Let me have a place to burie my dead out of my sight It parteth father and child how unwilling soever they be see it in David and Absolom Oh Absolom my sonne would God I had died for thee and Rachel mourned for her children and would not be comforted because they were not It parteth the Minister and the people see it in the case of the people of Israels lamenting the death of Samuel and in the case of the Ephesians at the parting of S. Paul sorrowing especially when they heard they should see his face no more It parteth those friends who were so united together in love as if they had but one soule in two bodies see it in the separation that was made by death betweene David and Ionathan that were so knit together in their love that he bewaileth him Woe is mee for my brother Ionathan This is a necessary consideration for us that live that wee may learne to know how to carrie our selves towards our wordly friends and how to moderate our selves in our enjoyment of these worldly comforts Looke upon every worldly thing as a mortall as a dying comfort Looke upon children and friends as dying comforts Look upon your estates as that that hath wings and will be gone Looke upon your bodies that now you make so much of as a thing that must bee parted from the soule by death and that ere long See what advise the Apostle giveth 1 Cor. 7. 19. the time is short saith he therefore let those that marry bee as if they married not and they that rejoyce as though they rejoyced not and they that buy as though they possessed not and they that use this world as not abusing it A man abuseth the world when he useth it beyond the consideration of the shortnesse of enjoying these things when hee lookes upon these things as things that hee shall enjoy alwayes But if we would use it aright looke upon things as things that we shall enjoy but for a short time This body that seemeth now to have some beautie in it yet it must die and be laied in the dust these friends that seeme now to haue some pleasure and delight in them yet I must die and be tooke from them this estate and wealth that now I set so much prize upon I must die and death will part me and it So I say lookeupon every thing as separable from us Moderate your affections likewise to them Vse them onely as comforts in the way as a traveller doth the pleasures of his Inne hee stands not to build himselfe houses against every pleasant walke he lookes upon he stands not to purchase lands and to lay them to every Inne he comes to lie at No he knowes that he is now but in his passage in his way he knowes that hee is not at home that is the place he is going to and after a time hee shall come thither So make account that you are not now at home it is death that must helpe you to your home Let this therefore take you off from all these things that are in the way It is a strange thing to see how Sathan besotteth and befooleth men They strive and labour to compasse many worldly things as if their happinesse stood in the enjoyment of them as if they should have their wealth and their comforts for ever What care is there amongst men to get wealth and many times lose their soules in getting the world Alas Death will part soule and body them and their wealth and all Doe wee not see this daily in the death of others before us such a one is dead where is his body now in the dust Where are his friends and his companions now Where is his wealth and his estate for which many flattered him and fawned upon him are they not all separated from him they have nothing now to doe with him he cannot dispose of one penny of his estate now it is left he knowes not to whom others now have the mannaging of it As now you can say this of others so there will a time come that other men will say the like of you I had such a friend but death hath parted him from me hee had such an estate but death hath parted him and his estate Let us therefore make this use of the death of others to conclude with our selves that there will be a parting of all those outward things that now wee are so apt to dote upon The third speciall thing considerable in the death of others that will be matter of profit and benefit to those that live and survive after them is the end and cause for which God sendeth Death abroad into the world with such a large commission that it goeth on with such libertie to every familie to every place that it seizeth upon every person What 's the reason of it You shall see in the severall deaths of men severall causes There is judgement and mercy sometime a mixture of both and sometime but of one of these Sometimes wee see an apparant judgement of God in the death of some A judgement of God upon themselves Thus the young Prophet that disobeyed the word of the Lord a Lyon met him in the way and slew him So those Corinths that did eate and drinke unworthily in the Lords Supper though they were such as were saved after yet neverthelesse for this very cause saith the Apostle some of them were sicke and weake and some slept they died they were judged of the Lord that they might not bee condemned with the world When you see death seizing upon men as an act of divine judgement of divine displeasure let it make you more fearefull of sinning against God lest you provoke against your selves the same wrath in the very act of sinne Sometimes againe it is a judgement of God upon others Thus God takes away divers of his servants because the world is not worthy of them And as this is an act of judgement upon the world so it is an act of mercie to them God in mercy taking of them away from the evill to come and from the evill present A judgement of God to others that are unworthy of them A mercie to themselves that they are tooke away from their owne evill from sinne from temptations from all the effects and fruits of sinne and taken away from the evill that is to come upon others An act I say of mercie to them So it was to the child of Ieroboam he should die and should not see the judgement that was to come upon his fathers house because there was found some good thing in him toward the Lord. So it was to Iosiah Hee should bee gathered to his fathers in peace and his eyes should not see all that evill which the Lord would bring upon Ierusalem and upon the inhabitants thereof An act of judgement to others Righteous and mercifull men are taken away and noman layeth it
the first is wanting for except yee repent yee shall all perish The first being obtained the last must needs ensue for hee is faithfull that hath promised So then wouldest thou have peace in death labour for grace in thy life wouldest thou end thy dayes happily make conscience to spend them holily A godlesse man that lives in sin may die senslesly or sullenly he cannot die peaceably Oh consider this all yee that forget God that spend your dayes in vanity and your yeares according to the lusts of your owne heart that have hitherto hated to bee reformed and will not bee reclaimed from your former fashions but live yet still as you were wont to doe Thinke a little with me of your last end which how neere it is you doe not know when your consciences a little awaked shall make report of your life past how in matters of God you have beene ignorant superstitious carelesse neglecting his worship despising his Word blaspheming his Name mispending his Sabbaths in dealing with men you have beene cruell false unmercifull oppressing in the usage of your owne bodyes unchast vicious lustfull proud wanton wallowing in excesse what peace can your soules have when these things be thought upon what calmnesse of spirit what hope of entring into rest how can you thinke that the end can bee comfortable when the life hath beene abominable What answer made Iehu to Ioram when hee demanded Is it peace Iehu What peace said hee so long as the whoredomes of thy mother Iezabel and her witchcrafts are so many So when Death comes like Iehu marching furiously against you and you enquire of him whither he comes with peace or no hee will answer what peace when your whoredomes and your grosse and crying sinnes are yet in great number What peace when these make a partition betwixt your soules and the Lord Certainly there can be no peace but a fearefull expectation of judgement and violent fire to devoure Suffer me then to conclude this exhortation as Daniel did his speech to Nebuchadnezzar O King breake off thy sinnes by righteousnesse and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poore So say I breake off your sinnes by repentance your ignorance by seeking after knowledge your contempt of Gods word by a reverent yeelding to it your securitie by a standing in awe of God your neglecting the exercises of Religion by carefull using of them your whoredome by chastitie your drunkennesse by sobrietie your malice by charitie your oppression by mercy your falshood by fidelitie this is the way that will bring peace at the last thus and thus onely you may find rest for your soules FINIS THE VITALL FOUNTAINE OR LIFES ORIGINALL REVEL 21. 1. And hee shewed mee a pure river of the water of life proceeding out of the Throne of God and of the Lambe 1 JOHN 5. 11. 12. God hath given to us eternall life and this life is in his Sonne Hee that hath the Sonne hath life and he that hath not the Sonne hath not life LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for Ralph Mabbe 1639. THE VITALL FOVNTAINE OR LIFES ORIGINALL SERMON XXXV JOH 11. 25. 26. I am the Resurrection and the life hee that beleeveth in mee though hee were dead yet shall hee live and whosoever liveth and beleeveth in me shall never die THese words that I have read to you they are part of the conference betweene Martha and Christ when Christ was comming to Bethanie to awake Lazarus from the sleepe of death The conference is laid downe from the beginning of the 21. verse to the end of the 27. and Martha meeting with Christ begins the conference as wee may see vers 21. 22. Then said Martha to Iesus Lord if thou haddest beene here my brother had not died but I know that even now whatsoever thou wilt aske of God God will give it thee Here Martha manifests her affection to her dead brother and her faith in her living Master shee manifests the strength of her naturall affection and the weaknesse and imperfection of her faith The strength of her naturall affection appeares in this that she was perswaded if Christ had beene there present her brother Lazarus had not died he would not have suffered Lazarus to have died which for ought wee know is more then she had sufficient ground for Then the weaknesse and imperfection of her faith appeares in this that shee rested too much upon the corporall presence of Christ that shee ascribed no more powerto Christ then that by his prayer he could attaine at Gods hands as much as ever any holy man did namely the life of her brother I know saith she that even now whatsoever thou askest God will give it Whereas Christ being true God was able to worke any miracle by his owne power Now the answer of Christ is laid downe verse 23. Iesus said unto her thy brother shall rise againe Christ to comfort Martha passeth by her infirmitie and promiseth to her that hee will restore her brother to life againe that shee shall enjoy her brother againe but this promise is only laid downe in generall and indifinite termes Thy brother shall rise againe Christ doth not say expresly I will raise up thy brother to life but hee speakes only ingenerall termes Thy brother shall rise againe which wee are to ascribe to the modestie and humilitie that alwais may bee obser-served in the speeches of Christ Thy brother shall rise againe Then we have the replie of Martha laid downe in verse 24. Martha said unto him I know hee shall rise againe in the Resurrection at the last day Martha was not satisfied with this promise of Christ for it seemes shee durst not take it in the full extent of it therefore shee replyes that as for the last Resurrection shee knew indeed that her brother and all others that were dead should then rise againe this did comfort her but for any other matter of comfort shee could not gather any from the answer of Christ and his promise therefore Christ replies againe in the words of my Text And Iesus said unto her I am the resurrection and the life hee that beleeves in mee though hee were dead yet shall hee live and whosoever liveth and beleeveth in me shall never die Christ would have Martha know that hee was true life yea the fountaine of all life and such a fountaine of life that whosoever did beleeve in him and cleave to him nothing should hurt him no not Death it selfe Thus you see briefly the coherence and the scope of the words We come now to shew you the meaning of them In these words we may observe these two parts First here we have laid downe a compound proposition And then the distinct Exposition or explication thereof First here wee have laid downe a compound Axiome or Proposition a copulative Proposition wherein Christ affirmes two things of himselfe First I am the Resurrection Secondly I am the Life I am the Resurrection I
droppe of his grace and mercie this setteth upon his spirit a heavenly thirst he sayth come hee would have more hee is never quiet till hee have the promise accomplished to him These are the persons every particular member of the Church that hath the Spirit the whole Church in generall not onely the particular part of the Church now in the World or in any Age but the severall parts of the Church in severall Ages whosoever is a thirst that hath tasted of Christ must needs say come Even so come Lord Iesus These are the persons The second thing is the matter of this acclamation of the Church First the matter contained in it it is a vehement and earnest desire of the people of God after Christs most happie returne in these words Amen even so come Lord Iesus The matter of it therefore is either infolded and implicite in the word Amen even so or unfolded and explicite in the latter words come Lord Iesus It is infolded I say in the word Amen This word signifieth in the Scripture either the Author of the truth himselfe or else it is an affirmation of the truth In the Revelation thus sayth the Amen the faithfull and true witnesse here Christ himselfe is called Amen because he is the Authour of all truth and veritie the faithfull and true witnesse Sometime this word is used and most frequently in Scripture for the affirmation of the truth either witnessing of the truth or wishing the truth For the witnessing of the truth as in all those vehement speeches of our Lord and Saviour Christ Amen Amen I say unto yee or verily verily I say unto yee this is a vehement asseveration and a witnessing to the truth which a man ought to beleeve or would have to bee beleeved Or otherwise for a wishing and earnest desiring of the truth to bee accomplished So in the conclusion of the Lords prayer and all our prayers we adde this word Amen that is So be it or Let it be so we wish it with earnestnesse of affection and desire and with a confidence and faith of our hearts wee hope and beleeve that this shall bee so This is that wee professe when wee say Amen In this place this word is used both for affirmation and witnessing of the truth and likewise it is a vehement wish and desire of the accomplishment of these promises with an earnest and certaine hope and expectation of faith that all these promises and good things shall bee accomplished to the soule of a Christian. Againe the matter of this Acclamation is unfolded and explained in the latter words Come Lord Iesus Where there is both the Action and the Person to be considered The Action Come Christ commeth to his Church many wayes Hee commeth in his Word Hee commeth in his Spirit He commeth in his mercies He commeth in his Judgements and Justice None of these are here meant But he commeth to his Church in person and appearance even in the appearance of his body and humane nature Thus Christ commeth two wayes to his Church in person First in his Incarnation he appeared to the world in the similitude of sinfull flesh he came in humilitie he came to suffer to die That is not here ment for that was past when as the Evangelist Saint Iohn wrote this prophesie But the Second comming in person of our Lord and Saviour Christ is his comming in the flesh in glorie in exaltation to judge the quicke and the dead to shew himselfe a mightie God from heaven This is the comming which is here meant Christs second comming to Judgement in glory That is the Action The Person is described by these two Titles Lord Iesus Wherein the Church desireth that he may come both as a Lord and as a Iesus That hee may come as a Lord to vindicate the Church and revenge him upon his enemies to destroy the kingdome of darknesse the kingdome of the Divell the kingdome of Antichrist which hath beene a great argument in this booke of the Revelation And not only come thus as a Lord but as a Iesus to save his Church to vouchsafe to her comfort and peace and joy that he would come to cloath her with immortalitie and glory which she cannot expect on earth in a mortall state This is the summe and substance of this Petition and request that the Lord would come in Majestie and glory both as as a Lord against the enemies of the Church to destroy them utterly and as a Saviour to bestow upon the Church even all saving mercies especially that great mercie of everlasting blessednesse that is not mixed with sinne and corruption that is not mixed with any infirmitie and defect whatsoever This is the summe and substance of the Text which I have in few words shortly explained to yee Whence the point I observe wherein wee will insist by the grace of God at this time is this That it is the nature and propertie of every true member of the Church of God earnestly and longingly to desire the second comming of Christ for the full redemption of his Church The Spirit saith Come and the Bride saith Come and whosoever heareth saith Come whosoever is a thirst saith Come therefore every godly man that hath the Spirit of God that is a part of this Bride that is partaker of those promises that hath a taste of Jesus Christ every one of these most necessarily say Come Even so Come Lord Iesus This is so proper to beleevers and to every one of them as they are all of them described by this propertie in Scripture 2 Tim. 4. 8. The Crowne which the righteous Iudge shall give mee at that day and not only to me but to all them that love his appearing The Apostle he might have said to all Saints and godly whatsoever and to all faithfull beleevers but he makes choyce of this Epithite hee describeth them by this that they are such as love his appearance Heb. 9. 28. Unto them that waite for him shall he appeare the second time for salvation The godly are there described by this very propertie they waite and long and desire after his appearance the second time In the 24. of Saint Matthews Gospell it is made the propertie of a good and faithfull servant there that he waiteth for his Masters comming and prepareth all things in a readinesse it is opposed to the slothfull servant that doth cleane otherwise Yee see the truth of it in Scripture But yee will say Is this the propertie of the Elect and faithfull Doe not ungodly men and sinners beleeve the comming of Christ and that he shall come to judge the quick and dead Doth not every man make this profession of his faith I beleeve that Iesus Christ shall come to judge the quick and the dead Why then doe yee make it the propertie of Beleevers since every man beleeveth and lookes for it To this I answer There is a twofold expectation of Christ his returne to
bones with strong paines What 's the reason of this but that man may come to this conclusion with himselfe that hee may bring his owne heart to a reckoning for his former cariage This is that the Apostle saith for this cause many are weake and sickly among you and many sleepe some were taken with sicknesse upon others there was a consuming weaknesse and others were strucken with death what is the end that God propounds in all this For this reason that wee should judge our selves for if wee judge our selves wee shall not be judged of the Lord but when wee are judged wee are chastned of the Lord that wee should not bee condemned of the world As if hee should say God now calleth you to a reckoning in this life to the end you may prevent that heavy and grievous one that comes after this life Againe when outward afflictions prevaile not God hath spirituall afflictions to awaken mâ—…n Thus David when hee was in a deepe sleepe of securitie God awakned him with a spirituall judgement see his speech in the 32. Psal. When I kept close my sinnes my bones were consumed and I roared for the disquietnesse of my soule what followed God by this meanes brought him to confession I will confesse my transgressions to the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquitie of my sinne Thus God in this life calleth men to a reckoning sometimes by â—…he preaching of the Word sometimes by judgements upon the outward man or by terrours upon the soule But if all this prevaile not to make a man reckon with himselfe in this life then God hath another reckoning after this life where every man must give an account and cannot avoid it and there hee must abide the sentence of the Iudge that would not prevent it before That there is such a Iudgement to come it appeareth By the equitite necessitie of it In respect of God the Saints the wicked Frst I say in respect of God there is a necessitie of it That his Decree may bee fulfilled and executed Hee hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the world in righteousnesse And his counsell shall stand and hee will doe all his pleasure Secondly it is necessarie that Gods honour may be vindicated Now things seeme to goe in some confusion and disorder in the world Good men the children of God are not alwayes best in the place of judgement I have seene saith Solomon an evill under the Sunne that in the place of judgement wickednesse was there and in the place of righteousnesse that iniquitie was there this observation Solomon makes therefore I said God will bring to judgement every thing both good and evill for there is a time for every worke and every purpose God hath a time to doe that great worke that he hath now purposed What is that worke that is to bring every worke to judgement whether it bee good or evill I say if wee consider this it is necessary that there should come a judgement that shall set all right againe It is necessarie likewise in respect of the Saints The very tribulations of the Saints in 2 Thes. 1. 5. are called Indigma an evident demonstration or a manifest token of the righteous judgement of God There is a necessitie of it in respect of them in two regards First that their innocencie that is traduced here may bee manifest They undergoe many disgraces and hard censures amongst men the world accounts them proud hipocrites singular foolish vaine-glorious and I know not what now saith Iob my witnesse is in heaven and saith Saint Paul I care not to bee judged of you or of mans judgement hee that judgeth me is the Lord. The Word in the Greeke is mans day as if hee should say Men have their day here but God hath a greater day after the Lord will judge in another manner and upon other grounds then men doe Secondly it is necessary also that their workes may be rewarded When we speake of reward wee meane not the reward of merit wee meane the reward of grace called a reward because God is tied to it by his promise The servants of God though they serve him with all care they have not the fatte of the earth as sometimes the Ishmaels of the world have they doe not abound with outward things as many others doe nay sometimes they are in the worst condition and that makes Gods wayes the more despised as if God were not able to maintaine his servants in the world in his wayes and worke God therefore hath a time when his servants shall have full measure heaped up pressed downe shaken together and running over When God shall make up his jewels as hee saith in Malac. 3. then shall yee discerne betweene the righteous and the wicked betweene him that serveth God and him that serveth him not Marke yee shall discerne God will make it appeare to the whole world in the day when hee makes up his jewels that notwithstanding his servants are despised and lie here under divers pressures yet that they are a people whom he delights in and accounteth as his treasures Thirdly it is necessarie in respect of the wicked too that is First that Gods righteousnesse may fully be manifested Secondly that their unrighteousnesse may fully bee punished First I say that Gods righteousnesse may fully bee manifested therefore the day of Iudgement in Rom. 2. 5. is called a day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God As if hee should say As God will manifest his wrath against the vessels of wrath so hee will make it appeare to the world that hee proceedeth in a right manner and by a right rule in judging For wee must know that howsoever God cannot bee unjust and howsoever that the ungodly men in this life contend with their owne consciences such is the hardnesse of their hearts and abundance of corruption that they would faine justifie themselves amongst men and againe howsoever it bee true that the soule when it is departed out of the body is under Gods particular judgement by an intelectuall elevation of it that it may receive the sentence of the Iudge by an illumination and by such a spirituall and contemplative discourse and observation and understanding of Gods actions as that by reflection upon it selfe it may know it selfe to bee accursed or acquitted and accordingly is entred into the possession either of happinesse or miserie Yet all this is secret in the world till the day of Gods tribunall come wherein secret things shal be made manifest and things that have been done in darknesse shall appeare before men and Angels Secondly As Gods justice must be cleared and fully manifested so the wicked and unrighteous must bee fully punished They are not fully punished when they are under the sense of Gods wrath in this life or when the soule is judged at death there must bee yet a further degree for
all this And there be these two reasons for it The first is because the wicked not only sinne in soule but in body too the body hath beene the instrument of the soule in sinning and therfore it cannot serve the turne that the soule is punished and the body lie in the graue no but those that have joyned in sin must also joyne in punishment Secondly howsoever the sinfull actions of the wicked are transcient and seeme to die with them yet in respect of the contagion and evill effects these actions worke upon others and upon posteritie by the ill example of their predecessors the actions I say of those wicked men continue to the day of Iudgement Thus wee shall see the Iewes in Ierem. 4â—… reuived the sinnes of their fathers Our fathers say they made cakes to the Queen of heaven and so willwee So the succeeding Kings of Israel that went on in the steps of Ieroboam who made Israel to sin they continued the sin of Ieroboam As long as men go on in the steps and sins of their forefathers the sins of their forefathers live so that some mens sinnes by a continued imitation are perpetuated to the day of Iudgement therefore there must be a judgement then that may fill up a measure proportionable to their sinne This was that that Dives feared in Hell and that made him crie out as hee did that one might goe and tell his brethren upon earth that they might not come into that place Why would hee have them tell his brethren was there such love to the kingdome of Christ in hell that Dives would have his brethren converted no such matter Was it love to the soules of his brethren that hee would not have them damned no such matter neither What then Certainly it was nothing else but a sense of his owne guilt hee knew what evill example hee had giuen and what a counseller hee had beene to his brethren and if they should goe on in his steps and their children follow the same steps all this would but adde to his punishment and torment in the great day when soule and body shall bee joyned together to make up the full measure of their torment For this reason I say it is therefore necessary that there should bee a judgement after this life at the end of the world The second thing remaineth and that is why the holy Ghost expresseth Gods proceedings by way of reckoning or calling to an account What need the Lord reckon with men he may proceed by way of a Iudge but he saith come give an account of thy stewardship I answer There are foure things implied in this all shewing the manner of Gods proceedings at the day of judgement with his stewards that it shall bee like the proceedings of a Master with his seruants in an account and reckoning The first is this that it shall bee a proceeding in particulars God shall then proceed not by grosse sums and in the totall yee have done evill in the generall none will deale thus with an Accountant but he will run over the particulars and Account for pounds for pence for every thing Thus God will deale with all his stewards when hee bringeth them to a reckoning hee will reckon on particulars for all things that hee hath enabled them with for his service Those that are rich men first how they have gotten their estates whether they have built their houses as a moth as Iob speakes that is raised their estates to the hurt of others as men doe that raise themselves by Vsurie and oppression and fraud and bribery and such like courses Secondly how they have kept their wealth whether with the injurie of others with-holding the goods from the owners therof from the poore for I call them in case of want the owners of their goods because God hath given them to his stewards for their sakes therefore marke how Saint Iames expresseth it Goe to now yeerich men weepe and howle why so your riches are corrupted and your garments moth-eaten your gold and silver is cankered c. As if hee should say you have beene hoarding up your treasures you had rather bee laying of it up then laying of it out and therefore because you have not layed out your estates for the service of your master rust is come upon your gold and the moth hath eaten into your garments yee have heaped treasure together for the last day Thirdly how they have spent what they have had whether on their lusts or no Yee aske and have not saith Saint Iames because yee aske amisse to spend it on your lusts so yee lay out amisse yee spend it on your lusts When men for pride in apparell for excesse at their tables for vaine buildings for sinfull upholding of wickednesse for unnecessary and injurious proceedings in law sutes or in whatsoever indirect course men lay out their estates it is a mis-spending of their Masters goods And as hee that hath got his wealth unjustly and hee that keepeth it unjustly shall give an account so hee that layeth it out in a confused sinfull profuse way shall be called to give areckoning for that And not only for matter of estate but besides for matter of place and authoritie Moses knew this well enough and therefore when hee was to goe out of the world hee first cleares all reckonings with the people of Israel I have beene a Ruler thus long let any man come and stand up and say I have done him wrong let every man come and cleare me this day before the Lord that I have walked all my life time unblameably inoffensively promoting the glory of God and suppressing all the evill that I could with my might this was the account that Moses made with the people of Israel before hee â—…ed that hee might lift up his head with comfort in the day of the Lord. Thus it must bee with you yee must give an account of your places And so for the state of your bodies The health thou hast had how hast thou spent thy strength and thy health Marke the speech of the Wise man to the young man Rejoyce saith hee in the dayes of thy youth as if hee should say Doe if thou wilt doe if thou dare but know that for all these things thou must come to judgement Now thou hast a great deale of health a great deale of strength but hast thou beene the better for Gods service hast thou imployed it for Gods glory or no And so for the members of thy body thou must give an account for thy imployment of those instruments Thy tongue every idle word saith Christ that men shall speake they shall give an account of at the day of judgement If for every idle word what then for thy swearing and cursing and lying what for the abundance of filthy obscene and rotten communication that commeth out of thy mouth Thou must give an account for thy tongue And so for
remaineth unchangeable yet the sentence according to the externall expression seemeth altered to us so the change is in us and not in God Hence let us note something briefly for our selves and that is this First how to understand all those threatnings in Scripture that seeme peremptory and absolute by this rule A judgement is threatned against a nation against a person or family c. Yea and it is absolutely threatned in divers places because thou hast done such and such evils therefore such and such things shall come upon thee All such as these are to be understood conditionally though they seem to be expressed absolutely And the rule God himselfe giveth At what instant I shall speake concerning a nation and concerning a kingdome to plucke up and to pull downe and to destroy it If that nation against whom I have pronounced turne from their evill I will repent of the evill that I thought to doe unto them Whatsoever I threatned in my Word if they turne to me by true repentance I will turne all that evill from them that I have threatned against them and would certainly have brought upon them if they have not returned I say thus we are to understand all these and upon this ground we may build some further uses that I will but touch First to take off those discouragements that lie upon the hearts of many When they find themselves guiltie of a sin against God when they see that sinne threatned with severe punishment and judgement in the word of God now they conclude their case to be desperate it is in vaine to seeke further to use the meanes the Lord will proceed in judgement and there is no stopping of him This is an addition to a mans other sinnes to conclude thus Marke how the Lord expresseth himselfe in the 33. Ezekiel The people were much troubled about such things there say they Our transgressions and our sinnes bee upon us and wee pine away in them how should wee then live The Prophet had incouraged them notwithstanding their great sinnes to returne by true repentance and they should not perish neverthelesse they are muttering discouraged with feare breaking their spirits withdrawing themselves from God the judgements of God are begun upon us the hand of wrath is gone out against us wee are pining away in them though we are not wasted yet yet we are like a man in a consumption that wasteth by degrees how shall we live certainly wee shall die Saith the Lord say not thus among your selves but know if yee turne yee shall live As I live saith the Lord I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turne from his way and live turne yee turne yee from your evill wayes for why will yee die oh house of Israel Beware of discouragements therefore it is Sathans devise that when once he hath drawne men from God by a path of sinne to hold them under discouragements that so hee may ever after keepe them from turning to God againe It was his devise whereby he would have kept Adam from turning to God after he had committed that great sinne in eating of the forbidden tree Hee thought of nothing but hiding himselfe from God and so he did hide himselfe amongst the bushes of the Garden I heard thy voyce and was afraid and I hid my selfe Marke here was a feare of discouragement in Adam that whereas he should have come and fell downe before the Lord and have begged mercy and said as David here Who knoweth whether the Lord will bee gracious to mee He ranne cleane away from God There is a feare of reverence that keepeth a man with God and there is a feare that draweth a man to God but this feare of discouragement driveth a man from God and that is the temptation of Sathan to keepe a man from God when once he hath turned aside from him Therefore that is the first thing take heed of such inward discouragements as may drive you quite off Secondly Take incouragement then to seeke the face of God in his owne meanes and way He hath threatned judgements against others for the same sinnes that yee find your selves guiltie of when they have returned to him they have found mercie Returne yee to him in truth and seeke his face aright and yee shall find the same mercie In the prophesie of Ioel yee shall see there that though God had threatned judgements nay though he had begun judgement for that was the case of those times judgement was begun upon them yet neverthelesse the Prophet calleth them to fasting and weeping and telleth them that the Lord is gracious and mercifull and ready to forgive and who knoweth if he will returne and repent and leave ablessing behind him Therefore let us doe our parts and seeke God in truth amend our lives and then no question of this but that God will returne It is an old device of Sathan to draw men in stead of Gods revealed will to looke to Gods secret will whether I be absolutely rejected or cast off or not But this is not the thought wherein a Christian should exercise himselfe his maine businesse is this to make his calling and election sure by all the â—…vidences of it by a holy life walke obediently to Gods revealed will and be certaine thou shalt not be rejected by Gods secret will He never rejecteth those by his secret will and purpose and decree to whom he giveth a heart to walke obediently to his revealed will So much for that Who knoweth that the Lord will be gracious to me that the child may live The incouragement is this That the child may live But marke his expression Whether the Lord will bee gracious to me that the child may live If he had said no more but this Who knoweth whether the childe may live A man would have thought this would fully enough have expressed his mind but there is more in it that could not be expressed without this addition Who knoweth whether the Lord will bee gracious to me that the child may live The life of a child is a mercy to the father David expresseth herein both his Pitty and his Pietie His Pittie He accounteth all the good or ill that befalleth his childe as his owne if death befalleth it he accounteth it as a miserie that befalleth himselfe if sicknesse befalleth his child hee accounteth it as an affliction upon himselfe This is his naturall pittie that same naturall affection of a Father to his Child See such an expression of the woman of Canaan Have mercie on mee thou sonne of David my daughter is miserably vexed of a divell The Daughter was miserably vexed and the mother cryeth out Have mercie on me There is such a simpathy ariseth hence from the naturall and free course that love hath in descending from the Father to the Child There are not only morall perswasions that may invite and draw on
it that They are most secure that are in least safetie A man is in the greatest danger when he is in the greatest securitie Then a mans Judgement is neerest when he least thinkes of it when he least feareth it This is the very thing that the holy Ghost would have us to take notice of here At that very time not before that time they shall crie peace Nor after the time when they had done it and repented of it But just at the very time when they are in the middest of their sinnes applauding of their owne estate living under the power and guilt of sinne then commeth destruction upon them and they shall not escape Thus farre the text That we may make the point cleare before wee come to prove it give me leave first briefly to tell you what wee meane by that securitie which is upon men even in their chiefest dangers Know therefore that there is a twofold securitie A holy spirituall A sinfull carnall securitie There is first a holy and spirituall securitie and that even in this state whereinto wee are fallen which consisteth in a mans reconciliation with God when hee is in termes of peace with him having obtained remission of his sinnes and his favour through Jesus Christ so that God is pleased with him in his Son hath received him into the Covenant of grace interested him into all the promises and is become his God by a Covenant for ever Now here a man may be secure yea and hee must bee so in a spirituall manner Confidence upon the goodnesse of God in Christ upon the promises of God in the Gospell is that which is requisite in every Christian it is that which God commandeth Feare not saith he in one place And againe Trust in the Lord. The Scripture is full in a calling for such securitie as this that men should lay aside all those carking and distracting cares when once they are in the Covenant of grace that now they should mind nothing but duty and not bee troubled about successe For my brethren it is such a security as makes a man not to neglect duty but such as freeth a man from those disquiets of soule about the event of things This was that which David had and rejoyced in I laid mee downe in rest and peace for the Lord keepeth mee in safetie This is that which the Lord commanded the people of Israel to doe Isa. 26. 20. Come my people enter thou into thy chamber and shut thy dores about thee hide thy selfe c. Hee would have them secure themselves under his protection and in his ordinances This is such a securitie as draweth men neerer to God bringeth them to further acquaintance with God keepeth them in a constant communion with God causeth them to walke in Gods presence c. This is a good security But then secondly there is a sinfull carnall security that is when a man yet living in a course of sinne hee beareth up his spirit against all feare either of judgements threatned or judgements approaching upon him under a vaine hope of I know not what mercy in God and of I know not what assurance from men and upon worldly conceits and flatteries either from others or his owne heart Here is now a sinfull carnall securitie not warranted but condemned in the word of God This is the security that is ever an ill prognosticator and fore-runner of some heavy judgement to fall upon that person in whom it is This is the security that we have now in chase First then wee will make it appeare that it is an infallible signe of Godâ—…â—…udgement upon a person or a people to cry peace to themselves to be secure and no way troubled at their estate when God is at warre with them You shall see this in instances and examples See it in particular persons and in States and Kingdomes and you shall generally find it that before the destroying judgement came upon them they have beene given up to this securitie wee speake of this crying of peace upon a false ground See it in Agag 1 Sam. 15. 13. The bitternesse of death is past But was it past Nay at that very time the bitternesse of death was upon him for the very next thing that wee meet withall in the Storie is that Agag was hewen in pieces before the Lord in Gilgall Yee have Belshazzar in Dan. 5. wondrous secure carrowsing and quafâ—…ing in the holy vessels that were taken out of the Temple of the house of God which was at Ierusalem amongst his Princes and Nobles his Wives and his Concubines as if there would be no change of his estate and translation of his Empire But what was it so Nay at that very time the very same houre saith the text verse 5. came forth fingers of a mans hand and wrote upon the plaister of the wall of the Kings pallace Mene Mene Tekell Vpharsin Thou art laid in the ballance and art found too light thy kingdome is divided and given to the Medes and Persians and immediatly In that very night vers 30. was Belshazzar king of the Caldeans slaine hee was tooke away from all his comfort and jollity See tâ—…is in the Rich man Luke 12. 19. Soule soule saith he take thine ease eate drinke and bee merry and why so was it because his soule indeed was washed in the bloud of Christ Nothing lesse But take thine ease thou hast goods laid up for many yeares thou art well provided against a hard Winter against a deare yeare now take thine ease Well what of this had his soule any whit the more ease had he many yeares to enjoy that which hee had laid up for many yeares Nay marke the answer of God verse 20. Thou foole this night thy soule shall bee taken from thee then whose shall those things bee that thou hast provided It is ordinary as Iob noteth of worldly men thus to flatter themselves They spend their dayes in wealth and in a moment got downe to the grave They spend their daies in wealth this is that they resolve upon while they live upon earth they will bee merry and enjoy their wealth and worldly contentments to the height and want nothing but in a moment while they are in the middest of these thoughts of raising a happinesse to themselves out of their worldly estate in the middest of these thoughts they goe downe to the grave So it is also in Nations and States See it in two particulars in the 17. Luke That of the old world That of Sodome and Gomorrah They were eating and drinking and building and plaâ—…ing and marrying and giving in marriage till the flood came upon the one and fire and brimstone upon the other till sudden destruction came upon both according to my Text. Yee shall have Jerusalem in the same case Their Prophets are flattering them and crying peace peace as Ieremy tells them
Chap. 6. 14 15. They heale the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly saying peace peace when there is no peace Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination Nay they were not ashamed neither could they blush therefore they shall fall among men that fall at the time that I visit them they shall bee cast downe saith the Lord. Marke The Prophets cry peace It had beene well done of the Prophets to cry peace to those Israelites that in truth were at peace with God but they cry peace to them to whom there was no peace What then Did the people reforme did this make those that before were rebellious against God come in and accept of the conditions of peace and forsake their sinnes and turne to God No such matter nay though their sinnes were reproved by Ieremiah and other faithfull Prophets yet they were not ashamed when they had committed abomination and they could not blush they stood it out they remained in their impenitency Well what of this Therefore saith the Lord they shall fall amongst them that fall in that day at that time they shall be destroyed they shall bee cast downe they shall cease to be a people at least they shall cease to be men prevailing above other people In the first of Zephaniah vers 12. yee have the Lord saying there that he will visit Ierusalem with lights and search it with candles What to doe to find out the men that are frozen on their dregges that are settled on their lees that say in their heart the Lord will not doe good neither will hee doe evill Why will the Lord visit Ierusalem with lights to find out these men Hee meeteth with the conceit that such men as these have they thinke as the Atheists in Iob that God is circled in the clouds and seeth not the things below or as those in this Prophesie of Zephanie that said The Lord sees not neither doth hee regard Why doth he not so Because hee wants light Well then saith the Lord I will bring candles to see with and visit Ierusalem with lights and whosoever hee spies out amongst all the sinners in Israel hee will be sure to meet with those that say The Lord sees not that are settled on their dregges that secure themselves under false perswasions they shall not escape his wrath Gods greatest quarrell is against those men that flatter themselves as if God did not take notice of their sinnes hee will surely punish those it is for their sakes why hee will bring candles to search Ierusalem with It was so with Babylon in Isa. 47. 8. 9. The Lord observeth her boasting I am saith shee a Queene I sit as a Lady I shall neither see losse of children nor widowhood Marke now what God saith Heare now this thou that art given to pleasures and dwellest carelesly both these shall come upon thee losse of children and widowhood all thy props and all thy staies shall bee taken from thee yea and that in one day in a moment when thou least thinkest of it suddenly thou shalt be husbandlesse and childlesse Nay it is that which the Lord speakes of Romish Babylon in the 18 Revel 7. Shee had heard of the pride and boasting of old Babylon and shee would faine be like it I sit as a Queene saith shee too and am no widow and shall see no sorrow shee stands upon her outward pompe and glory as worldly-minded men doe specialally when they come to greatnesse and eminencie Well what will the Lord doe Therefore verse 8. shall her plagues come in one day death and mourning and famine and shee shall bee utterly burnt with fire for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her Thou saist I sit as a Lady I shall see no change Well saith the Lord it shall be indeed a famous Church for something even for such judgements as shall fall upon it aboveall other places there shall bee famine and death and burning Yea and it shall be done when all outward meanes that should bring this to passe seeme to faile and when Babylon shall seeme to advance her selfe like a Queene above all other Churches when there is nothing but strength and might on her side then shall God doe it for strong is the Lord that judgeth her Hee bringeth in this strong is the Lord to answer an objection It shall bee done for the Church even then when the advers partie thriveth most then when it may be seene to be Gods owne worke then when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 off from selfe-confidence then when men have noâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eyes on but God then will God doe this for his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith plainly that Babylon shall be burnt with fire and at 〈◊〉 a time when it appeares that it cannot be done except hee put his strength to the worke Thus yee see the securitie of a People or Nation or Kingdome it is an infallible signe of judgement falling upon it And it must be so and there is great reason for it If we either consider the causes of security whence it commeth or the concommitants that accompany it or the fruits and events of it it must be that great judgements must be fall men and places when they are under this carnall securitie First looke to the causes Whence is it that men that are not at peace with God yet flatter themselves that they shall doe well It proceedeth from that unbeliefe and infidelity that is in the hearts of men therefore they flatter themselves and pride themselves in things that will not hold them up in the end I say infidelity is the cause that men are so secure Did men beleeve the word of God that every threatning that goeth out of the mouth of God against any particular sinne should certainly fall upon the head of the sinner durst they goe on in a course of sinning against God Durst they adde drunkennesse to thirst one wickednesse to another No certainly In that measure a man hath faith in that measure he feareth God and his judgements that hee hath threatned See it in Noah Heb. 11. By faith Noah being warned of God moved with feare prepared an Arke Hee beleeved that God was faithfull that had threatned a judgement upon the world he beleeved the word of God that commanded him to provide an Arke for the safetie of him and his house and therefore hee feared the Deluge to come and prepared an Arke So likewise Iosiah when he read the booke of the Law and saw what was threatned against the sinnes of the people his heart melted within him and why because hee beleeved that this was the word of God he beleeved that God would be as true as his Word therefore his heart melted within him at the sight of those sinnes wherein the people had continued so long a time Nay it is made a description of a beleever in Isa. 61. That he is one that trembleth at Gods word On the other side what
he 〈◊〉 the hand of God was upon thy father for this and this yet thou hast done the like and hast not humbled thy heart So may I say You have knowne what God hath done to your brethren in other countries yet you doe still the same your selves for the which they have beene punished Is not this security Looke likewise upon our selves and wee shall see a generall neglect of those judgements of God that have beene upon our selves How hath God smitten this Land this Citie especially with the Pestilence and may we not say wee have beene smitten and yet have not felt it is not this securitie and a dead sleep God threatneth those in Ier. 31. 9. That escaped the pestilence that they should fall by the sword by the hand of Nebuchadnezar Why so because they did not reforme and amend by the pestilence What cause have we then to feare lest wee fall into the hands of the sword of some Nebuchadnezar or other when the pestilence hath done no more good among us when it hath not awakened and reformed us Looke upon your selves upon your houses upon your dealings your company your conversations see if there be any reformation since there was such a mortall calamitie as drove you from the Citie and frighted you from your owne houses and from the house of God Well these are fearfull prefages that when former Judgements prevaile not worser are a comming I have smittenthem saith God in the fourth of Amos with cleannesse of teeth and yet they have not returned unto me What then I have smitten them with blasting and mildew and yet they have not returned unto mee What then I have smitten them with the pestilence after the manner of Egypt and yet they have not returned unto mee What then Therefore I will come against them and because I will doe this prepare to meet thy God Oh Israel As if hee should say I have now stood out and tried you at one or two weapons and found you obstinate and rebellious I have stroke at you with the sword of Famine I have shot at you the Arrowes of pestilence I have smitten you with other judgements You should now meet me if not I have more weapons yet I will come and bid the battell against you and it shall appeare who is the stronger you or I And since you will stand out against me notwithstanding the Judgements executed upon others and afflictions upon your selves see if you can stand out against my last stroke you have escaped some lesser sicknesses upon your owne bodies you have escaped the Pestilence already but you shall find it a hard taske when God biddeth battell to escape his last stroke if you will not now be reconciled and come in and seeke his face This is the first demonstration whereby it appeares that we are sinfully secure which is a fore-runner of Judgement because we are not awakened by the judgements of God upon our selves and others Secondly another signe is this The contempt of Gods ordinances the slighting of the Prophets This is an evident demonstration that wee are under this carnall security I now speake of Marke how the Lord describeth a people whom he meaneth to destroy Zach. 7. 11 12. They refused to hearken and pulled away the shoulder and stopped their eares that they should not heare Yea they made their hearts as an Adamant stone lest they should heare the Law and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former Prophets therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of hosts A great wrath what is that Therefore vers 13. it is come to passe that as Heecryed and they would not heare so they cryed and I would not heare saith the Lord of hosts Well beloved little doe you know what time and wayes God hath to make you cry and roare in the anguish of your hearts because of Judgements and afflictions when you will not now heare God that striveth with you and cries unto you with the voyce of his Spirit in his Prophets from day to day When men will not heare God speaking to them in his Word it is alwayes a fore-runner of judgement In the sixth of Amos the Lord challengeth his people and telleth them that hee had used many meanes for their reclaiming but nothing would doe them good well now saith he heare the rod and him that hath appointed it As if hee should say there is no more dealing with you with the Word but I must come with the rod with judgement Is it not thus with us at this day May not the Lord say of us as hee did of the people in Ieremies time You have forsaken my law which I set before you and have not obeyed my voyce neither walked therein but have walked after the imaginations of your owne heart And then what followes Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts Behold I will feed this people with wormewood and give them water of gall to drinke and I will send a sword after them till I have consumed them Doe not many cry out as they in Ier. 23. 33. What is the burthen of the Lord Where is it that the Ministers have not beene threatning judgement and telling you that God is comming out to bee avenged upon a sinfull nation have they not beene crying thus this seven ten twentie yeares Where is that burthen of the Lord Well you shall find what it is when the day of the Lord commeth a day of blacknesse and terrour it hasteneth and this very security is an evident signe thereof even as in the dayes of Noah that preacher of righteousnesse and in the dayes of Lot that vexed his soule with the uncleane conversation of the Sodomites they would not beleeve their words but they seemed unto them as if they mocked and then came the judgement of the Lord upon them If this bee not the estate of this Land at this day what meanes the complaints the heavinesse of the spirits of the Prophets What meanes their teares and cries and prayers because of the obstinacie and hard-heartednesse of people that will not be drawne from their sinnes by any meanes This is a second evidence or signe when all this crying and calling will not awaken that we are in a deepe sleepe of security Thirdly another evidence is the vaine hopes of this Land It is a signe of carnall security and that we are all in a dead sleepe when we have such idle dreames out of idle fancies and vaine confidence that delude and deceive men What doe men rest on to secure and perswade themselves of imunitie from wrath and impunitie Certainly this that we have the ordinances of God amongst us Oh the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord. Alas had not the people of Israel the Arke and yet the Philistims tooke the Arke and slew the sonns of Eli. Had they not the Temple and yet the Lord in
shall be revealed and manifested all our wayes and workes the godly and the workes that they have done though never so secret the wicked and their workes the secret sins that they have committed That is the second thing in the manner of the Judgement First that all shall be summoned secondly upon the Summons all shall bee made to appeare Thirdly the Separation that shall be made at that time for when all are congregated by and by all shall be severed and separated a separation and division shall be made amongst them some shall be set at the right hand of the Iudge some at the left hand As a shepheard searcheth his flocke in the day when hee is amongst his sheepe that are scattered so I will search out my sheepe at that day and I will divide betweene cattell and cattell betweene the sheepe and the goates The Sheepe and the Goates here they flocke feed and fold together they will doe so they must doe so The Tares here must be let alone and grow with the corne till the day of harvest but yet afterward there shall be a division and a separation the wicked and the godly live together here but at the last the wicked shall be separated from the godly like the chaffe from the wheate as when two travell one way they passe together and lodge together but the next morning they part and take severall wayes so the wicked and the godly after they have beene here a time eating and drinking conversing and living and perhaps dying and rotting in the graves together notwithstanding when this day that I here speake of shall come then there shall be a separation and division made then the sheepe shall bee set on the right hand then you shall know which is Iacobs flocke and which is Labans which belong to Christ and which belong to Sathan then the chaffe shall be winnowed from the wheat and wee shall see which is for the Barne and which is for the fire Goe on you wicked still seeme the same you are not delude the eyes of the world that you have the same heart that you appeare you have Maskes and Vizards now the time will come your paint shall be washed off your fig-leaves shall bee stripped and your nakednesse shall be seene and all manifest at that day of God there shall be a separation of the good from the bad as the shepheard separateth his sheepe from the Goates Fourthly with this separation there shall be a tryall the Scripture speakes of after the conventing and separation there shall be a tryall I saw saith Saint Iohn Revel 20. 12. the dead small and great stand before God and the bookes were opened and another booke was opened which is the booke of life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in those bookes according to their workes Marke there are severall bookes and so as there are severall books there are severall judgements some are tryed by one booke some by another First there are some bookes by which the workes of men are tryed the booke of Nature the booke of Scripture the booke of Conscience They that neuer heard of Christ shall be judged by the booke of Nature there is enough in the booke of Nature to leave all unexcusable They that live in the Church shall be tryed and judged by the booke of the Scripture Of the Law They that have sinned under the Law shall be judged by the Law Of the Gospell God shall judge the secrets of all hearts according to my Gospell Both of them shall be judged according to the booke of Conscience for God will lay that booke so cleare and open that they shall see what they have done against that Booke Lord what a many of sinnes have we committed here that we never remember and thinke of when they are done Our memorie and conscience now is a Book clasped up we see not a thousand things that are registred there but when God shall lay open that Booke and in large our memories and inlighten our consciences then men shall clearly see what they had forgot before they shall promptly dictate the whole course of our lives and acquaint us with every action that hath past us and every circumstance to accuse and excuse This is the kind of the tryall by which the workes of men shall be tryed Lastly with the Summons there shall be an appearance and with that a separation and a tryall after all these are done then commeth the sentence then the Sentence shall be pronounced upon the one and upon the othet the one Sentence full of sweetnesse and comfort every word droppeth as a honey combe Come you blessed of my Father inherit the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world The same voyce that Christ spake to them here Come to me the same shall be there Come yee blessed and as they were carefull to come to Christ here so they shall make a happy comming to Christ there The other is a sentence of Hell and wrath and horrour Depart yee cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the divell and his Angels as they desired here to depart from God and said to him depart from us so they shall heare that word of horrour and woe pronounced at that day they shall bee sent away into fire to have their portion with the Divell and his Angels Thus briefly I have shewed concerning the Person judging First for the Iudge himselfe God And then for the Iudgement first that it must be and then the manner how I should goe on to the next generall point that is to consider the things and persons Judged every worke of every man whether it bee good or whether it bee evill And so I should have given the Application and Use of all together But so much for this time FINIS A A TRIALL OF SINCERITIE OR THE DESIRE OF THE FAITHFVLL ISAIAH 25. 9. This is the Lord wee have waited for him wee will be glad and rejoyce in his salvation PSAL. 38. 9. Lord all my desire is before thee and my groaning is not hid from thee LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for Ralph Mabbe 1639. A TRIALL OF SINCERITIE OR THE DESIRE OF THE FAITHFVLL SERMON XV. ISAIH 26. 8 9. Yea in the way of thy Iudgements O Lord have wee waited for thee the desire of our soule is to thy Name and to the remembrance of thee With my soule have I desired thee in the night yea with my Spirit within me will I seeke thee early for when thy judgements are in the earth the inhabitants of the world will learne righteousnesse THis Chapter is a sweet song of the Prophet if I mistake not concerning the restauration of the Iewes And the words of the Text are the sweet Swan-like song of our deceased Sister which she desired might be her Funerall song her Funerall text at this time and desired it long agoe before any thing that is now fallen
with full faile is carried toward heaven stormes will not beat him off but hee will persevere Secondly there is a necessary use as there should be perseverance so that there should be a kind of excellencie and precellencie of all holy duties which I mentioned in the generall before which a man should exercise so much the more industriously and painfully in stormes and difficulties All sweet odours are refreshing to the head at any time but when there is a stinking place that is offensive men hold them closer to them so it should be with all the graces of Gods Spirit with all holy duties they should bee precious to us at all times but specially in times of stresse and difficultie Oh then we should cleave close to them then multiplie in prayers then multiply in our holy walking with God then multiply examining diligently our wayes and looking more strictly and narrowly to our selves then we should reflect more seriously upon our lives and then we should excell our selves or else it will not countervaile and be an Antidote against the evill and bitternesse of the times Thirdly there should be shewed patience in the time of affliction in the time of Gods Judgement we should not mutter against God nor struggle nor be violent against him but humbly and meekly lay our selves downe before him It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good in his eyes And lastly there should be a proficiencie the the inhabitants of the earth will learne righteousnesse we should patiently waite upon God in the way of his Judgements and withall we should be good proficients then to learne righteousnesse Gods rod should be to us as the fescue is to the child the fescue points out to the child the letter makes him take notice of it and so Gods rod points out many good lessons which we should never otherwise learne and take notice of I had never knowne as Luthers wife said sometime what such and such things meant in such and such Psalmes such complaints and workings of spirit I had never understood the practise of our dutie if God had not brought me under some affliction affliction was a Comentarie and fescue to point out my lesson to me and by that I understood Let me but mention one thing more in a word I shall leave the Application because I am prevented Here is now the summe of a Christians dutie which I have recommended to you out of the words of the verses read partly generall duties that belong to all Christians in all times and partly some particular duties which concerne them more specially in some speciall times There is a motive or two to presse and stirre us up to the performance of these duties There is one in the verse before those I have read the seventh verse The way of the just is uprightnesse thou most upright doest weigh the path of the just Here the first Motive is from the consideration of God God is a holy overseer of all our wayes a spectatour of all our carriage and behaviour how we doe carry our selves and approve our selves to him God is not only a spectatour and an overseer of our wayes but hee is an expencer a weigher and Judge of our wayes to reward everyman according to his workes and wee should often cast our eyes to God and see him looking upon us in our carriages to put some more awe upon our spirits that we may not wantonly breake out against God not daring to doe evill in the presence of that holy God which one day we know we must bee brought to account for at the great Judgement But I can but name it There is a second Motive in the close in those words which stand last of those I read and a verse following And that is from men from the particular proper character of a Christian it is that which differenceth a godly man from a wicked man Herein lies the difference of their temper and of their spirit the godly man he is described already what his carriage is that is his carriage which is here limned out in the Prophets owne expression in their name but the wicked men they are cleane otherwise they doe not performe these duties neither the generall nor the particular Now it behoveth every one to take care to depart from the tents of those wicked men that shall bee swallowed up and goe downe quicke to hell every one as it was in the case of Korah It is the command of God that they should depart and sever themselves and make as broad and vast a difference and bee jealous and take heed lest they assimulate themselves to wicked men in their lives lest they be like unto them in their deaths that they live not as they doe lest they perish as they doe Now there be two or three things that are exprest concerning these wicked men First of all their Character is to be refractary to God in what way soever he shewes himselfe to them if he shew his favour or send his Judgements it is all one in the land of uprightnesse they will doe wickedly and when Gods hand is lifted up they will not see nothing will doe them good no way of working upon them neitherby faire nor by foule meanes And we must be unlike them therefore every way we must take every dealing of God by the right eare as he said and make the right use of it for good There is another thing exprest of them that God will one day meet with these wicked men let no man deceive himselfe it is not a vaine thing to serve God nor a cheape nor a safe thing to rebell against God for his hand shall be lifted up and hee will breake them in peeces and the longer he spareth and the gentler he is the more heavy it will come at last Gods Mill grindeth slow but it grindes to powder as the ancient saying is the more God is long-suffering and long lifting up his hand to lay his stroake the heavier stroake he layes upon them and crusheth all to peeces at last But there is another thing too even those wicked men that are so stubborne and refractary and scorne Gods word that lift up the heele and kicke against him and it may be scoffe and jeare and deride the wayes of God time shall come that even these wicked men shall be convinced they shall see their envie against the godly and hatred against the wayes of God they shall see their foolerie and they shall at last repent when repentance shall doe them no good repent when they are even turned into hell when they heare that sentence Depart from mee you cursed Therefore now seeing these things will befall the rebellious that doe not walke according to this rule according to this Canon which I have characterised a godly man by this should bee a good incouragement to godly men so much the more to walke constantly and to be
cloudie to us but then God will manifest himselfe before men and Angels Then those wayes and workes of God against which the hearts of unsanctified men have boyled shall appeare to be as they are holy and good and righteous to their condemnation and terrour Yet further The particular Judgement that God inflicts upon men in this life may prove the universall The burning of Sodom and Gomorrah the drowning of the old World the plaguing of Egypt and the desolation of Ierusalem These shew the infinite hatred of God against sinne therefore no doubt hee will take a time to revenge himselfe of the impenitent amongst the sonnes of men because of their sinnes Lastly the consciences of men may prove that there shall bee a Judgement For let a man commit secret sinnes thatnone knoweth but God and hee yet many times hee feeleth hellish horrour which is a manifest proofe that conscience seeth and apprehendeth God as the supreame Judge that will call all men to an account for their sinnes Thus you heare the reasons why there must be a Judgement The manner of this Judgement consisteth in these particulars First it shall bee the last judgement after which there shall bee no other which declareth the terriblenesse of it In this life while there is life there is hope Let the wicked forsake his wayes and turne to the Lord hee will be gracious to him But then the sentence shall not be reverst then there can be no appeale from that Judge and judgement Againe it shall bee a Generall Iudgement which is the second thing God judgeth in this world and that both in life and in death Hee judgeth in life by chastising his children for their faults and avenging himselfe upon his enemies Hee judgeth every man at death But then there shall be a Generall Judgement of all 2 Cor. 10. Wee must all appeare before the Iudgement seat of Christ. In the third place It shall be a manifest Iudgement Sometime the Lord judgeth men secretly by raising up in them feares and horrours in their hearts causing his curse in them as water in their bowels and oyle in their bones But then God shall open his wrath against the children of wrath before a world of men and no eye shall pitty them Fourthly it shall bee a sudden judgement Even as the flood came upon the old World when they were sporting themselves and deryding Noah that preached to them of the flood so shall the fire come upon the World that shall passe before the face of Christ when he shall judge the quicke and the dead As a snare saith Christ shall it come upon all that dwell upon the earth When the Fowler layeth a snare to take a Bird hee giveth not warning to the Bird but surprizeth it suddenly so will Christ Jesus surprize the sonnes of men suddenly beyond their expectation The Evangelist saith hee shall come as a theefe in the night A theefe knocks not he giveth not warning so Christ Jesus beyond the thoughts of men will bee on them suddenly before they are aware by his dreadfull Judgement Fifthly it shall be a most righteous judgement Then God as the Apostle faith Rom. 2. will render to every man according to his deedes Hee will not regard the face of any Hee will not bee brybed by wealth or reward Hee will not heare the testimony of the world for the wicked or against the godly but deale impartially and give to every one according to his doings Lastly It shall be an Eternall judgement So saith the Apostle Heb. 6. 2. The meaning is not that God shall sit for ever sifting matters and surveying causes but it is so called from the effect for the conclusion shall be this the Eternall weale and happinesse of the godly and the eternall woe and miserie of the wicked that shall be plunged by the justice of God into the severest torments The Use of this Doctrine First it serveth as a preservative against temptation for so Solomon hath made it in the Text a preservative and bridle to young men God will bring thee to judgement saith he and let me make it so to you When Sathan tempteth you to sinne remember God will call you to Judgement even for those faults for which you may possibly escape the penaltie of men yet notwithstanding it is impossible for you to avoide the righteous Judgement of God If Sathan would have thee doe any thing that the word of God and thy owne conscience sheweth thee to be hatefull and wicked in the sight of God say to him No no God will bring me to Judgement This is the policie of our Adversarie when hee induceth us to evill hee makes sinne sweet and pleasant to us but it should bee our wisedome to make sinne bitter and loathsome even in this meditation God will bring us to Iudgement for the same The Apostle saith Resist the divell and hee will flie from you But how must we resist him not by arguments of our owne making but by arguments of the word of God and amongst other weapons remember to lift up this when Sathan would have thee sinne say No no God will bring mee to judgement When the Divell solicited Eve and circumvented her shee spake in the Serpent to Sathan concerning the Judgement of God Wee may eate saith shee of all the trees of the Garden but not of the tree in the middest of the Garden least wee die here shee brought an argument from the judgement of God but here was her weaknesse shee presently let it fall It should bee otherwise with us when Sathan tempts us let us say we shall die and be condemned for sinne say so and continue in it If any revolt from the truth he professeth he shall die in his sinne If any man disquiet the people of God by vexation or oppression hee shall die in his sinne If any man bee a drunkard or Epicure hee shall die in his sinne If any man be a whoremonger or adulterer hee shall die in his sinne If any man bee a swearer God hath vowed hee will not hold him guiltlesse hee shall die in his sinne If any man be an ignorant person disobeying godlinesse and obeying unrighteousnesse he shall die in his sinne If any man continue in grosse wickednesse in any wickednesse without repentrnce he shall die in his sinne Oh remember this Judgement of God this death that God will inflict on sinners for sinne For the wages of sinne is death and arme your selves with this when Sathan tempteth you if you forget Death and Judgement you are naked and unarmed your spirituall Adversary may hit you on the bare and spoile you as he will The second use is for instruction Will God bring us to Judgement for our sinnes Oh then let us hast to repentance Beloved this is one of the last things that God will doe and this is the greatest thing that Ministers can say
living after their owne lusts saying Where is the promise of his comming You preach so much that Christ Jesus is comming to Judgement and to call every one of us to account for our wayes our words and actions but where is the promise of his comming for all things continue alike from the beginning of the Creation Miserable men that would be perswaded that the day of Judgement should never come because it was deferred but such jesting and mocking and scoffing at this great and terrible day heretofore used and indeed now practised in the whole progenie of unbeleevers it may be an argument to us that it shall not be deferred for so saith Saint Paul 1 Thes. 5. 3. when they shall say peace peace and safetie then destruction shall come on them as travell on a woman with child and they shall not escape But Saint Peter answers these scoffers that asked Where is the promise of his comming hee gives them two answers The one in verse 8. the other verse 9. In the eighth verse he saith Christ deferres not long to come to judgement for saith he one day with the Lord is as a thousand yeares c. alluding to Psal. 90. 4. A thousand yeares in thy sight are but as yesterday since they passe as a watch in the night As if he should say were it possible for a man to live a thousand yeares yet those thousand yeares in respect of God assoone as they are past they are as one day in respect of men nay they are but as a watch of the night that is but as three houres The old Jewes they divided the night into foure Watches and appointed to each Watch three houres as may appeare by comparing of these places of Scripture together Mat. 14. 24. Num. 14. 25. Luke 12. 38. So then the words beare this exposition that a thousand yeares in respect of God are but as one day nay but as a Watch of the night that is but as three houres It doth plainly shew to us that Saint Peter meant not to speake distinctly of a thousand yeares but of a long time so that his meaning is innumerable yeares in respect of God are but as one day Saint Peter might as well have said 2000. or 3000. or 10000. thousand yeares in respect of God are but as one day Thus you have his first answer to those scoffers that said Where is the promise of his comming His second answer is in the ninth verse where the Apostle saith The Lord is not slacke concerning his promise Where is the promise of his comming Why saith the Apostle The Lord is not slacke as we account slacknesse For we account them slacke that goe slowly about a worke but God is not so to bee accounted slacke but saith the Apostle Hee is patient towards us and would have none perish but come to repentance Then the slacknesse of Christs comming is his patience because he would give us time to repent and have us prepared before hee come O then beloved let us not make a mocke as others doe of this patience but while we have time let us take time that when he comes we may be worthy of him Thus you have the first heresie confuted The second was quite contrarie to this set abroach by certaine false teachers who taught the Thessalonians that the day of Judgement was so neere that it should happen in their age Where by the way you may take notice of the exceeding great subtiltie of the Divell that labours by all meanes possible to bring men to one of these extreames Either that the day of Judgement shall never come or it shall come in such a limited time and age And indeed it is ranked among the opinions of some that held that the day of judgement should be just 6000. yeares after the Creation 2000. before the Law 2000. under the Law and 2000. under the Gospell But Saint Paul answers these false teachers among the Thessalonians and all of the like opinion therefore to arme them against their assaults he bids them for a certainetie beleeve it 2 Thessal 2. that the day of judgement was not at hand And hee gives the reason verse 3. For saith he that day shall not come except there be a departing first and that man of sinne the sonne of perdition bee revealed But how is it that the Apostle tells the Thessalonians that the day of Judgement was not at hand seeing it is plaine in the places before recited that the end of the world was at hand and that now was the last times and Heb. 9. 26. Christ appeared in the end of the world It was in the end of the world that Christ appeared to sacrifice himselfe for our sinnes how is it then that he tells the Thessalonians here that the day of the Lord is not at hand Master Calvin saith the answer is easie for saith he in respect of God it was at hand but as for us we must be continually waiting for it But Master Beza and Rollock give another Exposition which I take to be more naturall to the place for say they in all those places where it seemes to be avouched that the day of the Lord is at hand they understand the word in the Originall to signifie generally a time drawing neere As to say the day of Judgement may be this day as well as to morrow and to morrow as well as this day and many dayes hence as well as now But in that place where he saith it is not at hand they understand the word precisely to be meant of a precise time so the Apostle speakes truly the day of Judgement is not at hand so as that any man can say it shall bee this day or this moneth or this houre or this yeare or this age This is no more but the doctrine of Christ Of that day and houre no man knoweth no not the Angels in heaven no not Christ himselfe as man but the Father only So you see it is plaine and evident that the day of Judgement is at hand but in what precise limits of time or age it shall happen it is uncertaine Our Saviour Christ tells his Apostles Act. 1. 7. It is not for you to know the times and seasons that the Father hath put into his own hands It is not for you to know these times Then beloved why should we have an eare to heare where God hath not a tongue to speake Let it suffice us to know that it is at hand which if wee make good use of it will make us warie and watchfull and vigilant over all our wayes that we say not with the evill servant Our Master deferres his comming let us eate and drinke and beat our fellow servants but betake our selves to the good servants dutie to watch Watch we therefore wee know not the day and houre when the Sonne of man commeth But when he commeth and findes us doing well dealing
faithfully and living holily happy nay thrice happie shall we be we shall bee sure to partake of the blessing of those upon mount Gerrazim we need not feare the curse of those upon Mount Eball Wee need not bee afraid of the Thundering and lightning on Sinai nor the fire and tempest nor smoake of the furnace nor of the sound of the Trumpet for all our joy shall be in Sion But when he comes if he find us living wickedly dealing unfaithfully cursed nay thrice cursed we be we are sure to partake of mourning for joy of ashes for beautie of a rent for a girdle whatsoever becomes of our garments assuredly our hearts shall be rent in sunder Watch wee therefore wee know not the day and houre when the Sonne of man will come In the second place that the children of God may bee armed and prepared for his comming hee hath set downe in his Word certaine signes which being effected and come to passe they may easily judge that then the day of redemption draweth nigh Now these signes are of three sorts Some are in respect of us a long time before he comes to judgement A second sort are immediatly before his comming The third in his comming The signes that prognosticate his comming long before are these First of all the preaching of the Gospell to the whole world which is set downe by Christ Mat. 24. 14. The Gospell of the kingdome shall bee preached to the whole world for a testimonie to all Nations then shall the end bee Which words of our Saviour Christ we are not so to understand as that the Gospell should be preached to the whole world at any one time for that never was nor I thinke never will be but if we so understand it that the Gospell shall be preached to all Nations successively and at severall times then if wee consider the times since the Apostles wee shall find that the sound of the Gospell hath gone out to all the Nations of the world as it was spoken by the Prophet so that this first signe is already past the end cannot be farre The second signe is the revealing of Antichrist saith the Apostle 2 Thessal 2. 3. That day shall not come except there bee a departing and that man of sinne the sonne of perdition which is Antichrist bee revealed Concerning this signe in the yeare of our Lord 602. after Christ S. Gregorie seemeth to avouch that whosoever taketh the name of universall Bishop and Pastor of the Church that was Antichrist Five yeares after Boniface succeeding him by Phocas the Emperour had the title of Universall Bishop of the Church and ever since all their successours have taken that name so that it is evident that at Rome hath beene and now is the Antichrist so that the second signe being fulfilled the end cannot be farre The third is the generall departure of the most from the Faith There hath beene a generall departure in former times when Arrius spread his heresies almost all the whole world became an Arian and for the space of 500 yeares together from the time of Boniface the world was so infected with Popish heresies that the faith of Christ could scarsely be discerned they were as a handfull of wheate to a great deale of chaffe so that this signe it is already fulfilled in part but there shall alway be a falling away and a departing from the faith till Christ come to judgement The fourth signe stands in exceeding great corruption in the manners of men And the Apostle makes this a signe of Christs last comming to judgement 2 Tim. 3. This know that in the last dayes perillous times shall come men shall be lovers of themselves covetous boasters proud blasphemers disobedient to parents unholy without naturall affection truce-breakers false accusers incontinent fierce despisers of those that are good traitours headie high-minded lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God The Apostle makes this a signe and marke that shall bee in the last dayes Beloved if ever this were fulfilled it is fulfilled in these dayes of ours for there is a generall corruption in the manners of men It is very hard to find those that in all truth and sinceritie labour to discharge a good conscience towards God and men And Christ hath said himselfe that when hee comes to judgement hee shall scarse find faith on earth such a generall corruption there shall bee in the manners of men so that this fourth signe being already past the end cannot be farre The fift signe is exceeding great persecution and affliction of the Church and the Saints of God This hath beene fulfilled in former times You know there were ten fearfull persecutions in the Primitive Church And so it is fulfilled even in these dayes of ours for the Whore of Babylon that spotted beast shee laboureth to make her selfe drunke with the bloud of Gods Saints There are but few yeares nay moneths or weeks wherein some of the bloud of Gods Saints is not sacrificed to appease the wrath of the Persecutors Then if in these dayes this signe be fulfilled the end cannot be farre The sixt is a generall securitie so that men will not be moved neither with the preaching of the word of God nor yet with judgements from heaven they have such exceeding dulnesse and deadnesse of heart that neither of these will move them For the former you know God hath sent many judgements amongst us we have had fire and famine and pestilence and invasion of forreine enemies inundation of waters thunder and lightning from heaven but all these will not worke upon our hearts The Lord he hath scourged us oft but yet we set light by his corrections we harden our hearts against all his judgements our hearts will not be softned and molified what effect hath all these wrought where is our humiliation our repentance and reformation And for the preaching of the word of God alas that can get no entrance at all mens hearts are so crustie and so hardened that the seed of Gods word it lies uncovered it takes no roote at all in the heart it workes no reformation at all so that if ever this signe were fulfilled it is in these dayes It shall be saith Christ speaking of the generall securitie that shall bee when hee comes to judgement as in the dayes of Noah and of Lot they were eating and drinking and marrying and giving in marriage till the fire came from heaven and burned them and the water over-flowed the world so that this sixt signe being past the end cannot be farre The seventh and last signe of Christs comming to Judgement is the calling of the Jewes which the Apostle Rom. 11. 25. calls the fulfilling of the Gentiles When God hath the number of his Elect among the Gentiles then the Jewes shall bee called againe but of the time and the manner and number the word of God doth not reveale it so that it is
likely this signe is yet to come all the rest are fulfilled and therefore the end cannot be farre The second sort of signes are such as are immediatly before Christs comming to Judgement and that is the darknesse of the Sunne Moone and Starres The Sunne shall bee darkned the Moone shall lose her light the Starres shall fall from heaven the very powers of heaven shall bee shaken the foundations of the heavens shall tremble Alas what shall the little shrubbes in the Wildernesse doe when the tall Cedars of heaven shall bee shaken What shall poore sinfull man doe when the Angels shall be afraid The last signe shall be in Christs comming to Judgement Mat. 24. 29. it is called the signe of the Sonne of man Then shall appeare the signe of the Sonne of man and then all the tribes of the earth shall mourne What this signe of the Sonne of man is Divines doe varie Some hold it is the signe of the Crosse which all eyes shall behold even they that pierced him as Iohn saith Revel 1. Some others which I rather assent unto take it to be the glorious beames of Christs Majestie immedeiatly before his personall appearance to enlighten the world being darkned by reason of the want of the light of the Sunne and Moone So you see what these signes shall be The signes that prognosticate Christs comming Those that shall be fulfilled long before they are all effected but one as you heard Therefore it stands us all upon as wise Virgins to prepare oyle in our lampes that when our Bridegroome Christ shall come we may be ready to enter into eternall joy So we come from the signes that prognosticate the judgement to the Judgement it selfe Concerning the Judgement it selfe You must know that after death there are two judgements There is a particular and there is a generall Judgement The particular Judgement is immediatly as soone as ever the breath is gone out of the body As soone as ever the soule is gone out of the body it is conducted by the Angels before the Tribunall seat of God and there receives the particular sentence either of joy or torment according as it lived in the body in this life We need not speake of this we have example for the proofe of it in Scripture of Dives and Lazarus the one whereof being dead was presently carried to joy the other presently to torment The other is a generall judgement so called because it shall be of all men in generall that ever lived and breathed upon the face of the earth men women and children all shall be presented before the Tribunall seat of Christ all must hold up their hands at the Barre of his judgement all must give an account of all their words thoughts and actions all must receive the sentence either of Come yee blessed or goe yee cursed After which sentence once pronounced there shall never question bee made of the end of the joy of the one or of the ease of the torments of the other But here ariseth a question you know the world consists but of two sorts of persons beleevers and unbeleevers For the beleever it is evident and plaine Ioh. 5. 24. Hee is passed alreadie from death to life he hath everlasting life already he shall not come into judgement And for the unbeleever it is as plaine Ioh. 3. 18. that he is already condemned even already both are judged already both the beleever and unbeleever the beleever is saved already the unbeleever is damned already what need therefore a generall a second Judgement To this I answer that there is a very great need of it both in respect of the justice and of the mercie of God whose propertie it is alway to reward the godly and to punish the wicked which seeing he doth not to the full in this life it must needes bee that a day will come that he will fully doe it You know the course of the Lord as David speakes good men have bands in their death and wicked men are Iustie and strong good men are in evill condition and wicked men in prosperitie Diogenes the Cinnick seeing Harpalus a theefe long in prosperitie he was bold to say that wicked Harpalus his living long in prosperitie it was an argument to Diogenes that God had cast off his care of the world that he respected not mens affaires And indeed the prosperitie of the wicked hath brought the Saints of God to a stand Davids foot slipped almost in seeing the prosperitie of the wicked It made Iob to say Iob 24. 12. Men groane out of the Citie by reason of oppression and the soules of the slaine crie out and yet God chargeth them not with folly This made Ieremiah to expostulate his cause with the Lord Ierem. 12. Let mee talke with thee of thy judgements Why doth the wicked prosper and they that transgresse thy commandements This makes the godly take up that passionate complaint Psal. 73. 11. How doth God know it is there any knowledge in the most high Certainly we have cleansed our hearts in vaine in vaine wee have washed our hands in innocencie in vaine we labour to live godly lives Why Every day wee are chastened for the Lord corrects us every morning And these have the wealth of the world they have the world at will Wee in Christianitie know this to be true Dives hath the world at will while poore Lazarus is shut out of dores hungrie and thirstie cold and naked full of necessitie every way This being so the day must needes come that the one shall have fulnesse of glory and the other of miserie But to answer those places before cited To the former Ioh. 5. where it is said The beleever is passed already from death to life hee hath everlasting life alreadie It is true hee is passed already from death to life by faith he hath it already and by hope he shall not come into judgement that is of condemnation so we must understand it but there is a judgement of absolution that is to bee executed and so when the Lord Jesus Christ shall descend from heaven with the sound of a Trumpet and the voyce of the Archangell then the dead in Christ shall rise first and bee caught up in the cloudes to meet Christ and then they shall be set at his right hand and heare that heavenly sentence Come yee blessed of my Father inherite the kingdome prepared for you before the beginning of the world You see the answer to that that beleevers shall not come into judgement that is not the judgement of condemnation but of absolution at the last day Now for the other place where it is said Ioh. 3. 18. the unbeleever is condemned alreadie It is true he is condemned already and that three wayes First of all hee is condemned already in the counsell of God Secondly he is condemned already in the word of God
to make the straight wayes of God crooked to make that that God accounts straight to be crooked this is a setting against God therefore Peter saith to Simon Magus pray if it be possible that the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee So you see Saint Paul speakes to Elymas the sorcerer upon the same ground Act. 13. Thou child of the divell and enemy to all righteousnesse wilt thou not cease to pervent the right wayes of God Now I say here are the words and speeches that men speake against the wayes of God these are speeches that argue men in a state whereby they are lyable and open to judgement and exposed to wrath therefore wee should take heed of such words The use may be to condemne those that make light account of words they thinke they may speake it may bee in rashnesse and hastinesse and they may be excused for uttering them it is their hastinesse and their passion and it was done unadvisedly c. I but the Law of God is transgressed the Majestie of God is offended the anger of God is provoked You know what old Eli sayd to his sonnes My sonnes if a man sinne against a man man may plead for him but if he offend against God who shall plead for him I say who shall take up the matter with God in such a case as this when the offence strikes against God and his ordinances and his worship Therefore take heede there is much evill there is life and death as Solomon saith in the power of the tongue that is a man may utterly destroy himselfe by the very words he speakes unadvisedly as hee thinkes and will plead for himselfe or passionately and rashly Againe much more doth it concerne those that proceede to other kinds of wickednesse in the tongue we instanced in some particular instances then that we cannot now stand on We came to direct men to carry themselves in their speech as David to set a watch before the doore of their lippes he prayed to God to doe it And Psal. 39. I sayd that I will take heede to my wayes that I offend not in my tongue And then he prayes to the Lord Psal. 131. to keepe a watch before the doore of his mouth Hee knew well enough that there will be a time when the words that we thinke are sleight and vaine shall be brought to judgement idle unprofitable frothy talke much more rayling and reviling speeches most of all the highest blasphemies and execrations these shall most certainly be brought to a greater censure at the day of judgement But I will not stand on that I then handled Now there remaines three things more The first is this that in the day of judgement God will proceed according to his Law So speake and so doe as those that shall bee judged by the Law I say In the day of judgement God will proceede with men according to his Law Hee will proceede according to his word written therefore labour that your speeches and actions may bee such that they may be agreeable to that Iohn 12. 48. The word that I speake to you saith Christ shall judge you at that day There is not a word that Christ speakes but it shall judge he speakes not in vaine he is the judge that speakes Now you know Christ speakes two wayes Eyther in himselfe Or by his Ministers In himselfe and so eyther that that hee spake when hee was on earth in his his owne person then all the words that hee spake at that time are those words by which he will judge men as farre as they concerne morrall actions by those words he will judge men at the great day for he spake nothing but what was according to his Law Or else that which he spake in his Apostles immediatly by a certaine and infallible worke of the Spirit directing them to such truth as that they could not erre in speaking now in this Christ still spake in them The same way Christ hath in speaking to this day therefore saith he he that heareth you heareth me and he that heareth me heareth him that sent me That which he spake to them hee spake in them concerning all the Ministers of the Gospel What we speake as Ministers that is as men that looke to the direction of our Lord for we are but Embassadours and our words are so far of value and power as they are the speeches of our Lord and as we speake the word of him whose Embassadours we are Now I say looke what the Minister thus speakes as the Embassadour of Christ to the people that Christ will confirme at the day of judgement Now it will appeare what wee speake as Embassadours if we speake nothing but what is agreeable to the text of Scripture rightly understood Therefore marke it whatsoever sinne wee denounce the judgement of God against and urge Scripture for it it is the very rule that Christ will observe in judging men Or else that speech could not stand what yee loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven and what yee bind on earth shall be bound in heaven Wee bind when by declaring of mens sinnes wee denounce the judgement of God against such sinnes and so pronounce men to stand under the wrath of God that remaine in those sinnes saith Christ what you thus binde on earth shall bee bound in heaven that is Gods act shall ratifie and confirme the same sentence in heaven which we denounce here upon earth by vertue of this word So when wee come to distressed soules and declare to them that they stand acquitted and that by the Word of God and so as Ministers of the Gospell by vertue of the truth revealed to us declare that they are freed from the bond and guilt of their sinnes upon those evidences of repentance that they manifest I say it is ratified in heaven Therefore you see there is no other way of proceeding but looke as Christs owne words when hee was upon the earth so the same that are as his owne words that is those truths that are drawne from Christs truths have the same power upon the hearts and consciences of men now to command them and shall have after to judge them as ever they had But here it may be objected it should seeme that all men shall not be judged by the Law because there are some men to whom the Law hath never beene published for what shall wee say to a great part of the world that have not yet received the Scriptures we know that the Scriptures have not beene published to a great part of the world at this day there are many Heathens many Pagans that never had the Scriptures therefore how shall they be judged by the Law except you say that onely those shall bee judged by it that have beene under the preaching of the Gospell and have had the helpe of the Scriptures We answer that all mankinde and every particular man is under
the Law onely the Law is not alike expressed to them it is not revealed alike to all sorts All have the Law and the Law written too but eyther it is written in the hearts of men and so it is naturally in the hearts of all the Sonnes of men Or else in the Scriptures and so it is more clearely and evidently manifested in the Churches but yet neverthelesse in the hearts of men is the Law written as much as shall be sufficient to condemne them as we see Rom. 2. 14. saith the Apostle If the Gentiles which have not the Law doe by nature the things conteined in the Law they having not the Law are a Law to themselves and shew the effect of the Law written in their hearts their consciences accusing or excusing them before God The Gentiles that had not the Law that is not the Law written in the Scriptures yet neverthelesse they are a Law to themselves that is they have certaine principles certaine rules which remaine in their naturall consciences whereby they eyther accuse or excuse as they doe good or evill And even these doe shew that they have a Law that doth binde them and shall condemne them because that when they would not obey even that Law that is even those principles whereupon their consciences wrought to accuse or excuse they were sinners against the Law So that wee see no man shall be condemned at the day of â—…udgement but by vertue of the Law and however all have not the Scripture yet they have a naturall conscience and the Law written there whereby it accuseth or excuseth Howsoever it bee true that things are not alike expresly manifested to other people and to us that have the Scriptures yet they have so much manifested to them as shall condemne them And the reasons of it are these why it must be so First because the Law of God is Gods Scepter whereby hee governes and rules the Church Psal. 110. 2. he shall bring the rod of thy power out of Sion The rod of thy power that is the Scepter of thy power that Scepter whereby thou dost authoritatively and by power rule over the Churches and what is this Scepter It is the word as we shall see Esay 2 3 4. The Law shall come out of Sion So then the Scepter the rod of the word that is brought out of Sion is the Law that comes out of Sion the word of God the Law of workes and the Law of faith for both these come out of Sion the Law of workes as farre as it is the rule of life and then the Law of Faith both come in to rule the Church of God Yea this is the rod of Christs power therefore hee will manifest his power and make all men subject to it What power There is a power of Christ such a power whereby he manifests his owne greatnesse and soveraigntie over all his creatures over those creatures that have not sence that have not reason that is not this Law But this power here the Scepter of his power is that whereby he manifests his soveraigntie over reasonable creatures Angels and men therefore if they will not obey him yet it shall bee a Scepter of Iron to crush them in peeces Therefore we see the very Angels themselves that would not obey the directing commandement of God the rule of life in that particular place wherein they were they found it a Scepter to crush them downe and they were cast out of their place for their sinne So likewise men you see what the Apostle Peter speakes of those that perished in the time of Noah because they would not receive the Word preached to them but they would be lawlesse and disobedient or like men that would be under no Law therefore they felt the force of it in the effect of the Law in the fruite and penaltie of the Law upon them So I say Christ still rules by power in the Law in so much as that when the Law and command prevailes not then the punishment prevailes and they that will not subject themselves to the Law they shall bee subdued under the punishment of the Law that is the first thing Againe secondly it must bee that Christ must proceede in judgement according to the Law because the Law is the rule Now you know a rule is a note of distinction it is that that being streight and right in it selfe which doth distinguish and discover things that are crooked So the Law of Christ it is a straight rule in it selfe therefore whatsoever is contrary to it is crooked and perverse And he will declare a righteous proceeding contrary to the unrighteousnesse of men How by that rule that discovers unrighteousnesse How shall Christ appeare to be righteous in his Law except he have a rule whereby unrighteousnesse shall be discovered Now that is discovered by the Law the right rule as it is Psal. 19. The statutes of the Lord are right Now rectum is index sua oblique that that not onely declares its owne excellencie but the unrighteousnesse and obliquitie of the contrary therefore Christ shall proceede by the Law because that shall most cleare his proceedings For all the world will grant that that is a righteous rule Therefore Micah 6. 8. when the Prophet would deale with men that were unrighteous that would walke wilfully and rebelliously against God and then serve him with outward performances wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow before the high God he hath shewed thee O man what is good that is to doe justly and to walke humbly with thy God So that now looke what rule it is that shewes what is good that is the rule whereby the righteous Judge will proceede in judgement Now the Law shewes what is good he hath shewed in his Law what is good therefore hee gives a briefe summe of the Law there to walke humbly with God that is the substance of the first Table of the Law and to doe justice that is the substance of the second Table of the Law therefore saith hee he hath shewed thee what is good this is a righteous rule that discernes betweene good and evill Looke what that is that in the directions of life discernes betweene good and evill that also in the proceeding of the Judge will cleare his justice eyther in rewarding the good or in punishing the evill therefore Christ must needs proceede according to his owne Law in judgement Thus the point is opened Now a word or two for application Is it so that Christ will proceede in judgement by his owne Law then it serves in the first place for the just reproofe of those that neglect the Law that neglect this direction that Christ gives them Alas is it a small matter thus to slight the Law of God the Word of God why you shall bee judged by this God shall judge the secrets of all men saith the Apostle in that day according â—…o
should be an effectuall meanes to make us carefull of holinesse and new obedience so to speake and so to doe as those whose words and actions must be brought to judgement Now that this is so and is intended so and hath prevailed with the servants of God I might prove many wayes I will ranke and order the proofe under these heads First I will shew you how this hath beene a meanes to draw some to the wayes and duties of obedience Secondly how it hath beene the way to direct and guide others in those actions Thirdly how it hath confirmed and strengthened them in those actions and by this we shall see what it should be to us First we shall see how it hath beene a way to draw men to the actions of obedience How are men drawne to bee obedient First they are drawne from their owne sinnes from their owne evill wayes Now the consideration of the judgement to come it hath prevailed and beene used for this purpose to draw men from their sinnes As wee see in Eccles. 11. saith Solomon to the young man Rejoyce now in thy youth it is Ironnically spoken but know saith hee that for these things thou shalt come to judgement That is let this coole thy courage and moderate thy excessive joy know that thou shalt come to judgement Act. 17. 30. Now saith he God calls upon all men every where to repent because hee hath appointed a time in which hee will judge the world Hee calls men to repentance by this argument because hee will judge the world and hath appointed a time for it You know repentance it is nothing else but to forsake our former evills Now he calls them to repentance because he will judge the world and so calls as he drawes men from sinne First he drawes men from the world to God by this You know that even worldly affections hinder men from comming to the obedience of Christ therefore saith the Apostle I account all as dung c Philip. 3. 7. Why because he looked for a Resurrection his thoughts were upon that and saith hee verse 20. our conversation is in heaven from whence wee looke for the Lord Iesus Christ. Therefore we are drawne to this holy course of obedience because we looke for Christ from heaven And then againe in the disposing of men to new obedience there is not only a forsaking of sinne and the world but besides that there is an inward qualifying of the heart Now the heart is qualified that is it is fitted by certaine qualities to the service of God by the helpe of this consideration as wee see Eccles. 12. 10. Tou see the summe of all feare God and keepe his Commandements for God will bring every worke to judgement Upon this ground hee mindes them to feare God which is that qualitie that disposeth a man to keepe his Commandements hee perswades them upon this ground because God will bring every worke to judgement Let us have grace in our hearts to serve the Lord with reverence and feare Heb. 12. I say this qualifies and disposeth us to the service of God and we are fitted to seeke and to serve God with due reverence and feare by the consideration of the judgement to come that he is a God that will judge the world So in Revel 14. hee would have the Nations to feare God because hee will come to judge the world So much for the first thing you see the consideration of the judgement to come prepares men to holinesse Secondly besides that it quickens them to all the actions of obedience when they are in it when now a man is in a good course and his heart is prepared to seeke God aright yet neverthelesse there are many temptations and many corruptions that sometimes indispose and unfit his heart againe Now then the consideration of the judgement to come it serves to revive and quicken the heart to these actions to Those of a mans particular Calling Those of his generall Calling For his particular calling the Apostle exhorts Timothie and chargeth him before God and Christ that shall judge the quicke and the dead to be faithfull in his ministerie Hee would have him faithfull in his ministerie upon this ground because Christ will come with his elect Angells to judge the quicke and the dead And so for our generall Calling Act. 24. I desire to keepe a good conscience before God and men upon this ground because I beleeve the Resurrection and so a judgement to come So in 2 Pet. 3. 11. Seeing all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought wee to be in all holy conversation and godlinesse Why all these things shall be dissolved therefore we had need to bee other manner of persons then we are to be better kinde of persons then we have beene Thus I say the servants of God quicken themselves to more holinesse upon consideration of the judgement to come Thirdly they have beene confirmed and strengthened upon this ground for when the heart of man is brought to this plight that he must be ever chearefull and lively and active in the service of God yet there are many discouragements and temptations to draw him out of the way againe that it may be hee may fall if he have not somewhat to support him and hold him up therefore the consideration of the judgement to come it hath kept the hearts of Gods servants in a good frame when they have beene in it Saith the Apostle be constant and immoveable alwayes abounding in the worke os the Lord for as much as yee know that your labour is not in vaine in the Lord 1 Cor. 15. As if hee had said You know this that there will a time come when it will appeare that you serve not God in vaine therefore for the present bee constant in the good you are in Hold fast that thou hast till I come saith Christ to the Church of Philadelphia and let no man take thy crowne Rev. 3. 21. Christ will come and it is but holding fast a-while and then the Church shall have a crowne and the servants of God shall have a crowne of glory an abundant recompence of all that they have done in the service of God therefore hold fast Hereupon Iam. 5. the Apostle exhorts to patience because they should meet with many persecutions and oppositions bee patient for the comming of the Lord drawes neere Beare the injuries that you suffer for the present and the indignities and the unkind usage of men for the comming of the Lord drawes neere when you shall have a plentifull harvest so he goes on illustrating this by a comparison taken from a Husband-man that waits for a harvest and then he shall have a plentifull croppe and increase for all his paines in Winter and in seed time so saith he the Lord will come and then you shall have a plentifull increase A word or
vertues and speciall effects that faith workes in the soule which will inable us to goe through great tryalls and therefore wee should labour to get this grace of faith into our soules First faith gets assurance Secondly breeds submittance Thirdly dependance and lastly conveyance First faith gets assurance it can eye God as our God though the stormes be very great yet God can quiet it When a man though hee sees his outward comfort dead yet Faith sees it in the hand of a living God Faith assures the soule God will put an end to the tryall though there bee a changeablenesse in the outward condition yet there is safetie in God and setlednesse in God Though a man may looke with a dull eye upon his losse yet if hee can looke upon God with the eye of faith as his God the absence of a poore creature cannot so much trouble him as the presence of a gracious and a glorious God can comfort and support him Secondly submittance is another effect of faith which faith workes in the soule our outward condition is subject to many changes and many times we meet with them and we are hindered in our comforts and naturally we grow impatient and murmure and quarrell with Gods providence but now there is a vertue in faith it fashions the heart and the mind to the condition faith makes a man submit to God in all estates to make us stoope to our burthen it is the Lord saith Ely 1 Sam. 3. let him doe what seemes good unto him and in the 39. Psalme saith David I was dumbe and opened not my mouth because the Lord did it Observe this unbeliefe makes a man dumbe and faith made David dumbe Zachary because he beleeved not the word that the Angell spake hee was dumbe and David because he beleeved the word of the Lord he was dumbe unbeleefe procures dumbnesse as a judgement from God but faith makes a Christian dumbe from complaining it quiets the soule in silence from murmuring against God it doth not make a person dumbe as not to pray and to praise God but dumbe in complaint Good is the word of the Lord saith Faith A third effect of Faith is dependance it will make a man trust God in frowning dayes though hee kill me yet will I trust in him saith Faith we can never lose any outward comfort but Faith can find a better in God though an outward losse may come yet Faith can make it up in God in the want of an outward comfort it will trust God Lord what waite I for saith David truly my hope is in thee Though the Christian estate may be at some time monefull yet at no time it is hopelesse A fourth effect that Faith workes is conveyance it can convey something to inable the soule to beare it up in all tryalls as Faith is an active grace to inable the soule to the performance of duty so Faith is a passive grace to strengthen the soule to suffer and beare affliction To yoâ—… saith the Apostle it is given not onely to beleeve but also to suffer for his Name Faith will call in strength enough to beare affliction wee see many times a poore Christian by the strength of faith is able to beare a great losse and undergoe a great tryall God is pleased to exercise a Christian with great affliction but Faith carries the soule along through all remember this Faith beares Gods tryalls with Gods strength there is a power in Faith which exceeds all outward crosses and losses Faith drawes strength from thâ—…â—…mise for there is no crosse nor affliction but Faith can find a support in the promise of deliverance Faith makes a man see the affliction as it were come out of the hand of the Lord out of the hand of Mercy Faith can convey comfort to the soule in affliction by making it see the chastisement delivered from the hand of a wise and loving Father that our chastisement is for our profit for our future advantage and that this is sent for our personall good if thou couldest get but a sensible denyall of thy selfe and by faith see all things measured out by the Lord this would make us with patience take from God what hee imposes upon us Faith will make a man conquer himselfe it will silence all murmuring and make the Soule beare its crosse with patience FINIS THE PRIVILEDGE OF THE FAITHFVLL OR THE JOYNT-INHERITANCE OF ALL BELEEVERS GAL. 3. 9. So then they which be of Faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham ACT. 2. 39. For the promise is unto you and to your children and to all that are a-farre off even as many as the Lord our God shall call LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for Ralph Mabbe 163â—… THE PRIVILEDGE OF THE FAITHFVLL OR THE IOYNT-INHERITANCE OF ALL BELEEVERS SERMON XXXIII 1. PET. 3. 7. As heires together of the grace of life TO let passe all by passages you have in this Text the priviledge of Women which is the very same with that of Men especially in relation to the greatest priviledge that belongeth to either of them The very priviledge it selfe as at the first view of the Text may appeare to you affordeth a fit Theame for such an occasion as this is which is the solemnization of the Funerall of a Grave pious and prudent Matron who was indeed while she lived a Mother in Israel in the Church of God who in her life-time testified much love to the Saints of God and in that respect I may say deserved now shee is taken away this respect of Gods Saints and children which by you is now shewed to her in accompanying her to her Bed of rest The forenamed words of my Text doth branch it selfe forth into two parts One setteth out the priviledge it selfe The other the partakers thereof The Priviledge therein you may observe two points First the kind of it Life Secondly the ground of it Grace The partakers of this priviledge are set forth in a compounded Article Ioynt-heires Co-heires heires together having relation to Women The simple consideration of the Word shewes the right they have to the forenamed priviledge they are heires The compound shewes the extent of it Co-heires one with another Men and Women heires together of the grace of life That yet you may a little more distinctly discerne the scope of the Apostle in this Text in a word note the inference of it upon that which goeth before or the connection of it therewith Lift up therefore your eyes but a little higher to the words going before and you may observe the Apostle giving a direction to men to honour Women notwithstanding they are the weaker vessels Vessells they are therefore capable of that which God shall bee pleased to infuse into them his grace they are weake vessells so are men also they are earthen vessells these are the weaker these comparatively may bee said to bee as glassie vessells and yet notwithstanding you have a common saying that
which may furnish us abundantly with meditations in this kind It was a custome in former times for men to make their sepulchres in their gardens to mind them of death in the midst of the pleasures of this life This present worke may not unfitly be tearmed a Garden wherein whosoever takes a dayly walke may gather in the severall beds thereof those wholsome flowers and hearbs which being distilled by serious meditation will prove water of life to a fainting spirit in some hee shall finde instruction in some incitation in others consolation in all profit Here thou shalt finde that Lethall gourd sprung up by Adam his transgression that makes all his posterity cry out There is death in the Pot. There thou mayst gather hearbs of grace as a counter-poyson against the malignity of death in a third there is the spirituall Heliotroâ—…ium opening with joy to the Sunne of righteousnesse the hope of a blessed resurrection Doe the glittering shewes of outward things make thee begin to over-fancie them heere thou shalt finde how little they will availe in death the consideration whereof will make them like that precious stone which being put into the mouth of a dead man loseth it's vertue are thou over-burthened with afflictions here thou art supported in the expectation of a farre more exceeding weight of glory art thou ready to faint under thy labours here thou shalt finde a time of rest and of reaping doth the time seeme over-long that thy patience begins to flag heere thou hast a promise of thy Saviours speedy comming In a word be thy estate and condition what it will be heere thou mayst have both directions to guide thee and comforts to support thee in thy journey on earth till thou arrive at thy Countrey in Heaven Certainely there is no man can sleight and undervalue so deserving a Worke but hee shall discover himselfe either to be ignorant or idle or ill affected especially when so judicious and learned men have thought it a fit concomitant for their severall labours which they have added for the accomplishment of it Therfore take it in good worth improve it for the good of thy soule that being armed and prepared for death when it shall approach thou mayst have no more to doe but to die and mayst end thy dayes in a stedfast assurance That thy sinnes shall be blotted out when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the LORD Thine in him who is the Resurrection and the life H. W. THE TABLE THe Stewards Summons Page 1. TEXT LVKE 16. 2. Give an account of thy Stewardship for thou mayst be no longer Steward The praise of Mourning Page 29. ECCLESIASTES 7. 2. It is better to goe to the house of Mourning then to the house of Feasting for that is the end of all men and the living will lay it to his heart Deliverance from the King of feares Page 55. HEBREVVES 2. 14. 15. 14 For asmuch then as the Children are partakers of flesh and bloud hee also himselfe likewise tooke part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Divell 15 And deliver them who through the feare of death were all their life time subject to bondage The perfection of Patience Page 79. IAMES 1. 4. But let patience have her perfect worke that you may bee perfect and intire wanting nothing A Restraint of exorbitant passion Page 101. 2 SAM 12. 22. 23. 22 And he said while the Child was yet alive I fasted and wept for I said who can tell whether God will be gracious to me that the Child may live 23 But now he is dead wherefore should I fast Can I bring him back againe I shall goe to him but he shall not returne to me The sting of Death Page 121. 1 COR. 15. 56. The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law The destruction of the Destroyer Page 135. 1 COR. 15. 16. The last enemie that shall be destroyed is death The Worlds losse and the righteous mans gaine Page 151. ESAY 57. 1. And mercifull men are taken away none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evill to come The good mans Epitaph Page 177. REVEL 14. 13. I heard a voice from Heaven saying unto me Write Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their workes doe follow them The Christians Center Page 193. ROM 14. 7. 8. 7 For none of us liveth to himselfe and no man dyeth to himselfe 8 For whether we live we live to the Lord and whether wee die we die unto the Lord whether we live therefore or die we are the Lords The improvement of Time Page 213. 1 COR. 7. 29. 30. 31. 29 But this I say Brethren the time is short it remaineth that both they that have wives be as though they had none 30 And they that weepe as though they wept not and they that rejoyce as if they rejoyced not and they that buy asthough they possessed not 31 And they that use this world as not abusing it for the fashion of this world passeth away Securitie surprized Page 235. 1 THESSAL 5. 3. For when they shall say peace and safety then sudden destruction commeth upon them as travaile upon a woman with child and they shall not escape A Christians victory or conquest over deaths Enmitie Page 263. 1 COR. 15. 26. The last Enemie that shall be destroyed is death The great Tribunall Gods scrutinie of Mans secrets Page 283. ECCLESIAST 12. 14. For God will bring every worke into judgement with every secret thâ—…ng whether it be good or whether it be evill A Triall of Sinceritie Page 299. ESAY 26. 8. 9. 8 Yea in the way of thy judgements O Lord have wee waited for thee the desire of our soule is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee 9. With my soule have I desired thee in the night yea with my Spirit within me will I seeke thee early for when thy judgements are in the earth the Inhabitants of the world will learne righteousnesse The expectation of Christs comming Page 321. PHIL. 3. 20. 21. 20. For our conversation is in Heaven from whence we looke for the Saviour the Lord Iesuâ—… Christ. 21. Who shall Change our vile body that it may bee fashioned like unto his glâ—…rious body according to the working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himselfe Christs Precept and Promise or security against death Page 345. IOHN 8. 51. Verily verily I say unto you if a man keepe my saying he shall never see death The Young-mans liberty and limits Page 367. ECCLESIAST 11. 9. Rejoyce O young-man in thy youth and let thy heart cheare thee in the dayes of thy youth and walke in the wayes of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into
be slighted hee telleth them how the unjust steward having receiued this summons and warning from his Master that hee must come to a reckoning hee forthwith for his owne temporall good casteth about that hee may the better be fitted to give up his account thereby teaching them and in them all the world that if this steward here for his owne temporall benefit was thus carefull to prepare himselfe how much more should they and every one bee carefull to prepare themselves for that great day of account wherein God will come to judge the world and bring to light all things that are hid in darknesse In these words yee have two things considerable A Narration An Application of the Parable The Narration is twofold Of the Persons Proceeding Of the Persons in the first verse A Rich man and his steward Of the proceeding in the second verse the Rich man upon the information made against his steward that hee had wasted his goods calleth him to an account Give an account of thy stewardship for thou maist bee no longer steward The steward in the third and fourth verses upon this summons falleth first to consult and after to resolve as wee shall see afterward In this verse then that I have read you see here is first the Summons or warning Give an account Secondly the reason of that Summons for thou mayest bee no longer Steward The day is ended now give an account of thy worke thou must goe out of thy office now give an account how thou hast behaved thy selfe in thy office thou must be no longer steward therefore give an account of thy stewardship In the first the Summons and calling of this Steward to an Account yee have cleerely offered to yee these two propositions Considerations or Conclusions First That every man in the world is Gods steward Secondly That every one of Gods stewards must bee brought to a reckoning First I say Every man in the world is Gods steward If yee aske me who it is that is here called a Steward The text tels yee that it is he that must give an account to his Master If you aske me who is the Master It is God If then God be the Master and if every man must give an account and reckoning to God then every man is the Steward here intended in this Text. That every man must give a reckoning to God it appeareth 2 Cor. 5. 10. Wee must all appeare before the judgement seat of Christ to give an account of the things wee have done in this life whether they bee good or evill All men That which is here expressed by the Apostle in plaine termes All men Is more parrabollically and obscurely expressed by Christ in this word Steward Give an account of thy stewardship So that the Conclusion remaineth cleare and is directly gathered from the text That every man in the world is Gods steward There is no man or woman in the world but in some respect or other is the steward here that must be called to an account That every man is a Steward will appeare if wee consider two things First what every man receiveth from God Secondly what God expects from every man Man receiveth from God that which a Steward doth from his Lord. God expects from every man that which a Lord expects from his Steward First I say man receiveth from God that which a steward doth from his Master That is such goods such abilities as whereby hee may be of use for such a place as the Master shall set him in the familie All the world is but Gods great familie all the fittings and endowments of men are the talents the gifts that God hath intrusted men with some have the gifts of the world riches and places of authoritie these are gifts committed to those kind of stewards Others have the gifts of the body as health and strength their senses and lives and the like these are gifts committed to these kind of stewards others have the gifts of the mind understanding and wisdome and policie and to all these some have spirituall graces According as men are furnished with these gifts and according to their severall qualifications with these endowments they all receive them from God as stewards Secondly if wee consider what God expects from men he expects that which a Lord doth from his Steward First that they acknowledge him to be the chiefe to acknowledge that they hold all from him that they have it not from themselves or for themselves this is that which every Master expects from him to whom hee committeth his treasure And this would God have all men doe God speakes that truly that Benhadad spake proudly and falsly to the King of Israel thy silver is mine and thy gold is mine and thy daughters and wives are mine and thy vineyards and thy orchards are mine So may God say truly All are his the Earth saith David is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof Hee is the great possessiour of all things God as hee possesseth all things so hee letteth out parcels of his possessions to the sonnes of men To some a larger portion of the earth then to others yet they are but Tenants at will and Tenants upon certaine conditions and reservations wherein this great Lord bindeth those that hold any thing of him And the first Condition or reservation that hee ties all his stewards unto is this that they waste not his goods that they scatter them not abroad vainly or unprofitably Now a man that hath riches if hee releeveth not the poore a man that hath authoritie and helpeth not the oppressed a man that hath wisedome and instructeth not the ignorant In a word A man that hath any abilities if hee be not of use unto others with it this man scattererh his Masters goods and is like that unprofitable servant that hid his Talent in a napkin and therefore was bound hand and foot and cast into utter darknesse This was the accusation that was brought against this steward here that hee had wasted the goods of his Lord that is that hee had spent them vainly he was no honour to his Master there came no profit to the houshold by it That 's the first The second thing that this great Lord expects of all his stewards is that as they doe not scatter his goods nor vainly waste them so that they should not abuse them to ill ends There are a generation of men in the world that fight against God with his owne weapons and that use all their strength and wisdome and power to maintaine a faction of rebellion against him that side with the wicked of the world against his lawes and ordinances and this is the greatest unthankfulnesse that can bee If a king should raise a servant to honour and bestow offices and dignities upon him and yet if hee should raise an Armie against him and set himselfe against all his lawes what greater unthankfulnesse
every member and for every sense I cannot stand upon particulars Thu must give an account likewise for the gifts of â—…y mind how thou hast imployed thy wisedome and learning and experience c. For all thy passions hee that is angry with his brother unadvisedly is in danger of judgement For all the dispositions and inclinations of thy heart for out of the heart commeth thefts and murthers and adulteries In a word whatsoever abilitie thou hast whereby thou mightest have beene beneficiall and serviceable to the Church and Common-wealth thou must give an account of it in particular unto God hee will call thee to a reckoning of every parcell by it selfe The Master in the Gospell that gaâ—… the talents to his servants hee called them to an account for every talent hee gave them so there must bee a particular enumeration to God of all those severall abilities where with hee hath fitted thee for his service how thou hast behaved thy selfe in matter of health and strength and time in thy senâ—…es in the members of thy body how with thy mind how with the dispositions of thy soule how in all the gifts and endowments hee hath intrusted thee with for the service of the Church and Common-wealth Secondly it is called a reckoning because in this reckoning God will goe by a method keepe an order such an order as men doe in reckoning with their accomptants every thing hath his due place God will proceed to give every one in the day of judgement his due place and yee shall find then many sinnes that yee have accounted the lightest of all will bee the most heaviest and grievous at that day I will set thy sinnes in order before thee saith God in Psal. 50. Hee had reckoned them up confusedly here these things thou hast done but I will set them in order before thee God will observe such an order as every thing shall have its due place its due head In the first place shall be that Apostacie whereof all Adams posteritie are guiltie This David saw and therefore when hee judged himselfe hee judged himselfe as one borne in sinne I was borne in sinne and in sinne hath my mother conceived mee In the next place shall bee that concupiscence that depravaâ—…n of nature from whence all actuall sinnes proceed This Saint Paul knew and therefore hee bewaileth it as the originall and root of all other actuall sinnes Rom. 7. God will begin first with the sins of the heart because thence commeth all the outward actions of the whole man Then all the outward actions Hee will begin first with those against the first Table Atheisme infidelitie prophanenesse contempt of God and his service neglect of his glory and the opportunities hee hath given us And â—…hen the Law and the Gospell come together hee will proceed more severely for the sinnes against the Gospell then the Law That is the reason that our Saviour telleth us that it shall bee easier for Sodome and Gomorah then for Capernaum at the day of Iudgement Why so Sodome and Gomorah had the Law but Capernaum had the Law and the Gospell too And saith the Apostle Heb 10. If they that obeyed not Moses Law died of how much sorer judgement shall they bee guiltie of that disobey the Gospel of Christ the law of faith Thus God will proceed And therefore when yee would exercise repentance follow Gods order mourne more for impenitencie and infidelitie then for other things Bee more humbled for sinnes against the first Table for prophannesse for Atheisme and neglect of God then for sinnes against the â—…econd though these must bee lamented and repented of too Againe be more in lamenting the inward sinfull disposition of thy heart then thy outward sinfull actions and forget not the originall root of all which we brought with us into the world I say marke Gods method and his order that which hee takes most notice of at the day of Iudgement lay that to thy thoughts and take greatest notice of it now It is a grievous thing for a man to be borne in sinne but to adde actuall sinnes to that it is more grievous For a man to sinne in thought and in heart is grievous but to adde actuall sinnes to those it is more grievous It is a grievous thing for a man to sin against righteousnesse to deale unjustly with men but to deale unrighteously with God in point of his worship is more grievous It is a grievous sinne for a man to disobey the law of God but to disobey the law of faith to delay repentance to deferre turning unto God is far more grievous Thus we should marke Gods order that hee will observe when he bringeth us to a reckoning Thirdly It is called a reckoning because God will proceed with men at that day as Masters with their servants by writings by bookes In the tenth of Daniel the booke was opened and in the 20. Revel there is mention made of bookes that should bee opened God will proceed with all his stewards upon bookes that shall be opened The bookes are either the booke of the Law that shewes what wee should have done The words that I speake saith Christ the same shall judge you at the last day And there is one that judgeth you even Moses that is read daily And then secondly there is the booke of Conscience that shewes what wee have done here God will put the memories of men to the taske as Abraham did Dives Sonne remember that thou in thy life time hadest thy pleasure So remember that thou in thy life time haddest riches but how didst thou imploy them remember that thou hadest Authoritie and office and place in the Church or Common-wealth but what service didest thou doe to God remember that thou haddest wisedome and learning and knowledge but what good had the Church or Common-wealth by it God I say will put every mans memorie to the taske what opportunities are lost carelesly nay what opportunities he avoided wilfully when hee might have done God better service yet lest he should bee disadvantaged in his by-respects in the world hee bauked them remember this The sinnes of Iudah saith God are written with a penne of Iron and with the point of a Diamond they are graven upon the table of their hearts God hath the sinnes of men graven on the table of their hearts Little doest thou that art an old man thinke of a thousand things that God will bring against thee that were done in thy youth Ioâ—… little thought till the day of his affliction when God made him possesse the sinnes of his youth that there was such abundance of guilt against him as there was God will remember that that thou hast forgot God will proceed by bookes and this will cleare Gods justice in his proceedings and make every thing appeare righteous in the sight of men and Angels because every mans conscience shall testifie against himselfe and therefore
the world and therefore goe about it now Reckon with others also for workes of mercie what thou hast beene wanting in to thy brethâ—…en thou hast lived thus long in a plentifull estate what hast thou done with thy estate Iesephus reckons up three severall tenths that were expected and exacted of the Iewes Wouldest thou bee lesse liberall now in the time of the Gospell then they were under the Law Is God lesse mercifull or hath he lesse interest in thy estate Thou hast so many thousands What hast thou done out of this to releeve the poore or to set up those in a course of traffique and trade that want a stocke Beloved you cannot if you looke about you want objects of mercy and meanes to further your reckoning at the day of the Lord. And if you would bee faithfull stewards to God say thus I have beene thus much behind-hand in paying the due I owe to the poore to the Church c. I will pay it while I live and if that bee not enough when I die I will pay it But I hasten That is the second thing Let every man reckon thus with his owne heart The third thing is the daily exercise of repentance upon the sight of your former evils God now saith the Apostle calleth all men every where to repentance because hee hath appointed a day in which hee will judge the world in righteousnesse Let this then stirre us up to repentance God expects that men should judge themselves now Fourthly If you would stand at that great day of Iudgement when there shall bee such an exact reckoning Interest now your selves in Christ. There is no way to escape the judgement to come but by making peace with the Iudge now There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus This was prefigured in the Mercie-seate that was to bee compassed about with the wings of the Cherubins all covering the two tables of the Testament one Cherubin to looke toward another shewing us thus much that there is no covering of ovr transgressions committed against the commandements of God the tables of the Testimonie but by the great Mercie-seate the Lord Iesus Christ upon whom the Fathers of the times before Christ and Beleevers since looke expecting the covering of the guilt of their sinnes from the wrath of God by no other meanes but by this propitiatorie or Mercie-seate that covereth the Arke of the Testimonie Lastly it serveth also for instruction in another point that is To teach us to lead a holy conversation This use the Apostle Peter made of the Doctrine of the day of Iudgement Seeing saith he that wee looke for these things what manner of persons ought wee to bee in all holy conversation and godlinesse Alas beloved little doe you know whether this be the last Sermon that many of you may heare whether this be the last day wherein God will ever call upon you to repent and amend your lives There shall be a fearfull dissolution and destruction of all things that you see There shall be a naked appearance made before the Iudge at that day of reckoning let every man therefore say within himselfe How shall I stand at that time at that Iudgement All our care should bee that of the Apostle Pauls Whether wee be absent from the body or present in the body wee labour that wee may bee accepted of the Lord Whether wee live a day longer or die this day before the morrow that wee may bee found acceptable before the Lord. And for this cause saith hee in another place because there shall bee a resurrection from the dead both of the just and unjust I exercise my selfe to have alwayes a conscience void of offence toward God and toward men Looke to it in your places and in your hearts that you may have a good conscience void of offence toward God and men for the time shall come that nothing in the world shall stand you in stead but a good conscience and if then when the bookes are opened it be found that your reckonings are even and the accounts cleare betweene you and your Master by obedience and repentance by workes and by faith happie shall that servant bee whom his Master at that day shall find so doing The last Vse is a use of comfort to all the servants of God Let them quietly and cheerefully suffer that portion of miserie and affliction that the Lord dealeth out unto them Let them not grudge at the prosperity of ungodly men or at the varietie of changes that themselves are exposed unto because there is a day of reckoning and account when all things shall bee made even The Apostle Saint Iames exhorteth Christians to patience upon this very ground because the day of the Lord draweth nigh If therefore you see wicked men prosper and bring their enterprises to passe bee not troubled at the matter A man doth not much envie an enemie that is now in prison though hee have some good cheare there though hee have some friends that come and see him there because hee knowes hee is but a prisoner and hee shall be brought out at the Assizes and then hee shall bee righted The world is the common jayle whereinto Adam was cast after hee had sinned and wee are all prisoners in this prison-house the enemies of Gods glory and of his Church and people they cannot escape out of this prison here they are tied Gods chaines are upon them and he will bring them to an account before his Iudgement seate and that before all men and Angels With these things let us comfort and support our selves A word concerning the present occasion Yee have heard that all men are Gods Stewards yee have heard that God hath a time wherein hee will call all his stewards to an account the fore-runners of this great account shall bee in this life and after death when God strikes men downe by death it is that they may bee brought into his presence and there receive the sentence either of absolution oâ—… condemnation as I shewed you before concerning the soule of man in that intelectuall manner receiving the sentence It is appointed to all men once to die and after that the Iudgement You have now a spectacle of mortalitie before you one of Gods stewards tooke away and called by death to give up his account Concerning whom it cannot bee expected that I should say much orany thing at all specially by those that know both the condition of his living and of his dying For his living It was not in the Citie but for the most part it was from us in the Countrey For his dying Hee was here but a day or two before hee was taken hence Hee came to the Citie in the extremitie of his weaknesse and it tooke him with some violence as the nature of that disease the stone is There was much expression expected from him but it pleased God to make a sudden
Why should I doe this The reasons he giveth against excessive sorrow are first I can but give you the heads of things because it is a thing against reason Hence I will note this to you That one way to moderate our sorrowes and to regulate them aright is to bring them to the examination of reason and judgement When passions sway when they doe not looke to the commands of reason to bee subject and ordered according to that but usurpe a rule in the soule above reason then there is nothing but confusion and distemper and disorder in a mans affections and actions and in his whole course A man should therefore consider what reason there is for every thing If hee sorrow for a thing what reason have I for it If hee rejoyce in any thing what reason have I for it Is it worth this sorrow or this joy I say this is the way to rectifie and moderate our passions and to order them aright if wee trie them all by sound reason David tooke this course at other times Why art thou cast downe oh my soule why art thou disquieted within mee Is there any good reason for it Reason I say is a curbe and bridle to stop passion when it is running on in its free course If David had done thus would hee have runne out to that excessive expression for his sonne Oh Absalom my sonne my sonne c. What great reason had hee for this that Absolom a rebellious son was tooke away that sought the death of his father that God glorified himselfe in the punishment of a disobedient proud insolent childe in the sight of all the world Was this a matter for David so much to grieve and to be troubled at If Ionah had done thus if hee had considered what reason hee had to bee angrie as GOD putteth the question to him dost thou well to bee angrie Would he not have stopped that Passion If Cain had done thus if he had put the question to himselfe as GOD did Why art thou wroth why is thy countenance fallen Or as that great King said to Nehemiah Why is thy countenance sad So if men would put the question to themselves concerning their affections as concerning love why doe I set my heart upon such and such things and so likewise concerning their sorrow and anger and every thing Why is it thus As Rebecca said when the children did striue in her womb so when there is a conflict of passions in the soule against reason since it is so why am I thus Who art thou that fearest mortall man saith Isaiah to the Church If men I say did thus they would not breake out into such exorbitancie of passions as commonly they doe The way then to order any affection aright is to reduce it to the principles of sanctified and rectified reason and judgement Let reason be guided by the Word of GOD and let the affections be ordered by that reason so rectified Thus it was with man in the state of innocencie and experience telleth us that in the state of corruption all disorder commeth from the want of this subordination of the affections to reason in their severall actions and motions When a man goes hood-winkd up and downe hee is in danger of stumbling and falling into one hole or other this is for a man to walke in darknesse then a man walketh in darknesse when hee is not guided in all his actions and affections by the light of truth shining in his understanding A man should therefore strive to checke himselfe and to suffer others to checke him Why is it thus If a man cannot give a cause and a reason it is a passion to be rejected a distemper to be repented of This is the first thing He saw no reason therefore hee would not doe it The second is this It was altogether bootlesse Why should I fast I cannot bring him backe againe Hee meaneth bring him backe againe to live on the earth So Iob meaneth when hee speakes in the same manner If a man die shall hee live againe hee cannot be brought backe againe to live and converse among men The point I not hence is this That all the actions and opportunities of this life cease in death There is no calling of them backe againe No bringing of a man backe to take new opportunities to enjoy the comforts he hath lost and to make use of the meanes he hath neglected and to redeeme the time he hath slackly let passe When the request was put to Abraham by Dives that some might come from the dead to tell his brethren upon earth where he was No saith he that request shall never be granted that a man should come from the dead to give warning to the living much lesse that a man himselfe should returne from thence to begin upon a new score a new reckoning to have a new time appointed when that time is past over They have Moses and the Prophets let them heare them God hath appointed the meanes and a time to use the meanes Now they have Moses and the Prophets After this life they shall have none of those meanes no time of using them The child shall not come back againe nor the man shall not come backe againe Death is a strict doore-keeper all that passe out that way the doore is shut on them they shall never returne backe Wee reade of many severall Ages that have gone to the place of silence we never read of any that came thence to tell what is done there we never heard of any yet that came backe againe to reforme his course A friend with all his prayers and teares cannot bring backe a friend that is dead It teacheth us a point of wisedome to make good use of our time the time of grace we have We draw neerer death every day then other and when once we are dead we shall never be brought backe againe upon the earth If a man had all the world and would give it to obtaine an houres time upon earth to doe what he neglected before he cannot have it therefore while it is called to day harden not your hearts yet a little while and you shall have the light saith Christ while yee have the light walke in the light Make use of the meanes of grace the time may come when yee may wish as Dives is described to wish that some body much more that you your selves might come from the dead Certainly if those in Hell were to come from the dead againe though it were to live a hundred yeares on earth a holy strict and conscionable life to watch over all their wayes to keepe a good conscience toward God and men they would not omit a duty nor slight a duty they would not omit an opportunity a minute but spend their whole life in working out their salvations with feare and trembling they would sleepe and awake with feare lest they should sinne they would be
carefull that they had no sinfull thought they would be patternes of the strangest expressions of conformitie to the rule that can be imagined if it were possible to be granted You may easily be perswaded of this doe you that now which they wish for and wish in vaine make use of the time of grace now there is no comming backe againe afterward Thirdly A third reason is this I shall goe to him As if hee should have have said I have another businesse in hand now the child is dead it is not for me to stand blubbering and spending my time for a dead Child I am going to him The word here is I shall returne to him Returne signifieth to goe backe to a place where one was before So David shall returne to his Child for he was there before there in respect of his body the principles of that is in the earth where the Child is and in heaven in respect of his soule where the Child is The Body returneth to dust whence it was taken and the soule to God that gave it The body is of the dust and returneth to dust the soule commeth from God and returnes to God againe Therefore he saith here I shall returne to him because I came from him When things are reduced to their first principles the body to the earth and the soule to God they are said to returne Yee see the phrase then The point briefly is this That the greatest care of a mans life the greatest businesse he hath to doe on earth is to prepare for death His businesse is not to care for his children that are dead and to spend unprofitable sorrow for them the maine businesse of my life is how I shall make my peace with God and bee fitted for death for I am going thither Wee should observe the death of others to stirre us up to a serious preparation for our owne death the Father should be stirred up by seeing his Child dead before him the elder by seeing the younger die before them we see how death hath shot his arrowes beyond and short and above and below us in those that are elder and younger and richer and poorer all sorts he will strike us at last this thing I say should stirre us up to prepare for our owne dissolution A man would thinke that there were no need of such a thing the very bare sight of Corse or a hearse the bare fight of a dead corpse the bare ringing of a bell or a Funerall Sermon should be warning enough to the living to tell him of death When a man sees a company carrying a dead body to the gaave he should say to himselfe It may bee the feet of these may carrie me next But how commeth it to passe that it is not thus Certainly there is not power in all examples to worke this it is the worke of Gods spirit Though a man observe the death of never so many before him yet this cannot worke in him a serious care to make preparation for his owne death except God adde a further worke to it We may see this in the expression of Moses when so many died in the Wildernesse Lord teach us to number our dayes that wee may apply our hearts to wisedome As if hee should have said Though so many thousands died in the Wildernesse and that by so many severall kinds of death yet we shall never apply our hearts to wisedome by those examples except God teach us that wisdome Therefore we should pray to God to teach us by his Spirit to make use of Examples Men must give account for examples aswell as for rules men must give account for examples of mortalitie as well as for Sermons of mortalitie therefore let the example of others mortality stirre you up to prepare for your owne and that you may doe so be much in calling upon God Lastly Hee shall not returne to mee that is in this sense to converse on earth as he had done before I shall returne to him but hee shall not returne to mee He doth but reitterate and repeat what he had said before in effect This is the thing then that Parents must make account of both for themselves and their children For their children It should make them moderate therefore in their sorrow for them God now hath shewed his purpose and declared his will therefore wee should rest in that will of God This is the thing that David aymed at Gods will was not only to takeaway his child but so to take him away as never to returne to him againe in that manner Now God had declared his will and therefore why should I fast saith he as if he should say I will now rest in the will of God In all the things which we account crosses and losses in children and friends c. The maine businesse of a Christian is not to expresse sorrow but submission and subjection to God to exercise and inure his heart to patience and to rest in Gods good pleasure and will As Eli though he faild in his carriage to his sonnes yet he shewed a dutifull respect to God his heavenly father When Samuel told him the judgement of God that should come upon his house It is the Lord saith he let him doe what seemeth him good in his owne eyes though it were a heavy judgement such as whosoever should heare of it both his eares should tingle yet it is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good As if he should say I have nothing to doe in this businesse but to subject my selfe with patient submission and contentednesse to his will it is the Lord it becommeth not me to contend with him and to reason with God concerning his worke I confesse hee is righteous let him doe what seemeth him good in his owne eyes And so Aaron There was a heavy judgement befallen him his sonnes were consumed with fire yet the text saith Aaron held his peace When God manifested so great wrath to his house in wasting and consuming and burning his sonnes for offering of strange fire yet Aaron held his peace that is he did only mind how to glorifie God by a contented submission to his will So Iob hee heard not only of the losse of his children but that he lost them in such a manner by a violent death by a house falling on their heads yet the Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away blessed bee the name of the Lord. Whereas a carnall worldly man would have fallen to strugling and contending and quarrelling against God and so trouble and perplex his owne spirit We doe exceedingly imbitter Gods cup by mingling with it ingredients of our owne passions and so make the affliction more heavy and grievous then God intends it Here is the reason wee possesse not our soules with patience When we are sensible of the losse of friends and children c. let us learne to make it our businesse to thinke I have a
same debt Looke overall the times of the world and the dispositions of persons looke over learning and folly greatnesse or poorenesse find me a man that escaped Death Die we must and we have need to have this much pressed upon us for it is a hard matter to beleeve that we must die that I must be the man that must die common notions of Death are granted but that I must die and lie in the dust and stand before God it is a hard matter to beleeve this And consider this secondly that Death will be terrible to thee if he knocke and find a sting in thee Thou that now wilt not be reclaimed from swearing Alas what will become of that blaspheming soule of thine when Death shall come and find a sting of blasphemy in thee How darest thou thinke of giving up that swearing soule of thine to the Judge of heaven and earth Thou unrighteous person that wilt not sanctifie the Lords day how darest thou give up that unholy soule of thine to the holy God Dost thou thinke to have an eternall rest in heaven and wilt not give God a rest here So I might say for all kind of sinners Thinke of this take heed lest Death find a sting in thee for all the sting that Death hath it findeth in thy selfe looke to it thy condition will be fearfull if Death come and find Sin unmortified unrepented of in thee God will certainly bring thee to judgement for every thought and word and action Thirdly consider this that naturally we are so tempered that if Death come he shall find his weapons and strength in us in every man of us I meane considered naturally But how shall I know whether Death when he commeth shall find a sting in me or no I will only give you two tryals you shall know it thus First if thy conscience now sting thee for some approved sinne if thou repent not Death will assuredly meet thee with a sting that approved sinne of thine will be the sting of death Conscience will sting a man either for the act done or for the approbation of the act if conscience sting a man for his approbation of a sinfull qualitie or for a sinfull course if a man continue in that course surely that will be the sting of death to his soule therefore looke to thy selfe perhaps thou art convicted of such a sinne perhaps thy conscience hath so wrought on thee that it hath stung thee for such a sinne thou yet approvest thy selfe in it and thou wilt goe on in thy pride still in such and such sinnes stil thou wilt doe so doe but know this that stand thou never so much upon thy resolution Death will certainly come and if he find thee in such a sinne against thy conscience thou hast reserved in thy selfe a sting for Death Secondly a man shall know if Death come with a sting by this tryall that Solomon giveth us in Eccles. 11. 9. Rejoyce oh young man in thy youth and let thy heart cheare thee in the dayes of thy youth and walke in the wayes of thy heart and sight of thine eyes but know that for all these things God will bring thee to judgement If thou live a voluptuous life Death will certainly come with a sting Dives hee lived a voluptuous life had he not a sting for it So others in Scripture did not their plentifull tables and voluptuous courses bring a sting on them A voluptuous life makes a sting for Death When a poore wretch is a dying and shall begin to reflect backe on his life what have I done how have I lived so much time I have spent or mispent inapparell in vanitie in eating in drinking in swaggering What comfort is this to his soule how can he answer this before God this is the very thing that will sting him at such a day when he can reade nothing in his life but barrennesse and unfruitfulnesse nothing that hath honoured God in all his life Certainly my brethren if there be an Epicurious voluptuous life this life will provide a sting for Death Alas you will say Is it so then we may feare that Death will seize on us thus for we confesse we have gone on in a voluptuous life gone on in sinne that our conscience hath condemned us for how shall we doe to pull out this sting I would to God you were thus affected that you were convicted what a fearfull thing it will be if sinne remaine But wouldest thou have the sting of death pulled out before death come 1. How shall I disarme it that I may looke death in the face with comfort I shall give you some wayes and meanes remember them and practise them First get but a part in Christ and the sting of death is gone thankes bee to God saith the Apostle here that hath given us victory through our Lord Iesus Christ. It is he that in the Revelation is said to have the keyes of Hell and of Death they are under his command and subjection he is victorious over them hee hath vanquished them so that if a man have Christ he hath victorie and power over Hell and Death I told you in the beginning that that which giveth a sting to Death is the guilt of sinne It is so and it is a fearfull sting Now that which takes away the guilt of sinne is Christ. If Christ be mine I have enovgh to answer the guilt of sinne Therefore the Apostle saith Death cannot separate from the love of God in Christ What shall then Indeed nothing it is not the guilt of his sinnes Christ hath satisfied from them So that if thou wilt have the sting of death out get faith in Christ if thou be not hidden in the clefts of that Rock in the bloud of Christ if Christ be not thy Justification and thy righteousnesse what hast thou to answer the Justice of God you must die and stand before God and how can you stand before God in your sinnes you cannot without Christ why doe you not then studie more for Christ Why doe you not labour for faith in him It will be your wisedome to labour earnestly to make sure of him if you have him the sting of death is gone Death cannot hurt a person that hath Christ. Get faith in Christ therefore that is the first Secondly if you would not have Death terrible and fearfull to you labour for sincerity My brethren it is a marvellous thing and yet the truth uprightnesse and sincerity of heart it is an enabling grace All the particular things that we account particular otherwise they have not an inabling vertue in them Some persons have a great deale of learning and wit and many friends much riches and the like yet there commeth an occasion sometimes that puzzleth all these there commeth an occasion sometime that a mans learning is of no use and naturall parts and wit cannot helpe and riches cannot inable him What time
doth not bethinke how he is armed If God have fitted his servants for death he hath done most for them if they have not riches yet they are fit for death if they have not an estate amongst men it mattereth not a whit if they be fit for Death if they be miserable here in torments and sicknesse when others have health it is no matter all these increase their repentance makes them labour for Faith and Hope and Charitie whereby they are armed against Death Nothing can save us from the hurt of Death but the Lord Jesus Christ put on by Faith and that furnished with Hope and Charitie If God give a man other things and not these graces Death is not destroyed to him But if he deny him other things and give him these graces he doth enough for him Death is destroyed to him His body indeed falleth under the stroake of Death as other mens but his soule is not hurt Death layeth him a rotting as the common sort but the soule goeth to the possession of glory and remaineth with Christ When hee is absent from the body hee is present with the Lord. Nay when the last day shall come Death shall bee utterly swallowed up then the poore and fraile and weake body that sleepeth in corruption and mortalitie shall bee raised in honour and in immortall beautie and glory a spirituall body free from all corporall weaknesses that accompany the naturall body it shall be made most glorious and blessed even as if it were a spirit all the weaknesses that accompany the naturall beeing of the body shall be taken away and it shall enjoy as much perfection as a body can and therefore it is called spirituall Therefore I beseech you rejoyce in the Lord if your soules tell you that you are armed against this death FINIS THE VVORLDS LOSSE AND THE RIGHTEOVS MANS GAINE EZEKIEL 22. 30. I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap before mee for the Land but I found none therefore have I poured forth my indignation upon them PHIL. 1. 21. For to mee to live is Christ and to die is Gaine LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for Ralph Mabbe 1639. THE WORLDS LOSSE AND THE RIGHTEOVS MANS GAINE SERMON VIII ISAIAH 57. 1. And mercifull men are taken away none considering that the Righteous is taken away from the evill to come WHen I first began this verse I did never thinke that all things would have beene so sutable to the finishing of it as now I find they are For there is no circumstance that can be required to make a correspondencie betweene a former and a latter handling but is to be found in the two surveies I tooke upon this Text. The occasion of handling it now is the same that was before I began it at a Funerall and now at another Funerall I shall end it The place of handling the same as it was before I began the former part of the verse in this very street at the other end of it Now I shall finish it at this And the time it is the same and every way answerable to that it was before It was begun in a time of Mortalitie feared and now will be finished in a time of mortalitie certaine And that there should be no part of correspondencie wanting this latter part of the verse is answerable to the former it is but the same againe in other words In the former part there is mention of the righteous man here of the mercifull man they are both one In that hee is said to perish here to bee taken away they are both the same There No man is said to lay it to heart and here no man is said to consider it Both the same So that loke upon the whole both parts joyne together they walke on by paires two and two as the living creatures into the Arke Male and Female The first paire sets forth to you the state and condition of a godly man he is righteous and mercifull those are the male and female of Pietie The second sets forth to you the state and condition of a dying man hee perisheth and is taken away those are the Male and Female of death The third sets out the state and condition of a worldly man he layes it not to heart he never takes it into consideration those are the Male and Female of carnall securitie And that all the paires should now be made up the former part was handled at the buriall of a good old Man this latter now at the buriall of an old and verteous Gentlewoman those are the Male and Female of nature The former part that is a complaint that the Prophet made and so is the second and this second is set as a Commentarie to the first this latter part is as Eve created as a helpe to Adam for every word in this latter helpes to expound some word in the former The first word in the latter part tells us of the mercifull man that is the Exposition of the first word in the former part the righteus man Lest any man should make question who this righteous man was that the Prophet speakes of how we should know him and define him and find him find me a mercifull man and hee is truly a righteous man The second word in the latter part is taken away that hath reference to the second word in the former and it is a qualification of the harshnesse of the former there it is said The righteous man perisheth but lest any man should scandal at this word shall we thinke that he perisheth whose life it hid with Christ in God Shall the Scripture say that hee perisheth whose name is in the bundle of life written in heaven To lay aside therefore the rigour of the word here is the Qualification hee is taken away The third word of the latter hath reference to the third of the former too No man considereth it If any man aske the reason how it comes to passe that people should be without naturall affection that they take it not to heart that they are not grieved for Ioseph that they are not striken with any sense of their owne losses what should be the reason of it The reason is in this word they take it not into consideration They trouble not their heads and therefore not their hearts with it That it may make an aggravation of that They were so farre from taking of it to heart that they never propounded it to the examination and scanning of their judgement they consider it not So every word in the latter part is serviceable to the first I shewed concerning the first part who this Righteous man is how great the dignation of the Spirit of God is that hee will stile holy men that are so imperfect in holinesse yet because of their holy endeavours to walke in the wayes of God blamelesly the Spirit stiles them Righteous men Secondly I shewed how this Righteous
stand together they die and not die because their death is but a translation but a removing There are two persons two men in every penitent and godly man there is somewhat of a righteous man and somewhat of a sinner somewhat of the flesh and somewhat of the spirit so according to these two both lawes are kept the Law of commination that is kept thou shalt die the death there is the reward of sinne the law of promise that is kept thou shalt live for ever there is the reward of righteousnesse Mortalitie giveth the reward to sinne immortalitie to pietie Though they die they are but taken away The word implies these two things First it implies that their death is but a temporarie death Taking away is not a finall translation it doth not implie a nullitie Death though it cut the knot of nature yet not of grace It is true there is the sharpe Axe of Death there is no knot so Gordian but it will cut it asunder It is a great knot that was first knit betweene the body and the soule it cutteth that asunder It is a sure knot which is the Conjugal knot between man and wife it cutteth that asunder There is a naturall bond and union betweene Parents and children it cuts that asunder There is a civill union betweene friend and friend it cuts that knot asunder it takes one friend from another But there is the misticall union betweene the head and the members betweene Christ and the Church it cannot cut that knot asunder But looke as Christs body in the Grave it was not deprived of the Hypostaticall union so likewise the body of a Saint when it lies in the grave in corruption it is mellowing for immortalitie and eternitie yea then it enjoyeth the benefit of the misticall Union there is somewhat of a member of Christ that lies in the grave that dust that the body of a Saint is resolved into it is holy Dust because that misticall Union is not cut asunder Death cutteth not that knot It perfecteth the misticall Union in respect of the soule and it is but an interruption of the manifestation of the union in respect of the body it is never severed As the Husbandman hath some corne in his ground and some in his Barne the Corne in his ground is of no lesse value and account then that in his house and Barne Nay it is of more for that that is in his Barne shall not multiply so many bushels he putteth up and so many hee receiveth but that which is in the ground multiples therefore it is in as great account So it is with God There are many bodies of the Saints walking on the earth and those that are laid in the grave that are sowen as the Apostle saith for immortalitie The bodies of the Saints in the grave are of no lesse account with God then those which walke up and downe in the world and glorifie him with workes of pietie why the body is sowne to immortalitie there is still somewhat of Christ. That is the first thing it implies They are taken away it argues that their death is temporary Secondly it sheweth it is deliberate that their death is not sudden For there is a difference betweene these two to be snatched away and to be taken away Impenitent men when they are taken away in judgement they are snatched away in displeasure The godly man God takes him away removes him it is as gentle a word as could be used there cannot be a better word to expresse it in our translation then for God to take him away Iob and Moses expressed it so and so Isaiah here to shew that Death is never sudden to the mercifull and righteous man why because he is alwaies prepared It may bee sudden in respect of others but not to himselfe The stroke of Death may be the same to a righteous man as to an impenitent man they may both fall by the prevalencie of the same disease the same duration of sicknesse the same warning given them the same sympathy but there is a difference in regard of the suddennesse If it be a sudden stroke that overtakes an impenitent man then it is two wayes sudden even a premeditated death is sudden to him because he is not prepared sudden death commeth not to a prepared man because he lookes for it it may as I said be sudden to others but it is not to himselfe why because he expects Death he dieth daily hee dieth in his thoughts before hee dies in act he dies in meditation before he dies in passion I die daily saith the Apostle Death when it came to the Apostle it found him dying it could not come suddenly to him Death findes him setting open the dores therefore though it seeme sudden death it cannot be sudden because he is taken away the stroke of Death may be sudden but the issue of death is not sudden the stroke may be sudden to his body but not to his mind because he fitteth himselfe still for it There is the deliberation implied in the word his death is not sudden in that he is prepared God awaketh his heart to make him looke for it therefore when Death commeth though sooner or later it doth but take him it snatcheth him not away that is the meaning of the second The third word is the extent of this act from the evill to come that is a word that is not specified in the former part it makes both this and that the more full it makes a greater demonstration of Gods goodnesse hee is not only mercifull in taking away but he takes away from that that is evill hee takes from a bad estate to a better An evill that is present that is simply so an Evill for the time to come God takes righteous and mercifull men from both That I may lay a fit path for my proceeding in it Saint Austin devideth the nature of Evill well to those two heads there is the Evill of doing and the evill of suffering that is the evill of sinne and of punishment The first of these the Evill of sinne is opposite saith Aquinas to the increated good The second the Evill of punishment is opposite to the created good God takes away mercifull men from both these First from the Evill of suffering Two wayes he is tooke from that Hee is tooke away from the Evill of suffering that hee shall not see it and that he shall not undergoe it and endure it First that he shall not see it that he shall not bee a spectatour that is one part of taking away For righteous and mercifull men have tender affections and yearning bowels when they see Gods judgements extended over any place or person they sympathize with them they weepe with those that weepe and mourne with those that mourne God takes them from this sorrow and mourning It hath alwayes beene accounted one part of the happinesse of a godly man to be taken from
some that hung themselves I pray give me leave a little to speake upon this Saint Austin tells me of five causes for which persons doe usually lay violent hands upon themselves The first is this Some doe it to avoide some shame or some dishonour or miserie or beggerie that shall befall them Thus did Achitophel when he saw that his counsell was defeated hee went home and hanged himselfe Thus have many done to avoide shame and dishonour Alas poore wretches While they seeke to escape temporall punishment they runne into eternall like our fishes in the Proverbe Out of the frying-pan into the fire into hell fire where the worme dieth not and where the fire never goeth out Secondly some have done it to avoide the terrours of a guiltie conscience Thus Iudas troubled in conscience after hee had betrayed Christ he went and hung himselfe Poore wretch He had more need he had lived that hee might have healed that sinne of his by repentance This is not a way to expiate thy sinne this is a way to increase it Iudas when he killed himselfe hee killed as wicked a man as was upon the earth and yet hee shall answer to God as well for that nocent bloud of his owne that he spilt as hee shall for the innocent bloud of the Son of God that he betrayed Thirdly wee find some that have done this to avoide some vilanie that they feared should bee offered them As for example Pelagia a noble Ladie that we reade of in Ecclesiasticall stories when shee was followed by some barbarous souldiours that would have abused her she speaking nothing but never a villaine of them all shall touch me threw her selfe over a bridge and drowned her selfe Some of the Fathers doe little lesse then commend her for this Saint Augustine condemnes her so should I. For why should she that had done no hurt doe hurt to her selfe why should she to escape the hands of the Nocent lay violent hands upon her selfe that was innocent Our chastitie of body is not lost when the chastitie of our mind remaineth inviolated Fourthly Some have done this to purchase to themselves a name of valour Rasis in the booke of the Machabees did thus And if there were no other thing in the world to shew that booke to be Apochriphall Scripture this is enough in that the Author of that booke commendeth Rasis for it It is not valour for to flie a danger it is valour to beare it If any example can bee alledged to this purpose that of Sampsons may But Saint Austin hee answereth The Spirit of God secretly commanded him to doe it And wee may verily beleeve it for if the Spirit of God had not commanded it yea and assisted him in it too hee had never done that he did in pulling downe the house upon himselfe and the Philistims Lastly some have done it or they might have done it because Blessed are the dead Some will die that they may be blessed Poore wretches They that deprive themselves of this life may not looke for a better when this is ended I will not judge particulars I leave them unto God But in the generall considering that life is Gods blessing it is hee that giveth it and it is hee that must take it away Considering that man is not lord of his owne spirit Considering that God hath set us here in our stations and we may not move out without leave from our Generall Considering that we are set here to serve God and we must serve him as long as he will and not as long as wee will Or specially considering that God hath forbidden us to kill others therefore forbidden us much more to kill our selves therefore surely except Gods mercie bee greater then I can give warrant for they that die thus die eternally And wee had need beseech God with all earnestnesse of spirit to keepe us from such a fearfull temptation as this for they that die thus die not in the Lord and therefore cannot bee blessed for my Text saith it of no other but of those Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord. This is the first point I come to the Restriction Die in the Lord. It may be construed two wayes the preposition is Ambiguous for the Preposition many times in Scripture signifies In Domino or propter Dominum As Rom. 26. 1. I commend unto you Phebe our sister that you would receive her in Domino in the Lord that is for the Lords sake as becommeth Saints And in the twelfth verse of the same Chapter Salute the beloved Persis which laboured much in the Lord that is laboured much in Gods cause for the Lord. So againe Say to Archippus looke to the ministerie that thou hast received In Domino that is for the Lord for the Lords service for his worke I might give you many more instances There is one place most pregnant Eph. 4. 1. I Paul a prisoner in Domino so saith the vulgar Latine and so is the Greeke interpretation In the Lord. What meaneth Saint Paul A prisoner in the Lord what is that A prisoner for the Lord a prisoner for the Lords cause And thus you may take the word here in the Text Blessed are they that die In Domino that is such as die in causa Domini and thus Iudicious Beza to whose judgement I attribute much in translations hee readeth it so Blessed are the dead qui moriuntur causa Domini and then in his Annotations propter Dominum And if you take it thus then the Martyrs only are blessed That Martyrs are blessed the Church of God is so farre from making a question that they set it downe as a Rule Injuriam facit Martyri qui orat pro Martyre A man doth wrong to a Martyr that prayes for a Martyr their blessednesse is so sure for Hee that loseth his life for my sake and the Gospels shall find it saith Christ. If he loseth a temporall life he shall find an eternall If he lose a life accompanied with sorrow hee shall find another life that is with joy such joy as cannot bee conceived such joy as shall never be ended Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his Saints There are two things saith S. Bernard that makes the death of a Saint precious the one is a good life before the other is a good cause for which he dieth A good life will make it a precious death but a good cause will make it a more precious death But that is the most precious death that hath both a good life before it and a good cause comming next The Martyrs are blessed but they must be such Martyrs as suffer for the Lord be sure of that or else they are not blessed There be some that would be accounted Martyrs a great company of such we have had of late that have died for broaching of treason and some for sowing of sedition some for absolving subjects from
Be convinced of this first Secondly Be convinced as it is the case of our selves so it is an ill estate for a man to live to himselfe You see still it is the whole drift of wicked men to looke to themselves Haman aimed at himselfe when the King asked him what should be done to the man whom the King would honour He thought whom should the King honour but himselfe He looked to himselfe Here was the difference betweene Haman and Mordecai both had honour in the world Haman seekes himselfe in all his honour Mordecai seekes God and his glory and the welfare of his Church in his honour A great difference Saith Nabal shal I take my bread and my drink and give it to a man that I know not Here was a man that lived to himself Compare him with Iob He was a foot to the lame an eye to the blind he continually fed those that wanted food A great difference Iob lived to God and therefore he honoured God in releeving many with the estate that God had given him Nabal lived to himselfe therefore he regarded none but himselfe and his owne house and sheep-shearers and those that depended upon him This is the propeirtie of a man out of Christ to seeke hmselfe and live to himselfe in all things Againe consider others that have gone further in matters of religion yet they have still turned out of the way as farre as they have halted in this Matt. 6. 22. If thine eye be single the whole body is light but if thine eye be wicked the whole body is darknesse A wicked eye is supposed to a single eye a double eye is a wicked eye What is a single eye That that lookes but upon one object upon God and God onely and God principally and on all other things in him and with reference to him Now the double eye is that that though it lookes to God and doe many things in obedience to God yet it lookes to somewat else and takes other things as greater incouragements this is a wicked eye and such a man walketh in darknesse when he lookes to God hee hath light in the duty when he lookes to men and other things then hee turneth aside and runneth to by-wayes And therefore a double-minded man is unconstant in all his wayes What is a double-minded man He is a double-minded man whose mind is set upon more things then one first on the world and then on God as farre as hee sees it is profitable he will serve God or else not This man is an unconstant man You see it is an ill estate So much for the first Use for conviction Secondly therefore As many as are guiltie of this labour to get out of it not to live to your selves any more Let it be enough that you have lived thus long to your selves that you have defrauded Christ of his due that hath purchased you with his bloud and not served him in holinesse and rigteousnesse so many dayes of your life Now for the time to come let us serve him better And that you may doe thus I will give you two sorts of directions or helpes I can give you but the heads of them First be convinced that our good is in God and not in our selves our life is in God and not in our selves our selves are in God and not in our selves that as the beams of the Sun are in the Sun more then in themselves so a Christian is more in Christ then in himselfe Whatsoever is good and comfortable to him is in Christ he hath all by vertue of a union with Christ he is not at all happy or blessed further then he is in him If then all our good lie in him it is great reason all our actions should returne to him that he should be the Center where all our lynes should meet the marke whereto all our actions should ayme Let not the strong man glory in his strength or the wise man in his wisedome or the rich man in his riches but he that glorieth let him glory in this that hee knoweth mee that I am the Lord. Jer. 9. 24. What Lord The Lord that sheweth judgement and righteousnesse upon the earth there is a mercy shewed to the creature but it is I that doe it saith the Lord. If you meet with a mercifull man God is mercifull in that man If you meet with a bountifull man God is bountifull in that man If you meet with a man whose lippes feed many God instructeth that man I say seeing all things we have though they have divers channels and pipes and conveyances whereby God conveyeth goodnesse and mercy to men yet neverthelesse it is in God and from God we receive all let us therefore looke upon every creature as instruments in Gods hand that can doe us neither good nor hurt without him What good it doth it doth by the influence of the supreame cause working by that creature let us so looke upon and conceive of every creature Thus the Saints have done in all times Iacob when hee saw Esau I have seene thy face as the face of God saith hee Hee saw God in the face of Esau. So in all good men we should say God is good in them This should make men not to seeke themselves not to study men more then God not to studie gaine with men with the losse of God to please men with the displeasing of God but to venture the losse of all men that they may please God if they cannot keepe men and God together For the affections of men are in Gods hand and he fashioneth and frameth them according to his owne pleasure eitherto love or hatred as David obserued in the case of Shimei God hath bid him curse Bee convinced I say of this that if we get all the men in the world to be our friends with the neglect of God if we get all the treasures and wealth of the world if a man were advanced to the Monarchie of the whole earth yet these things are more in Gods hand then in ours When a man hath wealth it is not in his owne keeping riches have wings When a man hath fauour God gives it not into his owne keeping whatsoever wee have it is secured to us by Gods protection and made good to us by his blessing Let this be our care and worke therefore how we may live to God how we may enjoy God in the things we enjoy and possesse God in all things we possesse in the things we have still to keepe God and that will keepe our estates and names and comforts and lives and all That is the first Againe secondly There are certaine graces to bee exercised if a man would not live to himselfe for indeed it is the propertie of a Christian and none else to live to God and not to himselfe and he doth it by vertue of those graces in his heart that empties him of himselfe
hee wrote from immoderate sorrow for them that were departed this life revealeth to them certaine comfortable truths concerning the Resurrection from the dead telling them that death it selfe is but as a sleepe whence they shall be raised at the last day by the voyce of the Archangell c. In the beginning of this Chapter hee prevents an objection that some might make For having fallen upon the discourse of the Resurrection hee well knew the curiositie of mans nature that leaves those things that are most profitable to enquire after such things that God hath hid and therfore some men might say Since there shall be such a time and such a change when will those times and seasons be When shall that great day of the Resurrection come when all shall bee brought together Of the times and seasons brethren saith the Apostle yee have no need that I write unto you verse 1. As if hee should say this is no needfull no necessarie thing for you to enquire into or for mee to tell you rather let us fall upon those things that are necessarie and usefull for neither you nor I can tell the particular time when that shall be yet know this that very suddenly such a time shall come and that when the world least thinkes of it The suddennesse hereof he setteth downe by a twofold comparison First by the comming of a thiefe in the night Your selves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so commeth as a theefe in the nighâ—… verse 2. Secondly by the travaile that commeth upon a woman with child When they shall say peace and safety then sudden destruction commeth upon them as travaile upon a woman with child and they shall not escape This latter is that I have made choyce of at this time for my Text. A little for the explanation of the words When they shall say peace and safety The Apostle intendeth noâ—… to condemne either the speaking of peace to the children of peace or their rejoycing in that peace they have But that which he condemneth is that they cry peace to themselves whom God denounceth warre against Men that goe on in a course of sinning and in securitie and yet will perswade themselves that all shall be well with them in the end these are the men upon whom Death shall come thus suddenly and upon whom the Judgement day shall come thus unexpected When they shall say peace and safety that is when they are living in their sinnes walking on in their rebellions against God and shall yet be flattering themselves that it shall bee well with them notwithstanding this then shall Judgement come upon them then sudden destruction commeth By destruction here he meaneth not the destruction of the body or the soule the destruction of their beeing For the Soule even after the death of the body shall have a beeing and the body also shall be restored againe to its beeing and parts in the resurrection from the dead It were happy for wicked and ungodly men if there should be such a destruction of their beeing as that they should cease to bee any more for then this body the members whereof have beene the servants of sinne should not be tormented in Hell and then this Soule of theirs that hath set all the body on worke in the service of sinne it should not be sensible of that anguish that shall cause gnashing of teeth It were well I say for them if there should be such a destruction it is that which if they might have their desire they would wish above all things in the world But it will not bee such a destruction it shall bee worse with them It shall only be the destruction of their joy and comfort of all their contentments of all those things wherein they solaced and flattered themselves upon earth all these things shall bee destroyed Their riches that fed their lusts shall be destroyed and their company that incouraged them in sinne shall bee destroyed and all things wherein they have delighted themselves here upon earth shall be destroyed the whole earth shall bee burnt with fire before them And beside this that same chearefulnesse of spirrit and that free disposition whereby they incouraged themselves in the wayes of their pride or whatsoever else it was that made them seeme some body on earth all this shall cease and faile them and forsake them There shall be no mirth no wisedome no courage no friends no wealth no houses no apparell nothing to pride and delight themselves in there shall be an utter destruction of all these things Then shall destruction come upon them As paine upon a woman with child This sheweth the manner the kind of their destruction that shall come upon them It shall be first a sudden destruction it shall not give them warning either of the time or place as it falleth out with a woman with child her travell may come upon her in the street at the table when shee is talking c. So shall destruction come suddenly upon them they shall have no more warning then these generall warnings that they have in the preaching of the Word Secondly it shall bee a painfull destruction full of miserie and sorrow as travaile on a woman with a child And then thirdly It shall bee an inevitable destruction such a destruction as they shall never avoide All their wit friends power strength wealth or whatsoever else they have cannot put off the stroke of Judgement that shall come upon them as all the devices a woman hath cannot make her escape her travaile when it commeth So then the meaning of the words are as if the Apostle should have said When wicked and ungodly men in a course of sinne shall crie peace to themselves and flatter themselves in their rebellious courses then shall a sudden a painfull an inevitable destruction of all their comfort of all their props and hopes and helpes fall upon them In the words you have a twofold description First of the state and condition of the men of the world when Christ shall come to Iudgement Hee shall find all the world at rest As the Angell that stood among the myrtle trees spake in the 1 Zachar. 11. Wee have walked to and fro through the earth and behold all the earth sitteth still and is at rest Hee shall find all the men of the world in peace every man applauding himselfe in some vaine conceit in some hope and confidence or other They shall cry peace Secondly here is the consequent that followeth upon the vaine flatterie of themselves Then shall destruction come upon them And that destruction is farther described and amplified by a comparison taken from a woman with childe to declare the suddainnesse the painfulnesse the unavoidablenesse of it Thus you have the opening of the words Let us now come to the points of instruction that may be raised hence First here you may see and he that runnes may read
is the reason why infidelity doth presently bring judgements upon men The cause is apparant infidelity it draweth men from God An unbeleeving heart departs from the living God And when a man departs from Gods presence God pursueth him with his judgements All the judgements of God are upon that place where Gods presence in his grace is not If I goe saith David to the uttermost parts of the earth thou art there if I goe into the deepe thou art there And how there Not only as an observer but as a punisher that is when men come to this point to flie from God Now unbeleefe is a drawing of the soule from God to the creature therefore it provokes God for it sets up an Idoll in the heart of man and Idolatrie exceedingly provokes God and therefore he bringeth judgements upon it Beside that marke the threatning of the Word against this Deut. 29. When a man heareth the words of this curse and blesseth himselfe and saith I shall have peace though I walke in the stubbornnesse of my owne heart the Lord will not spare that man but the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoake against him and all the plagues that are written in this booke shall be heaped on him When is that when is the time that the wrath of God shall smoake At that very time and instant when he flattereth himselfe with his vaine conceits that he shall have peace though God threaten judgement then at that very instant the wrath of God shall fall upon such a man In this manner did God deale with the Israelites in Isa. 6. 9 10. Make the heart of this people fat make their eares heavy and why so that they may see and not perceive that they may heare and not understand lest they should be converted and I should heale them How long shall this be saith the Prophet till the Cities be wasted without inhabitant and the houses without man and the land be utterly desolate When God giveth over a people to bee regardlesse in hearing the Word that they heare and doe not hearken they heare and doe not regard they doe not conforme and reforme according to the doctrine delivered then God intendeth to sweepe them away by judgement that they may be utterly left desolate as the Text saith You see then it must needs be a grievous fore-runner of a judgement upon a place or Citie or people or nation when they remaine impenitent in their sinnes and yet crie peace Againe secondly If you marke the concommitants what accompanies this carnall securitie in the hearts of men and it will appeare then that it must of necessitie bring a judgement upon a a Land and place What is that that accompanies it A disposition slighting of God himselfe When a man I say heareth the Word the judgements threatned heareth the Law warning him to take heed of wrath the Gospell alluring him to repent and yet all moveth him not but still hee flattereth himselfe I say here is a disposition slighting God himselfe God in all his Attributes is slighted His power his wisedome his justice his truth is slighted yea his mercy and patience and long-suffering all are slighted when a man in the course of sinne goeth on in carnall securitie Especially amongst the rest this is a slighting of Gods patience and long-suffering and forbearance of men Wherfore do men harden themselves against exhortations to repentance but because they presume upon the continuance of Gods long-suffering toward them Marke how the Lord takes notice of this Rom. 2. 4. The forbearance and long-snffering the goodnesse and mercy of God should lead thee to repentance and therefore God hath for bore thee all this while that he might bring thee to repentance But what if hee doe not Thou after thy hardnesse and impenitent heart heapest up as a treasure to thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath What day is that The day of the revelation of the righteous judgement of God As if hee should say Now you obscure Gods justice and righteousnesse from others and from your selves Well God therefore will take a time to declare his righteous judgement for that purpose God hath a day of wrath and thy daily going on in sinne against the long-suffering and patience of God it doth but adde wrath to that day Thus it is when God hath borne with a man his owne selfe So it is likewise when God warneth a man by his patience toward others What hardneth men in securitie Doe wee not see God hath beene mercifull to many sinners why may he not be so to me too Hee gave them repentance after many sins committed why may he not doe so to me Marke what Solomon saith Eccles. 8. 11. Because sentence against an evill doer or an evill worke is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the sonnes of men is set in them to doe evill This they purpose they resolve upon they venture up on God hath beene thus and thus to others patient and long-suffering and why may hee not be so to them Well yet I know saith Solomon that it shall not goe well with them in the end neither shall the wicked prolong his dayes Why because he feareth not before God They are not awakened by the example of his judgements on others they are not allured by his patience and long-suffering it doth not make them to feare him therefore it shall not goe well with them in the end Thirdly Looke to the end what the consequence of this carnal securitie is what followes upon it Where there is carnall securitie there must of necessitie be an increase of sin and consequently a hastening of judgement for the more sin hastneth to ripenesse the more judgement hasteneth also upon the sinner God hath set unto particular men a certaine stint and it is not knowne to them what that stint limited is Gen. 15. 16. The iniquitie of the Amorites is not yet full They were a sinfull people at that time but the neerer they came to that fulnesse and stint and limitation that God intended to be the immediate fore-runner of the judgement the faster judgement hastned upon them So for particular persons there is a certaine stint limited Let every man looke to it The adding of one sinne more may be thy uttermost stint that shall bring the last stroke of judgement and destruction upon thee Now I say this carnall securitie is that that increaseth sinne upon a man Wee know how the securitie of the Israelites increased their sinne upon them And the securitie of Sodome their pride and idlenesse increased the rest of their sinnes and consequently hastned on their judgement In Rom. 3. when there was no feare of God before their eyes when there was a neglect of that there was abundance of wickednesse amongst them and what followes then there was nothing but destruction and calamitie in all their wayes I could give you sundrie
Ier. 7. 11. Sendeth them to Shiloh Goe yee now unto my place which was in Shiloh where I set my name at the first and see what I did to it for the wickednesse of my people Israel And now because you have done all these workes saith the Lord and I spake unto you rising early and speaking but you heard not and I called unto you but you answered not Therefore will I doe to this house which is called by my name wherein you trust as I have done to Shiloh Had not the Churches of Asia the golden Candlesticke and yet are they not now tributary to the Turke The ordinances of God beloved are meanes to increase and hasten a judgement when we shut our eyes and will not open them but walke in darknesse Oh but there was never so many Preachers nor so many meanes there seemes to be a new spring of the Gospell there are abundance of men that come daily furnished for the Ministery and are zealous and forward and powerfull Prophets and the like and therefore it is a signe that much good is intended towards us and that no judgement shall come But doe we not reade that immediatly before the seventy years captivity there were more Prophets then in many yeares before Why should we rest in such things as these But neverthelesse we have many good people that are full of prayers and teares and they shall deliver the Island It is true there are many blessed be God and we have cause to wish that there were many more and to say as Moses said to Ioshua when he would have had him forbid Eldad and Medad that prophesied in the Campe of the Israelites Would God that all the Lords people were Prophets and that hee would put his Spirit upon them So wee of such godly men that walke with an upright heart would God that there were many such But yet are not these as Lillies among thornes a few amongst many men Are not these the objects of reproach and contempt amongst an unrighteous generation Who are the men that are cryed downe most by the world that are most opposed and injured by all men Are not these they that support the land by their prayers and hold up all by their standing in the gappe May wee not rather feare that God will avenge the quarrell of his servants upon an ungracious and ungratetull people they live amongst What shall wee speake of other things Did not Bozrah in Ier. 49. 16. boast her selfe of her scituation that shee dwelt in the clefts of a rocke Saith God though thou hidest thy selfe in the clefts of the rock though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the Eagle I will bring thee downe from thence It is not talking that our Island is scituate in the Sea and environed with walls Judgement can leape over the Sea as well as the pestilence hath done our walled Townes It is a vaine thing and yet if you hearken to the discourse of most men you shall see that this is that that keepes them secure Or it may be as some in Isa. 48. 15. Wee say they have made a covenant with death and with hell are wee at agreement when the overflowing scourge shall passe thorow it shall not come unto us Well saith the Lord your covenant with death shall bee disanulled and your agreement with hell shall not stand when the overflowing scourge shall passe thorow then you shall bee trodden downe by it When judgement commeth of all the people in the world it shall certainly meet with you What meane these idle dreames and vaine conceits that when we goe on in an unreformed condition and in a course of sinne and impenitency yet because you have the Ministers and the ordinances and the people of God amongst us because we are convenient for scituation and such like things These are vaine things they will doe us no good at that time and for the present they shew our securitie our horrible security Fourthly take another evidence and that is the abounding of the sinnes of the Land Were it possible that at such a time as this of shaking the Rod the Sword over us when judgements are upon the Nation that there should be such abundance of iniquitie in all places if men were not in a dead sleepe How doth drunkennesse stagger and reele in every street How doth pride vaunt and boast it selfe in every Church and assembly though it be cryed downe never so much Alas beloved are these times to pride up our selves in vanitie Are these times to runne after the sensuall and sinfull courses of an ungodly generation These are times wherein God calleth for fasting and brokennesse of heart Lay aside thy fine apparell saith God to the people that I may know what to doe unto thee Wee should lay aside these things that wee may shew our selves to be men awake But men generally doe so abound in wickednesse and ungodlinesse that we may rather conclude as it is in the Revelation that the time is now come too neere He that is filthy let him be filthy still that is let him goe on to the end It is evident and apparant that sinne is increased since the sicknesse it is apparant that our sins are agravated though they are daily cryed downe And now at this time as if we would defie God to his face and call upon him to hasten his judgements upon our Land upon our Families and persons every one strives as it were who shall outdare him most in our excesses in impenitencie in hardning our selves in a course of sinne These things convince us of our security There are many more that might be named if the time would permit But put these together and they may shew us our wretchednesse When we consider how little we have profited by Judgements how little we have profited by the ordinances how full of vaine confidence and idle dreames how notwithstanding all these wee abound still in wickednesse and there is no reformation of our hearts and lives what may wee not conclude against our selves If ever people were drowned in a drunken security wee of all people under heaven are at this time For of all people under heaven we are in a manner the last God hath spared us to the last We have had warning by judgements inflicted upon others for many yeares together It hath come neerer to us by degrees it began a farre off in Bohemia and then in the Palatinate and in Germanie The Lord would have us see how he commeth to us by degrees by steps that at the last we may meet him by repentance But where is the man that yet gets out of the bed of security that commeth out of his sleepe to meet the Lord that comes with a broken heart to begge for forgivenesse of his sins past and to beg for mercy for the time to come Well now since it is so that we are convinced by these signes that we are
in a carnall and sinfull security wee see then so many of us at least that are children of the light and of the day what cause we have to be awakened and to doe that for others which they will not doe for themselves to bee more earnest in prayer more frequent in humbling our soules for our owne sinnes and theirs that God may lay aside and cast away his judgements and displeasure that either are feared or lie upon us It is not a fearfull thing that when the Lyon roareth the beasts of the Forrests tremble Yet the God of heaven roareth against the world at this day and the proud hearts of men doe not tremble before him Shall the beasts of the Forrests bee afraid of the Lyon more then the poore wormes of the earth of the mighty God of heaven and earth But this is the horrible Atheisme and infidelity that is in the hearts of men that they beleeve not Gods power and justice nor his threatnings I beseech you let every man be exhorted to stirre up his soule to this businesse to awaken himselfe in his owne particular person Consider that there are others that are awake that may bring you sorrow enough bee you awakened to prevent those miseries Sathan is awake to tempt you Bee sober and watchfull saith Saint Peter for your adversary the divill goeth about seeking whom hee may devoure Sathan is busie and watching to make you his prey watch you therefore that you enter not into tentation Your owne Corruptions are alwayes awake The concupisence and depraved disposition of the soule it is awake still to further every evill motion to draw you aside by its tentations Therefore saith the Apostle I beseech you abstaine as pilgrims and strangers from fleshly lusts that warre against the soule Doe as men in warre when they know that they have a waking enemie against them they will be sure to keepe their Watch. Beloved you cannot but know that your corruptions are awake you may perceive it in your sleepes and dreames take heed that you bee not found in a spirituall sleepe that corruption prevaile not over you Besides these the enemies of the Church are awake Heretiques are awake every where to bring men from the faith to pervert the faith of many oh be awake to prevent those Besides others are awaken to ransack houses to destroy Cities oh be awake that you may bee at peace with the Lord of Hosts the God of Armies that hath all power in his hand to keepe you safe Againe secondly consider the evill of this security you are in of this disposition of heart when you cry peace peace to your selves in the middest of Gods displeasure It is an evill disease a spirituall lethargie That disease we know in the body it takes a man with sleepe and so he dieth Oh how many are in this spirituall lethargie in this deepe sleepe of sinne at this day the Lord awaken them It is the more dangerous because it is a senslesse disease A disease that takes the senses from the soule and diseases we know that take away the senses are dangerous for it is not only a signe that nature is overcome by the disease but besides it draweth men from seeking for cure Thus it is with the spirituall lethargie it shewes not only that sinne hath prevailed in the heart that it hath overcome grace and thereupon you have yeelded unto it to your pride and covetousnesse and vanity as those that are subdued under a disease but it hindreth you from seeking the meanes to escape out of it Thou saist saith Christ to the Church of Laodicea that thou art rich and needest nothing and that was the reason shee sought not to Christ. It is our condition we have knowledge enough therefore we care not for the ordinances of God Wee have faith enough and therefore wee care not for increasing it though none of us say thus with our tongues yet most of us beleeve thus with our hearts As David saith of the ungodly man the wickednesse of the wicked saith in my heart So may I say the neglecting of the ordinances the carelesnesse of men in the use of the meanes of salvation saith in my heart that there is abundance of securitie that they are in a spirituall lethargie that leadeth to death As it is an evill disease so it causeth much evill It is that which driveth away the Spirit of God It is the counsell of the Apostle Grieve not the Spirit quench not the Spirit When wee neglect the motions of the Spirit the Spirit withdraweth it selfe Doth not your owne experience tell you this Consider a little what motions you have had how God by the checks of your consciences sometime by secret incitements as it were a spurre upon your hearts hath moved you to dutie and to leave your sinnes How have these moved you you have had purposes it may be to performe these duties to walke in the wayes of God to please him in all things the neglect of these purposes hath driven away the Spirit it may be God now leaveth you to finall hardnesse Againe it letteth in Sathan When the uncleane spirit is driven out hee goeth about seeking rest and finding none at last hee returneth from whence hee went and findeth the house swept and garnished and he entreth in and bringeth seven spirits more worse then himselfe Alas how many men are there that for a fitt in some particulars have altered their course and have thought to become new men yet rushing upon former occasions and temptations to sinne they have growne secure and carelesse and now Sathan hath gotten stronger hold of them with seven spirits worse Nay this is that that drives away Christ and the comfortable influence of his Spirit in the heart The Church in Cant. 5. was asleepe was in a spirituall slumber and Christ goeth away Shee seekes him whom her soule loved but shee could not find him I speake now to those that were awake and are now asleepe their hearts it may be are awake but they walke not with that watchfulnesse and humility of spirit before the Lord as they ought therefore now they are heavy and destitute of the comforts of the Spirit Well they may thanke themselves Christ hath hid himselfe to teach them to be more watchfull And to conclude This is the cause of positive Judgements You know what came upon the old world and upon Sodome and Gomorrah for their securitie And likewise of future Judgements it is that which casteth men from heaven to hell That servant that saith in his heart my Master deferreth his comming and therefore hee eates and drinkes with the drunken what is the issue of it Hee shall have his portion given him with hypocrites where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth Mat. 24. Here is enough I suppose to awaken you Whensoever the heart of man is held downe with secure
First by way of comfort Against the feare of Death or against over-much sorrow for those that Death takesaway It is true Death is an Enemie But to whom only to the wicked that are out of Christ to those that have no benefit at all by his Death and Resurrection and ascension When Death commeth and findeth out these they may say as Ahab did to Eliah and more truly a great deale hast thou found me oh mine Enemie It is the worst Enemie they have in the world It is a cruell Sergeant that catcheth them by the throat and arresteth them for a debt that they are never able to pay It dragges them to the Jayle casteth them into the Dungeon to the chaines of Darknesse I have not a word of comfort to say to them They have no more comfort in Death then they have in Hell where though they shall lie in torments and paine they shall not have a drop of water to coole their tongue But to the faithfull in Christ there is comfort upon comfort For though Death be an Enemie yet remember first it is a subdued Enemie Secondly a reconciled Enemie Thirdly and lastly an Enemie that one day shall not be at all It is a subdued Enemie that is one comfort The strength and sting of it is gone When a Bee hath lost his sting and is a Droane it can hurt no more So Death is a Droane to a Christian it hums and buzzeth it doth no hurt it cannot sting the sting is gone Against all those Enemies that I formerly told yee of that are attendants on Death here is comfort First it is true Death commeth with ill Harbingers it bringeth sicknesses and aches and paine but there is comfort against this For when God sendeth paine remember hee promiseth to send patience too that he will put his hand under to helpe His left hand shall bee under us and his right hand over us to catch us hee hath promised comfort upon our sicke beds to make our bed in our sicknesse Wee need not make such an Allegorie as Ambrose doth this sweet flesh of ours the Bed of our soule it is under infirmities and weaknesses God helpeth us he makes our bed hee saith to the sicke of the Palsey Take up thy bed hee turneth our bed in our sicknesse either he sends us health so some expounds it hee turnes the bed of sicknesse into a bed of health or God turneth our bed for us in our sicknesse that is he refresheth us giveth us ease when we lie upon our sicke beds It is a Metaphor borrowed from those that attend sicke persons that helpe to make their Beds easie and soft and turne them that they may lie at ease So God hath promised his children in the painfull time of sicknesse to make their Beds easie and soft to cause them to lie at ease by the Patience that he will give them Secondly it is true Death bringeth dissolution and dissolveth the frame of nature it separateth and divorceth those two loving companions the Soule and the Body But there is comfort in this For though it divorce the Soule and the Body yet it cannot destroy the soule and the body even the body is in the hand of God when it is rotting in the earth as the Soule is translated to heaven Againe though they be separated yet it is but for a time one day they shall meet more joyfull and glorious then ever before and after that they shall never be separated againe Lastly though he separate the soule from the body and the body from the soule yet neither from Christ nor Christ from them Nay it is so farre from separating that it helpeth to unite us to Christ as I said before the dissolution of those shall bee the conjunction with him I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ. Thirdly it is true the horrour of the Grave attendeth Death and the putrifaction of this flesh of ours that must turne to corruptnesse it makes it terrible and fearfull But there is comfort against this For after that time of putrifaction there shall bee a time of restitution and though the wormes devoure this flesh of ours yet in that very flesh of ours wee shall see God another day These eyes shall see him There is comfort in that that when God shall come to restore us with himselfe what the Grave hath clothed with corruption he will cloath with glory these vile bodies hee will make them like the glorious body of Christ without all corruption Fourthly it is true Death depriveth us of worldly friends of worldly imployments this makes it terrible Yet there is comfort against this Though we be deprived of worldly friends it carries us to heaven to better company to Angels to the spirits of just and perfect men to God the Iudge of all to Iesus the Mediatour of the New Testament Nay besides one day hee will restore againe those very friends of which here we are deprived though wee lose them for a time in heaven wee shall meet againe and there renew a perpetuall league of societie and love So though it deprive us of worldly benefits it cannot of heaven and those are better they are not pleasures of sinne that last for a season but at the right hand of God that endure for ever So though it deprive us of worldly services it carrieth us to heaven to those that are better that are high and proper to the Church triumphant such as befit the Church to sing Hallelujahs and such as are profitable to the Church militant by the memorie of good examples and by the prayers they offer to God not in particular for they know no mans particular wants yet for the generall and common good of all Fifthly and lastly It is true the consideration of sinne and of Judgement and our uncertaine estate after death makes it terrible like the face of an Enemie Yet there is comfort against these For sinne I told you that though there bee a sting in the Serpent yet Christ hath drawne out that sting so that being a Serpent without a sting we may doe as Moses take it in our hand put it into our bosome and it will never doe us hurt to them that die in the Lord Death rather came by sinne then for sinne It is not betweene sinne and damnation but betweene sinne and salvation For judgement It is true Death presenteth judgement but it presenteth it with comfort for the day of Judgement is the day that the godly looke for and long for as the day of redemption not of confusion when they shall receive the sentence by which they shall bee absolved and not condemned For they know when God shall come to be their Judge hee shall come to be their Saviour And so for the uncertaintie of our future estate after death It is true the state of the dead in regard of naturall understanding it may be a thing
whether it be good or bad LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for Ralph Mabbe 1639. THE GREAT TRIBVNALL OR GODS SCRVTINIE OF MANS SECRETS SERMON XIIII ECCLESIAST 12. 14. For God will bring every worke into judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be Evill DEath and judgement are two subjects about the meditation of which our thoughts should every day bee conversant wee should every day be thinking of those two dayes Every day upon the day of death because there is no day wherein death may not befall us And every day upon the day of Iudgement because as the day of Death leaveth us so the day of Iudgement findeth us We had an occasion like to this not long since Then you may remember I discoursed of Death considered as an enemie I shewed you what kind of enemie it is it is a common enemie a secret enemie a spirituall enemie Now at this time having the like occasion I thought it not amisse for me to discourse of that that commeth immediatly after Death that is Iudgement The Apostle saith Heb. 9. 27. It is appointed to all men once to die and after Death commeth Iudgement And it is that that Solomon mindeth us of here in the words of my Text which he addeth as a reason to that grave advice he gave in the verse before going Having discoursed at large in this booke concerning the vanity of all earthly things and the vexation among those things that are under the Sunne he telleth us where it is best for us to set up our rest that is in learning that one lesson Feare God and keepe his commandements for this is the totall all that God requireth That we might the rather be stirred up to hearken to this counsell hee telleth us that whether we doe or no the day will come that we shall be called to an account when God will bring every one of us to Iudgement and take a tryall of every worke we have done and of every secret thing whether it be good or evill In handling of these words we have two things in generall that Solomon speakes of First the Person Iudging Secondly the things Iudged The Person Iudging is God And there I will speake First of the Iudge And then of the Iudgement The things that God bringeth to Iudgement and tryall hee telleth us first every worke every thing be it never so secret And then a more particular resolution those things that are good and those things that are evill God will bring every worke to Iudgement and every secret thing whether it bee good or whether it be evill I begin with the Person judging And here first of the Iudge himselfe God shall bring to judgement God essensially meant all the Persons in the God-head Father Sonne and holy Ghost For all concurre in this worke being as the Schoole-men say Opus ad extra It is one of the Externall workes of the Godhead and it is an Axiome in Divinitie that the Externall workes of the Godhead are not to be divided It is true there are certaine internall workes of the Godhead that are said by the Schooles to bee divided incommunicably proper and peculiar to every Person as it is proper to the Person of the Father incommunicably to have his Beeing of himselfe Of the Sonne to be begotten of the Father And it is the property of the Holy Ghost incommunicably to proceed from both But those workes that they call Externall that is those workes by which the power and wisedome of the Godhead are externally made manifest to the creature such as creation preservation redemption those equally and indifferently proceed from all the Persons not from one in parcular but from all in generall and this of Iudgement is one For as they all concurre in the creating of us so they shall in the judging of us all of them shall co-operate together in the executing of justice and mercy Justice in the damnation of the wicked and mercy in the salvation of the godly You will object peradventure that the Scripture seemeth to speake otherwise though Iudgement here be attributed essensially to God in some places it is attributed personally to Christ Hee shall judge the quicke and the dead and therefore oftentimes it is called in the Scripture the Ivdgement seat of Christ as 2 Cor. 5. 10. Againe sometimes this worke of Judging is appropriated to the Saints Know yee not that the Saints shall judge the world 1 Cor. 6. 2. and by and by againe Know you not that we shall judge the Angels verse 3. How shall we reconcile these when it is said Christ and the Saints shall judge I answer This threefold doubt is reconciled by a threefold distinction God is said to judge if wee respect the Authority of Jurisdiction Christ is said to judge if we respect the Promulgation of the sentence The Saints are said to judge if wee respect the Approbation The power and right are equally given to all three Persons but the particular Execution is given to Christ the Approbation of what Christ doth is ascribed to the Saints As at our common Courts of Assize here one is set upon the Bench as Judge and others are joyned in commission with him as Accessories the Judge only pronounceth the sentence and they that sit in Commission with him ratifie and approve his sentence that he pronounceth so at that day Christ shall sit upon his Throne as Iudge the Saints they shall joyne as Commissioners Christ he alone pronounceth the sentence upon every one that is summoned there to the tryall but then his Apostles and Saints that are joyned in commission with him for such honour have all his Saints they shall ratifie and approve and give attestation to the sentence that he pronounceth and say Amen to the condemnation of the wicked So that the difference is easily reconciled and we see how God and Christ and the Saints are said to judge The Authoritie is Gods The Execution Christs The Approbation the Saints The Apostle in Rom. 2. 16. makes the point plaine hee telleth us that God shall judge by Christ In that day God shall judge the secrets of all hearts by Iesus Christ So Christ himselfe Ioh. 5. The Father judgeth no man but hath committed all power to the Sonne Hee hath given him power to execute judgement as he is the Sonne of man Why to him For this Reason That his second comming may be in glory to make amends for his first comming in humilitie Christ at his first comming into the world he came meanly and homely at his second comming hee shall come triumphantly and gloriously Before he came like a Lambe then he shall come like a Lyon Before in the forme of a servant then in the forme of a Lord. Before Pilate sate upon the Bench and Christ stood as a malefactour but then Pilate shall stand at the Barre as a Malefactour and
signifie indifferencie in weighing causes and strictnesse in executing the sentence So the Egyptians signified as much by their Hierogliphicall portraiture of an Angell without hands wincking or without eyes such a one a Iudge should be he should have no hands to receive bribes nor no eyes to respect persons the person of a Iudge must not take the person of a friend A man must not personate a friend in justice but as Levi he must know neither father nor mother nor brother Justice amongst us is portrayted holding a Ballance in one hand and a sword in another the Ballance sheweth the upright weighing of causes and the Sword sheweth the strictnesse of the execution of the sentence And if this Execution be wanting both the other are to no purpose It is to no purpose to know and to have power if there be not Justice But God is a true and just Iudge Howsoever it be amongst the Iudges of the earth yet unworthy is he of the place of a Iudge and fitter to stand at the Barre then to sit on the Bench that suffereth himselfe to miscarry by friendship or love or bribes or sutes or favour or envie when either of these prevaile they tie the tongues of men to plead for wrong causes Shall a Traytour presume on the Kings favour and Mordecai be out of the Kings grace But there shall be no such thing here God is the Iudge of all the earth and shall not hee doe right Gen. 18. Doth God pervert judgement or doth the Almigty pervert Iustice Job 8. 3. When thou standest before the Iudgement seat of God thou shalt neither be elevated with vaine hopes nor dejected and cast down by sinister and wrong feares but assure thy selfe such as thy cause is such shall thy sentence be as Saint Bernard well a pure heart shall prevaile more with God then a smooth word good consciences shall speed better then full purses for he is an upright and just Judge with whom no faire words nor friends shall prevaile So I have done with the first thing The Iudge Secondly something of the Iudgement and therein two things First that it shall be Secondly in what manner it shall be First that it shall be The text is plaine God shall bring to judgement There might many Texts besides this be alledged consonant and agreeable to this but it is superfluous Besides Texts of Scripture we have Types also to prefigure it and reasons also to prove and confirmeit Two Types of the last Judgement our Saviour himselfe propoundeth Luke 17. One was the destruction upon Sodome the other the destruction that God brought upon the old world Looke as Christ saith how it was with them of Sodome in the dayes of Lot they did eat they dranke they bought they sold they planted they builded and looke how it was with the men of the old world in the dayes of Noah eating and drinking and sporting and marrying untill the very day that Noah entred into the Arke and the flood came and destroyed them all So it shall be at the last day when the Sonne of man shall come The Apostle Saint Peter speaking of the latter of these telleth us of mockers in those times that scoffed when they heard of the Iudgement there hath beene talke a great while of such things promised but when will it come Where is the promise of his comming There are scoffers in these dayes but such if there be any cannot but speake against their owne consciences and knowledge they cannot be ignorant both of the judgements that have beene and shall be or if they be they are wilfully ignorant That God did once wash away the sinnes of the world with a Flood of water and that the time is comming that God will purge the sinnes of the world with a flood of fire the Rainbow in the cloudes as it is a Monument of the one so it is a forerunner of the other The two principall colours of the Rainbow are blew and red the blew and waterish colour of the Rainbow is an evidence of that Judgement that is past when God washed the sinnes of the world away by Water the fiery colour is a prediction of a Iudgement that is to come when God shall purge the world by a Flood of fire But besides these Types there are divers reasons that may be given to assure us that we have reason to expect this day Those five Attributes of God afford five reasons to confirme it His Power his Wisedome his Truth his Iustice his Mercie First his Power God will have it be thus for the manifestation of his Power A worke of great power it will be indeed All must be brought before Gods judgement seate every one as the Text saith after It may seeme strange peradventure incredible to heare that all the men and women that ever lived in the world that so many multitudes and millions of thousands of all kindreds and nations should all be summoned to appeare before one Iudgement seat But as Saint Austin saith Consider who is the doer and then thou wilt not doubt It is true indeed with men such a thing as this is impossible but with God all things are possible Could God at the first draw all things out of nothing and cannot God as well bring together all againe when they are turned to nothing Could hee make that body of thine out of the dust of the earth and cannot he raise that body when it is turned to dust Could hee unite that body to the soule in the time of the Creation and cannot he unite it at the time of the Resurrection Certainly there is nothing impossible too hard to the great and terrible voyce of God as Saint Chrysostome saith to that voyce of God that cleaveth the rockes that breakes the brazen gates asunder that looseneth the bands of death Therefore unlesse thou question the power of God no doubt but he is able and can bring all of us to judgement Hee will doe it for the manifestation of his power Secondly as for the manifestation of his power so for the manifestation of his wisedome It is a point of wisedome when one hath made a thing to bring it to the intended end for which hee made it Beloved this is Gods intended end in making of us therefore he brought us hither into the world not that we should have alwayes a Beeing here but that after a certaine time wee should be dissolved and put into an everlasting condition therefore Saint Peter speaking of the salvation of Gods elect he calleth it the end of their faith not only the end they aspire but that end that God hath assigned and appointed them to If God should faile of his end we might call his wisedome into question it might give us occasion to say that hee undertooke that which he was not able to accomplish so that in stead of shewing himselfe wise he should shew himselfe weake Therefore
Christ that causeth him to become a member of that misticall body whereof Christ is the head and that causeth him to be one with the Father and to be the child of God for by faith wee are become the children of God This Faith in Christ the Law doth not teach the former Covenant would not accept What to bring to the Law the Righteousnesse of another the satisfaction of another and to trust upon that to be entertained and received the Law rejects it Thou must pay thy selfe in thy owne person and with thy owne goods thou must yeeld perfect obedience to the Law and fully accomplish it in thy owne person it will not receive payment of another for thee it will not accept satisfaction of the righteousnesse of another on thy behalfe But oh the sweetnesse of the Doctrine of the Gospell If we have a Treasurer that is able and willing to pay the debt that will tender and make payment of it we shall be accepted for his sake so that we give him the glory of resting upon this payment and be not so absurd as to mixe any action of our owne to that payment that he hath made fully and compleatly for us This is a Doctrine of sweetnesse and favour and great compassion that though we cannot doe it of our selves we shall be accepted if our Suretie will doe it for us so that wee give our Suretie the glory of being a perfect and able pay-master and relie wholly upon his satisfaction The last part of the condition on our side is that we yeeld New obedience to the Law Perfectly to obey it to which wee are tyed by the former Covenant But now this is the obedience of the Gospell a thing farre different from the obedience of the Law that was formerly required in the old Covenant there a man was tyed and bound to obey perfectly fully compleatly without any defect In a word hee must pay the uttermost farthing hee must doe his dutie his whole dutie in all the parts and degrees with all fulnesse of perfection absolutely without any defect or want without any imperfection at all An impossible labour for corrupted man a service that none all having lost those abilities that God gave man at the first can ever reach to But then commeth the sweet Gospell the Doctrine of grace and favour of tender compassion and saith thus If thou wilt consent to obey thou shalt eate the good things of the Land If you mortifie the deedes of the body by the spirit you shall live Rom. 8. 13. But if you though never so much in shew under the Covenant of Grace live after the flesh you shall die Yee see New Obedience is required absolutely as a Condition of the Gospell for the obtaining of everlasting happinesse for the escaping of Death and Saint Iohn saith If wee walke in the light wee have fellowship â—…ne with another and the bloud of Christ shall purge us from all sinne so that this walking in the light and New Obedience is absolutely required of all those that intend to bee made partakers of Christ and his benefits they must give up their soules and bodies as instruments of his glory and not serve sinne any longer in the lusts thereof they must not give their members as weapons of unrighteousnesse to sinne but live as becommeth them that are one with Christ mortifying all the lusts of the flesh and quicken themselves or being quickned with him to practise all good things required in his word and to obey all his commands which was first written in Adams heart and then in Tables of stone This New Obedience is the same in substance that was required in the former Covenant but now with a gracious acceptation of endevour after perfection in stead of perfection the former tyed us to the obedience of all that was required in all fulnesse and then promising acceptance but the obedience that the Gospell requires is striving to this perfection in truth and sincerity desiring and labouring after it in putting out our selves towards it and then promising acceptance through the perfection of Christ in and by which our imperfections are done away Now Brethren you understand what this saying of the Lord Christs is by vertue of the keeping of which we must be secured if wee be secured from the hurt of Death What is it now to Keepe the saying of Christ It is to informe our Judgements in the understanding of these truths and assent to them as truths and to practise and follow them to doe the duties which wee have heard to practise the Doctrine of Repentance and Beleeving and Obedience I confesse our Saviour doth proclaime it thus Repent and beleeve the Gospell but for the more cleere explaining of it we make new Obedience a thing of it selfe and not included in the Doctrine of Repentance for it is an act of that whereof Repentance is a resolute wishing and desiring A man cannot possibly rest on Christ for salvation till hee hath so asked pardon as hee resolveth an amendment and when hee hath this resolution and relyeth on Christ for the pardon of his sinne then from him hee receiveth power to amendment of life and so his purpose commeth to action and his desire to execution Thus alone these two things differ as farre as I conceive Now I say this is the Doctrine of the Gospell and to keepe it is to know and beleeve and follow it to beleeve and obey as Christ saith If you know these things there is one part of the duty happy are you if you doe them there is asecond for they can never be done except they be done as knowne And thus I have interpreted the first part of the proposition namely the Antecedent Let us say somewhat of the latter too the benefit that followeth upon the former duty and for the obtaining of which the former duty is necessary namely that hee shall never see death What is it to see Death And what Death is meant here To see good things in the Scripture phrase is as much oftentimes as to enjoy them to have the benefit and commoditie of them to receive them to entertaine them Without holinesse no man shall see God that is no man shall enjoy God Blessed are the poore in spirit for they shall see God that is they shall enjoy God On the contrary to see a thing that is tearmed Evill is to bee annoyed with it to have the hurt of it lying upon a man and pressing him downe as they in Ieremy said Let us goe into Egypt where wee shall not see sword or famine meaning that they should not be pursued by warre and want of things needfull so that by seeing evill is meant the evill lying upon one and annoying and hurting one and so I suppose it is meant here And by Death is meant Naturall and as we may tearme it supernaturall and eternall Death For the keeping of Christs sayings
the young man and he is altogether given to jollitie and merriment hee forgetteth God and the dayes of darknesse and his latter end Well Solomon giveth him the bridle as it were and suffereth him to follow his owne way by an Ironicall concession or figurative speech declaring not what young men ought to doe but what their course is and what commonly they doe Rejoyce oh young man in thy youth and let thy heart cheare thee in the dayes of thy youth and walke in the wayes of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes but know this there is the cooling-card that for all these things God will bring thee into judgement In the words we will consider two parts First what young men doe Secondly the Medicine of God to heale young men of their default That that young men doe is this They give over themselves to an inordinate carnall joy Thiâ—… Joy is set out from the time of it the dayes of their youth From the cause of it their hearts cheare them From the kindes of it they walke in the wayes of their hearts and after the sight of their eyes Secondly the Medicine with which Solomon would heale young men of this inordinate carnall Joy is this Know saith hee that for all these things God will bring thee into Iudgement that is It is a most divine and infallible truth that every one should know and acknowledge that whatsoever sinnes they commit in their youth without repentance they must undergoe the dreadfull Iudgement of God because of them Thus as briefly as I can I have opened the words unto you Though I might insist on many doctrines yet notwithstanding I will only handle these two The first shall be that which ariseth from the first part of the Text what young men doe what their fault is For as I said it is an Ironnicall concession not declaring what young men should doe but what they doe The Doctrine is thus much That it is the sinne of young men to rejoyce inordinatly and carnally in the dayes of their youth to walke after their hearts and the sight of their eyes Wee reade concerning the old world that they were eating and drinking and marrying and giving in mariage altogether sottish and sensuall till the wrath of God came in the flood and swept them away Now lest any should suppose that this were the fault of old age only the Scripture sheweth that all flesh had corrupted their way before God Gen. 6. 11. Isa. 22. 14. Let us eate and drinke for to morrow wee shall die It is thought by learned Divines that this speech was not so much the language of Age as of the youth in Israel Hence Solomon giveth a caveate to the young man Eccles. 12. 1. to bridle and restraine him from his jollitie and carnall mirth Remember now thy Creatour in the dayes of thy youth while the evill day come not nor the yeares draw nigh when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them And the Apostle Saint Paul 1 Tim. 2. 22. instructeth Timothy to flie the lusts of youth that is in carnall pleasures and pastimes in voluptuousnesse and sensualitie and the like And Tit. 2. 6. Exhort young men that they bee sober minded that is that they leave this drunkennesse of understanding in being overcome with sensuall carnall objects and pleasures Iob in the first Chapter of that booke when the young people his Sonnes and Daughters met together to feast hee was afraid lest they should be misguided in this kind therefore the holy man in a godly care and thoughtfulnesse for their welfare sacrificed to God to make attonement for their sinne Let us a little consider the reasons of this Doctrine whence it is that young men should be so much misguided in their youth The first cause is naturall corruption that they have drawne by propagation from their Parents A spirituall leprosie and maladie and disease which as it prevaileth for the most part against age by covetousnesse so it getteth ground of youth by sensuallity and voluptuousnesse This dams up the eare against reproofe this hardens the heart against instruction and makes many young men the souldiers of Sathan in sinne Againe in the second place Men in their youth forget the day of their reckoning and judgement they are not mindfull of their latter end Deut. 32. 22. Oh that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end This Precept is neglected both by youth and age but especially by those of younger yeares For they feele their bloud runne warme in their veynes and they are full of spirits and vigour therefore they suppose that the Grave and the house of darknesse is farre off from them Againe in the third place Young men are not broken by afflictions the fallow ground is not poughed up by the pressures of afflictions which through the grace of God are great meanes to tame nature and to subdue the pride of it and to bring it to a right frame and temper Before I was afflicted saith David I went astray And Ephraim saith of himselfe Ier. 32. I was as a Bullocke accustomed to the yoke thou chastisest mee and I was chastised I was ashamed because I bore the reproach of my youth But young men are free from aches and paines and sicknesse and sorrow much more then old age and this is the reason why they are more licentious Lastly young men want true joy in God therefore they betake themselves to carnall joy For sure it is that a man cannot live without joy and contentment if hee have it not from the Wells of salvation hee will drinke it out of watery and slimie places Now because men in their youth cannot take in the spirituall joy of that cleare fountaine therefore they drinke in the muddy waters of carnall joy The use of this point is in the first place an Admonition to all young men to take notice of these maladies and spirituall diseases in themselves The first degree of our healing is to see that we are sicke and till then Christ Jesus the Physitian of our soules hath no commission to doe us good Let young men observe in themselves first their carnall joy Solomon here sheweth that they rejoyce inordinatly This may appeare to them first because they rejoyce not where they ought they solace not themselves in God in whom is the fountaine of joy nor in Christ Jesus in whom is the spring of Joy nor in the sacred Word where there is the Cisterne of Joy Even as a bone when it is out of joynt out of its place it must needs be a disordered bone so the affections when they are misplaced are disordered and then our Joy and any other affection are misplaced when they are not set upon God and Christ. Now if young men would deale uprightly with themselves they should perceive that for the most part
joy is the good things promised us And those may be reduced to two heads God hath made promises either in regard of evill things as wee call them of afflictions that befall us Or the weaknesse of the graces that are in us Now in the evill of Affliction wee may rejoyce first In the promise of protection in affliction 2. In the promise of Edification by affliction 3. In the promise of deliverance from affliction All in the best season Againe for the defects of grace in us which indeed is a thing exceeding grievous to a true Christian. Here wee may rejoyce First In the promise of preserving of grace 2. In the promise of augmentation and growth in grace 3. In the promise of bringing the weastest grace to perfection Here you have the well-head of Joy Oh that young men would know God and Christ Jesus and the word of God and the promises that they might leave this sinfull and sottish joy whereto they are so adicted This is the meanes to bee rid of it by getting into their soules the sense and feeling of the true Joy of the children of God Againe in the second place Young men should bee exhorted not to walke after their owne heart which is the next thing that Solomon noteth as a fault in them The heart saith Ieremy is deceitfull above measure and desperately wicked It is so deceitfull sucha Cheator that we are not able to comprehend it it is desperatly wicked Who will follow a false guide and a desperate wicked guide so is the heart of man Lastly they should not walke after the sight of their eyes David prayed Turne away mine eyes that I regard not vanity and quicken mee in thy Law And againe Open mine eyes that I may see the wondrous things of thy Law There is much danger in following our eyes Eve was misled by her eye shee looked upon the forbidden fruit and saw it beautifull and so lusted after it And when I saw saith Achan among the spoiles a goodly Babylonish garment and a wedge of gold then I coveted them and tooke them David was defiled by the eye Hee saw Bathsheba from the roofe of his house washing her selfe and then he lusted Holy men have prayed to God that hee would keepe their eyes in a right frame and temper These are the particulars that Solomon giveth to young men in direction to take heed of carnall joy to take heed of walking after their hearts or after their sense And these things brethren I have now committed in direction to you The last use of this Doctrine is for old men For if young men may not rejoyce carnally much lesse may old men Youth may plead for it selfe in want of wisedome and gravitie sobrietie and experience better then those of age If young men may not have evill hearts and evill eyes much lesse old men Looke to it you that heare me this day that are stricken in age as the Scripture speakes that are smitten in your limmes with age that you cannot walke with activity and nimblenesse and are smitten in your senses with age that you cannot well see and heare and taste Oh that your hearts would smite you for your sinnes May not young men rejoyce in pleasures in friends in honours in wealth Much lesse may those of old age Must young men be carefull to chase away all carnall joy and to get spirituall joy that beginneth in godly sorrow much more must old men It is no time for those that are old to rejoyce in carnall things a few daies will make an end of them and lay them in the Grave Oh then you that are of yeares breake off your sinnes by repentance and your iniquities by mercy Rejoyce in being good and in doing good This Joy will continue with you as for the Joy of corne and wine and oyle and silver and gold this joy will die when you die Yea notwithstanding all the supports of this joy in this life yet in another life you may bee transported to hellish torments Thus much for this first In the second place Solomon sheweth the remedie against this carnall Joy in young men which also may bee a preservative against sinne both for young and old But know thou saith he that for all these things God will bring thee to judgement The Doctrine is thus much That the Lord God will certainly bring men to judgement for all the sinnes they have committed This is an infallible truth Know thou this that for all these things God will bring thee to judgement Malach. 3. 18. A booke of remembrance is written before God for those that feare the Lord and thought upon his name So the Lord hath a booke of remembrance wherein hee writeth downe the sinnes of the sonnes of men and this shall bee opened and unclasped in the evill day Eccles. 12. 14. God will bring every worke into judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it bee evill 2 Cor. 5. 10. Wee must appeare before the Iudgement seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that hee hath done whether it bee good or bad 1. Thes. 4. 16. The Lord himselfe shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voyce of the Archangell and with the trump of God Epistle of Iude vers 14. And Enoch the seventh from Adam prophesied of this saying the Lord commeth with ten thousands of his Saints to execute Iudgement upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him For opening of this point I will briefly shew you these two things First what is the reason that God will bring all these things to Judgement Secondly what manner of Judgement it shall be For the first What is the reason that God will bring all these things to Judgement The first reason is His Decree Heb. 9. 27. It is appointed to all men once to die and after this the Iudgement Even as it must needs be that men must die because God hath so appointed it so also it must needs be that men must come to Judgement in regard of the purpose and decree of God Secondly God will doe this in regard of his righteousnesse Hee is a holy God a hater of iniquitie But many times in this world it is well with the wicked and ill with the godly Lazarus hee is in wofull miserie and Dives hee is in abundance of prosperitie Now God will shew his love to the righteous and his hatred to the wicked in this Judgement If judgement here begin at the house of God It is impossible the familie of Sathan should escape hereafter Thirdly God will by this meanes cleare his wayes as the Apostle speakes Rom. 2. 5. There are many wayes of God that are darke and
eternall damnation and the sweetnesse of imaginarie gaine what proportion hath it with the bitternesse of so great a losse Riches have wings they take their leave honour is transitorie pleasures flie away whereas the soule of man is the subject of immortalitie And thy poore neglected soule must bide by it for an everlasting pledge and pay the debt O! then continue this glory that is nothing First seeke Gods kingdome and the glory of it suffer not heaven to stand at so great a distance to thy soule tast and see how gracious the Lord is by one drop of water from that celestiall fountaine by one crumme from that heavenly table and then as concerning the things below thou wilt account them as drosse and dung in comparison of that joy and peace of conscience Resolve as Themistocles when hee saw a goodly bootie hee would not stoupe to take it up leave these things for the Children of this world But let your care be to please the Lord and to gaine the peace of a good conscience First seeke the kingdome of God which consists not in meat and drinke but in righteousnesse and peace and joy in the holy Ghost Remember the vanitie of the things of the world remember how unable the soule is to enjoy hell and to lose heaven without eternall horrour and in consideration hereof Use the World as though you used it not and use this as a proofe hide it in a sanctified memorie and write it in the table of a sanctified conscience if it were possible with a pen of Iron and the point of a Diamond What is a man profited if hee gaine the whole world and lose his owne soule FINIS CHRIST HIS SECOND ADVENT OR THE APPROACH OF THE GOD OF RECOMPENCES ACT. 1. 11. This same Iesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as you have seene him goe into heaven Epist. JUDE vers 14. Behold the Lord commeth with ten thousand of his Saints to execute judgement upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deedes which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for Ralph Mabbe 1639. CHRIST HIS SECOND ADVENT OR THE APPROACH OF THE GOD OF RECOMPENCES SERMON XXIII REVEL 22. 12. Behold I come shortly and my reward is with me to give every man according to his workes THe Angell having described to Saint Iohn in the Chapter immediatly before and in the former part of this Chapter the exceeding great joy and glory and felicitie that all the godly shall have in the kingdome of heaven by comparing it to a Citie built with precious stones having twelve gates and twelve foundations wherein there is no darknesse they needing no candle nor the light of the Sunne for Christ Jesus the Sunne of righteousnesse is the continuall light thereof And that therein is no miserie no crosse no imperfection no want no calamitie but continuall joy and rejoycing Where their songs are Halelujah and their shields felicitie in the continuall enjoying of the presence of Almighty God the glorious Trinitie Having I say thus described these joyes he doth in the words of my Text for the comfort of the godly Who have here no continuing Citie but are strangers and forreiners and pilgrims and travellers to another Citie and seeke a Countrie And in this their travell they meete with many crosses and afflictions and miseries And likewise for the terrour of the wicked that make this world their kingdome and are the chiefe Lords and commanders of the same for the comfort of the one and the terrour of the other the Angell here in the person of Christ saith hee will come and that shortly to bee a speedy deliverer of the one and a just Judge against the other Behold I come shortly and my reward is with me c. In which words observe these particular branches First the word of preparation or attention in the first word Behold which is as it were a Trumpet that sounds before the comming of the great Judge bidding every one to fit and prepare himselfe to hold up his hand at the barre Behold Secondly the Person and that is the Judge himselfe speaking in the person of the Angell I Christ Jesus himselfe Thirdly his action I come Fourthly the speedinesse of his comming shortly Fiftly the end of his comming to Judgement and that is to reward every man according to his workes Sixtly and lastly the quantitie and the qualitie of the reward inclusively set downe which is according to the qualitie of the workes for if the workes be good there shall be a great and good reward but if they be bad the reward shall be accordingly The small model of time will not suffer mee to runne over all these particulars therefore my meditations and your attention shall be in one doctrine from the words in generall and that is this that Christ Iesus will hasten his comming to Iudgement to reward the godly with everlasting and eternall felicities but the wicked and ungodly with endlesse woe and perpetuall miserie For the proofe of which doctrine you may consider these foure things First of all the certaintie and celeritie of Christs comming to Judgement Secondly the signes that prognosticate his comming Thirdly the Judgement it selfe Lastly the end For the certaintie of Christs comming to judgement I perswade my selfe that there is none here among you so ignorant that hee doth not know or so Atheisticall that he doth not beleeve you know it is an Article of our beliefe that he ascended into heaven and there hee sits at the right hand of his Father in glorie and from thence he shall come at the end of the world to judge both the quicke and the dead Therefore I may spare the labour and the time in any further proofe of that Now concerning the speedinesse of his comming to judgement If so be the day of Judgement was at hand sixteene ages since as both Christ and his Apostles proclaimed if then even in Christs dayes the ends of the world were come as Saint Paul saith 1 Cor. 10. 11. If then was the last time as Saint Iohn saith 1 Iohn 2. 18. If then the end of all things were at hand as Saint Peter saith 1 Pet. 4. 7. can we thinke that now it is farre off Nay so sure and so certaine as God is God and his Word is truth and not one jotte nor tittle thereof shall passe away he is neere at hand hee will come shortly But before wee proceed there lies two stumbling blocks in the way that wee must remove wherewith many stumble concerning this point In the time of the Apostles there were two heresies confuted the one by Saint Peter the other by Saint Paul Saint Peter in 2 Pet. 3. 3. he wills us to understand that in the last dayes there shall come scoffers men
I saith hee and presently they fell downe to the ground they were beat downe with the very breath of his mouth as a man is sometimes with the wind of a bullet or as the walls of Iericho with the sound of the trumpets of Rammes-hoâ—…es The very word Ego sum it was no more they fell all to the ground Now I may say with that Father what shall hee doe when hee comes to judge that was able to doe thus when he was to be judged Quid regnatâ—…res patuerit c. what shall he doe when he comes to reigne that was able to doe thus when he was to die But alas you will say if hee be so great a God so glorious how shall such a poore wretch as I stand before him I confesse my selfe a poore wretched and grievous sinner how shall I stand before him Oh marke here hee that is called the great God hee is called the Saviour Iesus Christ. Here is the comfort hee is a Saviour hee came to worke the worke of Redemption Hee was made like us in all things sinne excepted that he might be mercifull And it is wondrous comfortable that in that very nature hee shall be our Judge in which hee stood before the Judge at the judgement seate of Pilate God hath appointed a day saith Saint Paul in which hee will judge the world in righteousnesse by whom by the man Iesus Christ Act. 17. 31. O but what a comfort of comforts is that indeed I pray marke our Lords words Iohn 5. 27. God the Father saith hee hath given all authoritie to his Sonne to judge Why Marke his reason because hee is the Sonne of man He doth not say he hath given him power to judge because hee is his Sonne but because hee is the Sonne of man It made sweet Saint Bernard crie out O verum Pâ—…trem misericordiae c. O true Father of mercies that wouldest have men judged by man he hath beene a man and lived he knew no sin he knew temptation he knew what it was to be tempted hee knowes that we are tempted and hee knowes that wee are but men hee remembreth that wee are but dust Thus I have gone over the words briefly There is a generall Doctrine to bee touched which I can but touch in a word it is this Everie true Christian must so live as a man that waites and lookes for this blessed hope at that glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Iesus Christ. The holy men that lived before Christs first Epiphanie his first comming here in the flesh they are described thus to be men that looked for that comming After his comming Anna the Prophetesse the Scripture saith shee spake of Christ to all that looked for redemption in Ierusalem Luke 2. 36. and in verse 25. it is said that â—…ld Simeon a devout man and one that looked for the consolation of Israel And the like is said of Ioseph of Aremathea hee was a just man one that feared God and looked for the redemption of the people of God he looked for the kingdome of God There was looking then And the Children of God now in the New Testament they are all described by this looking for the second comming of Christ. Gods children are still looking for this second comming Let me give you but a place or two of Scripture The Apostle saith Phil. 3. 20. Our conversation is in heaven from whence wee looke for the Saviour Saith S. Iude verse 21. Keepe your selves in the love of God as men that looke for the mercie of God at that great day to eternall life Gird up your loynes saith our blessed Lord and let your lights bee burning in your hands that you may be as men that looke for the comming of the Bridegroome Indeed beloved if wee looke into the lives of men I cannot tell whether I shall say they looke for his comming or no this blessed hope Wilt thou prophane the sanctified day of rest wilt thou blaspheme the great and glorious name of God wilt thou want only abuse the creatures of God in drunkennesse wilt thou lie and steale and whore and yet tell mee thou lookest for that blessed hope surely thou dost not If quoth the Apostle we doe looke for these things in the place named before 2 Pet. 2. 14. Then let us doe our diligence that wee may bee found of him in peace If thou doe not thy diligence that when he comes thou mayest bee found in peace never tell me thou lookest for him There was never time yet for us to lie and wallow in sinne to thinke nothing that wee doe dishonest there was never time for these things since time was Surely there is no time for it now All the dayes since Christ are called the last dayes all of them are the last dayes since that day of the first Epiphanie but there is a day that will be the last of all those last dayes And me-thinkes it will not be long before that last day of all come me-thinkes I see the day broke already it is breake of day alreadie Therefore brethren if you doe indeed looke for the comming of Christ for this blessed hope at his appearing bee diligent that you may bee found of him without spot in holinesse I have done with the Text. I come now to the occasion at this time You have brought hither a dead body of a very good neighbour of ours and whom I acknowledge I ever found a kind and a loving friend You have brought it here to be laid up in the Grave in hope of a blessed and joyfull resurrection I need not speake much of his life here an ancient inhabitant When it pleased God to call mee first to this place 26. yeares since I found him then in the chiefe office of the Church and divers times since he hath been in it and I have seldome knowne any more painfull and more industrious and more honest in those places then he was Wee have all knowne him a man humble in his conversation just of his word true in his promises mercifull in his dealing charitable to the poore readie to every good worke His life was such a life as the Apostle would have ours to be a life sober and just and pious in this present evill world Hee lived and lead a life pious in regard of God just in regard of men sober in regard of himselfe I can say no lesse of him and I will say no more of him I know you desire to heare of his death and it hath much afflicted my soule to heare what unjust aspertions have beene upon the manner of it There was a sudden stroake indeed of Gods hand and it was in my house and seeing that it so pleased God I am glad that it was in my presence and sight that I might give the better testimonie of it The suddennesse of the stroake made him liable to some misconstruction and hath
owne soule Secondly consider when a man sleepes and slumbers in sinne how unfit he is for any Christian dutie and exercise for the maine parts of Godlinesse and Christianitie How unfit is a sleepie man for the actions of life and of his calling and how unfit and unable and indisposed is a man that slepes in sinne to the actions of spirituall life There be some maine parts and branches of our generall Calling to which this sleepe makes us unable The first of them is the exercise of godlinesse the maine thing in the profession of a Christian to exercise himselfe in godlinesse how unfit is a sleepie Christian for this who sees a man that is asleepe that workes in his Calling that can doe any good in it So how can a Christian exercise himselfe in the actions of his generall Calling when he sleepes in his praying in his hearing in his reading if these duties be done coldly what are they worth Actions that are done in a mans sleepe they come to nothing so a man that sleepes in sinne let him doe never so many good actions they are of no value A second maine branch of our Christian Calling is the spirituall combate to fight against our corruptions Now alas how unfit is a sleepie man either to expect or to repell an enemie when he is asleepe hee lies open to all disadvantage Sisera himselfe a strong and noble Captaine was so weake that a silly woman Iael slew him when he was asleepe therefore we know this part of our Christian calling cannot hold as long as wee sleepe in sinne Thirdly another part and maine branch of Christianitie is to expect our Masters returne to waite for the comming of our Lord that we may enjoy that sweet blessednesse that he hath promised and made us expect and waite for now how unfit is a sleepie man to waite for his Masters comming to set things in order Thus we see in these particular maine duties of Christianitie they cannot be performed by men that are asleep therfore we had need to wake our selves if we will either honour God or profit our selves if will be fit to doe service to God or to his Church wee must keepe our selves awake especially in the maine duties of Christianitie Thirdly consider while we sleepe and are secure the enemie never sleepes he is then most watchfull against us We may sleep and thinke we doe well enough to take our ease but Satan sleepes not we have a watchfull enemie to deale with And then he hath some advantage by our sleeping in Mat. 13. in that Parable The enemie sowes tares while men slept hee comes into the field of the heart where the word of God the good seed is sowne and what doth he doe there he sowes a croppe of thornes and they make the heart of a Christian like the field of Solomons sluggard Prov. 24. I passed by the field of the sluggard and it was all thornes c. Thus is the heart that is neglected of a man that is sleepie and secure in sinne When doe robbers and theeves assault the house In the dead time of the night when they may take men at advantage in their first sleepe then they come and breake into the house Shall theeves and burglaries watch at midnight to breake the house and cut mens throates and wilt not thou watch to save thy selfe Further consider as the enemie never sleepes so Gods mercy never sleepes Gods mercie is ever watching over us to doe us good and it watcheth to keepe us watchfull for what should all the mercies of God doe to us but keepe us watchfull Our God that we serve is not as Baal the God of Idolaters perhaps hee is asleepe and must be awaked or hee is chasing his adversaries No no the strength that keepes Israel slumbers not nor sleepes Therefore let not Israel slumber nor sleepe because God watcheth over his children let them watch with him and keepe themselves neere to him Fiftly if this will not move thee then consider as Gods mercie sleepes not so Gods judgements sleepe not That man that sleepes in sinne let him know that Gods judgements sleepe not As Balaam when he was out of the way the Angell watcheth him and catcheth him in this corner and in that corner he could goe into no corner but the Angell with his drawne sword was ready to meet him and to slay him And the Apostle saith of those that were led away by false teachers Their damnation sleepeth not Gods judgements are alway waking thou maist sleepe on both sides in sinne but Gods justice sleepeth not And thou that art the Lords if thou sleepe know that correction and chastisement sleepeth not and they will awake thee thou wert better to awake by slighter meanes To conclude all consider that all of us there is no man upon the earth but we are all going to meet the mortall slâ—…epe of death and if we shall when that meets us have our owne consciences tell us that we have also a spirituall sleepe within us that we carrie a spirituall sleepe to meet that mortall sleepe what a miserable and mournfull state will that be when the heart of a man or woman that is comming to die shall say and speake aloude and witnesse against his Master O thou hast beene a sluggish and sleepie Christian thou hast had good meanes but thou hast not kept thy watch thou wouldest sleepe doe what the exhortations of the Word could thou wouldest be a drowsie Christian Hence it comes to passe that so many when on their death-bed they come to grapple with that mortall sleepe and then conscience proclaimes against them then they crie Oh that I had but one day but one houre more that I might waken and strengthen the things that are readie to die and that it might be better with me then it is But alas now their short day is past and one perpetuall night to come and now it is too late as it proves many times Therefore let not time goe but know that that mournfull day must come upon us we must meet that mortall sleepe Let us labour to shake off spirituall sleepe drowsinesse of spirit and make our peace in the meane time that conscience may witnesse with us and for us at the day of death and judgement Let us labour to be watchfull and desire to be readie for the Lord and to have our accounts readie for him This shall suffice for the words Now for our occasion because this is my first occasion of this kind I must enter with a preface and that is this that as I have ever beene in the course of my ministerie so I shall bee very sparing in the praise of the dead because I know that these exercises are appointed for the instructing of the living and the consolation of those that survive and not for the praise and commemoration of the dead Besides I know and see by daily
of sinne in the cause of it And when we feele sorrow thinke here is a harbinger of death I feele paine in me ere long I must surrender to the stroake of Death And as oft as wee see spectacles of mortalitie to reade a lecture of Death And when we lay our selves downe in our beds thinke of Death And upon all occasions come to the house of mourning and thinke of Death If the Serpents sting bee plucked out a man may handle it hee is shie at the first but after finding it cannot hurt him he feares it not So we have cause to thanke God for death as well as for other things thus farre because hee hath changed the nature of it and made it a sweet passage to another life And then though God take Children or friends or goods or any thing in this world hee will be our exceeding great reward hee will be All in all to us here and hereafter FINIS THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGE OR THE RULE OF IVDGEMENT GEN. 18. 25. Shall not the Iudge of all the world doe right ROM 2. 12. As many as have sinned in the Law shall be judged by the Law LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for Ralph Mabbe 1639. THE RIGHTEOUS IVDGE OR THE RVLE OF IVDGEMENT SERMON XXVIII IAM 2. 12. So speake yee and so doe as they that shall bee judgedby the Law of Libertie VPon the like sad occasion I have already handled something out of these words The last thing that I came to was that In the day of judgement God will call both the words and actions of men to account He will bring their words and their actions to judgement not onely their workes 2 Cor. 5. 10. God will bring every worke to judgement and so Eccles. 12. Hee will bring every thing to judgement whether good or evill But besides that hee will bring every word to judgement too even the very vaine words of men of every idle word men shall give account Matth. 12. 36. And the very rash and passionate speeches of men what they speake in passion and repent not of even those passionate speeches that they thought might have easily beene passed by He that cals his brother foole shall be in danger of hell fire Matth. 5. 22. Then much more those evill speeches against God Iude 13. 14. He shall come with thousands of his angells in judgement against all those that have spoken against him They have spoken against God they have reviled him he shall judge them for all their evill and cursed speakings against him saith the Apostle They in fury and madnesse fell to evill and cursed speaking and slighted God and despised him therefore he shall come in great glory with thousands of his Angels to make it appeare that he is more glorious then they thought him to be and he will now stand for the vindicating of his honour and the manifesting of his glory in such a terrible appearance at that day Against all those that speake evill and against all their cursed speakings against him saith the Text evill speaking against God is cursed speaking Because it exposeth a man to a curse it leaves him under a curse that shall appeare at that day to bee just against him so wee see God will bring both words and workes to judgement at that day And the reasons are First because the Law of God binds men in their speeches as well as in their actions I say the Law that shall judge them doth now binde them in their very speeches as well as in their actions You have two commandements expresly taking notice of the words of men The third commandement of the words of men cercerning God he that takes the name of God in vaine he will not hold him guiltlesse And then the ninth commandement of the words of men concerning men Thou shalt not beare false witnesse against thy neighbour Now God that hath made a Law to bind and to order men in the matter of speech certainly he will judge men by that Law You know that Kings and Princes and Parliaments and Kingdomes they make not Lawes in vain but they are the directions wherby the judges proceed in their course of judgement upon malefactours So I say Gods Law it is not in vaine it is not a bare direction onely to us in point of obedience but also the expresse rule whereby Christ himselfe will proceede in matter of judgement Againe secondly there is great reason that words as well as actions should be brought to judgement because God and men are injured by words as well as by actions First concerning God you reade of some Psal. 73. that set their mouthes against God and against heaven Indeede they can doe no more hurt to God then a man that shoots an Arrow at the Sunne can hurt the Sunne by shooting at him but in their intention they set themselves against God in as much as their tongues are set against him And in Levit. 24. 11. The word there translated to blaspheme it is in the originall that the man stabbed God or did pierce God hee offered a kinde of violence to the holy name of God Such sinfull speeches as are forbidden in the third Commandement and doe concerne the name of God or any of his attributes or ordinances any thing that is spoken against them or without due reverence and respect to them they are there sayd to bee a stabbing of God in the Hebrew phrase or a piercing of God a wounding of God doing some violence to God himselfe Now I say when such wrong and injury is done to God shall not God take a time to right himselfe of those that injure him Secondly it is an injury done to men You know it is a common thing in Law to have actions against men for speeches they make speeches actions they make them lyable to the penaltie and censure of the Law for speeches So the Law of God proceeds according to the very speeches of men whereby they have discouraged his servants in any kind at any time in any duty of Religion and course of his worship or whereby they have brought an ill report on it As those spies did upon the Land therefore they might not bee suffered to goe into the Land So I say when men bring an evill report upon the duties of godlinesse they shut themselves out of the kingdome of God So likewise when men make that which is straight become crooked It is sayd of Simon Magus that hee perverted the straight wayes of God that is hee did as much as lay in him to make the straight wayes of God to seeme crooked that as a man that puts a stick in the water though it bee straight when it is put in yet it seemes crooked when it is in So when a man puts colours and shewes upon good actions and courses as if they were folly and indiscretion and unadvised and hypocrisie and vaine or whatsoever is ill this is
my Gospell Rom. 2. 16. not onely that looke what he hath spoken of the judgement shall proove true but that in the judgement there shall be a proceeding proportionable and agreeable to what hee hath spoken in that word that he calls his Gospell Therefore take heede how you slight this Word it is a dangerous thing Saith Solomon Pro. 13. 13. he that despiseth the Commandement shall perish Hee that despiseth the Commandement when God hath revealed his will in matter of dutie for the direction of life for that he calls the Commandement there now if a man come to despise this he shall certainely perish saith Solomon When doth a man despise the Commandement You know to despise is when a man accounts a thing of no force that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 despise not prophesying The word is account it not a thing of nothing account it not a slight matter Now you know a man accounts a thing as a thing of nothing when he undervalues it when he gives it lesse acknowledgment then it is worthy of As if a man come to buy a Jewell or a Pearle in the Market and offer a sleight and small matter for it hee had as good bid nothing the undervaluing of a commoditie is as the accounting of it worth nothing In spirituall things when a man accounts the Law of God below it selfe that is when hee makes it not the chiefe direction of his life then hee accounts it as a thing of nothing and despiseth the Law For either the Law is somewhat by Gods appointment or not at all if it be somewhat by Gods appointment then it must have that place that God hath appointed it or else wee give it not any esteeme according to the appointment of God but according to our owne Fancy I say if wee give the Law esteeme according to Gods appointment and by vertue of his Word then wee will give it the esteeme that God hath put upon it that is that it shall rule us in all our actions and that it shall be our supreame rule and guide that a man shall account nothing else as the sufficient direction of his life but the Law Now when men come to this that they will preferre their owne opinions before the Law when they will preferre the opinion of other men before the Text of Scripture when they preferre the customes of the world before the rule of the Word This is now to dispise the Law to make it as a thing of nothing As you see it plaine it is ordinary in Scripture thus to tax men as when they would account the traditions of men above the word In vaine they worship me saith God they become vanitie themselves for accounting the Law vaine So when they preferred the customes of their forefathers equall with the Law they despised the Law this mixture this joyning of other things with it it is that that the Scripture calls the despising of the Law Therefore it is a dangerous thing to despise the Law Is it not dangerous to despise the Judge the Law shall bee your Judge that is the rule whereby the Judge shall proceede You know it is the aggravation of the fault of a Malefactor that he not onely transgresseth and sinneth against the Lawes of the Kingdome but that he hath despised the Law if hee have beene heard to speake any speeches to the contempt of the Law this is a great aggravation of his sinne how much more shall it bee in the day of the Lord Mens Lawes are imperfect and therefore are revoked many times and repealed and reversed but this Law of God is a perfect Law and therefore it shall never bee reversed it shall never be revoked nor altred Now for a man to sleight and neglect this in any point or degree it is a high contempt against God himselfe That as a man might say of the Iewes when Christ came amongst them hee offered himselfe to bee their King but being they would not take him for their King who if they had taken him so would have beene their Saviour therefore the time shall come that he will be their Judge and not their Saviour So I say concerning the Law the Law now published in the preaching of the Word those that will not now take it to be their counsellor shall finde it then to bee their condemner If this be a harsh saying as they speake of the command of Christ Ioh. 6. This is a hard saying who can beare it If the Commandement of Christ concerning obedience seeme harsh then how harsh a saying shall that be depart yee cursed into everlasting fire If it bee so hard a thing to stand to the command of the Law how hard a thing will it bee to stand under the penaltie and censure of the Law Therefore I say let men take heede they shall finde that even that very faith commanded that they have sleighted it shall proove heavie they sleighted it in obedience it shall proove heavie in the judgement and punishment Secondly it may serve for admonition and so to teach us how to carry our selves If the Law of God be the rule whereby hee will judge us First then looke to the law for direction looke to the precept to the command of God for the directing of our lives I know not how but I am sure by the malice of Sathan it is come into the world into the Church that some men upon pretence of giving the doctrine of justification by grace and by the merits of Christ the full vertue of it would put men off from all obedience as if therefore wee were not to be under the direction of the Law because wee are freed from the Law by Christ. They distinguish not betweene the penaltie of the Law and the command of the Law the same Christ that hath freed us from the punishment of the Law as many as are in him by faith hath subjected us to the command of the Law and that in his owne person and not onely so but in his owne precept Therefore he became an expounder of the Law Matth. 5. and shewes that the Law is spirituall that it is a thing that binds the conscience and would have all men looke to the direction of the Law And the Apostle Saint Paul then whom no man ever spake more fully of justification by Faith yet the same Apostle would not have the Law as it is a direction of life abolished but would have men so much the more new as by new arguments and incouragements they are set upon the duties of obedience But I say such is the malice of Sathan as to draw men upon such grounds as these are not rightly understood by them to I know not what course of libertiâ—…sme and though they pretend a course of obedience to the Law yet they will not doe it as to the Law Whereas it is evident that the Law is appointed as a curbe to our
corruption to cure and purge out that And therefore it is formen to be wiser then God to ground their actions upon another principle and ground then God grounds them Indeede the servants of God doe not the actions of obedience simply because of the Law written in the Scriptures but they have the Law written in their hearts too so the Spirit of God is a Spirit that guides them according to the Law and disposeth them to those actions that are sutable to the Law yet he never excludes or puts them from the Law from subjection to the Law in point of obedience I say therefore errours creepe in amongst men to dreame of a libertie from obedience when the Scripture speaks of a libertie from the Law but in other sences not in matter of dutie Secondly let men looke to the Law for tryall too Gal. 6. 3 4. If a man thinke he is something when he is nothing he deceiveth him selfe but let every man try himselfe and prove his owne worke Let him proove his owne worke by what shall he prove it Why by the Law By the Law here we meane the whole Word of God the Law of workes and of Faith I say let him proove his workes by this Law by the written Word of God Therefore if a man would now know how it shall goe with him at the day of judgement let him begin to judge himselfe by this rule before hand Let him reason thus eyther I shall stand as condemned or acquitted if as condemned it is by the Law therefore marke so farre as I goe on in any sinne against any knowne truth of God so farre I stand in the estate of a condemned person Therefore consider beloved you doe exceedingly wrong your selves because you doe not looke thus upon your actions you looke not upon them as upon things that are transgressions against the Law that shall judge you and that therefore if the Law of God condemne such actions now then thou standest as a condemned person by vertue of that Law Alas durst men goe on without repentance in any course of sinne if they tooke themselves as condemned men in truth by vertue of the Law There is not any word that thou speakest but as soone as it is spoken thou standest in the estate of a condemned man and if thou interest not thy selfe in Christ and come not in certainly the Law will passe upon it Therefore seriously consider of this that there is no evill or particular sinne that you goe on in but if the Law condemne it Christ will condemne it too at the day of judgement Therefore you must before hand condemne your selves that you may not be condemned of the Lord 1 Cor. 11. 32. Iudge your selves and you shall not be judged of the Lord. But yet this remaynes a truth still that hee that doth not condemne himselfe that doth not take off his sinnes by unfeigned repentance he stands a condemned person before the Lord because he stands condemned in the Law Therefore I beseech you beloved pleade not any priviledge in Christ I speake this the rather because men use the Gospell to their owne destruction I say plead not priviledge by Christ if you goe on in the allowance of any sinne Shall we continue in sinne that grace may abound God forbid saith the Apostle So I say when a man will come and plead I believe and I hope to be saved by Faith yet neverthelesse it may be thou art a swearer a vaine spender of thy time it may be thou art a neglecter of the duties of the worship of God and of thy duties towards men c. thou art a man in some constant course in some way of sinne or other I say this shewes thee to stand as a condemned man and in the state of a condemned man I say not that such a man shall infallibly bee damned because God may give him repentance that hee may come out of the snare of the divell but wee say hee stands for the present in the state of a condemned person and he is condemned by the Law and remaynes so till this be reversed by repentance till hee have sued out his pardon by interresting himselfe in Christ. Therefore consider this seriously that there is not that sinne in thought that thou committest not any act of sinne whatsoever but because of that sinne thou art condemned in Law therefore thou standest in the state of a condemned person for that sinne therefore there must bee somewhat done now to take off this I say a man may have a pardon and yet if he sue it not out it is of no force or use to him so letno man talke hee is a justified person by Christ but thou must sue out this pardon Therefore wee are taught upon daily suing to renew our daily prayers for the pardon of sinne There must be a daily suing out of the pardon and that upon this ground so there must be a daily condemning of thy selfe and of sinne in thy selfe Alas what shall become of a world of men and women I speake not of those that are without wee leave them they are condemned in the sight of all the world but wee speake of those that are now in the Church of those that goe some what forward in the profession of Religion and hope and are perswaded that they are in a good case and yet have little care to set things right betweene God and themselves but though such and such actions be condemned by the Law yet they hope that there is a generall mercy that will pardon it though they never sue out their pardon I say the Law shall passe on thee till thou doe that that concernes thee to be released from the rigour and sentence of the Law he that confesseth and forsakes his sinnes shall finde mercy Prov. 28. 13. This must be done and so in other particulars the Scripture is large in these things that somewhat must be done by us to sue out this pardon that though there be an act of pardon in God a free act yet there must somewhat bee done by us to sue out this pardon for our selves or else wee stand in the state of condemned persons But these things I leave to your meditations and so I fall upon the next point which I will briefly touch and that is no more but thus that since there shall be a proceeding in the day of judgement by the Law wherein mens actions and words shall bee brought to account therefore The consideration of the day of judgement should be an effectuall insentive provocation to stinmen to a holy and conscionable walking in this life So speake and so doe as those that shall be judged by such a Law Since the Apostle makes this use of it to direct us both in our speeches and actions I say we may learne hence that the consideration of the judgement to come wherein Christ will proceede according to the Law it
two for the Use of this Since this is the Use that the servants of God have made and that wee should make of the Judgement to come therefore to bee more carefull in the duties of obedience and holinesse so to speake and so to doe as those that shall be judged It first shewes the cause of the discouragements of Gods servants and the prophanenesse of the world is because they perfectly beleeve not the judgement to come The hearts of Gods servants would not droupe so they would not be so faint so dejected and discouraged if they beleeved that there were such a judgement to come wherein Christ will abundantly recompence all their sorrowes and labours wherein he will bring his reward with him plentifully Againe the wicked world would not be so prophane as they are drunkards and swearers and Sabbath-breakers and all sorts of wicked persons they would not give themselves so to sinne as they doe if in truth they did perfectly beleeve there were a judgement to come when all their words and actions their company their time and every thing shall be brought to account I say the cause of all prophanenesse is this here it begins men beleeve not the judgement to come The Apostles were troubled with these kind of scoffers Where is the promise of his comming So they hardened themselves upon the observation of the continuance of the seasons upon the face of the earth in like manner from the beginning Well saith the Apostle God is not slacke as men count slacknesse but is patient and forbearing that men may repent but at the last he will come and come with flaming fire So this is certaine whatsoever you thinke and put the evill day farre off from you yet there is a judgement comming wherein all your actions and affections and speeches and your whole conversation shall be scanned and brought to the rules of this law that you have despised Therefore let men take heed and know it is a device of Satan to harden their hearts either to thinke that the law is a dead letter I meane in respect of the directing use of it that it is of no use to direct them it is a devise of Satan to put them off for they shall find that that law will judge them that now should direct them And then againe for men to thinke that there shall bee no Judgement or not such proceedings according to the law this is a tricke of the Divell to keepe men in prophanenesse and hardnesse of heart Therefore secondly if wee would grow up in holinesse in the feare of God Let us perfect and strengthen our faith in assenting to this truth that there is such a judgement to come wherein our words and actions and all shall be brought to account Therefore so speake and so doe as those that shall bee judged Thou art now in companie and thou speakest amongst men but thy words are with God they are written in thy conscience as it is in Ieremie upon the Table of thy heart there they are written the words that thou hast forgotten seven yeares agoe it may bee twentie yeares agoe and never tookest a course to get them blotted out by repentance there they are written and these words shall be brought to judgement and so many actions as thou hast neglected therefore looke to it First bewaile those words and actions past as things that else will come to judgement if thou judge not thy selfe before-hand And then againe for the time to come set on a resolution to walke daily as one that may die every day and then shall bee brought to judgement Therefore judge thy selfe daily renew thy Covenant settle thy peace on a right ground daily and perfect holinesse in the feare of God daily as one that expectest a Judgement Saint Iude condemnes those that feasted without feare They were at their Tables companying and feasting as men without feare S. Ierome speakes of himselfe that whatsoever he was doing he had a fearefull apprehension of the day of Judgement Alwayes saith he whether I eate or drinke or whatsoever I doe I heare the Trumpet and the voyce of the Arch-Angell saying Arise yee dead and come to judgement Well I say doe thou so let this be thy serious thought and doe it not slightly but thinke that this may bee thy last word and thou must bee brought to judgement for it this may be thy last opportunie and thy last action and thou must be brought to judgement for that Doe things in this manner as those that so speake and so doe that they must bee judged Wouldest thou be content to have thy oathes brought before Christ in judgement if not take heed of swearing for it is judged already by the law therefore judge and condemne thy sinnes in thy selfe and forsake them that thou maist find mercie Wouldest thou be found guiltie of Sabbath-breaking at the day of Judgement if not repent of thy former guilt and bee more conscionable of sanctifying the Sabbath after And so I may say of every sinne Wouldest thou be found an Usurer a Deceiver unrighteous in any course a scoffer a prophane person Wouldest thou appeare before Christ so in judgement If not repent of thy guilt in this kind that thy sinnes may bee done away when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of Christ. And in the meane time set thy selfe in a contrarie course to that thou hast beene doe as one that would have Death find thee in a good course for as death leaves thee judgement shall find thee If Death find thee in a state of repentance in a course of reformation of thy evill wayes judgement shall find thee so too Let Death therefore find thee as a man interest in Christ as a man humbling thy soule abhorring thy selfe for thy former sinnes let Death find thee as a man reforming all those evills that are condemned in the Word and in thy conscience Now when I say let Death find thee so I meane set about it presently for how soone Death may set upon thee thou knowest not whether to night or no and if this be not now done if thou set not about it now it may bee too late thou shalt have no more time therefore doe that now and goe on constantly after knowing that Death may find thee every moment Therefore it is that God keepes from us upon purpose as it were the certaine knowledge of the time of Death that wee may bee alwayes prepared for Death FINIS SINNES STIPEND AND GODS MUNIFICENCE ROM 2. 8. 9. Vnto them that doe not obey the truth but obey unrighteousnesse indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every soule of man that doeth evill upon the Iew first and also upon the Gentile LVKE 12. 32. Feare not little Flocke for it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdome LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for Ralph Mabbe 1639. SINNES STIPEND AND GODS MVNIFICENCE SERMON XXIX ROM 6.
become profitable as the furnace to the gold to purge out the drosse to make a separation betweene the pure mettall and the ore Profitable as physicke to the body to purge out the malignant humours Profitable as sope to the cloth to fetch out the staines to take out the greasie spottes it is the Scripture expresion their hearts are as fatte as grease to make them white Profitable as the Thunder to the Ayre to purge it to make it more commodious to breathe in Profitable as the wind to the water to make it the purer by its ventillation Profitable as the pruning knife to the tree to make it more fruitfull These and the like metaphors we have and by them wee are to conceive of the good and benefit that comes to us by Gods castigation and fatherly exercising of his people with his discipline and rod of Affliction But what are these blessed fruits what is the profit accruing to the soule of the people of God by this meanes I can but name part of them Besides that which is exprest in the Text that we might bee partaker of his holinesse there are these gracious effects of afflictions Weaning from the world a bringing us into more acquaintance with God Manasseth when hee was in affliction hee besought the Lord his God and humbled himselfe greatly before the God of his Fathers and prayed unto him and then saith the Text he knew that the Lord hee was God God by this meanes makes us know our selves the vanitie of the creature the sinfulnesse of sinne the sweetnesse of the Word the excellency that is in the promises makes us more compassionate to others keepeth us from hell and many other fruites there are of afflictions But to passe this A second thing implied in the Doctrine is this that as afflictions are meanes conducing to our profit so God in exercising his people with them mainly intendeth it The Lord saith Moses led thee through that great and terrible wildernesse wherein were fiery Serpents and Scorpions and drought where there was no water suffered thee to hunger brought thee into hard straites but what was Gods ayme in this that hee might humble thee and that hee might prove thee to doe thee good at the later end By this saith the Prophet speaking of the afflictions of the Church shall the iniquitie of Iacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sinne This I say is that which God intendeth by the afflictions of his people and this is that which the servants of God by faith have beene able to apprehend and to interpret the Lords meaning in all his sharpe dispensations towards them As the Prophet Habakkuk having made a terrible description of the Babylonish rod hee concludes in the twelfth verse of his first Chapter Art not thou from everlasting O Lord my God Wee shall not die O Lord thou hast ordained them for Iudgement and O mighty God thou hast established them for correction This is that likewise which the Saints of God have looked for and expected that while the windes of afflictions have beene blowing some ship or other should come home richly fraighted So David when that storme of cursing came from the mouth of Shimei Oh saith David let him alone let him curse it may be that the Lord will looke on mine affliction and that the Lord will requite good for his cursing this day So when Rabshaketh came up against Ierusalem Let him alone saith Hezekiah answer him not a word it may be the Lord will heare the words of Rabshaketh whom his Master hath sent to reproach the living God and will reprove the words which the Lord hath heard It may be the Lord will open his eare upon this rage and blasphemie and consider his people and doe them good The Saints of God I say have expected good and benefit from Gods afflicting of them For the use of this and so to draw to a conclusion In the first place Seeing this is Gods intent in all his administrations to his people especially in his castigations of them and reaching out unto them such sharpe and bitter potions It may serve to checke and controule all those hard thoughts that wee are apt to suffer to lodge within us concerning Gods dealing with us in the time of our distresses Apt we are to speak foolishly and unadvisedly concerning God and to misconster his administrations This hath beene the frailtie of Gods dearest servants in their affliction I shall one day said David perish by the hand of Saul Woe is mee saith Isaiah for I am undone because I am a man of uncleane lips The Lord saith the Church hath broken my teeth with gravell stones and covered me with ashes he hath removed my soule farre off from peace and I said my strength and my hope is perished from the Lord. The Lord hath forsaken me saith Zion and my Lord hath forgotten mee Iob though for a good while hee carried himselfe very fairely and demeaned himselfe very warily toward God yet when he began to be wet to the skinne then he speakes foolishly and unadvisedly falleth to the cursing of his day not to the cursing of his God as Sathan thought he would but of his day though that was too much and ill beseeming so holy a man The Saints I say are apt to mistake themselves this way and to overshoote themselves in this case We should therefore humble our selves before the Lord for this distemper of soule and labour to keepe downe such unquiet thoughts and hard disputings that are apt to rise within us against God and his dispensations And consider that whatsoever our thoughts are yet the Lord knoweth his owne thoughts concerning us as he himselfe speakes in Ier. 29. howsoever saith he you may thinke that I intend to cut you off for ever yet I know my thoughts that I thinke towards you even thoughts of peace and not of evill to give you an expected end Againe secondly it may serve to comfort the godly concerning all the meanes and instruments of their sufferings whether they be men or divels Wicked men and divels whom God useth as a Rod to chastise his people their malice is great and their rage violent and they march on with much furie against the godly they intend their utter ruine and devastation and purpose nothing lesse But O Assyrian saith God the rodde of mine anger and the staffe in their hand is mine indignation howbeit hee meaneth not so neither doth his heart thinke so but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off But saith the Lord whatsoever his meaning is I know what my intentions are hee is but the rodde in mine hand and I will give such strokes with it as my people may beare and such as may bee for their profit This I say should comfort us concerning all the instruments of our suffering whatsoever they be The Phisitian
all the actions of men it were an endlesse worke where wee finde dead workes wee conclude there is a dead man when men doe the things that are the actions of a man spiritually dead we conclude they are spiritually dead the Holy Ghost sayth so for they are dead in trespasses and sinnes therefore now let us come a little closer There are abundance that perswade themselves that they are alive therefore a little try your life by your death to sinne What are your opinions and judgements concerning your owne wayes those things that the Word of God condemnes for evill those things that out of the Word are preached to you day lie by way of reproofe of sinne that are spoken to you by Christian friends by way of admonition to bring you out of your sinnes how doe you take them and digest them are they pleasing to you because they tend to the killing of sinne or are they distastefull because they give you not rest in your sinnes What doe you judge sinne worthy to live and your selves not dead the while It is a note of a man that is alive in sin that hates reproofe that hates him that reproveth in the gate hee that hates him that reproves his ill workes hee is not dead to sinne for hee doth not judge his sinne worthy to die Againe come to your affections what is it you delight in When a man lookes upon a thing that is dead if it be indeed dead the sight of it is terrible and gastly and troublesome to him When Sara was dead though Abraham loved her deare in her life remove my dead out of my sight If sinne in thee bee as a dead thing how doest thou looke upon it dost thou looke upon it as a thing that thou art afraid of as a thing that thou art the worse when thou seest it When the objects and occasions of sinne are presented to you how stand you affected then all that are dead in sin take thought to fulfill the lusts of the flesh as the Apostle sayth they delight in it sinne is sweet to them as Iob sayth but if on the otherside you looke on it with indignation loathing and detesting and abhorring sinne and your selves for sinne then it is a comfortable signe of your death to sinne Againe when you doe looke on it doe you looke upon it as a ruler or as an enemie for there is a great deale of difference A theife may come into the house as well as the Master of the house but they come not with the like authoritie nor with the like acceptance the theife comes but you know all the house sets against him and never rest till they cast him out and if they want strength they cry for helpe but the Master of the house comes in and then all the servants are in their places to doe him service all take care to please him and give him content How entertaine you the motions of sinne looke upon your former wayes upon your former customes and vanities looke upon your wonted course of ill and consider now whether there bee an endeavour to satisfie the sinfull inclination of your hearts or is there a striving and using all meanes to be rid of it Do you make this your question to the Ministers you converse with to the Christian friends with whom you consult in this case how to be rid of such a corruption how to get such a sinne purged out Is this the matter of your prayer to God doe you crie to Heaven for helpe to get out this theife that is stollen into your hearts this traytour that conspires against the glorie of God this rebell that maintaines a fight against the kingdome of Christ doe you so looke on it It is a signe you are dead to sinne or else sinne is alive in you and you are dead in sinne Thirdly and lastly consider your actions consider your conversation doth sinne get strength or is it weakened For know that this is not the mortification of sinne that a man be never troubled with it more that hee never heare more of it that hee be never more troubled with the motions of sinne no As a man that hath a deadly wound given him it may bee hee more fiercely sets on him that gave him the deadly blow then ever before yet he falls dead at his feet after so it is with the motions of sinne thinke not when sin is dead by vertue of our union with Christ that we shall not bee tempted any more to sinne that you shall not have sinne any more in you no it will bee in you and molest you But what fruit doe you bring forth What actions doe you what strength hath sinne all the strife it hath is but to disquiet and disturbe you not to rule and command you as it was wont to doe It is a signe that sinne is dead naturally by way of incoation it will die in the end you shall heare no more of it at the last and though it a great while disturbe you and disquiet you yet this is your comfort you are disturbed and you maintaine Gods quarrell against your corruptions and fight against it it is a signe it hath a deadly blow Therefore let every one consider his estate let no man denie himselfe his owne portion let him that is dead in sinne know that hee is dead and the wretchednesse of that condition eternall death begins in that death And let him that is dead to sinne know that hee is alive to God and is among those that live in Christ and shall be saved A word of exhortation and so I conclude Doth this testifie our life in Christ that wee are dead to sinne Then as you hope for any comfort or privilege or advantage by Christ labour to make this good to your soules and labour to secure this evidence more and more that you are dead to sinne There are none that heares mee this day but they professe they hope to bee saved by Christ and they looke for no other name under Heaven to bee saved by but the name of Jesus It is certain but who will Christ save they are such as whom hee sanctifies and will hee sanctifie such as by union with him are dead to sinne and alive to God Then I beseech you make this good to your selves strive more and more to kill sinne take this as a quickning argument that you are in Christ and therefore you must bee conformable to Christ. Sayth the Apostle Hee bore our sinnes in his bodie on the Tree 1 Pet. 2. 24. that wee might be dead to sinne and live to righteousnesse Why did Christ beare your sinnes in his bodie upon the Tree but for this very end that as hee dyed for sinne you might dye to sinne Now that wee may perswade you know that it is upon speciall ground you lose nothing but get much by it the more you dye to sin the lesse you lose by it First you
that may be meant but that which is unrighteously kept is unrighteous Mammon to you if you procured it never so justly unlesse you doe rightly dispose of it and if you be desirous to doe right in disposing of your mammon of your wealth doe it now That when you want that power and those times you may enjoy the comfortable fruit of the well-redeeming of the time of your life to receive you into everlasting habitations In the 25. verse of the 16. Luke it is the challenge of Abraham to Dives Sonne remember that thou in thy life-time haddest thy goods for so the word signifieth thou haddest thy opportunities of life and of goods too but now thou hast neither life nor goods left thee to doe good with and therefore hee is blessed and thou art tormented It was the folly of those five Virgins They tooke not the opportunitie of life for that is the thing meant there but they posted over all to the last and hoped that all might bee effected in a trice or minute of their life which would haue held them employment enough all the dayes of their lives And therefore they came short of heaven the gates were shut against them as you see when the Bridegroome came If any man imagine because it is said Blessed are they that die in the Lord for they rest from their labours and their workes follow them That therefore it matters not so long as a man doth good at his death though hee have neglected the wayes of goodnesse all his life Let them know that by works there is not meant the actions of men but the fruites of their actions Their workes follow them not the workes they have deferred untill death but the fruites of those workes they did while they were living and received not the benefit of them untill death Their workes follow them that is the fruits of their workes It is more good and pleasant by farre to have the actions goe before and the fruites and comfortable effects to succeed and follow after But if any man yet suppose that hee may make that up in his Will which he hath neglected all his life long and though hee have lived miserably covetously and unprofitably all the dayes of his life yet his thoughts may tell him that by the Charitable Bequests of his last Testament as bequeathing largely to the Church and Common-wealth and to all sorts of people hee may at the last make fit compensation and satisfaction for neglect of former duties Let no man deceive himselfe with such a bad resolution for first it argues a signe of infidelitie that a man will not trust God for feare he should want in his life-time what is the reason else that he deferres the doing good in health unlesse it be for feare of wanting himselfe such distrust hee hath in the providence of God Besides the same God which bids thee doe good when thou hast opportunitie and while thou enjoyest the advantage of life hee expects it now And it may bee truly said of many that neglect those times of doing good while they lived and have now supplied that defect in their death by the large benevolence of their Wills Their will is good but their deed is â—…ught So much for the first point I proceed unto the second that is thou must not only take the time of thy life but also the opportunitie of thy meanes and thy estate while there is yet a price in thine hand while thou hast opportunitie and enjoyest wealth to doe good with redeeme the advantages and opportunities by employing them in that way for which thou didst receive them The time may come wherein you may desire to doe good but cannot wanting at estate and opportunities whereby to doe it Marke what Solomon saith Wilt thou trust in a thing of nothing for Riches have wings as an Eagle and flie away toward heaven It is the vanitie of men that they still forbeare and stay while their estates increase pretending that then they shall bee better able to doe good and extend themselves more largely or that they may keepe their wealth and waite for a better opportunitie But why wilt thou trust in a thing of nothing Thou seest a fowle in her flight and now it may be thou perceivest it but instantly it vanisheth out of thy sight Why riches have wings saith Solomon Thou hast them now in thy possession and retainest them fast in hold but presently they are departed they flie as an Eagle out of thy sight And the same wise man when he exhorteth men to cast their bread upon the waters Hee gives them this reason Thou knowest not what evills thou knowest not what judgements and calamities God intends to bring upon that Nation where thou livest upon the Citie upon the Familie where thou dwellest upon thy person or estate Thou knowest not what evils God will bring upon the earth And so likewise charge rich men in this world that they hee not high-minded and that they trust not in uncertaine riches but in the living God that they bee readie to distribute and to communicate and to doe good workes What is it that hinders men from distributing and communicating Because they trust in uncertaine Riches For if they would now learne not to trust in uncertaine Riches but account them uncertaine as they are and put confidence in the living God who can provide for them when those outward meanes which they so much rely on faile their expectations they would then be more liberall and bountifull and readie to doe good and to communicate So then here is the meaning of the point Take the opportunities of life That is first take the time of life while you may doe good and then take the meanes the wealth and estate which is the time of your meanes For this observe Iobs case hee goes on discoursing of this very point he was now a man stript of all hee had but the other day the Richest man in the East the Sâ—…ans and Caldeans had carried away his goods his cattell and his children and all things were taken from him Yet there was onething that administred comfort in the day of his adversitie and his affliction And it was this saith he If I have made the eyes of the poore to faile or if I eate my morsels alone or if I have not relieved the fatherlesse c. If I have not done thus and thus then let the Lords fiercest judgement fall upon mee But herein consists my comfort my conscience beares mee witnesse that when I had wealth and estate and enjoyed the goods of this life I did good I was father to the fatherlesse a foot to the lame and eyes to the blind I did all the good that lay within the compasse of my power to doe when I had meanes to doe it I say little doe you know beloved whatsoever thou art whatsoever estate thou hast though thou
be presented before Gods severe Judgement-seat with Usurie in thy baggs with bribes and oppression in thy hands with a scumme of holinesse in thy mind with uncleannesse in thy members with drunkennesse in thy mouth with swearing in thy tongue O Lord I tremble to thinke of it Fourthly the soule when it is once gone by Death can never be recovered any more the tree may be cut and that may grow againe the shippe may be lost and the wealth laboured up againe but if the glasse be broken in peeces it cannot bee made whole againe the soule of man is but one and the losse of that one is the losse of it for ever when death hath closed up thy eyes thou shalt never have opportunitie to pray more to weepe more to humble thy selfe more to fast more Never any Prophet or Apostle shall come unto thee in the Name of God more after death all the Ordinances cease unto thee for ever and all the space of returning shall cease unto thee for ever thou shalt not lye a fewyeares in flames of wrath and then get leave to come out and take a better course O no if once there then for ever there this life is the time of mercy and space of repentance but when Death shall deliver thee up to be judged by the Lord thou must stand for ever to his sentence therefore as Christ spake Agree with thine adversary while thou art in the way lest the Iudge deliver thee to the officer and hee cast thee into prison I tell thee thou shalt not depart thence till thou hast paid the last mite Luk. 12. 58. And get oyle into your lampes before the doore be shut Fiftly consider it will be as much as thou canst doe to doe the worke of Death when Death doth come therefore prepare and get all thy other worke done before For my Beloved consider three things First Conscience usually is most active at the time of death a man that could withstand and silence it in his life yet when hee comes to dye he shall heare his voyce and perhaps not bee able to stand under the bitter inditements and manifold accusations of it then it will spread the booke of thy life before thee and then and there thou shalt see thy sinnes as gastly presented as if they were so many wounds newly made Secondly thy patience will bee tryed with varietie of paine interruption of sleepe every place will be a thorne to thee and every action a burden Thirdly thy faith may be tryed to the utmost if thou lookest to thy Wife her teares may trouble thee if to thy Children their cryes may perplexe thee ifto thy friends they may bee discomforters to thee and will Satan let thee alone all this while will he let him lye downe in comfort who would not scarce let him live an houre in peace oh what a victory would it be if hee could at the last make thee cast a way thy confidence it is true he cannotattaine it but he may desperately attempt it Why brethren who knoweth the power of those sharpe temptations which may then beset him Verily all the holinesse which we have attained already all the duties we have performed already we may then looke on them with teares and cry out O why no sooner why no better why no more then all the strength of thy faith will be little enough to support thee Will there then be a change befall even all the sonnes of men Then to make some Use and Application of what hath beene said to ourselves First build no Tabernacls here Wee have here no abiding Citie And brethren saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 7. 29 30 31. The time is short it remaines that they that have wives bee as if they had none and they that weepe as though they wept not and they that â—…oyce as though they rejoyced not c. Why this thirst for riches there will bee a change why this unwearied seeking after the things of this life as if thy soule were to goe into a barne or a bagge and there tumble it selfe for ever Thou foole this night may thy soule bee taken away and whose possessions shall then thy carefull and only gettings bee the glasse will be broken and all the wine will flye abroad though thou hast with much eagernesse grasped the world in this life â—…et in death thy hands must open themselves and let it goe thou must not hold the world above thy life nor thy life beyond the day of death no wee cannot alway have that which we desire wee must certainly part with what we most esteeme of Secondly what comfort is this to a good soule If wee had hope onely in this life saith Saint Paul wee of all men are most miserable 1 Cor. 15. Death is a happy change to a holy person First it is a change which shall put a period to all his changes in this life his outward condition how ofâ—… doth it change sometime by joy and sorrow sometime by comfort and miserie by health and sicknesse by abundance and want but when Death comes all sorrow shall flye away for ever thou shalt never bee more troubled with a sick body with a sad estate with common losses but the change of a temporall life shall set thee in a full and settled possession of an heavenly His inward condition how oft doth it change sometime free anon distressed now a sweet view of heaven anon darkned with feare now rejoycing in Christ anon buffeted with Sathan now blessing God for grace anon distracted with the insolent workings of remaining corruptions but when Death comes then comes a change of all this it will release thee for ever of sinne and Sathan after death sinne shall be a burden no more and Sathan shall be a tempter no longer but thou shalt be as happy as thou canst desire and shalt enjoy thy God and thy Christ without feare or trouble in glory in felicitie in eternity all the cruell insolences of tyrants shall come short of thy soule thou shalt be above their malice and beyond thy selfe Secondly it is a change and no worse then a change just as Ioseph changed his garments and went into Pharaoh so thou shalt put off thy body and goe into glory put off thy mortality and goe into immortalitie Oh whatterrour to wicked men a day of change will befall them Why didst thou say Oh David there is no bands in their death and they are not in changes like other men Verily I should have checked thee hadst thou not recanted it presently thy selfe Psal. 73. 4. 17. 18. 19. and reported it to us that they are set in slipperie places and are brought into desolation and cast down into destruction in a moment and utterly consumed with terrour Good Lord what a change is that to them they judged with insolent and unrighteous judgement the Children of God now but death will change this the unjust steward
thanked God that in his old age he was free from his most Imperious mistris lust these men on the contrary desire to inthrall themselves againe in youthly pleasures and concupisence in them is kindled even by the defect of fewell it vexeth them that their sinnes forsake them that through the impotencie of their limbes and faculties they cannot runne into the like excesse as in former times their few dayes before death are like Shrovetide before Lent they take their fill of flesh and fleshly desires because they suppose that for ever after they must fast from them Thus they spurre on their jadish flesh now unable to runne her former Stages saying let us crowne our selves with Rose-buds for they will presently wither let us eate and drinke for to morrow we shall dye To reconcile the seeming difference betweene the miracle of humane wisedome Aristotle and the Oracle of divine Solomon two distinctions may bee made use of Of old Age. 1 In the entry when it is vigorous 2 In the exit when it is decrepit et ne ad mala quidem bona Of old Men. 1 As they ought to bee 2 As they are When Euripides was taxed as too great a favourer of the female Sex because in all his Tragedies he brought in vertuous women and fitted them with good parts to Act whereas Sophocles and other Poets of that Age brought lewd and immodest women upon the Stage and put odious parts upon them hee made this Apologie for himselfe others sayth hee in their Poems set forth women as they are but I such as they should be Solomons words are capable of a like construction desire fayleth because man goeth to his long home that is it doth in the best and should in all for what a preposterous thing were it for a man that hath one foore alreadie in the grave and is drawing the other after to desire to cut a crosse caper and dance the morrice or for him that is neere his eternall Mansion houâ—…e to hankerby the way and feast and revell it in an Inne Moreover Solomon here speaketh of a Barzillai who hath no taste of his meate no sence of delight no use in a manner of sense to whom dainties are no dainties because hee cannot taste them musicke is no musicke because hee cannot heare 〈◊〉 sweet odours are no sweet odours because he cannot smell them precious stones are no precious stones because hee cannot valeâ—… them the fairest beauties are no beauties because hee cannot discerne them In a word hee speaketh of an old man in whom all carnall lusts are either quite extinct or happily exchanged into spirituall or swallowed up with sorrow and feare of death and a horrible apprehension of judgement And so I come to the third Stage which is the litterall sense and genuine interpretation of the words As in Origen his Hexapla every word almost had an Asterisk or starre upon it so there needs a starre or some other light to be put upon every word of this Text for there is a mist of obscuritie upon each of them and a man may well misse his way if hee know not exactly who is here the man what 's meant by his going or gate where is his long home and whence are these Mourners First whether man bee taken Collectivè for the whole kinde or Species as the Logicians speake or Distributivè for every man in particular wee shall seeme to bee at a losse Man taken Collectivè stirres not a foot to his long home for Philosophie reprieveth universall natures from death or dissolution and true it is though single men every day dye yet mankinde dieth not If man bee taken Distributivè for all particular men of what ranke or qualitie soever wee shall have much to doe to distinguish the men in the former part of the Text from the mourners in the latter If all are attended with mourners to their funerall then mourners themselves must have mourners and so either the traine will bee infinite or the lag will bee destitute of mourners Secondly why useth hee this phrase of going if it import death sith some expect death and move not at all towards it some runne to it to some it is sent some leape into it as Cleombrotus some ride to it in state as Antiochus Epiphâ—…nes some are tumbled downe into it as S. Parius Melius some are dragged to it as Sejanus In a word when death surprizeth most men and that in all postures of the bodie why is dying here called going man goeth Thirdly where is this long home in Heaven or in Earth Purgatorie or Hell If wee speake of Heaven or Hell the Epithet long falls short for they are eternall habitations of Purgatorie or the grave suppose there were any Purgatorie yet neither of them may bee properly termed a long home sith neither the bodie stayes long in the one nor the soule in the other Fourthly whence are these mourners if they are mercenarie and hyred from home they are no true mourners if they are true mourners they keepe their Closets they gad not about the streets they shut themselves long at home for their friends that are gone to their long home To dispell all this mist of obscuritie and set a light upon each of the materiall words of the Text I answer To the first Quere that a man is here to be taken neither Collective for all mankinde in a lumpe nor Distributivè for every particular man without exception but indefinite or communiter for man in the ordinary course or tract for you shall hardly finde a man that hath no friend to drop a teare into his Grave As for the last men that shall stand upon the earth and shall bee alive at Christs comming they shall indeed passe by death properly yet they shall dye after a sort by passing from a mortall state to an immortall and if their long home bee Heaven they shall need no mourners if Hell they shall want none to beare them companie for at Christs second comming all kindreds of the earth shall mourne before him I answer To the second that going here is not taken pro motu progressivo in speciall as walking or running but in generall for passing to another world which way so ever whether wee make our way or it bee made for us whether wee goe to death or death come to us nay whether wee stirre onlie still whether wee are sound of foote or lame never had feet or have lost them wee goe this way of all flesh as I shall shew hereafter I answere To the third that by long home according to the Chaldee Paraphrasâ—… is here meant the grave or the place where our bodies or to speake more properly our remaines are bestowed and abide till the time of the restitution of all things the Originall is Beth gâ—…olemo which S. Ierome renders domum aeternitatis sâ—… because from thence as Lyra noteth he never returneth to live here
sinne and certainty of Judgement and uncertainty of salvation Heb. 9. 27. 2 Cor. 5. 10. Isa. 33. 14. Why Death called the last enemie 1. Because it is the last that shall assault us Therfore we have more enemies than Death The Divell The world The flesh Psal. 27. 11. Therefore likely to be the worst enemie 2. Because it is the last that shall be destroyed Who it is that destroyeth Death Rev. 5. 3. 5. 1 Sam. 17 32. Hos. 13. 14. Act. 3. 15. When Deach shall be destroyed At the day of the Resurrection Comfort in the meane time 2 Cor. 15. 57 Rev. 7. 17. Hos. 13. 14. 1 Cor. 3. 22. Vse 1. Death an enemy only to the wicked 1 King 21. 20 Death to the beleever is 1. A subdued Enemie Cant. 8. 3. Psal. 41. 3. Phil. 1. 23. Job 19. 27. Phil. 3. 21. Heb. 12. 23. Psal. 1â—… 11. 〈◊〉 Cor. 5. 2. A reconciled Enemie 3. An Enemie that at last shall be destroyed Rev. 20. Rom. 6. 9. Vse 2. For instruction How to be prepared for death 1. Die to sin 2. Live to God 3. Be ofâ—… iâ—… the meditation of death 4. Settle all things before hand that concerne the outward man The inward man Tit. 3. 11. 1 Pet. 3. 4. Prov. 31. 29. Coherence Division The Person judging God Opera 〈◊〉 ad extra sunt indivisa Opera 〈◊〉 ad intra sunt divisa â—…uique personae incommunicabiliter propria Obiect 2 Cor. 5. 10. 1 Cor. 6. 3. Answ. How Christ is said to be the Judge Rom. 2. 16. Joh. 5. Why God hath committed the power of the exâ—…cution of Judgement to Christ. Three properties requi site in a Judge 1. Knowledge to discerne Heb. 4. 2. Power to execute Psal. 149. Rev. 15. 3. Justice in the Execution Gen. 18. Job 8. 3. The Judgement 1. It shall be Types of the last Judgement Luke 17. Reas. 1. Reas. 2. Reas. 3. Act. 17. 31. Reas. 4. 2. In what manner it shall be 1. The summons Joh. 5. 28. Matt. 24 31. 1 Cor. 15. 1 Thes. 4. 16. 2. The Appearance 2 Cor. 5. 10. Rom. 14. 12. 1 Cot. 1. 7. 3. The separation 4. The tryall Rev. 20. 12. The Bookes that shall be opened at the day of Judgement 5. The Sentence The generall things observable in the words 1. The dutie 2. The motives The duty exprest 1. Generally 2. Particularly The generall dutie expressed 1. In the Object 2. In the Acts that are exercised on the Object 3. In the manner of exercising The Object 1. God Simile Simile 2. The name of God The Acts that are exercised on the Object 1. Of the understanding Memorie 2. Of the will and affections Desires Desires an argument of a gracious heart Joyned with endeavours Desires without endeavours false The manner of exercising these acts 1. They must come from inward principles 2. They must be sincere Simile Simile 3. They must be pitched on God alone 4. They must bee universall 5. They must be constant Simile The particular duties In times of mercie 1. Chearfulnesse 2. Fruitfulnesse In times of judgement Simile 1. Perseverance Simile 2. Diligent exercise of our graces Simile 3. Patience 4. Proficiencie The Motives to the duties 1 God seeth and judgeth all our wayes 2. This alone differenceth the godly from the wicked Coherence Division of the words 1 2 3 4 Obser. 1. The Saints on earth have a heavenly conversation What it is The priviledges thereof 1. Their names are written in heaven Luk. 10. 20. 2. They are governed by the law of God 3. They are safely kept 4. They have interest In God Mat. 6. 32. Chap. 7. 11. In Christ. Dan. 12. 1. In the holy Ghost 2 Cor. 13. 10. In the Angels In thâ—… Saints that are in heaven That are on earth 5. They are inriched with heavenly treasure Mat. 13. Isa. 55. 1. The Traffique of a Christian what How to know whether our conversation be in heaven By our affections Note Obser. 2. While the Saints are on earth they are stated in heaven 1. In respect of right and title 2. In respect of present possession John 14. Vse Presumption to hope for heaven without union with Christ first on earth Ezra 2. 62. Christ in respect of his bodily presence is onely in heaven Transubstantiarion Collos 3. 1. Obser. 3. Expectation of Christs comming to Judgement the best meanes to worke a man to a holy conversation The continuall expectation of the Saints is for Christs comming A threefoldâ—… comming of Christ. Proved 2 Tim. 4. 8. Heb. 9. 28. Vse For tryall How to know whether our expectation of Christs comming bee right 1. By the ground of it Heb. 11. 1. 2. By the companions of it Which are 1. Patience 2. Love Manifested in secret longings Care to walk in Christ. 3. Delight in the ordinances 3. By the effects and fruits of it The expectation of Christs comming the best meanes to procure a heavenly Conversation Proved 1. It is the worker of Mortification Collos. 3. 1. 7. 1 Joh. 3. 2 3. Guilt of sinne causeth the apprehension of death to be terrible 2. Subdues our worldly affections Collos. 3. 1. 3. Keepes us from sinfull actions A 3. 18. Act 17. 30. 4. Quickens to holinesse of life 2 Pet. 3. 11 12. 5. Furthers our perseverance in godlinesse 〈◊〉 Iohn 2. 28. Rev. 6. Rev. 3. 11. Vse For tryall Rev. 6. 15. Heb. 2. 14. 1 Thes. 1. 10. Division 1. The dutie commanded Meaning of the words What is meant by the saying of Christ viz. The Doctrine of the Gospell Two parts of the Gospell 1. Shewing our miserie Rom. 3. 23. 2. The remedie against this miserie 1. The Redeemer 2. The manner how we are redeemed Rom. 3. 24. 3. The means how to enjoy the remedie 1. The Conditions of the Covenant of Grace 1. Repentance Mark 1. 15. Heb. 6. The parts of Repentance Godly sorrow for sinne Psal. 38. â—…am 4. 9. Confession of sinne Pro. 28. Psal. 32. 4. 1 Joh. 1. 9. Firme purpose of amendment Joh. 5. Petition for patdon in the name of Christ. Hos. 14. 2. Repentance only taught in the Gospell Mans repentance tends to the honour of Gods justice 2. Faith Joh. 6. 29. Definition of Faith Faith only taught in the Gospell 3. New obedience How differenced from that required under the Law What it to keepe the saying of Christ. 2. The benefit What it is to see Death What Death is here meant Joh. 6. 68. Act. 5. 20. Act. â—…1 14. Reas. 1. 1 Joh. 2. 24. Reas. 2. Vse 1. Intitation to thankfulnesse Vse 2. Reprehension Vse 3. Exhortation Vse 4. Consolation Obiect Answ. Coherence Division of the words 1. The sin of young men 2. The Cure Doct. 1. It is the siâ—… of young men to rejoyce inordinately Gen. 6. 11. Isa 22. 14. Eccles. 12. 1. 1 Tim. 2. 22. Tit. 2. 6. Job 1. Reas. 1. Naturall corruption Reas. 2. Forgetfulness of judgement Deut. 32. 29. Reas. 3. Freedome from crosses Jer. 32. Reas. 4.
Attendants 4. Administration 5. Saints 2 Thes. 〈◊〉 â—…0 Christ is God 〈◊〉 Ioh. Isay 9. 6. Christ a great God Vse 1. Comfort to Gods children 2. Terrour to the wicked Object Answ. Comfortthat Christ the Saviour is Iudge Act. â—…7 31. Doctr. Every Christian so to live as expecting the appearing of Christ. Luke 2. 36. Phil. 3. 20. Jude 21. 2 Pet. 3. 14. Observat. 1. Col. 3. 3. Vse Observat. 2 Observat. Vse 1. Vse 2. Observat. Vse 1. Aug. lib. 8. Confess Cap. â—…lt Parts of the Text unfolded Sleepâ—… threefold 1. Naturall Psal. 3. 5. 2. Morall Dan. 12. 2. Act. 7. ult 3 Spirituall compared to sleepe 1. For the time the night 2. Exposed to danger Deut. 32. 3. Willingnesse 4. Suddennesse Mat. 26. 5. Incensiblenesse and immoveablenesse 6. Vaine fancies 7. The continuance 2. What meant by waking 1. To open the eyes to see the light 2. To rouze the senses 3. Get out of bed 3. Who must awake Quest. Answ. 1. The naturall man 2. The regenerate Cant. 5. 2. Mat. 25. Rev. 3. 2. 4. Why the Apostle calls upon these that are asleepe Exhortations not invaine 1. To the godly 2. To the wicked The dead sleepe of the world 1. Idolaters Rev. 2. 2. Adulterers 3. Drunkards Prov. 23. 4. Sabbath-breakers 5. Oppressours 6. Securitie The sleepe of the Church Signes of sleepie Christians 1. Carelesnesse 2. When men intend nothing but sleepe 3. Wasting of time 4. Decay of naturall heate Exhortation to awake from sleepe 1. It is unprofitable 2. It unfitâ—… for dutie 1. Exercise 2. Combate 3. To waitâ—… our Masters comming 3. Our enemie sleepes not Mat. 13. Prov. 24. 4. Gods mercie sleepes not 5. Gods judgements sleepe not 6. We are all to meet death Parts of the Text. Propos. They that are in covenant with God may bee without carnall feare 1. What feare is Kindes of feare 1. Naturall 2. Carnal feare 3. Servile feare Act 2. 4. Filiall feare Isay 8. 12. Reas. We are delivered from our enemies either Luke 1. 47. 1. By reconciliation 2. By conquest Vse 1. The power of grace must reflect on a mans selfe Vse 2. Possible to live with out feare Psalme 23. Vse 3. Reproofe for inordinate feare 1. We feare too soone 2. Too much 1. It brings a great deale of ill Esay 66. 4. 2. It unfits the heart to beare evilâ—… It hurts the body It doth hurt to the soule 1. Naturally 2. Spiritually Feare the ground of most sinnes Vse 4. To fence our hearts against it No cause of feare 1. Of spirituall enemies 2. Of worldly evills Ier. 46. 28. Obiect Answ. Obiect Answ. Quest. Answ. How to get the conquest of feare 1. Labour for the spirit 2. Keepe covenant with God Num. 14. 9. 3. Strengthen faith Psal. 112. 4. To place our love aright August Simile Doct. Both words and actions shall be called to account 2 Cor. 5. 10. Eccles. 12. Mat. 12. 36. Matth. 5. 22 Iude 13. 14. Reas. 1. The Law binds men in speeches Reas. 2. Words injure God and man Levit. 24. 11. Act. 8. Vse To condemn those that make light account of words Psal. 39. Psal. 131. Doctr. God will proceede in judgement according to his Law Ioh. 12. 48. Obiect Answ. All men judged by the Law The Law not alike expressed to all Rom. 2. 14 Reas. 1. The Law is Gods scepter that he rules by Psal. 110. 2. Isay 2. 3. 4. Reas. 2. Because the law is a rule Mica 6. 8. Vse 1. Repâ—…oofe of those that neglect the Law Rom. 2. 16. Prov. 13. 13. Quest. Answ. To despise Gods commandement what Ioh. 6. Matth. 25. 41 Vse 2. Admonition to observe the Law 1. For direction Matth. 5 2. For tryall Gal. 6. 3. 4. 1 Cor. 11. 32. Prov. 28. 13. Doct. The consideration of the day of judgement should moove to holinesse 1. It hath drawn some to obedience Eccles. 11. 9. 1. To forsake the world Phil. 3. 7. 2. Disposing the heart to obedience Eccles 12. 10. Heb. 12. Rev. 14. 2. It quickens to actions of obedience 1. Os particular calling 2. Generall calling 3. It confirmes in obedience Rev. 3. 11. Iam. 5. Vse Shewing the cause of the worlds prophanenesse and the Saints dejectednesse 2 Pet. 3. Vse 2. To strengthen faith of the judgement Ierome Parts of the Text. Meaning of the words Doct. Death due to sinne as wages Gen. 2. 17. Ezek. 18. 20. Rom. 5. 12. Iam. 1. 15. Quest. Answ. Whaâ—… death due to sinne 1. Temporall Rom. 5. 12. Obiect Answ. How Adam died a natural death as soon as he sinned Obiect Answ. How Christians freed from temporall death 1 Cor. 15. Christians undergoe temporall death why 1. 2. 3. 4. Simile 2. Eternall death Answ. Sinne infinite three wayes 1. In respect of the object 2. The subject 3. The sinners dâ—…sire Vse 1. Originall lust a sin Basile Vse 2. 〈◊〉 no sinne in it selfe veniall 1 Joh. 3. 5. Sins mortall and veniall how Vse 3. In spectacles of death to see the haynousnesse of sinne Vse 4. Todeterre us from sin Similies Ioh. 2. 1 Sam 14 Vse 5. To be humble and thankfull Life twofold 1. Naturall 2. Spirituall 1. In this life Job 17. 5. 2. In death 3. After the Resurrection A thing eternall three wayes 1. 2. 3. Doct. Salvation the free gift of God Quest. Answ. Austin Quest. Answ. Ioh. 3. Vse 1. Confutation of merit Rom. 8. Vse 2. To humble us Vse 3. Comfort Isa. 54. 2 Tim. 1. 12. Vse 4. Thankfulnesse Psal. 50 Deut. 30. 19. Isa. 45. 24. The Analysis of the Chapter Propos. 1. God is pleased to set himselfe to procure the profit of his people Proved by instances 1. In his instituting Ordinances in the Church 1. The preaching of the Word Act. 26. 18. 2 Tim. 3. 16. 2. The Sacrament of the Supper 3. Prayer Vnprofitable living under the ordinances a taking the name of God in vaine 4. Seâ—…ng of Christ into the world in our nature 2. In his command and injunction Deut. 10. 13. Matth. 〈◊〉 29. 3. In his several administrations 1. Permitting sin to remain 2. To prevaile 3. Withdrawing his presence 4. Suspending his answer to their prayers 5. Denying their particular suites 6. Deprives them of their dearest blessings Iames 5. 11. Use of exhortation 1. 2. 3. Vse 2. Of Instruction 1. 2. 1 Cor. 10. 33. Propos. 2. Gods ayme in afflicting his children is their profit Gen 41. 52. Afflictions they are profitable The blessed fruit of afflictions 2 Chron. 33. 1â—… Deut. 8. 15. Isa. 27. 9. Hab. 1. 12. The Saints of God have waited for the profit of afflictions 2 Sam. 16. 12. Isa. 37. 4. Vse 1. For reproofe Gods children prone to misconster the intent of God in their afflictions 1 Sam. 27. 1. Esa. 6. 5. Lam. 3. 16. 18 Isa. 49. 14. Jer. 29. 11. Vse 2. For comfort Isa. 10. 57. Simile Isay 10. 12. Vse 3. Exhortation to a patient expectation of the fruit of affliction Obiect Answ. 1. 2. 3. Iob 17. 4. The
you are sealed by the spirit of Promise to the day of redemption Eph. 1. 13. Secondly in regard of possession they are now already in present possession not in full possession but in present possession A possession not in themselves but in Christ by vertue of the union and communion they have in him By the union and contract that is betweene Christ and the soule Christ is become the Husband the Christian the Spouse So that as a Wife if her Husband should travell into a farre Countrey and in her name should take possession of those lands that were left her by her Father the Wife now is possest of those lands in her Husband who in her name hath taken possession of them so Christ entring into heaven hath tooke possession of heaven which is given to us by the will of God It is your Fathers pleasure to give you a kingdome Christ hath possessed it in our name I goe saith he to prepare a place for you and it is my will that they bee where I am I goe to my Father and your Father to my God and your God All that Christ hath in heaven Hee hath it for us Hee is gone before that wee may follow after wee cannot possibly lay claime to heaven wee cannot hope hereafter fully and personally to professe it if Christ had not first taken possession of heaven for us The Use of this in a word shall bee to stirre up every one to looketo his hope of heaven It is usuall for men to possesse their hope to be saved and scarse any but they will say they hope if they die they shall goe to heaven Yea but thou must now possesse it if ever hereafter thou meane to enjoy it and thou must possesse it first in Christ thou must be united to him by faith and love those are the bonds whereby the Spirit of God tyeth us unto Christ therefore Christ is said to dwell in our hearts by faith Which shewes the horrible presumption of many and how they adde to their other sinnes this that they presume that they have right and title to heaven and yet are not united to Christ by faith as if a man should give out that he were the heire apparant to a Crowne or the sonne of a King and yet neverthelesse should indeed be the sonne of a Beggar and have nothing to shew for his pretended title to the Crowne and kingdome what would this be accounted but high treason against the King What a height of sinne is this that is in many men which to their other sinnes adde a presumptuous claime to heaven when they have no right to it I Remember that in the time of Ezra we shall read of many that laid title and claime to the Priesthood but Ezra searched the booke of the Genealogies and finding none of their names Registred there he presently concluded that they were none of the Priesthood therefore they were accounted polluted and put from the Priesthood If any man lay claime to heaven God will search his booke of Genealogies as it were he will search the Register of heaven and if he find that his name be not inrolled there if hee be not found to have interestin Jesus Christ all will be nothing he shall bee cast out to his greater confusion This should therefore stirre up euery one to make good his claime to heaven now either now to bee possest of heaven now to sit in heavenly places with Christ or else looke not to come to heaven afterward But to leave this and to come to that I mainly intend namely the Argument or reason or ground of the Apostles heavenly conversation Our conversation is in heaven from whence wee looke for the Saviour the Lord Iesus Christ. The Apostle observeth here a kind of speech and that which seemes not so Grammaticall that he may thereupon build a sound and substantiall truth in Divinitie He had said before Our conversation is in the heavens in the Plurall number but now when hee speakes of Christs comming thence he speakes of it in the Singular number Our conversation is in the heavens from whence from which particular place Wee looke for the Saviour the Lord Iesus Christ. Of purpose to shew us thus much that though Christ in respect of his Deitie and divine nature he be in all places filling heaven and earth yet in respect of his bodily presence hee remaineth now and so will till his second comming which the Saints looke for in heaven Against those Vbiquitaries that will have the body of Christ to be every where In Heaven say they visible in this place invisible The Papists hence build the Doctrine of Transubstantiation they will have the body of Christ even that very body that was borne of the Virgin to be now Bread and the bread turned into it The Lutherans will have the same Body about the bread No saith the Apostle there is no such matter from thence from that very place that very individuall particular single place from the third heavens where the body of Christ is Wee looke for the Saviour hee remaineth there and so will continue till his comming to Judgement So againe in another place Collos. 3. 1. Set your affections on things above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God Above that is in heaven where Christ sitteth and continueth and will remaine till his second comming Our Saviour told his Disciples in the dayes of his flesh that the poore they should have alwayes with them but me saith he you shall not have alwayes If this be true that they say then Christ hath not said true for hee is still in respect of his bodily presence and hath beene alwayes with us But I let passe that The thing I note hence is this That that which most soundly and effectually settleth the heart of a man in a heavenly conversation upon earth is the looking for the Saviour of the world even the Lord Iesus Christ to come from thence I say there is nothing that so settleth the heart of a man in a heavenly conversation upon earth nothing that makes him so heavenly minded nothing that ordereth him in so heavenly a course as this if hee rightly looke for Christ to come from thence That you may conceive this the better you may please to take notice that there are two things included in this point First that all the Saints of God while they are on earth their continuall expectation is for Christ to come from heaven Secondly that nothing is so effectuall to settle a man in a holy course while he liveth on earth as this expectation These two things I will open to you at this time The first I say is that the Saints and servants of God while they are on earth doe continually expect and looke for the Saviour of the world even the Lord Iesus Christ to come from heaven By the comming of Christ you
must understand his second comming to judgement For there is a threefold comming of Christ. A twofold comming in his Bodie and one by his Spirit The first was the comming of Christ in the flesh when hee came to take our nature upon him and to be borne of a Virgin The second is the comming of Christ by his Spirit so hee commeth continually and dayly in the hearts of men in the preaching of the Gospell in vertue and efficacie His last comming and his second comming in respect of his body is when hee shall come to judgement Never looke for the comming of Christ in his body upon earth in the sight of men till that great day come when the Lord Iesus shall come with thousands of his Angels in the glory of his Father Now then this being the meaning of it we will prove it And first that it is the continuall expectation of all the Saints of God and the continuall desire of their hearts their continuall waiting is for the second comming of the Lord Christ. As it was before the first comming of Christ in the flesh so it shall be before his second comming Before the first comming of Christ after the promise was made to Adam all the expectation and hope of the Fathers and Beleevers was this when the great Messias would come and therefore saith Iacob I have waited for thy salvation and David I have longed for thy salvation meaning Christ the Saviour of the world and the Church groweth to a kind of holy impatiencie Oh that thou wouldest breake the heavens and come downe And immediatly upon the time of Christs comming there were alwayes holy men in those times that were stirred up with a continuall expectation of it and therefore it was made a marke of a good man in those dayes It is said of Ioseph of Arimathea and Simeon and of divers good women as of Anna and others that they waited for the consolation of Israel they continually waited and expected when the great comforter and Saviour of his people would come So shall the second comming of Christ be from the very time of his Ascension into heaven to the time now and to the time of his last comming to Judgement all the eyes of men will be towards him When I am lifted up saith our Saviour I will draw all men after me which though it bee there particularly understood of his lifting up upon the Crosse yet it is intended in generall of his Ascension into heaven So that as after the promise was given of the Spirit The Disciples waited for the receiving of the gift of the holy Ghost So it is now and will bee since the holy Ghost is already given there remaineth nothing to be looked for but Christ himselfe in his second comming to finish all these dayes of sinne And that this is the disposition of all the servants of God appeares by divers places of Scripture 2 Tim. 4. 8. saith the Apostle there Henceforth there is laid up for mee a crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall give me at that day and not to mee only but unto them also that love his appearing The Apostle here makes a description of all those that shall bee saved and hee saith they are such as love the appearing of Iesus Christ now that which a man loveth he desireth and lookes and longs for And in Heb. 9. 28. Christ died once for many and unto them that looke for him shall hee appeare the second time unto salvation Salvation is brought to whom to all those and onely to those that looke for the appearance of Christ. Therefore it is said of all the Beleevers in Heb. 11. That they saw things that were invisible and that they had an eye to the recompence of reward and that they saw the promise a farre off They looked still for those things that were to appeare by Christ. This I suppose is sufficiently confirmed by the Scripture let us therefore make some use of it Try now what comfort thou hast in the expectation of that great appearance of the Lord Jesus here spoken of This is the most infallible ground and undoubted evidence and testimony of the truth of grace now and assurance of glory hereafter if God have now stirred up thy heart in faith and holy affection to looke for and to long and waite for the appearance of Jesus Christ. Without this there is little love to Christ. The Church in Cant. 1. 2. sheweth her love to Christ Draw mee saith shee and we will runne after thee And chapt 2. 4. Stay me with flaggons comfort me with apples for I am sicke of love and chap. 5. If you find him whom my soule loveth tell him I am sicke of love If thou be of the disposition of the Church thou wilt out of love to Christ desire nothing so much as to enjoy the presence of Christ The Spirit and the Bride say come and let him that heareth say come the Spirit saith come and the Bride because she is stirred up in the same affection by the Spirit shee saith come too Christ saith to his Church I come and the Church shee saith againe Come Here is the agreement betweene Christ and his Church and the same disposition is in all the members of Christ a waiting and longing and desiring for the comming of Christ. There are many that pretend they waite and desire for the comming of Christ. When a man is under any affliction or in any trouble then Oh that Christ would come and end these troubles You shall heare a man that is abused and wronged by the oppressions and injuries of others and by the unrighteous dealings of wicked and ungodly men crying out Oh that Christ would come and put an end to these evill times Yea but if thou hast this desire of Christs comming that is in a man of a heavenly conversation It will appeare in these three things First it will appeare by the Ground of it What are the grounds of thy desire what are the motives that incourage thee to long for the comming of the Lord Jesus That which is the ground of faith is the ground of hope that is the promises Faith is the ground of things hoped for and the Word and promise are the warrant of Faith Faith and Hope looke both on this the free promise of God so it is said of Abraham that hee beleeved above hope because he knew that he that promised was able to doe it There is the first thing then Faith is the ground there is none but a true beleever that can indeed aright waite for and desire the comming of Christ. But this will appeare more in the second thing and that is by the companions of this expectation of Christs comming when it is right and as it should be in the soule of a Beleever The first companion of it is Patience If we hope for that wee see not then doe we