1 Iohn 3.14 because we love the Brethren He that loveth not his Brother abideth in death Be thou faithfull unto the death Rev. 2.10.11 and I will give Thee the Crown of life He that overcommeth shall not be hurt of the second death CHAP. VII Of the day of Judgement the same described with the fruits and effects thereof the same being called FIrst The day of the Lord. Secondly A day of Recompence Thirdly The great day of the Lord. Fourthly A day or time of Jacobs troubles Fifthly The evil day Sixthly The day of the Lords wrath Seventhly A day of wrath of trouble destruction and of desolation Eighthly A day in which the whole land shall be devoured with the fire of Gods jealousie Ninthly A day of darknesse of gloominesse of clouds and thick darknesse Tenthly A great and terrible day who can abide it Eleventhly A day from the which nothing can deliver us neither silver nor gold nor any thing else Twelfthly A day that will cause all the inhabitants of the land to tremble for the day of the Lord cometh it is nigh at hand Thirteenthly A terrible and a fearfull day to the wicked by reason of the sentence of malediction and condemnation then to be pronounced against them of Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire But Fourteenthly A day of joy and happinesse unto the godly and elect by reason of the sentence of approbation and benediction then to be pronounced for their endlesse comfort of Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdome prepared for you The great day of the Lord is near Zeph. 1.14 15. and hasteth greatly even the voice of the day of the Lord. That day is a day of wrath a day of trouble and distresse a day of wastnesse and desolation a day of darknesse and of gloominesse a day of clouds and thick darknesse Alas Jer. 30.7 for that day is great so that none is like it it is even the time of Jacobs trouble but he shall be saved out of it Let all the inhabitants of the land Joel 2.1 tremble for the day of the Lord cometh it is nigh at hand Behold the day of the Lord cometh Isaiah 13.9 cruel both with wrath and fierce anger to lay the land desolate he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it For the starrs of heaven Isaiah 13.10 13. and the constellations thereof shall not give their light the sun shall be darkened in his going forth and the moon shall not cause her light to shine I will shake the heavens and the earth shall remove out of her place in the wrath of the Lord of hosts and in the day of his fierce anger A voice of noise from the city Isaiah 66.6 a voice from the temple a voice of the Lord that rendreth recompence to his enemies The dayes of visitation are come Hosea 9.7 the dayes of recompence are come A day of darkness and of gloominess Joel 2.2 11. a day of clouds and thick darknesse And the Lord shall utter his voice before his army for his camp is very great for he is strong that executeth his word for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible and who can abide it Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God Ephes 6.13 that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day The day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night 1 Thess 5.2 For the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night 2 Pet. 3.10 in the which the heavens shall passe away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with heat the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up The angels which kept not their first state Jude 6. he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darknesse unto the Judgement of the great day Behold Revel 1.7 he cometh with clouds and every eye shall see him and they also which have pierced him Neither their silver Zeph. 1.18 nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lords wrath but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousie for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land They shall cast their silver in the streets Ezek. 7.19 and their gold shall be removed their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord. For all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousie Zeph. 3.8 Again Of the day of Iudgement or the last day the same described Of the day of Judgement or the last day by wonders shewed in the heavens and in the earth Bloud and fire and pillars of smoke The sun turned into darknesse the moon into bloud Joel 2.30 31 32. Called the great and terrible day of the Lord with the joy and comfort then of Gods elect and they which call upon the name of the Lord they shall be then saved and delivered And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth bloud and fire and pillars of smoke The sun shall be turned into darknesse and the moon into bloud before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come And it shall come to passe that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered Thrust in thy sickle and reap Revel 14 15. for the time is come for thee to reap for the harvest of the earth is ripe Put ye in the sickle Joel 3.13 14 15 16 17. for the harvest is ripe come get you down for the presse is full the fats overflow for their wickednesse is great Multitudes multitudes in the valley of decision for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision The sun and the moon shall be darkned and the starrs shall withdraw their shining The Lord also shall rore out of Zion and utter his voice from Jerusalem and the heavens and the earth shall shake but the Lord will be the hope of his people and the strength of the children of Israel So shall ye know that I am the Lord your God dwelling in Zion my holy mountain The Lord will rore from Zion Amos 1.2 and utter his voice from Jerusalem Therefore prophesie thou against them all these words Jer. 25.30 31. and say unto them The Lord shall rore from on high and utter his voice from his holy habitation he shall mightily rore upon his habitation he shall give a shout as they that tread the grapes against all the inhabitants of the earth A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth for the Lord hath a controversie with the Nations he will plead with all flesh he will give them that are wicked to the sword saith the Lord. For I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth Jer. 25.29 saith
the Lord of hosts For as the lightning cometh out of Matth. 24.27 the east and shineth even unto the west so shall also the coming of the Son of man be Immediately after the tribulation of those dayes shall the sun be darkened Matth. 24.29 30 31 33 36. the moon shall not give her light the stars shall fall from heaven the powers of the heaven shall be shaken And then shall appear the sign of the son of man in heaven Mark 13.24 25 26 27 29 32 33. and Luke 21.25 26 27 31 32 33. the same with St. Matthew and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn and they shall see the son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds from the one end of heaven to the other When ye shall see all these things know that it is near even at the doors But of that day and hour knoweth no man no nor the angels of heaven but my Father onely By these preceding places of Scripture it appears That the day of Iudgement or the day the Lord is called by the name of the harvest being ripe The harvest of the earth is ripe and therefore to be reaped with the sickle By the name of a noise that shall come even to the ends of the earth and that the Lord hath a controversie with the Nations that he will plead with all flesh and give them that are wicked to the sword Again Of the day of Judgement a farther description and of the effects of it The day of Iudgement further described with full expressions in the Scripture how fearfull and terrible the same shall be and what men shall do for to avoid the same And they shall go into the holes of the rocks Isaiah 2.19 and 10.11 12. all to the same purpose and into the caves of the earth for fear of the Lord and for the glory of his majesty when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth Or then shall they go into the holes of the rocks from before the fear of the Lord and from the glory of his majesty when he shall arise to destroy the earth as another Translation is In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver Isaiah 2.20 and his idols of gold which they made each one for himself to worship to the moles to the bats Or at that day shall a man cast away his silver idols and and his golden idols which they had made themselves to worship them to the moles and to the batts as another Translation is That is Exposition They shall cast them into most vile and filthy places when they perceive that they are not able to help them as the exposition is To go into the clefts of the rocks Isai 2.20 21. and into the tops of the ragged rocks for fear of the Lord and for the glory of his majesty when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth And they shall say to the mountains Cover us and to the hills Hosea 10.8 Fall on us Then shall they begin to say to the mountains Fall on us and to the hills Luke 23.30 Cover us And the kings of the earth Rev. 6.15 16. and the great men and the rich men and the chief captains and the mighty men and every bond-man and every freeman hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains and said to the mountains and rocks Fall on us And hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb For the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand And in those dayes shall men seek death and shall not find it and shall desire to dye and death shall flee from them Riches Prov. 11.4 profit or avail not in the day of wrath but righteousnesse delivereth from death Trust not in wicked riches Ecclus 5.8 for they shall not help or profit thee in the day of punishment or vengeance Wo unto you that desire the day of the Lord Amos 5.18 to what end is it for you the day of the Lord is darknesse and not light Or what have you to do with it as another Translation is Thus he speaketh because the wicked and hypocrites said they were content to abide Gods Iudgements whereas the godly tremble and fear as the exposition is As if a man did flee from a lion Amos 5.19 20. and a bear met him or went into the house and leaned hard on the wall and a serpent bit him Shall not the day of the Lord be darknesse and not light even very dark and no brightnesse in it Or and no light in it as another Translation is Behold 1 Cor. 15.51 I shew you a mystery or a secret thing we shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed when the Lord cometh to Iudgement some of the saints shall be alive whom he will change even as if they were dead so that this change is instead of death to them as the Exposition is Exposition For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout 1 Thess 4.16 17. with the voice of the Archangel and with the Trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Meaning them which shall be found alive as the exposition is In this sudden taking up Exposition there shall be a kind of mutation of the qualities of our bodies which shall be as a kind of death as the exposition is And it shall be said in that day Lo Isaiah 25.9 this is our God we have waited for him and he will save us This is the Lord we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoyce in his salvation In a moment 1 Cor. 15.52 in the twinckling of an eye at the last trump or trumpet for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed For this corruptible must put on incorruption 1 Cor. 15.53 and this mortall must put on immortality I will ransome them from the power of the grave Hosea 13.14 I will redeem them from death O death I will be thy plagues O grave I will be thy destruction Meaning Exposition that no power shall resist God when he will deliver his but even in death he will give them life as the exposition is Therefore be ye ready Matth. 24.44 for in such an hour as you think not the son of man cometh or will come Ye that put farr away the evil day Amos 6.3 and cause the seat of violence to come near
willing to die considering that the godly by death are called to rest but the wicked to punishment 164. The difference between the hope of the wicked and of the godly 164 165. Nothing more profitable than the thought of mortality 165 166. Why the day of our death is kept from us 166. That a mans death shall be as his life is 166 167. That the day of Judgement may be long before it come but the day of death not so and the reason 167. By meditation on death to make the same familiar to us 167. That our whole life ought to be a learning to die 167. That death puts an end to all sorrows 168 169 170. That life is a passage to death and death a return to life 168 169. Touching our comfort in death by Christ his overcoming of death 169. That sleep is a resemblance of death the bed of the grave our rising again of our resurrection 169 170. That the day of our death is as our everlasting birth day 170. We are not to grieve at the thought of death but rather to rejoyce 170 171. The Sacrament called viaticum Aeternitatis or morientis 171. The desire of Nazianzen to die with some sentence of piety by him uttered at that time 171. That death is a passage from earth to heaven 171 172. That death is a separation of the soul from the body a location of the body in the earth and a translation of the soul to God 172 173. That man is of the dust and to dust to return 172 173. That the thought of death ought to be comfortable in regard of Gods mercy promised 173 174 175 176. CHAP. VII Of the day of Judgement the same described with the fruits and effects thereof 177. The severall appellations of the day of Judgement 177 178 179. The terriblenesse of the day of Judgement with the manner thereof 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189. Touching the manner of our change at the day of Judgement 187 188. That God will deliver his in the day of Judgement 188. That because man was so wicked God made the dumb creatures to take part of the punishment with him 189 190. A Sermon preached upon this text 2 Cor. 5.10 For we must all appear before the Judgement-seat of Christ 195. ERRATA Fol. 31. line 1. these words omitted nisi introspieere in mentem suam 51. l. 29. that for the 54. l. 1. the first all too much 83. l. 6. that too much 87. l. 16. dignitio tua for est dignatio tua 88. l. 1. serio for serious 112. l. 1. not too much 121. l. last word for sword 124. l. 7.8.9 read morbidus putridus cassus auspicatus 125. l. 3. dives for dies and l. 13. is to be left out 128. l. 3 4. melior for melius 136. l. 7. shall too much 141. l. 28. distinction for direction 144. l. 22 moriamini for moriâ—mini l. 27. O nqnom for O nequam 148. l. 21. ereunti for exennti 156. l. 24. quod for quid 159. l. 14. provectio for profectio 161. l. 17. bono for bona l. 26. sciet for sociat 162. l. 7. transgradimur for trunsgredimur and l. 10. temporali itinere de cursa for temporalis itineris decursu 165. l. 20. jubat for jubet 170. l. 5. somnum for somnus or somnium In the Sermon 2. division the generality of the Judgement we must all appear here to be left on t the 3. division the severity of the Judgement in this word appear here to be added CHAP. I. Touching the sacred word of God with certain directory Rules and observations by way of Caveats to be made use of for the more profitable and better understanding of the holy Scriptures and sacred word of God whensoever we do either read or hear the same preached unto us FIrst the constant and frequent reading and hearing of the Word of God and the due meditation thereon is a duty and service commanded us by God himself and by him enjoyned to be duely and carefully performed by us with his good blessings promised if we so do and his ensuing judgements threatned if we neglect the same all which appeareth by many places of Scripture Deut. chap. 11. vers 18.19.20.21 Ye shall lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul and bind them for a signe upon your hand that they may be as frontlets between your eyes And ye shall teach them your children speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way when thou liest down and when thou risest up And thou shalt write them upon the doore posts of thine house and upon thy gates That your dayes may be multiplied and the dayes of your children in the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers to give them as the dayes of heaven upon the earth Observe Deuteronomie chap. 12. vers 28. and hear all these words which I command thee that it may go well with thee and with thy children after thee for ever when thou doest that which is good and right in the sight of the Lord thy God And it shall be Deuteronomie chap 17. vers 18.19 when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdome that he shall write him a copy of this Law in a book And it shall be with him and he shall read therein all the dayes of his life that he may learn to fear the Lord his God to keep all the words of this law and these statutes to do them And Moses wrote this law Deuteronomie chap. 31. vers 9 10 11 12. and delivered it unto the priests the sons of Levi. And Moses commanded them saying Gather the people together men and women and children and the stranger that is within thy gates that they may hear and that they may learn and fear the Lord your God and observe to do all the words of this law But the word is very nigh unto thee Deuteronomie ch 30. vers 14. in thy mouth and in thy heart that thou mayest do it The word is nigh thee Romans ch 10. ver 8. even in thy mouth and in thy heart that is the word of faith which we preach This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth Joshua chap. 8. vers 8. but thou shalt meditate therein night and day that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then thou shalt have good successe Whoso despiseth the word Prov. 13.13 shall be destroyed but he that feareth the commandement shall be rewarded I have sent unto you all my servants the prophets Jeremiah cha 7. ver 25 26. daily rising up early and sending them Yet they hearkened not nor enclined their eare but hardened their neck they did worse than their fathers How do ye say Jeremiah cha 8. ver 8.9 we are wise and
brotherly kindnesse charity For if these things be in you and abound they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ But he that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see farr off and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins If we feel these heavenly and divine vertues and graces thus working in us we may then from hence draw unto our selves for our souls comfort a full assurance of our election by God in and through Christ Iesus our blessed Lord and Saviour unto salvation and that our names are recorded written and registred in heaven in the book of life wherein we are onely to rejoyce And the seventy returned again Luke 10.17 18 19 20. with joy saying Even the devils are subject unto us through thy name And he said unto them Behold I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the powers of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you Notwithstanding in this rejoyce not that the spirits are subject unto you but rather rejoyce in this because your names are written in heaven Be it known unto you therefore Acts 13.38 39. men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you forgiveness of sin And by him all that be here are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses CHAP. IIII. Of Prayer and the force thereof and how necessary and needfull a duty the same is FIrst Oratio est clavis diei that is Prayer is the key that opens the day unto us to put us in mind of Gods protecting of us the night past and of our thankfulnesse to be rendred unto him for the same with commending of our souls and bodies to his protection for the day present Secondly Oratio est sera noctis Prayer ought to shut up the day it is the key that lets in the night unto us with our praise to God for our dayes preservation with a recommendation of our souls and bodies unto his powerfull protection for the night ensueing Hereupon it is said by one With morning prayer the day begin With evening prayer the night shut in Without this prayer sit not to eat Without Gods praise rise not from meat Thirdly Oratio est vinculum invincibile ut S. Bernard S. Bernard Prayer is a bond invincible availing very much if it be fervent The effectuall fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much James 5.16 17 18. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain and it rained not on the earth by the space of three yeares and six moneths And he prayed again 1 Kin. 17.17 and the heaven gave rain and the earth brought forth her fruit All things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer believing Matt. 21.22 ye shall receive Fourthly Oratio est vis Deo grata ut S. Chrysostom Prayer is such a force S. Chrysostom or earnest vehemency as that the same is very acceptable and well-pleasing unto God Fifthly Oratio est clavis Scripturae Origen Origen Prayer is the key that opens the Scripture unto us and enlightens our understandings therein Hereupon in reading of the Scriptures this rule directory is prescribed unto us Read not this Book in any case But with a single eye Read not but first desire Gods grace To understand thereby Sixthly Oratio est Deo sacrificium Augustin St. Augustin Prayer is a sacrifice well-pleasing unto God By him therefore Hebrews 13.15 let us offer the sactifice of praise to God continually that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name Seventhly Oratio est Diabolo flagellum S. Augustin St. Augustin Prayer is a whip or scourge unto the Devil to drive him away from us And when he was come into the house Mark 9.28 29. his disciples asked him privately Why could not we cast him out And he said unto them This kind can come forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting Eighthly Oratio est orauti subsidium St. Augustin S. Augustin Prayer is great help and succour unto him which doth pray in time of misery and affliction and at all times whatsoever I sought the Lord Psal 34.4 6. and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears This poor man cried and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles I cried unto the Lord Psal 3.4 with my voice and he heard me out of his holy hill I will call upon the Lord Psal 18.3 6. who is worthy to be praised so shall I be saved from mine enemies In my distresse I called upon the Lord and cried unto my God he heard my voice out of his temple and my cry came before him even into his eares Call upon me in the time of trouble I will deliver thee Psal 50.15 and thou shalt glorifie me The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him Psal 145.18 19. to all that call upon him in truth He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him he also will hear their cry and will save them In my distresse Psal 120.1 I cried unto the Lord and he heard me O thou that hearest prayer Psal 65.2 unto thee shall all flesh come Ninthly Oratio est armatura inexpugnabilis Prayer is an armour of proof not to be withstood invincible as one observeth It is a principall piece of our spirituall armour Praying alwayes with all prayer Ephes 6.18 and supplications in the spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all Saints Tenthly Orationes sunt tormenta Christianorum ut Pater Prayers and supplications are the gunns of Christians as it were to shoot up their prayers unto heaven Give me those groanes St. Chrysostom and sighes quae non sunt ostentationis sed compunctiouis which proceed not from vain ostentation and boasting but from the compunction or pricking of the conscience St. Chrysostom As touching Prayer Observations touching prayer and the use thereof these observations do arise as namely First The great necessity of Prayer The necessity of Prayer in these regards following First Satan seeks to destroy and devour us and therefore we ought to pray for deliverance Be sober 1 Pet. 5.8 9. be vigilant because your adversary the devil as a roring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour Whom resist stedfast in the faith Resist the devil James 4.7 8. and he will flee from you Draw nigh unto God and he will draw nigh to you Secondly the world will allure us and therefore we are to pray for assistance Thirdly the flesh will betray us and therefore we are to pray for defence Fourthly the wicked will seduce us and therefore we are to to pray for continuance My son if sinners entice thee Prov. 1.10 11 14 15
16. consent thou not If they say come with us let us lay wait for bloud let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause Cast in thy lot among us let us all have one purse My son walk not thou in the way with them refrain thy foot from their path For their feet run to evil and make hast to shed bloud Secondly We must pray in all places I will therefore 1 Tim. 2.8 that men pray every where lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting Thirdly We must pray at all times Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord Zechar. 8.21 and to seek the Lord of hosts O Lord God of my salvation I have cried day and night before thee Let my prayer come before thee Psal 88.1 2. encline thine ear unto my cry Unto thee have I cried Psal 88.13 O Lord and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee Evening Psalm 55.17 and morning and at noon will I pray And it came to passe Luke 6.12 in those dayes that he went out into a mountain to pray and be continued all night in prayer to God And he spake a parable unto them Luke 18.1 to this end that men ought alwayes to pray and not to faint Every day will I blesse thee Psalm 145.2 and I will praise thy name for ever and ever Pray without ceasing 1 Thess 5.17 But the end of all things is at hand 1 Pet. 4.7 be ye therefore sober and watch unto prayer Night and day 1 Thess 3.10 praying exceedingly Continuing instant in prayer Rom. 12.12 Foutthly We must pray for all persons yea even for our enemies Confesse your faults one to another James 5.16 and pray one for another that ye may be healed Love your enemies Luke 6.27 28. do good to them that hate you Bless them that curse you and pray for them that despitefully use you Then said Iesus Luke 23 34. Father forgive them for they know not what they do And they stoned Stephen Acts 7.59 60. calling upon God and saying Lord Iesus receive my spirit And he kneeled down and cryed with a loud voice Lord lay not this sin to their charge 5ly We must pray to God alone Is any among you afflicted Ja. 5.13 let him pray Is any merry let him sing Psalmes Now when Daniel knew Dan. 6.10 that the writing was signed he went into his House and his windows being open in his Chamber toward Ierusalem he kneeled down upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God as he did afore time As for me I will call upon God Psal 55.16 and the Lord shall save me There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius a devout man Acts 10.1 2. which gave much Alms to the people and prayed to God alway And I set my face unto the Lord God to seek by Prayer and Supplications Dan. 9 3 4. with fasting and sackcloth and ashes And I prayed unto the Lord my God Daniels Prayer and made my Confession and said O Lord the great dreadfull God keeping the Covenant and mercy to them that love him and to them that keep his Commandements Be carefull for nothing Philip. 4.6 but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God I will call on the Lord who is worthy to be praised 2 Sam. 22.4 7. so shall I be saved from mine enemies In my distress I called unto the Lord Davids Prayer and cryed to my God and he did hear my voice out of his Temple and my cry did enter into his ears But when thou prayest enter into thy Closet Mat. 6.6 and when thou hast shut thy Door pray to thy Father which is in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly 6ly We must pray with knowledge and with understanding S. Augustin Sonus mentis est intellectus ut Augustin The sound of the mind is understanding S. Augustin and no true prayer can there be without understanding Again publike or Church prayers Publick and Church Prayers are requisite and needfull to shew that that there is and ought to be unanimity and conformity in the Primitive Church And here we are not only to pray for our selves but for all others also of what estate or Conditiou soever they be of I exhort therefore 1 Tim. 2.1 2 3. that first of all Supplications Prayers Intercessions and giving of Thanks be made for all Men. For Kings and for all that are in Authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all honesty and godliness For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour And this was the use of the antient Christians Tertullian who as Tertulllian well observeth did pray for all their Emperors that they might have and quietly enjoy Vitam prolixam imperium securum The Prayer of the antient Christians for their Emperors domum tutam exercitus fortes senatum fidelem populum probum orbem quietum et quaecunque hominis et Caesaris vota sunt That they might have and quietly enjoy A happy Life a secure Empire a safe House and habitation strong and forcible Armies a faithfull Senate honest and true-hearted People a quiet World and whatsoever else either Prince or People can any waies wish or desire That offerings be made to the most high God Esdras 6.3 for the King and for his Children and that they may pray for their lives Prayer Prayer compared to Iacobs Ladder as one observeth is like unto Jacobs Ladder which appeared to him in a Dream reaching up to Heaven and which he seemed to see and behold and behold the Angels of God ascending and descending down by it And he dreamed Gen. 28.12 and behold a Ladder set upon the Earth and the top of it reached to Heaven and behold the Angels of God ascending and descending on it Even so by Prayer we fly a high pitch we soare aloft we do thereby as it were mount up flye and ascend to Heaven And I said Ps 35.6 O that I had wings like a Dove for then would I flye away and be at rest Meditatio et Oratio S. Bernard sunt ale Columbae as St. Bernard observeth Meditation and prayer are the Wings of the Dove and by these Wings of the Dove is meant Meditation and Prayer as St. Bernard well observeth St. Angustines Prayer to God was S. Augustines Prayer That of all judgements and plagues he would ever free him from a stony-heart or from a benummed or seared Conscience St. Bernard Prayer was this S. Bernards Prayer Bone Jesu esto mihi Jesus O sweet Iesus be thou unto me and to my Soul a Iesus a Saviour Oratio ascendit S. August Gratia descendit Our Prayers do ascend up to Heaven and
and bind on thy sandals and so he did and he saith unto him Cast thy garment about thee and follow me And he went out and followed him By Prayer the 3 Children Dan. 3.16 17 18 19 21 24. Shadrach Meshack and Abednego being cast bound into the midst of the fiery furnace were by God preserved and delivered from the flames of fire Shadrach Meshack and Abednego answered and said to the King O Nebuchadnezzar we are not carefull to answer thee in this matter If it be so Be it known unto thee O King that we will not serve thy Gods nor worship the golden Image thou hast set up Then was Nebuchadnezzar ful of fury therefore he spake and commanded that they should heat the furnace one 7 times more that it was wont to be heat Then these men were bound in their coats their hosen and their hats and their other garments were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace Then the King was astonied and rose up in hast and spake and said unto his Counsellors Did not we cast 3 men bound into the midst of the fire they answered said to him True O King He answered and said Lo I see 4 men loose walking in the midst of the fire and they have no hurt and the form of the 4th is like the Son of God And the Princes governors and captains and the Kings Counsellors being gathered together saw these men upon whom the fire had no power nor was an hair of their head singed neither were their coats changed nor the smell of fire had passed on them When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee Isa 43 2 3 and 11. I even I am the Lord and besides me there is no Saviour and through the Rivers they shall not overflow thee when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee For I am the Lord thy God the holy one of Israel thy Saviour All these were deliver'd by the powerfulness of prayer prevailing with God By Prayer Jacob the night before he did meet with his brother Esau wrestled with the Angel by his earnestness and importunity of his prayer he at the last therby so far prevailed with him as that he obtained a blessing from him and his Brother Esau was appeased towards him which made him greatly to rejoyce And Iacob was left alone Gen. 32.24 to 28. and there wrestled a man with him untill the breaking of the day and he said let me go for the day breaketh he said I wil not let thee go except thou bless me And he said unto him What is thy name and he said Jacob. And he said Thy name shall be called no more Jacob but Israel for as a Prince hast thou power with God and with man and hast prevailed And Esau ran to meet him and embraced him Gen. 33.4 10. and fell on his neck and kissed him and they wept And Iacob said I have seen thy face as though I had seen the face of God and thou wast pleased with me He took his Brother by the heel in the wombe Hos 12.3 4 5. and by his strength he had power with God Yea he had power over the Angel and prevailed he wept and made supplication unto him he found him in Bethel and there he spoke with us Even the Lord God of Hosts the Lord is his memorial By Prayer Moses for the children of Israel prevailed against Amalek and overehrew him And Moses said unto Joshua Exod. 17.9 10 11. chuse us out men and go out and fight with Amalek to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand So Joshua did as Moses had said unto him and fought with Aamalek and Moses Aaron and Hur went up to the top of the Hill And it came to pass when Moses held up his hand that Israel prevailed and when he let it down Amalek prevailed Ioshua obtained from the Lord that the Sun and Moon should stand still in the firmament Iosh 10.8 10 12 13 14. whiles that he avenged himself on his enemies the Amorites And the Lord said unto Joshua Fear them not for I have delivered them into thine hand And the Lord discomfited them before Israel Then Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel and he said in the sight of Israel Sun stand still upon Gibeon and thou Moon in the Valley of Aialon And the sun stood still and the Moon stayed untill the People had avenged themselves So the sun stood still in the midst of Heaven and hasted not to go down about a whole day And there was no day like that before it or after it that the Lord hearkned unto the voice of a man for the Lord fought for Israel By Prayer Elijah brought down fire from Heaven which consumed the burnt-Sacrifice to the convincing of Baals Prophets Hear me O Lord Kings 18.17.38 39. Elijahs Prayer hear me that this people may know that thou art the Lord God and that thou hast turned their heart back again Then the fire of the Lord fell consumed the burnt sacrifice the wood and the stones the dust and licked up the water that was in the trench And when all the people saw it they fell on their faces and they said The Lord he is God the Lord he is God By Prayer Elijah brought down fire twice from Heaven and consumed the 2 Captains with their several fifties comming unto him with a message from Ahaziah King of Samaria Then the King sent unto him a Captain of fifty 2 Kings 1.9 11 12. with his fifty and he went up to him and behold he sate upon the top of an hill and he spoke unto him Thou man of God the King hath said come down And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty If I be a man of God then let fire come down from heaven and consume thee and thy fifty and there came down fire from heaven and consumed him and his fifty Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty and he answered and said unto him O man of God thus hath the king said come down quickly And Elijah answered and said unto them If I be a man of God let fire come down from heaven and consume thee and thy fifty and the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty By prayer 1 Kin. 17.21 22. Elijah raised the widows son from death to life again And he cried unto the Lord and said I pray thee let this childs soul come into him again And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah and the soul of the child came into him again and he revived By prayer Elisha caused the waters of Jordan to be divided smiting of them with the mantle which fell from
Elijah He took up also the mantle of Elijah 2 Kin. 2.14 that fell from him and smote the waters and said Where is the Lord God of Elijah and when he also had smitten the waters they parted hither and thither and Elisha went over By prayer Elisha raised the Shunamites son from death to life again And when Elisha was come into the house 2 Kin. 4.32 33 35 36. behold the child was dead and laid upon his bed He went in therefore and shut the door upon them twain and prayed unto the Lord. And the child neesed seven times and the child opened his eyes And when she was come in unto him he said Take up thy son By prayer Sampson pulled the house down Judg. 16.30 and killed more at his death than in his life By prayer Ahijah obtained victory against Jeroboam king of Israel 2 Chron. 13. 14 15 16 17 18. with half the number because they did relye on God By prayer the great army of Sennacherib king of Assyria 2 Chron. 32.2 3 6 7 8 19 20 21. coming against Hezekiah king of Iudah was overthrown by the Angel of the Lord from heaven And they spake against the God of Ierusalem For this cause Hezekiah the king 2 Kin. 19.15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 34 35 37. Isaiah 39.37 the same and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amos prayed and cried to heaven And the Lord sent an Angel which cut off all the mighty men of valour and the leaders and the captains in the camp of the king of Assyria So he returned with shame to his own land And when he was come into the house of his god they that came out of his own bowels slew him there with the sword And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said O Lord God of Israel Hezekiahs prayer 2 Kin. 19.15 16 19 20 35. which dwellest between the Cherubims thou art the God even thou alone of all the kingdomes of the earth thou hast made heaven and earth Lord bow down thine ear and hear Isaiah 36.37 the same open Lord thine eyes and see and hear the words of Sennacherib which hath sent him to reproch the living God Now therefore O Lord our God I beseech thee save us out of his hand that all the kingdomes of the earth may know that thou art the Lord God even thou onely Then Isaiah the son of Amos sent to Hezekiah saying Thus saith the Lord God of Israel that which thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard And it came to passe that night that the Angel of the Lord went out and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand and when they arose early in the morning behold they were all dead corpses By prayer Asa king of Iudah 2 Chron. 14.9 10 11 12. obtained victory against Zerah the Ethiopian who came against him with an host of a thousand thousand and three hundred chariots And Asa cried unto the Lord his God The prayer of king Asa And said Lord it is nothing with thee to help whether with many or with them that have no power Help us O Lord our God for we rest on thee and in thy name we go against this multitude O Lord thou art God let not man prevail against thee So the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa and before Iudah and the Ethiopians fled By prayer Iudeth prevailed against the Assyrians Judith 9.7 8 71. who trusted in their strength Judiths prayer force and power Her prayer to God to throw down their strength For thy power standeth not in multitude nor thy might in strong men for thou art the God of the afflicted an helper of the oppressed an upholder of the weak a protector of the forlorn a saviour of them that are without help By prayer Iudas Maccabeus obtained victory from God 2 Maccabees 8.20 36. against Nicanor and with eight thousand men obtained victory against an hundred and twenty thousand in Babylon because of the help they had from heaven and because the Jews had God to fight for them and therefore they could not be hurt By prayer Lazarus being dead and having been four dayes in the grave was raised up again from death to life And Jefus lift up his eyes and said John 11.4 42 43 44. Father I thank thee that thou hast heard me And I know that thou hearest me alwayes but because of the people which stand by I said it that they may believe that thou hast sent me And when he had thus spoken 〈…〉 he cried with a loud voice Lazarus come forth And he that was dead came forth bound hand and foot with his grave-clothes and his face was bound with a napkin Jesus saith unto them Loose him and let him go By prayer the Holy Ghost fell down upon those which believed And when they had prayed Acts 4.31 the place was shaken where they were assembled together and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and they spake the word of God with boldnesse By prayer Tabitha was raised by Peter from death to life again But Peter put them all forth Acts 9.40 41. and kneeled down and prayed and turning him to the body said Tabitha arise and she opened her eyes and when she saw Peter she sat up And he gave her his hand and lift her up and when he had called the saints and widows he presented her alive By prayer St. Paul healed the father of Publius and others of their diseases And it came to passe Acts 28.8 9. that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloudy flux to whom Paul entred and prayed and laid his hands on him and healed him So when this was done others also which had diseases in the Island came and were healed Prayer as a Father observeth is as a strong city of refuge for us thereby to fly unto God in our greatest need Some in prayer as one observeth never regard what they ask nor how whereupon a Father saith If in prayer we ask of God we care not what we shall then be heard of him we know not when and have one thing granted us for another Matth. 20.20 21 22 23. James 4.3 as the mother of Zebedeus children had Ye ask and receive not because ye ask amisse that ye may consume it upon your lusts We are often nay continually in great danger and therefore we must often nay continually pray unto God for preservation and deliverance from all dangers And as S. S. Bernards observation as touching the use of prayer Bernard observeth thus much of often prayer so we must duely and carefully follow the same rule by him prescribed as namely When we go out of our house let prayer alwayes arm us accompany us and ever attend upon us for Gods blessing and preservation of us And when we return home again let
prayer ever meet us at the doors to return thanks to God for our preservation And so again at night St. Bernards Rules to be observed in prayer for our dayes safety And in the morning the like for our nights rest And in all things we are to shew and to expresse our thankfulnesse to God for all his good blessings on us from time to time bestowed and all this we are to expresse by our true and hearty prayer as St. Bernard observeth And in our prayers to God we must ever observe this rule as namely First We must recommend our prayers unto God with all humblenesse of mind Secondly We must do and perform this duty of prayer unto God with zeal and fervency Thirdly We must ever in the last place and which is above all pray unto God to teach us to pray First With humblenesse of mind for that God resisteth the proud but giveth grace to the humble Surely Prov. 3.34 he scorneth the scorners but he giveth grace to the lowly When men are cast down Job 22.29 then thou shalt say there is lifting up and he shall save the humble person Yea 1 Pet. 5.5 all of you be subject one to another and be clothed with humility for God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble Secondly With zeal and fervency Hereupon a Father saith The prayer of the spirit and soul is the spirit the soul and the life of prayer So Hannah prayed in her heart 1 Sam. 1.13 onely her lips moved but her voice was not heard The prayer of faith shall save the sick and the Lord shall raise him up Confesse your faults one to another and pray one for another James 5.15 16. that ye may be healed the effectuall fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much Thirdly To pray to God to teach us to pray And it came to passe Luke 11.1 20. Matth. 6.5 7 8 9. that as be was praying in a certain place when he ceased one of his disciples said unto him Lord teach us to pray as Iohn also taught his disciples And he said unto them When ye pray say Our Father which art in heaven c. CHAP. V. As touching Afflictions how necessary they are for us here in this l fe and what good use we are to make of them to our selves BEfore I was afflicted Psal 119.67 71. I went astray but now have I kept thy word It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy statutes Is any among you afflicted James 5.13 let him pray is any merry let him sing psalmes It is good for a man Lament 3.2 that he bear the yoke in his youth Come unto me all ye that labour Matt. 11.28 29 30. and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls For my yoke is easie and my burden light And if they be bound in fetters and be holden in cords of affliction Job 36.8 Unlesse thy Law had been my delight Psal 119.92 I should then have perished in mine affliction Thou Judith 9.11 O God art a God of the afflicted and a helper of the oppressed The true use of afflictions and wherefore God layeth afflictions on us here in this world God doth send his afflictions and doth lay the same here upon us for these ensuing causes All of them tending to our good as namely First thereby as it were to wean us and bring us home unto himself Secondly thereby to make us out of love with the things of this world that we should not cleave too fast unto them even as the nurse puts mustard on her breast to wean the child and so thereby to make it out of love with the tear even so God deals with us by his afflictions thereby as it were to wean us from setling of our delight on the things and pleasures of the world Thirdly thereby to make us to look up unto him for help In my distresse Psal 120.1 I cried unto the Lord and he heard me For thou O God hast proved us thou hast tried us as silver is tried Thou broughtest us into the net Psal 66.10 11. thou layedst affliction upon our loyns Many are the afflictions of the righteous Psal 34.19 but the Lord delivereth him out of them all The Lord doth scourge them that come near unto him Judith 8.27 to admonish them Affliction cometh not forth of the dust Job 5.6 neither doth trouble spring out of the ground But the more they afflicted them Exod. 1.12 the more they multiplied and grew And the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage Exod. 2.23 24 25. and they cried and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage And God heard their groaning and God remembred his covenant And God looked upon the children of Israel and had respect to them O Lord my strength Jer. 16.19 and my fortresse and my refuge in the day of affliction Fourthly that so he may thereby keep us the faster unto himself yea even with the cords of afflictions Hereupon St. Augustin well saith St. Augustin Qui te flagitat in hac vita ad emendum non ad damnandum hoc facit That God which doth here afflict and chastise thee he doth this onely and principally for thy amendment and not for thy ruine and destruction And again St. Augustin Hic St. Augustin ut in aeternum parcas Lord lay thou here on me what torments thou shalt see good for me in thy justice and mercy so as thou reserve for me eternity after this life ended Lay here what afflictions thou wilt on me We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdome of God Acts 14.22 Afflictions as one observeth are inseparable but not infallible notes of salvation for none shall be saved but he must suffer afflictions but all that are afflicted shall not be saved Causa facit beatos non martyrium as one observeth It is the cause which maketh men happy not martyrdome The depth of affliction is the chiefest stirrer up of devotion Witnesse the children of Israel in Egypt David in all his troubles Daniel in the lions denn Ionah in the whales belly Manasseh in his afflictions and the three Children in the fiery furnace Hereupon Hugo well saith Hugo Gravamen temporale est medicamen spirituale A temporall affliction is a spirituall medicine And as another well observeth Nemo potest a deliciis transire ad delicias None can passe from those vain and transitory pleasures and delights of this world unto the permanent and everlasting delights in the kingdome of heaven For we must not look to enjoy here a heaven upon earth Rom. 8.28 and likewise to enjoy heaven hereafter For we know that all things work together for
as the bed Nothing more resembles our resurrection than our awaking and rising again in the morning This ought to put us daily in mind of our death and resurrection Et Lathi consanguineus sopor Virgil. ut Virgil. Sleep is a Cousin of death Speculum mortis somnnm Tertullian ut Tertullian Sleep is a very spectacle of death Quoties dormis vigilas toties morieris resurgis As often as thou sleepest and awakest again so often by way of resemblance dost thou dye and rise again as a Father observeth Dies iste Seneca quem tanquam extremum reformidas aeterni natalis est ut Seneca That day which thou so much fearest as being thy last day the same day for thy joy and comfort is thy everlasting birth-day Cur igitur doles Tertullian de patientia si periisse non credis ut Tertullian De patientia Why dost thou therefore grieve and lament to think of this thy last day if thou dost believe thou shalt not perish thereby We have rather cause of rejoycing when we think of this our last day of the day of our death the same being the day of our happy change All the daies of my appointed time Iob 14.14 will I wait till my change come Ultimus optimus medicus morberum etiam immedicabilium est mors Aeschilus ut Aeschilus Death is the last and the best Physitian and that of incurable diseases Mors aeterna quies ut Pater Aerumnarum requies mors Death brings us to our everlasting rest and puts an end unto all our miseries The antient Counsels termed the blessed Sacrament Or Viaticum morientis Viaticum Aeternitatis A blessed bate that the devout Soul useth to take in this life when he is even ready to travell for the other life It is very memorably observed by Nazianzen of St. Basil Nazianzen of S. Basil that in his life time he desired that when death came he might be so happy as in the ending of his daies to die with some divine sentence of piety in his mouth at the instant before his death Death is as a Father observeth a passage from Earth to Heaven from a World of endless miseries here to a happy Heaven of everlasting happiness in Heaven And he said unto Iesus Luke 23.42 43. Lord remember me when thou commest into thy Kingdom And Iesus said unto him Verily I say unto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Death as one observeth is a temporary separation of the Soul from the body A location or placing of the body in the Earth from whence it was taken and there to remain till the last day the day of Iudgement being the day of the happy re-uniting of the Soul and Body together again And a translation of the Soul and Spirit of man unto God that gave it who at the first breathed into him the breath of life And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground Gen. 2 7. and breathed into his Nostrils the breath of life and man became a living Soul All in whose Nostrils was the breath of life Gen. 7.22 In the sweat of thy face Gen. 3.19 shalt thou eat bread till thou return unto the Ground for out of it was thou taken for dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou teturn Cease ye from man Isaiah 2.22 whose breath is in his Nostrils All flesh shall perish together Iob 34.15 and Man shall turn again unto the dust His breath goeth forth Psal 146.4 he returneth to his earth All are of the dust Eccles 3.20 and all turn to dust again Thou takest away their breath Ps 104 29. they dye and return to their dust The Lord created man Ecclus. 7.8 of the earth and turned him into it again Then shall the Dust return to the earth as it was Eccles 12.7 and the Spirit shall return unto GOd who gave it I also am formed out of the clay Iob 33.6 But now O Lord Isaiah 64.8 thou art our Father and we are the clay These and such like meditations cannot choose but make the thought of death to be very happy and comfortable unto us A good name is better than pretious ointment Eccles 12.1 and the day of death than the day of ones birth A promise of Gods mercy A Promise of Gods mercy to comfort us against the day of our death For thou hast delivered my Soul from death Psalm 56.13 I will ransome them from the power of the grave Hosea 13.14 I will redeem them from death O death I will be thy plague O grave I will be thy destruction Verily Iohn 5.24 verily I say unto you He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life He will swallow me up in victory Isaiah 25.8 9. and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth for the Lord hath spoken it And it shall be said in that day Lo this is our God we have waited for him and he will save us This is the Lord we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation For thou hast delivered my Soul from death Psal 116.8 mine eyes from tears and my feet from falling For the Lambe which is in the midst of the Throne shall feed them Rev. 7 17. and shall lead them unto living Fountains of waters and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes Rev. 21.4 and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain for the former things are passed away But we had the sentence of death in our selves 2 Cor. 1.9 10. that we should not trust in our selves but in God which raised the dead who delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will deliver us 2 Tim. 2.19 The Lord knoweth them that are his Who hath saved us 2 Tim. 1.9 10. and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Iesus before the world began But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Iesus Christ who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel Forasmuch then as the Chlidren are partakers of flesh and blood Heb. 2.14 15. he also himself took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of Death that is the Devil And deliver them who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage We know that we have passed from death unto life
even all our actions words and thoughts not only which in darkness but also the abscondita tenebrarū even the very hidden and secret things of darknesse shall be then clearly manifested Gods books shall then be laid open as appeareth Revelation 20.12 Rev. 20.12 The severall books of God The book of his knowledge and the book of our own consciences and the book of his covenant they shall all be then laid open by which all our words actions and thoughts shall be laid open before us And then our only appeal will be to the book of the covenant or of Gods mercy in and through Christ Jesus And this may serve for an Answer to an Objection how our thoughts should then be manifested Again a reason of the necessity of the second Judgement when the righteous shall not onely receive the sentence of joy of Come ye blessed c. but of praise likewise Well done good and faithfull servant And the wicked shall not onely then receive the sentence of torment of Go ye cursed c. but also of shame as bad as the torment And so to this end That the praise with the joy of the righteous and the shame with the torment of the wicked might be both manifested for this end a second Iudgement must be As touching this day of Iudgement Use fro similitude drawn from thunder and applied to the day of Judgement it is observed That as thunder strikeing one being asleep killeth him leaving his eyes open but those it striketh waking it killeth them leaving their eyes shut even so in the day of Iudgment those which are then found securely sleeping in their sins and in the pleasures of this world they shall then have their naturall life taken from them that is by sentence and Iudgement pronounced against them they shall be cast into Hell fire yet with their eyes open that is They shall perpetually see feel and enjoy the endlesse torments of hell fire But those contrariwise which are then found waking that is those elect children of God continually expecting the same being alwaies ready and prepared with oyl in their lamps the oyl of faith to attend the bridegroom at his coming evermore rejoycing at the expectation of the last sound of the trumpet those I say although they be deprived of this their naturall life yet they shall have their eyes shut that is They shall be for ever freed from those perpetuall Hell torments pronounced against the wicked of Go ye cursed c. but shall contrariwise perpetually enjoy endless joy happiness Next as touching the Iudge before whom we must appear being Christ our Saviour For as he came first in humility to be judged so then shall he come triumphing in his glory to be a Iudge both of quick and dead And then shall they which were his judges and executioners behold him in all his glory who despised him in his humility and they shall then be all judged by him St. Augustin Of Christs coming to Judgment the manner how And as St. Augustin observeth Veniet Judicaturus Christus eadem carne qua judicatus sed non eadem infirmitate carnis Christ our Saviour shall come to Iudge the world in the last day in the same flesh as he himself was judged but not in the same infirmity of the flesh From hence Objection Why Christ shall come to Judge the world an Objection may be made why Christ the second person in the Trinity rather than the Father or the Holy Ghost shall come in Iudgement at the last day Resp The Answer hereunto is this First For the comfort of the faithfull and elect children of God That he which suffered for them being flesh of their flesh and bone of their bone shall come in the end to be their Iudge And so by way of Simillitude Similitude as Joseph making himself known to his brethren saying to them I am Joseph your brother whom ye sold This was a very comfortable saying to them being in great fear and especially unto Benjamin his beloved brother even so it is with us in Christ his coming to be then our Iudge being also our Saviour and Redeemer Secondly For the greater torment and terrifying to the wicked his executioners saying to them I am he whom ye tortured and crucified and so that he which they had so judged might be their Iudge and they might be judged by him Thirdly That as they had been unjust Iudges in their condemning of him so he might sit in Iudgement pronouncing the just sentence of condemnation against them The reason why God the Father hath given all Iudgement unto his son is this that he might be honoured of all as he is honoured and so to come at the last day to sit in Iudgement It appeareth in Matthew 25.33 Mat. 25.33 34. That there is and then shall be a twofold Iudgement that is to say First Judicium separationis vers 33. the Iudgement of separation for the righteous and Secondly Judicium condemnationis the Iudgement of condemnation vers 34. for the wicked God hath right unto us by Creation the Devil by usurpation and by his seducing of us And Christ our Saviour to loose us out of the hands and bonds of the devil he hath right unto us by purchase and redemption and that by the shedding of his own most precious bloud for us Object Hence an Objection may be made That Christ is not then to be the sole and onely Iudge seeing that in one of the Psalms it is said that the Saints shall judge the earth Dan. 7.22 and so in Daniel 7.22 And Judgement was given to the Saints of the most High Answ The answer hereunto is this That the Saints may then be Iudices aggravantes amplifying Judices aggravantes the Saints and enforcing the matter against us and righteous men may be Iudices approbantes Judices approbantes the righteous approving of the Iudgement of the wicked and the Apostles they are Iudices assistentes Judices assistentes the Apostles Matt. 19.28 assisting of Christ in his Iudgment And though it be said Matth. 19.28 And Iesus said unto his Apostles Ye shall sit upon twelve thrones and Iudge the twelve tribes of Israel this is not to have a literall construction but was spoken by way of similitude Propter similitudinem Judicii dicuntur Judicare quia post corum separationem sedentur cum Christo in throno suo per eos Iudicia sua approbantur laetantur in illis and so interpretativè Quia consentire ad cum facere interpretantur ipsi facere sic sunt coadjutores cum illo in Iudiciis suis For the likenesse and similitude of his Iudgement and by way of interpretation they are said to Iudge because that after their separation they shall sit with Christ in his throne and by them his Iudgements shall be approved of and they shall rejoyce in them and so by way of interpretation because they do consent agree and approve of the Iudgement of Christ for this cause they are said to Iudge and so they are Coadjutors with him in his Iudgements and not otherwise are these words to be taken Christus Iudex Iudicans But Christ alone shall be then Iudex Iudicans he onely shall pronounce the Iudgement and sentence and this appeareth Matth. 25.31 32 33 34. Mat. 25.31 32 33 34. The righteous come not into that Iudgement of condemnation but into that of dissolution or separation The use of all this is The use of all That seeing it is certain that there will be a second Iudgement and that we all must of necessity whether we will or no appear then before the throne of Christ Let us therefore not onely leave off to mind the world and worldly things but let us have all our thoughts affections and desires mounted and elevated up to heaven and there let us settle all our affections and so let us live here in this world that when at the last we shall be summoned by death and then by the Angels to appear before the Tribunall throne of Christ let us so lead our lives here that when we shall appear we may there for ever remain and have the full fruition of everlasting joy and happinesse and not be thrust out amongst the number of those which shall then receive this fearfull doom and sentence of Go ye cursed into everlasting fire Matth. 25.41 Matt. 25.41 But that we may be then embraced with the arms of grace and mercy and may be and remain amongst the number of those which shall receive the happy and joyfull sentence Matth. 25.34 of Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdome prepared for you Matth. 25.34 And then by way of Exhortation he advised all to be carefull and diligent in their due preparation for this last day in regard that morte nihil certius tempore mortis nihil incertius nothing is more certain than death and nothing more uncertain than the time when or the manner how we shall die and the rather ought we for to be carefull in the whole course of our lives in regard that all our actions are registred For there is the book of Gods knowledge in which book there is registred all our proceedings in our sins whether the same be through infirmity wittingly or willingly Nay therein is likewise recorded all our sighs and grones for our sins And the book of our own Consciences shall be then laid open which is now shut and we do here labour by all the means we can through our own obstinacy and rebellion to keep the same still shut but then in despite of us it shall be laid open before us The due consideration hereof ought to make us the more wary and carefull of all our actions and seriously to think of Solomons advise in Ecclesiastes 11.9 Rejoyce O young man Eccles 11.9 in thy youth and let thy heart chear thee in the dayes of thy youth and walk in the wayes of thy heart and in the sight of thy eyes But know then that for all these things God will bring thee into Iudgement And so he concluded with this Rule to be by all observed that is Do violence to none accuse no man unjustly and be content with thy wages Fear God and keep his commandements this is the whole duty of man Ecclesiastes 12.13 Eccles 12.13 FINIS