward such in fearefull manner infulting ouer weake dust and daring the world to giue him a man to fight with Therefore at the sight of him the whole hoast of worldlings bewray great feare turning their backes and going backward as men readie to sinke into the earth with abated courages and lookes cast downe stained with the colours of feare death trembling like leaues in a storme and striken with the palsie of a sudden and violent shaking through all the bodie 1 Sam. 17.10.11 But the true Christian armed as Dauid with trust in God and expectation of victory by the death of Christ who by death ouercame death as Dauid cut off the head of Goliah with his owne sword dares and doth boldly encounter with this huge Philistian death supposed inuincible and seeming great but neither with sword nor speare but in the name of the God of the hoast of Israel by whose might onely hee woundeth and striketh him to the earth trampling vpon him in the returne of his soule to the place out of which it first came and singing ouer him this ioiful and triumphant song of victorie O death where is thy sting 1. Cor. 15.55 Hee hath Steuens eyes to looke into heauen and therefore cannot but haue the tongue of the Saints who say Come Lord Iesu come quickly Apoâ— 22 2â—â— For the ioy that is set before him he with his good Sauiour endureth the crosse of death and despiseth the shame of corruption to which the dust of his bodie must bee turned Heb. 12.2 Ob. Quest But you will say Is not death to be feared that worketh so fearefully beeing also enemie to nature and the wages of sinne Rom. 6.23 Ans Answ Indeede death is dreadfull out of Christ and in it selfe and wee haue reason to feare it as it is an effect of sinne for so God setteth his angrie countenance in it and so Aristotle it is simply fearefull and euill Which made an heathen man to say that of all terrible things death was most terrible Hee saw in the darke that death had much euill in it and that it was properly euill and but accidentally good but he could not see through the dark cloud that which made it so euill Therefore euill it is I confesse and fearefull And to this we haue a greater witnesse then the witnesse of man For the Apostle saith the sting of death is sinne 1. Cor. 15.56 Now so farre as it hath a sting and is in it strength it is to be feared The reason is so it is properly death and death in kinde But we speake not of death considered out of Christ or considered in it selfe but of death altered by the death of Christ and which by such a change is made our passage from death to life for so it is no dreadful thing but a thing desireable and so the sting is taken from it which is of force and carieth an edge of second death against all the workers of iniquitie who dying out of Christ die miserably hellishly and with horrible feare By Christ the doore death is made a doore out
or make full account of it that it is so The same Prophet speaking as we heard Psal 15. ver 4. of a citizen of heauen in one of his properties saith that hee honoureth the godly that is loueth and reuerenceth Christ whom they loue and honour Then howsoeuer they be despised in the world as the scum of the earth and of-scouring of all things yet because they honour God good men will reuerence them and take them out of contempt as gold out of the mire to make them their treasure They are fellow-heires with the righteous at the inheritance of heauen And therefore doe the righteous performe all good offices of loue and fellowship toward them in this vale of want and scorne Though euill men make them their mocke they make them their fellowes where bad men take away their right good men inrich them Great therfore is the consolation of the righous who though contemned in the world yet are precious to God and to all the sonnes of God So much for the generalitie of the promise the condition vnder which it runneth followes That walketh before him We haue heard of the promise what it is tho persons to whom it is made and to how many The condition vnder which it runneth is that such persons must be and continue godly which is expressed by a phrase of walking before God Where wee may consider two things as the act of walking and the obiect before whom By walking the Prophet meaneth according to an vsuall Metaphor in Scripture a common vsuall course of mens behauiour or their ordinarie trade of life And by walking before God a scruing of him without hypocrisie or doing of all our matters as in his sight The word which is here translated walketh is rendred in a tense or time which in the owne tongue noteth a continuance of walking or walking forward vnto the time when God should take them hence And the meaning is that peace shall come to all those who continue to serue God in their outward behauiour and in their hearts or who liuing and dying are found so doing Not that begin well and goe one for some time but that continue and encrease in well doing from the time of their enlightening to the time of their last breath From whence the doctrine is Doctr. 1 That Christians must not begin onely or stand still but goe forward with encrease and not goe out of the walke of godlinesse For therefore is our course of new life compared to a way because as men goe in their way and goe forward in it so new men keepe godlinesse and increase in it All that came into the Vineyard were labourers till the euening and to these the househoulder gaue the hire of the day Math. 20.2.8 So in the vineyard of the new-birth none must be idle from the first houre of their entring in to the last day of their going out by death and to these God giueth the pennie of his endlesse peace in glorie For this the Spirit is called winde Ioh. 3.8 they spiritual whom that winde driueth forward to saluation with a diuine gale who wax not worse nor keep at a stand in godlinesse but striue to be better and better by going on in the good way of eternall life So did the Apostle S. Paul who therfore forgate that which was behinde and endeuoured himselfe to that which was before and followed hard toward the marke to the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus Phil. 3.13.14 He was not as a vain foolish man who running in a race will bee euer and anone looking backe to see how much ground hee hath rid but his eye was alway vpon the marke or goal to consider how much he had to runne how farre off hee was to perfection and what was further to be done to an absolutenesse in his Christian course that hee might finish the same with ioy And as the Apostle himselfe did so he would haue the Philippians to do and all Christians in them that is hee would haue them to proceed in that grace to which they were come Phil. 3.16 as if he should haue exhorted them to abound more and more in all wisedome and godlinesse Rom. 15.14 And to goe forward therein not to fit downe or goe backe If wee haue prayed once a day in priuate and coldly we must after pray twice or oftner and more feruently If wee haue read and meditated in the word seldome and with great weakenesse we must mend that seldome and vse those exercises more frequently and with more spirit If we giue something to the poore this yeare we must giue more the next as God shall blesse our increase If wee doe some good now vnwillingly wee must hereafter doe much good and with great pleasure So then wee must continue to walke before God as we ought to walke and to please him that hath called vs growing in grace and increasing in goodnesse 2. Pet. 3.18 1. Thes 4.1 The end makes all and hee that endureth to the end shall be saued Math. 24. So saith hee who saueth vs whose words are true and faithfull He saith not he that endureth for a season or for some daies but that continueth to the end and not he that runneth for all runne but who so runneth that he may obtaine 1. Cor. 9.24 Apoc. 2.7 and not he who fighteth for wee may fight and be foiled but hee that ouercommeth shall bee saued and receiue this prize of peace and crown of life The reasons He is not crowned that proueth masteries but hee receiueth the crowne who doth Master 1. Cor. 9.25 Not hee that commeth into the field but he that ouercommeth in the field is praised And who will giue him the garland of a good runner who sitteth downe or giueth ouer before he come to the Goale Now will not men and will God praise those or giue saluation to those who shall begin onely to doe well and not continue in well doing Will he crowne those that giue ouer or saue those that fall away It is certaine these comparisons vsed in scripture shew plainly and conclude soundly that he will not Secondly The way of the righteous is compared to the way of the Sunne that shineth more and more vnto the perfect day Prou. 4.18 Now the Sun is not in full glorie till full noone Neither perfect till he haue runne his course like a Gyant So Christians receiue not their glorie at their morning and nine of the clock but when their Sunne is come to his full point nor when they begin to beleeue Rom. 13.11 but when they come to the end of faith 1. Pet. 1.9 Apoc. 2.10 nor when they are baptized but when they die in the faith of their baptism Thirdly that we must continue and not begin onely to walke before the Lord is plaine by the word which in the tense wherein the Prophet vseth it signifieth to continue walking not giuing ouer till we come
peace they haue not knowne O we are men and not Angels say some A little to tread awry and a little to goe out of the way is but a humane frailtie and an inch breaks no square But to such we may say it may be our frailtie thus to doe But if wee presume we may so doe or if we striue not to doe otherwise it may bee our destruction that wee so did and the losse of our peace for euer Indeed we are men by nature but we must correct nature by grace and labour to be good men We are not Angels it is true yet wee must imitate the Angels and an inch in finne may so far breake square as it may send vs square and roundly to hell Be perfect saith our Sauiour Christ as your heaneuly Father is perfect Math. 5.48 It was spoken to his Disciples and it is spoken in them to vs. Wee can not neithes could they be perfect in the same measure yet as they were charged so are we commanded to be perfect in the like manner by a kind of conformitie and imitation The meaning is we must endeuour to be what perfectly we cannot be And how can we then iustifie any limping in the way or little going out of the way of grace by small infitmities It is pardonable in Christ but not iustifiable by vs. Therefore where we make such littles of sinne as a little oath a little meriment a little of the fashion and a little must be borne with let vs know that Satan by such littles maketh his kingdome great For as a couetous man gathereth by halfe pennies and by pence till he come to poundes so the diuell getteth his wealth from some by littles here a little and there a little Prou. 6.10 till finne be full and many litles in finne make a great totall There is no dalying with God nor playing out and in our progresse to saluation which is to heape wrath vpon wrath til it come to a mountaine or from some small heapes to come to a treasure Rom. 2.5 The way is to giue the water no passage to pound in sinne and to giue no way to occasion to take heed we be not led away from our stedfastuesse in knowledge and grace 2. Pet. 3.17.18 not to trip if we can chuse but to make straight steps in the way and to hold on our fellowship in the Gospell from this day and hereafter Philip. 1.5 Blessed is the seruant whom his Master when he commeth shall find so doing Math. 24.46 But it is said here that they enter into peace and come to rest that walke before the Lord as it were vpon two legs the right of sound religion and the left of an vndefiled life for where one of these is lacking there is halting in the way as also where they be seuered and where both goe not together The doctrine is Doctr. A good life hath a good death and they who liue well here shall liue well that is blessedly hereafter Dauid made this question Lord who shall rest in thy mountaine that is in heauen not as Pilgrims for a time but as heires for euer Ps 15.1 and God maketh this answere He that walketh vprightly and worketh righteousnesse verse 2. that is he that liueth holily shall die purely and liue for euer He that loueth the face of God in his Church shall see the face of his pleasures in his kingdome The same Prophet with some small alteration of the words asketh the like question to which the like answere is made The question is who shall ascend into the Lords mountaine Psal 24.3 that is who shall be taken from their pilgrimage to their countrey and from this mortall vale to the hils of immortall rest and the answere is He that hath innocent hands and a pure heart verse 4. The meaning is he that liueth charitably with men and holily with God or that is not vniust to men nor an hypocrite to God He that professeth the Gospell and is carefull of his waies not walking vpon a leg and a stumpe as they doe who seeme religious and liue ill or appeare righteous and are prophane hee shall stand before the Lord for euer Esay likewise maketh a question and answere to this effect Who saith he shall dwell with the deuouring fire who shall dwell with the euerlasting burning Esay 33.14 His meaning is who shall abide the presence of God who is a consuming fire Heb. 12.29 and dwel safely before him This is the question and the answere is He that walketh in iustice and speaketh righteous things c. ver 15. that is whose waies are without offence and words without guile he that saith well and doth well shall dwell on high ver 16. or rest safely in the mountaine of peace And Christ our blessed Sauiour telling vs who shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen as the hypocrites of heart who make a stirre with their mouthes and put no good work into their hands who prophecie in Christs name and doe nothing for for his name and call him Lord but make their lusts their Lords telleth vs that they shall enter into heauen who doe his fathers will which is in heauen Math. 7.21.22 All desire to rest in the holy mountaine of God but few behaue themselues as Pilgrims in his tabernacle Yea all desire with Balaam to die the death of the righteous when there are few who take care to liue the life of the righteous that they may so die Num. 23.10 Therefore our Sauiour sheweth that our talking of saluation will not bring vs to it nor our wishing to bee in heauen send vs thither If we will be saued then we must liue as the heires of the grace of life that is as the sonnes of God not as brands of hell The reasons Though nothing be due to a good life by desert on our parts or by debt on Gods yet it being his merciful promise that all such shall be happie both here and hence in this world and in Gods kingdome Psa 112.16 c. 128.1.2 he will not and because it so pleaseth him cannot call backe his word whose promises are all yea and Amen that is no sooner made 2. Cor. 1.20 but as good as done Therefore they that liue godly shall die blessed Secondly they who liue well liue in obedience to God Now they who obey a good master are in fauour and encrease in wealth and shall the seruants of God liue in miserie and die vnrewarded Also they who conforme to Gods commandements are his faithfull scruants and loyall subiects whom a good master and gracious Prince must needs countenance Thirdly the Apostles words are plaine that godlinesse hath the promises of this life and of that to come 1. Tim. 4.8 As much as if hee had said They who walke according to this rule shall be blessed here and blessed in heauen Indeede the godly doe not alway prosper in these outward things yet wanting them or their
Cor. 6.14 Or shal they sit on the throne of iniquity who must sit on thrones with Christ And make a league with the world who must iudge it and the Angels 1. Cor. 6.2.3 That is shall they now iustifie the world with their talke and conuersation who must hereafter condemne it and the hels of the diuels with the sentence of their mouth and sinceritie of their waies That holy Author of the 119. Psalme had an eye to this blessed hope of being one of Christs attendants hereafter and therfore would not be for all companies but professed himselfe a companion onely to such as feared God and kept his lawes Psal 119.62 He would not hazard his fraile pot-shard vpon the rocke of euill company for any thing And wherefore did Dauid hate the assembly of the euill and not company with the wicked Psal 26.5 but because hauing fellowship with God he feared to haue any fellowship with Gods enemies and was perswaded that as God will not take a wicked man by the hand Iob 8.20 so none of Gods company should Also he was loth to make them his companions on earth of whom he could haue no hope that they should bee his companions in heauen Let them consider this who cast in their lots with a wicked generation for their ends in the flesh and mingle heauen and earth together in a sociâ—tie whereof wee may say the head is gold but the legges are yron and the seete stand vpon clay Dan. 2.33 I speake to the faithfull whom I would not haue to goe out of the world to auoide the wicked that are in it but entreat by the tender mercies of God to be as carefull as they can to auoide them and their assembly and if they must vse them for necessitie not to vse them as companions neither to draw with them in any yoke of affection but rather to draw back when the wicked are in place A comfort to the godly Vse 3 whom the wicked thrust out of their company and would thrust out of the world because of their conscience to God For though they bee not accepted where euill men beare sway which is no disparagement to them but glorie nor losse but gaine Yet they are esteemed of the good and admired of the euill though not followed of them Or doe the wicked hate them They shall loose nothing by such hatred for God good men will loue them Will not the vnrighteous haue any fellowship with them It is the better for them For they are in lesse danger of corruption and more possibilitie of grace And where men that be euill auoide them Christ and his thousands will stick vnto them Those worthies of whom we reade in the eleuenth to the Hebrewes were vilely and cruelly dealt with in the world But what saith the text The world was not worthy of them Heb. 11.36.37.38 The wicked drâ—ue them out of their companies by sharpe persecution into deserts and mountaines and holes of the earth But they were worthy and had farre better company hauing a kinde of fellowship with Christ and all the Saints that were gone before them ver 40. So for the faithfull that now liue if the vngodly make no more of them then of the filth of the world the of-scouring of all things 1. Cor. 4.13 It is because they are good to liue among them and too precious to be cast before Swine that so tread them vnder foote and rent them Mat. 7.6 And where they say Away with such fellowes from the earth Act. 22.22 Christ will in his time take them from the earth by a blessed sweet death to haue fellowship with him his thousands Wherfore let vs comfort one another with these sayings 1. Thes 4.18 A comfort against death Vse 4 or instruction not to feare death but rather to long for the houre of our happy death by which we shall haue so great preferment as to bee with Christ and his Saints Wee desire and greatly affect earthly preferments and shall this prerogatiue of the Saints get from vs so small affections and weake desires Shall wee not rather preferre to our chiefe ioy not Ierusalem onely the Church of Christ but Christ himselfe the head of his owne Church that he may be honoured in vs in the thousands of his Saints Againe if we be hated in a place we will long to goe out of it to a place where we know or hope to bee otherwise and better regarded Here the true Christian is hated for the name of Christ that hee loueth and few places shall he come into where the good course hee followeth and the profession hee is of is not spoken against What comfort then can we haue to remaine in the Meshech of those assemblies where such haters of God be Psal 120.5 And what great comfort must it needs be to him to remoue to that place and glorie where all loue the Lord Iesus with all their hearts which place is heauen and glorie in heauen and not in these tents of Kedar Therefore that wee may comfortably looke for this day of the Lord or day of our remouing to him and to the company of all his thousands Let vs loue the appearing of Christ here loue to goe out with the Saints to meete him in Christian assemblies loue his truth and brethren with all our hearts and decline the waies of the wicked that wee may escape their iudgement So much for the iudgement it selfe the ends of the Iudge his comming follow To giue indgement vpon all men c. Verse 15. The ends of Christs comming are to iudge generally all men particularly all vngodly men The generall is of good and bad the particular here mentioned is of bad onely The good shall receiue a sentence but it shall be of absolution the bad shall haue their iudgement but it shall bee of rebuke For the first which is the iudgement that concerneth all men it administreth this doctrine Doctr. That there must be an vniuersall iudgement or iudgement of all men iust and vniust So the Apostle S. Paul speaketh where he saith wee must all appeare before the iudgement seat of Christ He saith we that is the righteous and all that is both godly and sinners must appeareâ— and not by their Attourney but in their own persons No mans absence shall be excused by securitie or baile neither will any caution be receiued for an after-comming For the Apostle doth not say wee must appeare hereafter but wee must appeare that is presently appeare and without delay before Christ the iudge Saint Mathew saith that all nations shall bee gathered before him Mat. 25.32 His meaning is that in euery nation euery man Ioh. 5.28.29 woman little child high low poore and rich shall personally be cited to iudgement by the voice of the Sonne of God in the ayre But shall they be cited and shall they not come The Euangelist saith they shall bee gathered that is they shall not
their bed of death they go to it in vtter darknesse where is weeping and gnashing of teeth So farre for the time which is called largely dayes that which is limitted called the appointed time followeth Of mine appointed time c. By appointed time Iob here meaneth his bounded life which can no more be extended beyond the appointed time then the Sea can passe her bounds Ps 104.9 Doctr. From whence this doctrine may be gathered that we liue by Gods decree not at our owne pleasure So Paul told the men of Athens for hauing taxed their superstition who wold bound the boundlesse presence of God to a temple made with hands and to Idols the worke of mens hands he she wecht hat the Almighty Maker of this Worlds-masse is not to be straitned who hath shut in with the straites of time fore-seâ— by himselfe all men and creatures hauing assigned their times and the bounds of their habitation Act. 17.26 And in this Booke of Iob it is moued by a question but taken for granted that there is an appointed time to man vpon Earth Iob 7.1 or a set time of mans warrefare here that is he is a Souldier and his life militant but how long and for how short a time he shall be and continue in this field of his bodie vnder corruption fighting against the strangelusts that are in the world it is ordered by him who hath summed vp all the number of his daies and measured his short time with a decree or Law which he cannot passe after it is said that God hath set Mans daies and numbred his moneths and limited his time that is that he hath set bounds to all the moments of his life here Iob 14.5 By which it is plaine that the maker of man hath in his hand the whole number of mans time such as it hath pleased himselfe to adde to the Moneths and yeeres that he hath giuen him in this vale of miserie The reasons First if God had not numbred the daies of man vpon earth they who loue the world would neuer leaue it nor they who suffer in it without speciall grace waite till God should worke their deliuerance from it They who liue in pleasure would neuer resolue to die and they would presently seeke their owne death and find it who liue in paine Secondly as wee are not borne at our owne pleasure so it is reason we should liue and die at his pleasure who hath formed vs in the wombe Thirdly God taketh small matters into his hands to order them Mat. 29.30 and shal we think that he hath not taken to himselfe the great matter of life and death to dispose of it A confutation of those who think that man can either shorten his owne life Vse 1 or draw it beyond the Lords score to make it longer Indeed man may by offering violence to himselfe become an vnnaturall instrument of the Lords iustice to cut of those daies that God hath finished but no man can later or sooner die then the Lord of death and time hath set his end Quest But hath not the Magistrate power ouer the life of a Malefactor and is it not in his hand to giue him his life or to take it from him when his sinne hath giuen him into the power of the Law and of the Magistrate vnto death Answ In this case the Magistrate hath no power but what is giuen him as when either the spite of time or sinne of Man shall accomplish what God hath purposed Ioh. 19.11 So Christ told Pilate who because he had the soueraignty of iudgement thought he had also the soueraigntie of life verse 10. But he had no power but what the decree of God and determined moment of mans saluation had then giuen vnto him If then the Magistrate saue a man who is iudged to die it is secretly to fulfill Gods time concerning him which is not yet come or if he cut him of it is because the time appointed to him by God is first come and he is Gods Minister to doe what God hath purposed to be done An instruction Vse teaching vs patience and contentment when any of our friends shall be taken from vs for God hath taken them from vs their time was come which as we cannot preuent so we may not enuie 2. Sam. 12.20.21 c. So for our own death we must willingly beare it seeing that God hath appointed that we shall once die and that once must once come Hebr. 9.27 It is I confesse naturall to all to be loth to lay downe this tabernacle but our obedience to the will of God must correct nature in so direct an opposition to his decree that hath made vs we must call to our remembrance not what we could wish but God hath purposed reasoning euerie man apart and priuately in his heart thus I must needes die because it is Gods ordinance and I will willingly die that I may shew my obedience to his will I must needes die to put of corruption and I will willingly die that I may see God Or I must needs die Looke Deerings 11. Lecture on the Epistle to the Hebrues that sinne may haue his pay the wages of sinne is death Rom. 6.23 and I will willingly die that sinne may be no longer and death may loose his sting and power So much for the mid-times of that naturall life in which Iob became attendant and did waite for a better life the period of time which he expected followeth Till my change were come Here Iob sheweth how long hee would waite by hope in his afflicted estateâ— euen till that period of time should come which he calleth the time of change when hee should finish the daies of his warre-fare on Earth and receaue the Crowne of his sufferings in glorie And here by the day of change he meaneth the day of death which is therefore called a change because it is the remoue of the faithfull from labour to rest in their bodies and from an Earthly to an Heauenly life in their soules which are taken vp to God Somewhere it is called the losing as of a Prisoner from the Prison and fetters of the flesh that hee may be with Christ Philip. 1.23 Also the godly in their blessed death are for this said to be taken away Esa 57.1 In their bodies from their house to graue from feare to security from sense of paine to ease and from their bodies of labour to their beds of rest in their soules from an house of clay to an house not made with hands from Men to Angels from Earth to Heauen from prison to libertie from mortalitie to immortall and from death to liue And we reade of the gathering of the righteous as of things scattered and straying from home to their people fathers Gen. 25 8. Iudg. 2.10 Thus we haue heard why Iob and other scriptures call the death of the godly a change From whence the doctrine is Doctr. That there is nothing in
the good mans death but what is profitable and excellent In the third to the Philippians vers 21. the Apostle calleth this alteration by death not the losse of our body but the change of our vile body that it may bee facioned like to the glorious body of Christ And is there any thing in this but what is excellent and worthy if any thing be worthy our trauell best paines here Iohn speaking of the Saints glorified saith All teares shall be wiped from their eyes Apoc. 21.4 His meaning is that as soone as death shall let them out of the world they shall haue no more sorrow that is sorrow that causeth teares And the same Iohn saith Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord Apo. 14.13 that is they who hauing liued righteously die wel in him are in the hand by the helpe of death leade presently to blessednesse The Saints militant did alwaies with the eyes of faith in the Gospell behold this great honour and preferment by death in the happy ends of the righteous and therefore sighed desiring their house from Heauen 2. Cor. 5.2 for they knew that if it were an honour to be remoued from a base cote to a Princes court it could not but be a double that is singular honour to bee translated from the Cotes of the Earth to the Court of Heauen Therefore they sighed that is could not be merrie till that change should come Paul saith that to be losed to wit from the bonds of his corruptible bodie was best of all Philip. 1 23. which hee would not haue said if any preferment had beene better then that by death which is from basenes into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God The reasons And further that there is so much good in the godlie mans death which is his change may be and is euident First by the things to which that their happie and blessed change by death is compared as to a hauen that after they haue passed the troublesome waues of the sea of this world carrieth them to their owne key or backe in the which they ride safely to their iourneys end after which they come home to their owne house being strangers here 1. Pet. 2.11 to the medicine that cureth most perfectly the sicknesse of life to the messenger that biddeth them to the marriage dinner of their great King Mat. 22.2.3 to their returne from banishment into their owne countrey and naturall land to their deliuerance from the gaole of sorrow where they are taken with Ioseph out of prison to be set with Princes to the laying downe of their tabernacle and to the putting on of their house from Heauen to a deliuerance like that out of Egypt from the bondage of corruption to the libertie of saints from a land of darknesse to a land where the sunne neuer goeth downe and from a land of destruction to the land of the liuing Now what is there in all these that is not perfitly good and desirable Secondly death abolisheth in the faithfull departed all power of sinning and sting of sinne Thirdly the bodie feeleth no more paine nor shal euer againe be sensible but of that which is excellently good desireable and comfortable and for the soule it shall presently be glorified Luc. 16.22 Fourthly death is but the dore of the soule out of an earthly dungeon such as the bodie is that must be destroied before the wormes into an heauenly kingdome or passage from death to life from a short death to a long life Lastly God executeth his iudgements vpon the damned and purgeth his Church by death An instruction to correct all vnreasonable and faithlesse weeping for our godly friends and brethren departed in the faith of Christ Vse 1 The Apostle to the Thessalonians exhorteth Christians if they sorrow for such not to sorrow for them as men that haue no hope 1. Thes 4.13 When Hester was taken from Mardochay who had brought her vp as his owne daughter to be married to King Assuerus and to receaue the crowne of Queene in the kingdome did he either bewaile or enuie that her great preferment the faithfull are taken from sorrowfullmen to be espoused to Christ and to receaue the crowne of glorie and shall they that liue by such vnmeasurable sorrow and taking on as is too commonly vsed at the graues of their friends vnwish to them in a sort so great happinesse Will a father be sorrie or can he without imputation of enuie repine that his sonne or daughter is with Ioseph taken out of prison to be set with Princes when thou giuest forth thy child to nurse and shee hath kept it long inough should shee because thou takest it home againe complaine thou wilt say she hath no reason for it Then what reason hath any father to murmure against the owner of the child hee taketh for taking of his owne Parents that so lose their children if they may be called lost that are so found are but nurses to them in their absence from their owne fathers house to nurse them with the milke of the Gospel and religiously to nurture them for the Lord who by death sends for them home to himselfe when he seeth time and when he so doth haue they cause to complaine of wrong father mother sonne wife husband brother are but lent goods which we must restore when the creditor and hee that owneth them calleth for them And shall we count our selues spoiled or vndone because they are required If one should lend vs a thing of price or thing that is costly would wee for a recompence of the vse of it vpbraid the owner because he sendeth for it or if we should might not he who was the lender iustly say is this my thanks and shall I be recompenced with so great impatiencie for my so great good will So if God should lend vs tenne deare children as he did to Iob and we should be made to part with them all in one day would it become vs with rough words to receaue that supposed losse or would we complaine of wrong where none is offered and where our good is sought and our childrens gaine be vnthankfull if we should may not the Lord of them and of vs iustly taxe our vnthankfulnesse and complaine of wrong May he not say did Iob my seruant so from whom I tooke ten children in one day and in a few daies all the honour and substance that he had did he not rather confesse my vnquestionable right in such moueables and say the Lord giueth the Lord taketh away blessed be the name of the Lord. Iob 1.21 If a great Lord should call vs and our child promising to both much honour and great wealth would we weepe and take on because our child is gone before and we our selues must shortly follow after would we not rather with much ioy so order our iourney and affaires that we also might with as great dispatch as might be receaue such preferment as wee know
neither pacifie conscience nor reconcile God A kinde of lumbring peace worldly men haue in their accursed fraternitie and riches and they that wallow in pleasures haue a kinde of pleasure in that loathsome filth But the couetous person when the crosse lighteth vpon that which he conceiued to bee his heauen and peace here his wealth hath nothing within but pettishnesse and hellish melancholy The carnal Epicure natural man when hee is crossed in his health with disabilitie to follow that life of excesse which before he most intemperately followed is presently altered from happie to miserable He that rose vpon the wheele of honour when it turneth it turneth him out of his heauen of peace into a hell of shamefull and raging vnquietnesse And the fellowship that the world maketh so much of and calleth good when it is euill what is it and what strength hath it of sound continuance in the whole band of it when death hath vnloosed it When it is sicke and dying the pleasures of it are they not either forgotten as vaine or remembred as grieuous Loe therefore the peace of worldlings and what is that they leane vnto who make not God their stay and therefore are they chaffe which euery winde of change scattereth Psal 1.4 where the peace of Gods children is not in these crakling blazes of corrupt happinesse but in Angelicall ioies and ioyes of the palace nor earthly but such as the Saints haue which passeth vnderstanding And if that peace which standeth vpon stronger proppes and likelihoods then any which is carnall and meerely of the world doth be many times broken off by the vnquiet blasts that come from this earthly skie how shall that peace that is set but vpon rotten posts of casualtie and brittlenesse bee able to stand in so continuall a tempest of trouble and alteration as day and night beates vpon it Therefore our rest is placed in the things which are aboue the sphere of changeable mortalitie and not in transitorie matters All is vanitie and vexation vnder the Sunne Eccle. 2.11 And there is no perfect peace till we dwell before the God of peace Honours haue galles in them and riches prickes In labour there is no profit and ease slayeth fooles Prou. 1.32 After mirth commeth heauinesse as a cloud after a faire sunne-shine In laughter the heart is sad and there is much errour in laughing Eccles 2.2 The difference then betweene this life which wee haue and that which we looke for standeth in this that this life is our sea and the other our hauen and that here we ride vpon tempestuous waters and there at anchor in our roade and port of peace For here we sowe in teares there wee reape in ioy Here we are burthened there we lay downe our burthens Here we are abroad in our Inne there at home in our fathers house Luk. 15. Here are our yeares of bondage there our yeares of Iubilee and perpetuall redemption Here is our leading into captiuitie there our going out Here is the battell there the Crowne Here the Church trauelleth there shee is deliuered Here shee crieth out there shee remembreth her paine no more Hee that here begun saying to his Church I haue afflicted thee will there make an end and say vnto her but I will afflict thee no more Naum. 1.12 And how is the day of death better to vs then the day in which we are borne Eccles 7.3 and why doth the voice that came from heauen say they that die in the Lord rest from their labours and why doth the spirit in the hearts of Gods children say as much for euen so saith the spirit that is it is iust of the same mind Apoc. 14.13 if they who goe hence come not out of labor but exchange it Nor better their estate but alter it Nor end their miserie but to remoue onely from such miseries A confutation of that Legend of Popish purgatorie Vse 2 which as a painted sepulcher is more builded for the liuing then for the dead A lie and fancie the gainefullest in all Poperie For from this supposed lake and imaginate hell of the temporarie chastisement of soules in the fire of purgatorie came all their markets of Masse Dirges and other trentals for the dead But how doe the godly rest from their labours immediately vpon their death or saith the spirit if they must continue for some yeares after their blessed death in burning fire as terrible as the fire of hell saue in respect that the one is eternall the other but for a time And not end their miseries but prolong them Or is there any rest in the fire or peace in the fire and water Or remission of punishment in a place of punishment Or ease in labour Or blessednesse in miserie Hath Christ said It is finished Ioh. 19.30 and shall men say nay but we shall feele more of it in Purgatorie He hath done it and shall any vndoe it Or thinke to doe it better The blood of Christ is our purgatorie 1. Ioh. 1.7 It and nothing but it purgeth our sinne and prepareth places for vs in heauen We neede no other sacrifice but it nor aduocate but him A pitifull digression therfore from the bloud of Christ to the bloud of Hales From the fire vpon the mount to the painted fire of purgatorie from the liuing to the dead Esay 8.19 Purgatorie then what is it but an impudent checke to the merit of Christ and quiet of the Saints And for these who stand for the Kitchin in which it burneth and chimney whereout it smoketh or rather Kitchin for which it burneth and chimney that it makes to smoke let them tell vs where the place is when it began how long it must continue who are there punished what is there punishment and who the tormentor that wee may beleeue them In these points they are at oddes with themselues and how then can they be at euen with vs or with the truth But this is more largely discouered by a worthy preachor vpon this very place in print And so for this lie of Purgatorie let vs leaue it to the inuentors to the Mowles and to the Buckes Esay 2.20 that is to the Egyptians from whom it came and the old Greeke Poets of whom Plato first receiued it and Virgil after him and diuers heathen Philosophers and Poets after them and let vs come to the first of these comforts that are expressed here Peace c. By peace the Prophet meaneth the peace of the righteous in the full ioy of their soules after death As if hee should haue said they shall then in their soules receiue immediately perfect prosperitie and consummation of blisse So much the word translated peace Doctr. will beare From whence the doctrine is In heauen there is not onely true happinesse but perfection of happinesse nor sound ioy onely but fulnesse of ioy The ioies prepared for the Elect are so absolute and strange that neither eye hath seene to wit eye mortall
nor care that is care of man hath heard the like neither can they enter into our heart which yet hath a large mouth of capacitie to conceiue and vnderstand them if they were told vs which are reuealed by the spirit and but lisped of by Iohn in those earthly similitudes of gates of Pearle of walles of Iasper and of a streete whose pauement is gold Apoc. 21.18.19.20.21 1. Cor. 2.9 Dauid calleth them ioyes and fulnesse 〈◊〉 also pleasures and pleasures eternall Psal 16.11 that is blessednesse without end and the same without want Paul calleth them an eternall waight of glorie 2. Cor. 4.17 as if he should call them glorie endlesse and the glorie that waigheth downe there is such fulnesse in it And they are called the well and riuer of life Apoc. 22.1 as beeing alway full and hauing springs that come from God to feede them Or an inheritâ—nce immortall 1. Pet. 1.4 An inheritance and therefore a possession in the best tenure and an inheritance immortal therefore not for yeares but for euer Life in it selfe is good good life is better but eternitie maketh it excellent Obiect But in heauen some shall shine as the firmament some as the starres for euer Dan. 12.3 Now the firmament hath not so much light as the starres haue that lighten it and the starres haue lesse light then the Sun hath that lighteneth them It seemeth therefore that in heauen there should be to some rather some want then such fulnesse of heauenly glorie Ans I answere though in this condition of our heauenly life there may be degrees of glorie yet there shall be no want Some may bee like the skie some like the starres of the skie yet all shall shine Some vessels may hold more some lesse yet all bee full One may haue more ioy then another and there are sundry measures of more or lesse glorie in heauen but no measure shall lacke his fulnesse of life or glorie there He that hath least shall haue inough The reasons are Hell is contrarie to Heauen In hell there is a fulnesse of torment In he 〈◊〉 therefore there must be a perfection of glorie Secondly earthly kingdomes and the Kings thereof haue as great an absolutenesse as earth can giue them and shall we thinke that heauen which can giue an entire will giue an imperfect crowne of righteousnesse Will not the Kings of the earth dwel in base cottages but in royall courts And shal these Kings of a better kingdome want glorie where mortall Kings haue so great glorie and power Princes on earth dwell in royall palaces and sometimes in Cedar and Iuorie Apoc. 1.6 But they whom Christ hath made Kings Priests to God his Father who dwell in tabernacles not made with hands shall raigne in a citie whose twelue gates are twelue Pearles whose wall is of Iasper and building of Gold and whose streetes shine as cleare glasse Apoc. 21.18.19.21 So said he who saw all this glorie but darkely or as Moses saw the land of Canaan in a very short Map or Card a farre off Deu. 34.1.2.3.4 We see but the outward wall of this heauenly citie new Ierusalem yet how glorious is it and how decked with starres as with sparkling Diamonds What would we say if wee could see into it and behold though with Peter Iames and Iohn at a glance blush superficially the goodly pauement of heauen within whose floore is of gold and wall about is garnished with precious stones Apoc. 21.19 Thirdly if Adams paradise and garden was so pleasant and delightsome how pleasant and glorious is Gods owne garden and seat of his owne residence Hee spake of it with a wondering tongue whose finite heart could not comprehend so infinite an excellencie very glorious things are spoken of thee thou Citie of God Psal 87.3 For though in the letter this worthy Prophet spake of that earthly heauen which he confessed to bee in the materiall tabernacle because of Gods presence and the godly exercises of Gods people performed there yet his meaning was vnder the cloud of the phrase to direct Gods children to a higher tabernacle and house of greater glorie then that which was earthly and vnder the doome of time An instruction aboue all things Vse 1 to affect the things aboue and to draw our mindes with strong cordes of desire vnto them Col. 32. For what place haue we here but of trouble There wee shall haue our place of peace The joyes of our earthly life do much affect vs sometimes too much which yet haue their gall of bitternesse in them and crosse of short time For no sooner doe they begin but their end borders vpon their beginning and many times they rather seeme to begin then begin indeed being like to a false conception that comes not to bearing Many are vnwilling to leaue this world because of the acquaintance they haue in it and which when they die they must leaue behinde them in it And yet in this worldly fellowship there is much sowre ioined with sweet But if there be so great a portion of content in this worldly fellowship what pleasure is there and how perfect in the societie of glorified soules the ancient worthies of the old world and the flower of this when wee shall see but with other eyes and in a spirituall manner Abraham of whom we haue heard so much Isaac Iacob Iob Samuel and the Prophets whose names we haue loued When with Eliab we shall see Christ clothed with our flesh who hath immortalitie at his right hand and shall make vs raigne for euer Wee admire the building of Kings and hee was a Disciple who said to Christ speaking of the temple see what stones what buildings are here Mar. 13.1 But as Christ to him so let me say to all that wonder at these things are those the things ye looke upon Luk. 21.6 The sumptuous buildings of Kings and stately Nobilitie though all the rich entrals of the earth had conspired to giue them varnish and glories what are they but base Cotes compared to this frame not made with hands And doe we so much wonder at mortall lime and stone and so little care for our eternall house The three Disciples who in the transfiguration saw but a glimpse of this heauenly glorie shining vpon the face of their Sauiour would needs build taberbernacles in it what if we saw the whole Sunne of it and not some glimpses onely Math. 17.2.4 Moses saw God but a little in the mount and with mortall eyes and his face so show that the people were afraid to come neere him Exod. 34.30 How then shall they shine in roabes of perpetuall glorie who do behold not with these but with other cies the face of God for euer Lastly to draw our affections to the place where our life is and directly to God in whom we liue let vs consider the honour and pleasures of this Citie Whereâ—â— greater honour then in soueraignty and where are
more pleasures then at feasts this estate of heauenly life is both a kingdome and a feast A kingdome for they that are in it haue ouercome and shall sit on thrones Apoc. 2.7 A feast yea the marriage feast of the sonne of God in which he shall euer be espoused to the Church his wife The contract is made below the marriage shall be consummate aboue with solemnities vnspeakeable But if these excellent things spoken of the citie of God cannot winne our loue thither remember we the rich man in torments Luc. 16.23 and by this burnt child learne to dread the fire of hell The places are contrarie and all things contrarie that be in them As therefore Heauen is a place of ioyes and honour eternall so hell is a kingdome of shame and perpetuall contempt Dan. 12.2 And now if so great glorie and pleasures so many and so endlesse cannot please you doe but a litte cast downe your eyes into that deepe lake where are nothing but flaming fire palpable darknesse and perpetuall burning and nothing but teares shrikes and outcries of hopelesse and reprobate consciences and nothing but torments and places of torment prepared for damnable sinners where is no intermission of complaints nor end of paine as farre from ease millions of yeeres to come as at their beginning The rich man in torments craued but one drop of water when whole riuers of water would not quench those riuers of brimstone that fed that fire and could not haue it Luc. 16.24.25 And if the rods wherewith God chastneth his children in this life be so smart and galling that they haue brought them downe to the brimme of despaire and so low in affliction that they haue wished for death what smart and galling plagues doe the damned suffer in the torments of hell who are beaten not with rods of chastisement but with an iron rod of destruction in whose confusions remedilesse the Lord will say euen he whom here they despised I will ease me of mine adâ—ersaries and auenge me of my fees Esa 1.24 And thus the feare of hell may be reason inough to draw our affections from these things below if the loue of heauen cannot But neither the loue of heauen nor feare of hell can worke in some any little distast of this worldly Egypt that they may eat of this Manna that is hidden Apoc. 2.17 That is of the bread of heauen in the kingdome of heauen A reproofe therefore to those who altogether mind the earth and earthly things Vse 2 not caring for that kingdome that cannot bee shaken Some haue an eye still in Sodome and hoofe in Egypt and so sticke to the place of their banishment in which they take case purpose coÌ„tinuance that they neuer mind their countrey nor affect their remoue vnto it They cloy their stomacks with the grose dinners of this present world and so haue no appetite to the Lambs dinner where Christ being gouernour keepeth his best things last Ioh. 2.10 When we speake to them of peace they prepare themselues to battell Ps 120.7 In heauen is peace and here on earth is nothing but warre within and without within in our selues without in the world and yet men had rather liue in a field thus swimming in blood then by walking before God dwell in tabernacles of peace A signe that heauen is not there citie nor Christ their head For they that belong to the citie of peace will seeke heauens peace and they that belong to Christ desire to bee with him Colos 3.1 Where the head is there would the body be If then we doe not ascend to heauen by a spirituall life but digge downe to the hels by a carnall if couetousnesse hold vs in the world and the loue of God cannot draw vs out if to be thus absent from Christ be our happinesse and we count it our greatest vnhappinesse to come vnto him by going hence Christ is not our head but he that hath the Dragons head the world is our citie and heauen our strange citie to which either we meane not to come or would not willingly but by the violence of death when we can liue no longer For can Christ bee our head whom wee care no more for and heauen our countrey which we seeke no sooner after Therefore while we are on the earth in our bodies if we will be the members of Christ and the citizens of heauen let vs dwell before God in our soules framed in the forme and manner of a ship which is close downeward and shut to the world but open aboue enlarged to heauen where our treasure is and expectation ought to be So did our fathers who walked with God to whose righteous soules this peace is come and who now are most safe vnder the shadow of their Altar Christ vpon whom whiles they liued they offered all their spirituall sacrifices and now being taken vp to heauen in their soules praise him with ioifull lips continually and follow him in white whether soeuer he goeth A comfort to those Vse 3 who for this peace-sake fight lawfully in all the warre of the world against it They who in such a presse of worldly affaires beeing with Zacheus vpon too low a ground to see Christ doe therefore climbe vp in their affections aboue earthly matters and worldly desires treading the Moon vnder their feete shall heare one day perhaps this present day their sweet Sauiours voice saying Come to mee at once for this day is saluation come to your houses Luk. 19.5.9 And then as God said to Abraham Arise and walke about this Land this is the countrey that I will giue thee Gen. 13.17 So he will one day say to euery child of Abraham Behold thy heauenly land that is the place of thy perpetuall aboad come to it walke about it and liue in it for euer Then wee shall haue that blessing that all our prayers hearing readings in the word and other godly striuings like that of Iacob with the Angell before hee blessed him laboured vnto Gen. 32.26 Herod promised much when he promised halfe his kingdome Mark 6.23 But Christ both promiseth will giue a whole kingdome Math. 25.34 And where among men the elder onely doth inherit here all sons are heires and all receiue not some few Manors and small Lordships but crownes of righteousnesse Rom. 8.17 O then what should let our desires with the tribes of Renben Gad to passe ouer this Iordan of death by the parting not of waters but of soule body to come to our Land of promise Num. 32.3.4.5.6 Iacobs 7. yeeres seemed light vnto him in regard of Rahel for whom he serued Ge. 29.20 And why should the labour trauel not of 7. yeares for it may be as was said we shall not serue 7. dayes we serue not a churlish Laban but a most bountiful redeemer I say why shold this short labor of ours trauell of so short time seeme any thing in respect of that faire
already in the fourth verse should perish being fore-written to condemnation As if he should haue said God will giue iudgement to destruction against all vngodly men And of this number are these deceiuers Therefore they also shall perish and be damned This is the Apostles drift in the allegation of the prophecie Wherein to say nothing of the preface to it wee haue speech of the last generall iudgement ver 14. and of the ends of the Iudges comming ver 15. In the first the Apostle speaketh of the certaintie of the thing and with what solemnitie it shall be performed The ends of the Iudges comming are general surely as concerne the wicked first in their deeds whereof they shall be iudged and secondly in their words for which they shall giue answere In the certaintie of this last iudgement two things may bee considered as first who shall be Iudge the Lord and secondly the manner of propounding this iudgement in the word commeth Hee that is iudge is the Lord to wit the Lord Iesus Christ who shall hold the Court of assise in the clouds and cite all nations before him with the sound of the last trumpet Hee shall be iudge who is of pure eyes and cannot behold euill Habac. 1.13 Who iudgeth the world with righteousnesse and his people with equitie Psa 98 9. And who is gracious to his seruants and terrible to Sinners From whence this point is taught Doctr. that the day of the last iudgement is kept by Christ onely who will come both as a Sauiour and as a Iudge and in a day of as great ioy as may be and feare as euer was Christ himself saith the father iudgeth no man Ioh. 5.22 To wit directly but by the sonne to whom he hath committed all iudgement that is to whom onely he hath giuen the hearing of the last day Peter in his Sermon to Cornelius and his company saith as much saying that Christ is ordained of God a iudge of quicke and dead Act. 10.42 His meaning is it was the decree and will of God from eternitie that Christ properly should be iudge and that hee should condemne the world who was condemned in the world and saue his owne who died for his owne And the Apostle Paul charging Timothy by the charge of an adiuration to preach the word giueth him a commandement so to doe before God and before Iesus Christ whom he describeth by a proper effect which is that hee shall indge the quicke and dead at his appearing and in his kingdome that is in that day of his great glorie 2. Tim. 4.1 Also the same Apostle Paul telleth the men of Athens that God will iudge the world by that man to wit Christ God and Man whom hee hath appointed or whom by a decree elder then the world hee hath made iudge And hee saith the Apostle shall iudge the world in righteousnesse Act. 17.31 Others may sell iudgement but he wil giue true iudgement and execute iudgement with righteousnesse Quest You will say Must not the Father and holy Ghost be Iudges as well as Christ Answ I answere that iudgement is an action belonging to all the three persons in Trinitie but the execution of it is proper to the Sonne by whom the Father and holy Ghost doe iudge the world Quest But what say you to those places of Scripture where it is said that the Apostles shall sit vpon Thrones and iudge the tribes of Israel Mat. 19.28 and that the Saints shall iudge the world 1. Cor. 6.2 Answ I say that the authoritie of iudgement doth not belong either to Apostles or Saints and that in their manner of iudgement they resemble Iustices who at an assise are in a manner Iudges and yet giue no sentence but onely approue the sentence that is giuen The Iudges for the time haue the whole authoritie Iustices on the bench are but assistants and witnesses So here the definitiue iudgement is proper to Christ who is Iudge himselfe The Saints and Apostles are not Iudges but as Iudges hauing no voices of authoritie but of assent Thus it hath been shewed that Christ onely is iudge it must be further shewed that he is both a Sauiour and a Iudge Our conuersation saith the Apostle is in heauen He speaketh of himselfe and of the Saints whose conuersation and life is not carnall but spirituall And from thence we saith the same Apostle that is all the godly looke for the Sauiour meaning Christ the Lord who is a Sauiour to the righteous and a Iudge to the vngodly Phil. 3.20 Also the grace of God that hath appeared as the bright sunne-shine in our saluation teacheth vs to liue soberly righteously and godlily as they that looke for the appearing of their Sauiour Tit 2.13 that is for the comming of Christ who will saue his people and iudge the wicked and sinners So he is called the Sauiour of his bodie which is the church Ephes 5.23 because at the last day and at his last comming hee will come as a Sauiour to it as a Iudge to the enemies of it And that this will be a terrible day to the wicked and day of as great reiolcing to the righteous appeareth in Psal first verses 3. 4. Where that Prophet speaking of the different estates of the godly and sinners in their apparances at the great Sessions of the last iudgement saith that the leafe of the righteous shall not fade but the chaffe of the vngodly shall be driuen away Christ saith that it shall be a day of such tribulation to the vngodly men that their hearts shall faile them for feare when they thinke of it or looke after it Luke 21.26 But speaking of and to the righteous by shewing what manner day it shall bee to them hee biddeth them for the peace it bringeth and ioy it promiseth to all such to looke vp and to list vp their heads for it is the day of their redemption saith he draweth neere ver 28. And the Prophet Daniel aimeth at this where speaking of the diuers manners and ends of their rising who sleep in the dust of the earth saith that some shall awake to euerlasting life some to shame and perpetuall contempt Dan. 12.2 as if hee had said all the dead shall not haue a like resurrection for some shall be raised to life some to condemnation some shall haue a ioyfull some a dreadfull rising to some it shall be a bitter day to some their marriage day Ioh. 5.29 Thus the righteous shall reioice when hee seeth the vengeance Ps 58.10 But the strange children shall shrinke away and feare in their priuie chambers Ps 18.45 saying to the mountaines fall vpon vs and to the hils couer vs. The godly shall appeare with boldnesse comming before Christ who will be their aduocate not Iudge except to acquit them and to giue them the crowne of righteousnesse The wicked not so for the wicked shall not stand in iudgement nor sinners in the assemblie of the righteous
learned Father compareth conscience which is the knowledge that we haue with our selues of some good or euill to water in a Well which when it is troubled sheweth no image of any face but waxing cleare doth So if we suffer this christall of our conscience to bee mudded with foule trespasses of habit or impenitencie wee shall neuer see our naturall face in it neither perceiue how deadly we sinne against God and our owne soules Where if we purge daily for our daily offences and greatly for our greater sinnes if we haue an eye alway to the Lord and his proceedings in vs making good vse of those priuie secret pinches that our consciences giue vs when we doe amisse wee shall in so cleare a fountaine of our good conscience as in a true glasse behold with sanctified profit the many faultes of our life and so the sooner and more conueniently bee humbled for them Or if when our consciences reproue vs of our waies wee listen vnto them and make present good vse of the strokes of our heart for euill deedes and that while we be tender and sensible of sinne wee shall auoide the plague of a foolish heart or heart past feeling Ephes 4.19 and not goe desperately on with bold sinners in the way that leadeth to destruction Thus may wee profit greatly by the iudgement that is begunne in vs in these mulcts of our consciences or mid-hearings preparing vs with comfort to the hearing of the last day A confutation of all Atheists Vse 1 whether Atheists in iudgement or in life Atheists who deny the iudgement to come or liue as if there should bee none Of such we reade who slandering the footesteps of Christs comming said where is the promise of that day 2. Pet. 3.4 that is what is become of it and of all this talke about it So there were in Esay who said when they heard of such a day Let him make speed let him hasten his worke that wee may see it as if they should haue said if it shall bee at all let it be now Or he had need to hasten it if we shall beleeue it Esay 5.19 And in Amos time there was a large fellowship of these mates who put the euill day the day of their death and iudgement which they called euill farre off Amos 6.3 But haue we none of this knot and conspiracie in our own time Yes too many whom I leaue to the mercie of God to be amended or as the drosse of the earth to bee consumed with the fire of his comming who will come with fire and his chariots like a whirlewinde Esay 66.15 A reproofe of their securitie Vse 2 who by certaine slumbering delaies and puttings off walke in no reuerence of the Lords comming or remembrance of their owne death For the yong man presumeth that he shall liue long and the oldest that he may liue one yeare longer But knowing these terrours of the Lord what care should bee in vs presently to set our house and nature in some good order for the comming of Christ the iudge or for our own last end in which we shall be iudged 2. Cor. 5.11 Schollars who come to render to their Master the lesson or part giuen them doe it not without feare and shall we not feare to thinke of that day in which wee must giue account to Christ the iudge for all the things that hee hath put in our hand and keeping When Paul willed the men of Athens to repent it was vpon this ground that the Lord had appointed a day wherein hee would iudge the world in righteousnesse Act. 17.31 As if he had said yee shall be sure to be iudged and therefore repent And yet wee liue in sinne and our hearts are not turned If we were sure that Christ would come to iudgement the next May day what an alteration would it worke in many of vs and how would it change vs and moue vs who would set his heart vpon riches who would deceiue and oppresse who would spend so much in apparell and so many daies in vanitie who durst be drunke who durst sweare and lie and commit adulterie what would become of our May-games dauncing greenes and bowres and such conuenticles of spirituall fugitiues from God on his Sabbaths who would not rather passe the time that remaineth in Gods seruice and run to sermons and reade and pray deuoutly and bestow good houres well and not spend time in chambering and wantonnesse But we are not sure that that day shall tarrie till May next And we know not that Christs day will come this weeke or the next or this present day and houre or while I am speaking of it and yet we walke in as great security and as desperately in sinne as if we were certaine it would not come in our time If we heare a sudden crie of fire fire we are astonied out of measure and yet hearing by our Preachers the Lords trumpets so many and fearefull threatnings by the word concerning the fires of hell and iudgement when not a few houses but the whole world shall burne like an ouen we are not moued Euerie one almost will giue his best helpe for the quenching of a materiall fire but who regardeth to saue himselfe or to preserue others from the vnquenchable fire of hell and terrible fire of the Lords comming that will most certainely we know not how soone flame out to the burning of this great Sodom of the Earth in the which the heauens shal passe away with a noise the elements shall melt with heat and all things corruptible shall be dissolued most speedily as if they did flee away 2. Pet. 3.10 Apoc. 20.11 Christ euen now standeth at the doore of thy Christian heart to wit as a guest and stranger that would be entertained Apoc. 3.20 and thou by continuing in sinne deniest to receaue him He threatneth by the law he reproueth by the law and condemneth by it all impenitent sinners By these he knocketh ernestly and crieth vehementlie at the dore of thy heart to open vnto him and wilt thou tarrie till by thy death he breake in or by his particular comming If a great man should knocke at our doore what stirring would there bee to receiue him presently and as is meâ—te Is there any greater or more worthy guest then Christ who knocketh by the ministerie of the Gospell at the gate of our heart who reacheth forth the hand of his threatnings to beate vpon our consciences day and night that we might turne with all speed which is our opening to the sonne of God and shall we giue him no entrance after so long a time of waiting at our hearts for our conuersion A great man will not be so abused and shall we thinke that the mighty God will take it well that after so many knocking 's and long standing without he should finde no dore of admission into vs or opening by vs and should still be deferred and put off or can these
will his person be glorious who shall come to iudge the world The reasons There must be a difference between Christs first comming in the flesh and second comming to iudgement Now his first comming was base therefore his second comming must be glorious His first was obscure his second therefore must be manifest In the first he came into the world in the second he comes against it His first was to receiue iudgement his second is to giue iudgement His first in mercie his second with rebuke Then he came as a seruant poore and without shew but now he commeth as the mighty God with power and great glorie Tit. 2.13 And if Iudges of assise doe not ascend to their seats of iudgmeÌ„t but as we haue said with great state solemnity shal we think that the Lord of the Angels iudge of man wil go meanly attended to his tribunall in the clouds 2. Christs second coÌ„ming is to coÌ„demnÌ„ the world to cast fear in the face of euery sinner It is requisite therfore it should be with power with signes of power 3. Christ shall haue at his coÌ„ming all that may set forth the state roialtie of such a King Now a part this glorie is in the attendants about his person For in the multitude of the people is the honor of the King saith Salomon Pro. 14.28 Therefore shal his day be manifest his comming glorious A confutation of their madnes who think with their multitudes as Giants here to put Christ out of countenance Vse 1 Christs seruants out of heart For what are their numbers to Christs thousands nay what are they al to one Angell and what a nothing to those troups of Angels who shal come with him froÌ„ heauen now stand about his throne in heaueÌ„ Euen they who band the world to resist Christ notwithstanding that they boast so much of their thousands whom they haue numbred against religion shall know one day and may know within few daies that there is no health but vnder his wings whom they haue defied For what saith the Lord to such Assyrian Spoilers gather on heapes and yee shall be broken gird your selues and yee shall be broken in peeces so saith the Lord and he saith it twise because it is ratified and God will doe it Esa 8.9 They were many against a few and heapes of men to there here and there a man yet did they stumble and fall and were broken and snared and taken verse 15. look Nahum 2.1 2. 13. Ioel 3.9.11 There was a conspiracie of Kings against Christ and Dauid prophecied of a world of kingdomes that should bee against him and yet what could they doe against him put him to death and he rose from death tread him downe by his owne sufferance and will for a little while and he is King for euer Iudge him here and he will be their iudge at his terrible comming Ps 2.2.3.4 But Vse 2 will Christ come with such power and signes of power then how terrible shall his comming be to presumptuous and vnrepentant sinners what will become of vnpardoned swearers drunkards whooremongers breakers of the sabbath liars slaunderers and such sinners at that great day of the Lords comming whether will they runne to saue themselues and into what holes of the earth to hide themselues how will they resist Christ who commeth so strong against them and if they must yeeld vnto him as is without question they must how will they abide the rebukes of his comming If the people could nor endure his glorie when he descended on mount Sinai in a storme of fire in tempest thunder and darknesse but fled and stood a farre off Exod. 20.19 And if the sight was so terrible that Moses himselfe said I feare and quake Heb. 12.21 And yet Christ came then but to giue the law as Mediatour not to visit for it as Iudge how shall his despisers stand before his great glorie and second comming when he shall burne with wrath stirring vp himselfe like a man of Warre till the houses of pride and children of disobedience bee destroyed for euer Or if the brethren of Ioseph could not tell what to say vnto him because of one trespasse against him Gen. 45.3 What shal these bastard brethren say to this glorious Ioseph our brother their Iudge for innumerable contempts and trespasses wherewith they haue pierced him being not ouer one kingdome only and vnder an higher as Ioseph ouer Egypt and vnder Pharao but ouer all the kingdomes of the world And if they who came to take Christ being a well prouided company when he himselfe was not countenanced with worldly meanes to resist and was onely followed by a few vnarmed men fell to the earth after he but spake vnto them Ioh. 18.6 how shall they fall back or rather altogether flat vpon their faces with horrible feare who shal come quâ—uering before him not attended as then with eleuen Apostles onely but with thousands of his Saints nor meanely furnished but gloriously arrayed not speaking gently whom seek yee But threatning sharpely and saving roundly Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the Diuell and his Angels Mat. 25.41 If men should pitch against vs we would feare with the seruant who said Alas Master what shall wee doe 2. King 6.15 We would more feare if many Kings should ioine to make an hoast against vs. Yet the power of men might be forced yea the power of Princes but if an Angell should come against vs as sometimes against Balaam with a drawne sword Num. 22.23 Who can compell an Angell to returne to heauen What then when mighty troupes of Angels shall threaten the world at Christs comming Who shall daunt so strong a power the strong power of the Angels when they shall keep their march in the aire and professe to rebuke the vngodly and sinners that shall be turned into hell with all that forget God The Sunne Moone and Starres that neuer sinned cannot endure this wonderfull and astonishing maiestie of the Sonne of God and therefore shall by a kinde of blushing darknesse presently loose their light and glorie and shall the race of men that haue beene such sinners and stand not in any borrowed corruption as those heauenly lights doe but in their proper transgression and filthinesse appeare without shame and without the confusion of their faces before Christ the iudge of all flesh at that day nay if the sea and waters not infected by their owne but by mans sinne shall then roare and cry out because of those things which shall come on the world Luk. 21.25.26 How shall the wicked roare out for the disquietnesse of their harts and how shall the vngodly and sinners feare and be troubled who haue stained themselues and cast into the world those defilings that cannot bee washed but with a floud of fire A comfort to the righteous For Vse 3 shall Christs comming bee glorious then they shall not
bee without their honour whom Christ will bring with him and whom hee will make to sit with him on thrones in the ayre The Iudges of assise haue much honour And therefore the Iustices that sit with them sit downe on an honourable bench So Christ being exalted Shall not his Saints reioice When Dauid was made King all Dauids children sate neere the throne though not in the throne His sonnes were the kings sonnes and the posteritie he had the Kings children Thus Dauids honour honoured those that come of him And such honour haue all the Saints Such Nay greater For they all are Kings all sit on thrones who come with Christ 1. Cor. 6.2 More is spoken of this in the next doctrine But the Saints are a part of Christs company attendance that is he will bring them with him when hee commeth to giue iudgement against the world of the vngodly Doctr. From whence we learne that the faithull though despised here shall haue the honour from Christ at his comming to bee companions with him in the last Sessions This is the prerogatiue of the Saints and their proper glorie They shall meet Christ in the clouds and raigne with him for euer in heauenly places When the wicked shall stand vpon the earth as vpon a burning floore the fire flaming high about their cares they shall bee receiued into fellowship with Christ and then shall the iudgement begin The Prophet aimed at this Psa 50.4 5 who speaking of this great day of the Lords comming sheweth whom the Lord would call vnto it either to stand before him as witnesses or to be ioined with him as companions The witnesses are heauen and earth They whom Christ will haue in company with him are the Saints And therefore hee saith Gather my Saints together vnto mee Psal 50.5 Math. 24.31 As if hee had said Let heauen and earth come to iudgement but let my elect come to the bench And Dauid speaking of the Saints glorified doth not set them in the outward courts of Gods house but in the presence Psal 16.11 In thy presence saith hee that is in place where thou art This is resembled in the Lambes standing on mount Sion and in those hundred fourtic and foure thousand that were with him hauing his fathers name written in their forheads Apoc. 14.1 For by the Lamb is meant Christ and by the hundred fourty and foure thousand the company of the Saints who shall be with Christ So in the Virgens that went to meete the Bridegroome Math. 2â— 1 But more specially in those who being ready when the Bridegroome went in went in with him to the wedding ver 10. But the Apostle S. Paul speaketh plainely and not in a figure where speaking of the great honour that the Saints shall haue in the sight of the damned he saith They shall be caught vp in the cloudes and meet Christ in the aire 1. Thes 4 17. And addeth So they shall euer be with the Lord. The meaning is and it is as if he had said they shall neuer be strangers but companions Christ himselfe hath said it who speaking to his Disciples and in them to the rest of the thousands of his Saints that haue followed him in the regeneration promiseth that they shall sit on seats or rather on glorious thrones Math. 19.28 Luc. 22.30 Now he is faithfull who hath promised and will surely doe it Therefore shall the righteous abide with Christ for euer The reasons The Saints are Christs seruants Now where the Master is there must the seruants bee that waite vpon him Ioh. 12.26 nay they are Christs friends Ioh. 15.5 and where should a friend be but in the presence of his friend or they are Christs court Therefore where he is there must they be for where the King is there the court is And they be more then of his court for they are of his court and counsell too Ioh. 15.15 And so Christs presence is not only where they are as the Kings is at court but they be his counsell-table or court of power wherein he sitteth gloriously as the King in his throne Secondly and to reason from the lesse to the greater If a good Master will preferre his good followers when himselfe is preferred Christ being so highly exalted in glorie will much more honour those thousands that haue beene of his company and attendance here And so they who haue had fellowship with Christ in his afflictions shall haue fellowship with him in his glorie and they who haue suffered with him shall raigne with him 2. Tim. 2.12 Thirdly Luc. 12.32 this is the hope of the faithfull and shall the hope and patient abiding of the faithfull deceiue them Vse 1 This teacheth the righteous to beare the iniuries of the world quietly and willingly For the day will come when their persecutors shall be troden downe to hell and second death and they presently receiue the crowne of their sufferings who haue suffered for Christ Here hee that refraineth from euill maketh himselfe a prey Esa 59.15 and it is safer to doe wrong then to complaine of an iniury we but let me not too much discourage Gods children for that which is thus and so here shall bee contrary hereafter when the Lord shall requite the furie of his aduersaries with a recompence verse 18. then they who here despised the righteous mans life will say that they whom they thought to bee fooles and their end without honour are now counted among the children of God and their portion among the saints Wisd 5.4.5 what though the companions of the diuell set themselues as in battell array against those whom it pleaseth Christ in a gracious fellowship thus to call his and the companions of his comming after a while they shall be gathered to Christ and be free from all wrongs of men and at Christs comming see the iust iudgement and vengeance of all those who cruelly hurt them themselues sitting on the bench and giuing a kind of iudgement against them with Christ and the thousands that are with him But shall the Saints be in company with Christ at his comming Vse 2 and bee made a part of his attendance Then let vs consider our high calling and not company with sinners that must haue fellowship with Christ We cannot alway auoide those that be such yet we must in affection seperate from them when we cannot in place and not delight to sit down with them on one stoole There is a large fellowship of men in the world whose whole studies and desires are bent to passe the time in drinking gaming rioting and other beastly exercises and hee that will not be combined in fellowship with such loose mates is counted no bodie but Gods children and they who meane to haue fellowship with Christ must abhorre this vngodly fellowship of lewd men and not haue one purse or communion with them who beleeue the communion of saints not communion of light with such darknesse Prou. 1.14 2.