5. Thou art a cruell and bloody hypocrite Prov. 11. 9. A hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour it shews thy nature to be brutish and bloody to judge mens soules to eternall ruine and destruction and to have no thoughts of pitty towards them Didst thou ever see a Judge passe sentence upon a poore malefactor for the death of his body without teares or sorrow how canst thou so readily and rejoycingly passe sentence on their soules But to drive home this naile to the head and heart the persons thou judgest either are Elect or Reprobate 1. Elect wilt thou condemne them whom God hath not will not condemne Rom. 8. 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus v. 34 Who is he that condemneth The glove is cast downe by way of a challenge and thou darest to take it up Our Saviour when he saw no man condemned the woman in adultery would John 8. 11. not condemne her But now God hath not condemned his Elect yet thou O vaine man wilt condemne them Who art thou that judgest another James 4. 12. 2. Reprobate persons thou condemnest them before their time 1 Cor. 4. 5. Let us judge nothing before the time There is a time for every purpose under heaven Eccles 3. 1. Now to meddle with any thing before that time as it is unseasonable so it is unsafe Our Saviour would not torment the Devils before their time and wilt thou condemne thine own flesh before its time Oh grutch them not an inch of time they are shortly to be tormented eternally in hell Be not so cruell a hangman as to hasten a malefactor that is to suffer within an houre 6. Thou shalt have the hypocrites portion Hell is the hypocrites Fee simple Matth. 24. 51. And appoint him his portion with hypocrites Hypocrites are Free-holders of hell others are but terants Judas that grand hypocrite Acts 1. 25. He went to his owne place Christ will be as forward to send them to hell as they have been forward to send others Matth. 7. 2. With what judgement you judge you shall be judged and with what measure you mete it shall be measured to you againe My brethren be not many Masters knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation James 3. 1. All that a man gets by such judgement is greater judgement thou provokest Christ as Lot did the Sodomites to deale worse with thee then with them Thus the Pharisees those eminent hypocrites are threatned with greater condemnation Math. 23. 14. God heats the Furnace of hell as Nebuchadnezzar did his Furnace for the Dan. 3. 19. three Children seven times hotter for hypocrites than for other sinners Inform. 8. See what little cause Saints have too much and too immoderately to lament the death and departure of their deare and neare relations either by the flesh or spirit they are not lost but laid downe in a full and firme assurance of coming againe this Judge will send his Writ of Habeas Corpus to remove them from the prison of the grave See how forcibly the Apostle presses this argument on the Thessalonians 1 Ep. 4. 13. That they mourn not as those that have no hope He renders the reason v. 14. Those that sleepe in Jesus will God bring with him Every one that sleeps shall be awakened the Curtaines of the grave shall be drawn and every Lazarus shall come forth then shall that Scripture be litterally true Eph. 5. 14. Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee ligbt Lumen gloriae 2 Vse Is of examination To try our selves by this Touchstone whether we are in the number of those that do believe this truth That Christ shall shortly come to be a Judge I shall propose four Questions to be resolved by your own hearts 1. What interest have you in him 2. What influence have you from him 3. What affections beare you to him 4. What preparations make you for him 1. What interest have you in him Hath a true and lively saith entituled you to invested you with all his glorious benefits Hath a surpassing love matcht and married you to his person Doth faith make him your head Doth love make him your husband Can you not only say with Ignatius our Love is crucified but also our Love is Judge Hear the not triumphant but triumphing Spouse Cant. 6. 2. I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine Hast thou resigned up thy selfe to be his and accepted him to be thine and that by a matrimoniall Covenant Doest thou love him as a husband and not feare him as a Judge then thou expectedst him to come as a Judge 2. What influence have you from him Are you ingrafted branches in that Vine which suck all their sap John 15. 4 5. strength sweetness from it whereby you bring forth all those delightfull fruits of prayer fasting hearing meditation conference doe you doe all in the name of Christ Col. 3. 19. Are you perswaded you can do all things through Christ Phil. 4. 13. 3. What affections do you beare to him 1. To his person 2. To his people 3. To his appearing 1. To his person Is his person the feate and centre of thy affection the height and heaven of thy love Canst thou really and experimentally use the Spouses sweet Periphrasis as being ravished with his person Cant. 3. 1 2 3 4. Four times in four verses Thou whom my soule loveth Is Christ all the love of thy soule hath he the love of all thy soul do all the parts and powers of thy soul meet as the beames of the Sun in a burning Glasse in the person of Christ Then is thy love pure and pretious love such as is in those believers who shall admire the glorious coming of Christ as a Judge 2 Thess 1. 10. 2. To his people have the Saints the chiefe roome in thy heart and house as they had with Ingo King of the Draves who placed his Peeres in his hall but believers in his parlour because they were to be Peeres with him in a better Kingdome 1 John 4. 17. Herein is love made perfect with us that we may have boldnes in the day of judgement Those that truly love their brethren shall not only dwell in God here but also dwell with God hereafter Cotton in loc for the words are nothing else but an argument deduced from v. 12. on which these words have their dependance 3. To his appearing 1. Doest thou love it are the thoughts thereof delightfull would the sight thereof be joyfull 2 Tim. 4. 8. Vnto them that love his appearing the day of judgement will be a day of coronation to all them that love his appearing 2. Doest thou look for it expecting and waiting for it as the Indians do for the Sunnes rising in the morning Tit. 2. 13. Looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ 3. Doest thou labour
to Athens v. 15. A place not more Famous for Learning than Infamous for Superstition which Paul perceiving his heart fired the flame whereof vented at his tongue against their Idolatry v. 16 17 The Philosophers readily encounter him being joyfull to meet with any Champion that will combat with them vers 18. With all celerity yet civility they carry him to Areopagus the highest Court in Athens v. 19. where he standing up in the midst of Mars-hill makes a most Elegant and Eloquent Oration stuft with so much Rhetorick strengthned with so much Reason that they might have said as Julian did of Christians using the Heathens Learning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Like birds we are wounded with Arrows headed with our own Feathers Here I might take occasion to acquaint you with the excellency and necessity of Oratory as a hand-maid to Divinity but I am not now in the Rhetorick Schools I shall leave the Rhetorical part and insist on the Rational in which Paul labours two things 1. To convince them by Reason 2. To convert them to Religion 1. He spreads before them a draft of their own folly shewing the Masters of Reason had forfeited their Reason that such prophane Philosophers should worship a God that they know not whence he is what he is who he is where he is that a Bill should be sent to the Grand Jury of Philosophers about that God that gives Being Breathing and every blessing and they should return an Ignoramus Lucian the Praevaricator in his age did observe that the very Clowns and Corydons neighbours to them did deride the Philosophers by swearing by him that was unknown at Athens 2. He presses on them their Being from in God Which he confirms by one of their Prophets but as we term them their Poets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 28. A piece of Aratus an Heathenish Poet very delightfull to King Antiochus in his daies Obs A piece of an Heathenish Poet is in the Scripture What offence then can it be to be in a Sermon We have three singular and sweet Arguments couched up in this Discourse 1. God made you therefore you cannot make God 2. God made you of better matter and mettal than gold and silver wood and stone now if a living Man be better than any Picture or Statue whatever then it much proclaims your vanity and weakness to make a God of that which is farre below your selves 3. He made you of his Race and Kin according to your nobler part that divinae aurae particula your Soul therefore your worship of him must be such as principally flows from that viz. pure and spiritual worship as Cato though a Heathen could affirm Si Deus est animus nobis ut carmina dicunt Hic tibi praecipue sit pura mente colendus Having wrought conviction he endeavours conversion by pressing and perswading them to Repentance from the great and general command of God ver 30. The times of this ignorance God winked at but now commandeth all men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. superficium tantum intuens Sanct. every where to repent i. e. God was pleased once to be an Overseer to the world but now he is Lord High Constable of the world to command you to repent Obs Repentance for sinne is the first and great Gospel duty Paul presses this Inprimis upon the Philosophers from Gods universal command both of persons and places All men every where to repent How doth this beat down the flag of the Antinomians or rather Autonomians who say it is so far from a Gospel duty to repent for sin that it is a sin for to repent In my Text he gives the reason why it is so necessary to repent because of that rigid Judge and righteous judgement that are surely and certainly to come Because he hath appointed a Day Doct. It will be a dangerous and dreadfull thing for Philosophers Orators Masters of Reason the wisest and wittiest of men to be found in a state of sinne and superstition in the day of Judgement The words in themselves are a lively description of the great and general Assize There are three things to be done about them 1. Explication of the Terms 2. Division of the Text. 3. Deduction of the Truths First To explicate and unfold 1. He hath appointed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 posuit he hath put it among the Records of heaven in his eternal Decree hath fixed it 2. A Day precisely a day artificial set and short we reade of lesse not of more Matth. 24. 36. Of that day and hour 3. To judge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 divide and separate si◠proprie Pasor Judicio Discussionis Retributionis Aquin. 4. The World 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 orbem terrarum the rational but sinfull world vile Angels wicked men 5. In righteousuesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in equity a vertue highly valued among the Heathen that the Philosopher saies of it it out shines the evening and morning Starre and concludes with Theognis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist 5 to Eth. cap. 3. 6. By that man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Hebraism Piscat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very usual in the Scripture Lor. in loc 1. Man i. e. the nature and shape of a man perfect man though more perfect than any man Virum attamen ut supra virum Orig. in Matth. 1. 2. That man 1. Per modum excellentiae that good man Job 1. 1. There was a man in the land of Vz i. e. one good man among many bad in Edom and Idumaea 2. Per modum eminentiae that great man i. e. a Judge in power and authority a Magistrate Civil or Military Arma virumque cano Virgil. Aen. 1 Num. 27. 16. Set a man over the Congregation 3. Per modum conjunctionis that good man that great man that Ish as Criticks observe a man of men fitted to honour God and govern men Jer. 5. 1. Runne ye to and fro thorow the streets of Jerusalem and see now if you can finde a man surely no hard matter in such a thronged City as Jerusalem was to finde a man but such a man qualem vix reperit unum as God requires a good and great man This is a sweet and happy conjunction when great men are good men and when good men are great men farre better than Plato's Commonwealth ubi Philosophi sunt reges reges Philosophantur 7. Whom he hath ordained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grecism Piscat Per quem decreverat Vatab. Obs That man whom God hath anointed to be mans Saviour he hath also appointed to be mans Judge Secondly To divide the Text in which are five parts 1. The Author and Ordainer he that commands Repentance God 2. The circumstance of time a day 3. The felons to be adjudged the world 4. The manner how in righteousnesse 5. The Judge who that man whom God hath ordained Thirdly To deduce
and derive the Truths which though they are very many yet I shall contract or rather extract the vertue of these five parts into this quintessential Doctrine Doct. That God hath given that man Christ Jesus the power and prerogative for the judicial transactions of the day of judgement In the profecution of this Point I shall shew you 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That it is so 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Why it is so 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How he is so First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That it is so And here I shall summon both Law and Gospel to give in their evidence to confirm this Truth I. The Law which saies it can witness that Enoch the seventh from Adam prophecied Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints to execute judgement upon all Jude 14. Give me leave to make the best of my witnesses evidence and this I shall do in four particulars 1. Observe the antiquity of this Truth Enoch the seventh Omne vetustum venerandum from Adam i. e. in that particular direct line who lived as Chronologers affirm 306 years in Adams daies Obs The end of the world was preached and prophesied in the beginning of the world 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ecce behold particula inserviens ad indicandum incitandum Ravan 1. Not only for admiration of a thing as most wonderfull Isa 7. 14. Behold a Virgin shall conceive a child 2. But also for attention to a thing as most certain Matth. 28. 7. Behold he goeth before you into Galilee So here 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord Personally not Essentially See who this Lord is 2 Thess 1. 7. The Lord Jesus Christ who shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He comes the present for the future tense to intimate saies Mr. Perkins to us the certainty of his coming the sense is he shall as certainly come as if he were now a coming II. The Law justifies that Solomon the wisest Prince and Preacher avows and avers it in his recantation Sermon Eccles 11. 9. Rejoyce O young man in thy youth and let thy heart chear thee in the daies of thy youth and walk in the waies of thy heart and in the sight of thine eyes but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into judgement Verba haec valde emphatica The words are ironical and are Lavater a smart jeer to the Hectors and Ranters of his age He does as Hosts serve in great cheer but withall sends after a sawcy reckoning Venite ad judicium 2. Crier Call in the Gospel that that may testifie or rather terrifie with its witnesse 1. That affirms it is one of the first principles in every beleevers Catechism Heb. 6 2. and of eternal judgement Contra principia negantem non est disputandum Now to deny a principle in the Schools much more in the Scriptures is a grosse and grievous Solecism 2. It can testifie that its a Statute-Law that was never yet repealed nor ever shall be Heb. 9. 27. It is appointed unto men once to die and after this the judgement This Statute stands in force as much for Judgement as for Death Judgement is as sure as death Perhaps you will say this witnesse speaks not home to the point and purpose It speaks enough to prove a day of judgement but nothing to prove Christ to be Judge in that day Though Judge and day of judgement be relata and one doth necessarily imply the other Posito uno relatorum ponitur et alterum so that I should not need to produce farther testimony yet to let you see what a full witness the Gospel is you shall have it proved totidem verbis Rom. 2. 16. In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel 2 Tim. 4. 1. I charge thee therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing Secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Why so here passing by many reasons drawn 1. From the pleasure of God to conferre this royalty 2. From the excellency of his person 3. From the fitness of his spirit 4. From the conveniency of his affinity 5. From the end of his death and resurrection 6. From the rectitude of his vision 7. From the merit of his desert appretiativè all which you may finde in Aquin sum part 3. quest 59. art 2. in conclus 8. I shall only insist on the equity of it why this man should be Judge he hath suffered and susteined infinite and unparralleld injuries and indignities 1. He was all his life slandred scorned scoffed persecuted 2. He was basely barbarously falsely unjustly ignominiously put to death by the High Court of Justice where of Pontius Pilate was Lord President 3. He hath ever since his resurrection and ascension been kept from his throne in Kingdomes and Consciences 1. Kingdomes 1. Tartaria puts up the Divell 2. Turkey Mahomet that impostor 3. Jewes their Moses 4. Rome and the greatest part of Europe Antichrist Rev. 13. 13. 5. England and those places that have cast off all these yet doe not set up Christ but doe in some sence worse than they for many defie Christ deny Scripture breake Covenants abuse liberty slight Magistrates despise Ministers contemne Ordinances hate the godly live as if hell it selfe were broke loose or as if this were the time of Sathans being loosed from his thousand yeares confinement and imprisonment to be their deare and dread Soveraigne Rev. 20. 3. 2. In Consciences how is Christ put by his throne in every mans heart what strange Soveraignes doe they serve and submit to Sin Sathan World Haec tria pro trino numine How daily is Christ crucified by sin Heb. 6. 6. how often is his blood shed profanely by unworthy receiving the Sacrament Therefore it is but just and equitable that that man and Master that supreame Soveraigne should come to account with the world in generall and with every person in particular for these affronts and insolencies that those his enemies that would not have this man to reigne over them should be brought forth and slaine before his face Luk. 19. 27. It is most just that those who would not be ruled by his Scepter should be ruined by his Sword Thirdly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How so or what manner of Judge he will be such a Judge as never rode Circuit in the world before 1. He is the supreame Judge Rev. 19. 16. King of Kings and Lord of Lords the Lord Cheife Justice of the King of Heavens Bench that sheafe in Josephs vision unto which all the rest give obeysance 2. Sole Judge none joyned in Commission with him John 5. 22. The Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgement to the Son It is true God the Father judges autoritativè Saints interpretativè but Christ only executivè 3. Universall
when this subject was lesse beleeved or lesse beloved Certainly if Chrysostome were according to his then fancy to preach to the whole world he would leave his old text of Psal 4. 2. How long will you love vanity and preach Christs judiciary power and proceedings against carnall formall and hypocriticall Gospellers it were very needfull to preach on this subject every Sermon to print every Sermon that is preached to fill Churches shops stalls houses holes with them to dog cursed miscreants as that good man did his Atheistical son Junius with Bibles untill they are apprehended with this Hue and Cry But to close and conclude there is enough in that text to answer all cavills and scruples Act. 10. 42. And he commanded us to preach unto the people and to testifie that it is he which was ordeined of God to be the Judge of quicke and dead If Christs coming be so nigh as 1656. as was strongly though strangely asserted by an admired Rabbi at Pauls not long since as you may finde it quoted in the Atheist Bible I meane in Lillyes Almanacke then surely it is high time to alarum dead and drowsie sinners by the Gospels Trumpet before they are summoned by the Archangels Trumpet Inform. 2. That few persons will be found judgement-proof when they hold up their hands at the Bar before this so rigid and so righteous a Judge Most men and women will not know as Bellizarius Procop. once told the proud Embassadors of the Goths where to hide their heads Hear that dreadfull and direfull text able to strike you dead for fear which I take with learned Diodate to be understood of this Judge and judgement Rev. 6. 12 13 14 15 16 17. And I beheld when he had opened the sixth Seal and lo there was a great Earth-quake and the Sun became black as Sackcloth of haire and the Moon became as blood And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth even as a Fig-tree casteth her untimely Figs when she is shaken of a mighty wind And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together And every Mountain and Island were moved out of their places And the Kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men and the chief Captains and the mighty men and every bond-man and every free-man 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 face of the Lamb. For the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand Those men that when on earth were not afraid of the noyse of a Lion are now affrigted at the voice of a Lamb. Those before whose wrath none were able to stand themselves now are not able to stand before the wrath of Christ But not to insist on generals to descend to particular Generalia non pungunt persons as they are expressed and implied in this text 1. To begin with Ministers that you may see I am not partiall do we make such full proof of our Ministery as 2 Tim. 4. 5. that we may be judgement-proof How few of us that are able Ministers of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3. 6. That study to approve our selves to God workmen that need not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth 2 Tim. 2. 15. That preach Christ crucified 1 Cor. 1. 23. that make manifest the mystery of Christ as we ought to speak Col. 4. 4. not with enticing words of mans wisdom but in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power 1 Cor. 2. 4. that cry aloud and spare not and lift up our voyces like trumpets and shew the people their transgression and the house of Jacob their sins Isai 58. 1. That make a difference and distinction in our praying and preaching and take forth the pretious from the vile Jerem. 15. 19. that will not give the childrens bread to doggs In a word that can wade through honour and dishonour evill report and good report 2 Cor. 68. not puft up with the one nor dejected by the other But to use Pompey's verses Non me videre superbum Prospera fatorum nec fractum adversa videbunt Proh dolor How few Luthers shall you find that weigh Satanas sit Lutherus modo Christus regnet nor value not their names Ridleies that repent of spending too much of their time at Chesse-playing Ignatius's so studious and yet so pious that every time they hear the clock strike say there is one hour more for them to answer for Chrysostom's that had rather have their bodies torn asunder with wild beasts than give Christs body to be torn asunder by men worse than wild beasts Augustin's that desire God may finde them preaching or praying in that day Cyprians whose thoughts of the day of judgement make them forget the day of their martyrdome Nazianzens whose thoughts of their last accounts dry up their marrow and wast their bones Though I would not make that doubt which Chrysostome did in a Sermon of his to the Ministers Whether any of them could possibly be saved yet this I may safely say that every one of us have great cause to fear who have not preached to others or not preached to others as we ought that we shall be found cast-awayes 1 Cor. 9 27. 2. Kings and supream Magistrates who are mentioned in the text how few of them are Patres Patriae as the Heathen called them and as the holy Ghost explains it Isai 4 23. Nursing-fathers whose care of and compassion to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their people is the same with Fathers to their children that impoverish them not by taxes excises oppressions but endeavour to enrich them counting their peoples wealth their best treasury as King James gives advice to his son Prince Henry in his book called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hinc illae lachrymae Most of supream Rulers are as Pliny spake of the Roman Emperours Nomine Dii natura Diaboli monsters not men murtherers not Magistrates witness Saul who when he had forfeited his Kingdome by sparing Agag how doth he hunt David as a Partridge in the mountains slayes the innocent Priests runs to a Witch at Endor Witness Herod who preferred one Coranto of that Minion Herodias daughter before the pretious life of John Baptist of whose godlinesse he was convinced in his own conscience Besides this our English Chronicles afford us too much sad matter for this subject witness Henry 4. and Richard 3 I profess I have often admired at the madness and folly of many who will jeopardize their estates lives and souls for such persons who came to their places by unjust deposings poysonings perjuries murder incest who carried themselves in their places with pride prophaness lust and luxury tyranny oppression exaction their lives being the best comment on that text Dan. 4. 17. God setteth
harshness and rashness but Zwinglius answered In alijs Epist ad Servet mansuetus ero in blasphemijs in Christum non ita a Injuriam contra me patienter â—ult contra Christum ferre non potui I can beare any wrong done to my selfe but against Christ I am not able saith Jerome b Invâ—niar sane superbus modo impij sidentij noâ— arguar dum dominus patitur Luth. Epist ad Staup. Let me be accounted proud and passionate so I be not found guilty of sinfull silonce when the cause of Christ suffers Luther Sometimes to be dumb in Christs cause is as bad as at sometimes to deny Christs cause yea indeed dumbness is deniall and they know what sad consequences will follow thereupon Matth. 10. 33. Inform. 4. It renders the reason why the godly so little weigh and value the judgements of men because tbey eye the judgement of Christ What cares Joseph though he be accounted incontinent Naboth a blasphemer Job an hypocrite Michaiah the troubler of Israel Paul a pestilent fellow Luther the Trumpeter of rebellion they and all other believers doe say in Pauls words With us it is a very Jusii non humana judicia sed aeterm judicis examen aspiciunt et ideo cum Paulo derogantium verba despiciunt Ans Acts Mon. small thing that we should be judged of mans judgement he that judgeth us is the Lord 1 Cor. 4. 3 4. They well know how erroneous the men of the world are in their judgement they call white blacke and account cyphers figures and figures cyphers Thou art an hereticke said Woodrosse the Sheriffe to Mr Rogers the Protomartyr in Q. Maries dayes That shall be knowne said he at the day of Judgement Rom. 2. 2. We know Gods judgement is according to truth Inform. 5. What good ground all persons have to get into favour with Jesus Christ who is to sit Judge upon the life and death of their bodies and soules for all eternity Pro. 29. 26. Many seeke the Rulers favour how do men desire to ingratiate themselves into the favour of the Judge though but of Nisi prius if they have but an action of the case to try what suings sollicitations presents how much more to this Judge who when he hath killed the body is able to cast soule and body into hell-fire Matth. 10. 28. Inform. 6. How to demeane our selves under all wrongs either nationall from publique Magistrates or particular from private persons patiently waite upon this righteous Judge Eccles 5. 8. If thou seest the oppression of the poore and violent perverting of judgement in a Province marvell not murmure not at the matter For he that is higher than the highest regardeth yea so regardeth that he will right and revenge all thy unjust and injurious sentences James 5. 6 7. You have condemned and killed the just and he doth not resist you be patient therefore brethren untill the coming of the Lord. Oh remember John Husse Jerome of Prague with many other sufferers and sustainers of injuries and indignities who did not appellare Caesarem but Christum Inform. 7. It shewes us how greatly and greivously they offend who ascend Christs judgement-seate arraigne men at their barre passe sentence of death on all those that are not of their way opinion party side judgement many judge themselves the greatest Christians because they are the greatest Criticks to judge others I shall endeavour to cleere this that he or she that is the greatest censurer is ever the greatest sinner the more criticall ever the more hypocriticall 1. The rash judging of thy mouth is a trumpet to proclaime the reall jugling of thy minde Marke 14. 70 Thou art a Galilaan thy speech agreeth thereto Stinking breaths argue rotten lungs and rash judging rotten hearts Matth. 12. 34. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Such water as is in the pipe such is in the spring the mettall of the bell is knowne by the clapper Aera puto nosci tinnitu pectora verbis Sic est namque id sunt utraque quale sonant 2. Christ calls thee and the Scripture accounts thee an hypocrite 1. Christ calls thee so Thou hypocrite plucke first the Matth. 7 5. beame out of thine owne eye he that sees strawes in other mens eyes and hath beames in his owne is an hypocrite he that sayes and sees all things are yellow in others it is sure his owne eyes are troubled with the jaundise 2. The Scripture accounts thee so James 1. 26. If any man among you seeme to be religious and bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his own heart this mans religion is vaine that religion which layes and leaves the reines loose to the tongue to slander men for their present state and to censure them for their finall it is but a videtur quod sic a dissembling counterfeite religion for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifies Prov. 26. 23. Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsheard covered with silver drosse Os maledictum cor malum Luth. A censorious mouth and a corrupt minde are like a potsheard covered with silver drosse which shew and shine faire to the eye yet the one is but earth and the other is but drosse Burning lips of mens persons in hell shew their tongue is set on fire from the hell of their owne hearts James 3. 6. 3. Thou art an impudent and audacious hypocrite thou pretendest faire to Christ and yet thou puttest him by his chaire robbest him of his royalty to be Judge of mens finall estate is Christs prerogative The Pope is a notorious hypocrite he pretends himselfe to be Christs Vicar yet he thrusts Christ by all his royalties he pardons sins enjoynes penances pilgrimages dispences with Christs Injunctions disposes of Kings and Kingdoms and blasphemously affirms Per me reges regnant Qui judicat fratrem tantum crimen clationis incurrit ut cui tribunal assumit ejus judicium praevenit Ans What art thou but another usurping Pope jostling Christ from his royall tribunall and sets downe thy selfe acting his part and exercising his power summoning and sentencing by thy Bulls people to eternall death and destruction Would it not be an impudent part for any private man to summon in the Country to sit in the Judges place to act his part to passe sentence of death much more is this 4. Thou art an obstinate and obdurate hypocrite thou perseverest in this sin against the cleere light of Scripture charging and commanding to forbeare all such rash and irreligious judging Matth. 7. 1. Judge not i. e. rashly or rigidly actions or persons for their finall state Bern. Noli esse alienae vitae temerarius judex Rom. 14. 10. But why doest thou judge and why doest thou set at naught thy brother A chiding and checking Apostrophe in an Interrogation 1 Cor. 4. 5. Let us judge nothing before the time it is very dangerous to antidate and anticipate judgement
for it by prayer hastning the coming of the day of God 2 Pet. 3. 12. Primitive Christians hindred this day by their prayers pro mora judicij but you hasten it and with the Church desire Christ to adde wings to bring him swifter Rev. 22. 20. Come Lord Jesus come quickly 4. What preparations do you make for him do you as the wise Virgins prepare your lamps with oyle Matth. 25. 4. Do you get wedding garments against the Bridegroomes coming Matth. 22. 11. Are you as his Spouse ready decked and adorned in fine linnen cleane and white the righteousnes of the Saints Rev. 19. 7 8. Surely those that prepare themselves to entertaine Christ as a husband doe beleeve he shall come to be a Judge because they desire to be under Covert-barre to be defended against all actions and endictments of that Informer the Devill That though he should punish them as he is their Judge yet he may spare them as he is their husband 3 Vse Of terror Blazing Aetna feares spectators this burning Aetna feares auditors this may be to all notorious sinners as the thunder-clap was to Caligula make them run their heads in a hole or as the hand-writing was to Belshazzar Dan. 5. 5 6. Make you to change your countenance trouble your thoughts loosen the joynts of your loynes and cause your knees to smite one against another as if they were at cuffs This may make you change your name to Magor-Missabib feare round about and your heart the land of Nod the land of trembling See if thine eyes be not dazeled heare if thine eares be not deafned with that dreadfull text Psal 9. 17. The wicked shall be turned into hell and all the nations that forget God Christ this Judge shall send and sentence all sinners to hell that lake that burns with fire and brimstone And though all sinners may tremble at this doctrine yet some in an especiall manner such as the Scripture hath nominated 1. All Atheists that make a mocke and scoffe at this Judges coming 2 Pet. 3. 3. There shall come in the last dayes scoffers walking after their own lusts and saying Where is the promise of his coming They that deride Christ coming Christ shall deride them going 2. All hypocrites that make faire shewes and fine signes of sanctity and holiness but are full of sin and wickedness whited sepulchres that appeare beautifull without but are full of rotten bones and uncleanness within these shall be sure to receive double damnation Matth 23. 14. 27. 3. All apostates and backsliders who followed their Admirall in a calme but forsooke him in a storme Christ shall have no pleasure in them but punishment for them even to perdition Heb. 10. 38 39. 4. All seducers and deceivers who bring in damnable heresies and deny the Lord that bought them shall have swift and severe destruction 2 Pet. 2. 1. 5. All adulterers and adulteresses who defile the Temple of the holy Ghost breake the holy Covenant prophane that sacred state of marriage who walke after the flesh in the lusts of uncleanness shall cheifely be punished by Christ 2 Pet. 2. 9 10. Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge Heb. 13. 4. 6. All covetous and cruell Cormorants that want bowels of charity and compassion to the needy and necessitous all rich and riotous Dives's whose dogs have more pitty on Lazarus's than they have shall have judgement without mercy James 2. 13. 7. All rash and rigid censurers who condemne others to hell shall be by Christ condemned to hell themselves Rom. 2. 1 2 3 4. 8. All unrighteous Judges who are guilty of bribery injustice oppression partiality delaying the cause of the poore in the Courts of judicature shall finde Christ a severe Judge to them Eccles 3. 16 17. 9. All troublers and disturbers of the peace and prosperity of the godly 2 Thess 1 6 7. 10. All disobeyers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ 2 Thes 1. 8 9. 11. All non-lovers of Jesus Christ who are reserved on purpose for Christs coming 1 Cor. 16. 22. 12. All enemies and opposers to the glorious government and reigne of Jesus Christ whose execution Christ will stand and see Luk. 19. 27. There are four things which may amaze and astonish all prophane sinners 1 Cons Who is this Judge 1. In respect of himselfe 2. In reference to your selves 1. In respect of himselfe he hath the person of a man but he hath the power of a God he is mantled with Majesty guarded with Angels enraged with anger enabled to bring all prophane wretches to a publique tryall for all your acts of high treason against the crowne and dignity of heaven in a word one into whose hands it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to fall into Heb. 10. 31. 2. In reference to your selves he is one whose proffers you have rejected whose commandments you have disobeyed Gospel disgraced Spirit grieved Ordinances neglected Government contemned person slighted blood despised preferring Barabbas before him a sordid sin before thy sweetest Saviour Nemo est qui id non aegre ferat si quem interfecit eum habeat sibi judicem Roll. in Rom. A terrified Judge will be a terrible Judge 2 Cons What shall be brought to light and sight by this Judge all your sins not only your open and knowne transgressions your drunkenness whoredome swearing cursing lying but also all your secret sins your privy prancks secret plottings underboard-dealings putrid hypocrisics Christ will ranke all your sins in battalia against you Psal 50. Psal 21. How dreadfull will the sight of sin be to you 1 Kings 17. 18. Oh how it terrified the Woman the Prophets coming to call her sins to remembrance much more will Christs coming to call you for your sins to tryall astonish and amaze you 3. Consider the sentence this Judge shall pronounce against you Matth 25. 41. Depart from me you cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devill and his Angels In this sentence every word hath its weight of woe you are charged to depart from Christ what pleasure shall you not loose you are condemned to fire what punishment shall you not feele it is impossible for you to conceive or for me to expresse what punishment it is for you to be in everlasting fire with the Devil and his Angels 4. Consider the eternity of your duration in this woe and misery your soul shall be filled with finall despaire there never will be any valley of Achor for the doore of hope but thou must lye and live in those flames to all eternity This cuts and kils a mans heart that his misery will last as long as his life Si addas eternitatem alicui malo erit infinite malum Drexel Oh how much more may the eternity of infinite torment terrifie you 4 Vse Exhort To perswade Gods people so to live as to shew they believe this truth it is the vaine glory of some that they are mercy-proofe sword-proofe Sermon-proofe it will be your honour and